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I started with a 7 cubic foot class freezer that I attached an stc1000 to for temp control. The wiring for the stc1000 is super easy. Look for diagrams on the Internet. With 7 (instead of 5) cubic feet you can do two fermenters at once, which for the usual 20-30 dollar difference is a no brainer. I currently have two freezers. One for kegs and one for fermenting. Kegging really is the bees knees. I've been brewing for three years and just got started last year. Wish I had done that first because I would have been brewing much more in that time. I hated bottling that much. I've currently got three kegs in my 7 cubic foot freezer and am planning on collaring it and adding another two kegs. Currently just using picnic taps because perlicks are 
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Mar 9, 2015 02:02
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I actually already jumped to kegging, also due to hatred of bottling. I could have taken a crack at lagering already but I couldn't stand to give up the new kegerator for that long.
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Mar 9, 2015 03:21
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I remember the good ole days when I thought that a Thermapen was 
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Mar 9, 2015 06:27
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So the mead I bottled popped its cork on its own. This was the last fraction of it though, which means that it had a little bit of sediment that crept in and there was also some gunk floating at the top of the wine that also got sucked into the siphon. I honestly would've thought that any fermentation was finished by now. Any advice on how to prevent this in the future?
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Mar 9, 2015 10:26
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ShadowCatboy posted:So the mead I bottled popped its cork on its own. This was the last fraction of it though, which means that it had a little bit of sediment that crept in and there was also some gunk floating at the top of the wine that also got sucked into the siphon. I honestly would've thought that any fermentation was finished by now. Any advice on how to prevent this in the future? 1. The number one rule of bottling mead. Stabilize with camden tabs and potassium sorbate. Those will ensure that no more yeast works (one stops active yeast from forming alcohol, and the other keeps yeast from reproducing). You need both. This is also how you back sweeten mead. 2. Make sure your gravity is stable for at least a month. But still do step 1 anyways.
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Mar 9, 2015 13:21
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My first projected all-grain brew day is going to be March 21/22 assuming I can get everything planned out before then between work and other poo poo going on... But it got me wondering, what do you guys do with your grains afterwards? I've got friends who have some chickens, would they be able to use it for feed? Compost material? Grind it down further into flour and make awesome baked goods? Some other good friends of mine own a gourmet donut shop here in town (Evil Twin actually used their donuts for their Imperial Donut Stout), maybe they'd be interested in making beer donuts? Scarf fucked around with this message at 14:12 on Mar 9, 2015 |
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Mar 9, 2015 14:08
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Scarf posted:My first projected all-grain brew day is going to be March 21/22 assuming I can get everything planned out before then between work and other poo poo going on... But it got me wondering, what do you guys do with your grains afterwards? Some people in here has made breads before, think allgrain. It's great animal feed and amazing compost. If you have a dog you can make peanut butter dog biscuits which is the spelt grain, flour, peanut butter and an egg https://cheersbeers.wordpress.com/2011/08/14/peanut-butter-dog-cookies/ (someone even sells the stuff here http://doggiebeerbones.com/ ). It's a great medium for growing mushrooms aswell (but takes some extra processing), Cows/chickens/pigs/goats and such love it too. Treberbrot (germany spent grain bread) http://www.braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Treberbrot
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Mar 9, 2015 15:03
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Fluo posted:Some people in here has made breads before, think allgrain. It's great animal feed and amazing compost. If you have a dog you can make peanut butter dog biscuits which is the spelt grain, flour, peanut butter and an egg https://cheersbeers.wordpress.com/2011/08/14/peanut-butter-dog-cookies/ (someone even sells the stuff here http://doggiebeerbones.com/ ). It's a great medium for growing mushrooms aswell (but takes some extra processing), Cows/chickens/pigs/goats and such love it too. Awesome, thanks for the info!
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Mar 9, 2015 15:15
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Of course the Germans figured out how to make bread from making beer. Of course. I am totally making a batch when I get done with this batch I've been sitting on.
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Mar 9, 2015 15:17
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Please note: if you FWH or otherwise introduce hop compounds into your grain bed, please do not feed it to any pets or animals.
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Mar 9, 2015 15:41
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Brooklyn brew shop has a really great blog on things you can do with spent grains. My girlfriend found this and we make it about half the time I have spent grains: http://brooklynbrewshop.com/themash/recipe-spent-grain-banana-bread/ ^^^ that recipe is loving awesome Their recipe page: http://brooklynbrewshop.com/themash/category/spentgrainchef/
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Mar 9, 2015 16:48
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Does anyone have any pointers on diagnosing a super slow CO2 leak? I refilled my tank a while ago and when I went to pour a pint, it was empty. It had only been used to carb and serve most of one keg (on tap for about a month and a half), so I knew something was off. I swapped tanks, hooked the regulator up, set it to about 30 psi, and turned the tank valve completely closed. Starsan test didn't show any leaks, and the regulator loses about 1-2 psi per day in this state, which, as you can tell, is quite slow. Regulators are expensive, and I really don't want to have to drop the coin on a new one, so if there's any pointers you can provide to help me diagnose and/or fix it, that would be grand.
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Mar 9, 2015 17:18
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The banana bread sounds good. And since I'm already drying some barley from yesterday's brew session I'll probably try that out tonight. Usually I just modify existing recipes to include spent grain, especially hings that are already loaded with whole grains. Usually this means things like granola and oatmeal cookies. The granola was pretty awesome, actually. I've got some ideas for including a portion of spent grain in a tabbouleh-like salad and a vegetable barley soup but I haven't followed through on those yet.
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Mar 9, 2015 17:22
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crazyfish posted:Does anyone have any pointers on diagnosing a super slow CO2 leak? I refilled my tank a while ago and when I went to pour a pint, it was empty. It had only been used to carb and serve most of one keg (on tap for about a month and a half), so I knew something was off. I'm having a little trouble following you, I think what you are saying is that the tank is open, but the shut off valve of the regulator is closed, correct? Is the gas supply line hooked up to the keg, or just dangling free? I had a mystery leak recently, when I disconnected the tank I found that the nylon washer at the tank and regulator connection was cracked. I replaced the washer when I got my refill and checked every other connection without any detectable leaks.
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Mar 9, 2015 18:51
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Robo Boogie Bot posted:I'm having a little trouble following you, I think what you are saying is that the tank is open, but the shut off valve of the regulator is closed, correct? Is the gas supply line hooked up to the keg, or just dangling free? Starting state: All valves closed. Open tank valve. Turn regulator pressure to 30 PSI. Close tank valve. Observe low pressure gauge on regulator. Keg hose is dangling free, keg is not hooked up. The ball valve which distributes the gas to the kegs is closed. I may stop by the brewing store and pick up a new washer, because I imagine they're cheap enough that there's no reason not to replace it; I did buy the regulator used and have never done so. crazyfish fucked around with this message at 20:50 on Mar 9, 2015 |
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Mar 9, 2015 20:47
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I've only been kegging for a year and a half, so maybe someone who has done it longer can chime in. But I always check for leaks with everything connected as normal at regular serving pressure. Maybe blasting the regulator up to 30psi and then shutting off the gas is what's causing the problem?
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Mar 9, 2015 21:29
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crazyfish posted:Starting state: All valves closed. Open tank valve. Turn regulator pressure to 30 PSI. Close tank valve. Observe low pressure gauge on regulator. Keg hose is dangling free, keg is not hooked up. The ball valve which distributes the gas to the kegs is closed. I test my connectors for leaks by submersing them under water with all valves open at like 40psi. If you don't see any bubbles after a few seconds then there's no leak. This should work for everything but the regulator. To test the regulator simply shut off the regulator valve and the tank and see if the pressure drops. Seph fucked around with this message at 22:35 on Mar 9, 2015 |
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Mar 9, 2015 22:33
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What was your fastest Berliner Weiss
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Mar 10, 2015 04:48
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crazyfish posted:Does anyone have any pointers on diagnosing a super slow CO2 leak? I refilled my tank a while ago and when I went to pour a pint, it was empty. It had only been used to carb and serve most of one keg (on tap for about a month and a half), so I knew something was off. I pressurised my lines, pulled the rear side (I have a one way valve between the gas bottle and manifold) and just submerged everything in a bath deep enough. Found the leak pretty quick, and because it's a fitting that won't get removed, silicon sealed it. No new leaks!
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Mar 10, 2015 09:08
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DontAskKant posted:What was your fastest Berliner Weiss A guy in my club managed one that was fantastic in about 3 weeks. I'm hitting him up for the recipe as we speak (because he hit me for my Belgian dark strong recipe, snagged 3rd at our Belgian club comp for it. 1/3 a point between 1st and 3rd!!)
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Mar 10, 2015 09:11
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McSpergin posted:A guy in my club managed one that was fantastic in about 3 weeks. I'm hitting him up for the recipe as we speak (because he hit me for my Belgian dark strong recipe, snagged 3rd at our Belgian club comp for it. 1/3 a point between 1st and 3rd!!) Hey Man. I have attached a screenshot of the Malt Bill. The first lot that I selected mashed are the ones I actually mashed. The other ones were unmilled which was added post mash which is where I got the Lacto from. So it was basically a Sour Mash with Wild Lacto. I have also added the Notes that I added in the program. My research indicated that Lacto tend to attack the proteins while lowering the pH, which is why most Berliners suffer from lack of Head. I added the Acidulated malt to lower the Mash pH so that The lacto has an easier start. The lower pH also helps create a good environment for the lacto and reduces the chance of bad strains of bacteria from talking hold. This is also why i used some Acidulated Malt with the pilsner to add the Lacto to mash. It is my understanding that the Weyermann Acid Malt is primarily create by letting the Lacto ferment on the husks. Other manufactuers just add Lactic Acid to Base malt, Also the lower Kilning temp of Pilsner malt increases the chance of Lacto still being on the husk. It is very important to keep temp above 40degC, from the start. I think Lacto strive above 40degC and Die at 45degC. Below 40degC other bacteria which can create a vomit type smell can take over. I set the Hysteresis on my controller to 0,3degC to keep close control of the temp. I left the mash in my 20L pot. Note this is for a 13L Batch. I let them have thier way for 44hrs before sparging and boiling. If you use a starter, it may take less time. Next time I may ditch the Acid Malt for the mash and add equivalent of lactic acid, but will still use Acid malt post mash to kick off the bacteria. Most guys on the net do a no boil or 15min boil. Some suffer from DMS, so I decided to do 40min boil with a bit of Noble Hop at 15min to create 4-5ibu's. Note I used re-animated Funktown Pale Ale Yeast in this one. Next time i'll use a full vial and prob leave temp higher for longer to promote a bit more funk. Brew Notes are as below: 21JAN15 Boiled water to remove O2 Mash Milled Grains @ 3L/kg @ 65degC for 75min 3pm Cooled to 35degC and stirred in unmilled grains. Put in Pot on Heat Pad at 41.5degC. Covered with Glad Wrap, remove air bubbles and cover with Baking Paper. Maintained temp in fermentation Chamber 23JAN15 5pm Heat Sparge Water, Sparge Mash and peform 90min boil. Pre boil 1.030SG @45degC=1.037 13L in Fermenter. OG= 1.033 temp corrected Pitched yeast @ 26degC. Used Re-animated Funktown Pale Ale. 10pm 18.5deg C set on controller. will increase to 25degC on 26th Jan 28thJAN white pellicle on top. Brett? removed 3L into Demijohn with approx 700g of Lychee flesh. FG=1.010 ABV=3% pre priming 30thJan. Bottled to 3.0 co2 Level after gelatine and cold crash Beautiful wheat flavour and perfect sourness. Very Hazy when forst bottled but settles in bottle. After week or so in bottle, first glass is quite clear and second is slightly hazy. Benefits from swirling yeat into Glass like a WitBier. 
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Mar 10, 2015 10:55
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I want to get into brewing slowly; I know this thread is mostly about beer but I read the most simple thing you can start brewing is mead. I'm going totry executing this recipe; dyd anybody ever try it? Does it sound like it'll work? It seems like the simplest and cheapest way to do things. RRather than go with a balloon airlock though, which sounds sketchy, I'm planning on making one out of tubing and a jar of water. Sounds pretty simple in theory but if there's a simpler / better way I'm all for hearing it. Also the recipe says it will take months to get a result; is it really the case, or that's just if I want to get it really aged? I can wait 2 months, but if it's like 6 I'd like to know what I'm getting into. Thanks so much!
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Mar 10, 2015 15:04
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There is a couple of masterful mead makers itt. Fret not, we like everything fermented. Which reminds me, at work we're doing vinegars. Here is a shot of a homebrew gone awry that I gifted to the cause. 
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Mar 10, 2015 15:26
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Colonel J posted:I want to get into brewing slowly; I know this thread is mostly about beer but I read the most simple thing you can start brewing is mead. I'm going totry executing this recipe; dyd anybody ever try it? Does it sound like it'll work? It seems like the simplest and cheapest way to do things. Higher abv mead batches do end up taking a while to age, especially if you don't want to get into the more involved fermentation management techniques. If you want a 2 month mead, you may want to look at a lighter "hydromel" version of the recipe. Something like this would come to around 8.5-9%: 2 pounds honey zest from one orange (just the orange colored skin, not the white pith which adds harsh bitterness) 1 clove Box of Raisins Yeast Now it does look like you want to get started on the cheap, but there are a couple of small things you should get before firing the batch up. 1. Get some wine specific yeast. .75 cents http://www.morebeer.com/products/dry-wine-yeast-cotes-de-blanc-5.html?site_id=9 2. Yeast Nutrient http://www.morebeer.com/products/yeast-nutrient-diammonium-phosphate-dap.html?site_id=5 (2oz) The makeshift airlock will work for now, but you'll want to upgrade later. Honey has 0 nutrients that yeast need to ferment healthily. Without them, you run a high risk of major off flavors or a stalled ferment entirely.
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Mar 10, 2015 16:08
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My friend is big into hydromel as a babby's first mead. Do you add any water or just dump it all and throw it in a closet? Also could I have a poo poo ton going and just leave it in a closet for a super long time without issue?
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Mar 10, 2015 16:10
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I'm planning on doing an English Mild for my next beer, a style I'm familiar with but have never brewed. I'm planning on something like this: 42% Maris Otter 42% Munich 10L 4% Fawcett's Pale Chocolate Malt 4% Honey Malt 4% Caramel 120L 18 IBUs Fuggles How does that look? I'm thinking it might be a bit too sweet but I'm not sure. The last time I used Honey Malt it was very overpowering, but I definitely want some residual sugar in this. Also, what yeast would you recommend? I was originally thinking Wyeast 1318 or Wyeast 1728 but I'm not sure. I'm open to suggestions
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Mar 10, 2015 16:24
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Adult Sword Owner posted:My friend is big into hydromel as a babby's first mead. Do you add any water or just dump it all and throw it in a closet? Yeah that recipe is a for a gallon so all the ingredients, then add water up to the gallon volume. It can sit on the lees (yeast cake) for a month or two, then you'll want to transfer it off if you plan on just setting and forgetting (If you plan on bottling soon after, it's still good to transfer off so you aren't bottling from the same container with all the sediment). A lot of the lighter meads are done in the 2-3 month range.
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Mar 10, 2015 16:24
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Marshmallow Blue posted:Higher abv mead batches do end up taking a while to age, especially if you don't want to get into the more involved fermentation management techniques. If you want a 2 month mead, you may want to look at a lighter "hydromel" version of the recipe. Something like this would come to around 8.5-9%: Nice, thanks for the tips! I'll try to find these ingredients locally (I'm in Montreal) as shipping on these to my place more than quintuples the bill.
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Mar 10, 2015 16:27
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Marshmallow Blue posted:Yeah that recipe is a for a gallon so all the ingredients, then add water up to the gallon volume. It can sit on the lees (yeast cake) for a month or two, then you'll want to transfer it off if you plan on just setting and forgetting (If you plan on bottling soon after, it's still good to transfer off so you aren't bottling from the same container with all the sediment). A lot of the lighter meads are done in the 2-3 month range. Cool, I really, really should make a bunch for a camping trip we have end of July.
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Mar 10, 2015 16:28
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HatfulOfHollow posted:I'm planning on doing an English Mild for my next beer, a style I'm familiar with but have never brewed. I'm planning on something like this: I'll be interested to hear how this turns out. I absolutely love milds and hope to try brewing one once I get a few others under my belt.
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Mar 10, 2015 16:35
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Colonel J posted:Nice, thanks for the tips! I'll try to find these ingredients locally (I'm in Montreal) as shipping on these to my place more than quintuples the bill. https://www.google.com/maps/place/4...a9ecebe!6m1!1e1 Looks like that place is a homebrew store
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Mar 10, 2015 16:58
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My first mild was a goon recipe that wound up being really good and was easy to make. It turned me on to Munich in English styles, sometimes I like it even more than MO https://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/unicorn-with-a-mustache
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Mar 10, 2015 17:09
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Marshmallow Blue posted:https://www.google.com/maps/place/4...a9ecebe!6m1!1e1 Wow, apparently I can't google as I never found that place. I'll surely pay them a visit, although I already ordered somewhere on the web 
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Mar 10, 2015 17:28
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McSpergin posted:I pressurised my lines, pulled the rear side (I have a one way valve between the gas bottle and manifold) and just submerged everything in a bath deep enough. Found the leak pretty quick, and because it's a fitting that won't get removed, silicon sealed it. No new leaks! Including the regulator? I've heard you shouldn't submerge regulators but I'm not sure specifically where I saw it.
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Mar 10, 2015 21:21
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crazyfish posted:Including the regulator? I've heard you shouldn't submerge regulators but I'm not sure specifically where I saw it. definitely not the reg! everything but. I figured if nothing leaked, then it was the regulator
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Mar 10, 2015 22:41
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So I managed to break my thermometer. Any recommendations for a not insanely expensive replacement? I just got a refractometer and am itching to brew but don't want to be a dummy and not use a thermometer.
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Mar 11, 2015 02:35
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I've dropped my themermapen in my mash a couple times, but if you don't want to blow $100bux on one, just get the highest rated digital on amazon. The Taylor 9842 is what nearly every chef I've met uses.
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Mar 11, 2015 03:14
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I've been using the Polder oven probe thermometer thing from Amazon for my mashes (and all kinds of other things) for a long time now and I'm sure it's a horrible idea, but it's served me well.
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Mar 11, 2015 03:39
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My mother insisted I get a thermapen. She thinks I roast meat.
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Mar 11, 2015 05:55
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McSpergin - how are you finding the Voyager malt? The Buloke variety is poo poo to mill. Loving the new roasted malts.
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Mar 11, 2015 12:18
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