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Millions posted:I'm only on my third batch and I'm already finding bottling tedious. Is kegging an attainable dream or is it Oh, it's attainable. But it's also 
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Jul 16, 2014 17:26
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Millions posted:I'm only on my third batch and I'm already finding bottling tedious. Is kegging an attainable dream or is it Have you tried using larger bottles? Since I moved to 1L bottles I haven't found it nearly as irritating to bottle up 5 gallons. I usually use 16 one liters and 6-12 normal beer bottles per batch.
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Jul 16, 2014 18:08
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If your patient and good at networking you can spend shockingly little on kegging. Out of the 26 kegs my roommates and I have, we paid for none of them. We got 15 ball locks from a Pepsi employee one roommate plays softball with, and 11 from a high school football snack bar that was run by their booster club (basically his parents) and was shut down. We still had to pay $10 a keg to refurbish with o-rings and all of the other hardware, but if you ask around, you might be able to score jackpots.
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Jul 16, 2014 18:11
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What about mid-tier systems like tap-a-draft?
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Jul 16, 2014 19:23
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Jermaine Dildoe posted:What about mid-tier systems like tap-a-draft? Tap-a-draft is in that weird middle ground where it's kind of too expensive to be a simple and cheap way to get started with draft beer. I don't know anyone who has used one for more than a couple months, they always upgrade to a full soda keg based system. If you want to play with that system though you can disassemble the Miller Lite plastic kegs and refill them. You have to bottle condition and you'll need a fresh CO2 cartridge. You'll also have to drink a minikeg of Miller Lite though but I guess there are worse things.
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Jul 16, 2014 19:52
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internet celebrity posted:Tap-a-draft is in that weird middle ground where it's kind of too expensive to be a simple and cheap way to get started with draft beer. I don't know anyone who has used one for more than a couple months, they always upgrade to a full soda keg based system. You can also water your garden with the miller lite kegs original contents.
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Jul 16, 2014 20:07
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Jermaine Dildoe posted:What about mid-tier systems like tap-a-draft? The thing about midrange systems in general is that they have always seemed to me like the worst of both worlds. Bottling, at least, is cheap as hell if you scavenge bottles. It's also a pain in the rear end. Cornies are expensive to set up (unless you can scavenge the kegs from somewhere), but they are both inexpensive and easy to use once it's all set up. All the mid-range systems seem like a pretty good improvement in ease of use (fill 2-4 containers per five-gallon batch), but they are expensive to set up and expensive on an ongoing basis. Either you have to use CO2 cartridges at 40 cents (12g size) to a dollar (16g size) each, or you have to use the pressure pouch thingy that the Party Pig uses. Maybe with used Cornies getting so rare, there will be a renewed reason to develop a good midrange system.
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Jul 16, 2014 20:37
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Myron Baloney posted:A friend uses a racking cane tube with a drilled #7 stopper on it jammed into a picnic tap, not elegant but capping on foam it should be good enough unless you're aging bottles long-term. Running an additional line of CO2 to purge the bottle first would be a common-sense improvement on that. You have to get the beer and the bottles as cold as possible, drop the serving pressure a bit and work fast. This is called the BMBF (Biermuncher Bottle Filler): http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/we-no-need-no-stinking-beer-gun-24678/
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Jul 16, 2014 21:19
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Jo3sh posted:The thing about midrange systems in general is that they have always seemed to me like the worst of both worlds. It seems like a) the price of new cornies is converging with the price of used cornies (you can find new ones for around $80, used ones are around $60) and the price of sixtels is dropping too.
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Jul 16, 2014 21:25
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more falafel please posted:new ones for around $80, used ones are around $60 Makes me glad I have a full complement already.
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Jul 16, 2014 21:34
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Brewed my first homebrew 10 days ago and just took a sample - hazy as hell but fermentation seems done (I'll make sure it stabilizes but it's at the target gravity already). And, most amazingly of all, it tastes like beer! It's been fermenting too warm but that doesn't seem to have done too much damage.
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Jul 16, 2014 21:58
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toe knee hand posted:Brewed my first homebrew 10 days ago and just took a sample - hazy as hell but fermentation seems done (I'll make sure it stabilizes but it's at the target gravity already). Welcome to the fold. I picked up 10# of heirloom grits to use in beer. So that is a thing. Brew room is getting a couple of drat awesome upgrades very soon - shutter wall fan, tile backsplash, NG line run in, pricing a sculpture, fridge, etc. It's all coming together. Couple Qs: I've done a poo poo load of looking around at making use of NG, but I trust goons more. Should I just get some banjos and get conversion kits as opposed to those 'wok cookers'? Sculpture - initially, I was gunning for a cheap angle iron build, but was turned off from a guy I know complaining about one he has. Another option is heavy gauge conduit framing, I'd like it to be as simple as possible w/o breaking the bank. Experience? Fridge - I'll be using it for fermentation and will be getting a temperature controller, I brew ~1.5h away though - should I get an stc1000 and see how I like working with it? or just go head first and get a brewpi set? Jacobey000 fucked around with this message at 03:32 on Jul 17, 2014 |
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Jul 17, 2014 03:28
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So my friend and I entered several beers into the Indiana State Fair Brewer's Cup competition. We took first place in the fruit beer category with our robust Coconut porter. It's basically a Mounds candy bar in beer form. This beer is loving amazing, and I am also convinced that the Wyeast 1450 is the best strain ever for porters, as this is the second time I've used that yeast to make an award winning porter. Here's the recipe for an 11 gallon batch. Water 14 Gallons Water Grain 19.00 lbs American 2 Row 3.00 lbs Vienna Malt 1.50 lbs American Chocolate 1.00 lbs Crystal 120 1.00 lbs Crystal 40 8.00 oz Black (Patent) Malt Hops 1.25 oz UK Phoenix @ 60 min 1.00 oz East Kent Golding @ 15 min Other 1 Whirlfloc Tablet @ 15 min Yeast Wyeast 1450 Denny's Favorite 50 Secondary additions to Primary after fermentation is done ~10 days 1 Madagascar Vanilla bean, split, scraped, and macerated in 1/4 cup dark rum 4 oz Cacao nibs, soaked in enough dark rum to cover them completely 1 lb of unsweetened, raw coconut flakes that I toasted in a wok until they were golden brown
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Jul 17, 2014 03:47
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Jacobey000 posted:Sculpture - initially, I was gunning for a cheap angle iron build, but was turned off from a guy I know complaining about one he has. Another option is heavy gauge conduit framing, I'd like it to be as simple as possible w/o breaking the bank. Experience? nmfree posted:Unistrut. It's reasonably priced, very strong, easy to work with (it's kind of like Tinkertoys for adults), and can be found at any big box home center.
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Jul 17, 2014 07:52
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Following up from my Brett talk a couple pages back, I brewed a hoppy saison with kiwi hops on sunday and split it in two. Half is fermenting with WY3711 French Saison and half with WY5112 Brett Brux. I forgot to add the table sugar so I only hit 1.056 for my OG but otherwise it was pretty successful. I'm debating adding the sugar now or just leaving it out. Recipe Specifications -------------------------- Boil Size: 51.18 l Post Boil Volume: 43.68 l Batch Size (fermenter): 42.00 l Bottling Volume: 40.50 l Estimated OG: 1.063 SG Estimated Color: 13.0 EBC Estimated IBU: 33.0 IBUs Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 % Est Mash Efficiency: 72.0 % Boil Time: 90 Minutes Ingredients: ------------ Amt Name Type # %/IBU 6.00 kg Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (3.9 EBC) Grain 1 53.1 % 3.50 kg Wheat (BestMälz) (4.5 EBC) Grain 2 31.0 % 1.00 kg Biscuit Malt (45.3 EBC) Grain 3 8.8 % 0.80 kg Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (2.0 EBC) Sugar 4 7.1 % 15.00 g Rakau (Alpharoma) [10.60 %] - Boil 60.0 Hop 5 9.5 IBUs 15.00 g Wakatu (Hallertau Aroma) [7.40 %] - Boil Hop 6 6.6 IBUs 15.00 g Motueka [6.70 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 7 4.6 IBUs 15.00 g Rakau (Alpharoma) [10.60 %] - Boil 30.0 Hop 8 7.3 IBUs 15.00 g Wakatu (Hallertau Aroma) [7.40 %] - Boil Hop 9 5.1 IBUs 1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 10 - 10.00 g Motueka [6.70 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 11 0.0 IBUs 10.00 g Rakau (Alpharoma) [10.60 %] - Boil 0.0 m Hop 12 0.0 IBUs 10.00 g Wakatu (Hallertau Aroma) [7.40 %] - Boil Hop 13 0.0 IBUs 1.0 pkg French Saison (Wyeast Labs #3711) [50.28 Yeast 14 - 1.0 pkg Brettanomyces Bruxellensis (Wyeast Labs Yeast 15 -
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Jul 17, 2014 12:35
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I'd say skip the sugar, your OG is already pretty decent unless you want a higher ABV beer. But you cool, both of those will likely take it down below 1.010
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Jul 17, 2014 14:57
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pugnax posted:Another hivemind query: is there a good way to bottle kegged beer without one of those fancy blichmann beer guns? Counterpressure fillers are cool looking but you can easily fill bottles for $2 worth of tubing. Assuming you're not going to try to store the bottles long term of course.
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Jul 17, 2014 17:56
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Huge_Midget posted:So my friend and I entered several beers into the Indiana State Fair Brewer's Cup competition. We took first place in the fruit beer category with our robust Coconut porter. It's basically a Mounds candy bar in beer form. This beer is loving amazing, and I am also convinced that the Wyeast 1450 is the best strain ever for porters, as this is the second time I've used that yeast to make an award winning porter. Put this in the Brewtoad SA Group!
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Jul 17, 2014 22:43
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Bobsledboy posted:
I did a Wakatu SMaSH for a club project in spring and it was one of the fastest kegs I've ever killed on my own. It lent a nice, smooth bitterness and the aroma really was like a mix of lime and flowers. I think I'd probably even make this beer again but ramp up the aroma additions a bit. Really enjoyable hop. e: also I will vouch for HugeMidget's porter, it's ridiculous.
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Jul 18, 2014 11:45
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nominal posted:I did a Wakatu SMaSH for a club project in spring and it was one of the fastest kegs I've ever killed on my own. It lent a nice, smooth bitterness and the aroma really was like a mix of lime and flowers. I think I'd probably even make this beer again but ramp up the aroma additions a bit. Really enjoyable hop. I was really intrigued by the description my LHBS gave. Especially when they said it had a really soft bitterness. I had a bad time with a Galaxy IPA smash being really harsh earlier in the year. This one smells amazing so far Bobsledboy fucked around with this message at 12:33 on Jul 18, 2014 |
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Jul 18, 2014 12:18
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Jacobey000 posted:I'd say skip the sugar, your OG is already pretty decent unless you want a higher ABV beer. But you cool, both of those will likely take it down below 1.010 Agreed. The Brett doesn't need simple sugars, it will rip apart your beer all on it's own as long as you give it the time it needs.
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Jul 18, 2014 13:28
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CapnBry posted:I cut a piece of racking cane a little longer than a bottle, then hose clamped a 2 inch piece of 1/2" silicone tubing to the top. Turn down the pressure to about 5 psi, slip the silicone over the Perlick, fill bottle. I can usually fill to within an inch of the top of the bottle. The first bottle is always a little foamy thanks to the lines being warm. I've actually stored bottles bottled this way for a couple months without issue. Millions posted:I'm only on my third batch and I'm already finding bottling tedious. Is kegging an attainable dream or is it decision you'll make. I brew twice as often as I used to now that I keg. It's so much faster and easier that there's really no other option. DO IT.
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Jul 19, 2014 03:53
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Imaduck posted:If you want to go a little more professional, these are cheap. Then, just get a plain racking cane and a stopper and you're good to go. I'm saving quite abit of so I'm able to do this. When I started getting kegs were expensive and a nightmare to find but they're starting to drop in price here with imports from Italy and such.When I finally have the built up cash I shall finally be kegging, one thing I dread still though is making up the collar for the chest freezer.
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Jul 19, 2014 04:05
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Fluo posted:one thing I dread still though is making up the collar for the chest freezer. First, I would bet you know someone who has some skill (and some tools) and can help you with this. Second, if you're not already locked into the chest freezer idea, just use a regular fridge. That's what I did, because that's what I found cheap. Works nicely.
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Jul 19, 2014 04:23
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On the spectrum of challenging and complicated hobbies, building a collar for a freezer sits well below crafting a great beer. Biggest thing is making sure the hinges are seated well and you maintain a solid seal, neither of which are hard. Everything else is woodworking 101.
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Jul 19, 2014 05:42
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I mean, I just got the hardware store to cut me 4 boards of the proper length. All I had to do was drill in 8 screws, drill rough holes for the shanks to go through, and then glue that sucker to the fridge. It's super easy. You can go really fancy with it, of course, but this isn't some fru-fru wine fridge, it's a keezer!
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Jul 19, 2014 08:13
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I will say, the one thing I did that's not part of the basic instructions that I'd recommend is to double-hinge it. It's just a pair of door hinges and 12' of fridge foam for the second seal ring, and allows you to open up just the lid for quick access and both the lid and collar for situations where you want the tap lines out of the way (lifting in a full keg, cleaning the bottom periodically, etc).
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Jul 19, 2014 09:14
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The only thing holding me back from kegging is the fact that I don't have a chest freezer. I really need to invest in one so I have some place to store 3-4 kegs and finally build a kegerator.
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Jul 19, 2014 13:14
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Imaduck posted:If you want to go a little more professional, these are cheap. Then, just get a plain racking cane and a stopper and you're good to go. equipment but nothing is simpler or more reliable or more effective so I heartily recommend it to anyone with a piece of racking cane and a couple inches of silicone tubing handy. That said, if you don't have those things on hand, $11 for something pre-built liked you linked is a great setup. We're both in agreement though that all you need is some tube and a pluggy bit, not $100 worth of contraption! While we're on the keggerator discussion (which is great, everyone should keg), anyone have any tricks to find air leaks in their fridge? My collar is siliconed to the freezer, and the lid bolted to that with the original seal. Still there's some sort of small leak. I use reusable dehumidifiers inside my freezer to keep the condensation in check, but even with those and not opening the lid for a month, I'm still seeing up to 70% humidity in there. I've tried putting a bright-rear end lamp inside it, closed the lid and went around in the dark looking for anywhere I can see light. That found one edge that needed some sanding to straighten but I'm still not 100% sealed. My only other idea is to put a smoke bomb inside of it and pressurize it, looking for where the smoke comes out. Any less destructive ideas? CapnBry fucked around with this message at 13:50 on Jul 19, 2014 |
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Jul 19, 2014 13:45
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Ahh.. Brewday. Brewing up a California common (aka steam) with all Amarillo hops and should fall right about 5%abv. Just got setup and were getting everything cleaned up.
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Jul 19, 2014 14:13
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CapnBry posted:While we're on the keggerator discussion (which is great, everyone should keg), anyone have any tricks to find air leaks in their fridge? My collar is siliconed to the freezer, and the lid bolted to that with the original seal. Still there's some sort of small leak. I use reusable dehumidifiers inside my freezer to keep the condensation in check, but even with those and not opening the lid for a month, I'm still seeing up to 70% humidity in there. You could open up a CO2 line inside, close the lid, then go around the outside seal with a lit or smoking candle, match, or incense, seeing if you can detect where the gas is escaping. Just don't forget to turn the CO2 back off.
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Jul 19, 2014 14:14
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I'm going on vacation pretty soon, so I don't really want to start a batch of beer. But I am going to set up a batch of cyser to ferment while I am away, using my new favorite recipe: 4 gallons club store apple juice (I use the "not from concentrate" stuff, who knows if it makes any real difference) 1 gallon club store cranberry-raspberry juice 5 pounds club store honey Sweet Mead yeast from White Labs or Wyeast. This makes a nice pink beverage which retains just a little raspberry flavor. Interestingly, a brewing friend tried it with cranberry (not cran-ras) juice, and all the color fermented out - his ended up just being straw-gold. He did say the yeast cake was shocking pink, so the color seems to get grabbed by the yeast somehow.
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Jul 19, 2014 14:54
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Jo3sh posted:First, I would bet you know someone who has some skill (and some tools) and can help you with this. Yeah I'll try and get in touch with my DIY friend when the time comes. Thank!  Also my fridge seems to have loving died, with £60 worth of yeast in it.  The Wyeast ones should last till tomorrow right before ballooning right? I'll be able to get an emergency fridge in next couple of days but freaking out abit as I've got some special private collections from the last which I've been saving over generations and got a brewery mate to yeast wash (I was abit fearful of yeast washing without help my first time). My newly arrived yeast bay bretts should be fine though right? (exp 2015).Never had a fridge die on me like this. 
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Jul 19, 2014 19:07
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Zaepho posted:Ahh.. Brewday. Are you using lager yeast or a specific steam strain? Steam is high on my to-do list.
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Jul 20, 2014 01:42
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Fluo posted:Yeah I'll try and get in touch with my DIY friend when the time comes. Thank! Ballooning is not what you're worried about here, you're worried about the yeast just loving dying. I'd run them over to a mates place immediately.
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Jul 20, 2014 03:04
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wildfire1 posted:Ballooning is not what you're worried about here, you're worried about the yeast just loving dying. I'd run them over to a mates place immediately. A mate turned up at 11pm at night to fix it, there was some form of ice blockage over some hole at the back of fridge. 4am and working fine!  So hopefully they're still alive and kicking!
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Jul 20, 2014 04:21
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Fluo posted:A mate turned up at 11pm at night to fix it, there was some form of ice blockage over some hole at the back of fridge. Godspeed little doodle
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Jul 20, 2014 04:29
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Jermaine Dildoe posted:Godspeed little doodle Yeah, I was pretty stressed, specially after just getting all those Yeast Bay yeast. But all cool now!Some pictures I guess.  Brett Rye Saison, really nice and funky after 3-4months so I bottled it (can't get the right angle but its pretty drat clear for unfined).  Bottled 5 gallons of the Brett Rye Saison. Getting champagne / Belgian style corks into bottles the right amount was kind of a nightmare, some I overshot so just capped it aswell (hopefully no mold behind the cork). This video though I discovered after is really useful, I recommend it if you're corking beers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thTgrDIkvzo  Other 5gallons put on 8lb sour cherries 2lb dark sweet cherries. Hopefully sometime I'll be able to post some pellicle beer porn in next 6-12months with my lambics.
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Jul 20, 2014 07:05
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I seem to have ended up running a beer shop with a homebrew component. I'm going to get uncrushed grain (we have a mill) to compete on price and freshness. I'm curious to hear your experiences of home brew stores - what sort of bags do they put your grains into once crushed? Just regular old plastic?
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Jul 20, 2014 13:44
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Mine uses some kind of ziplock. If you are buying enough and you don't care if they mix, they will dump it all in an empty grain sack.
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Jul 20, 2014 14:20
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