|
j3rkstore posted:My brother recently gave me his old beer fridge, so after a quick online order from kegconnection and following the guide at http://bit.ly/7KMZTm here is the end result: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/we-no-need-no-stinking-beer-gun-24678/ That works well for me. Make sure the bottles are as cold as the beer. If you wanted to go straight from the faucet, you could modify the method slightly and use a more flexible tube with a stopper on it.
|
#
¿
Sep 20, 2011 20:56
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 30, 2024 02:43 |
|
|
Run the fridge on max cold for about an hour, this will get the refrigerant lines good and warm. Then mix up a batch of corn starch and rubbing alcohol into a paste and smear it onto whatever part of the fridge you are drilling into. The area above the refrigerant line will dry first because of the heat. Also, I find it useful to start drilling the hole for the lines from the inside. In the event that you do find a line, you don't have an unsightly hole in the top where you wanted the tower to be. Often times, you will be able to cover that hole with the tower itself, but I have seen it look pretty messy.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 1, 2011 19:26
|
|
|
Mostly for more coolant capacity.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 1, 2011 19:33
|
|
|
Bad Munki posted:That sounds like a wonderful mess. :/ Not messy, really. When I say a paste, I mean thick like glue. Once it dries, it is pretty solid, and can be cleaned up pretty easily.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 1, 2011 22:14
|
|
|
Prefect Six posted:It's just a run of the mill stand up fridge. Freezer top, fridge bottom. No lines in the door. There ought to be a diagram on the back that will help. Also, the corn starch trick.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 1, 2011 22:27
|
|
|
krushgroove posted:Ah, my search-fu wasn't strong enough, I wasn't typing in the right thing. I was just trying 'turkey fryer' and variations. I am not sure that either of those will have the grunt to do the job efficiently. I also will echo the comment about going electric. Also, a US gallon of water is 8.34 pounds.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 30, 2011 13:12
|
|
|
Bad Munki posted:Anyone have advice for shipping corked bottles? I want to take some back with me to AK, but I feel like the pressure/temperature fluctuations in the hold of the plane could easily remove the cork. Is ground shipping probably my only option? You are using cork cages, right?
|
|
#
¿
Dec 5, 2011 19:48
|
|
|
Yeah, I just got back into town, so I'll have to put a package together this weekend.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 9, 2011 19:47
|
|
|
Midorka posted:My friend wants to go straight to all-grain brewing, while I'm telling him we should start with extracts (trying to create a clone of a beer we can readily buy) then work to a half/half before we use all-grain. Am I correct in saying it'll be much easier and allow us to focus on learning in smaller increments? To me, the only advantage to starting with extract is the lower initial cost. I hated extract brewing because I didn't feel involved. To me, it was just boiling water with some goo in it. My second batch was all grain, and I was much happier. I still messed up a bit, but I keep ending up with drinkable beer. Some of it is really good, too. For me, I figured I had to learn the processes involved whether I dove in, or waded in. Might as well dive in.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 14, 2011 04:36
|
|
|
Jo3sh posted:Has anyone here done business with Monster Brew? Any feedback? I have a friend who wants to get his son a starter kit, and this is the site he's currently looking at - just want to make sure to send him to a reputable supplier. I've never bought from them, but I have seen favorable reviews, and no negative reviews. Take that at face value, though.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 15, 2011 02:43
|
|
|
I would be interested in a goonbrew comp.
Imasalmon fucked around with this message at 04:34 on Dec 20, 2011 |
|
#
¿
Dec 20, 2011 04:31
|
|
|
drewhead posted:I hadn't been back here since I typoed that and now I can't stop laughing. I am your santa, and I haven't had time to ship. Things are packaged and will go out tomorrow.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 22, 2011 21:43
|
|
|
drewhead posted:I hadn't been back here since I typoed that and now I can't stop laughing. It's shipped. UPS 1zE21A350311631895. Just dropped it off at the shipper, so the tracking number might not be active yet.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 23, 2011 22:30
|
|
|
Jo3sh posted:Another question on plate chillers: Depends on your chiller, and the water temp. Using gravity, and a 50 plate chiller, I get my wort down to 1 degree over water temp on one pass.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 24, 2011 01:20
|
|
|
I got a package today. Heavy for its size. Haven't opened it.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 24, 2011 04:47
|
|
|
I definitely got mine. Been enjoying the stout.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 31, 2011 10:57
|
|
|
Ratbones posted:Airlock activity for my brew has already slowed to a bubble every twelve seconds or so. I bucketed the wort and pitched the yeast late Friday night and it was bubbling a lot more frequently all day Saturday. Is this pretty normal? If it matters, the bucket has been at a pretty steady external 68-70 degrees. Yes. Also, bubbling isn't really a good way to tell whether fermentation is complete. You'll want to take a sample and measure it with your hydrometer. Do this a few days apart until the reading doesn't change.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 2, 2012 01:45
|
|
|
Darth Goku Jr posted:Just whatever you do, don't watch Alton Brown's episode about homebrewing. It made me question if he knows anything about anything cooking related and is just a scam artist. What does he get wrong? It has been a while since I saw it, but it didn't seem too bad. As I recall, his hop schedule was weird, and he didn't really elaborate on the specific recipe, but, overall, the process was pretty standard for a basic mini-mash recipe.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 20, 2012 06:01
|
|
|
Docjowles posted:Ouch. I was hoping to expand my lovely 2 keg collection soon, the price going up by 50% hurts. I got both of mine for about $30 each on Craigslist a while back. It makes sense with the kegs not really being manufactured anymore and homebrewing blowing up as a hobby, but still sucks. I still find kegs on craigslist for $30 once a month or so. Just keep looking, and you'll find what you need.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 24, 2012 06:22
|
|
|
Daedalus Esquire posted:Well poo poo. Make yourself a bit of tubing with ball-locks at each end, and just push it over to the new keg. Pressurize the new keg first, and use the pressure relief valve to keep beer flowing into it.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 24, 2012 20:57
|
|
|
Daedalus Esquire posted:Unfortunately, I don't really have any extra tubing or pin locks. I just got my keg setup and don't have any spare parts yet really, and I'd rather not cut up the pre-assembled stuff I got from Keg Connection as I'm sure I won't be able to put it back together as well as they did. Letting the pressure out of the keg at anything more than a slow crawl is going to cause a lot of foam. Syphoning from one keg to another has a minimal risk of oxidation (negligible, even, as far as I am concerned, but someone will point it out, I am sure). The major goal you have is to very slowly and carefully depressurize your environment. Heck, you can minimize oxidation risks even further by pushing some co2 into the new keg before starting the siphon. Make sure you check your fittings, tubing, regulator, and all connections everywhere. Do this first. Also remember that if your co2 tank was warm when you filled it, and cold when you checked it today, it will show less full (cold gasses contract).
|
|
#
¿
Jan 24, 2012 22:05
|
|
|
Daedalus Esquire posted:
Just relieve pressure on it slowly, and don't rush when siphoning. You'll be fine.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 24, 2012 22:26
|
|
|
chiz posted:
1. Kit with a friend 2. Igloo cooler mash tun, propane burner 3. Chest freezer with external thermostat 4. Plate chiller 5. Keg setup 6. Dedicated mash tun, hlt, and kettle.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 25, 2012 03:46
|
|
|
Garanimals4Seniors posted:On another note: I've bought various fittings and things from them when the prices are right in the past, and have always been pleased. I like their customer service as well. They once shipped an order to me missing a compression fitting, and they fixed it really quick. I don't know about these particular bits specifically, though.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 30, 2012 20:05
|
|
|
They will pop out much easier if they are the slightest bit damp. Just let it ride.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 1, 2012 04:58
|
|
|
LeeMajors posted:Do any of you guys use a banjo burner with keggles? Specifically the KAB4 or 6? I worry about the stability of the arms on top with 10g of beer and a rounded bottom. I have a KAB4, and while I don't have a keggle specifically, I have had 15 gallons of water heating up on it before. Never saw any flexing or stability issues.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 13, 2012 20:19
|
|
|
Angry Grimace posted:Would a chest freezer work for that kind of setup? There's a ton of those on craigslist every day - or is a regular refrigerator a better option? Chest freezer works great. I use one. Just be sure you have the ability to lift the wort over the edge. Chest freezer is cheap to run. Added maybe 25¢ to my monthly bill. Maybe. Imasalmon fucked around with this message at 02:18 on Feb 18, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Feb 18, 2012 02:15
|
|
|
Angry Grimace posted:Back to me being a brewing newb, I got my new 10 gallon brewing kettle and assembled the thing. I have no idea why they don't tell you what tools you need or extras (i.e. thread seal tape) you'll need. My brother "borrowed" (i.e. jacked) my wrenches and pliers and I don't want to go get them or buy more, so I just tightened everything by hand as much as I could (a dial thermometer + a valve). I filled it about ~50% with water and it didn't leak from either place over like 10 minutes, so is that fine, or should I go get some wrenches later on? Leave it over night, sitting on toilet paper. If no leaks, I would call it fine.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 18, 2012 04:27
|
|
|
wattershed posted:. That included a mad dash to the 7-11 about 20 minutes into the boil to buy a second propane tank, as I saw the first one running out. It was windy today, tough to keep the temp on the banjo cooker at a consistent level without it wanting to boil over. One thing I did to maximize my propane in the face of windy days was to get two of the aluminum attic exhaust tubing sections at home depot, and bend them to fit around the burner and kettle. Shields the burner from the wind, and gets the kettle boiling faster with less propane used over all, thanks to less peripheral heat loss. Definitely worth the $12.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 19, 2012 05:56
|
|
|
two_beer_bishes posted:I bought a large metal garbage can and cut the bottom off and down one side. It fits around my 10gal kettle and the slit in the side makes room for the thermometer and gas hose. drat near doubled my propane efficiency! Same concept, just different execution. I agree that it almost doubled my propane efficiency.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 20, 2012 18:22
|
|
|
zedprime posted:Who's bought kegs from Keg Connection? Can I trust the gaskets/cleaning of the valves and just give the kegs a bit of an insurance wash with PBW, or should I disassemble the whole shebang and give it all a good once over? A new set of o-rings is like $3. I highly suggest changing them out. The ones that come on it will probably work, but will also probably smell heavily of whatever soda was in the keg. For $3, is it worth the risk of a batch of beer or a co2 refill?
|
|
#
¿
Feb 23, 2012 01:12
|
|
|
zedprime posted:Keg Connection says they are new and they sent an extra set. They came with pressure on a soapy cleaning solution inside. I was just wondering if anyone had any personal experience on the thoroughness of their pre sell regimen. Do they smell like soda? The rings themselves, not the keg. For clarity, using the rings that are currently on it, will not cause it to explode. It may have an incredibly small chance of causing infection, but that is really, really miniscule. It is a non-zero chance, but not one that I would care about. Especially if Keg Connection says they are new rings. Imasalmon fucked around with this message at 01:29 on Feb 23, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Feb 23, 2012 01:27
|
|
|
Angry Grimace posted:I bet I can just dunk my hands in some Star San and move the bag out enough to untie it and plop a few of those in. I'll give it a go tomorrow after I pick up some marbles from Wal-Mart. Just sanitize a spoon, and shove the bag down until it saturates enough to sink on it's own.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 28, 2012 06:07
|
|
|
icehewk posted:Keep getting skipped over. Any ideas? What strain of yeast, what was the starting gravity, and what is the gravity now? Hoe exactly did you aerate? 12 hours isn't a long time to wait, especially at a cooler temperature like you describe.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 6, 2012 22:10
|
|
|
Splizwarf posted:Help me out with the acronyms. MLT = Mash/Lauter Tun - Somewhere to hold the grain at an appropriate grain to water ratio, for a determined amount of time, at a specific temperature (or temperature steps) HLT = Hot Liquor Tank - Vessel used to heat/store water to be added to the MLT (sparging, temperature steps, initial strike water, etc.) BIAB = Brew In A Bag Imasalmon fucked around with this message at 23:29 on Mar 6, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Mar 6, 2012 23:27
|
|
|
internet celebrity posted:Anyone use Brew Balls? They are balls that float in your fermenter and when the wort hits a certain gravity they sink. Seems much easier than using a wine thief and hydrometer to see when fermentation is complete. http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=12581/ The comments on them seem to indicate that they are not very accurate, and are a rough gauge of progress at best. Never used them myself, though. This is the first I have heard of them.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 7, 2012 21:51
|
|
|
cryme posted:Does anyone use a refractometer instead of a hydrometer? How do they work out? I'd rather not use 2 bottles worth of beer just to check in on gravity (fun though it is to drink afterwards). I always sanitize my hydrometer, test tube, and siphon, so I can reintroduce the wort if I want. I usually drink it, though.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 8, 2012 00:46
|
|
|
ChiTownEddie posted:Is that beersmith software worth it? I personally love it. http://beercalculus.hopville.com/recipe works well, but I often find myself in places with no internet, and want to pull up and tweak recipes.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 8, 2012 21:37
|
|
|
icehewk posted:That's a nice deal! The lowest I've found is about 54+15 shipped, which is no deal at all. My 10 gallon gott cooler was $29.99 at the local home depot
|
|
#
¿
Mar 16, 2012 02:30
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 30, 2024 02:43 |
|
|
mrhemisphere posted:I'm really enjoying this thread but am still on page 10. A lot of invaluable information already, but my fermentation is going to be finished before I can read it all. Alright, in no particular order: Take a hydrometer reading today, and then one in two or three days. If it is in the range that the kit said to expect, and hasn't moved in between readings, then you are ready to bottle. Ignore the stuff about "after x number of days." Relax. People were doing this 400 years ago in caves. Things have gotten even easier since then. Also, you're going at it too hot. I feel your pain, I'm in Houston. Stick your fermenter in a bucket of water, add ice (pro tip, frozen water bottles are cheaper, and don't continually add volume) in the bucket. Place a towel over the top of all if it, just touching the water. Change the ice twice a day. That'll get you to good temps. Or only do belgians and saisons. But, like I said, don't worry too much about it. People did this in caves (which were much cooler, to be fair), and there poo poo turned out fine. Imasalmon fucked around with this message at 04:36 on Apr 4, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Apr 4, 2012 02:39
|
|