beer RocketMan goes a brewing
- Thread starter RocketMan
- Start date
actually looks pretty damn good
if you are doing that boil in a bag method, remember though you have to sparge those marris otter grains with 170 degree water to pull out the rest of those sugars
easiest way to do it is just take like a half gallon pot, heat water to 170, and slowly dump it over that bag
i bet you could have netted another .010 out of that
if you are doing that boil in a bag method, remember though you have to sparge those marris otter grains with 170 degree water to pull out the rest of those sugars
easiest way to do it is just take like a half gallon pot, heat water to 170, and slowly dump it over that bag
i bet you could have netted another .010 out of that
Hell yea!!
RM, every time I go to Hearts I pick up a few packets of Cotes de Blanc and a few Premeir Cuvee for small-batch mead making (only cost pennies).
I use a glass growler from a brewpub topped with a stopper and a bubbler. I made an amazing one using agave nectar.
The brew looks good!! I'm going to try to replicate Anchor Steam today. maybe I'll snap a pic!
Well the wife didn't like having the buckets fermenting in the house so I had to move them out to the garage, the 90+ degree garage. Moved them out last night and an hour later they were bubbling like mad. I checked the exterior temp today and they were 90 and 92 degrees. I found some tubs with water to set them in and wraped them in wet towels. 30 minutes later they're down to 85. Had to run some errands and going to check temp again when I get home. Just hoping the the time they spent at the higher temps didn't do any harm to them. Next time I'll wrap them as soon as I take them out.
Cheers,
RM
Cheers,
RM
SoFlo does a partial mash. We have the equipment to go full grain. We must be lazy.
When we brew we fill a Rubbermaid storage bin with water. First, we figure it will help with the "thermal shock" of the hot wort in the glass carboy filled with two gallons of chilled water. Second, we wrap the carboy with a dark towel. The towel wicks the water from the bin and evaporative cools the carboy, while also trying to keep out as much UV as possible. We always ferment inside. It's just too damn hot down here, and you always risk a drastic temp swing. In the winter I hate using the AC. But I've had temp swings from night to day that suck all the water out of the airlocks into the carboy. No good. Brewing in the summer in SoFloville is actually better... but I think you have to do it inside temperature controlled space. 90F is too hot. I'm usually at 75-80F. With evaporative cooling I'm not really sure what the temp is down to, but I've never had a bad batch... unless I lost the airlock.
Big ups on the effort though. Hope you didn't kill your first batch. And if you did, don't let it discourage you. I've killed many gallons of mead through temp swings, or by just being careless.
When we brew we fill a Rubbermaid storage bin with water. First, we figure it will help with the "thermal shock" of the hot wort in the glass carboy filled with two gallons of chilled water. Second, we wrap the carboy with a dark towel. The towel wicks the water from the bin and evaporative cools the carboy, while also trying to keep out as much UV as possible. We always ferment inside. It's just too damn hot down here, and you always risk a drastic temp swing. In the winter I hate using the AC. But I've had temp swings from night to day that suck all the water out of the airlocks into the carboy. No good. Brewing in the summer in SoFloville is actually better... but I think you have to do it inside temperature controlled space. 90F is too hot. I'm usually at 75-80F. With evaporative cooling I'm not really sure what the temp is down to, but I've never had a bad batch... unless I lost the airlock.
Big ups on the effort though. Hope you didn't kill your first batch. And if you did, don't let it discourage you. I've killed many gallons of mead through temp swings, or by just being careless.
Into the water of the tubs they are in. If you have a guest bathroom that goes unused most of the time, hide them behind the curtain in there. Also, we use milk crates when transporting/carrying full glass carboys. They fit perfect, no worries about breaking necks, and you have better grip. Wet glass carboys can be VERY tricky.
Cheer and RDWHAHB
I saving for carboys now. RocketLady is wanting some homemade wine. She likes reds but the tannins bug her. So I've been looking at how to remove some of the tannins and still have a good wine. Simce I'm using the Ale Pales I guess it will help keep some of the UV out but it just so happens that 2 of them are in the cabnit under teh sink in the downstairs bath and the other one is in there in the closet so UV shouldn't be any problem. I can guess how the glass carboys need protecting. I love the carrier. A milk crate would be a great assist for a 2 man lift and even a one man lift would be better than some of those carboy carriers I've seen.
Anchor Steam, haven't tried it yet but it's on my list.
Anchor Steam, haven't tried it yet but it's on my list.
Have you looked into making mead?
It's really easy and cheap too, esp. if you go to Costco to get the honey.
I think I got all the honey I needed there for about 15 bucks (that sounds wrong).
And you can make it dry or sweet and add all kinds of additional flavors.
I make it in small batches so I can do crazy stuff with it.
It's really easy and cheap too, esp. if you go to Costco to get the honey.
I think I got all the honey I needed there for about 15 bucks (that sounds wrong).
And you can make it dry or sweet and add all kinds of additional flavors.
I make it in small batches so I can do crazy stuff with it.
Not too far off FD. Last time I was at Costco I think it was $8-$9 for five pounds of honey. I've got four of them ready to rock right now.
Yep, already have some plans for some Mead. My mother and father in law love the stuff. I'll probably just do a small plain dry and sweet batch to see what the family preference is. Thinking about using some of the dry to make sparkling Mead also. We’re not in Cost Co but I’ll check in BJ’s and see what honey is running. I may just get some from Hearts. They have it at 5 lbs of Clover or Wild flower for 12.99 which isn’t too bad. I can’t wait till I can chill and crack some of the bottles of what I making now. I was off till today and now sitting here trying to concentrate it just keeps creeping its way back into my mind. Anh, at least I’m not doing any development today just mindless searches.
look at BJs. We were getting 5 lbs for 8 or 9 bucks at costco. Considering you need 3 of those for a full batch, the savings start to grow.
Also...look into a half gallon glass container. I use a growler. And I brew very small batches of mead in that. Really you don't want 5 gallons of the stuff. It's not like beer.
This way you can experiment.
I add the honey and any other flavorings (orange peel, hot peppers, etc...), spring water, yeast, and then SHAKE IT UP!!!! No cooking involved. Slap a bubbler on top.
You can make it in under 5 minutes and it comes out awesome. Wrap it in a dish towel and let it sit on the counter for a few weeks until it clarifies.
Also...look into a half gallon glass container. I use a growler. And I brew very small batches of mead in that. Really you don't want 5 gallons of the stuff. It's not like beer.
This way you can experiment.
I add the honey and any other flavorings (orange peel, hot peppers, etc...), spring water, yeast, and then SHAKE IT UP!!!! No cooking involved. Slap a bubbler on top.
You can make it in under 5 minutes and it comes out awesome. Wrap it in a dish towel and let it sit on the counter for a few weeks until it clarifies.
sorry dude but your shit is fried
a temperature change that drastic causes extreme stress on the yeast, to the point of where it will either A. Die and cause autolysis and stupidly low attenuation, and B. some super unpleasant flavors and smells
there is not a single beer yeast that works PROPERLY over 74 degrees, some will still ferment out fully, but its going to taste like garbage
if you cant keep your ale fermentations between 65-73, you will ALWAYS get a sub par batch of beer
a temperature change that drastic causes extreme stress on the yeast, to the point of where it will either A. Die and cause autolysis and stupidly low attenuation, and B. some super unpleasant flavors and smells
there is not a single beer yeast that works PROPERLY over 74 degrees, some will still ferment out fully, but its going to taste like garbage
if you cant keep your ale fermentations between 65-73, you will ALWAYS get a sub par batch of beer
thats actually really bad to do, because the honey isnt sterile whatsoever before it gets to you
bring the honey and water up over 165 for at least 20 minutes and you are golden
im surprised it has turned out well for you in the past