beer =[ GM's 1st 16x Batches, and/or 10 mo. Brewing ]=
- Thread starter grantmichaels
- Start date
Get that bad boy out of the light. Light is bad for beer.
And if you purge every vessel you move your beer to you prevent oxidation.
It's in the cool brewing bag thing, without coolant if you will, now ...
I have to watch some kegging videos and get refreshed on the connections and the do's and don't's etc ...
I bought a dual regulator for the CO2 tank, for the beer gun, but I have to get reminded why, LOL ...
I think I'll pick up a second tank, too, and put my existing single regulator on it, so I have a couple ... for bottling/purging w/ the dual, and the single one can get a distributor block and maintain my kegs that are in service, I guess, right? ...
And if you purge every vessel you move your beer to you prevent oxidation.
It's in the cool brewing bag thing, without coolant if you will, now ...
I have to watch some kegging videos and get refreshed on the connections and the do's and don't's etc ...
I bought a dual regulator for the CO2 tank, for the beer gun, but I have to get reminded why, LOL ...
I think I'll pick up a second tank, too, and put my existing single regulator on it, so I have a couple ... for bottling/purging w/ the dual, and the single one can get a distributor block and maintain my kegs that are in service, I guess, right? ...
Thinking about fermentation/kegging containers and transfers ...
I can see myself loading my wort into the HDPE's for primary, and kegs for secondary going forward ...
The containers are so nice nice to work with comparatively, with the handles, the ability to close them and shake them safely, and the integrated threading for sanity connections and modern venting (PVC) etc ...
I've been using the gallon jugs, and more recently the 3 gallon jugs ... and last night I used the 5 gallon jug ... and I have to say, fuck that whole experience ... you just know you are doing something ridiculously stupid.
I've got the thing half full of slippery ass PBW/StarSan water, and I'm Flipping it over w/ my palm cupping the mouth, and swishing it and holding the sanitizer on the top half for 45 seconds while my forearms and wrists whimper ...
Saying to myself the whole time, "you can't do this, even if other people do, because you won't be able to live with yourself when the accident eventually happens since you know better - and do understand, and did it anyways" ...
LOL ... seriously, No ...
The managability of 5 gallon kegs versus 5 gallon glass carboys is monumentally better, and they block light, and they seal, and the aren't breakable - are repearable, and can use modified lids for airlocks ...
I need to buy some kegs ... mo' kegs, mo' betta ...
Retrofitting some Beersmith profiling after brewing a few times ...
Adjusted to the boil-off rate to 1/3 gallon/hour instead of 1/2, and changed kettle efficiency to 65%, and we'll go from there ...
I can see myself loading my wort into the HDPE's for primary, and kegs for secondary going forward ...
The containers are so nice nice to work with comparatively, with the handles, the ability to close them and shake them safely, and the integrated threading for sanity connections and modern venting (PVC) etc ...
I've been using the gallon jugs, and more recently the 3 gallon jugs ... and last night I used the 5 gallon jug ... and I have to say, fuck that whole experience ... you just know you are doing something ridiculously stupid.
I've got the thing half full of slippery ass PBW/StarSan water, and I'm Flipping it over w/ my palm cupping the mouth, and swishing it and holding the sanitizer on the top half for 45 seconds while my forearms and wrists whimper ...
Saying to myself the whole time, "you can't do this, even if other people do, because you won't be able to live with yourself when the accident eventually happens since you know better - and do understand, and did it anyways" ...
LOL ... seriously, No ...
The managability of 5 gallon kegs versus 5 gallon glass carboys is monumentally better, and they block light, and they seal, and the aren't breakable - are repearable, and can use modified lids for airlocks ...
I need to buy some kegs ... mo' kegs, mo' betta ...
Retrofitting some Beersmith profiling after brewing a few times ...
Adjusted to the boil-off rate to 1/3 gallon/hour instead of 1/2, and changed kettle efficiency to 65%, and we'll go from there ...
Ozzy2001 said:
Well, if we pretend that the boil-off rate was spot-on, I could say that it was probably actually 65%, as opposed to the 72% value Beersmith ships with for BIAB.
As it stands, though ... I think I might have experienced a little bit less boil off than 1/2 gal/hr because a) it's humid as fuck here right now, and b) the 120v electric element boils 4 gallons, but perhaps not as hard as one would prefer ...
So, I changed the kettle efficiency to from 72% to 65%, and the boil-off rate from .5 gal/hr to .33 gal/hr, and then the batch's target would be 1.048, and I hit 1.046 ...
I have a feeling the boil-off is possibly as low as a .25 gal/hr in my climate, at this time of year, using electric TBH ... but I'm hedging and going w/ .33 for the next brew, with a willingness to change it to .25 gal/hr if I think that's what it should be after the next brew ...
I don't really care all that much what my kettle efficiency is, since grist costs on the homebrew level don't matter all that much ... if it's 60%, so be it, but I'm going from 72% to 65% for next brew, and then I'll lower it more for the following batch if it seems to be the case ...
I'll get that honed in on, and tightened down by the end of Fall, I think ...
CHEERS!
BigB shared this w/ me offsite, and it's hysterical:
https://www.facebook.com/anke.tabeamartens/videos/10153319117691280/
https://www.facebook.com/anke.tabeamartens/videos/10153319117691280/
Dale's Pale for Q day ...
PVC venting lid ... still need to search these better, but ...
Hoping they work for secondary.
1010 - it's time to start getting you going, I think ...
PVC venting lid ... still need to search these better, but ...
Hoping they work for secondary.
1010 - it's time to start getting you going, I think ...
tctenten said:
Yes, the Danielle's are dramatic ... I know about this.
Ozzy2001 said:
The grains for stouts smell sooooo good, but the pilsner malt doesn't smell so awesome (to me, or Danielle) ...
I love the smell of the two stouts I brewed - too bad one made bottle bombs and the other didn't attenuate ...
It's OK, though - I'm going to spend a month brewing stouts only soon!
So, I racked the Saison L'Orange onto the Biofine and started it cold crashing in a 2.5 gal keg on Saturday.
It's Tuesday, now.
I think the next step is just sticking the 5 lb CO2 tank into the freezer and changing the set temp for the controller to like 41F and then letting it carb without shaking it up or disturbing it minimally right there in place after like a week or so ...
I figure by Saturday, I can load up a swing-top 32oz bottle from a party tap, and then place that in the fridge to settle ...
That'll give me a taste as early as Saturday night - which happens to be my birthday - and get the trub/sediment/yeast off the bottom of the keg ...
I've got 4 batches in play right now, the first of which is the least promising (this saison), so it's time to focus on kegging and using the beer gun and all that kind of shit for a few weeks - and not brewing.
I probably won't brew again for 2-3 weeks ...
I'm planning to brew the same grain bill as the most recent brew again, except using WLP940 Mexican Lager Yeast and using Citra hops for aroma/bittering, and cold fermenting it ...
Then, I'm going to brew a big daddy stout ...
Then I'm going to brew Bumper's Old Ale ...
Then I'm going to brew a series of stouts to balance out my supply - which should be 50-75% stout, in truth - for my preferences.
I won't be the least bit surprised if I end up brewing farmhouse and stouts, and buy commercial for the other forms ...
CHEERS!
It's Tuesday, now.
I think the next step is just sticking the 5 lb CO2 tank into the freezer and changing the set temp for the controller to like 41F and then letting it carb without shaking it up or disturbing it minimally right there in place after like a week or so ...
I figure by Saturday, I can load up a swing-top 32oz bottle from a party tap, and then place that in the fridge to settle ...
That'll give me a taste as early as Saturday night - which happens to be my birthday - and get the trub/sediment/yeast off the bottom of the keg ...
I've got 4 batches in play right now, the first of which is the least promising (this saison), so it's time to focus on kegging and using the beer gun and all that kind of shit for a few weeks - and not brewing.
I probably won't brew again for 2-3 weeks ...
I'm planning to brew the same grain bill as the most recent brew again, except using WLP940 Mexican Lager Yeast and using Citra hops for aroma/bittering, and cold fermenting it ...
Then, I'm going to brew a big daddy stout ...
Then I'm going to brew Bumper's Old Ale ...
Then I'm going to brew a series of stouts to balance out my supply - which should be 50-75% stout, in truth - for my preferences.
I won't be the least bit surprised if I end up brewing farmhouse and stouts, and buy commercial for the other forms ...
CHEERS!
Quick update ...
Still bubbling away.
Wort chilling down to within five degrees of a 36 hr starter has resulted in a more textbook fermentation, easily my best looking effort to date.
Yeasties!
In other news ...
Kegging stuff ...
Turnt up to 30 PSI, thanks to Wheebz for giving me the number to charge it up in three days - while it finishes cold-crashing ...
Exciting moment, tonight.
I need to remember to up the serving temp from 32F to like 37-41F or so, I think, and far more importantly - to purge the headspace and lower the pressure to 8 PSI before I attach a party tap ...
I'm throttling my enthusiasm, though, because a) this batch was open-fermented, and b) was made with a pair of concurrent yeasts that worked hard and fast at like 87F+ ...
Also, first pours will have all the yeast from the cold crashing, but still ...
I need to buy a 20 lb co2 tank to use in the keezer, with that old regulator and a distributor block, and then that 5 lb tank in there now will come out and get fit w/ the dual-regulator for use w/ the beer gun ...
Time to look at when I brewed the chocolate maple porter ... it might be ready to move into the three gallon keg that just got freed up last weekend.
Next brew day I'll have the fitting for the out tube of the immersion chiller to screw right into the water-in on the plate chiller ...
I think next time I'll stick the whole plate chiller in the ice bath w/ the immersion chiller pre-chiller ...
Speaking of chillin' ...
I have two five gallon kegs as well, so I have the capacity to keg all I've got - just.
Good times.
CHEERS!
Still bubbling away.
Wort chilling down to within five degrees of a 36 hr starter has resulted in a more textbook fermentation, easily my best looking effort to date.
Yeasties!
In other news ...
Kegging stuff ...
Turnt up to 30 PSI, thanks to Wheebz for giving me the number to charge it up in three days - while it finishes cold-crashing ...
Exciting moment, tonight.
I need to remember to up the serving temp from 32F to like 37-41F or so, I think, and far more importantly - to purge the headspace and lower the pressure to 8 PSI before I attach a party tap ...
I'm throttling my enthusiasm, though, because a) this batch was open-fermented, and b) was made with a pair of concurrent yeasts that worked hard and fast at like 87F+ ...
Also, first pours will have all the yeast from the cold crashing, but still ...
I need to buy a 20 lb co2 tank to use in the keezer, with that old regulator and a distributor block, and then that 5 lb tank in there now will come out and get fit w/ the dual-regulator for use w/ the beer gun ...
Time to look at when I brewed the chocolate maple porter ... it might be ready to move into the three gallon keg that just got freed up last weekend.
Next brew day I'll have the fitting for the out tube of the immersion chiller to screw right into the water-in on the plate chiller ...
I think next time I'll stick the whole plate chiller in the ice bath w/ the immersion chiller pre-chiller ...
Speaking of chillin' ...
I have two five gallon kegs as well, so I have the capacity to keg all I've got - just.
Good times.
CHEERS!
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/07/22/portland-maine-brewer-makes-beer-out-live-lobsters-sea-salt-in-italian/
Here is an idea for you.....
Here is an idea for you.....
yuck
Probably good.
There smoked oyster stouts that are well-received ...
There smoked oyster stouts that are well-received ...
Just increased the temp in the freezer w/ the keg'd Saison L'Orange to 38F ...
Will let it sit under 30 PSI for the next 24-48 hrs, then lower purge and lower to 8 PSI and hook up the party tap and see what the frankenbrew is like ...
This one's a crap shoot ... fortunately, I can probably turn right around and start to ready the Chocolate Maple Porter for consumption if it's bunk, or too funky ...
Beer should be a flowin' any time now!
Will let it sit under 30 PSI for the next 24-48 hrs, then lower purge and lower to 8 PSI and hook up the party tap and see what the frankenbrew is like ...
This one's a crap shoot ... fortunately, I can probably turn right around and start to ready the Chocolate Maple Porter for consumption if it's bunk, or too funky ...
Beer should be a flowin' any time now!
I feel dirty ... I overnight'd a stout made partially with extract when I suddenly realized I could brew tomorrow afternoon or Saturday, a little ...