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Before you spring for the tank, check your local welding gas suppliers and see what it would cost to just get one there. Might save a few bucks on shipping, as gas cylinders are heavy.
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Dec 5, 2012 01:49
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Jo3sh posted:Before you spring for the tank, check your local welding gas suppliers and see what it would cost to just get one there. Might save a few bucks on shipping, as gas cylinders are heavy. that and they'll just take your pretty tank and give you a nasty poo poo kicked one, leaving you feeling sad.
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Dec 5, 2012 02:32
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It cost me $30 to get my 10# tank filled (swapped with a full tank) so if you can get a full one locally for less than $80-90 then you're probably better off doing that. Also I poured a sample of my first kegged beer and holy poo poo I'm in love with kegging. So much easier to clean and sanitize one 5 gallon vessel instead of 50 12oz vessels. It's got pretty good carbonation after only a few days instead of 2-4 weeks. e: oh and also check out Keg Connection. I ordered some stuff from them and it all got here fine. $8 flat rate shipping on kegging poo poo is pretty great. Galler fucked around with this message at 02:50 on Dec 5, 2012 |
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Dec 5, 2012 02:46
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Jacobey000 posted:that and they'll just take your pretty tank and give you a nasty poo poo kicked one, leaving you feeling sad. I was so pissed about this!
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Dec 5, 2012 02:46
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Galler posted:e: oh and also check out Keg Connection. I ordered some stuff from them and it all got here fine. $8 flat rate shipping on kegging poo poo is pretty great. Kegging is the absolute best. It saves such a tremendous amount of time versus bottles. Also, I am sitting here drinking a beer I brewed less than 3 weeks ago which is fully carbonated and tasty without waiting for the carbonation to happen with priming sugar. The flavor has come a long way in just 3 days too. At first it was a little dull, with a hint of ester, and not a lot of nose, but now the carbonation throws the hops a little more forward, the ester flavor is nearly unnoticeable (I underpitched and started fermentation a little too high, 73F). Most importantly I'm drinking my beer now instead of waiting. I think kegging is the best money you can spend for ease and speed.
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Dec 5, 2012 04:00
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baquerd posted:I've got a couple of questions, firstly has anyone had any experience with and/or recipes for a really gently caress off spicy beer? Most beers with "chilis" have a very slight note, when I'd like to make a beer approaching entry level hot sauce levels of spiciness. May be late for you, but a guy in my homebrew club brewed a really nice spicy beer - he's got bottles of it with whole chili pepper that were "face melting" hot and the one we sampled was pretty toasty in it's own lot. Really well executed. He sent me a pdf and some notes if you interested. dudeman in homebrew club posted:Mash Notes-
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Dec 5, 2012 04:25
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Jacobey000 posted:that and they'll just take your pretty tank and give you a nasty poo poo kicked one, leaving you feeling sad. You can always just insist they give it back filled, but they'll roll their eyes and it will take 20 minutes. I just got an upgrade to a cheap steel 10# tank because getting more gas is a huge pain in the rear end. *As for the Secret Santa, how much finished beer am I expected to ship? I've only got one keg of beer I'd actually want to give out, but I had a few dudes over to drink repeatedly from it so I can't say for certain there's a lot of it left.
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Dec 5, 2012 04:34
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Follow up to my cyser foray on Saturday night: Underpitched it with only one smack pack @ 1.118 OG. Been doing staggered DAP additions every 24 hours with degassing. It really took off on Monday and I had to improvise a blow-off tube as my two regulars were already in use. It's still going strong this morning, huge still smell in my whole house. In desperation I ordered another smack pack of yeast from NB, it's arriving today but I'm now reluctant to add more yeast since the fermentation has been so vigorous for three solid days. Is there any worth to me pitching the extra smack pack tonight or should I just save it?
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Dec 5, 2012 16:45
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At this point I doubt it would do much good. Probably wouldn't hurt either but if it seems like vigorous fermentation has already gone, I'd just save that smack pack for another day.
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Dec 5, 2012 17:23
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For those of you who wash and reuse yeast, do you use a starter? I've read that a starter isn't necessary if you're using a yeast slurry, but it doesn't look like I have a lot of yeast in the 3 pint jars i filled up last Thursday, or at least not as much as what people get in some videos I've watched. There MIGHT be 1/4" worth in one of them. I'm planning on brewing again on Friday, so if I needed a starter I was gonna make one tonight. I just don't know how many viable yeast cells are in the jars by eyeballing them since I've never washed yeast before now, or if I'd be able to get up to the cell count I need (230-240 billion) if I just pitched one of the slurries. Is it worth making a starter just to be more sure, or are you running too high a risk of over pitching?
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Dec 5, 2012 17:59
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If you're reusing it that quickly you probably don't need a starter. I usually make them anyway because I'm paranoid (and it certainly doesn't hurt). If you're worried about overpitching just don't make a massive starter, but I doubt that'll be an issue.
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Dec 5, 2012 18:13
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My White House Ale has finally started to mature enough to be kind of tasty - the S04 + the very English ingredients of this beer are starting to really taste extremely bready and biscuity (in a good way). I'm not sure if the honey I used was appropriate though, I used a crystallized honey and I swear I'm tasting the small amount of wax thats in there. I'm not sure if I'm imagining it since I know its there or not.
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Dec 6, 2012 07:40
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This is going to sound incredibly dumb, but can someone explain to me how the false bottoms on the Rubbermade-style cylindrical mash tuns work? I recently converted one using the braided stainless mesh snake thing, and it worked okay but it kept getting stuck and the flow was not great. Similar: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/data/1/7346-10_Braid_in_Cooler_r.jpg I watched a couple videos online about installing one of the stainless false bottoms, and I get that there's a gap under the strainer where the wort drains, but not how it moves UP AND OUT of the bottom. Is it purely from a siphoning action or am I just missing something obvious?
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Dec 6, 2012 22:19
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fullroundaction posted:This is going to sound incredibly dumb, but can someone explain to me how the false bottoms on the Rubbermade-style cylindrical mash tuns work? Yes, it is a siphon. But it's not like you have to START a siphon or anything. The pressure of the liquor in the full tun will drive the liquid "over the hump" and out when you open the valve. If you put a hose on the outer end, and put the far end below the bottom of the cool, you can drain nearly all of the liquid out.
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Dec 6, 2012 22:29
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fullroundaction posted:This is going to sound incredibly dumb, but can someone explain to me how the false bottoms on the Rubbermade-style cylindrical mash tuns work? I got a fat 1.5" - 2" diameter "bazooka tube" as they're called at my local shop and it has given me outstanding efficiency and flow. I was skeptical but cheap, and I now like it better than my buddy's false bottom setup. Yours looks a lot more narrow. My local shop sells a lot of Rubbermaid conversions and was telling me the narrow tubes weren't very good.
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Dec 7, 2012 00:15
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I highly recommend that people look into getting a stainless braided dishwasher cable to fashion into a filter for their mash tuns, it works excellently.
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Dec 7, 2012 00:24
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Midorka posted:I highly recommend that people look into getting a stainless braided dishwasher cable to fashion into a filter for their mash tuns, it works excellently. My personal finding is that bazooka tubes are better; dishwasher braid can be crushed under the weight of the grain and due to its lack of rigidity can cause it float around in the mash if you use a rectangular MLT. I personally find lautering with a bazooka screen the easiest (and I used all three of the mentioned methods) since false bottoms in my tun seem to move around a bit and then get grain coming out of them since it slightly shifts the grain bed.
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Dec 7, 2012 00:30
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I'm definitely thinking of switching over from my stainless false bottom to just using a braid (or bazooka tube or whatever). It's gotten slightly warped and poo poo can get underneath, clogging the tubing and forcing me to dump the whole mash into another vessel while I clean it out. Haven't figure out a good way of bending it back into shape yet.
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Dec 7, 2012 00:39
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Let's hope I'm going to do a lot of brewing this year because I have a crapload of hops bought in bulk. Strangely, I didn't buy any Columbus which is my go-to bittering hop for pretty much everything.
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Dec 7, 2012 00:59
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Angry Grimace posted:My personal finding is that bazooka tubes are better; dishwasher braid can be crushed under the weight of the grain and due to its lack of rigidity can cause it float around in the mash if you use a rectangular MLT. Follow this video. You should re-enforce the braid as shown there.
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Dec 7, 2012 01:39
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Even if it does get crushed you can ream it out with a dowel like a 3 foot long Chinese finger trap.
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Dec 7, 2012 03:14
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Midorka posted:Follow this video. You should re-enforce the braid as shown there. I already have the screen and it works better in the first place for me since the run off is much faster. It was also about the same price, like 15 bucks.
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Dec 7, 2012 05:08
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Hey guys, don't put your foot next to the hose running out of the other end of your wort chiller where the hot water comes out because holy poo poo 
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Dec 8, 2012 18:53
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Whodat Smith-Jones posted:Hey guys, don't put your foot next to the hose running out of the other end of your wort chiller where the hot water comes out because holy poo poo This implies you're brewing barefoot or in sandals...it took a tiny splash of boiling wort on the top of my foot to learn that lesson. I have an adorable little scar on my foot now about the size of a pinhead to remind me to throw some shoes on on brew day. Those neoprene reef slippers are perfect for footwear that can get wet/dirty and clean easily.
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Dec 8, 2012 21:38
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wattershed posted:This implies you're brewing barefoot or in sandals...it took a tiny splash of boiling wort on the top of my foot to learn that lesson. I have an adorable little scar on my foot now about the size of a pinhead to remind me to throw some shoes on on brew day. Those neoprene reef slippers are perfect for footwear that can get wet/dirty and clean easily. Nope. I was wearing shoes. Still hurt like hell. My sock stuck to my foot, so that didn't help. Luckily I don't have a blister, but I stuck my foot into some cool water pretty quickly. I also pitched the yeast that I washed from my last batch, and I noticed my starter smelled like that batch. How much of that flavor and aroma could I expect to notice in the new batch I made? I'm assuming since its an IPA that the hops would probably mask it for the most part, but I am curious to see what kind of effect it'll have.
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Dec 8, 2012 22:01
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I went to a new(er) local homebrew shop in San Diego called the Homebrewer on El Cajon Blvd. For San Diego homebrew goons I would recommend it. Really awesome grain selection (the owner was telling me how he tries to find really weird malts and stock them and was trying to find room to put the Chocolate Rye) and the prices were way less gougey than Ballast Point/Home Brew Mart.
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Dec 8, 2012 22:52
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So, my dad and I just brewed our first batch of beer by ourselves. Previously I had taken a homebrewing course at a local craft studio, and brewed five or so batches there, but this was the first solo. Everything went pretty well, with the exception that we got a TON of cold break. So much so that I couldn't avoid getting a lot of it in the fermentor while still trying to get the needed wort, even running it through a screen. My dad built a big rear end immersion chiller out of some copper he had around, and it took the 3 gallon boil down to 70F in less than four minutes.  The only other hiccup was that there was a bit of scorched LME on the bottom of the pot, which I'm hoping won't affect the flavor as much. We'll have to take it easier on the burner next time.Target gravity according to the kit was 1.050, we ended up with 1.054. Is that higher reading possibly from cold break? The full recipe was 6.6 lbs. of Pilsner LME, about a 1lb of steeping grains, 2oz of Citra hops spread out over the boil (3/4 oz @ 60, 1/4 @ 20, 1/2 @ 10, and 1/2 @ 2), and Wyeast Thames Valley. The yeast smelled delicious, so I'm really looking forward to how those flavors pair with the citra. Wort tasted a bit more bitter than what I was expecting though.
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Dec 8, 2012 23:41
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wattershed posted:This implies you're brewing barefoot or in sandals...it took a tiny splash of boiling wort on the top of my foot to learn that lesson. I have an adorable little scar on my foot now about the size of a pinhead to remind me to throw some shoes on on brew day. Those neoprene reef slippers are perfect for footwear that can get wet/dirty and clean easily. I always brew in sandals. It's not too hard to avoid the hot stuff, but it makes life a lot more refreshing when you're cleaning up the kettles with the hose and inevitably getting slightly soaked.
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Dec 9, 2012 01:52
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Hypnolobster posted:I always brew in sandals. It's not too hard to avoid the hot stuff, but it makes life a lot more refreshing when you're cleaning up the kettles with the hose and inevitably getting slightly soaked. Hence the neoprene reef slippers 
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Dec 9, 2012 02:32
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Just racked our first ever mead to secondary (3 gal, whole spices + raisins) and holy moley te champagne yeast took it from 1064 to 0995 It was a bit over spiced so I added a couple cups of orange juice to hopefully round it out a bit and give the yeast a chance to wake back up and keep cleaning. Anyone have any suggestions on dealing with too-much-spice in mead? I know I could blend it but I just wanted to see if there was a simpler solution I'm not aware of.
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Dec 9, 2012 03:58
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fullroundaction posted:Just racked our first ever mead to secondary (3 gal, whole spices + raisins) and holy moley te champagne yeast took it from 1064 to 0995 There probably isn't much you can do except tuck it away somewhere that you'll discover in a few years and hope it has mellowed, but I don't think spices mellow over time. I've been doing spice additions after primary is over by either steeping in bag or doing a vodka infusion. That way it's easy to not over do it. A little bit of spice goes a long way in mead.
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Dec 9, 2012 06:22
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Angry Grimace posted:I went to a new(er) local homebrew shop in San Diego called the Homebrewer on El Cajon Blvd. For San Diego homebrew goons I would recommend it. Really awesome grain selection (the owner was telling me how he tries to find really weird malts and stock them and was trying to find room to put the Chocolate Rye) and the prices were way less gougey than Ballast Point/Home Brew Mart. Hey, they're open on weekends, that's good enough for me to visit. Home Brew Mart is too, but it's a zoo in there on Sat/Sun and last time when I was looking for their domestic Pilsner none of the bins were labeled as such. The guy I was able to pull aside for a moment said "oh, we usually have it...ah, this bin's missing a label, it's probably this one." Lots of faith in that purchase. Then again, the two things I whipped up with that mystery grain as the base came out awesomely, so perhaps I shouldn't bitch.
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Dec 9, 2012 07:46
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wattershed posted:Hey, they're open on weekends, that's good enough for me to visit. Home Brew Mart is too, but it's a zoo in there on Sat/Sun and last time when I was looking for their domestic Pilsner none of the bins were labeled as such. The guy I was able to pull aside for a moment said "oh, we usually have it...ah, this bin's missing a label, it's probably this one." Lots of faith in that purchase. Prices were decent, not great. Lower than HBM, but not really MoreBeer level prices - probably similar after shipping. They had a pretty awesome grain selection from what I saw, all sorts of relatively obscure malts, e.g. Golden Naked Oats (which I haven't seen stocked at a homebrew store other than online).
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Dec 9, 2012 08:55
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Time for holiday wishlists! What brewing-related items have you asked people to get you for the winter holidays? I just saw the Chugger pump with the stainless head - I think I am going to ask for that. There's a coupon code on HomebrewFinds for it, too.
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Dec 10, 2012 00:30
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Jo3sh posted:Time for holiday wishlists! I asked for two buckets/lids/airlocks/stoppers and I know I got them because my wife forgot to take them out of her trunk when we went to the grocery store  I also asked her to patrol craigslist for corny kegs, looking for two more under $50/keg, so maybe I'll get those too. If I can get at least one pack of Westy 12 on Wednesday, that'll be my own gift to myself...but we'll see how that goes.
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Dec 10, 2012 00:49
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wattershed posted:I asked for two buckets/lids/airlocks/stoppers and I know I got them because my wife forgot to take them out of her trunk when we went to the grocery store Which one are you going to and how early do you imagine you actually have to get there? Beer nerds will line up for Westy 12, but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people just say "meh belgian" and don't show up.
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Dec 10, 2012 06:13
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Meh, Belgian beers. They're okay (I guess). Why is everyone sold out of Moscato concentrate now that I want it  Got a 12" bazooka tube off Amazon for like $8. Here's to hoping it just screws in and I don't have to go act a fool in Home Depot again.
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Dec 10, 2012 06:53
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Angry Grimace posted:Which one are you going to and how early do you imagine you actually have to get there? Beer nerds will line up for Westy 12, but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people just say "meh belgian" and don't show up. Not going to Bine & Vine unless BDBS was lying when they told me that everyone who emailed them when they first sent out their newsletter about its availability would have a box held in their name for a week. And, the buyer at another store said he's getting some in and is setting a box aside...he knows I'm a loyal customer so he's got no reason to intentionally BS me just to get me in the store. If he doesn't receive any, I'm sure I'll know by mid day Wednesday. Worst case scenario I'll call B&V Wednesday afternoon to see if I need to make a lunchtime pickup run.
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Dec 10, 2012 07:41
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I love that feeling when you hit your numbers straight on. Not that its a huge accomplishment or anything when you're making a session beer, but still. I suppose I should strive for increased efficiency like the hardcore dudes do, but I just don't see any point when I'm consistently hitting 70% on the nose and practically every recipe is scaled to 70% efficiency. Malt isn't exactly expensive these days. Of course, that 70% efficiency takes a hit when I make a big beer, and of course, if you're homebrewing, you're making big beer. However, I'm starting to get the impression I need a more expensive chilling setup. I don't think I've ever gotten a beer below around 80 degrees before it stopped going down. I don't really know what else I can do at this point.
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Dec 10, 2012 10:18
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Angry Grimace posted:I love that feeling when you hit your numbers straight on. Not that its a huge accomplishment or anything when you're making a session beer, but still. I suppose I should strive for increased efficiency like the hardcore dudes do, but I just don't see any point when I'm consistently hitting 70% on the nose and practically every recipe is scaled to 70% efficiency. Malt isn't exactly expensive these days. Of course, that 70% efficiency takes a hit when I make a big beer, and of course, if you're homebrewing, you're making big beer. This is a strange attitude to have, it's not more impressive to hit your numbers on a big beer unless it's some ungodly huge thing. Things don't get wildly different just because you double your grain bill. One of the reasons I homebrew is because you can't really get a lot of session beers, so I rarely make anything over 6%. I can get tons of 8%+ beers at the store but a beer under 5% that isn't crap is hard to find. Plus judging from the low alcohol beers I've had from other homebrewers it's a lot harder to make a 4% beer taste good compared to a 6% beer.
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Dec 10, 2012 12:33
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