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LaserWash posted:Goon bottle brewers, What, you mean the fermenters or the carbonation/drinking bottles? Because in both cases I just rinse them out after I'm done using them (ie: after fermentation/after pouring myself a beer) in order to get rid of any yeast that is inevitably caked at the bottom. Then I'll clean out using a bleach/water mix just prior to using them again, though looking at the above posts I might loosen up on that policy a bit since in any case my beers never last long enough for infections to make themselves known.
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Aug 24, 2013 16:16
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I consider all of my bottled uncleaned unless I cleaned them the day before. I soak in oxy over night then rinse thoroughly then as I'm bottling I dunk them into Starsan as I'm going along.
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Aug 24, 2013 16:16
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LaserWash posted:Goon bottle brewers, We get a lot of bottles of mixed quality from friends/coworkers, and the system that works best is: cleaned and checked bottles that just need a dip in starsan go in tupperware tubs in a closet inside the house, while anything that is unknown stays in the garage. An occasional bottle cleaning party with the cordless drill and a bottle brush helps move bottles from the garage to the house when the stash of clean bottles start getting a bit low. We used to just put them next to each other in the same closet, but that lead to too many mixups and made bottling day a pain in the rear end.
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Aug 24, 2013 16:31
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I typically rinse every bottle when I'm done with it. If it has a label, it goes on the bottle tree and sits there until it's ready for a batch of delabeling. If it doesn't have a label on it, it goes into a 24 pack box. As I bottle, I give each a dip in starsan and then immediately fill. I have enough bottles that I toss anything that isn't 12 oz.
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Aug 24, 2013 16:33
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Discomancer posted:We get a lot of bottles of mixed quality from friends/coworkers, and the system that works best is: cleaned and checked bottles that just need a dip in starsan go in tupperware tubs in a closet inside the house, while anything that is unknown stays in the garage. An occasional bottle cleaning party with the cordless drill and a bottle brush helps move bottles from the garage to the house when the stash of clean bottles start getting a bit low. WHOA! How did you get said bottle cleaning brush attachment for your cordless drill? I want this... now. quote:We used to just put them next to each other in the same closet, but that lead to too many mixups and made bottling day a pain in the rear end. That's where I'm running into my problems. I want to put all of my bottles in the garage, but a two car garage with two cars parked inside, mowers, trimmers, bikes, etc. doesn't leave a whole bunch of room for "clean bottles on this side of the garage" and "dirty bottles on that side of the garage."
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Aug 24, 2013 16:35
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Midorka posted:I consider all of my bottled uncleaned unless I cleaned them the day before. I soak in oxy over night then rinse thoroughly then as I'm bottling I dunk them into Starsan as I'm going along. This is how I roll as well, especially if we've been drinking a lot of sours or of my friends/coworkers have given me dubiously cleaned bottles. Also buy bottles tree(s) if you plan on continuing to bottle. Please don't store wet bottles standing upright  Anyone have a cheap online source or bulk unmilled grain? I don't have a LHBS and I'm getting dangerously low on 2-row since my clubs last bulk buy.
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Aug 24, 2013 16:54
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LaserWash posted:WHOA! How did you get said bottle cleaning brush attachment for your cordless drill?
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Aug 24, 2013 17:03
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LaserWash posted:WHOA! How did you get said bottle cleaning brush attachment for your cordless drill? You can just snip the ring off the end of a regular bottle brush and use that, but this is a) the best bottle brush ever and b) already has a hex bit on the end: http://www.williamsbrewing.com/CORDLESS-DRILL-BOTTLE-BRUSH-P3321.aspx If you don't have a lot of room, try grabbing a bunch of cheap plastic tubs with lids from Home Depot so you can stack them up. I have 7 of them filled with dirty bottles floor to ceiling right now. And then you can just move the whole container when you clean it to the house, makes things WAY easier.
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Aug 24, 2013 17:35
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On the subject of bottling, has anyone used the plastic crates from these guys? I'm trying to find out if the openings are wide enough to hold 12-oz stubbies as well as long-necks, but they don't reply to emails and comments on their blog vanish into a moderation black hole.
withak fucked around with this message at 18:27 on Aug 24, 2013 |
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Aug 24, 2013 18:25
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I just rinse all my bottles super-well immediately after pouring and then don't consider them sanitized until I dishwasher them the same day as bottling. Any bottles that don't get cleaned immediately (when people are over or I am drunk) get put in the recycling bin because I have too many bottles anyway. e: Regarding topping off with Star San, I heard a "Brewing Disasters" episode of Basic Brewing Radio where someone had accidentally ended up with a beer that was like, 60% Star San. I think they said it was drinkable but bad.
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Aug 24, 2013 19:30
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withak posted:On the subject of bottling, has anyone used the plastic crates from these guys? I'm trying to find out if the openings are wide enough to hold 12-oz stubbies as well as long-necks, but they don't reply to emails and comments on their blog vanish into a moderation black hole. What do you consider a 12-oz stubbie? Something like a Woodchuck Cider bottle? They fit no problem.
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Aug 24, 2013 22:17
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Rattlehead posted:What do you consider a 12-oz stubbie? Something like a Woodchuck Cider bottle? They fit no problem. Sierra Nevada bottles, for instance.
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Aug 24, 2013 22:58
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withak posted:Sierra Nevada bottles, for instance. I think a Sierra Nevada bottle is a fair bit wider than a standard American 12oz. If those cases are sized to perfectly fit standards then you might have trouble making wider bottles fit. Edit: I've never used those cases, but they look pretty tight in the pictures.
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Aug 24, 2013 23:04
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That's what I'm worried about. Sierra Nevada bottles come about that far -><- from bursting long-neck six-pack holders.
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Aug 24, 2013 23:22
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I just rinse my bottles out when I'm done with them. Prior to bottling I run them through a sani-cycle in my dishwasher. This might not work quite as well for larger bottling operations, but I only have the capability to brew 16 gallons at a time.
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Aug 24, 2013 23:22
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I just rinse my bottles well and make sure there's no yeast in the bottom then leave them sitting by the sink. Every time I stop by I dump them and when there isn't any water left in them, they go in a box in the garage. Brew day I fill each halfway with starsan and shake them up, let them sit while I'm going the siphoning, then shake them again, dump and fill. I've never had a bottle be contaminated or have anything funky in it. Bottles given to me get collected up then get the PBW soak, bottle brush, rinse, then go into the pile with the rest. I used to do crazy sanitation stuff with starsan a soak and a bottle brush on brew day, even turning off the the A/C in Florida during the bottling process so germs won't be blown into the bottles. If I made anything I was going to let sit a year I'd probably still do that.
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Aug 24, 2013 23:53
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I just rinse thoroughly after pouring then put the empties in a box. On bottling day they get a quick rinse of tap water to get rid of any dust, then a squirt of starsan through this before filling.
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Aug 25, 2013 00:06
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withak posted:That's what I'm worried about. Sierra Nevada bottles come about that far -><- from bursting long-neck six-pack holders. Just use Sierra Nevada 24 oz bottles to bottle in, problem solved.
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Aug 25, 2013 00:09
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withak posted:I just rinse thoroughly after pouring then put the empties in a box. On bottling day they get a quick rinse of tap water to get rid of any dust, then a squirt of starsan through this before filling. This is me too except I let them sit on the bottle tree to dry and don't box them up until it's full and I don't bother with a tap rinse. Depending on the box they go in upside down if the dividers will support them that way. Bottle trees and the sanitizer injector that goes on top are absolutely worth buying if you bottle condition. That cordless drill bottle brush looks great. I may have to get one since I've got 4 cases of dirty bottle to delabel and clean.
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Aug 25, 2013 00:28
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Got stuck on gunk in your glass carboy? Fill 'er with water and drop in a dishwasher pill. Dump and repeat as necessary. Rinse like poo poo after. Sure beats my old glass marble + swirling method.
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Aug 25, 2013 01:09
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Tweek posted:Got stuck on gunk in your glass carboy? Fill 'er with water and drop in a dishwasher pill. Dump and repeat as necessary. Rinse like poo poo after.
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Aug 25, 2013 01:58
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withak posted:Sierra Nevada bottles, for instance. They look like the Woodchuck bottles I have and they drop right in. I went and measured and the cells are 2.5" across.
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Aug 25, 2013 02:05
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Rattlehead posted:They look like the Woodchuck bottles I have and they drop right in. I went and measured and the cells are 2.5" across. Cool, thanks. I'm in the road ATM but I will have to measure my motley array of empties when I get back.
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Aug 25, 2013 02:07
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I do a oxiclean soak which is also great for removing labels. After that I rinse and dry on a bottle tree. The day of bottling, i do a starsan dip and hang on the tree, and pull as needed. RE: Mead. Looks like im starting to level out as today i only measure 9.9 brix (1.009) down from 10.1 / 1.01 .. This gives me a 10% abv which is under what the yeast *should* get to @12-14%. I started thawing the blueberries in anticipation of moving to secondary tomorrow. I think the added sugar in the fruit will get my my last bump, and im debating adding another pound of honey i have sitting here. Its pretty dry with just the barest sweetness. Slightly tart but i dont want to add anything else to reduce the acid, i'll let the secondary take care of that. Should i add any more nutrient for the blueberries ?
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Aug 25, 2013 03:34
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Syrinxx posted:Cleaning carboys was honestly one of the factors that made me quit homebrewing over a decade ago. Since I've picked it back up I have learned of the amazing power of soaking poo poo in PBW or it's much cheaper twin Oxiclean Free. No scrubbing, no effort at all, just soak and all the poo poo magically comes off. This so much. PBW is some miraculous poo poo.
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Aug 25, 2013 03:56
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The BIAB batch I made a couple of days ago still hasn't started showing signs of fermentation, which honestly has me a little worried, so I figure if the yeast don't kick into high gear by Monday morning I'll have to do something about it--which means, I should just pitch another pack of yeast, right? Or is there something else I ought to do as well?
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Aug 25, 2013 04:45
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NEED TOILET PAPER posted:The BIAB batch I made a couple of days ago still hasn't started showing signs of fermentation, which honestly has me a little worried, so I figure if the yeast don't kick into high gear by Monday morning I'll have to do something about it--which means, I should just pitch another pack of yeast, right? Or is there something else I ought to do as well? check the gravity
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Aug 25, 2013 05:52
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Tweek posted:I just rinse my bottles out when I'm done with them. Prior to bottling I run them through a sani-cycle in my dishwasher. This. Clean and store in 6 pack cartons, then on bottling day I run them through the dishwasher. I then open the dishwasher and use the door as a platform for my bottling because if I spill any on the inside of the dishwasher door the mess goes away when I close it.
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Aug 25, 2013 07:22
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I've decided my 5 gallon American Wheat recipe: 5 lb 2 row pale 4 lb white wheat 1 lb flaked oats Is a little watery. Do you guys think I should increase all my grains, or just a few? I've yet to venture too far in making my own all grain recipes, and I don't want to make some overly starchy mess of a beer.
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Aug 25, 2013 07:51
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What yeast did you use? What did you mash at? What did it finish at? I'm guessing you used American wheat yeast, which seems pretty bland from my understanding. You'd need something of substance to back it up. Nothing in your malt bill really provides flavor.
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Aug 25, 2013 08:04
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RagingBoner posted:I've decided my 5 gallon American Wheat recipe: I like the grain bill. Personally, I like a little more barley because that is flavortown, but a lot of people like the lightness of wheat. That is why it is such an enduring ingredient! It is malted, right? Wanted to double check, because 50:50 malted:unmalted could create some problems. I think you're better off looking at quality. Whose wheat and whose 2-row? I know it is cliche, but for the 2-row, use Marris Otter. Seriously. As for the oats, 1lb is a lot in a beer that size. I'd maybe go with 0.5 instead. And lightly toast it (450 for 30 mins, just enough to make the oats smell like oatmeal cookies. Not enough to actually toast them or anything. That would require things like letting the stank out for a few days and yada-yada). Also, you are using instant "quick" oats, not straight "flaked" oats, right? Non-instant oats need a cereal mash, which is a pain in the rear end. Especially if you are just starting out. Again, malt=flavortown. Adjuncts have their place but if you feel your beer is a little too "light" adding more malt (especially better malt) isn't a bad call. But the "thinness" brings back memories. What kind of thermometer are you using? When I first started, I was using a thermometer I bought at Starbucks. Worked great for partial mash. Especially since extract has unfermentables. Made awful, awful beer all-grain. Took me a while to admit that. Learn from my mistake and don't hold out on that one. Buy a good thermometer and make sure it is calibrated. Easy to do and makes a big difference. You may be mashing way too low. Also, hops, yeast, mash temps . . . all the regular info would help. But those are some things to chew on. Maybe one of them hits home. Maybe none of them do, then it is something else. Help us help you.
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Aug 25, 2013 08:12
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Midorka posted:What yeast did you use? What did you mash at? What did it finish at? Besides that, you could consider mashing higher. Like 156-158. edit: much bigger post appeared above mine as I was typing this up Docjowles fucked around with this message at 08:39 on Aug 25, 2013 |
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Aug 25, 2013 08:12
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Shbobdb posted:I like the grain bill. Personally, I like a little more barley because that is flavortown, but a lot of people like the lightness of wheat. That is why it is such an enduring ingredient! It is malted, right? Wanted to double check, because 50:50 malted:unmalted could create some problems. You have some good ideas, but I don't fully agree. I feel that Maris Otter in an American wheat would be out of place and I feel that toasting the oats would also be so. I feel like they would add flavors not usually found in the style. I'm assuming he added oats for the body, not flavor, so 1 pound would be a nice addition for a creamy body. If he was going for an American wheat then he needs something to add to the "plain" grain list. Not through changing the malts, but some fruit addition or spice addition. I imagine that the grain bill above is similar to Goose Island's 312 actually. Midorka fucked around with this message at 16:05 on Aug 25, 2013 |
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Aug 25, 2013 08:26
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Shbobdb posted:I like the grain bill. Personally, I like a little more barley because that is flavortown, but a lot of people like the lightness of wheat. That is why it is such an enduring ingredient! It is malted, right? Wanted to double check, because 50:50 malted:unmalted could create some problems. Here's my full recipe: 50% 2 Row Pale (5 lbs) 40% White Wheat (4 lbs) 10% Flaked Oats (1 lb) 5% Rice hulls (0.5 lb) (makes it 105%, but since it's an adjunct to prevent the mash from sticking, it doesn't really matter) 3 parts ground coriander (1 tsp) @ 10 minutes 2 parts dried sweet Valencia orange peel (2/3 tsp) @ 5 minutes 15-17 IBU's Hollertau hops @ 60 minutes (1 oz) Mash @ 152-154, Sparge @ 160, Boil 60 Minutes SafeAle S-05 Yeast 1 week primary @ ~72*, 2 week secondary, 1 week force carbonation in keg. The problem really is a lack of maltiness, I guess. It's plenty aromatic from the spices, it just feels very plain in my mouth when I drink it. It's not overly dry, so I don't think I'm mashing too low (I have two different calibrated thermometers and they both read the same). I'm just lacking body. Edit: Reading your post it looks like I need to stop using flaked oats and buy instant oats instead. I had no idea about cereal mashing. Whoops! At least I can get them cheap from work. What is truly odd is I guess I somehow accidentally cereal mashed my first go at this, and it was VERY VERY good. My next two attempts have been this disappointing stuff. RagingBoner fucked around with this message at 15:30 on Aug 25, 2013 |
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Aug 25, 2013 15:22
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We've made that Blue Moon recipe 3 times this summer (playing around with various adjuncts/additions/yeasts) and every time it turns out great. Maybe you just don't like the recipe as much as you want to?
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Aug 25, 2013 15:44
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RagingBoner posted:1 week primary @ ~72*, 2 week secondary, 1 week force carbonation in keg. Are you doing a mash-out at all? I've found that my beers have more body now that I'm doing a mash-out at 60 minutes. My typical mash goes like this: 1: Mash at 15X for 45 minutes. 2: At 45 minutes begin to get my first sparge water to boiling. 3: Vorlauf/run off from the sparge, by the time I finish it's near 60 minutes and the water is near boiling. 4: When I'm done running off I add the near boiling portion to my mash, this raised the grain bed high enough to stop conversion. 5: Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. I've found that my beers were finishing low and a little watery without doing a mash-out because the conversion was going on much longer than 60 minutes, creative a more fermentable wort. As for what oats to use, I get rolled oats and they've worked great for all of the beers I use them in, which are a lot. I love using oats in my beer.
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Aug 25, 2013 16:06
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RagingBoner posted:The problem really is a lack of maltiness, I guess. It's plenty aromatic from the spices, it just feels very plain in my mouth when I drink it. It's not overly dry, so I don't think I'm mashing too low (I have two different calibrated thermometers and they both read the same). I'm just lacking body. That looks very similar to a witbier I did earlier this summer. Just swap the 2-row for pilsner, add a quarter pound of munich, whole coriander instead of ground and some chamomile flowers. Wheat and oats were both flaked and I didn't do anything special with them. I did a protein rest at 122 for 15 minutes, sacc rest at 154 and mash out at 170. It turned out great and has a nice thick mouthfeel, maybe even too thick.
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Aug 25, 2013 16:53
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Shbobdb posted:I think you're better off looking at quality. Whose wheat and whose 2-row? I know it is cliche, but for the 2-row, use Marris Otter. Seriously.
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Aug 25, 2013 17:18
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Thufir posted:check the gravity Actually, I just checked a couple of minutes ago, and it looks like the yeast is starting to wake up! I guess my yeast was just a bit lazy and needed some time to get to work. Though I still want to learn what the best way to deal with non-reactive yeast is. Suppose my gravity was off--what would it mean if the gravity was too high? Too low?
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Aug 25, 2013 18:03
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NEED TOILET PAPER posted:Though I still want to learn what the best way to deal with non-reactive yeast is. Suppose my gravity was off--what would it mean if the gravity was too high? Too low? Pitch more yeast is basically all you can do. Measuring gravity is important because it is the only reliable way to tell what is happening. If the gravity isn't going down then there is no fermentation happening. If it is going down then the yeast are working, regardless of what it looks like from the outside. If it goes up then you have a measurement or sampling error, or someone snuck in and added sugar while you weren't looking.
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Aug 25, 2013 18:30
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