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Jacobey000 posted:In Chicago: 5 Rabbit uses the world's most awful glue - yes, worse than Two Brothers. Confirmed. Most glue like that will give eventually if you soak the bottle in StarSan and then scrape at it, but I don't recommend it for 12oz bottles unless you really need bottles.
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Mar 10, 2014 21:10
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Jacobey000 posted:In Chicago: 5 Rabbit uses the world's most awful glue - yes, worse than Two Brothers. The Williamsburg Alewerks uses a similarly awful glue. No amount of oxyclean soaking and scraping has been able to completely clean them off, so I just gave up. Their beer wasn't any good anyway, so gently caress it. Goose Island talk: as of December of last year, all of their beers had pry off caps around here(NoVa). Also, their lables come off pretty easily, and their beers are pretty good...if I was still buying commercial beer outside of happy hour, I'd probably be drinking quite a bit of their stuff. BLARGHLE fucked around with this message at 21:58 on Mar 10, 2014 |
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Mar 10, 2014 21:53
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Some labels actually just peel off in one big, reusable label, e.g. Hoppin' Frog, Alpine, Kern River, etc.
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Mar 10, 2014 22:05
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Angry Grimace posted:Some labels actually just peel off in one big, reusable label, e.g. Hoppin' Frog, Alpine, Kern River, etc. Maine brewing company, And I think jack's Abby.
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Mar 10, 2014 22:18
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more falafel please posted:Huh, Goose Island bottles (in Chicago, at least) switched to pry-off a few years ago. 
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Mar 10, 2014 22:55
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Okie dokie, moved Goose Island up to Easy to delabel with goon testament.  Also in about an hour or so I'm going to have to decap then recap 40 or so bottles of beer, wish me luck never done this before but don't want gusher bottles like I had about 4-5 batches ago.  Also gotta check the gravity on my Belgian pale, it was stuck at 1.020 last week.
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Mar 10, 2014 22:57
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Marshmallow Blue posted:Maine brewing company, And I think jack's Abby. Yeah, I usually stick the labels on my Cornies or fridge.
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Mar 10, 2014 23:02
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Costco sells cases of beer. The bottles are nice, the labels are easy to take off, and it comes with blank six-pack containers. Jacobey000 posted:My AL pots turned the "seasoning" water a strange green and was distinctly metallic. But I've already missed you. Weird, I didn't have a problem. Also the 3787 is going crazy.
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Mar 10, 2014 23:14
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Painted bottles like stone wipe off after a multi-day starsan soak. Some colors are worse than others.
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Mar 11, 2014 02:55
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I bottle exclusively in pink donut beer bottles.
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Mar 11, 2014 03:06
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Toebone posted:I bottle exclusively in pink donut beer bottles. A true man of the people. Beer4TheBeerGod posted:Weird, I didn't have a problem. Apparently I was mis-remembering it, I tried to pull photos to show and it was pretty much just slightly 'green' and BARELY noticeable. Keep on keeping on.
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Mar 11, 2014 03:43
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So I'm thinking of doing the chinook ipa from NB (my 2nd homebrew) Anyone else make it? Also, which yeast should I get?
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Mar 11, 2014 04:10
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Harminoff posted:So I'm thinking of doing the chinook ipa from NB (my 2nd homebrew) Anyone else make it? Also, which yeast should I get? If I am questioning the type of yeast I should use...I move on and just use US-05 (Wyeast1056/WLP001). Basically if I am not trying for some specific yeast profile, then I want a clean balanced profile which those provide.
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Mar 11, 2014 04:16
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ChiTownEddie posted:If I am questioning the type of yeast I should use...I move on and just use US-05 (Wyeast1056/WLP001). Basically if I am not trying for some specific yeast profile, then I want a clean balanced profile which those provide. Echoing this - US-05 is a fantastic yeast. Make sure you ferment it < 70 F, though, because you'll get a strong boozy aroma (which goes away with time).
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Mar 11, 2014 05:04
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US-05 also turns into a diacetyl machine once it gets above 70-72. After a couple ruined batches in the middle of last summer I've decided to not use it again unless I have to. I've tried a lot of yeasts for my pale ales and BRY-97 is still my favorite, but that doesn't seem to be a popular opinion around here.
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Mar 11, 2014 05:10
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That makes me ask how accurate are the temp gauges that come with most kits? (the paper sticky strips) I only ask because my last brew said it was at 66-68 buy after 3 weeks fermenting smells really boozy. How long should it be bottled in that case?
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Mar 11, 2014 05:11
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Harminoff posted:That makes me ask how accurate are the temp gauges that come with most kits? (the paper sticky strips) I only ask because my last brew said it was at 66-68 buy after 3 weeks fermenting smells really boozy. Fermenting beer will raise them temp inside the bucket 2-8f+ fullroundaction posted:I've tried a lot of yeasts for my pale ales and BRY-97 is still my favorite, but that doesn't seem to be a popular opinion around here. I'll have to give it a go. I'm a pretty big fan of dry yeasts; s-04, s-23, t-58, & s-33 all have their merits and feel as though many homebrewers ignore dry yeast in general for 'sexy' liquid yeasts.
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Mar 11, 2014 05:20
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So you're saying to take the Liquid Crystal Thermometer on the side of my bucket and add 2-8f+ because that would be pretty scary.
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Mar 11, 2014 05:28
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Came home to a split batch having very different results. One carboy was raging, the other had no activity (3 month old vial of yeast, no starter, bugs). Freaked out, and top-cropped yeast from one carboy into the other. Only got about a tablespooon of thick rear end krausen into the inactive carboy... 30 minutes later a THICK krausen was on the inactive carboy and the airlock was raging. I don't mind the cross-contamination in this case, as both were similar sours, but very cool about how active and hungry krausen yeast are.
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Mar 11, 2014 05:44
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I guess pitching a mega starter was worth it, because all three carboys are going crazy.
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Mar 11, 2014 05:48
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Finally started a new batch of mead! I only have 1-gallon carboys for now though, but so far the little guy is foaming away beautifully. I just capped it with the airlock (without any liquid in it, so the mead still has some breathing room) and I cap it and give it a good shake twice a day. Plan to fill the airlock after three days or so. Currently it's an orange spice mead, but I'm a bit worried that it'll be too orangey. I used the zest of one and a half oranges, eight cloves, and four cinnamon sticks and heated the must to 145*F for about 20 minutes. When I tasted the must the flavor was mild, but now that it's fermenting the aroma is quite orangey. Any suggestions or advice for a novice? Anything I'm doing wrong?
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Mar 11, 2014 08:14
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Harminoff posted:So you're saying to take the Liquid Crystal Thermometer on the side of my bucket and add 2-8f+ because that would be pretty scary. No, those strips are pretty much spot on. Fermentation can raise the temperature of the beer 2-8*F from ambient temps.
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Mar 11, 2014 09:52
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Martello posted:So I pitched my AIH Winter Solstice Porter with the previously-frozen Wyeast smack pack. It had puffed up just fine, and smelled very yeasty when I opened it. I guess I'll see if the airlock starts bubbling by 9 pm tonight. 24 hours went by and still no airlock activity. How long should I wait before throwing in the vial of Cream Ale yeast I have in the fridge?
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Mar 11, 2014 11:24
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ShadowCatboy posted:Currently it's an orange spice mead, but I'm a bit worried that it'll be too orangey. I used the zest of one and a half oranges, eight cloves, and four cinnamon sticks and heated the must to 145*F for about 20 minutes. When I tasted the must the flavor was mild, but now that it's fermenting the aroma is quite orangey. The key to aroma is that it's volatile. If you're smelling it, it's leaving the beer. This happens a lot during primary fermentation, stripping a lot of aroma out. This is why "dry hopping" after primary fermentation is useful when you want to add flavor or aroma and you don't want it to get blown out. In your case, taste the mead in 2-3 weeks and "rack it" (transfer it using a siphon and tubing) into a new sanitized carboy. If it needs more spice or orange, add it at that time and continue the aging process. Anything you add at that point should stick around! Martello posted:24 hours went by and still no airlock activity. How long should I wait before throwing in the vial of Cream Ale yeast I have in the fridge? Airlock activity isn't a good indicator of how the fermentation is going. I've heard from many people that checked the airlock whenever they had a chance but never saw it going and thought it never started, when in fact it was completely done! The OP posted:A: Relax. Everyone goes through this the first couple of times. It is almost certainly going to be just fine. This is the lag phase, during which the yeast are waking up and multiplying. This doesn't make visible activity in the fermenter, but it will. Give it a while - it can sometimes take up to three days for this to get moving. If, after three days, you still don't see any activity, then you can worry. Until then, have a beer and relax. Of course, after 3 days, take a hydrometer reading to check if it has done anything, don't just pitch more yeast.
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Mar 11, 2014 11:47
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BrianBoitano posted:Airlock activity isn't a good indicator of how the fermentation is going. I've heard from many people that checked the airlock whenever they had a chance but never saw it going and thought it never started, when in fact it was completely done! Okay thanks. Like I posted earlier, this is only my second batch and I used dry yeast last time so I just want to make sure I'm not loving it up. I really want this batch to come out right, it smelled amazing during the boil and I tasted a little and it's already good.
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Mar 11, 2014 12:04
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I have a hundred dollar Amazon gift card that is screaming at me to get into brewing beer. If I got this guy and this feller would I need anything else other than ingredients? Or is there a better choice? The kit from Northern Brewer listed in the OP looks perfect except that I can't use my gift card towards it.
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Mar 11, 2014 14:26
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Looks pretty good. You'll still need bottles and maybe a steel spoon or something.
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Mar 11, 2014 14:30
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Save that money on the kettle and get a turkey fryer for a little more cash. Something like this. http://www.amazon.com/King-Kooker-1266-Portable-29-Quart/dp/B004CMM90Q/ref=pd_sbs_lg_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=17X30GTXFAHMPFX4DWXQ
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Mar 11, 2014 14:31
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Whalley posted:I have a hundred dollar Amazon gift card that is screaming at me to get into brewing beer. If I got this guy and this feller would I need anything else other than ingredients? Or is there a better choice? The kit from Northern Brewer listed in the OP looks perfect except that I can't use my gift card towards it. Scrape a couple bucks together and get this kettle instead. You might not need a 10 gallon kettle if you're doing extract kits but once you want to upgrade to full boils (you will  ) you won't have to shell out for a second kettle.
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Mar 11, 2014 14:31
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LaserWash posted:Save that money on the kettle and get a turkey fryer for a little more cash. Something like this. Seconding this
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Mar 11, 2014 14:51
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Whalley posted:I have a hundred dollar Amazon gift card that is screaming at me to get into brewing beer. If I got this guy and this feller would I need anything else other than ingredients? Or is there a better choice? The kit from Northern Brewer listed in the OP looks perfect except that I can't use my gift card towards it. The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, Third Edition.
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Mar 11, 2014 15:02
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Whalley posted:I have a hundred dollar Amazon gift card that is screaming at me to get into brewing beer. If I got this guy and this feller would I need anything else other than ingredients? Or is there a better choice? The kit from Northern Brewer listed in the OP looks perfect except that I can't use my gift card towards it. If you have all that and a kettle, I would get a bag to brew in and a cake-rack that fits on the bottom of your kettle. That way you don't have to get a mash-tun and stuff. If you want to mash later you can just get that stuff later. I have a 16 litre kettle and my last batch I got 13 litres of beers, which is pretty awesome. I would also buy some PBW and StarSan. PBW is for cleaning away dirt, great for soaking bottles. StarSan is a no-rinse sanitizer, if you get a spray-bottle it's awesome to fill it with starsan and you can spray it all over when doing infection sensitive stuff. You might want to get a bottling wand also, I find it really useful, you put it on the end of your siphon hose and it only starts to fill when you hit the bottom of the bottle, and when it's full you pull it out and it will have perfect headroom. http://homebrewmanual.com/brew-in-a-bag/ - Easy info on brew in a bag.
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Mar 11, 2014 15:05
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internet celebrity posted:Scrape a couple bucks together and get this kettle instead. You might not need a 10 gallon kettle if you're doing extract kits but once you want to upgrade to full boils (you will I just bought the 15 gallon version and I love it. The walls are ridiculously thick.
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Mar 11, 2014 16:40
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BrianBoitano posted:Of course, after 3 days, take a hydrometer reading to check if it has done anything, don't just pitch more yeast. It can be obvious even without a hyrdometer reading - there could be a big ring of yeast gunk above the level of the beer, indicating a ferment came and went without making any airlock bubbles.
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Mar 11, 2014 16:41
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Looks like there's a bottling wand in that kit. I'd suggest a bottle of StarSan, the 8oz bottle should do you fine for a while.
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Mar 11, 2014 17:16
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ShadowCatboy posted:Finally started a new batch of mead! I only have 1-gallon carboys for now though, but so far the little guy is foaming away beautifully. I just capped it with the airlock (without any liquid in it, so the mead still has some breathing room) and I cap it and give it a good shake twice a day. Plan to fill the airlock after three days or so. Maybe I'm missing something, but why wouldn't you put sanitizing liquid in the airlock?
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Mar 11, 2014 17:44
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Whoo, bottling day! Fortunately it's only two 3-gallon batches of cider, so it shouldn't be too arduous. Next tuesday will be bottling day for those bitters from last month. Although, if I had the time, they would have been ready to go about two weeks ago... Also, today is the last day of my 20's, and this is how I decide to spend it? I'm really not sure what that says about me... BLARGHLE fucked around with this message at 18:20 on Mar 11, 2014 |
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Mar 11, 2014 17:57
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We finally got a refractometer due to a crazy good deal on Homebrew Finds. Was playing with it last night and seems pretty great/easy so far. I'd like to hear a list of do's and don'ts from you guys so I can get the most out of things thing and also not destroy it (it came without instructions but I found them online).
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Mar 11, 2014 17:59
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fullroundaction posted:We finally got a refractometer due to a crazy good deal on Homebrew Finds. Was playing with it last night and seems pretty great/easy so far. If it's a dual scale, use brix and convert to SG with a calculator online. Even if you calibrate it with distilled water, SG readings on dual scale refractometers can be kinda wonky above 1.050 or so. I went nuts trying to figure out why my efficiency had taken a nosedive after I got a refractometer 
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Mar 11, 2014 18:10
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fullroundaction posted:We finally got a refractometer due to a crazy good deal on Homebrew Finds. Was playing with it last night and seems pretty great/easy so far. http://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/04/24/using-your-refractometer-correctly-for-maximum-accuracy-in-home-brewing/
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Mar 11, 2014 18:13
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