Scuba's Herms Build! - Page 7

ScubaSteve · 09-12-2007, 12:04 AM

Alright guys....brewing a Stone Clone on it right now....gonna follow Ed's recipe, but will also add 2 oz. whole Cascade continuously towards the last 30 mins, and also during whirlpool (first time doing this). I was setting up and my neighbor across the street had to come over and ask me the obligatory questions....he said he and his GF jokingly thought I was a terrorist

I'll take that as a compliment

BTW, Bobby you're right

Not 15 minutes into heating my mash water did the thing start to smoke and bubble the polyurethane stain! I just turned it down and I was fine. I'm thinking about a couple mods already:

1) Beer holder
2) Therm holder
3) Using that fireproof concrete impregnated fiberglass board as a wind/heat shield

I'll keep y'all posted

ScubaSteve · 09-12-2007, 06:28 AM

Okay, so I had my first brew day on the rig as-is. I have not yet incorporated the HERMS coil, pumps, etc. etc. I just treated it as one big turkey fryer.

The brewhouse eff per ProMash was 62%; that was using a double sparge (with half of the sparge water: sparge, vorlauf, etc...then repeat with other half) and no mash out. I have a perforated stainless false bottom.

The recipe I did was Ed's Stone Clone, 'cept I also used 2 oz. whole cascade hops towards the end, and also at whirlpool.

Those DAMN whole hops screwed me!

There was at LEAST a gallon left in the kettle, and no matter what I did, I couldn't siphon, filter, or strain it out while still maintaining sterility!

I ended up with probably 4 gallons of VERY hoppy brew. It'll probably turn out pretty darn good, but I'm pissed that I left all those good soldiers behind

I don't think I'll be using whole hops again, unless I can figure out a way to prevent this from happening again. Any suggestions

**olllllo** · 09-12-2007, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScubaSteve

I don't think I'll be using whole hops again, unless I can figure out a way to prevent this from happening again. Any suggestions

What are you using at the bottom of the boil kettle?

Google the Hop Stopper.

Grimsawyer · 09-12-2007, 06:35 AM

here's an idea. boil longer to evaporate your beer down too much. Then In your HLT boil up some water and move it right on the hops in your empty keg. Chill and fill your fermenter to where it should be?

ScubaSteve · 09-12-2007, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by olllllo

What are you using at the bottom of the boil kettle?

Google the Hop Stopper.

I knew about the hop stopper....but:
A) It's expensive (for some odd reason)
B) I use an IC

And does the hop stopper REALLY work THAT well (for the price)?

ScubaSteve · 09-12-2007, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grimsawyer

here's an idea. boil longer to evaporate your beer down too much. Then In your HLT boil up some water and move it right on the hops in your empty keg. Chill and fill your fermenter to where it should be?

Say what? You mention boiling down and evaporating even more wort.....absorption and wort loss was the problem, not the solution. How would this help? Are you suggesting I raise my OG and then add water back in the fermenter?

**olllllo** · 09-12-2007, 06:02 PM

It does exactly what it says it does.
It will not work well with an IC.

So are you using a braid or false bottom? other?

ScubaSteve · 09-12-2007, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by olllllo

It does exactly what it says it does.
It will not work well with an IC.

So are you using a braid or false bottom? other?

Hmmm....these days, a product performing as advertised is a pretty big thing

I use a false bottom in a keggle with a 1/2" ball valve. The keggle MT only lost 5F over 60 mins. I used smaller thermoplastic tubing (1/4") to drain with.....maybe that slowed down my sparge.....but then again that may not be a bad thing.

Grimsawyer · 09-12-2007, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScubaSteve

...Are you suggesting I raise my OG and then add water back in the fermenter?

yes. Although not an ideal solution, just thinking outside the box. Lets say you can only get 4.5 gallons from a 5.5 gallon batch. reduce your wort down a bit before any hop additions so when it's done it's a bit concentrated. Chill that and put it in the carboy, then pump more hot water in chill and pump to primary. Literally rinse and repeat until you have your 5.5 gallons in your primary. You will be rinsing the sugars left behind in the hops into your pirmary and you won't lose any volume.

Kind of like doing a partial boil extract batch. I use to boil 3.5-4 gallons of wort in my 20quart kettle on the stove. When it was done I'd put a strainer on funnel on my carboy and dump everything out into the strainer. I'd then top up pouring water THROUGH the hops to recover what extract/sugars were left in the hops. The same theory here. I'm not saying it's a good or practical solution but I'm sure it would work if nothing else.

ScubaSteve · 09-21-2007, 06:23 AM

Okay....here's the latest:

On my maiden voyage, I had some issues with the wood charring; especially on the back and front boards. Solution: Heat Shields!

I got some DuraRock (I think orfy uses this under his burner) which is basically concrete-infused drywall. It is labelled as "fire-retardant". I tried to light it on fire, and it was a no go

SO,

I spray painted everything in Hi-Temp black and made a box around both Banjo burners (the middle burner did just fine, and will only be at lo temp) the finished product looks like this:

The bottom is open: