Armpit ale

Octavius · 05-14-2011, 09:47 PM

All was going well until I opened the keggle valve. No flow! Tried blowing through but that didn't help nor did giving the wort a good stir. With no other option, I sprayed my arm with StarSan and dunked it in. I could feel what I believe to be hop seeds clogging the hacksaw slits of the manifold (on the underside) and, when I moved them, the flow began. Stopped moving my fingers and the flow stopped. So up to my arm pit for like 20 minutes.
Looks like I'll be ditching this:

and getting a SS braid from Morebeer. Would I have better luck?

Hops in the 15 gal brew were:

First Wort Hopping: 4 oz Galena
When brew started boiling: 4 oz Cluster
After 50 min boil: 4 oz Columbus and 4 oz Cascade
After 60 min boil: Flameout

These were all leaf hops.

I usually use Cascade and I've never used the others before. Never had a problem before this.

Any ideas?

Cheers!

**SD-SLIM** · 05-14-2011, 10:30 PM

I think we have all been there...It hurts the heart!

Octavius · 05-14-2011, 10:58 PM

Well, it's fermenting as we speak.
If it tastes funky, I'll invite the useless neighbor over and tell him it is a special Belgian beer.
Cheers!

Octavius · 05-14-2011, 11:11 PM

Actually, I forgot to mention. Many moons ago I brewed "Cock Ale". This, I hasten to add, is an olde recipe whereby you dangle a (deceased) rooster in the fermenting beer. I used the bones from the Sunday chicken in a muslin bag rather than mess with a rooster. It tasted very pleasant and smoother than the previous batch. No grease globules or anything, which surprised me.

axeman9182 · 05-15-2011, 01:42 AM

I thought this was going to be a post about a beer with 100% Summit hops.

Junkster · 05-15-2011, 01:56 AM

....."If it tastes funky, I'll invite the useless neighbor over and tell him it is a special Belgian beer.".....

Hah! Good one!!!!!

Octavius · 05-16-2011, 11:09 AM

More developments:

Taking the equipment apart for cleaning, I found a small quantity of what looks like mud/clay in the spigot. I'm theorizing that a mud-dauber got in there and was making a nest. No joke. This created a partial blockage that allowed hot water out (for the mash water) but didn't allow out the cooled wort. Bit of a stretch of the imagination but I have no other explanation.

OK, I couldn't stood it no longer, as the Cajun chef says, and I tasted the fermenting beer - freaking delicious!

This says a lot for StarSan. And, of course, that the sun shines on the righteous!

Cheers!