Recent content by goatchze

If you assume it's a binary mixture of ethanol and water, measuring the density at any temperature will give you the alcohol content. Trying to get the alcohol content accurately by what you're describing probably isn't very practical. You'd have to assume that the only thing in the solid...

Nope, no real changes. I just need to make more of it!

ekjohns, It worked out well. I've been traveling a lot lately and haven't brewed in a while, but I got the sensor(s) working just fine. I placed the IC temp sensor inside of a "probe" made of copper tubing with an end cap and the back end sealed with silicone and JB weld. I replaced the...

Yeah, I like it. I like the old school sketches/copper plate look on labels.

Looks nice, and I agree with slowbie's comment on the legability of the yellow text. Here's an idea, take it for what it's worth. Why not color code the entire labels since you're using the same graphic? For example, replace the "black" in the black-and-white with maroon, purple, and blue...

Duffman, Sorry to reply so late. You can check out my Terreros Pils recipe if you want to brew an AG lager with 2row. Just substitute the 2row for the pilsner malt. It should come out just fine.

Sounds reasonable. To make sure I'm understanding, your switch is a DPDT with ON-OFF-ON? Middle means nothing is on, one way means one is on, the other way means the other? IMO it should work fine; I've got something similar for my RIMS heater where a contactor/relay is only ON if the pump...

Butterfly valves tend to be used for large diameter piping or when someone is "retrofitting" the valve into piping where it wasn't previously. I'm not sure if it's the best choice in your case. Although you can, of course, throttle with almost any kind of valve you want, some valve types are...

Let me start by saying I like Shiner and am not trying to knock their product(s). But Shiner Bock isn't really a bock; it's more like an "amber/dark lager". It's not 100% true to style. For starters, it's not "big" enough (thanks to our silly Texas laws) to be a true bock. Most bocks fall...

Thirteen, Thanks, this is my point. EDIT: But, I think we all are saying the same thing, just in different ways. ---------------- Jkarp, Thanks, these were the "pros/cons" or points I was looking for. I honestly wasn't aware that there was such variety in the term "brutus" (I'm not...

OK OK, I think we're running in circles here. My issue wasn't your math, it was the statement that the boil directly affected your efficiency or the way your efficiency is calculated. To me it's not. It affects how much water you use, which then affects your efficiency (indirectly). I...

The funny thing is, the use of "points" is supposed to simplify the calculation. however, since the specific gravity can change pre-post boil, I really think it makes it more complicated. It would be easier to say that 1 lb of 2-row should yield 0.31 lbs of sugar. 10 lbs should yield 3.1...

Sorry, it's getting late over here in Holland and I've had one too many Hertog Jans! Flip that equation. The numerator should be the sugar you recovered, the denominator the "potential sugar". If we work in "points", Gravity-1 is the thousandths of SG above 1, so GRAIVTY-1 = 1.050-1 =...

... I think this may be where the disconnect is. To me, there is no difference in the calculation, whether I have no sparge, a batch sparge, or I fly sparge. I use: GRAIN x PTS / [(GRAVITY-1)*VOLUME)] = EFF where: GRAIN = lbs of grain PTS = gravity points per lb in one gallon...

Right. And this is exactly what a sparge is accomplishing? The difference being magnitude. (sorry, I left this off my post and edited it in later) Even if you're sparging, if you want 5 gallons of beer and will boil off 1 gallon, you must use 6 gallons of water? What are the losses if...