Dogs and brewing

Things I have learned while trying to brew around multiple dogs. Siberian Huskies anyway.

1. If it is edible, it will be eaten. If it is not edible, it will be shredded or punctured.
2. DME will be discovered, no matter how deeply you bury it in the bits and parts bin. Said DME will be distributed widely around the kitchen and on all the stuff in the parts bin.
3. DME is damn sticky.
4. The siphon tube can move at high velocity from one room to another.
5. Keep a lid on all buckets unless you like dog slobber in the wort.
6. Star San when properly diluted is tasty. At least, my dogs will not leave it alone.
7. Herbs on the counter will be thoughtfully distributed evenly around the kitchen.
8. It is possible to pull an empty 8 gallon kettle off the stove. It makes a hell of a bang.
9. The tubing for chiller the should be supported above the counter or it will be pulled out of the sink and flood the floor. No, a little higher than that...
10. Yeah, I know hops are bad for dogs. I'm considering it.

Lets all admit too that husky fur is an inevitable component of everything we make - I think it helps my sparges.

I hope you keg or I'd hate to think what bottling day at your house would look like. My girl likes to pull the pit-bull-in-a-china-shop routine, but that's just one dog.

Right. I forgot about the Husky fur. Thank you.

dog slobber double bock?

Brewing fun with Labradors... (my Yellow Lab Maggie)

Labrador fur is almost as good as rice hulls for a wheat or rye sparge.

Fermenter bucket lids are stored very high in the garage, when not being used. See this thread... https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/when-your-brew-buddy-yellow-lab-408738/

A Labradors wagging tail can wreak havoc on anything at tail level. A Labs tail is always wagging... so our brewery is ajdusted accordingly.

Siphon tubes make great chew toys as well. I have a lot on hand...

Taking a quick lick out of the wort is a sport to a Labrador. Mine gets sneakier all the time...

LME and DME has to be kept out of sight until right before adding to the pot.

The shiny silver SS spoon setting carefuly on the pot handle will be licked as well.

For some reason my Lab is fascinated by the big orange cooler mash tun. No matter where she is... when she hears me open it she comes running to see what's inside. My wife has to dang near stand there to hold her back from getting her nose in the grain when I pour it in the cooler.

Malted grains make horrible dog farts later on.

But... my brew day would not be complete without her there.

Gary

And these are all reasons why my dogs are trained to stay out of the kitchen. Sometimes when I'm throwing one of their toys for them to fetch it accidentally goes in the kitchen. They can be going full speed and will come to a screeching halt at the doorway. I do fully expect them to be sitting in the doorway during my brew days though.

I get help from the 90lb Choc. Lab and 160lb Saint every weekend. Do you know how much slobber will collect in an hour? I made the mistake of making brew biscuits one time, now they smell the wort and sit waiting. I've dispensed with the biscuits and just give them the grains once cooled, they never fight over food switching bowls like synchronized swimming with dog food, once the grains go in the bowl though its all over, mine is MINE!

The Saint chuffs a lot (dog snort) and its funny as hell in the morning getting ready in the bathroom to watch him inhale at the airlock and chuff, inhale, chuff, inhale....

My cat, thank god (who's fur seems to be lighter than air) just like to sit and watch, until I do the whirlpool, then it is a fight to keep paws out. Little girl cannot stand water, but acts like a fisher cat when wort is around. Cat fur too just adds to the flavor and texture, talk about OPB

My basset-pit mix used to help when I brewed inside. She knocked over a garbage can or 2 hunting spent grains.

Now that I brew outside she's not as interested. Spoiled brat likes the A/C. Especially in South Florida in July.

Bauer said:

And these are all reasons why my dogs are trained to stay out of the kitchen. Sometimes when I'm throwing one of their toys for them to fetch it accidentally goes in the kitchen. They can be going full speed and will come to a screeching halt at the doorway. I do fully expect them to be sitting in the doorway during my brew days though.

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Amen! Dog knows enough to stay out of the kitchen whenever we are doing something in there. He never gets food from the counter so he knows there is no reason to be there (scraps always go into his bowl).

Net result is not having to worry about a dog being underfoot, still don't have a solution to the odd dog-hair that turns up in various bowls, brewing equipment etc.

I must have trained my Aussies pretty well. They know that when I'm racking, they can watch, but they're not allowed in the laundry room.

If they see me walking around with a full carboy in my hands, they move out of the way or they get cussed at.

If you think that Lab hair is an issue, you should try 2 full-blooded Aussies... I have tumble-weeds of dog hair that roll behind me when I walk by...

MC

Oh... my Lab knows to stays out of the kitchen... I brew in the garage or in the driveway.

Gary

This little brewmate follows me everywhere I go during brew day. He had been standing like this for about five minutes, which is quite unusual. It wasn't until me and my buddy went upstairs and I heard a howl I understood that he was actually stuck between the table and the wall.

He enjoys the excitement of hearing the propane roaring and the sweet smell in the air and the cool garage floor lol He also likes the peanut butter treats made from the spent grains

I used to have a doberdane. Best dog I ever had. You would swear he could understand English perfectly. Asked him to get me the phone once when I was laid up wit the flu...be damned if he didn't bring it...

Bailey (my dog) also liked to drink. He preferred import over domestic, I felt the same way. He drank a whole 6-pack of Guinness once. It was the only time he ever passed out on my bed and would not get up. I let it slide that time. Bailey weighed 160lbs, so he could hold it well. He lived a full long life for his breed, nine years. Cancer and arthritis got him in the end.

I know hops are bad for dogs. But I never allowed him to have any IPA's. He would refuse to drink Natural Light. They say a dog is a reflection of their owner. In the case of Bailey, this was the truth. He also had a weakness for pretty women.

Not a very relative reply, I know. But this post made me think of my ol' friend. I wanted to share it.

I suppose Im lucky. My lab, while in all other aspects of his world, is quite calm during brew sessions. He doesn't quite care for the sound of the mill and Im pretty sure he thinks the burners are pure evil. So for the most part of the brew day he hangs out on the floor mat and watches. BUT as soon as the boil ends his curiosity gets the best of him-

He has licked the stirring spoon after whirlpool
licked the frame of the brew stand where it was a bit too hot
Touched his nose on the hot side of the plate&frame
Bumped the hose from the plate&frame to the fermenter (I was upset, he got something to lick up)
Tail has knocked over a few graduated cylinders (he is the reason I moved to plastic)
He does help clean up bits of grain that makes it to the floor.

Tail has knocked over a few graduated cylinders (he is the reason I moved to plastic)

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I'm pretty sure that makes you lucky! My Lab's tail is pure hell and does more damage than most of his chewing.

My first ever brew was tested and approved
successful by our newest Husky .. Dozer


He had only been part of the Marquez Racing HQ Team a few days, and already part of the family.

Mine guards the fermenter while I brew.....he thinks he is a doberman!

WharfRat said:

Lets all admit too that husky fur is an inevitable component of everything we make - I think it helps my sparges.

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You've probably never had a stuck mash!

I've got three pugs and they patiently wait for the grain bag to get pulled so they can get their share of spent barley.

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Cody, my lab, and I brewing on Sunday. He is not real excited to sit in the garage on a hot summer day in Orlando, but he makes do.

Swmbo got drunk one day when I was brewing and thought it would be funny to hold the cat above the wort I was chilling. Cat Fur Ale for everyone!

KuntzBrewing said:

He enjoys the excitement of hearing the propane roaring and the sweet smell in the air and the cool garage floor lol He also likes the peanut butter treats made from the spent grains

View attachment 133414

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Maybe he likes carbon monoxide? You have some sort of ventilation in there right?

m3n00b said:

Maybe he likes carbon monoxide? You have some sort of ventilation in there right?

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I was born at night, but not last night lol 3 car bay doors. 1 stays open and so does the person door to keep a cross draft.

I could see how you could see that as a sealed garage lol I keep the door right next to the burner shut to reduce draft

Epimetheus said:

Things I have learned while trying to brew around multiple dogs. Siberian Huskies anyway.

1. If it is edible, it will be eaten. If it is not edible, it will be shredded or punctured.
2. DME will be discovered, no matter how deeply you bury it in the bits and parts bin. Said DME will be distributed widely around the kitchen and on all the stuff in the parts bin.
3. DME is damn sticky.
4. The siphon tube can move at high velocity from one room to another.
5. Keep a lid on all buckets unless you like dog slobber in the wort.
6. Star San when properly diluted is tasty. At least, my dogs will not leave it alone.
7. Herbs on the counter will be thoughtfully distributed evenly around the kitchen.
8. It is possible to pull an empty 8 gallon kettle off the stove. It makes a hell of a bang.
9. The tubing for chiller the should be supported above the counter or it will be pulled out of the sink and flood the floor. No, a little higher than that...
10. Yeah, I know hops are bad for dogs. I'm considering it.

Click to expand...

as far as your quotes go "txin txin!" catalan for cheers, sound like "chin chin!"

KuntzBrewing said:

I was born at night, but not last night lol 3 car bay doors. 1 stays open and so does the person door to keep a cross draft.

I could see how you could see that as a sealed garage lol I keep the door right next to the burner shut to reduce draft

Click to expand...

Right on!

Apparently the sound of a jet burner at full blast irresistable to my two girls. Literally have to put them in the backyard during the boil to keep them away from it.

Also, I'm pretty sure they have become accustomed to the smell of mashed grain, as they are very attentive the rest of the day expecting spent grain dog biscuits, which I always make for them.



Here they are while I'm trying to enjoy a Pale Ale right now.