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divrguy said:
Since this is in beersmith, is there any way to share a beersmith file through this board? If not, I was thinking we could post some good recipes and let others know in the beersmith cloud by putting something in front of the recipe that we would recognize. Like "1GU - barleywine" so we could find it. Save a little time putting it into beersmith? Anyone think that may be worth while? Just throwing out ideas....
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I have to look into there cloud stuff I haven't looked into that to much
 
BigRock947 said:
Okay. I get that there is estimated Gravity readings and actual readings but why are they so different? Is 1/4 of vial of yeast going to be enough for a Barley Wine?
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Probably not. Use Mr.Malty and follow it exactly, if not overpitch. Probably almost a whole vial for such a big beer.
 
cheesecake said:
I don't always get the freshest yeast so I would pitch the whole vial if it has some age to it
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My last two gallon batches, both with 1.070 OG, needed 1.2 and 1.0 vials of liquid yeast according to Mr. Malty due to the age of the yeast. I actually under pitched for one since it was too late to make a starter. I probably wouldn't have made a starter anyway since it was relatively close.
 
I'm using brew target, so I might be mistaken. I think you can export from most brewing software into an .xml file. That is one of the attachment types available here.

Can anyone think of a good reason for me not to use my 6 gallon aluminum stock pot for brewing?
 
Leadgolem said:
Can anyone think of a good reason for me not to use my 6 gallon aluminum stock pot for brewing?
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6 gallon will work fine. You will just have to add a little extra sparge water on your 1-gal batches as the more surface area you have, the more you tend to boil off.

Also, make sure you boil water in it before you brew. That will give it an oxide layer that keeps the metallic flavor from getting in your beer.
 
Leadgolem said:
....Can anyone think of a good reason for me not to use my 6 gallon aluminum stock pot for brewing?
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i use a 6 gallon aluminum pot to do 1.25G brews. works great. I really have not seen extra boil off as a problem due to the more surface area, but then each setup is unique. I boil off 3/4 to almost one gallon. I am planning some 2.5 gallon batches so this will do both so i see it as having more options and not limiting me. also no chance of boil over
 
I use a 3 gallon SS stock pot from walmart, just like the one linked and got it for about $9.50ish.

I'll try to get some pictures of my stuff tomorrow while I am cooking up some stuff. Just bought a bunch more today for the week.
 
Just got home from a brew club meeting......Woohoooooo

And aluminum is fine as long as you build up a oxidation layer. My 10 gallon electric pot is aluminum only concern with the aluminum is it didn't hold a boil well with the element so I had to set the pid higher so I boiled off more.
 
I use a 3 gallon SS pot for 1 Gallon brews, and a 9 gallon Aluminum pot for larger endevours.

God I have to get some photos of my set up!
 
cheesecake said:
Just got home from a brew club meeting......Woohoooooo

And aluminum is fine as long as you build up a oxidation layer. My 10 gallon electric pot is aluminum only concern with the aluminum is it didn't hold a boil well with the element so I had to set the pid higher so I boiled off more.
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Lol, must have been a good meeting! :tank:
 
Just left Walmart and saw the 2 pots in question. If I were buying a pot I would go with the cheaper of the 2. The expensive one would take a lot on a electric stove to get a boil and its wide so boiloff would be a issues. The lower cost one is narrower and thinner so less to keep it boiling but you will have to find a way to get it to hold temp while mashing. The pot I like the best was the 16 quart tamale pot sturdy has a nice set of handles and isn't too thick.
 
cheesecake said:
Just left Walmart and saw the 2 pots in question. If I were buying a pot I would go with the cheaper of the 2. The expensive one would take a lot on a electric stove to get a boil and its wide so boiloff would be a issues. The lower cost one is narrower and thinner so less to keep it boiling but you will have to find a way to get it to hold temp while mashing. The pot I like the best was the 16 quart tamale pot sturdy has a nice set of handles and isn't too thick.
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I set it in the oven on warm to mash and it holds perfectly. As long as its on a rack that is
 
:off: I just bought an 8 gal tamale pot from Wal-Mart for $21 and the next day I saw a 10 gal tamale pot at Food Maxx for $22. Probably happier with the 8 gal as it BARELY fits in my oven.
 
cheesecake said:
Just left Walmart and saw the 2 pots in question. If I were buying a pot I would go with the cheaper of the 2. The expensive one would take a lot on a electric stove to get a boil and its wide so boiloff would be a issues. The lower cost one is narrower and thinner so less to keep it boiling but you will have to find a way to get it to hold temp while mashing. The pot I like the best was the 16 quart tamale pot sturdy has a nice set of handles and isn't too thick.
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Actually the thicker the metal the better it retains heat and conducts it into the wort. That's why when you look at brew stores the economy pots that are cheaper are thin but the more expensive pots are thicker walled.
 
ReverseApacheMaster said:
Actually the thicker the metal the better it retains heat and conducts it into the wort. That's why when you look at brew stores the economy pots that are cheaper are thin but the more expensive pots are thicker walled.
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That works when you have something with a flame.....compare the 2 pots on a electric stove. The thinner is better for a boil. I understand the way it holds heat but it takes more to get it heated. Something I know my electric stove won't do.
 
jwalk4 said:
Lol, must have been a good meeting! :tank:
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It was but im on call for work so i had to limit myself to tiny samples. I brought some of the IIPA i brewed about 3 and a half weeks ogo. Its still green and needs time but the hops are BAM IN YO FACE..... everyone seemed to like it and it was decent but i know it needs time and it should be a excellent beer.:tank:
 
bleme said:
:off: I just bought an 8 gal tamale pot from Wal-Mart for $21 and the next day I saw a 10 gal tamale pot at Food Maxx for $22. Probably happier with the 8 gal as it BARELY fits in my oven.
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The 5 gallon tamale pot from walmart was my first ever brew pot. I gave it to my dad when i got him into home brewing.( well some what he has brewed one batch since last christmas)
 
Welcome to the addiction! Eventually one day you'll wonder into your fermentation room in your underwear, Looking at all the batches going, secondaries aging, and bottles conditioning, and suddendly wonder how you got here? It's a really dang good feeling
 
huntingohio said:
Welcome to the addiction! Eventually one day you'll wonder into your fermentation room in your underwear, Looking at all the batches going, secondaries aging, and bottles conditioning, and suddendly wonder how you got here? It's a really dang good feeling
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Yep. I go to the basement and check out all of my fermentors. I have 4 beers going right. Bottling my Oatmeal Stout this weekend and maybe my Holiday Beer too. Holy cow. If I bottle 2 beers that only leave 2 left. I've got to brew some more.

I'm so thinking I need to brew the 1-gallon barley wine.:ban: Maybe pictures?
 
Bottling up my gallon of honey ale tomorrow. Have to teach the wife to do some of the work though since I'm in 10lbs weight restriction from having my gal bladder out on mon night.
 
My stainless pot came from Walmart, $12 I think. I wish I had gotten the smaller one...but it liked smaller in the store. :)

I think I might do a 2 gallon batch and split it. maybe try dry hopping for one...dunno about the other. For dry hopping, we add the hops after the krausen peaks right?
 
rawkstar320 said:
My stainless pot came from Walmart, $12 I think. I wish I had gotten the smaller one...but it liked smaller in the store. :)

I think I might do a 2 gallon batch and split it. maybe try dry hopping for one...dunno about the other. For dry hopping, we add the hops after the krausen peaks right?
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I usually wait a few weeks for fermentation to finish, transfer to a secondary and dry hop for a week. But there are many ways to do it.
 
Calichusetts said:
I usually wait a few weeks for fermentation to finish, transfer to a secondary and dry hop for a week. But there are many ways to do it.
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Cool, might do something similar.
 
For my one-gallon brethren: How many of you utilize airlocks with your brews, and how many go the blow-off route? I'm going to buy my first set of gear this afternoon, and while price isn't necessarily an issue, storage space is. Neither airlocks or blow-off tubes are exactly massive, but I'd like to have to store as little as possible.

On a related note - are there particular recipes or styles that are known to be more...energetic than others in regards to fermentation? I'm curious if there's anything I should be on the lookout for as far as possible clean-up suprises go. :D
 
BattleGoat said:
For my one-gallon brethren: How many of you utilize airlocks with your brews, and how many go the blow-off route? I'm going to buy my first set of gear this afternoon, and while price isn't necessarily an issue, storage space is. Neither airlocks or blow-off tubes are exactly massive, but I'd like to have to store as little as possible.

On a related note - are there particular recipes or styles that are known to be more...energetic than others in regards to fermentation? I'm curious if there's anything I should be on the lookout for as far as possible clean-up suprises go. :D
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Well to make a short answer long - it depends. I like to allow myself at least 3/4 gallon head space so an airlock works great. (I use a 2 gallon bucket)

If I was using 1 gallon jugs for 1 gallon brew then I would go with a blow tube. (A 3 piece airlock can use a blow-off tube first then the airlock part)

I don't usually get super fermentations because I measure out how much yeast I'm using.
 
Yeah, fair enough. The blow-off seems the best overall route, and making one with a 3-piece airlock seems the easiest way to rig it, so I suppose it's the best of both worlds. :)
 
I use a blow off tube for the first few days then switch to a airlock. I just use a piece of hose from my racking cane. I am using 1 gallon glass bottles
 
Thanks for the info cheesecake. I think I'll stick with the blow-off tube for my first brew (or two) and then try out the tube-to-airlock method once I get some firsthand experience with what to expect from the fermentation.

You know, I have terrible timing when it comes to hobbies. It figures that I'd get all psyched about learning to brew less than a month before my semester at school ends. Who cares about research papers when I can read about lambics and sparging and attenuation rates! Wheeee!

(sorry, I'll go now. Just a little bit sleep deprived, lol)
 
BattleGoat said:
You know, I have terrible timing when it comes to hobbies. It figures that I'd get all psyched about learning to brew less than a month before my semester at school ends. Who cares about research papers when I can read about lambics and sparging and attenuation rates! Wheeee!
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I couldn't agree more. I had a paper due Sunday night, Monday morning and I just handed another one in about 5 minutes ago. But I still found time to dry hop my IPA and bottle my Belgian. The good news is I only have 1 more term paper due next week, then nothing till Dec. 11 when my exams begin!!! Woot!
 
BattleGoat said:
Yeah, fair enough. The blow-off seems the best overall route, and making one with a 3-piece airlock seems the easiest way to rig it, so I suppose it's the best of both worlds. :)
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I usually use both. But the last two batches I was lazy and just left the blow off tube on until bottle time
 
JollyIsTheRoger said:
I set it in the oven on warm to mash and it holds perfectly. As long as its on a rack that is
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You gents that use the oven trick. I tried that this weekend and my oven wont go lower than 170. So initially, I missed my target by a few degrees and it was okay but since it was only a 1.5 gallon batch, it came up in temp pretty quick and I had to open the door so.....

Is my stove the only one that stops at 170?
 
divrguy said:
You gents that use the oven trick. I tried that this weekend and my oven wont go lower than 170. So initially, I missed my target by a few degrees and it was okay but since it was only a 1.5 gallon batch, it came up in temp pretty quick and I had to open the door so.....

Is my stove the only one that stops at 170?
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Nope mine stops at 170 also....my oven also has a 10-15 degree swing above or below
 
BattleGoat said:
Yeah, fair enough. The blow-off seems the best overall route, and making one with a 3-piece airlock seems the easiest way to rig it, so I suppose it's the best of both worlds. :)
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Going out on a limb here.... But, I have been pushing the size of my fermentors so I haven't been using an airlock. IOW, I have been putting almost .85 gallons in a one gallon container and 1.75 gallons in a 2 gallon bucket so I have been using foil on the milk jugs and a piece of foil over the airlock without the insides in it. So far no problems. I know that my fermentation on these small batches take off quick and fill with a nice c02 blanket and I don't transfer so they have been fine. I may be pushing my luck but it seems to be okay.
 
cheesecake said:
Nope mine stops at 170 also....my oven also has a 10-15 degree swing above or below
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So for say a 152 mash, do you just open the door after its warmed up or warm up and turn it off?
 
divrguy said:
So for say a 152 mash, do you just open the door after its warmed up or warm up and turn it off?
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I keep a sensor in my mash, with alarms set to tell me if it gets a degree too high or too low. If it gets too high, I just turn it off for a while. Never open the door.
 

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