After a long hiatus...back at it

I haven't brewed for about 10 years, but recently got the urge when I found the bible in a box of old books. I located my equipment still boxed after two moves and after doing an inventory, had to replace a few things. I ordered two extract brews and while I waited, I reread the bible.

I put a blonde ale in the fermenter last Sat(2/7) with OG 1.050 and a satellite fermenter. I want to rack it to a secondary and start the next brew, and just checked gravity in satellite at 1.010. I'll check again tommorrow, but it should be ready to rack, right?

Opinions on satellite fermenters?

Thanks!

I never used one myself, but congrats on getting back to making the "Nectar of The Gods"....

Welcome back!

I've never used a "satellite fermentor", in fact, I had to google the term.
But I also don't use a secondary. I let my beers go 3 or 4 weeks in the primary, then I bottle.

I can see the value of the satellite fermentor, you'd just have to be sure of the same consistancy of the brew.

I remember reading a long post here not too long ago about satellites that turned me off on the idea. You might try using the search feature (works really well) to look for threads on it if you're interested.

Welcome back to the addiction

What I do some of the time is leave the hydrometer in the sample and sit it next to the fermenter. The sample always finishes first, but it's a good indicator.

Welcome back!

I've never experienced anything useful from satellite fermentation.

The two readings are too often wildly different. I have never heard a compelling argument why I should trust the satellite, and have personally experienced wildy disparate readings in personal experimentation. Moreover, the only gravity reading that counts is the one in the tank, no matter what the satellite reading says.

Thus, I do not recommend the practice.

Cheers, and again, welcome back!

Bob

Just finished racking my first brew in 10 years to secondary after 7 days, it was a blonde ale OG 1.050, checked again today at 1.010. Then brewed a flagstaff honey amber, my daughters said it smelled like i was baking brownies, and put it in the primary, OG 1.050.

I have a idea and would appreciate any opinions. My wife and I can tomatoes into juice, salsa, soup and whatever else we can conger up. About half of the juice is made with japeleno peppers for a spicy alternative. We enjoy two fingers in the bottom of a frosted mug beer.

My question, would it be a waste of time to include a quart of the hot tomatoe juice in the wort with a pale extract? i wonder about the chemistry regarding the acid of the tomatoes.

The yeast is going to drop the Ph of the wort anyways, and tomato juice has a Ph of about 4 (at least, so says the internet). You'd have to check the tolerances of the yeast strain you plan on using, but it probably wouldn't be a problem. Not sure what the Ph is of the other peppers you're using.

My concern would be that a quart sounds like a lot of this juice to add. At that sort of concentration I'd be worried about it overpowering the taste of the beer - especially if it was something like a blonde ale where there isn't a lot of room for that spicy flavor to hide. Reminds me of the chili I made last winter that came out far too hot. I tried to take the edge off with a small amount of baker's chocolate. What I should have used was a tiny amount - spicy chocolate beef != chili.

But, if you like the way it comes out, that's all that matters in the end!

I never bother with secondaries. Of course, I keg so sediment isn't much of an issue for me.

Dan

Just curious...

To which book are you refering to as your 'bible'?

Pogo

Welcome back! What made you quit in the first place? Got too busy?

Pogo said:

Just curious...

To which book are you refering to as your 'bible'?

Pogo

Click to expand...

Papazian's "The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing", copywrite 1991.

To all beginners:

When I got my first kit(more than 10 yrs ago) it included this book, but I was so impatient, I put the book aside and tried to follow the directions that came with the kit and as some have indicated, some directions leave alot to be desired.

My first batch was a bust, no sanitation, no sugar to carbonize. The sugar was there, I just didn't know what to do with it. I did get better, but I never sat down to read the book.

When I came across the "bible" a few weeks ago, I read it cover to cover and even went a got a copy of John Plamer's "How to Brew" and read it cover to cover. Only then did I order more kits. It's simply amazing how much more you will understand, if you just spend some time with either of these books and you'll be alot more confident.

To answer RRBBGG27013, as to why I quit, the first brews just never resulted in what I wanted or thought I wanted.