What I did for beer today

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Today I might have done the best thing for my beers to date! I picked up this (http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-...ge-only-2yrs-old-paid-2300-W0QQAdIdZ557571768) and ordered these (http://www.ebay.ca/itm/2PCS-All-Pur...LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e8468b781&_uhb=1). I plan on using the cooler as my fermentation chamber. Also a few days ago I grabbed one of these (http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-furniture-desks-Cubicle-Workstation-W0QQAdIdZ553356895), The cooler should fit right below the longer of the two work tables. I think I have the full set up now, gawd I hope so anyway lol! My wallet is starting to give me cut eye every time I try to dig it out of my pocket lol.
 
Made enough starter wort for 2 starters and got them going. One is San Fran lager yeast, the other is Brettanomyces bruxellensis Trois for a single hopped 100% Brett saison.
 
Worked up a double starter for Friday's double brew day: Maibock and Doppelbock.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
 
Made enough starter wort for 2 starters and got them going. One is San Fran lager yeast, the other is Brettanomyces bruxellensis Trois for a single hopped 100% Brett saison.

We will have to trade saison bretts when they are finished :D I am doing two single gallon experiments with Crooked stave and RR dreggs tomorrow on my already fermented saison.
 
Gave my 500ml Pacman starter that I made last night a hug and wished it a good day before I headed off to work. He's growing up so fast!! Will be a 2liter starter by Saturday and will probably start ignoring me, think he knows it all and end up knocking up some skanky belgain strain before I know it.


its just nice . i like that.
 
We will have to trade saison bretts when they are finished :D I am doing two single gallon experiments with Crooked stave and RR dreggs tomorrow on my already fermented saison.

How long does a Brett saison take? We've been thinking about a sour, and have read we need to leave it for a year or more.
 
How long does a Brett saison take? We've been thinking about a sour, and have read we need to leave it for a year or more.

Its hard to say. It depends on the strain of brett and the environment, plus personal tastes. I am hoping for 6 months but am ready to go a year or longer. I really want to start a 5 gallons batch of a sour soon for that reason, it may take 18 months. I guess I will just have to get a good sour/brett pipeline going, darn! :D

EDIT: I guess I should say that the one I except to wait a year on, I am adding brett/lacto/pedio.
 
How long does a Brett saison take? We've been thinking about a sour, and have read we need to leave it for a year or more.

Brett does things on it's own timeframe. If you ferment with Brett only it can be done fermenting in as little as two weeks, could take 6. After that it will continue to develop and change character over time. If you add brett after fermentation, expect to wait several months at least for the character to develop.
 
Brett usually gives you funk and fruit, not sour so much. You'll need lacto and/or pedio for real acid production.

For beer today so far, I diluted some phosphoric acid down to 10%. I think I'll brew a Kolsch this afternoon.
 
Roasted up a batch of Maris Special B- it tastes so burnt raisin caramelly awesome I can't wait to crush and infuse it. First I was asked if I was baking brownies then I got a few complaints about the smoke but wgaf... it didn't seem that smokey.

Bottle and blend a couple batches this evening if I can't get dinner going quick enough.
 
I built a stir plate:

DSC_0777-XL.jpg


Works great.

DSC_0776-XL.jpg


(not a starter, just aerating some freshly washed yeast before pitching)
 
I kegged a pumpkin ale today. The cover oring fell into the keg and I was a bit stressed out trying to fish it out for 10 minutes with the siphon tube. Then put the pin locks backwards and struggled for another 10 minutes threading the CO2 connector to find out I had a stubby tube and oring inside the connector as well as another in the inlet. Removed the stubby one and it screwed on. Thank god thats over!!! Im pouring a stout and forcing the pumpkin ale. Next time I'm pouring a beer and de-stressing before i begin!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Tried beers at a new brewery that is 5 minutes from my house. The founder is actually a dude I met when I first started brewing at the LHBS. He was pouring samples and I was getting ready to brew my first all grain batch. Now he has a new brewery and I am on like my 100th batch of all grain beer.
 
Swapped out the spigot on my turkey fryer BK for a ball valve. Unfortunately, the supplier forgot to ship the hose barb I ordered with it. Hopefully it will get here tomorrow so I can have it for brew day on Saturday. I'd rather not buy one, when one is on the way.
 
Internet got shut off last Saturday& had to wait till retiree payday today to get it back on to talk to you guys. I did get my 1st book about done though. Now if these frosty temps wouldn't have killed my battery,I could get cigs & coffee. C'mon,spring!!
 
Transferred my Caribou Slobber from the primary to the secondary which allowed me to free up the primary for an Irish Red. Cleaned everything. Started my yeast in prep for brew day.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Sending 5 boxes-o-beer I mean, olive oil, out to various folks. Some who have been waiting a bit too long for me to get off my ass and ship. :eek:

I did it in an effort to clean up my house as well, so it was mostly self-serving.
 
Dry hopped my IPA. Used leaf hops for the first time. A bit of a pita to get into the bags and into the carboy, but I think it will be worth it for the aroma they should add. I used one ounce of Citra and one ounce of Cascade in a 5 gallon batch.

BTW, Bulls that is one sick flame top! Is it yours? Recent or vintage?
 
Tried my hand at 2 brett/sours last night. Just took 2 gallons of saison and added bottle dregs. Cant wait to see how they turn out :D

photo (2).jpg
 
Not today, but yesterday took place the beginning of our campus's homebrew club. Spent almost 500€ on equipment and ingredients for the first batch ( a simple AG APA). Craft beer is finally gathering some interest in Portugal and homebrewing is booming. I gave a primer on homebrew to about 15 people. it was great, everyone got a better understanding of the brewing process, although the brewing itself didn't go so well (50% efficiency only, probably due to shortened mash time, etc...). It was a great experience anyways
 
Brewed a maibock. Put my keg of Annibrewsary in the kegerator. Kegged my 567 IPA. Sorted and organized my 9 pounds of hops. Am just finishing up the mash and beginning the boil for my doppelbock. I do believe I'm going to need a beer before too long!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Got my starter going on my new stir plate and gathered water for brew day tomorrow. It's my first attempt at all-grain inside, on the stove. The stove has one burner bigger than the others, but in my test last night, I still couldn't get 7 gallons of water up to a rolling boil. Good thing I chose a pale mild for tomorrow (only 5.5 lbs grain). I might boil below 5 gallons and then top off the fermenter with filtered water.

If I've got a mash of 5.5 gallons at 154 for sacch rest, how much boiling water will it take to get up to 170 for mashout?
 
Cold crashed my patersbier (that is, I unplugged the fermentation heater and opened the door, exposing the fermenter to the 45ish degree ambient temp in the basement).
 
Put 5 gallons in bottles and brewed 10 gallons more of a double ipa. Im finally stocked up. Pumkin and stout on tap and in bottles... Life is good. Smoked a Villiger 125th stogie while sipping an a nut brown my buddy brewed. Gotta love friends who bring homebrew.ImageUploadedByHome Brew1393722662.953521.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Bottled 5 gallons of white ipa that I shoulda done yesterday. Kids helped wash bottles last night and my son helped resanitize and cap today. I love that they actually like helping! :thumbup: My son did all the capping too upon his insistence! I think he may be faster than me haha

1393728802857.jpg


1393728827991.jpg
 
I love to get my daughter to help! But today when I brewed with her best friend's dad, her best friend was here, too, so they played together all day. That was fine.

Her friend's dad has only ever brewed Mr. Beer. He was interested in the all-grain process and likes that you learn more about beer that way. But this was only my third AG brew, and my first attempt inside, so I didn't exactly dazzle with my technique. :) In particular, I never know how much boiling water it's going to take to mash out at 170 for ten minutes. So then I have to wait while more water boils...

We brewed NB's AK47 pale mild. Only 5.5lbs of grain, which was good for brewing inside on the stove. We started the boil with 5gal of wort, boiled down to 4.25, then topped off with water and still hit the target OG just fine. The sample tasted okay, too, but by then my brew buddy had to go home with his daughter.

Sent from my XT1060 using Home Brew mobile app
 
In particular, I never know how much boiling water it's going to take to mash out at 170 for ten minutes. So then I have to wait while more water boils...


There is a free app on the iPhone called Sparge Pal that I used until I got BeerSmith 2. Pretty accurate.
 
There is a free app on the iPhone called Sparge Pal that I used until I got BeerSmith 2. Pretty accurate.

I tried Beer Smith 2 and could not find this information. Just a target temp. The actual amount of hot water needed is not something I have been able to find. My trial expired, so when I pay for it, I'll look again.

Masonjax, I fly sparge. The only reason is because that's what they do on the first how-to video that I watched (from Northern Brewer).
 
The idea with batch sparging is that you drain as quick as possible and are on your way to a boil long before pH or enzymatic problems would become a concern. Aside from the higher temperature meaning you're that much closer to a boil, it's completely unnecessary. It won't hurt though if you like doing it.
 
The idea with batch sparging is that you drain as quick as possible and are on your way to a boil long before pH or enzymatic problems would become a concern. Aside from the higher temperature meaning you're that much closer to a boil, it's completely unnecessary. It won't hurt though if you like doing it.

Thanks for the info. I should probably just go back to how I used to do it.
 
Back
Top