What I did for beer today

Added the second dry hop to my Jet Propulsion Labs IIPA (six gallons of rocket fuel that I probably shouldn't have added a pound of dextrose to late in fermentation -- it's up to 15.5%) currently fermenting, took a gravity sample on the other DIPA I have bubbling away (a modified Double Trouble clone recipe) and finally ordered a grain mill.

Put together a recipe for a Belgian Patersbier. Should be a nice easy session ale to kick off the hot summer when it's ready in June.

John

Tasted all three in fermenters, very happy especially with my lager experiment. All three will get kegged tomorrow. Also bottled the three 12's of my Pliny clone I'm entering in the Cascade cup tomorrow, the more I drink of it the more I'm regretting already spending the money, but I'm looking forward to the judges' comments at least. Or I might just be paranoid.

Already posted in another thread but my 34/70 fermented lager is fast becoming something that might just be legend in my homebrewing career. Fantastic flavor, super clear, and as long as I don't screw it up kegging will be perfectly ready to drink around Memorial Day. All it's got is 12lbs Gambrinus Pale, mashed at 152, 1oz Spalt at 60, and 1oz Tettnanger at 30, fermented as cold as I could get it in a swamp cooler. SG was 1.053 and it's steady at 1.010 now. Can't wait for that one to be ready.

Brewed a belgium tripel, the OG is a little low but still within range. I might add some dextrose tomorrow once the yeast gets going. Its in the fermenter now.

Brew day was a bit rough :-(. started off wrong when I had to use filtered water for cleaning due to dirt in the town supply again then kept making silly mistakes and hadn't had any beer. I let the HLT get too hot so had to get it cooled back down before I could mash in. (left on the wrong setting and this beer needed to be mashed at a lower temperature)
sweet wort fountain when I forgot to close the valve when reconfiguring for fly sparging... I really need to do something about a brew stand and 3 way valves plus put output valves directly on the pumps as a redundant setup for gooups. I've been a bit slack and closed the inlet to the pump for the seconds it takes to move a hose but not good when you forget to close the single valve.

Kegged a Nelson Sauvin SMaSH.

Now the control panel is inside, the wort is in the fermenter and the rain drops have started falling I'm inside enjoying a glass or two of my Motueka toffee pale ale. Tomorrow is also meant to be wet so probably work on my CNC project tomorrow

This was Thursday but forgot to post. So my post is what I did for beer today.
[emoji481]

Made beer Thursday night with a Fat Tire grain bill, but hopped with all cascade.

9.5# M.O., 4oz of biscuit, 4oz of 10L, 4oz of 60L. Mashed low at 148F 75 minutes.

First wort hopped it with an oz cascade, then three late additions 15, 10, 5 all 1/3rd oz. At 8.4% AAU.

Then added at whirlpool; YCH Cryo Hops, LupuLN2. Cascade, 12.8% Alpha.
1/3oz @ 200F, 1/3oz @ 190F, 1/3oz @ 180. start chiller at 170F

Smelled like juicy grapefruit.[emoji1]

One keg down, two to go. Second fermenter got a little stirred up moving it up to the table so it's sitting for a while to settle. Last one will be the lager. All three taste great, not looking forward to fermenter & carboy cleaning though...

This is my first time looking in here. I always assumed from the title that this thread was full of things like "had to wash SWMBO's car" or "I finished the honey do list"... you know the things you have to do for beer. Maybe that's just my life..

Today I did hammer out another porter recipe. Weighed out the grist for tomorrow. Cleaned a fermentor. Moved a keg closer to kicked. Along with all of the other things that I had to do for beer today.

Manufacturedevolution said:

This is my first time looking in here. I always assumed from the title that this thread was full of things like "had to wash SWMBO's car" or "I finished the honey do list"... you know the things you have to do for beer. Maybe that's just my life..

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You're not far off. Should start another thread titled "What I did so I could brew today". For me it's generally making a deal with the husband along the lines of "I'll clean the kitchen and bathroom if you'll let me go buy grain and brew tomorrow"...or, "gee honey, you haven't hung with the guys for a while, why don't you go do that? I'll just stay home and....do stuff." Works almost every time.

Manufacturedevolution said:

This is my first time looking in here. I always assumed from the title that this thread was full of things like "had to wash SWMBO's car" or "I finished the honey do list"... you know the things you have to do for beer. Maybe that's just my life..

Today I did hammer out another porter recipe. Weighed out the grist for tomorrow. Cleaned a fermentor. Moved a keg closer to kicked. Along with all of the other things that I had to do for beer today.

Click to expand...

It'd be ok if your wife's name was Beer, Bier, or Pivo.

Transferred a pliny clone to secondary. I was going to dry hop in primary, but I had a major blowout and needed a few minutes to clean the yeast out of the fermentation chamber.

Kicked a Left Hand Milk Stout Clone and replaced it with a Cinco de Mayo Vienna Lager

With the yeast going well in my Belgium Tripel I decided to add another 400g of dextrose (boiled with water and cooled) to make up for my slightly low OG on brew day. The airlock was still very active when I added this. Now to leave that one alone for a while then bottle it. its at 18C ( 64.4F) at the moment, thought I might bring it up to 20C(68F) over a few days to make certain the yeast does its job.

Brewing up another batch of lager today, so finally fixed up the rubbermaid tub I keep the carboy in. Cut a round hole in the lid that fits perfectly over the carboy, now the beer will stay in the dark and the water won't get gross, and the ice bottles should take longer to melt.

Time to bottle my honey pale ale that has been 3 weeks in the primary. May have to drink about 4-6 beers to get the proper amount of bottles for the job.

Oh well... Ce la vie!

Bought a Brew Bucket...How can't you at that price?!

orionol73 said:

Bought a Brew Bucket...How can't you at that price?!
View attachment 567967

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Nice!!! I waited and waited thinking I might buy a set. I really wanted stainless. I finally caved, and got two 7.5g Anvil Fermenters instead, however I only paid $129 each. Saves me about $70 per fermenter..

I think the down side of the Anvil is they aren't stackable. Pressure transfer is an unknown. I still like them regardless.

I have first beer in one going now. Cascade Pale Ale posted the other day.

https://www.anvilbrewing.com/product-p/anv-fv-7.5gal.htm

Drank my first stout that I ever brewed. It's surprising since I've been brewing for 12 years. That's close to 288 batches of beer before doing a stout. Don't know why I waited so long.

This beer is made from 100% pale malt.

Used 9lbs pale malt as is, 1lb of homemade black malt, 1lb of homemade crystal 120L, and 1 lb of homemade maple smoked malt.

Serving it on a nitro stout facet too!

Not much beer related today except bumping the fermentation chamber up 1C for my belgium tripel.
It was started at 18C saturday evening and I figure I will slowly bring it up to try and help the yeast finish the job. My highest ABV brew so I'm expirimenting a bit. Nice smells comming from the fermenter. It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

I guess going to work is related as without there would be a limited supply of homebrew ingredients.

Hopefully passivating

Brewing my Gräzter (Prussian) Grodziskie (Polish) Oak Smoked Lawn Mower Beer.

This is the tail end of my hot break with two ounces of saaz first wort hopped.

The saaz is on top of the hot break.

The 2nd picture is 10 seconds later with full rolling boil.

What I did for beer today? I gave it a rest and drank cider.

Got my two yeast starters going tonight with the plan to brew this weekend.

Tonight's Brewed Grazter is in the far right Anvil.

Drinking a Polish Wheat.... Wąsosz.... From Konopiska Poland.

Don't ask me where that fvcking is....

I just drink the beer that I'm brewing on brewnight.

I'm contemplating a Brutus build with a miniature vertical smoker attachment. Anyone have suggestions or thoughts?

Wager if I'm brewing for 3+ hours, I could always multitask and have a brisket smoking or something.

Looked into BJCP certification. Adjusted the temperatures and glycol ratio on my chiller.

gicts said:

I'm contemplating a Brutus build with a miniature vertical smoker attachment. Anyone have suggestions or thoughts?

Wager if I'm brewing for 3+ hours, I could always multitask and have a brisket smoking or something.

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I hear you there...I have a brisket, 3-4 racks of ribs and a ham scheduled for day before Mother's Day...on my 22.5" WSM.

Please elaborate on the smoker attachment idea.

Schlenkerla said:

Please elaborate on the smoker attachment idea.

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We've just got a different perspective. I used to be a competitive brewer, but now I just do it for fun and to have craft quality beer at piss water prices. I certainly drink and do chores in between steps. Fitting name - that's my favorite beer and got a ribbon at the State fair for a smoked beer. Used a window screen and my smoker to smoke the malt

A brew day lasts about 4-6 hours for me. I 'lost' my smoker a few years ago and am craving something small and compact for just a brisket or so. I figure if I'm out babysitting the beer, it wouldn't be hard to throw in some meat beforehand and have a nice little treat when I'm done. Chicken should take about 4-6 hours and I like briskets to go 12-16.

If I'm building a Brutus, it makes sense in my eyes to try to incorporate the two for space savings measures. You already have a heat source (if needed). I'm picturing just some small vertical box (shoe box or two) underneath or extended to the side.

Still mulling it over and definitely open to ideas.

homebrewer_99 said:

I have a brisket, 3-4 racks of ribs and a ham scheduled for day before Mother's Day...on my 22.5" WSM.

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That's a ton of meat for a little smoker! I somehow used to have the reverse issue - too much smoker for too little meat.

gicts said:

We've just got a different perspective. I used to be a competitive brewer, but now I just do it for fun and to have craft quality beer at piss water prices. I certainly drink and do chores in between steps. Fitting name - that's my favorite beer and got a ribbon at the State fair for a smoked beer. Used a window screen and my smoker to smoke the malt

A brew day lasts about 4-6 hours for me. I 'lost' my smoker a few years ago and am craving something small and compact for just a brisket or so. I figure if I'm out babysitting the beer, it wouldn't be hard to throw in some meat beforehand and have a nice little treat when I'm done. Chicken should take about 4-6 hours and I like briskets to go 12-16.

If I'm building a Brutus, it makes sense in my eyes to try to incorporate the two for space savings measures. You already have a heat source (if needed). I'm picturing just some small vertical box (shoe box or two) underneath or extended to the side.

Still mulling it over and definitely open to ideas.


That's a ton of meat for a little smoker! I somehow used to have the reverse issue - too much smoker for too little meat.

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I was in a similar situation. I have a storage unit full of stuff. My two smokers are inaccessible without emptying what has the contents of a semi.

What did I do? I bought one. I bought it for smoking grain and meat. I bought a cheap gas one. Had I spent more money, I could have gotten electric with the blue tooth probe, so it would be more a set and forget it. Which would be better for using on brew day. I reluctantly bought gas since I have no electrical outlets in my deck.

If you like rauchbier, see the DIY rauchbier thread in my signature.

In this photo I'm cold smoking grain with some apple pellets and a soup can. The smoke is very thick with pellets. Smoking hot with gas is more mellow for the grain and has less smoke it can roast the grains as well.

I don't know what to tell you. I like the idea of pellet machine or electric that requires no attendance during brew day.

New ferm chamber from Craigslist.

Played music for my sleepy yeast!

"Beck - Dreams"

Seriously, the bass from the boom box got the air lock busy.

I think the vibration from the bass even got the finished fermenter to start bubbling!!!!

They liked this one too....



I truly wonder if sub harmonic vibration on a firm surface would make yeast more active.

Even the shot glass of water had surface movement.

I pieced together the jumpers required to closed transfer from fermenter to CO2 purged keg. Worked like a charm.

I started to make one of those, then had to sacrifice the black liquid connect to the kegerator to force carb two kegs at once....I need more of those things.

cleaned 4 kegs, replaced the gaskets on 2 of them, bought apple juice for cider, confirmed with wifey which beers she wants to bring on a work retreat so I know what to make on Saturday.

Stripped, cleaned, and reassembled my kegerator taps. Put new lines in that are the right length to match the carb chart taped to the fridge. May start getting decent head now.

Last night pulled my lager keg out of the kegerator to warm up a bit, as it has the dreaded diacetyl virus. Taste isn't too bad, but the smell is like someone dropped heavily buttered movie popcorn in my beer. Have decided underpitching was the culprit. 2nd one ain't gonna have that problem, it fermented out in less than 4 days (1.059 down to 1.010, on rinsed 34/70 from the first one) and tastes fantastic.

Re-Plumed my old plate chiller to run in tandem with a new ( craigslist) plate chiller I recently purchased.
Plan on running separate water sources to each chiller. Not sure it will make much difference but this will allow me to run water from an ice bath thru the second chiller while using ground water for the first. Hoping this allows me to get to largering temps even with 90+ degree days here in GA.

Planned a brewday tomorrow at my lhbs for national homebrew day slash Cinco de Mayo. Worked on a barleywine recipe and secured bottles for my pale ale.