Empty Fermenter Blues 😣
- Thread starter Bayou Fatma Brewer
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I get that whenever there's more than one empty keg around here without a couple of fermentors already percolating the next batch...and I have 8 kegs of beer right now...
Cheers!
Cheers!
My eye is more aimed at how much packaged HB I have on hand and how long before it runs out.
OP
OP
Wow… you are definitely a Brewer. How do you store those full Kegs? Carbonate and chill? Leave at room Temp? Keep carbonated?
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I have sixteen kegs that want to have beer in them.
I have a 6 tap keezer that can hold 8 kegs comfortably.
And a conditioning fridge that can hold 6 kegs.
And two more fridges that I use for fermentation, but are fully equipped for carbonation if needed.
I had all 16 kegs filled once this year. It's a challenge...
Cheers!
I have a 6 tap keezer that can hold 8 kegs comfortably.
And a conditioning fridge that can hold 6 kegs.
And two more fridges that I use for fermentation, but are fully equipped for carbonation if needed.
I had all 16 kegs filled once this year. It's a challenge...
Cheers!
I have 4 fermenters and 2 weeks ago nothing in primary and I got the "DT's so I picked grapes and 1 in primary. Yesterday I pitched a pilsner,2 in primary. Nov 4th is teach a buddy to brew day and I'm making a bitter for a yeast repitch into a RIS,3 in primary. Might just let the 4th one sit as I have 6 kegs ready for the kegerator,but then I look at the clean and empty ones and my hands start shaking.
madscientist451
Well-Known Member
I've had access to unlimited overtime hours at work the last few years and now I'm helping to take care of elderly parents and so from time to time my pipeline runs pretty dry. However now with winter coming on I'll get some brews done. I also used to make 3-4 batches of wine, 3-4 batches of hard cider and 10 gallons or so of drinking cider every fall, that has been drastically reduced as well. Oh well, nothing stays the same, I suppose I'll have plenty of time for those things if I make it to retirement.
I bet it's also a dilemma - if all 16 kegs are full then you don't get to brew until one kicks.
lol - trust me, that was a fleeting moment. I believe a keg popped within a couple of days
Cheers!
Cheers!
I used to have 3 brew buckets going all the time. But I upgraded to 2 unitanks and sold 2 of the brew buckets. The 3rd one is now collecting dust. So, I'm making 33.3% less beer, but I feel like I'm making better beer as a result. More thought and research goes into each batch now.
Empty taps may cause me something like anxiety, but an empty fermenter feels like a lost opportunity. I feel better when something is fermenting in my Flex+, and even more better if there's something in a keg waiting for when one in the kegerator blows. Four taps, seven kegs.
Drinking less means it would be sensible to brew smaller batches - I bought an induction cooker to allow that because my element isn't covered until there's about 4 gallons in the kettle. But I have trouble letting go of the idea/habit that a brew day "ought to" yield 5 gallons.
Just now there's a blank tap, a porter that wants more time in its keg-as-secondary, an empty fermenter and 3 empty kegs - but I'm not brewing today! Dang! Tomorrow!
Drinking less means it would be sensible to brew smaller batches - I bought an induction cooker to allow that because my element isn't covered until there's about 4 gallons in the kettle. But I have trouble letting go of the idea/habit that a brew day "ought to" yield 5 gallons.
Just now there's a blank tap, a porter that wants more time in its keg-as-secondary, an empty fermenter and 3 empty kegs - but I'm not brewing today! Dang! Tomorrow!
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Not sure it comes up to the level of anxiety, but I don't like it if there are any empty spaces in my 12 keg keezer.
Ideally I like to have 12 in & cold crashed, usually 3 or 4 of these are tapped, 2 spunging/conditioning and two in fermentor. Not much danger of running out of beer, but I prefer to drink beer that has been in cold crashed long enough to settle and clear.
This is especially true with lagers, which take more time to get to optimal enjoyment.
Ideally I like to have 12 in & cold crashed, usually 3 or 4 of these are tapped, 2 spunging/conditioning and two in fermentor. Not much danger of running out of beer, but I prefer to drink beer that has been in cold crashed long enough to settle and clear.
This is especially true with lagers, which take more time to get to optimal enjoyment.
Broken Crow
Ale's what cures 'ya
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In the spirit of "make you feel better cause it could be worse", I feel your pain! I've been on a hiatus for over a year, maybe over 2 now..gets hard to tell because constant physical pain clouds an already limited and damaged memory and distorts the passing of time. The purpose of my hiatus is to slowly build my "Accessible" 3V brew-rig so I can have a brew day that doesn't result in at least 3 days of pain-killers and limited ability merely to be vertical. I've been making use of my LHBS's "We brew it for you" service, and buying full sanke's of some of the excellent beers and cider they make. I transfer them to cornys and have been telling myself that I'm using the time to refine and perfect my finish & serving end of the brewing chain...and I have at least done that. Despite having all the carefully selected and affordable parts I need to build my proposed rig, I haven't yet been able to assemble it because I've had to scale my activity down even lower so that I don't incur the need for pain-killers.... not easy.
I'm currently getting my DIY joy vicariously through all of you on here who choose to share your brewing journey and especially interact with questions the working parts of my brain can comprehend. I'm currently hoping that I'll have enough of my system together by March or April to be filling my own fermenters again.
OP
OP
Hang in there…I made it to retirement but my back is letting me know it when Brewing Beer. (Me to wife) Grab that other handle.
OP
OP
In the spirit of "make you feel better cause it could be worse", I feel your pain! I've been on a hiatus for over a year, maybe over 2 now..gets hard to tell because constant physical pain clouds an already limited and damaged memory and distorts the passing of time. The purpose of my hiatus is to slowly build my "Accessible" 3V brew-rig so I can have a brew day that doesn't result in at least 3 days of pain-killers and limited ability merely to be vertical. I've been making use of my LHBS's "We brew it for you" service, and buying full sanke's of some of the excellent beers and cider they make. I transfer them to cornys and have been telling myself that I'm using the time to refine and perfect my finish & serving end of the brewing chain...and I have at least done that. Despite having all the carefully selected and affordable parts I need to build my proposed rig, I haven't yet been able to assemble it because I've had to scale my activity down even lower so that I don't incur the need for pain-killers.... not easy.
I'm currently getting my DIY joy vicariously through all of you on here who choose to share your brewing journey and especially interact with questions the working parts of my brain can comprehend. I'm currently hoping that I'll have enough of my system together by March or April to be filling my own fermenters again.
OP
OP
Hi BC.
i know what you’re saying here. One 6-8 hour brew day has me horizontal the next day. The back and neck pains associated with lifting pots and equipment has me asking the wife to grab a handle. (And it’s only 5 gallons). I’ve been brewing for 5 years and wish I woulda started 5 years earlier. I guess brewing is a hobby and addiction now as fishing took a back seat to it. Will probably go join a local brew club and hear other’s stories and journeys. Keep on keeping on. As I sit here with a neck pillow on and wondering what to brew next. I can hear my empty fermenter calling me for companionship.
Cheers
i know what you’re saying here. One 6-8 hour brew day has me horizontal the next day. The back and neck pains associated with lifting pots and equipment has me asking the wife to grab a handle. (And it’s only 5 gallons). I’ve been brewing for 5 years and wish I woulda started 5 years earlier. I guess brewing is a hobby and addiction now as fishing took a back seat to it. Will probably go join a local brew club and hear other’s stories and journeys. Keep on keeping on. As I sit here with a neck pillow on and wondering what to brew next. I can hear my empty fermenter calling me for companionship.
Cheers
OP
OP
In the spirit of "make you feel better cause it could be worse", I feel your pain! I've been on a hiatus for over a year, maybe over 2 now..gets hard to tell because constant physical pain clouds an already limited and damaged memory and distorts the passing of time. The purpose of my hiatus is to slowly build my "Accessible" 3V brew-rig so I can have a brew day that doesn't result in at least 3 days of pain-killers and limited ability merely to be vertical. I've been making use of my LHBS's "We brew it for you" service, and buying full sanke's of some of the excellent beers and cider they make. I transfer them to cornys and have been telling myself that I'm using the time to refine and perfect my finish & serving end of the brewing chain...and I have at least done that. Despite having all the carefully selected and affordable parts I need to build my proposed rig, I haven't yet been able to assemble it because I've had to scale my activity down even lower so that I don't incur the need for pain-killers.... not easy.
I'm currently getting my DIY joy vicariously through all of you on here who choose to share your brewing journey and especially interact with questions the working parts of my brain can comprehend. I'm currently hoping that I'll have enough of my system together by March or April to be filling my own fermenters again.
Beerstein
Well-Known Member
I have three primary fermenters I try to keep filled all the time, If my kegs are full, this turns out to be brewing once a week.
Lost brewing time? I don't look at it that way.Empty Fermenter Blues…just wonderin…
Does anyone have underlying anxiety’s as their cleaned Fermentor sits idle for a week or more ?¿ Even though you have 2 kegs of Beer already
Feel like lost brewing time.
Right now my fermenter is empty, as is a few kegs. There's also space in my serving fridge which will get filled soon. I plan to brew this week.
My beer fridge has a six keg capacity and feeds three taps. As long as I have three different brews in there I'm good with that.
Multiple fermenters, dozens of kegs and many, many taps just sounds like too much work keeping the all full.
I really, really enjoy brewing and drinking but my three taps are enough for me!
..... for now.
Perhaps, before the plague I had five taps all flowing and sometimes a couple picnic taps serving. I just focus in my core brews now.
Waupaca . . . Wisconsin? Don't know of another so you'd be a short drive from me.
Better believe it! We've probably had our Rite Brew orders sitting next to each other.
I fortunately upgraded from picnic taps to a 4 tap Keezer right before the Plague, and now I could stand to add two more to that.
I fortunately upgraded from picnic taps to a 4 tap Keezer right before the Plague, and now I could stand to add two more to that.
beersk
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I get this sometimes too, particularly when I'm going back and forth about doing a half batch or a 5 gallon batch. I also think to myself, "Will 2.5 gallons be enough or should I just do a 5 gallon batch?" It's silly and I realize it, but oftentimes I have this internal struggle with it.
Ironically my kezzer died just before the plague. A sad thing as it could hold eight kegs. But for now I will get by until my next build.
I'm sure our paths have crossed multiple times. I'll be at Rite Brew this week.
Broken Crow
Ale's what cures 'ya
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Heck!... Usually get my GF to do all the heavy lifting, including carrying the full fermenters down to the basement.....I'm very lucky to have a supportive significant other, but then; she loves the product too.Hang in there…I made it to retirement but my back is letting me know it when Brewing Beer. (Me to wife) Grab that other handle.
I wish I had a girlfriend like that! My wife certainly wouldn't like it though.
SWMBO is certainly supportive and definitely likes the product. But she is completely lacking upper body strength. Struggles with a large bag of dog food. No way she could handle a full fermenter or keg.
@Broken Crow has had serious misfortune, but is very lucky indeed in the girlfriend department!
Broken Crow
Ale's what cures 'ya
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Thanks for the thoughts everyone, but I've derailed the thread... I sympathize with @Bayou Fatma Brewer and I should have just said this:
Yeah! Every time I glance at an empty fermenter, I feel like some of the precious irrevocable Time I have in life has been lost and those things should damn well be filled!
Yeah! Every time I glance at an empty fermenter, I feel like some of the precious irrevocable Time I have in life has been lost and those things should damn well be filled!
OP
OP
Prozac Time…2 empty Fermenters and 2 empty Kegs now. What to Brew…What to Brew ? May try a "Smoked Ale Beer"
