GRABASS 1/9 Brewgasm (Cary, NC)

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If any of you have a garden hose that you can easily throw in your car and bring with you that day, please do so. We might not need it, but I'd like to not find us a few feet too short to implement some crazy idea that we have.

Bring a towel.

Bring an iPod if you want.

Also, here are some things you will probably NOT need to bring with you (basic stuff I have that can be shared):

  • grain mill (*see below)
  • iodophor or starsan (I have both)
  • big bucket (and smaller containers) for mixing up sanitizer and soaking things
  • scale (it goes to 12lbs, I think)
Earlier in this thread I mentioned that I have a MaltMill. I have a cordless drill that I drive it with. The drill is cheap and will not last more than 2 batches for sure.

Bring your drill if you want to use the mill and don't want to hand-crank it. (Hand cranking isn't that bad, but the drill is much faster.)








We'll discuss food another day.
 
Do we have any sort of basic time frame that we are thinking for mash in, just looking to get this rolling on the earlier side of things.
 
jmp138 said:
This thread does sort of destroy all others.
Click to expand...

Jason gets 10 bonus points for being a Dead Head, too.

Jason, tell me you play a banjo, mandolin, harmonica, or something? Boston and I are looking to turn our Duo into a Trio.
 
jmp138 said:
Do we have any sort of basic time frame that we are thinking for mash in, just looking to get this rolling on the earlier side of things.
Click to expand...

I am usually awake by 7. I might get myself rolling early (mashed in by 9). Boston is an early riser and early brewer, too.

But.. I just made sure that SWMBO has no issue with people rolling in throughout the morning and getting started whenever they get started. She said she doesn't care if this lasts into the early evening (no loud partying after the kids go to bed.)

So... I would say that as long as the last guy is mashed in by noon, we're golden.
 
Ill bring you an ipod chocked full of some good listening, but alas, I am remiss in the area of actual musical talent. Could bring my pops along with the guitar, the man loves to pick, but I just didn't pick up the gene. Glad to know the heads will be well represented however, now we have 2 things to talk about!
 
I'll bring up my cordless drill. It is 19.2V and basically brand new. It should last several batches before crapping the bed but I'll bring the hour charger, just in case.

I can bring up my small scale for up to 11lb if you think we may need another? It is not much bigger than a TV Guide but if it isn't needed, I won't bring it.

I haven't asked when Skee wanted to show up but we could probably be mashed-in not much later than you guys provided everything goes as planned. Or we could do the 2nd Shift, no biggie to me. I'll be there early, either way, to help get setup and probably stay late enough to help get cleaned up. That reminds me, I should probably bring my yeast with me.

Summary:
*Bringing my cordless drill
*Will bring my small scale if necessary
*Will start on either shift
*Boston needs to bring Krispy Kreme
 
If there's one reason to get up early on the weekend, it's to brew! I can get there early-ish. I wpuld rather get started early and as I mentioned earlier, point and make fun of everyone else! I'm not sayin' I'm just sayin'.
 
skeeordye11 said:
I wpuld rather get started early and as I mentioned earlier, point and make fun of everyone else! I'm not sayin' I'm just sayin'.
Click to expand...
We can point and make fun of everyone else, regardless! Have you never learned that the easiest way to cure your problems is to ignore them and focus on someone else's? :ban:

EDIT:

Early is fine so long as Walker is OK with it...
 
I don't want to find anyone in the driveway when I wake up to make my coffee, but I am fine with early. How early you talking?


un-related, but check this out:
1
http://cgi.ebay.com/UL-Certified-30-Plate-SS304-Heat-Exchanger-Free-Ship_W0QQitemZ350294352900QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item518f2ba404

here's a smaller one: http://cgi.ebay.com/UL-Certified-20...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item518f2ba412
 
Walker said:
I don't want to find anyone in the driveway when I wake up to make my coffee, but I am fine with early. How early you talking?
Click to expand...
I'll probably not get up there until after 8 at the earliest unless you just need me there for some reason. I like sleep. Skee and I will coordinate but I'd say 8 is pushing it. Unless we all have a big pajama party or something. I know Boston will love that!
 
 
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Walker said he was gonna get started around 9 so that's what I was thinking. Maybe I'll get there around 8:30 and start getting set up. Whatever works for Walker, works for me.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Barc, you'll probably get a more widespread response if you post this in a main category such as equipment and sanitation. I don't think there's many people following this thread outside of us GRABASSers.
 
Barc said:
Quoting myself because I'm just that awesome... Do you think something like that would work for wort chilling?
Click to expand...

In principal, I think it would work. It's a heat exchanger.

However, since it is not intended for use on food/beverage, I wonder if there might be small amount of oil or other crud inside of it that you wouldn't want touching your wort.

I really have no idea, though.
 
FYI: I am probably going to make a batch of porter. I generally use 1028 London Ale yeast for that recipe. If anyone else is interested in using that same strain for their own brew, I can probably make a big starter for it and we can share it.

Current Status of AHS Order

GRAIN
(I am assuming "unmilled" for all of these, send me a message if you want yours milled)
100lbs of 2-row (25 to Frink, 25 to Boston, 25 to Walker, 25 unclaimed)
20lb Premium Pilsner (Barc)
2lb Aromatic (Barc)
2lb Carapils (Walker)
2lb Victory (Walker)
2lb Munich (Walker)
2lb Crystal 40 (Walker)
1lb Biscuit (Walker)
1lb Chocolate (Walker)
1lb Crystal 20 (Walker)

HOPS
(I am assuming pellets for all of these, send me a message if you want whole hops instead)
10oz Kent Golding (2 to Walker, 6 to Barc, 2 to Boston)
7oz Simcoe (5 to Skee, 2 to Boston)
6oz Bramling Cross (3 to Skee, 3 to Chad)
5oz Columbus/Zeus/Tomahawk (Walker)
4oz Cascade (2 to Walker, 2 to Boston)
3oz Amarillo (2 to Walker, 1 to Boston)
2oz Riwaka (Barc)
2oz Sterling (Barc)
2oz Yakima Golding (Barc)
2oz First Gold (Barc)
2oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker (Barc)
2oz Styrian Goldings (Barc)
1oz Fuggles (Walker)
1oz Northern Brewer (Barc)
 
skeeordye11 said:
Barc, you'll probably get a more widespread response if you post this in a main category such as equipment and sanitation. I don't think there's many people following this thread outside of us GRABASSers.
Click to expand...

I would but you know I will get this standard response:

Walker said:
In principal, I think it would work. It's a heat exchanger.

However, since it is not intended for use on food/beverage, I wonder if there might be small amount of oil or other crud inside of it that you wouldn't want touching your wort.

I really have no idea, though.
Click to expand...

Not that I think it is a bad thing but most folks are going to go that route. Playing it safe is what we tend to do. Being the destructive, creative, cheap type, I tend to leave safe somewhere along the way and fly by my instincts!

My thoughts are that it can be cleaned starting with a mild dish-soap solution then with boiling water and then flushed with more boiling water. Any oil residue left shouldn't be a problem. Since it has Cu tubing and Al, it wouldn't be any different than a CFC or IC, depending on how you wanted to use it. In short, I'd be willing to give it a shot. Worst thing that happens is I wind up with a residue on a batch of beer and have a transmission cooler to put on a car. But that's for later... I'll focus on that in a few months.

Back to the show!
 
Here's an idea: I might delay myself and take a late shift on brewing that day. If we have chilling problems and have to resort to using tap water to chill, I will capture that water from the CFC or IC output and use it for my brew water.

Recycling!
 
Getting any snow, guys? We're getting a mix. Currently, it is sticking to the road.
 
Yeah, it snowed her in Cary, as well as up in Durham today. Didn't really stick to anything, though. F*cking people around here can't drive if there is a single flake in the air. Annoys the ever living hell out of me.

Current Status of AHS Order

GRAIN
(I am assuming "unmilled" for all of these, send me a message if you want yours milled)
100lbs of 2-row (25 to Frink, 25 to Boston, 25 to Walker, 25 unclaimed)
20lb Premium Pilsner (Barc)
2lb Aromatic (Barc)
2lb Carapils (Walker)
2lb Victory (Walker)
2lb Munich (Walker)
2lb Crystal 40 (Walker)
1lb Biscuit (Walker)
1lb Chocolate (Walker)
1lb Crystal 20 (Walker)

HOPS
(I am assuming pellets for all of these, send me a message if you want whole hops instead)
10oz Kent Golding (2 to Walker, 6 to Barc, 2 to Boston) Unfortunately, this one is not sold in 1lb bulk package, so we can't bump up here.
7oz Simcoe (5 to Skee, 2 to Boston)
6oz Bramling Cross (3 to Skee, 3 to Chad)
5oz Columbus/Zeus/Tomahawk (Walker)
4oz Cascade (2 to Walker, 2 to Boston)
3oz Amarillo (2 to Walker, 1 to Boston)
2oz Riwaka (Barc)
2oz Sterling (Barc)
2oz Yakima Golding (Barc)
2oz First Gold (Barc)
2oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker (Barc)
2oz Styrian Goldings (Barc)
1oz Fuggles (Walker)
1oz Northern Brewer (Barc)

MISC
1lb Lyle's Black Treacle (split between Boston and Walker)


I got approval from SWMBO (in a round about way) to buy a shirron plate chiller, too. Trying to decide whether to pull the trigger on that or not. I basically got an "OK" to spend $100 on something I want or need.
 
Walker said:
Here's an idea: I might delay myself and take a late shift on brewing that day. If we have chilling problems and have to resort to using tap water to chill, I will capture that water from the CFC or IC output and use it for my brew water.

Recycling!
Click to expand...

Good thinking Walker

By the way, does everyone know what they're brewing? How about a roll call? Barc and I will be sharing an aproximately 9 gallon batch of what can closely be described as a Belgian IPA to be named later. So, what's everyone else got planned?
 
Here's what we are making... Any input would be welcome.

Code: 
BeerSmith Recipe Printout - [url]http://www.beersmith.com[/url]
Recipe: Brewgasm Belgian


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 9.00 gal      
Boil Size: 11.42 gal
Estimated OG: 1.090 SG
Estimated Color: 12.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 39.6 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount        Item                                      Type         % or IBU      
11 lbs        Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)            Grain        39.29 %       
11 lbs        Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM)             Grain        39.29 %       
2 lbs         Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM)     Grain        7.14 %        
8.0 oz        Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM)     Grain        1.79 %        
8.0 oz        Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)                Grain        1.79 %        
0.50 oz       Amarillo Gold [8.50 %]  (90 min)          Hops         6.9 IBU       
1.00 oz       Cascade [5.50 %]  (90 min)                Hops         9.0 IBU       
0.50 oz       Amarillo Gold [8.50 %]  (60 min)          Hops         6.5 IBU       
0.50 oz       Palisades [7.40 %]  (45 min)              Hops         5.2 IBU       
0.50 oz       Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %]  (15 min)    Hops         1.9 IBU       
0.50 oz       Tradition [6.00 %]  (15 min)              Hops         2.3 IBU       
0.25 oz       Amarillo Gold [8.50 %]  (5 min)           Hops         0.6 IBU       
1.00 oz       Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %]  (5 min)     Hops         1.5 IBU       
1.00 oz       Palisades [7.40 %]  (5 min)               Hops         2.3 IBU       
1.00 oz       Tradition [6.00 %]  (5 min)               Hops         1.8 IBU       
1.00 oz       Cascade [5.50 %]  (5 min)                 Hops         1.7 IBU       
0.50 oz       Tradition [6.00 %]  (0 min)               Hops          -            
0.50 oz       Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %]  (0 min)     Hops          -            
0.50 oz       Palisades [7.40 %]  (0 min)               Hops          -            
0.46 tsp      Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min)                Misc                       
3 lbs         Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM)          Sugar        10.71 %       
1 Pkgs        Belgian Ale (White Labs #WLP550)          Yeast-Ale                  


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 25.00 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time     Name               Description                         Step Temp     
75 min        Mash In            Add 31.25 qt of water at 161.4 F    150.0 F

The Crystal malts, including the Special B, is homemade so the colors are approximate. And, to brag a little, the Special B is great!
 
I'm making another batch of "Holy Grail", but I'm going to use Treacle this time instead of molasses.

Regarding your recipe, Barc and Skee... can you really boil off 2.5 gallons in 90 minutes? (boil size = 11.42g, batch size = 9g, boil time = 90min)
 
I've got half a gallon of "trub" built into that so we'll actually collect 9.5 so it should only be 2 gallons boiled off. I'd say that shouldn't be a problem at all if the humidity works with us. I've got it dialed in for what I do so we may overshoot our volume a little which isn't a bad thing but the SG will still be the same.

Take a look at the hopping schedule and stuff... Does that all seem reasonable?
 
Walker said:
I'm making another batch of "Holy Grail", but I'm going to use Treacle this time instead of molasses.
Click to expand...

What is the differences between the two? I've seen and read conflicting stuff and never really understood.
 
and how frigging big is Skee's mash tun!?

mashng in with 31 quarts of water (~8 gallons) and 25lbs of grain!?

I don't want to pee on your parade, but this is NOT going to fit into a 10 gallon cooler. :D
 
Walker said:
and how frigging big is Skee's mash tun!?

mashng in with 31 quarts of water (~8 gallons) and 25lbs of grain!?

I don't want to pee on your parade, but this is NOT going to fit into a 10 gallon cooler. :D
Click to expand...

I've done it before. If we wanted to mash a little thicker we will have no problem.
 
We'll probably just fill it up and do several sparges. I'll redo my calcs and see what we should shoot for with 1qt/lb (which is probably more reasonable). Thanks for the head's up, Walker. I didn't even consider that problem! Otherwise, we'd have been WAY low on our temp.

EDIT:

Just recalced with 1qt/lb. It raises the temp up to 164.2 and, of course, 25 qt of water. Think that will fit?
 
Barc said:
Just recalced with 1qt/lb. It raises the temp up to 164.2 and, of course, 25 qt of water. Think that will fit?
Click to expand...

It'll be damn full, but will probably fit.

That 10 gallon batch that we did here last weekend had 20lbs of grain and we mashed with 25qt water (1.25qt/lb). I had about two gallons of head space in my tun. I used that 2gal of space when I did the mashout addition (even though I really WANTED to use 2.5 gal for mashout.

You've got 5lb more of grain than we had for the pilsner, so you will probably be filled to the brim with your mash. You won't have any room for a mash-out water addition, don't know if that matters to you.. and you will not have room to adjust temps, so just get it right. :D
 
Say hello to my little friend:

waterpump.jpg


nosnhojr (fellow GRABASSer and co-worker of mine) loaned this water pump to me. I tested it out today and it had no problem pumping rainbarrel water 50', then through my IC, and then another 50' back to the barrel.

BUT... that was actually not enough distance to get to the garage and back, just to my front lawn.

We will ABSOLUTELY need more hoses than I own. I am probably going to buy a really nice hose for fresh water, but we will need two more hoses to be able to make the round-trip from the rain barrel and back.
 
Walker said:
It'll be damn full, but will probably fit.

That 10 gallon batch that we did here last weekend had 20lbs of grain and we mashed with 25qt water (1.25qt/lb). I had about two gallons of head space in my tun. I used that 2gal of space when I did the mashout addition (even though I really WANTED to use 2.5 gal for mashout.

You've got 5lb more of grain than we had for the pilsner, so you will probably be filled to the brim with your mash. You won't have any room for a mash-out water addition, don't know if that matters to you.. and you will not have room to adjust temps, so just get it right. :D
Click to expand...

When I did it before, I did not do a mashout and the beer seemed to turn out fine, so I have no problems with that. Feel free to chime in on that Barc. Also, when are you going to place that AHS order? I would like to add this little gem as well if it's not too late? Thanks!
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/produ...d=924&osCsid=5aeab286700a6701112fc2fc8b2efd73
 
Also, I might have one of those stoppers from my old bucket fermenter. It's 12 years old, but I don't need it. If i can find it and it's in good shape, you can have it. Otherwise, I'll add it to the order... probably gonna place it Monday. Trying to decide whether to get the shirron plate chiller.

LAST CALL FOR MORE ITEMS FROM AHS
 
Hey walker, I got all the hoses you need, just let me know what I can bring. Working at a wholesale nursery, shouldn't be any problem to pick up a few. If you need anything else just let us know. Sounds like a pretty solid order coming in from AHS. Just got 60 pounds of grain from Brewmasters Warehouse today, really looking forward to brewing with some good local folks!
 
Let's talk food.....

I was thinking about making a big-ass pot of chili. Sounds good for a cold day. If that agrees with everyone, maybe Jason can bring a few pounds of that ground venison and I'll use that in it. I can cook the chili on my 2nd propane burner while we're brewing and it'll be good and ready for lunch.
 
Walker said:
Say hello to my little friend:

waterpump.jpg
Click to expand...

Bartering is awesome.

The water pump is now mine and I owe nosnhojr 5 gallons of beer. Looks like I'll be cooking up 10gal, too.

I think we are at 45gal total for the day:

- 10g barc/skee
- 10g Frink
- 10g Walker
- 5g Chad
- 5g Boston
- 5g jason
 

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