On the 19th batch i tried a fan...

[perkins98]

Finally gave it a whirl to control 13.5 gallons in a keggle. wow it worked better than i could have imagined. I keep an old ocilating fan in the garage for misc and thought i would give it a try. We were boiling down 13.5 gallons and we were past the hot break and had turned down the burner a dozen times and thought it was worth a shot. So we threw it up on the mash platform, which could easily be called the Fan platform now, and kicked in high and away we went... flawless boil.. WOW.. this was my 5th 10 gallon batch and i'm so pissed i boiled over every time.. teaches me to doubt anymore. Thanks guys. I guess i'll super clean my boil kettle now, cause it's staying clean..

 

[perkins98]

thought i put up a pic

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4YPK7E4PS4TKNUA6UATZFNOTHQ/album/photos/294161

 

[piteko]

Finally gave it a whirl to control 13.5 gallons in a keggle. wow it worked better than i could have imagined. I keep an old ocilating fan in the garage for misc and thought i would give it a try. We were boiling down 13.5 gallons and we were past the hot break and had turned down the burner a dozen times and thought it was worth a shot. So we threw it up on the mash platform, which could easily be called the Fan platform now, and kicked in high and away we went... flawless boil.. WOW.. this was my 5th 10 gallon batch and i'm so pissed i boiled over every time.. teaches me to doubt anymore. Thanks guys. I guess i'll super clean my boil kettle now, cause it's staying clean..

Hi,
I don't really know if it could be an issue, but I write this consideration anyway. Could the air on the beer bring an oxidation problem too?

Cheers!
Piteko

 

[jiggs_casey]

I can attest!

I have my setup built into some of those stainless steel wire shelves you can get from any of the 'big box' hardware stores. On the bottom of one of those shelves, I rigged up a powered 120mm last month that blows straight down on top of my boil from about 18" above. I did a 6.5 gallon boil in a 7.5 gallon pot yesterday and it worked like a champ!

 

[riverfrontbrewer]

What is the fan doing for you? I guess I don't understand the issue/what is being resolved.

 

[dotnetdotcom]

What is the fan doing for you? I guess I don't understand the issue/what is being resolved.

Foaming boil overs. When my boil gets too intense, I turn the heat down a bit and stand there blowing on it to keep the foaming down.

 

[moosetav]

What is the fan doing for you? I guess I don't understand the issue/what is being resolved.

prevents boilovers.

 

[piteko]

I work with LPG and when the boiling is too much, I turn down the flame.
Wouldn't it be easier to upgrade the electrical controlling system to a variable intensity (so not on/off only)?

Btw, the oxidation issue/question still stands

Cheers,
Piteko

 

[motobrewer]

what's not variable about LPG? you just said you turned down the flame.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I work with LPG and when the boiling is too much, I turn down the flame.
Wouldn't it be easier to upgrade the electrical controlling system to a variable intensity (so not on/off only)?

Btw, the oxidation issue/question still stands

Cheers,
Piteko

Oxidation is not going to be an issue. Boiling removes oxygen and it's not like you have an air stone in your pot dissolving oxygen into solution.

As far as if it'd be easier to upgrade to variable electronic control....really? Easier than just plugging in a fan?

 

[piteko]

what's not variable about LPG? you just said you turned down the flame.

I meant that I can turn the flame down since I have an LPG system and I find it very easy and useful. Who has an on/off heating system can't turn it down unless upgrading to a variable heating system. Since adjusting an electrical system is not a hell, I would consider the option

Cheers!
Piteko

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Hi,
I don't really know if it could be an issue, but I write this consideration anyway. Could the air on the beer bring an oxidation problem too?

Cheers!
Piteko

Not unless you normally brew in a vacuum.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

What is the fan doing for you? I guess I don't understand the issue/what is being resolved.

3 things;

- Helps break the surface tension of the foam forming bubbles
- Help drive off steam so you can see an impending boil over
- Helps to drive boil off.

 

[perkins98]

if it adds oxidation then alot of my beers are probably going to have it.. i plan on using the fan alot. even after knocking down the flame some you still end up with foam issues and boil over. In the past too when i've knocked down the flame I never seem to boil off enough and end up with more beer and smaller gravity.. try to fan I think it's a blessing. Oxidation... I shrug my shoulders. it can't be forcing any oxygen in to the wort, its just blowing away the steam and keeping the foam at ease...

 

[piteko]

Boiling removes oxygen and it's not like you have an air stone in your pot dissolving oxygen into solution.

I always knew that every moment the worth is hot and is in contact with air, it gets oxigen. Aeration and splashing increases the effect. Of course it's not like having an air stone in the worth, but I don't think that boiling removes the oxygen

With a quick search, I found these articles.
http://www.brewarizona.org/Evaluating%20Beer.pdf (Musty paragraph)
http://www.professorbeer.com/articles/oxidative_staling_beer.html

As far as if it'd be easier to upgrade to variable electronic control....really? Easier than just plugging in a fan?

You are right, of course it's easier to use a fan, especially if it's already there
I was looking to all the pros/cons and a variable electronic control seems to me pretty easy. I mean, if the power is not too high, you can take a dimmer from an old lamp or even buy it... I'm a pretty rusty on electronics, but I think this could fit (or maybe I'm wrong, just saying...):

[ame="http://www.google.com/search?q=dimmer+lamp&tbs=shop%3A1&aq=f"]http://www.google.com/search?q=dimmer+lamp&tbs=shop%3A1&aq=f[/ame]

Cheers!
Piteko

 

[motobrewer]

are we talking about a "variable electronic control" for the fan?

who cares?

 

[piteko]

are we talking about a "variable electronic control" for the fan?

who cares?

Ahahaha!
No, we are talking about a variable heating system (so you can slow down heating to avoid boilover).

Cheers!
Piteko

 

[wildwest450]

but I don't think that boiling removes the oxygen

It certainly does. Perhaps there's a language barrier at work here?

http://morebeer.com/search/102280



.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I always knew that every moment the worth is hot and is in contact with air, it gets oxigen. Aeration and splashing increases the effect. Of course it's not like having an air stone in the worth, but I don't think that boiling removes the oxygen

Cheers!
Piteko

Oxygen becomes less soluble as the temperature increases. As the temperature rises the molecules move around faster in solution banging into each other and more are released. Of course it's not 100% oxygen free, but on the the level we're talking about for oxidation of the beer it's fine. Plus, hot side aeration in brewing is a boogey man that has been shown as a non concern for even large scale breweries. There is a nice video out there showing a commercial brewery transferring their hot work from the top of a large vessel, letting it splash down into the bottom with no worries.

*edit* here's the vid.

 

[motobrewer]

Ahahaha!
No, we are talking about a variable heating system (so you can slow down heating to avoid boilover).

Cheers!
Piteko

what? you have a variable heating system - your valve on your LPG bottle. it's variable.

very confused...

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Of course it's not like having an air stone in the worth, but I don't think that boiling removes the oxygen

Boiling most definitely removes most of the dissolved gases including oxygen.

 

[piteko]

It certainly does. Perhaps there's a language barrier at work here?
http://morebeer.com/search/102280

Probably
Shall we talk about removing/creating oxidation instead of oxigen?

Plus, hot side aeration in brewing is a boogey man that has been shown as a non concern for even large scale breweries.

So when do we risk to add oxidation in the brewing process? The oxidation added during the mash and filtering can be removed by boil? Shall we be concerned only about after-boil oxidation?

And, if it's so, WHY DIDN'T YOU TOLD ME SO MANY YEARS AGO!!!

Cheers!
Piteko

 

[IrregularPulse]

We're really only concerned with oxidation post fermentation.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

And, if it's so, WHY DIDN'T YOU TOLD ME SO MANY YEARS AGO!!!

Cheers!
Piteko

No. We actually WANT Oxygen in the wort at yeast pitch. Yeast use oxygen to create sterols to build cellular walls.

We are concerned about aeration/oxygenation post fermentation. It is here that no biological or thermal functions dissuade the oxidation of lipids within the product.

It's all in the manual.

 

[perkins98]

I only wanted to tell everyone to use a fan to blow over the boil to help with foaming and boilover. geeez...

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I only wanted to tell everyone to use a fan to blow over the boil to help with foaming and boilover. geeez...

I have been for years. Especially when I need to really drive boil off to attain target gravity into the fermenter. At full boil, with the aid of foam controls (FWH, FermCap, etc...) and a fan I have seen 2 gallons an hour. Rare and extreme is the need but, **** happens.

 

[weirdboy]

I guess I'll be that guy that says they use Fermcap and never has trouble with boilovers sans fan.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I have been for years.

on both of your brew sessions?

 

[piteko]

No. We actually WANT Oxygen in the wort at yeast pitch. Yeast use oxygen to create sterols to build cellular walls.

I knew this, I always oxygenate a lot at that time. The whole "hot worth oxydation is not a problem" is new and really cool to me!

It's all in the manual.

The homebrewtalk wiki? I read only some parts (water building, etc).
This forum is great! :rockin:
Piteko

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

on both of your brew sessions?

Stiffel your racket!