randall the enamel animal

[brewski08]

anybody have one of these by DFH?

i hate to admit it, but i'm slightly intrigued. hmm...

 

[uncommonsense]

Isn't that just a water filter stuffed with hops.

 

[brewski08]

http://www.dogfish.com/company/tangents/randall-the-enamel-animal.htm

 

[pwndabear]

yea nothing special. more for people that dont know brewing all that well.

 

[amc22]

Yeah those guys at dogfish know nothing about brewing! /sarcasm

 

[mappler]

They give you a complete bill of materials and an exploded parts diagram in their users guide to help you make your own. I have not done so, but I am intrigued...
I have had the pleasure of drinking off of one at the Fairfax DFH brewpub several times. It works quite well.

 

[Pezman1]

I have heard that foaming is a big problem with Randalls. Getting the restriction/pressure right must be the key to this and the reason for the somewhat complicated design.

Pez.

 

[pwndabear]

Yeah those guys at dogfish know nothing about brewing! /sarcasm

its meant to be shiny at expo's for the people who are walking by who don't know much about actual brewing. im sorry, but pumping beer through a hop-filled thingamajig for a second before being put into a glass isn't going to do very much to the beer. which is why they have it; it looks fancypants.

 

[Airborneguy]

im sorry, but pumping beer through a hop-filled thingamajig for a second before being put into a glass isn't going to do very much to the beer. which is why they have it; it looks fancypants.

I was actually VERY surprised by the difference it makes. It can also be used for additives besides hops. A great beer restaurant in NJ (Cloverleaf) uses it every-so-often and they've done some crazy things with it. It is definitely not just for show.

 

[pwndabear]

really? did it give it more of an aroma?

 

[Airborneguy]

Aroma and flavor. The concept is fairly simple, why would you doubt it?

BTW, the foaming issues are combatted in the new version with a third canister filled with ice.

 

[scoundrel]

really? did it give it more of an aroma?

I made one with a water filter canister. The key to avoid foaming is a partially stainless output line or 15 to 20 feet of beverage tubing on the output side at the fridge temp to allow the CO2 to re-absorb.

It gives a ton of aroma, but I do think its best for parties. If it sits more than a couple weeks, it can start to give off vegetal flavors.

What I love about it is that I can get an idea of the flavor of spices and hops without actually adding it to the beer.

For example, I make a one hop beer with a neutral bittering hop like magnum or warrior. Then I add say an ounce of citra to the randall. Then a few days later switch out citra with centennial and so on. By the time the keg is kicked, you can get a pretty good idea of the characteristics of several hops.

Additionally, spices are a good candidate. Maybe you just made a stout and you'd like to see how it tastes with jalapenos. This is a good way to try it without ruining your beer.

 

[atom]

its meant to be shiny at expo's for the people who are walking by who don't know much about actual brewing. im sorry, but pumping beer through a hop-filled thingamajig for a second before being put into a glass isn't going to do very much to the beer. which is why they have it; it looks fancypants.

spring house brewing in lancaster, pa has one at their taproom that they set up with sometimes with hops, fruit, caoco nibs, etc... definitely enhances both flavor and aroma.

 

[pwndabear]

spring house brewing in lancaster, pa has one at their taproom that they set up with sometimes with hops, fruit, caoco nibs, etc... definitely enhances both flavor and aroma.

So i've learned. I had one at a recent expo and I cant say I noticed too much of a difference, but then again they used it with an already aromatic IPA. Maybe it makes a difference with the less hoppy beers?