What I did for beer today

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Sniffed the airlock of the pumpkin ale

 

[JAReeves]

Last Saturday wasn't about beer: I put 5 Gallons of fresh apple juice from Honest Abe in SoCal in the closet to do its thing. All wild yeast, just a little pectin enzyme to clear it a bit. Last year's batch was primed with Passionfruit Juice, this year I am thinking Guava, but it primaries for two months, so plenty of time.

Today, I finally get to brew: my Red Rye IPA. Co-workers have been bugging me to make more, so it's on. And drinking the British IPA I made for my dad while everything boils. Gives me a chance to clean everything, as it's been months since I had a day to brew.

 

[brewbama]

Made proper labels for the beers I have on tap, on condition, and fermenting. Also made some labels for upcoming brews.

 

[HB2 HughBHomeBrew]

Bottled some IPA and cream ale

 

[jcav]

Today I set up my brewery on the back lanai for a brew day tomorrow. Got all my water volumes correct (Mash and HLT) and salts are adjusted. I even nail my pre-mash ph the night before as well. When I wake up tomorrow I make some coffee and fire up the electric element in the HLT and both pumps before breakfast, to heat up my mash and sparge water at the same time. Got two of my sons (out of three) coming over tomorrow and I also get to see one of my grandaughter's. Oh and the wife is making a nice Italian dinner for us all! Good Times!

John

 

[seatazzz]

Just milled the grain and set up the mash tun for brewday tomorrow. Finally decided on a nice IPA using five different hops; Comet & Chinook for FWH and bittering, then a mix of Strata, Crystal, Chinook, and maybe a smidge of Centennial in late additions. All "C" hops except for the Strata, which I suppose I could leave out, but I want to see how nice it plays with others. Should be a nice hop bomb about 6.5% based on the grain bill. Using two row and Vienna, have never used Vienna before so looking forward to seeing what it will do.

 

[orionol73]

Almost finished with the mash on a strata IPA. First time I’ve managed to get my hands on these hop so excited to see how it turns out!

 

[aharri1]

Brewing an all motueka IPA 5% target. Boil and dry hop

 

[orionol73]

Brewing an all motueka IPA 5% target. Boil and dry hopView attachment 650075View attachment 650076View attachment 650077

So I see your spider there and I bought one too with the intent I’d use boil hops in it but after 1 attempt at boiling hops in it the choice was clear...use it to filter the wort from mash to boil and then again from kettle to fermenter. Hops don’t get compacted into the screen and get a better boil

 

[ba-brewer]

I used my hop spider once too, glad I got a cheap one from china. Mine seemed to clog with break material and I could not see much fluid movement back to the kettle.

 

[Dave Sarber]

Yeah, I bought the one with the screw on lid. Pretty useless.

 

[aharri1]

That's what I do!!

So I see your spider there and I bought one too with the intent I’d use boil hops in it but after 1 attempt at boiling hops in it the choice was clear...use it to filter the wort from mash to boil and then again from kettle to fermenter. Hops don’t get compacted into the screen and get a better boil

 

[seatazzz]

Almost finished with the mash on a strata IPA. First time I’ve managed to get my hands on these hop so excited to see how it turns out!

I'm drinking on mine right now, brewed three weeks ago. Strata is a great hop, but I'm wishing I would have gone heavier on the late additions. Brewed an IPA today with them and C-hops as late additions, looking forward to seeing how well they play with others.

 

[seatazzz]

Yeah, I bought the one with the screw on lid. Pretty useless.

I've got that same hop basket, and I've been a bit disappointed in it; if pellet hops are used, it clogs up pretty fast. Great for leaf hops, but I use pellets almost exclusively so went back to bags. Didn't think of using it to filter break material during recirculation, might do that next brew.

 

[brewbama]

Cleaned my pump. Ready to go again.

Also added a tee fitting so I now have a third keg on gas.

 

[Dave Sarber]

Just cooked up an experimental pale tripel with Nugget FWH and Amarillo late additions. Cooling now, waiting for OG reading before I decide on the yeast to use.

 

[ba-brewer]

yesterday:
finished my wy3655 starter and started building a starter from a slant WLP835 lager X.

Kegged my panther piss IPA, tasted very grapefruity.

Put a second floor drain in my keezer. Pulled an empty keg and did not think about the 1gal mini keg sitting on top of some bombers that it was holding upright in the corner. Mini keg nosed dived into the bottom punching a hole with the gas in ball lock post. Now that is what I call a torpedo keg. ​

Today:
Plan to keg a centennial golden ale. Need to determine what to brew next, still need to purge some old hops but if I do a malty beer I can use some of the wort to test the wy3655 too. Need to start thinking about a permanent patch for the duct tape over the new hole in my keezer. ​

 

[Dave Sarber]

Cut out a piece of beer can, flatten it, and silicone it to the hole.

 

[orionol73]

I used my hop spider once too, glad I got a cheap one from china. Mine seemed to clog with break material and I could not see much fluid movement back to the kettle.

Amen to the cheap amazon version!

 

[orionol73]

I'm drinking on mine right now, brewed three weeks ago. Strata is a great hop, but I'm wishing I would have gone heavier on the late additions. Brewed an IPA today with them and C-hops as late additions, looking forward to seeing how well they play with others.

After a FWH addition I’ve got 2.5 oz in the late boil, 2 oz hop stand and scheduled for a 2 oz dry hop on 5 gallons

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Brewed spiced Dunkel weizenbock also making Dunkel Weisse partigyle.

 

[Dave Sarber]

Brewed up a batch of tripel and had a slow start on the fermentation, but it's banging away now! This batch is kind of experimental, used Nugget for bittering, and Amarillo at 15 and knockout. Really smelling good. Normally do the fermentation in a temp controlled chest freezer, but was having trouble getting it warm enough!

 

[Dave Sarber]

Just cooked up an experimental pale tripel with Nugget FWH and Amarillo late additions. Cooling now, waiting for OG reading before I decide on the yeast to use.

Brewed up a batch of tripel and had a slow start on the fermentation, but it's banging away now! This batch is kind of experimental, used Nugget for bittering, and Amarillo at 15 and knockout. Really smelling good. Normally do the fermentation in a temp controlled chest freezer, but was having trouble getting it warm enough!

View attachment 650410

Well. Been working on another batch of tripel. Should maybe be called a pale ale, as I hopped it a wee bit more than is called for in a tripel. (I love Amarillo!). Had a slow start on the fermentation, but that's all over with now. On some of my other posts, I've recommended Northern Brewer's carrying harness for the Big Mouth bubbler, that has the straps that go over the top to hold the lid on. I kinda expected an active fermentation with this batch, so was prepared ahead of time with a blowoff tube. Good thing. One of the straps broke on the harness, allowing a wee bit of krausen to escape (tongue in cheek!). Currently, holding the lid on with bricks, and harvesting krausen to bottle condition a spiced RIS (vanilla and cinnamon tinctures).
It will all be good in the end. As far as the RIS is concerned, transferred out of bourbon cask, and cold crashing, will bottle tomorrow or Friday. Planning on using some of the collected krausen for bottle conditioning.

 

[BrewMan13]

Got a starter going early for a lager in a few days; need to give it extra time as it's fairly old. Also dry-hopped a stout (wort from local brewery + sabro dry hop). Always like to try different things when he gives me some wort; I'm thinking the coconut from the sabro could be interesting in a stout.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Cleaning... pitching... more cleaning.

 

[Sheehan]

Kegged my brown ale. Based on the warm, non-carbonated sample I tasted, it’s going to be a really good beer. Came in around 4.5%.

 

[aharri1]

Dry hopped my voss kveik pale ale with all motueka

 

[BrewMan13]

Kegged the sahti.
Next mission to kick the porter and/or pumpkin and keep the taps rotating!

 

[Immocles]

Bottled the stout. Sampled well, can't wait for it to condition.
Bottled the 1/2G of cider I had sitting on pears and spices, very happy with that one. I think it will be the new lead candidate for regular cider.
Washed the rest of my empty bottles

 

[Dave Sarber]

Bottled a batch of Christmas RIS, now I have to put them in the closet. Luckily, there's a few "extra" bottles for sampling?

 

[shetc]

My first go at purging a keg of StarSan with CO2. Will try part 2 tomorrow.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Checked gravity and flavor on the pumpkin ale, could be spicier so I’ve got a cinnamon and clove tincture going. Sniffed airlocks. Actually, the aroma is filling the room.

 

[Imhoppy]

Kegged 5 gallons of Brickwarmer Holiday Red. I always slightly upsize each batch to ensure the keg is always full. So as usual I had some left over. Instead of dumping it down the drain, I decided to drink it down the hatch "as-is" (uncarbonated and unchilled).

It was worth it to help me ease into the upcoming holiday spirit. After all, a drop of beer is a terrible thing to waste. [emoji481]

 

[Imhoppy]

View attachment 650755

Bottled a batch of Christmas RIS, now I have to put them in the closet. Luckily, there's a few "extra" bottles for sampling?

Might be a hard thing to figure out which is best...the crates or the beer. Both look awesome!

 

[aharri1]

Made a starter yesterday of omega 052 DIPA for a Sierra Nevada celebration ale clone that me and my buddy are brewing a 10gal batch together for national learn to homebrew day at our club event.

 

[Dave Sarber]

Might be a hard thing to figure out which is best...the crates or the beer. Both look awesome!

Thanks. I need to get off my butt and make some more, but I'll have to get some more wood first.

 

[seatazzz]

Got up this morning with the idea that I would finally get the stand built for my grain mill. So far have cut down the board it will sit on, and cut the actual hole for the mill; thanks Dad for the jigsaw! Now just need to head to HD for the hardware and 2x2 I'll need for fixing it to the board, and the legs. And husband has graciously given permission to buy grain, so I'll get to test the finished project later today. I've got the Amazon Ferroday mill, it came with a board to attach to, but my drill makes it vibrate so hard I have to stand over it and hold it down while it's running. Should be able to get it all done for less than $20. Will be so nice to fill the hopper and walk away for a few minutes to do other things, rather than making my back spaz out by bending over the mill. Yes it's just a 2-roller mill, but the rollers are stainless and it has served me well.

Later I'll post a picture of the finished project, time to get dressed and go shopping!

 

[aharri1]

National learn to home brew day! My homebrew club members are out doing different clones of Christmas beers! I'm skinny a celebration ale clone.

 

[seatazzz]

Here it is. Doesn't have legs yet because my cordless died, and I don't want to take this apart again to use the corded. Doesn't matter, just used it sitting on the grain bucket and it worked just great! Was so nice to dump grain in the hopper and walk away. Still needs some tweaking but proud of this project. And yes I am aware the mill is upside down, I just run the drill in reverse.

 

[blkandrust]

Kegged an APA and enjoying a couple of my Dubbel's.