Recent content by tomhen

I re use my yeast 10 generations, but have gone longer. If you do simple cell counts with a methalyn blue stain for viability test (there's a crappy video on this on our web site coloradoboy.com) you can keep using it until your viability goes below 90%. If you really want to geek out, grow the...

I do a diacytal rest on all my ales and lagers. I let it hit terminal gravity wait 24 or 48 hours, chill and transfer to conditioning/serving. It works. Didn't mean to butt in. Cheers, Tom

The problem as you have already figured out is you produced too many dextrins in your wort so extra yeast isn't going to do it. Age it and brew another with a mash of 147 then after it ferments blend the two and you should have a great beer!

Did you do a diacytal rest of at least 24 hours before racking? If not you will get diacetyl or a butter flavor in your beer, which can be ok in IPA's a bit.

Here is a video we made on how we fill our kegs. Cheers, Tom Hennessy

Just fyi, here is how we clean our sankey's. Cheers, Tom

I whirl pool for ten minutes then rest for ten. I use whirl floc 15 minutes before the end of boil to hold the trub together. I highly recommend whirl pooling. It will improve your beer flavors and your fermentation as well.

I'm not understanding these posts. How are the volumes calculated? When I had a packaging brewery we carbonated to 2.5 volumes using a Zahm-Nagel CO2 tester. I think 3 seems a little high. At Colorado Boy I believe we are even lower (I don't have a tester here) which I like because the beer is...

This looks like a nice simple recipe, and your brewing methods look great. I'd have you brew at my brewery any time. I'm assuming you hit your gravity? I sparge at 170 but I don't think that will effect mouthfeel. I would add up to 7% dextrin malt next time to add mouthfeel. I do that with my...

I'm way more relaxed. Most home brewers I've met are way more technical than me. I keep good records when I brew, so it is easy to make slight tweaks to a recipe. given the numbers of that brew, I would add a tiny bit of acid to the strike water and brew. A pH meter would be a way to go but I'm...

It's your mash pH like mentioned above. I would add a couple mils of Phos. acid to your strike water. You will probably be ok in the 5.0 to 5.5 area. Also check your last runnings. They shouldn't go above 5.6. Lastly the yeast you use is important. If you want a nice clean and fast fermentation...

I think it could be in the yeast. 1 Mil cells per liter per degree Plato for ales and 1.5 for lagers. I would take your yeast (better to over pitch than under pitch) and add it to a sterile flask with wort to let it get to high Kreuzen. This could be done the night before you brew, then pitch...

Yes, even on our 7 BBL system it is usually done in four days, then I wait another 24 hours and check the gravity. If it hasn't changed that is my diacytal rest, then I chill and transfer it on the 6th day, and can brew back into the fermenter on the 7th. Some yeast strains take longer but most...

Just to chime in on the original topic. On the less expensive side a brewpub starting with an existing restaurant should be less than 100k with a nice 7 bbl system. If you are doing a small packaging brewery with a tasting room that could also be less than 100k, again with a 7BBL system. I've...

Put 30 psi on your keg that is at about 35 degrees. Tilt it up at an angle and give it 100 shakes back and forth, not too fay to kill your back and fast like to pumps per second. Wait an hour and repeat this process 7 times. Your beer should be nice and carbonated by then.