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  1. mcmeador

    Unusually clear beer...what happened?

    Both of the pale ales I brewed had additions at 60, 10, and 5 minutes and were dry-hopped with one ounce of hops, so I don’t think it was the timing of the hop additions that made the difference. I don’t really put too much effort into getting super clear beer, but it’s nice to have it without...
  2. mcmeador

    Unusually clear beer...what happened?

    Bump. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!
  3. mcmeador

    Unusually clear beer...what happened?

    Good evening! I have brewed 8 beers since October using my Anvil Foundry, which I have fermented in my Spike CF5 and kegged via closed pressure transfer after a 2-3 day cold-crash at 38 degrees. My beers are usually very cloudy until I get to the last quarter of the keg and then become crystal...
  4. mcmeador

    Fermentation chamber: confined space?

    Just don’t take a big whiff. ;) We’re talking about carbon dioxide, not carbon monoxide. It’s not going to kill you. The moment you feel the burn from inhaling it, just stop and pull your head back. It will disperse into the air, and everything will be ok.
  5. mcmeador

    Ice buildup in kegerator

    Well that was painless. Took less than an hour to melt down to the point that I could pull the remaining piece of ice out by hand. The drain doesn’t seem to be clogged because the water apparently drained out as the ice melted. There is water in the drip pan on the back of the kegerator. Now...
  6. mcmeador

    Ice buildup in kegerator

    The thawing has begun.
  7. mcmeador

    Ice buildup in kegerator

    Yeah, I was afraid of that. Currently lagering a beer in there, but it’s a few days from being done and I suppose it won’t hurt to let it warm up for a few hours while the kegerator thaws. Yeah, it’s getting pretty humid where I live, but the kegerator doesn’t get open very often. The door...
  8. mcmeador

    Ice buildup in kegerator

    Good afternoon! I have a Kegco 3-tap kegerator that has been hooked up and running for about 7 months I think. I was just moving some stuff around inside to weigh the CO2 tank and noticed ice buildup in the back of the kegerator. It’s along the area where I believe condensation is supposed to...
  9. mcmeador

    Deleted

    Deleted
  10. mcmeador

    Spike Conical- observations and best practices

    I brew in an Anvil Foundry in the kitchen and then have my fermenter set up in the mud room near the garage. I drain half of the wort into a plastic bucket using the spigot on the Foundry and then carry it into the mud room and pour it into the fermenter. Then I go back and repeat to get the...
  11. mcmeador

    So who's brewing this weekend?

    I tried out a SweetWater 420 recipe I came up with a few months ago that turned out really well. Now that I've finished off that keg, I am going to brew the same thing again this weekend except change the hops to all Mosaic and see how different it is. The plan is to brew it again with a...
  12. mcmeador

    Spike Conical- observations and best practices

    You can just loosen the clamp enough to turn the racking arm and then tighten it back up. You don’t want to loosen it so much that it’s effortless to turn because at that point you will probably be leaking. Just turn the screw a full turn and then see if you can turn the racking arm with a...
  13. mcmeador

    Thoughts on Saison/Farmhouse Yeast

    I would also add that from what I’ve read, lower fermentation temps will give you more spicy and/or peppery flavors, so if that’s what you’re looking for you may consider trying to keep your temp under control.
  14. mcmeador

    Thoughts on Saison/Farmhouse Yeast

    Saaz hops might enhance the flavor, but saison yeast is known for producing spicy and/or peppery flavors itself. You will need a saison yeast to make a proper saison. That’s where the characteristic flavors and dryness come from.
  15. mcmeador

    Why Do I Want a Head on My Beer?

    Yeah, I also take my time with mine. I would think that much head on a beer from start to finish would indicate overcarbonation, but I’m genuinely curious with what is considered good head retention. I know a beer with absolutely no head would be considered bad, but what is ideal?
  16. mcmeador

    Thoughts on Saison/Farmhouse Yeast

    I used BE-134 on my first saison, which I still have on tap. It was the Northern Brewer Lemondrop Saison. I am very pleased with how it turned out. It seems to be a perfectly suitable saison yeast. I only rehydrated one pack of dry yeast for a 5-gallon batch, but I did notice a slight sulfury...
  17. mcmeador

    Why Do I Want a Head on My Beer?

    So here’s a question: What would qualify as good head retention? Are we looking for a finger’s worth or more of head to remain throughout the entire pint? Or is it just a paper-thin white layer remaining over the top of the beer for the duration of the drink?
  18. mcmeador

    Spike Conical- observations and best practices

    But if the krausen can reach the level of the blow-off, couldn’t it also reach the level of the manifold’s PRV? And if the blow-off is lifted with a valve underneath, would it not reach the PRV before the blow-off? As you said, you could always attach a better PRV on the third port just in...
  19. mcmeador

    Spike Conical- observations and best practices

    Yeah, I guess I can see a valve being placed on the blow-off port so you can close that off without removing it, but then again Spike explicitly states on their site not to attach their gas manifold until after primary fermentation is complete due to risk of clogging, so you would still have to...
  20. mcmeador

    Spike Conical- observations and best practices

    Yeah, I’m not sure I understand the new lid. You can’t use the blowoff and PRV together, so why have dedicated ports for both? I guess the hop port is nice so you don’t have to remove the blow-off or PRV, but you’re still having to remove something (the cover), so is it really adding that much...
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