Canadian Roll Call!!

[Buddycat]

Hi all,

Just found this thread. I'm brewing in Golden, BC with a 20 gal BIAbasket system. Got it setup 8 months ago and working pretty well so far. Shout out to Hop Dawgs in Armstrong BC for supplying most of my brewing supplies.

 

[squared]

Been brewing in Edmonton for about 10 yrs. Just got a brewzilla for my birthday so I guess I don’t have to do as much heavy lifting with keggles anymore!

 

[ChickenLambChops]

Brewer from the GTHA, am I the only new brewer from canada since 2022???

 

[amber-ale]

Sorry not from Toronto, but New Westminster BC…
Anybody else from the Vancouver BC area?

 

[lutherieguy]

I searched around and couldn't find a thread like this so I guess I'll get the ball rolling!

Just drop in say hi, say where you're from, that way we can more easily find people close to us!


A little about me, I'm from Winnipeg, Manitoba...home to the longest Grey cup winning drought and the Jets!! I just started brewing, on my second batch, I messed up my first pretty bad...can't wait for the second batch to be ready! I'm looking for the go to place for beer supplies here in the peg, If anyone can help out that would be awesome!

Darrell

Middle aged guy in the 905 brewing everything but mostly beer.. enjoying the Brewzilla/Fermzilla conical pressurized setup I put together for oxygen free 5-6 gal batches going to kegs. Experimenting with wine, mead, and cider. Just saying hello to the group and the OP in the 'peg

 

[Bottoms_Up]

Middle aged guy in the 905 brewing everything but mostly beer.. enjoying the Brewzilla/Fermzilla conical pressurized setup I put together for oxygen free 5-6 gal batches going to kegs. Experimenting with wine, mead, and cider. Just saying hello to the group and the OP in the 'peg

Welcome! I'm also in the GTA area, and have been brewing beer since 1990 (wine since the 1970's). I'm loving my Brewzilla and Fermzilla. I mostly brew the more difficult lagers and true sours that take a year to a year and a half to complete (not the hyped-up overnight kettle sours). I'm a senior who still feels and acts and drinks middle-aged. I might be one of the oldest homebrewers in the GTA.

 

[lutherieguy]

The sours sound really interesting. I read about them a while back, and the pro's all seemed to turn their noses up at the 'quick' sours as opposed to something truly natural like the real bacterial process happening during the ageing of a sour beer. A specialty trade like Lambic beer or sourdough bread making! I am a fan of the latter not having yet tried the former. Looking forward to early retirement in under 3 years, so lots of projects in mind. I must get around to tasting a sour beer... Maybe I will get hooked. I have my first real all grain porter lined up for the fall, and a basic apple cider going in a keg in the vestibule right now since the fall temps have arrived. Was thinking of a hard seltzer but I don't drink fast enough (until retirement lol) Cheers and thanks for the welcome my older wiser Canadian compadre

 

[Bottoms_Up]

The sours sound really interesting. I read about them a while back, and the pro's all seemed to turn their noses up at the 'quick' sours as opposed to something truly natural like the real bacterial process happening during the ageing of a sour beer. A specialty trade like Lambic beer or sourdough bread making! I am a fan of the latter not having yet tried the former. Looking forward to early retirement in under 3 years, so lots of projects in mind. I must get around to tasting a sour beer... Maybe I will get hooked. I have my first real all grain porter lined up for the fall, and a basic apple cider going in a keg in the vestibule right now since the fall temps have arrived. Was thinking of a hard seltzer but I don't drink fast enough (until retirement lol) Cheers and thanks for the welcome my older wiser Canadian compadre

If you're going to try a sour in the future, I recomend Rodenbach to start with. You can usually get it around here before and during Christmas Season.

 

[ZapperMike]

I'm from Kitchener Ontario just west of Toronto. I’m an electrician specializing in industrial automation so needless to say I am running a custom built all electric RIMS system with Craft BeerPi for control. I currently run 2 Grainfather fermenters for 10 gallon batches and 2 Mammoth fermenters for 5 gallon batches. I also keg and carbonate in a freezer with an InkBird temp controller. It’s been a long journey from extract kits to all grain using coolers and a single plastic FastFerment to all stainless and computer control but I have finally found pleasure in my setup and brewing some great beers!
Cheers!

 

[Tartan1]

I am running a custom built all electric RIMS system with Craft BeerPi for control

Nice looking system, good idea using a lift for the heavy stuff it sure saves the wear and tear on the back!!

 

[ZapperMike]

Nice looking system, good idea using a lift for the heavy stuff it sure saves the wear and tear on the back!!

Thank you. Ya the motorcycle lift works out perfectly and gets me to counter height.

 

[Funkfacekliff]

thread appears alive so ill say hi to my fellow hosers. mid 40s, Southwestern ontario my whole life (london area) been home brewing wines on and off since i was a teenager mostly fruit wines, had mostly sucsess a few intresting outcomes. excited to get a batch going this year with all my ingredients grown myself, mostly red wine grapes(forget the strain) some raspberries, and i also have some red mac ,gala and golden delicious apples (tree has several grafted branches). Dont know if i put it all together if its a fruit wine or a cider or somthing else but im gonna find out! hmm... would it "bee" a mead if i also use honey? im gonna need more carbouys

 

[lutherieguy]

If you're going to try a sour in the future, I recomend Rodenbach to start with. You can usually get it around here before and during Christmas Season.

Thanks for the tip.. I will look at the liquor store

 

[lutherieguy]

I'm from Kitchener Ontario just west of Toronto. I’m an electrician specializing in industrial automation so needless to say I am running a custom built all electric RIMS system with Craft BeerPi for control. I currently run 2 Grainfather fermenters for 10 gallon batches and 2 Mammoth fermenters for 5 gallon batches. I also keg and carbonate in a freezer with an InkBird temp controller. It’s been a long journey from extract kits to all grain using coolers and a single plastic FastFerment to all stainless and computer control but I have finally found pleasure in my setup and brewing some great beers!
Cheers!

Welcome. Truly awe inspiring..! a real micro-brewery. I am envious of your space and equipment, while at the same time very satisfied with my own comparatively simple setup. It suits my needs and keeps me busy, and tipsy if not careful. I am sure you produce a very fine product with such a carefully controlled environment. What do you prefer for clarification? Whirfloc.. gelatin.. biofine? Or simply cold crashing and time? I like gelatin best, personally. Though Whirfloc worked well also. In cider and wine I prefer bentonite.

 

[lutherieguy]

thread appears alive so ill say hi to my fellow hosers. mid 40s, Southwestern ontario my whole life (london area) been home brewing wines on and off since i was a teenager mostly fruit wines, had mostly sucsess a few intresting outcomes. excited to get a batch going this year with all my ingredients grown myself, mostly red wine grapes(forget the strain) some raspberries, and i also have some red mac ,gala and golden delicious apples (tree has several grafted branches). Dont know if i put it all together if its a fruit wine or a cider or somthing else but im gonna find out! hmm... would it "bee" a mead if i also use honey? im gonna need more carbouys

Welcome. It sounds very satisfying to make beverages from your own garden products. I want to use my crab apple tree for cider but the deer always beat me to it LOL. My fave so far for taste and ease is making apple cider from the cheapest juice I can find I fill a 5 gallon keg (floating dip tube) with pasteurized apple juice (which all seems to have a gravity of around 1.050). I add a muslin bag filled with 5 cinnamon sticks, 15 cloves, and 50 raisins (AFTER soaking filled bag in minimal amount of boiling water to sterilize! I add the flavoured water also). I then add a slurry made of about 100 ml (1/4 cup) boiling water and a teaspoon of bentonite clay - mixed so there is no clumps and allowed to cool a little before dumping into the juice. I finally add a pack of ale yeast. I use the 11 gram packet of LalBrew Nottinham Ale yeast for a great taste. I leave it in the keg for around a month, with a spunding valve set for around 15 psi. The bubbling of the ferment keeps the bentonite clay in suspension doing its job the whole time. and leaving a crystal clear cider around 5% ABV. It will be dry so I like to backsweeten with around 20% fresh juice as I pressure transfer the carbonated cider to a clean, purged, and counter-pressurized serving keg. It sounds like a lot but it is very easy with no boil required. My last batch I added a pound of dextrose (boiled in minimal amount of water then cooled) to raise ABV, so that when I backsweeten with 20% fresh juice the ABV should still be 5% ABV or higher. Should be done at end of September. I NEVER use yeast nutrient because the 3 times I tried the cider was cloudy and would not clear, and had a sulfur-like taste that was unpleasant. It may speed up the ferment, but any time saved is lost waiting months for it to clear - if ever. That is my experience anyway

 

[ZapperMike]

Welcome. Truly awe inspiring..! a real micro-brewery. I am envious of your space and equipment, while at the same time very satisfied with my own comparatively simple setup. It suits my needs and keeps me busy, and tipsy if not careful. I am sure you produce a very fine product with such a carefully controlled environment. What do you prefer for clarification? Whirfloc.. gelatin.. biofine? Or simply cold crashing and time? I like gelatin best, personally. Though Whirfloc worked well also. In cider and wine I prefer bentonite.

Thank you. The quality of my beer is definitely better since I have total control over temps and process. Using a RIMS system has boosted my efficiency and gives me a super clear wort for the boil. I use Wirlfloc tablets and do a whirlpool while chilling with a plate chiller. I also have conical fermenters and run my finished beer through an inline filter while filling the kegs. I used to just fill my kegs by gravity and purge the air out with Co2 but now I do closed transfers when kegging. That also makes a difference to eliminate oxidation. I’m having a good time and seem to have a lot of friends dropping by for a pint on the patio. Cheers!

 

[ZapperMike]

Welcome. It sounds very satisfying to make beverages from your own garden products. I want to use my crab apple tree for cider but the deer always beat me to it LOL. My fave so far for taste and ease is making apple cider from the cheapest juice I can find I fill a 5 gallon keg (floating dip tube) with pasteurized apple juice (which all seems to have a gravity of around 1.050). I add a muslin bag filled with 5 cinnamon sticks, 15 cloves, and 50 raisins (AFTER soaking filled bag in minimal amount of boiling water to sterilize! I add the flavoured water also). I then add a slurry made of about 100 ml (1/4 cup) boiling water and a teaspoon of bentonite clay - mixed so there is no clumps and allowed to cool a little before dumping into the juice. I finally add a pack of ale yeast. I use the 11 gram packet of LalBrew Nottinham Ale yeast for a great taste. I leave it in the keg for around a month, with a spunding valve set for around 15 psi. The bubbling of the ferment keeps the bentonite clay in suspension doing its job the whole time. and leaving a crystal clear cider around 5% ABV. It will be dry so I like to backsweeten with around 20% fresh juice as I pressure transfer the carbonated cider to a clean, purged, and counter-pressurized serving keg. It sounds like a lot but it is very easy with no boil required. My last batch I added a pound of dextrose (boiled in minimal amount of water then cooled) to raise ABV, so that when I backsweeten with 20% fresh juice the ABV should still be 5% ABV or higher. Should be done at end of September. I NEVER use yeast nutrient because the 3 times I tried the cider was cloudy and would not clear, and had a sulfur-like taste that was unpleasant. It may speed up the ferment, but any time saved is lost waiting months for it to clear - if ever. That is my experience anyway

It sounds like you have a good cider recipe figured out. I make cider as well but mostly from kits or when my local brew shop gets in fresh juice in the fall. I have had a similar experience with sulphur smells and off flavour but I use a modified two stage water filter to remove it. I reversed the flow on the first stage and put in a piece of silicone tubing to fill from the bottom and through a copper mesh. The next stage is a throw away filter element that clears the cider and gets rid of any sediment in the bottles. The sulpher is removed like magic.