I like this time at night on HBT

[Leadgolem]

Boiling won't kill the Clostridium botulinum bacterium, but it will denature the toxins created by it. So, in the case of stored wort, there isn't a health hazard as long as it is boiled once opened.

So, if you are storing wort (in warm, closed containers) for making starters, you must boil and cool before you add your yeast.

Good to know, I hadn't realized boiling would do that to the toxins. I'll tuck it away for later reference.

I've only canned one batch at a friends home brewery using his giant pressure cooker. All that wort is long gone, and I am hoping to buy a canning pressure cooker (this one: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000BYCFU/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20) soon. Passedpawn is right, there is a ton of lively debate on the subject here. Personally, I liked having it in the can and I still kept it in the fridge which was unnecessary since it was canned, but I had the room and it made me feel better.

That's the exact pressure canner I have. It's nice. It's also a perfect pot for bottle pasteurizing. The tray in the bottom keeps your bottles off the bottom so they won't crack from differences in the glass temperature. That's a pretty good price. I like I paid 90 for mine.

The only real drawback, for me anyway, is that running a pressure canner makes me nervous.

This is the one I borrowed.

Enough to can nearly an entire 5 gallon batch. No way I can justify buying one, but he's happy to let me borrow it whenever I want.

Freezing would be great if we had the space. We bought a very large freezer when we got married and into homesteading, but it's pretty much full between fruit, hops, eggplant parmesean we make every year when ingredients are cheap, and all the pork left from the last pig. I think there's probably some of another pig in there in the depths still. I really need to make more sausage and have a big party to use that stuff up.

Yeah, they're shiny. I couldn't justify the cost to myself though.

I know what you mean about the freezer space. I've got two standard fridges, one small chest freezer, and one medium chest freezer in my house. It's pretty much all full. 1 fridge upstairs, 1 fridge downstairs in my Mother's kitchen, 1 small chest freezer with food in it, 1 medium chest freezer for making into a keezer.

Care to share more about the homesteading thing? It sounds interesting.

 

[BobbiLynn]

Well, the chicken training is going well. She mastered a new trick today, flying onto the back of my hand/wrist, so I can carry her around like that. She would walk onto the crook between the back of my hand and wrist and balance there before, but now she'll actually fly up and land that way. Soon, we will be on the road touring. But, we can't go far, I think there are laws against transporting live poultry across state lines. They can carry diseases or whatever. Mad chicken disease or something.

 

[TNGabe]

Care to share more about the homesteading thing? It sounds interesting.

Ugh. Went crazy when we got married and got burnt out. My wife bought about 5 acres before we got married. Maybe when I'm buzzed and feel like telling stories I'll expand on that. I figured since we had the land, we should use it. I also needed work so I came up with ways to make money. Started a small CSA, which was quite the learning experience and almost killed me. Kept a couple acre garden, raised some pigs, had up to 50 chickens at a time between hens and meat birds. This year, no pigs, no garden, no chickens. Didn't even mow for a few months, quite to the neighbors' consternation I'm sure. Will ease back into it next year planting some cane fruit and veggies we can't get at the market, but also keeping an eye on my sanity.

 

[brewingmeister]

Just eat the damn chicken already. I'd recommend salt, pepper, garlic and whatever fresh herbs you have on hand.

 

[Stauffbier]

I'm enjoying a fine Cuban Bolivar Habana with my Irish Knight 2012 RIS with a 1/2tsp of the homemade rum/vanilla extract. D@mn good combination!

Today my "fermentation addiction" kicked in. I had to get some kind of yeast and sugar with each other. So... What did I make? Does it qualify as Mead, or is it just wine? I mixed a gallon of peach/white grape juice with a pound of honey. I pitched the one pack of Cote des Blanc dry yeast I had. It came in at 1.092 OG..

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

I'm enjoying a fine Cuban Bolivar Habana with my Irish Knight 2012 RIS with a 1/2tsp of the homemade rum/vanilla extract. D@mn good combination!

Today my "fermentation addiction" kicked in. I had to get some kind of yeast and sugar with each other. So... What did I make? Does it qualify as Mead, or is it just wine? I mixed a gallon of peach/white grape juice with a pound of honey. I pitched the one pack of Cote des Blanc dry yeast I had. It came in at 1.092 OG..

Sounds too light on the honey to be a mead, some sort of cyser or pyment maybe? Anyway, sounds good, whatever the label.

 

[beaksnbeer]

Where theres a will theres way so











I moved it by my self about 150-200 lbs started at 9 and was done around 1 needed a few beers

 

[Leadgolem]

Ugh. Went crazy when we got married and got burnt out. My wife bought about 5 acres before we got married. Maybe when I'm buzzed and feel like telling stories I'll expand on that. I figured since we had the land, we should use it. I also needed work so I came up with ways to make money. Started a small CSA, which was quite the learning experience and almost killed me. Kept a couple acre garden, raised some pigs, had up to 50 chickens at a time between hens and meat birds. This year, no pigs, no garden, no chickens. Didn't even mow for a few months, quite to the neighbors' consternation I'm sure. Will ease back into it next year planting some cane fruit and veggies we can't get at the market, but also keeping an eye on my sanity.

Sanity is good. Sometimes I overload myself with projects too...actually I do that frequently. I like to have different kinds of things I can do all the time.

I'm enjoying a fine Cuban Bolivar Habana with my Irish Knight 2012 RIS with a 1/2tsp of the homemade rum/vanilla extract. D@mn good combination!

Today my "fermentation addiction" kicked in. I had to get some kind of yeast and sugar with each other. So... What did I make? Does it qualify as Mead, or is it just wine? I mixed a gallon of peach/white grape juice with a pound of honey. I pitched the one pack of Cote des Blanc dry yeast I had. It came in at 1.092 OG..

Hmm, I think I would say yummy. Yup, definately yummy.

I'm going to let the starter run for a couple more days, but I'm going to start my batch of something awful anyway. Fermented sugar water solution. In a couple of days I'll do the banana wine, unless I find some nice seasonal cider in the mean time.

I'll also be making some syrups to use in the something awful when it's done. I have a nice apple pie syrup. I'm thinking a cherry and a banana syrup for sure. I'm open to suggestions for others.

Fall is the season for fermenting for me. I can't do much in the yard when the weather starts turning. Everything is ripening. Good stuff. Though I'll still try and see if I can get that landscaping fabric down here pretty soon.

I didn't really have any work to do, so I started my vacation a bit early. I don't need to go back to work until Monday the 14th of October.

 

[emjay]

Someone on my local Facebook classifieds was selling the 20 quart model for $50. Thing was pristine, looked brand new. I got there too late probably haunt me for the rest of my life. I like them because they don't have seals, it's a machined fit. No gaskets.

Neato! Where'd you hear about them?

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

I didn't really have any work to do, so I started my vacation a bit early. I don't need to go back to work until Monday the 14th of October.

Nice. I am 5 weeks into the 14 week conveyor-belt-o-madness that is college teaching until early/mid December. Then I am off until about March 1. Sounds like a lot of time (and it is), but the intensity of the semester makes it pretty necessary.

 

[bottlebomber]

They can carry diseases or whatever. Mad chicken disease or something.

If you want to go that route you'll have to start feeding them chicken.

Where theres a will theres way so I moved it by my self about 150-200 lbs started at 9 and was done around 1 needed a few beers

Ha! That's awesome!

Neato! Where'd you hear about them?

I can't remember for sure but I think some hotshot internet ******* pointed me in their direction.

 

[emjay]

I can't remember for sure but I think some hotshot internet ******* pointed me in their direction.

Sounds like an awesome dude. The world desperately needs more guys like him.

 

[bottlebomber]

Sounds like an awesome dude. The world desperately needs more guys like him.

Actually, you wouldn't like him.

 

[Leadgolem]

My something awful is going now. Gravity was 1.164. I overshot a little with the sugar. 2 tbs yeast nutrient, 4.5 tsp yeast energizer, and 30 grams DADY. The batch is about 4.75 gallons. I buy distillers yeast in 1lb bulk packages, so I don't mind using lots of it.

The point of this is to remove the need for me to buy distilled neutral alcohol. Vodka, everclear, etc... to make mixers with. Since this will obviously have much more water in it then a distilled beverage the syrups are a must. They will have much less water then the typical soda I use as a mixer. Once the keezer is running, and the something awful has time to mellow, I'll probably put it on tap. Not sure yet if this is brilliant, or idiotic. Time will tell.

In honor of Stauf's batch I'm tasting some white cranberry peach juice I fermented last December, 7% ABV. At a first tasting, it's kinda nasty. Sour and bitter. Some fruit flavor, but not much. After adding an inch of simple syrup to a tall glass and mixing, it's much better. More obvious peach flavor, and the sour and bitter is now pretty much balanced by the sweet. It's actually pretty good. I'm glad I didn't dump it when I tasted the FG sample.

 

[bottlebomber]

You'll definitely be testing the limits of alcohol tolerance on your yeast with that. That's got to be close to a 25% potential ABV with that high of gravity.

 

[Stauffbier]

I have another noob wine making question. I'm sure my honey/peach "wine" will need some extended aging time. Should I just leave it on the primary yeast cake for the duration? Meaning many months if not longer... Or should I rack it off of the cake after fermentation subsides?

 

[emjay]

I have another noob wine making question. I'm sure my honey/peach "wine" will need some extended aging time. Should I just leave it on the primary yeast cake for the duration? Meaning many months if not longer... Or should I rack it off of the cake after fermentation subsides?

I've had autolysis show up in an apfelwein I left on the yeast for nearly a year. I have a rule now not to leave it for longer than 6 months, but I'll generally limit it to 3-4 months nowadays.

 

[Stauffbier]

I've had autolysis show up in an apfelwein I left on the yeast for nearly a year. I have a rule now not to leave it for longer than 6 months, but I'll generally limit it to 3-4 months nowadays.

That's kind of how I was thinking as well. With beer I usually don't go over 2 months. I've read that many people go longer without problems, but I prefer to not take chances. I'll rack this wine off after fermentation. I guess I should top it off with more peach juice in the secondary too..

 

[brewingmeister]

I have another noob wine making question. I'm sure my honey/peach "wine" will need some extended aging time. Should I just leave it on the primary yeast cake for the duration? Meaning many months if not longer... Or should I rack it off of the cake after fermentation subsides?

Is there fruit pulp is this melomel?

 

[Leadgolem]

You'll definitely be testing the limits of alcohol tolerance on your yeast with that. That's got to be close to a 25% potential ABV with that high of gravity.

If it ferments to 1.000 21.9%. The alcohol tolerance of the yeast is 23, so close but not to the limit. I expect this to finish pretty low though. I would say the bottom end is probably 0.990, so 23.2%. Just over the alcohol tolerance of this yeast.

If it stalls slightly short of that, it isn't really a problem. As long as it's not to sweet.

I have another noob wine making question. I'm sure my honey/peach "wine" will need some extended aging time. Should I just leave it on the primary yeast cake for the duration? Meaning many months if not longer... Or should I rack it off of the cake after fermentation subsides?

I've had autolysis show up in an apfelwein I left on the yeast for nearly a year. I have a rule now not to leave it for longer than 6 months, but I'll generally limit it to 3-4 months nowadays.

I've had wine go soy sauce ish between weeks 6-8. So I don't let them stay on the yeast more then 6 weeks anymore. It's not common, but it makes for some terrible wine.

 

[TNGabe]

If it ferments to 1.000 21.9%. The alcohol tolerance of the yeast is 23, so close but not to the limit. I expect this to finish pretty low though. I would say the bottom end is probably 0.990, so 23.2%. Just over the alcohol tolerance of this yeast.

If it stalls slightly short of that, it isn't really a problem. As long as it's not to sweet.




I've had wine go soy sauce ish between weeks 6-8. So I don't let them stay on the yeast more then 6 weeks anymore. It's not common, but it makes for some terrible wine.

Why not just drink kerosene and koolaid?

 

[Leadgolem]

I just spent $110 on Amazon. Buying clothes. Earlier today, I spent over 4 hours looking in local clothing stores for something I can wear to work. Nothing. I hate being allergic to cotton. My hands are itchy now from touching so many pieces of cotton fabric too.

 

[Leadgolem]

Why not just drink kerosene and koolaid?

I do sometimes. Haven't you been on here when I've gotten into the bottle of everclear I bought to make extracts with?

 

[lschiavo]

That's kind of how I was thinking as well. With beer I usually don't go over 2 months. I've read that many people go longer without problems, but I prefer to not take chances. I'll rack this wine off after fermentation. I guess I should top it off with more peach juice in the secondary too..

I am far from an expert but the few wines I have made from scratch (apple and rhubarb) have been racked from primary within a month. The fruit has been taken out after a week or two and topped off with water. I loosly follow yoopers crabapple and rhubarb recipes and they have been winners. I have 200 bottles worth of apples in the freezer. Half should be on their way this weekend.

 

[brewingmeister]

Why not just drink kerosene and koolaid?

I gotta agree with this....well kinda. (you would be better off huffing the kerosene)

Many years ago I made the big pack of liquor quik with a huge restaurant size bag of sugar....I took it to over 80 proof with concentrating.

Just buy the hard booze, it's not worth it.

 

[TNGabe]

I just spent $110 on Amazon. Buying clothes. Earlier today, I spent over 4 hours looking in local clothing stores for something I can wear to work. Nothing. I hate being allergic to cotton. My hands are itchy now from touching so many pieces of cotton fabric too.

Allergic to cotton? You are so strange! :fro:

I do sometimes. Haven't you been on here when I've gotten into the bottle of everclear I bought to make extracts with?

I have indeed. Always makes me shudder a little in rememberance of everbeer parties in college. I'd always bring something to drink, but watching people drink natty light with a shot of everclear in the bottom was still pretty gross.

 

[lschiavo]

Why not just drink kerosene and koolaid?

Oh Yeah!!!!

 

[TNGabe]

Oh Yeah!!!!

I think I found a Halloween costume for LG!

 

[lschiavo]

I just spent $110 on Amazon. Buying clothes. Earlier today, I spent over 4 hours looking in local clothing stores for something I can wear to work. Nothing. I hate being allergic to cotton. My hands are itchy now from touching so many pieces of cotton fabric too.

That sounds rough. I think I am allergic to "not cotton". I also have an extreme alergy to ****ty foreign made crap that gets gobbled up in this country.

I asked my wife to pick me up some pocket tees for work and she did, 100% cotton just like I like. Only problem, the pocket leaks on all four of the shirts she bought. I just ripped one off in frustration. How much more would I have to pay to have a sturdy pocket on my t-shirt? Is it the thread that's expensive or just that (NorthCrest made in India) thinks I won't notice? Well I noticed! I'm only buying shirts from china now. They cant sew worth a **** in India.

 

[brewingmeister]

How does a pocket leak? did you pour a brew in it?