New Zealand Brewers

[Pkrd]

Hey guys, looking at buying a malt mill. Doesn't seem to be much choice out there and considering something like this but would prefer to buy from a NZ store.

Looks like Brewshop had the same mill, bit cheaper.
http://www.brewshop.co.nz/grain-mill-with-hopper.html

 

[ol-hazza]

I saw that, its out of stock, same at the brewhouse

 

[Microphobik]

I can't seem to find anything out there for that low of a price. http://www.barleycrusher.com/ was the closest I knew of and they do ship internationally. But it looks like their prices recently went up. A month or two ago they were only $119 if I remember right. But after the exchange and shipping, tit doesn't seem like it would be worth it. Curious what the quality is like on these cheaper ones though.

 

[Mohanz]

Yeah nothing that cheap but Karl has a few at Brewtopia for $197 - looks like top quality parts though.

http://shop.brewtopia.net.nz/produc...ucts_id=327&osCsid=tergc6g8o825mkgb6doheknk36

 

[ol-hazza]

Looks like its the same as brewshops but with protective plastic left on it. Might wait untill they have one back n stock as there is no real rush

 

[Mohanz]

Made a hoppy pils yesterday using Motueka and Riwaka. Looking forward to it as never had a temp controlled environment for fermentation and lagering. Using Saflager 23, hopefully it turns out ok!

 

[Iseneye]

Made a hoppy pils yesterday using Motueka and Riwaka. Looking forward to it as never had a temp controlled environment for fermentation and lagering. Using Saflager 23, hopefully it turns out ok!

Nice, I'm about to do the same in two or three weeks. I've brewed JZs BoPils before and this is a straight adaption of that.

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 26.90 l
Post Boil Volume: 18.20 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 15.00 l
Bottling Volume: 13.30 l
Estimated OG: 1.051 SG
Estimated Color: 7.7 EBC
Estimated IBU: 41.9 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 64.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 74.7 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
3.50 kg Gladfield Pilsner Malt (3.8 EBC) Grain 1 90.9 %
0.35 kg Gladfield Gladiator Malt (10.0 EBC) Grain 2 9.1 %
9.00 g Motueka [7.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 10.6 IBUs
9.00 g Riwaka [5.25 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 7.9 IBUs
11.00 g Motueka [7.00 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 5 9.9 IBUs
11.00 g Riwaka [5.25 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 6 7.5 IBUs
0.98 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 7 -
8.00 g Motueka [7.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 3.4 IBUs
8.00 g Riwaka [5.25 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 9 2.6 IBUs
10.00 g Motueka [7.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 10 0.0 IBUs
10.00 g Riwaka [5.25 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 11 0.0 IBUs
0.7 pkg Pilsner Lager (White Labs #WLP800) [35.4 Yeast 12 -


Mash Schedule: BIAB, Pilsner Step Mash
Total Grain Weight: 3.85 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Protein Rest Add 29.25 l of water at 57.0 C 55.0 C 15 min
Saccharification Heat to 63.0 C over 11 min 63.0 C 45 min
Saccharification Add 0.00 l of water and heat to 70.0 C 70.0 C 30 min
Mash Out Heat to 78.0 C over 6 min 78.0 C 10 min

 

[Mohanz]

Nice one, mine was something like this:

5kg Gladfields Pilsner Malt
500g Gladfields CaraPils
OG 1.056
IBU: 40

75mins = 10g Motueka
30mins = 25g Motueka
15mins = 75g Riwaka (Plus Whirfloc)
0 mins = 50g Motueka & 50g Riwaka whirlpool

2 x packs Saflager-23

Doesnt look like the Yeast has started fermenting yet, but i honestly can never tell - last year i used this yeast it took 5days to show any activity.

 

[Mohanz]

Pils has been fermenting at 12C for 7days, just took a sample and its tasting pretty good. quite a lot of fruity/banana esters on the nose, but hopefully that falls way after fermentation finishes. It was sitting at 1.016 so starting my diacetyl rest at 15C for 48hrs before I sample again then cold crash. Is this the right way to go about it?

Also in other news I will be getting that Kegerator next month but I'll be replacing the taps with something like this so look forward to some n00b questions haha

 

[Iseneye]

Pils has been fermenting at 12C for 7days, just took a sample and its tasting pretty good. quite a lot of fruity/banana esters on the nose, but hopefully that falls way after fermentation finishes. It was sitting at 1.016 so starting my diacetyl rest at 15C for 48hrs before I sample again then cold crash. Is this the right way to go about it?

Seems alright. I ferment a bit cooler than you - start at 8 then increase to 10 over two days.

People recommend doing the diacetyl rest when the SG is around 1.020 so that the yeast are still active. If you can't taste or feel the diacetyl then there's no real need to do one. Having said that I still do them out of habit.

 

[Mohanz]

cheers for the feedback bro, yeah i haven't really used this yeast so i put it at the low end of its ideal temperature range. probably could have gone lower though.

The rest got that last lot of activity knocked out, and its looking clear as; will taste it tonight to see how it is. Just wondering if i should immediately cold crash, or drop it back to like 10-11C to condition for a few days prior to crashing? also have no idea about dry hopping it either as i know the cold temps of lagering slow down this process. I was thinking of doing a dry hop of 100g for 14days at 1C before moving to secondary and lager for a further 2-4weeks

 

[ol-hazza]

Been having some adventures with my new keg recently.

Firstly the natural carbonation didn't seem to work properly. 130g of dextrose into a 19l keg, and two weeks later no real carbonation.

Then my sodastream adaptor finally arrived, wasted half the bottle trying to get the nipple at the right height so that the pin was depressed, but not so far that it couldn't close properly.
Finally go it adjusted and gave it all a good squirt with soapy water to check for leaks. Found a couple and tightened them up, no more leaks.

However when I checked it this morning gauges are reading zero, so there goes my no leak theory. I'm figuring that the leak is coming from the regulator - adaptor join, which I couldn't tighten as I only had one spanner which was big enough.

So when I get home today I'm going to get some plumbers tape onto it, try a new sodastream cannister and tighten the joins in the hope that this one works.
Must have just missed that join when i was testing it, or perhaps I didn't spray enough on the gas quick connect.

Rant over.

 

[NZLunchie]

Been having some adventures with my new keg recently.

Firstly the natural carbonation didn't seem to work properly. 130g of dextrose into a 19l keg, and two weeks later no real carbonation.

Then my sodastream adaptor finally arrived, wasted half the bottle trying to get the nipple at the right height so that the pin was depressed, but not so far that it couldn't close properly.
Finally go it adjusted and gave it all a good squirt with soapy water to check for leaks. Found a couple and tightened them up, no more leaks.

However when I checked it this morning gauges are reading zero, so there goes my no leak theory. I'm figuring that the leak is coming from the regulator - adaptor join, which I couldn't tighten as I only had one spanner which was big enough.

So when I get home today I'm going to get some plumbers tape onto it, try a new sodastream cannister and tighten the joins in the hope that this one works.
Must have just missed that join when i was testing it, or perhaps I didn't spray enough on the gas quick connect.

Rant over.

Been there my friend, many many times. I've found overusing the teflon tape on the bottle itself helps seal leaks. I have had a leaking bottle a couple of times, getting a little over excited tightening and the spanner slips off the brass and boom, slight leak.

Yet to try a natural carb. LHBS does that and swears but it. I'm far to impatient for that ****!

 

[ol-hazza]

On the natural carb also too impatient, especially this time of year with the cooler temps. Should have left it in the ferm chamber but why think of that a week ago.

Didnt end up getting another tank tonight, might borrow a mates tank to get it under pressure while im away for the weekend though. Put a decent amount into this brew n would be a shame to oxydise it

 

[Pkrd]

I looked into the sodastream bottles but then figured out that in NZ they are only half as big as in the US, and cost twice as much. :smack:

Kegged my Nelson red IPA tonight.

 

[ol-hazza]

Yeh its a stepping stone for me to get into kegging while I save up the 300 to buy a decent bottle.

Do you rent or did you buy one? I've heard different stories about the merits of each

 

[Pkrd]

Purchased a 2kg bottle here in Palmy for $200.

 

[ol-hazza]

Do you have any trouble filling it? Ive heard that in Taranaki most engineers shops are attached with botle rental schemes that aren't very well priced and refuse to fill bottles you own.

 

[Mohanz]

Yeah id be interested to know how long they last too, like how long would a 5kg tank last?
In Welly we can get 5kg swaps, but not many places fill your own bottle - sounds like the same problem with the swapa schemes.

 

[ol-hazza]

Oh and in other exciting news I made my first sour beer. Pitched some dodgy old harvested yeast that had a pellicle on top of it. Disgusting plasticy flavour at first but now it is getting quite sour after about 3-4 months.

Probably going to have to blend it to make it sessionable, and I really have no idea what I'm doing (other than never keeping harvested yeast in the fridge for months and using it without a starter) or aiming for but that could be half the fun.

The one question I do need answered is If I do end up blending, will it stay stable or will it turn the blend as sour as the original beer?

 

[Microphobik]

Oh and in other exciting news I made my first sour beer. Pitched some dodgy old harvested yeast that had a pellicle on top of it. Disgusting plasticy flavour at first but now it is getting quite sour after about 3-4 months.

Probably going to have to blend it to make it sessionable, and I really have no idea what I'm doing (other than never keeping harvested yeast in the fridge for months and using it without a starter) or aiming for but that could be half the fun.

The one question I do need answered is If I do end up blending, will it stay stable or will it turn the blend as sour as the original beer?

While I haven't done it, if you are blending a sour beer with a regular (non-soured) beer, the bacteria will go to work on the starch in your regular beer and start to sour it as well unless you pasteurize. Or so I'd think. However if the new beer is fermented a bit dryer, and/or kept clean of any bacteria until after the fermentation is completed it's possible there will be less for the bacteria to work on, resulting in a less sour beer. But I wouldn't imagine by all that much.

Your biggest concern with that approach would be making sure everything was fermented out before bottling. If you blend and bottle the bacteria may start to do it's thing and cause bottle bombs. You also want to get some PBW and really make sure you've cleaned your gear good. Once that bacteria is in it's hard to get out. I'd go and label any plastic fermenters or tubing that touched this one and dedicate it for sours only going forward.

 

[ol-hazza]

Yeh i was planning on not using this fermenter for clean beers anymore, so i guess now i will have to have a sour constantly on the go.

I did a bit more reading on sours and they can ferment dextrins so they sure will keep going. Might just leave this one for a few more months and see where it ends up before blending.

 

[ol-hazza]

Anyone brewing for competition this year? I'm nervously thinking about it. My beers get good feedback from my mates but they won't be anywhere near as discerning as a competition judge.

Beervana has a competition next month as well as the SOBA national homebrew cometition in October/November.

 

[Mohanz]

Oh snap did know there was one at beervana! Not sure if i have anything decent enough to put in, potentially my hoppy pilsner but don't have enough time to bottle it as it's still lagering.

 

[ol-hazza]

Yeh I found out a bit late too. Have one batch Kegged atm, but its still carrying a bit of heat in the aftertaste and is a bit low on aroma. I'm thinking if I can notice flaws the judges will crucify it. I have a second in the fermenter brewed last weekend that I might be able to squeeze in if I get my second keg in time but that will be majorly pushing it.

Beervana's categories are interesting as well...

 

[Mohanz]

Baptism by fire bro, Its worth it to get some feedback, even if it is a bit harsh.

Yeah those categories are a bit of a surprise, fairly specific. Maybe I'll give the amber ale section a hoon. I'm not overly impressed with mine but will be interesting to see what the judges say.

 

[ol-hazza]

i just find it weid how they have an ale category as well as pale ale, amber ale, dark ale, ipa and dark. Kind of doubles up as all of those are ales.

Also have to get bottling from a keg down pat. Will have to make me one of those counterpressure fillers with a bung and a bike tube valve. Anyone gt some experience with that?

 

[crusader1612]

Anyone brewing for competition this year? I'm nervously thinking about it. My beers get good feedback from my mates but they won't be anywhere near as discerning as a competition judge.

Beervana has a competition next month as well as the SOBA national homebrew cometition in October/November.

The NHC is a great competition, good feedback ;ast year. and even a medal for me.
go for it, get feedback it can only help your brewing.

 

[crusader1612]

i just find it weid how they have an ale category as well as pale ale, amber ale, dark ale, ipa and dark. Kind of doubles up as all of those are ales.

Also have to get bottling from a keg down pat. Will have to make me one of those counterpressure fillers with a bung and a bike tube valve. Anyone gt some experience with that?

Buy a beer gun, they're worth their weight in gold.

 

[Pkrd]

The NHC is a great competition, good feedback ;ast year. and even a medal for me.
go for it, get feedback it can only help your brewing.

I think I might put a few in for that.

Beervana rules and regs says they only give feedback to the finalists.