Philly area Homebrewers

[Gitmoe]

I have a couple of questions:

Where are the best places for single bottles/six packs north of town (Glenside/Abington)?

The Bottle Shop in Southampton has a great selection. Little pricey but aren't they all? I shop at Capone's in Norristown a lot since it's super close to my house.

 

[Gitmoe]

Lagunitas Lil Sumpin Sumpin in fridge now.
Monk in the Yunk bottle conditioning. Will be ready for wife's bday.
Fonthill Farmhouse Saison ready mid Sept
Simcoe IIPA ready for my birthday in late Sept

I see you shop at Keystone... I work there full time as their graphic designer and a regular sales guy. I'm the big fat guy with a beard. That'll narrow it down...

 

[temple240]

I've been saying it for awhile now but I'm really going to try to make it to the GLUB meeting next week. Hopefully my pale ale will be ready. It's carbing now and I haven't sampled it yet.

 

[gone_fishing]

Gitmoe, I've talked with you a few times. I was there last night 10 minutes before closing to get some supplies. Having trouble figuring out the saison. The SG was 1.012 9 days after brewing so I moved it to a carboy. Now it's still bubbling a little at a time so I'm letting it sit.

 

[Coff]

Gitmoe, I've talked with you a few times. I was there last night 10 minutes before closing to get some supplies. Having trouble figuring out the saison. The SG was 1.012 9 days after brewing so I moved it to a carboy. Now it's still bubbling a little at a time so I'm letting it sit.

This is why I always keep frozen vials of 3711 on hand, I use it to finish out Saisons all the time. Grab yourself a smack pack and pitch it into your Saison, it will dry out in a week.

 

[Gitmoe]

This is why I always keep frozen vials of 3711 on hand, I use it to finish out Saisons all the time. Grab yourself a smack pack and pitch it into your Saison, it will dry out in a week.

That's pretty sound advice. A lot of saison strains will leave you hanging between 1.015-1.025 for no apparent reason. A repitch is always a great option. Since you're down to 1.012 I'd guess that will finish on it's own but it could take a while. I love saisons but I really hate dealing with saison yeast strains...

 

[mcbaumannerb]

I just bottled my first saison and I used 3726 (a friend sent me a vial) and that took it from 1.056 to 1.002 without a pause. The gravity sample tasted great too so I'm glad I have three jars of that yeast in the fridge now!

 

[temple240]

I've used 3711 exclusively so far for saisons. It's just so damn easy and delicious.

 

[Gitmoe]

A lot of our customers and members of GLUB have had great experience with the Lallemand Belle Saison dry yeast. I really wanted to brew with it this summer but I haven't had time to brew since maybe early June. I'm brewing next week no matter what, no excuses. My buddy who is a cellarman for EPIC Brewing Co out of Salt Lake City / Denver will be in town and we're gonna geek out and do a collab...

 

[wobrien]

I haven't had time to brew since maybe early June. I'm brewing next week no matter what, no excuses.

Just left Keystone. I haven't had any time to brew since my one year old was born, but with #2 showing up in Nov I am making time to brew this weekend. Got all my ingredients for a big RIS. it's been too long.

 

[dfess1]

Just left Keystone. I haven't had any time to brew since my one year old was born, but with #2 showing up in Nov I am making time to brew this weekend. Got all my ingredients for a big RIS. it's been too long.

I haven't brewed since end of May. June saw too many things on every weekend, culminating with NHC at the end of the month. July was vacation and ungodly humidity. August has just been busy. But not sunday. Only question is what am I brewing, and can I get what I need in time. Wanna make a personal delivery Gitmoe?

 

[tennesseean_87]

As a Pastoral intern, Sundays are work days and Saturdays are prime sermon prep time. But I get Mondays off so I can drag my brewing stuff all over the apartment while SWMBO's at work.

 

[Gitmoe]

Wanna make a personal delivery Gitmoe?

Nope, unless I can break your knees when I get there...

 

[Gitmoe]

stop by keystone today, I might actually be brewing beer at work. It's rare, but it happens. We need to fill a firkin for a new thing we're doing... Who wants a New Zealand hopped saison from a cask?

 

[BootsyFlanootsy]

I almost exclusively make farmhouse style ales. I don't get what all the fuss is over 3724/575 in re: under-attenuation. As long as your wort is highly fermentable and your primary temps are in the 80f-95f range.... you should be fine. I suspect most people try to make higher gravity Saisons ... 5.5%abv and up, which may account for the dreaded "stall". All of mine are usually finished in 3 weeks, maximum. I find 3711 to be bland and one-dimensional. just because it quickly dries an ale out to virtually nil is the reason I suspect most people are fond of it. I also suspect one could achieve similar results with champagne yeast.

I think a better choice than pitching 3711 into a stalled DuPont strain ferment, is to pitch Brett. waaaaaay more character.

on a related note I just tapped a keg of a farmhouse that was made with the new white labs, platinum saison blend. Very, very nice. From grain to glass in under three weeks.

 

[Coff]

I almost exclusively make farmhouse style ales. I don't get what all the fuss is over 3724/575 in re: under-attenuation. As long as your wort is highly fermentable and your primary temps are in the 80f-95f range.... you should be fine. I suspect most people try to make higher gravity Saisons ... 5.5%abv and up, which may account for the dreaded "stall". All of mine are usually finished in 3 weeks, maximum. I find 3711 to be bland and one-dimensional. just because it quickly dries an ale out to virtually nil is the reason I suspect most people are fond of it. I also suspect one could achieve similar results with champagne yeast.

I think a better choice than pitching 3711 into a stalled DuPont strain ferment, is to pitch Brett. waaaaaay more character.

on a related note I just tapped a keg of a farmhouse that was made with the new white labs, platinum saison blend. Very, very nice. From grain to glass in under three weeks.

I brew mostly Famhouses to, and for years I didn't get why people had issues with DuPont stalling until this March. I brewed a half barrel simple Saison and split it into 3 better bottles, 565, 3711 and ECY08. 3711 finished at 1.002, ECY08 at 1.005 and 565 at 1.022.

Now I just pitched a healthy Brett slurry and funked it up but not everyone wants to play with Brett. So I think the better advice is to use 3711 to dry it out, champagne would work too I suppose. I kind of agree with 3711 being a bit bland, but your yeast character is already there in a stalled beer.

I just pitched Saison III into an Amber Saison last week, I'm happy to hear it's working out good.

 

[Gitmoe]

I don't get what all the fuss is over 3724/575 in re: under-attenuation. As long as your wort is highly fermentable and your primary temps are in the 80f-95f range....

Most homebrewers who only brew one or two farmhouse beers a year would never think to ferment that warm. 70-75 is what most brewers ferment at regardless of style or strain. When I help customers wanting to make a farmhouse beer I suggest fermenting above 80 and they all look at me like I'm crazy. We ferment our farmhouse kits at keystone in our sunroom which stays about 85 all the time in the summer. Our Fonthill Farmhouse is probably my favorite recipe in our selection right now. Solid farmhouse base + New Zealand hops = win...

 

[joshbhs04]

Most homebrewers who only brew one or two farmhouse beers a year would never think to ferment that warm. 70-75 is what most brewers ferment at regardless of style or strain. When I help customers wanting to make a farmhouse beer I suggest fermenting above 80 and they all look at me like I'm crazy. We ferment our farmhouse kits at keystone in our sunroom which stays about 85 all the time in the summer. Our Fonthill Farmhouse is probably my favorite recipe in our selection right now. Solid farmhouse base + New Zealand hops = win...

Which keystone do you work at? Im moving to Wynnewood on Wednesday and will be hitting up some stores to replenish my supplies.

 

[Gitmoe]

Which keystone do you work at? Im moving to Wynnewood on Wednesday and will be hitting up some stores to replenish my supplies.

I work at Montgomeryville. Best homebrew shop on the planet....

 

[Gitmoe]

I'm selling a kettle... who wants it?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f16/15g-kettle-hlt-428777/#post5460884

 

[tennesseean_87]

People keep mentioning using champagne yeast to finish stalled beers, but from what I read elsewhere, that doesn't work. Though they have high alcohol tolerance, they only eat simple sugars (those found in grapes, for instance), so they won't do anything for the stuff a brewer's yeast won't eat. They can be used to re-yeast at bottling, though, if you prime with table/corn sugar.

 

[abarnett]

Does anyone want a free keezer and fermentation box, in the Jenkintown area? I'm upgrading to something a little more energy efficient.

The keezer is based on an old commercial freezer, so it has casters and a flat bottom. It's higher off the ground which makes it easier to get kegs in and out. It can also keep things at 38 degrees using the built-in thermostat.

The fermentation box connects to the keezer via flexiduct (the 4-inch stuff for dryer vents). A thermostat in the fermentation box turns on fans in the keezer to bring cold air over.

Included: freezer, collar (already drilled for 3 shanks), plywood lid, several fans, power supply for fans, fermentation box, thermostat for the fermentation box, and the original glass top for the freezer.

Not included: flexiduct, shanks, faucets, drip tray, lines, co2 or regulator.

This is not a turn-key keezer; it's ugly and needs to be cleaned. You'll also need to provide faucets, lines, co2, etc. But the price is right if you have time for a project. The freezer would make a great fermentation chamber in its own right if you add a temperature controller.

Delivery may be possible. PM me if interested.

 

[gone_fishing]

Bottled Fonthill Saison today. I am very excited to try this one out in a few weeks. I also ordered a Chimay Blue clone from Austin Homebrew. It's my wife and my neighbor's favorite beer. Neighbor said she's pay for the kit if I brewed it. My thought is I ask for 1/2 the cost and she supplies the bottles.

I wanted to get input on bottling v kegging. Despite this only being my 3rd time bottling I am not a fan. I'd much rather eliminate most of the bottles and just keg it. I have a beer fridge that I'd like to put a 2-3 tap system into. Thoughts and input?

 

[wobrien]

I wanted to get input on bottling v kegging.

I like to keg IPAs/APAs or anything else I like to drink fresh. Kegging is much easier and faster and I like having beer on tap. However, beers that I don't drink as quickly or beers I want to stick around longer, I bottle.

A chimay blue I would bottle bc that style improves with age. I tend to use larger format bottles to make bottling go quicker also.

 

[FreddyMar3]

I work at Montgomeryville. Best homebrew shop on the planet....

True that. So sad that I live out on the mainline now and have to drive 40 minutes to get to heaven on earth.

 

[dfess1]

I like to keg IPAs/APAs or anything else I like to drink fresh. Kegging is much easier and faster and I like having beer on tap. However, beers that I don't drink as quickly or beers I want to stick around longer, I bottle.

A chimay blue I would bottle bc that style improves with age. I tend to use larger format bottles to make bottling go quicker also.

I am pretty much the same way. I have a three tap system in my house, and as such brew lower ABV beers to put on tap, with the occasional DIPA. Big beers seem to stick on a tap FOREVER. And since I like variety, I'd rather put the big beers in bottles. Yeah, bottling sucks, but you never really get away from it. Just cut way back depending on what you're brewing!

 

[ehope411]

Does anyone want a free keezer and fermentation box, in the Jenkintown area? I'm upgrading to something a little more energy efficient.

The keezer is based on an old commercial freezer, so it has casters and a flat bottom. It's higher off the ground which makes it easier to get kegs in and out. It can also keep things at 38 degrees using the built-in thermostat.

The fermentation box connects to the keezer via flexiduct (the 4-inch stuff for dryer vents). A thermostat in the fermentation box turns on fans in the keezer to bring cold air over.

Included: freezer, collar (already drilled for 3 shanks), plywood lid, several fans, power supply for fans, fermentation box, thermostat for the fermentation box, and the original glass top for the freezer.

Not included: flexiduct, shanks, faucets, drip tray, lines, co2 or regulator.

This is not a turn-key keezer; it's ugly and needs to be cleaned. You'll also need to provide faucets, lines, co2, etc. But the price is right if you have time for a project. The freezer would make a great fermentation chamber in its own right if you add a temperature controller.

Delivery may be possible. PM me if interested.

Could you post some pics?

 

[abarnett]

Could you post some pics?

I'll post some tonight after work. I had some on my phone, but they were cleared off last time I sync'ed.

 

[Gitmoe]

I wanted to get input on bottling v kegging. Despite this only being my 3rd time bottling I am not a fan. I'd much rather eliminate most of the bottles and just keg it. I have a beer fridge that I'd like to put a 2-3 tap system into. Thoughts and input?

Kegging is amazing. I have 4 regular taps, 1 nitro line, and will be adding a beer engine in October for cask style ales. That being said, bottling is still nice from time to time. I brew almost exclusively 10g batches so I'll keg 5 and bottle 5. I almost never use 120z bottles though. I really like the 500ml euro bottles and often use standard 220z bombers. If you're going to continue bottling get a Fast Rack and Vinator (sulfinator). Both are fantastic products for home bottling...

 

[gone_fishing]

Ok, input on best beer bars in the area.

My votes:

Bucks Co: Jamison Pour House (Jamison), Moms (Doylestown), Tony's (Ivyland)
NE Philly: Grey Lodge
Philly: Memphis, Monks
Delco: Despite being from there originally I have no idea.