Salvaging the Hobby

[ericbw]

Hobbies are supposed to be enjoyable. You're freaking out over the little stuff and not enjoying the big success of hitting the right FG, etc.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Having done exactly the same thing you're describing once, it's nothing but a mess trying to restart the autosiphon when you're close to the trub. You'll just end up piping up a bunch of the muck that you racked to secondary to avoid, plus a lot of air as well. Let it be!

I was just so furious to waste so much. It was exactly that. As soon as I gave the autosiphon one more pump to get it back going, it had a tube full of goodies. So I caught it and took it as a loss. Nothing unwanted got into secondary. There is a decent amount of head space, obviously.. I'll likely hop tonight and bottle by the end of the week I think. That will make it bottled about 2-3 days short of recipe suggestion. I just don't want to risk anything happening to the rest.

Hobbies are supposed to be enjoyable. You're freaking out over the little stuff and not enjoying the big success of hitting the right FG, etc.

I am enjoying it, but I originally quit because of an infected beer. This is my first one back and was just using the forum to critique this batch to help me assess my weaknesses and understanding, or lack of.

 

[ericbw]

I was just so furious to waste so much. It was exactly that. As soon as I gave the autosiphon one more pump to get it back going, it had a tube full of goodies. So I caught it and took it as a loss. Nothing unwanted got into secondary. There is a decent amount of head space, obviously.. I'll likely hop tonight and bottle by the end of the week I think. That will make it bottled about 2-3 days short of recipe suggestion. I just don't want to risk anything happening to the rest.



I am enjoying it, but I originally quit because of an infected beer. This is my first one back and was just using the forum to critique this batch to help me assess my weaknesses and understanding, or lack of.

Also remember that by the time you get to secondary, you have alcohol and additional hops that should help keep bacteria at bay. If you're bottling earlier than the recipe says, just make sure that the fermentation is complete before you bottle.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Now that I've had time to stew on the mishaps of last night, I am grateful for what I do have. The 4 gallons I did get into secondary looks clear, smells wonderful and had an entertaining taste of sweet to bitter as it rolled around the mouth. I will snap a picture of it tonight now that I feel better about it. The color did lighten up a bit, its more of a coffee color now rather than dark chocolate it started as when going into primary.

Looking ahead as I have done throughout this entire process, I would like to get some input as to wrapping up this salvage project. Due to current events, I am going to dry hop tonight and bottle at the end of the week.

- What could I do to ensure a nicely carbonated beer? How long am I looking at keeping it bottled before enjoying?

 

[Homercidal]

I think the usual 4 ounces of corn sugar for priming would be fine. It takes about 3 weeks to get a full carb. Keep the bottles at 70F or so.

Revvy has a nice thread on bottling tips. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/

The basic rundown is to use a bottling bucket (Fermentor bucket with a plastic spigot) a plastic hose and a bottling wand. Boil sugar water to sanitize it, pour into sanitized bucket, rack beer from secondary into bottling bucket (Careful not to suck up the gunk on the bottom) and make sure it's well mixed with the sugar water while also being gentle enough to prevent splashing and oxidation.

Then fill each bottle and place cap. Two people are more effective at this part than 1, but it's not too bad either way.

 

[TheCADJockey]

I've definitely got the bottling process down in a clean and efficient fashion. I just was not sure if there was a magical amount of sugar, or fancy pixie dust to put in to make things right. Thanks for the article Homer, going to read through it on lunch.

 

[Homercidal]

Someone made a chart describing how much of each type of sugar you would use to get a certain level of carbonation. I think it would well with a chart describing the different volumes of CO2 that are common to each style of beer. You may want to look those up and refresh your memory. I think Howtobrew.com has a chart.

And be sure to measure by weight if you can.

 

[fosaisu]

Someone made a chart describing how much of each type of sugar you would use to get a certain level of carbonation. I think it would well with a chart describing the different volumes of CO2 that are common to each style of beer. You may want to look those up and refresh your memory. I think Howtobrew.com has a chart.

And be sure to measure by weight if you can.

The Tastybrew Bottle Priming Calculator is very helpful, you can select your style from the dropdown to get a suggested carb level for your beer or input your own if you like.

If you don't have the dextrose/corn sugar on hand, table sugar works perfectly well for bottle priming, and I (and many other folks at HBT) have noticed no difference in flavor/carbonation, you just have to make sure you add the suggested amount for the product you're using -- since table sugar is slightly more fermentable, you use less of it than you would corn sugar.

A big +1 for the suggestion to consult Revy's bottling guide, that thing is perfect! The only suggestion I would add is that when I was bottling regularly I found that I often got inconsistent carbonation (some bottles overcarbed, some undercarbed). My solution for this was, instead of just dumping the priming sugar solution in at some point while racking to the bottling bucket, to add it in several small segments, and then after racking completed, to gently stir the beer with my brewing spoon to ensure that the priming sugar solution was well mixed in. Though many (including Revy) find stirring is unnecessary, my carbonation levels were much more consistent when I followed this approach.

And be sure to measure by weight if you can.

Also key advice. No reason not to buy one of these cheap scales from Harbor Freight if you don't have a measurement option already, gives you precision when measuring out priming sugar and also perfect for weighing hops and any other adjuncts you may end up adding to your beer.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Hey! I actually just got a really nice digital scale. I think it was the only thing I got to put on the wedding registry Which also reminds me...

My dog ate my big brewing paddle. Bleh. Drinks my beer. Eats my beer spoons.

 

[Homercidal]

Another trick I think Revvy gave (Which may be in his sticky thread) is to screw a 3/4" or 1" Whichever fits the spigots threads) 90 degree plastic elbow onto the spigot on the INSIDE of the bottling bucket. This addition puts the spigot near the very bottom of the bucket, and it makes it possible to get nearly every last drop of beer to draw out of the bucket.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Another trick I think Revvy gave (Which may be in his sticky thread) is to screw a 3/4" or 1" Whichever fits the spigots threads) 90 degree plastic elbow onto the spigot on the INSIDE of the bottling bucket. This addition puts the spigot near the very bottom of the bucket, and it makes it possible to get nearly every last drop of beer to draw out of the bucket.

I saw that little trick. Not sure if I could pull off something like that, might try though. The beer seems really clear, or it did until I dry hopped last night. When I woke up there was a perfectly even layer of hops on the top, is this going to sink or just something that I'll avoid when bottling?

 

[Homercidal]

Just siphon from underneath it. It's very common. Normally I give the fermentor a small jiggle to get them started downwards, but I've also siphoned from under and it works about the same. Somehow the siphon end prevents the hops from passing or clogging, and you can get all the beer out. Jiggling too close to the bottling date will create a slightly more cloudy beer, but it's not bad.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Just siphon from underneath it. It's very common. Normally I give the fermentor a small jiggle to get them started downwards, but I've also siphoned from under and it works about the same. Somehow the siphon end prevents the hops from passing or clogging, and you can get all the beer out. Jiggling too close to the bottling date will create a slightly more cloudy beer, but it's not bad.

Cool, thanks for the continued input Homer. I'll likely leave it be. I can't wait to bottle up and start a new one Saturday. I've finally read up on the SMaSH thing I was hearing about and I love it, it sounds to be exactly what I need to get to know my malts and hops. The weather in Buffalo is perfect for brewing this time of year too. Good times.

 

[SteinCastle]

Hi! Brewer here at Steincastle...Just checking in on how our Chainmail Pale Ale was turning out for you? If you have a good address we can send a sticker or two from the brewery your way

PS- 4.5 gals isn't a bad number especially if you haven't brewed in awhile

 

[Homercidal]

Hi! Brewer here at Steincastle...Just checking in on how our Chainmail Pale Ale was turning out for you? If you have a good address we can send a sticker or two from the brewery your way

PS- 4.5 gals isn't a bad number especially if you haven't brewed in awhile

I concur. I still struggle with my volumes. Beersmith seems to be off for me and I can't figure out where the problem is and my system is changing, so there is no real impetus to figure it out at this point.

 

[unionrdr]

I've been following Beersmith's numbers to a point. I feel it'll take a lot more tweaking to get them to come out closer to actual in my experiences with it. I just tweaked the numbers for my dampfbier v2 yesterday. It even carried over the brewing notes from version one? That was a bit odd. I have my own process that I follow, but I've been trying to learn how to carry these over to BS2 so my process will match what it gives. There's a lot of trial & error involved in my opinion.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Just got a text saying I got my personalized bottle caps in the mail today. I guessed correctly on Name A Style Picture Thread for the first time, on my first guess. 45 min left of the work week... Bottle the Chainmail Pale Ale tomorrow. Life is good!

 

[Hello]

I've been following Beersmith's numbers to a point. I feel it'll take a lot more tweaking to get them to come out closer to actual in my experiences with it. I just tweaked the numbers for my dampfbier v2 yesterday. It even carried over the brewing notes from version one? That was a bit odd. I have my own process that I follow, but I've been trying to learn how to carry these over to BS2 so my process will match what it gives. There's a lot of trial & error involved in my opinion.

But don't you do PM and partial boils and top off? At that point don't you always hit your volumes?

Just got a text saying I got my personalized bottle caps in the mail today. I guessed correctly on Name A Style Picture Thread for the first time, on my first guess. 45 min left of the work week... Bottle the Chainmail Pale Ale tomorrow. Life is good!

Perfect news! It is all going so well!

 

[unionrdr]

But don't you do PM and partial boils and top off? At that point don't you always hit your volumes?

Perfect news! It is all going so well!

Volumes are easy with topping off. My OG's are always higher with the Barley Crusher grain mill & dunk sparge. Boil off can be a problem as well, but turning it down to a gently rolling boil definitely helps too.

 

[fuzzy2133]

But don't you do PM and partial boils and top off? At that point don't you always hit your volumes?

Perfect news! It is all going so well!

Volumes are easy with topping off. My OG's are always higher with the Barley Crusher grain mill & dunk sparge. Boil off can be a problem as well, but turning it down to a gently rolling boil definitely helps too.

My boil off was a wild card area too. Fixed that by using a marker to make reference points on the regulator of the out door burner. Once I get past 1 1/4 turns open the boil of a 5 gallon batch looks the same but the evaporation rate difference is huge.

 

[unionrdr]

I have aftermarket elements on the electric stove from amazon. The link is in my profile for anyone interested. I turn it up to "HI" when I get the mash & sparge together in the BK. it gets through hot break to boiling hard in about 18 minutes. Then I turn it down to about 8.8 on the dial to get a gentle, rolling boil. This cuts boil off a bit more.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Sorry to interrupt what you guys are talking about (kinda lost me a page or so back), just curious about a SMaSH I was considering trying.

I recently acquired about 6lbs of Munton DME and I have a freezer full of the Nugget hops I just picked from the garden. In the spirit of SMaSH idea, since I have never done one before... does that mean I could just start the boil for an hour, put in the DME and add my nugget hops now and then? Or am I completely missing something?

 

[ericbw]

You'll want to add some DME at the beginning, along with some hops for bitterness. You won't know your AA%, so it might be a crap shoot. Using hops with a known AA for bittering might be more predictable then your homegrowns for aroma.

 

[unionrdr]

In a partial boil of 2,5-3.5 gallons in a 5 gallon kettle, use about 3lbs of the DME. 60 minute bittering addition. Then maybe 20, 15 & 5 for flavor & aroma. Remaining DME at flame out.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Ok I am bottling 4.5 gallons of this pale ale. Calculator says use 2.5 oz dex, someone on this thread said 3.7 oz and guy at lhbs said use 4.5 oz. Any last minute suggestions?

 

[SupervisingChildren]

I calculated 4 oz at 70 degrees for 2.5 volumes of co2

 

[Hello]

I'd go 2.5. That's what I get. You could bump to 3 of you're sure you have 4.5 gallons. My tastybrew calc says 2.5 using the IPA (chosen by style).

 

[TheCADJockey]

As always, thank you Hello. Also, as always... Since nothing has gone right with this project, I can't find my capper. Every single thing I own is here, except that. Have to run down street and borrow friends. On hold again with everything waiting in sanitizer. Upsetting.

 

[SupervisingChildren]

I'd go 2.5. That's what I get. You could bump to 3 of you're sure you have 4.5 gallons. My tastybrew calc says 2.5 using the IPA (chosen by style).

Isn't it a pale ale he made, not an ipa?

 

[TheCADJockey]

It's bottled. Tucked away. Ended up 4 gallons total. Did what I could and appreciate everyone's help. Only time will tell now, so... 2-3 weeks before moment of truth right?

Well. At least my entire kitchen (and body) is covered in starsan. Time to open the last two surviving bottles of gusher batch I found today on their 1 yr anniversary. See if they still explosive or if I get a drink.