South Carolina SC midlands area brewers

[SHAIV]

Good idea. I like it. I wonder how much beer is in the line though. I like to turn the gas down then get a pint or two before filling bottles. It lowers pressure without purging

 

[TravelingLight]

Good idea. I like it. I wonder how much beer is in the line though. I like to turn the gas down then get a pint or two before filling bottles. It lowers pressure without purging

Not much at all. After I'm done and disconnect the line, I try and drain as much as I can. Usually by holding the BLQD higher than the picnic tap, and opening the picnic tap and depressing the poppet thing in the BLQD. It usually drains out no more than 2-3 ounces.

 

[TravelingLight]

I've got two new raised beds in my backyard that I need to fill this weekend and get some stuff planted. But my GOD I forgot how expensive potting/top soil and compost is (yes, a compost bin is on the to-do list as well). I need around 3 cubic yards of soil for the beds. Anyone have any recommendations for my cheapest options in the Cola area? As far as ready to go mixes, the cheapest I've seen is around $60 per cubic yard. Thoughts?

 

[carpathia]

So what does everyone use for their water source? I usually go to the store and buy gallon jugs. Wal mart has them for like 89 cents. Ive been thinking about just filtering my tap water though. Then i guess i would just treat with campden after. Idk if that would be a good practice or not. What do you think? If you use the right filter the campden might not be necessary

I use tap water with Campden treatment; no Band-Aid off flavors that I can detect. Columbia's water seems pretty damn neutral.

 

[carpathia]

I've got two new raised beds in my backyard that I need to fill this weekend and get some stuff planted. But my GOD I forgot how expensive potting/top soil and compost is (yes, a compost bin is on the to-do list as well). I need around 3 cubic yards of soil for the beds. Anyone have any recommendations for my cheapest options in the Cola area? As far as ready to go mixes, the cheapest I've seen is around $60 per cubic yard. Thoughts?

I got a ton of bags from Garner's Ferry soil supply. $40 per cubic yard before delivery fees for screened top soil. I went to them for bags of manure and organic soil (about half the cost of lowes).

 

[SHAIV]

I use tap water with Campden treatment; no Band-Aid off flavors that I can detect. Columbia's water seems pretty damn neutral.

I have done that before with lexington water. But my house gets water from cayce and it sucks! we dont drink it unfiltered so im not gonna put it in my beer without filtering it. Then i feel like it would need campden so im kind of like. After all that ill just go to the grocery store and buy 6-10 gallons for less than a dollar a gallon. Probably about the same amount of time since theres two major grocery stores within walking distance of my house. Its so stupid cuz i dont live in cayce. Im in west columbia, just outside of lexington. Idk ill probably keep buying my water. I dont know if they use chlorine or chloramine or both

 

[TravelingLight]

I got a ton of bags from Garner's Ferry soil supply. $40 per cubic yard before delivery fees for screened top soil. I went to them for bags of manure and organic soil (about half the cost of lowes).

That's awesome, thanks for the heads up. So they also have manure? What about compost? Didn't want a whole bed of just top soil, ya know?

 

[SHAIV]

TGIF! anyone going to the food truck and craft beer festival tomorrow?

 

[TravelingLight]

TGIF! anyone going to the food truck and craft beer festival tomorrow?

Not gonna make it this year. After our long vacation last week, I need a weekend to get some stuff done around the house in the yard. It's always something!

 

[SHAIV]

Oh ok. I thought if anyone would go itd be you since its right down the street from you

 

[catdaddy66]

Just a heads up... DIY Brewhouse in Pontiac (Hwy #1/Two Notch Rd, NE Cola) is doing their monthly tasting on Cinco de Mayo. It's also National Homebrew day, and a couple of us will be brewing on premises that morning. It usually kicks off between 10 and 11 in the am.

I am deciding what to brew... A wheat beer with apricots or a dark mild (May is Dark Mild month on HBT!).

 

[TravelingLight]

Just a heads up... DIY Brewhouse in Pontiac (Hwy #1/Two Notch Rd, NE Cola) is doing their monthly tasting on Cinco de Mayo. It's also National Homebrew day, and a couple of us will be brewing on premises that morning. It usually kicks off between 10 and 11 in the am.

I am deciding what to brew... A wheat beer with apricots or a dark mild (May is Dark Mild month on HBT!).

I was just out there picking up some grain from Kevin and was talking to him about Big Brew Day. Never knew about the nationwide collective toasting at 1pm EST. That's pretty cool. I might try and get out there for a little bit next weekend, depending on what all I need to get done next Saturday.

 

[Sissy907]

HI GUYS!!!!! Its been FOREVER!!!!! I have had so much going on and still so much going on! I have slacked off on the winemaking in all this time but I hope to jump back on the bandwagon in the coming months with all the yummy summer fruits starting to ripen up, starting with strawberries! Hopefully I can squeeze in a bucket or two along with starting a new business, but I guess we will see!
How have all of my friends been? I have missed hearing from all of you!! Sound off people!

<3 Alli

 

[catdaddy66]

HI GUYS!!!!! Its been FOREVER!!!!! I have had so much going on and still so much going on! I have slacked off on the winemaking in all this time but I hope to jump back on the bandwagon in the coming months with all the yummy summer fruits starting to ripen up, starting with strawberries! Hopefully I can squeeze in a bucket or two along with starting a new business, but I guess we will see!
How have all of my friends been? I have missed hearing from all of you!! Sound off people!

<3 Alli

Glad you're back! I took a 6 month
sabbatical from brewing but have done five 5 gallon batches since March. Life gets in the way sometimes...

 

[SHAIV]

Glad you're back! I took a 6 month
sabbatical from brewing but have done five 5 gallon batches since March. Life gets in the way sometimes...

Yes it does! I have only brewed beer once this year because of the time it takes. Im working on a time saving technique though. Sometimes I squeeze in some things like cleaning and transferring while the family takes a nap. Like today, everyone took a nap and i closed transferred my simcoe hopped apfelwein to my keg. It worked out great! First closed transfer and it was awesome!

I also got to test a mock no chill boil with some water on the stove and i then filled a keg with 200 degree water and sealed it up and ill see how long it takes to cool and hopefully soon i can get a quick no chill batch going if this little test seems to work

Edit 6+ hours and the keg is still hot to the touch. Travelinglight was right about the stainless holding heat for a long time. Which is fine i just need to account for that in planning my pitching. I think im going to try to fill the keg with strained wort and then after it cools transfer to my larger fermenter so it can have room for krausen. Im also working on a closed transfer solution for my glass bubbler. I think ive worked it out now just need to test it

 

[TravelingLight]

I had a pretty productive day in my brewery yesterday. But I also had my biggest screw up yet...

I was brewing yesterday (sour orange creamsicle) and was cleaning some kegs and lines during the mash and boil. Like most of you, I hook up a keg of cleaner to a line and open the faucet and run it into a bucket or otherwise to flush and clean the lines. Long story short, I opened the wrong faucet and totally drained the rest (about 1/4) of the keg of my mixed fermentation apricot sour. I was even planning on bottling the rest of that keg this weekend. I'm so pissed.

 

[SHAIV]

Man that sucks!

 

[TravelingLight]

Picked up six more ball lock kegs last night from the fine fellows at Angry Fish! Two of them need some rehab, but likely just replacing o-rings. I think that puts my inventory at 9 or 10 ball locks. So I should be set with kegs...for now! Which is even better since I'm considering adding two more taps to my four tap keezer.

 

[SHAIV]

Nice! Where/what is that? They got anymore? How much? Lol. I just took two of my three kegs out of commission. Well filled one and used the liquid dip tube from my short keg on my tall keg so i could pressure ferment some apfelwein and try that out and see if/what kind of differences there is. So i used the shorter dip tube so it doesnt suck up yeast when i closed transfer it with a jumper to another keg and maybe age it. If it works out good im going to buy some more dip tubes

 

[TravelingLight]

Nice! Where/what is that? They got anymore? How much? Lol. I just took two of my three kegs out of commission. Well filled one and used the liquid dip tube from my short keg on my tall keg so i could pressure ferment some apfelwein and try that out and see if/what kind of differences there is. So i used the shorter dip tube so it doesnt suck up yeast when i closed transfer it with a jumper to another keg and maybe age it. If it works out good im going to buy some more dip tubes

They haven't opened yet. But they're over off Highway 1, between the 378/1 fork and Lex HS. Behind that shopping center with Luce's Italian restaurant. Two guys from our club are opening it, grand opening is June 2 I believe.

I'm not sure if they have any cornies left. I know they have a few of the nice Italian SS ball lock kegs left, but I think he was selling those for $50, and I wanted as much bang for my buck lol.

You mention your "short" keg. I got one or two of those in this lot. They're still 5 gallons just shorter and wider? I've never messed with the short squaty ones.

 

[SHAIV]

So its going to be a homebrew shop?

Yes my short keg, i believe, was a pin lock converted to ball lock. Got it used from AIH on sale

 

[TravelingLight]

So its going to be a homebrew shop?

Yes my short keg, i believe, was a pin lock converted to ball lock. Got it used from AIH on sale

Nah man, it's a brewery. 12 taps.

 

[SHAIV]

So i did this yesterday! Added a thermometer to my kettle. Got it leak tested and calibrated too!

 

[TravelingLight]

View attachment 569506
So i did this yesterday! Added a thermometer to my kettle. Got it leak tested and calibrated too!

Hell yes! I finally added one to my boil kettle a few months ago. Amazing how the little things are such a huge improvement.

 

[SHAIV]

Yeah man. I boiled some water and cleaned it up this morning. Gonna brew an extract ipa tomorrow for my birthday in it. Itll make chilling easier by not having to manually check the temp and the next all grain i do it will be an awesome mash tun! If this friday ever ends! Omg i hate my job when other people cant do theirs

 

[TravelingLight]

Yeah man. I boiled some water and cleaned it up this morning. Gonna brew an extract ipa tomorrow for my birthday in it. Itll make chilling easier by not having to manually check the temp and the next all grain i do it will be an awesome mash tun! If this friday ever ends! Omg i hate my job when other people cant do theirs

Heard that! My day started off with me pulling into work and smoke/steam pouring out my engine bay. Losing coolant somewhere, great, probably a blown head gasket. However, thankfully, it was just a busted heater hose at the back near the firewall. Took a long lunch break and fixed it up.

 

[SHAIV]

That sucks man! Well i brewed yesterday on my birthday. It took about 4 hours for an extract ipa. It took way too long to chill. I found out some of the issues with my system and im already on it! Lol. I think itll be a very tasty ipa though. I put 5 oz in at flameout and there were 3 oz before that. I added foam control then had a boilover. So idk what happened with that but i added foam control to the fermenter too this time and it seems to be holding the krausen down to less then an inch in my bubbler. Had a few issues but overall i think it will be a good batch. Definitely think ill get a hop spider now and figure out how to recirculate ice water for chilling.

 

[TravelingLight]

That sucks man! Well i brewed yesterday on my birthday. It took about 4 hours for an extract ipa. It took way too long to chill. I found out some of the issues with my system and im already on it! Lol. I think itll be a very tasty ipa though. I put 5 oz in at flameout and there were 3 oz before that. I added foam control then had a boilover. So idk what happened with that but i added foam control to the fermenter too this time and it seems to be holding the krausen down to less then an inch in my bubbler. Had a few issues but overall i think it will be a good batch. Definitely think ill get a hop spider now and figure out how to recirculate ice water for chilling.

I just got a new fountain pump off Amazon to recirculate my chilling water. I use a cooler full of ice water and pump that. Once it gets down to about 100*, I redirect the outflow back into the ice water to recirculate. Saves me a significant amount of water. Bonus is, the pump doubles as a keg/carboy washer with some 1/2" PVC pipe with holes drilled in it and a bucket. Just threw that together yesterday actually.

Also, went to the Aiken Bluegrass Festival this weekend and camped Saturday night. Beer vendors were pouring Hi-Wire and New Belgium. I had a pour of New Belgium's Hemperor. It was horrible. Tasted like old resinous bong water. And not in a good way.

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

I just got a new fountain pump off Amazon to recirculate my chilling water. I use a cooler full of ice water and pump that. Once it gets down to about 100*, I redirect the outflow back into the ice water to recirculate. Saves me a significant amount of water. Bonus is, the pump doubles as a keg/carboy washer with some 1/2" PVC pipe with holes drilled in it and a bucket. Just threw that together yesterday actually.

I literally just put almost this exact same thing together a few weeks ago (dual purpose carboy/key washer and recirculater) but haven't had a chance to use it yet.

Do you keep refilling the ice cooler with water until you get the temp down to 100F?

 

[TravelingLight]

I literally just put almost this exact same thing together a few weeks ago (dual purpose carboy/key washer and recirculater) but haven't had a chance to use it yet.

Do you keep refilling the ice cooler with water until you get the temp down to 100F?

Yep, exactly. Basically I start out with two bags of ice (could probably use 3 or even 4), dump in a "normal" sized cooler and fill it up with water. Then as it's chilling, if the water in the cooler starts getting too low, I just add more with the garden hose. Then redirect it back into the cooler once it gets below 100.

I may eventually add a tee fitting to the cleaner with a ball lock post on it to clean posts and/or faucets. But for now, I just used 1/2" PVC with a cap on one end and a 3/4" garden hose fitting on the other. So it screws right onto my pump. Then I drilled some holes in the pipe for spray. Cost me about $10 (since I already had the pump) and took about 10 minutes to throw it together.