Syracuse, ny - round 5 group grain buy

[jeffb418]

The only thing that is too bad is that I couldn't make a chamber big enough for my demijohn out of that one (so I have to use two cornies with blow offs for my lagers, etc.). I do have a side room that I crank the AC on in (portable unit), and it lets me get the whole room cold enough to get fermenters to 62F ish. So that is great for if I crank out 2-4 demijohns. Set the temp for 68f and the fermenters get steady temps.

I might end up making another one out of a dorm fridge that I don't use. But that would mean having to buy another controller! Right now I like being able to use the side room for ales and the chamber for lagers, and sometimes belgians.

Were you the one that bought the demijohns from sunset? I asked that guy w/ the goatee if he had anything to do 10gal batches in and as he walks over to show me the demijohns he goes "holy ****, someone bought these things... I didn't think I would EVER sell them!"

 

[CidahMastah]

Were you the one that bought the demijohns from sunset? I asked that guy w/ the goatee if he had anything to do 10gal batches in and as he walks over to show me the demijohns he goes "holy ****, someone bought these things... I didn't think I would EVER sell them!"

No - I asked them to get them and they never did (until recently). I told the guy I would buy 4. My buddy and I ended up buying 6 from midwest brew supply though.

Demijohns are awesome for 10-11G batches. Plenty of blow off head space, only one fermenter to clean, etc. I got them for cider, but now I keep 1-2 at least for beer if I can and the cider gets the 6-6.5 fermenters. When cider rolls out into draft kegs, I get 4 demis cooking at once with brew for the pipeline!

Do you remember the price of the demijohns?

One thing that annoys me about sunset is that I have over the years asked them for a bunch of stuff, said I would pay up front if they could get it. They dilly dallied and never would get around to it. Finally they started stocking a lot of the stuff I was asking them about and that dude with the goatee keeps commenting how surprised he is that he is selling it!

Just the other day he was saying how he doubted he would sell kegging stuff, but he was going to let it collect dust on the shelves. If I could get half the crap I needed there (kegging and otherwise) for a fair price I would buy it. haha oh well. He doesn't realize that kegging is in the natural progression of just about every brewer.

Right now I pretty much use them for specialty malts, yeast and occaisonal hops. In their defense they finally have reasonable hop prices on some of the varieties. They are getting better at carrying things, but I think they don't realize the potential of brew hardware in their store. They only focus on the hydroponic stuff IMO

 

[CidahMastah]

looks like no pricing (unfortunately). Hopefully tomorrow...

 

[copyright1997]

I'd love a hop buy as well. I can't imagine breaking up 100lbs or more of pellets and repacking them. That said I'd probably be good for 5+ pounds if the prices were right.

I just ran out of Centennial, which I seem to use in a lot of recipes. I have a bunch of other stuff, but would be good for at least a couple/few pounds.

 

[copyright1997]

I am looking forward to Sat - my first brew in several months. i am trying to decide if I should make it a double brew day or not.... I need to clear some space for incoming grain if we ever get this order in

I am thinking of doing an IPA...

I'm trying to decide between a traditional English style IPA and Sierra Nevada Celebration (which I just picked up a case of to drink and or compare to).

 

[rustbucket]

yeah... so i had a good day until i dropped my carboy trying to empty the sanatizer...

SMASH went the carboy on the garage floor.... (there goes 40 bucks) ugh...

So my question.. plastic bucket with lid or carboy... what would you do? need to decided by Monday since i plan on brewing then.

but Copyright iv been getting into the English style pales and ipa's lately for some reason as well (more away form the American style i have brewed so much of)

 

[rustbucket]

i was looking at those demi johns there, if i had the money to spend and the room i would pick 1-2 up myself..

 

[bierhaus15]

I've been looking at those plastic, 15 gallon conical fermenters lately. They're like $400 with all the parts, though it would be nice to have if I ever wanted to go to 10 gallon batches.

 

[copyright1997]

yeah... so i had a good day until i dropped my carboy trying to empty the sanatizer...

SMASH went the carboy on the garage floor.... (there goes 40 bucks) ugh...

So my question.. plastic bucket with lid or carboy... what would you do? need to decided by Monday since i plan on brewing then.

but Copyright iv been getting into the English style pales and ipa's lately for some reason as well (more away form the American style i have brewed so much of)

So, why do you need a carboy at all? I've only been brewing for a little while, but am so glad I went the corny keg route. I primary in a good old plastic fermentation bucket, then after a couple of weeks rack to a keg for further conditioning, cold crash, etc. Besides having a kegerator, I also decided to go this route because I was able to get kegs for LESS than what a carboy costs. I can eliminate oxidation by venting the oxygen/filling with co2, and stainless is so easy to clean (unlike a carboy) and ensure it is sanitary (like a carboy). Finally, no worries about dropping it and breaking it (unless I really, really try to).

The one negative to this is I can't see the pretty beer sitting in it.

re: English IPA's. I've been meaning to brew one because a) It is what I got started on 20 years ago (the first time I brewed) and b) I ran out of centennial but have a lot of English hops plus MO grain, and c) I have some s-04 yeast from a prior brew that I want to use.

What's making this decision tough is that I am sitting here drinking a Sierra Nevada Celebration (1st of the season for me) and it is very tasty. (Not sure I like it quite as much as my Victory Hop Devil Clone, but pretty darn good.)

 

[CidahMastah]

you would be better off going with a 15G bronstein container barrel and drill a hole for a ball valve. Would run you about $60 at most!

I thought about the plastic conicals, but the price just is too much IMO

 

[jeffb418]

This is where I got mine:

http://conical-fermenter.com/products/conicals/

Not a Blingman but worth the money. Works well and great support from the owner. Stainless isnt amazing but works well.

 

[CidahMastah]

The only problem with stainless conicals is... I would have to get about 4 15 sized fermenters. Pretty sure the wife isn't buying that one...

 

[CidahMastah]

yeah... so i had a good day until i dropped my carboy trying to empty the sanatizer...

SMASH went the carboy on the garage floor.... (there goes 40 bucks) ugh...

So my question.. plastic bucket with lid or carboy... what would you do? need to decided by Monday since i plan on brewing then.

but Copyright iv been getting into the English style pales and ipa's lately for some reason as well (more away form the American style i have brewed so much of)

that sucks big time dude - at least no brew was in it! (and you didn't get cut...)

If I was you and you have the cash try to score a demi john - if no cash for that right now a bucket can save you in a pinch. I pretty much always start out fruit wines in a bucket and rack them offin a couple weeks to finish without fruit in them (just the liquid). Heck this year I am fermenting about 55G of cider in a giant plastic food grade drum, then racking in about 4 weeks.... you should be fine

remember - if you make a trip to waterloo container, you can get a 6 gallon fermenter for like 28 bucks. They don't have 6.5 - but they sell them pretty cheap there.


I actually just ordered 2 more glass fermenters (3G) for meads that my wife wants to do.

 

[Smashing]

How would you rack off larger containers? Can longer racking canes be found?

 

[TwoGunz]

You can periodically get a 6 gal carboy on amazon for 30$ shipped free. I got one this summer and it showed up quick and does what it needs to.

 

[CidahMastah]

How would you rack off larger containers? Can longer racking canes be found?

What size container? The largest racking cane they sell (plastic) works with the demijohns. you can always cut the curved part of the racking and and attach a longer hose on it so you can reach the bottom of the vessel.

 

[drocu]

This thread makes me wish I'd gotten that 14-15 gal demi john from a guy off craigslist. He only wanted $20 for it but after looking at it, I couldn't imagine lifting and moving it safely with 10 gallons of beer in it.

 

[Smashing]

What size container? The largest racking cane they sell (plastic) works with the demijohns. you can always cut the curved part of the racking and and attach a longer hose on it so you can reach the bottom of the vessel.

Like a 15 gal container. I've been thinking of scrounging up a 1/2 barrel sanke to ferment my 10 gal house brews in. I would use co2 to transfer from a sanke though.

 

[rustbucket]

my buddy has a hook up right now for sanke's (basically from a distributer, that when they are damaged they are scrap) so his friend said he would sell them to him for scrap or just give them to us.... so if that works out ill be making 11 gallon fermenters out of them

 

[Smashing]

my buddy has a hook up right now for sanke's (basically from a distributer, that when they are damaged they are scrap) so his friend said he would sell them to him for scrap or just give them to us.... so if that works out ill be making 11 gallon fermenters out of them

Care to hook a guy up? :cross:

 

[rustbucket]

depending on how many we can get... maybe.... i have to talk to him about this again (kinda on the back burner right now, since hes so busy)

 

[CidahMastah]

depending on how many we can get... maybe.... i have to talk to him about this again (kinda on the back burner right now, since hes so busy)

yeah let me know if you run into any you don't need - I might be interested for lagering with them for a 10G batch.

 

[CidahMastah]

This thread makes me wish I'd gotten that 14-15 gal demi john from a guy off craigslist. He only wanted $20 for it but after looking at it, I couldn't imagine lifting and moving it safely with 10 gallons of beer in it.

I wouldn't lift it unless you have to. I have lifted and carried them full, but I try to avoid that! Best thing to do is put them up high enough so they can be gravity drained. This way you never have to lift them with liquid, you simply rack off into your kegs or bottling buckets.

I built a table specifically for that.

Since I bulk age my cider need to swap the demi john out. i.e. at about 4-6 weeks, but I half drain it and switch to my shelf and finish racking.

With beer the demijohns are perfect because you fill them up with wort, and rack in 3 weeks - never a need to lift.

 

[Smashing]

Still no pricing, eh?

 

[CidahMastah]

Still no pricing, eh?

Haha - I know, you can cut the tension with a knife. Just asked the buyer if he heard any word and he told me we should be getting pricing today. I hope so, because it would be great to get the money moving into my checking so we can get this order shipped.

 

[Smashing]

LOL! I might have to do an online purchase to get a brew going. My kid has been bugging me to help him with a stout.

 

[CidahMastah]

LOL! I might have to do an online purchase to get a brew going. My kid has been bugging me to help him with a stout.

I know I broke down and bought an lb of roasted barley!

If payments come in quick I see no problem with getting this shipped and ready for your pick up by the end of next week. It will be determined by how fast the payment comes though.

 

[CidahMastah]

Ok sadly this is not pricing. Wanted to ask if you all have had sierra celebration?

I was working on a clone but I have never actually tried this beer. From their website and the CYBI recipe I came up with this. The SG and FG are spot on and use the grist ratios as per the brewer from SN. I changed my hops significantly from what other clones have called for though. On the website it calls for 65IBU's (every clone recipe I looked at was hitting like 50IBUs). Let me know what you think in particular of the hops and the SRM (estimated 12.1SRM):

65.5 IBUs with no accounting for whirlpooling

11Gbatch @ 75% efficiency
(88.45%) 23lbs 12oz CM-2ROW (was considering using CM-PALE if the SRM should be slightly darker)
(11.55%) C60
57g Chinook @ 13% (60)
98g Cascade @ 5.5% (15)
49g Centennial @ 10.00% (15)
98g Cascade @ 5.5% (0 - whirlpool 10-15min)
49g Centennial @ 10.00% (0 - whirlpool 10-15min)
98g Cascade @ 5.5% (Dry hop)
49g Centennial @ 10.00% (Dry hop)

156F mash
Ferment 62F ramp to and hold at 68F
1056 yeast

 

[CidahMastah]

The only other thing is that I am not sure how many IBUs will actually be drawn out from whirlpooling, and that is not factored into the above. Neither are the IBUs that would result from the 10-15 minute additions.

I am generally not a whirlpooler. I assume you guys who do simply turn the heat off, and whirlpool for 10-15 minutes before chilling? Or do you add the chiller and whirlpool? In CYBI I almost got the impression they were accounting for 15minutes of heat on during the whirlpool, but am not sure. They ended up extending the boil to 90 minutes and upping each addition (90, 30, 15) to offset a no whirlpool for 10-15 minute scenario.

All in all just darn confusing CYBI IMO

 

[copyright1997]

Ok sadly this is not pricing. Wanted to ask if you all have had sierra celebration?

I was working on a clone but I have never actually tried this beer. From their website and the CYBI recipe I came up with this. The SG and FG are spot on and use the grist ratios as per the brewer from SN. I changed my hops significantly from what other clones have called for though. On the website it calls for 65IBU's (every clone recipe I looked at was hitting like 50IBUs). Let me know what you think in particular of the hops and the SRM (estimated 12.1SRM):

65.5 IBUs with no accounting for whirlpooling

11Gbatch @ 75% efficiency
(88.45%) 23lbs 12oz CM-2ROW (was considering using CM-PALE if the SRM should be slightly darker)
(11.55%) C60
57g Chinook @ 13% (60)
98g Cascade @ 5.5% (15)
49g Centennial @ 10.00% (15)
98g Cascade @ 5.5% (0 - whirlpool 10-15min)
49g Centennial @ 10.00% (0 - whirlpool 10-15min)
98g Cascade @ 5.5% (Dry hop)
49g Centennial @ 10.00% (Dry hop)

156F mash
Ferment 62F ramp to and hold at 68F
1056 yeast

Bought a case yesterday and had one last night! Quite tasty. But, it let me know my brews are coming along as I had one of my own Victory Hop Devils and I couldn't decide which I liked better.

I think you are looking at this recipe? https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/jamil-show-tastys-sn-celebration-clone-176201/#post2213003

I'm also thinking of brewing this (perhaps tomorrow) but it requires me buying some Centennial vs brewing something else (English IPA?) and using the s_itload of hops I already have. One thing I like about this recipe is the starting fermentation at 62 degree's, which is just about perfect given my cellar is sitting at about 60...so easy to do.