What are your tips for keeping costs down

[IslandLizard]

Next time maybe tie it to the release valve under lid? Anyone else dealt with this? Really pissed me off at losing some CO2 money down the drain. Or maybe just nix the marble?

If there's something you can tie it to, sure. But none of my lids come standard with a hook, or anything protruding, to tie a string to.

I did buy 5 kegs from a brewery, they had welded a tab or nut onto the bottom of their lids. So those kegs/lids are being used when I know I'm going to be dry hopping in the keg.

I use a piece of very thin (picture hanging) stainless wire to keep the bag suspended. The wire is easier and faster to attach to that tab than fumbling with dental floss. Or I prepare the bag hanging from a spare lid that has a tab, and switch them out even faster while streaming CO2 into the headspace through the gas post at a decent rate.

BTW, I use a small handful of glass marbles, I doubt a single one has enough weight to prevent it from floating.

 

[beren]

I see quite a few posts on saying to wash and re-pitch yeast. Can you (or anyone else) point to a reliable and sure fire way on how to do this?

I’ve read that washing has mostly fallen out of favor. Just like moving beer to a secondary for a week, it mostly isn’t needed and only increases the chances of contaminatio.

 

[z-bob]

For several years, I used a 22 quart pressure canner that I had already for a kettle. It worked just fine, and a standard paint strainer bag from the hardware store fit it perfectly. I moved up to a used 32 quart kettle that I bought from someone in the HB club, and bought a Wilser (sp?) bag to fit it, and I like that better because I can do larger batches and the bag is sturdier, but it other than that it really doesn't work any better and it takes more fuel to fire the larger kettle.

All roads lead to beer You adapt your process for the types of beer you like, the yeast you use, and the equipment you have. I've gone back to using 2 fermenters (in the bad old days we called the 2nd one a "secondary", which it seldom is unless you're brewing something weird) I start out with a plastic bucket (and if it's the right kind of yeast, which it seldom is, I top-crop it.) After a week or so, I transfer to a carboy and airlock and add a tablespoon of sugar*. When that's finished and cleared, I bottle directly from the carboy, and I pour the sludge at the bottom into a sanitized mason jar and put it in the fridge. I usually don't save the trub from the bucket, but if I do I usually wash that because it's full of hops, grain dust, cold-break protein, and other crap. That's what works for me; you might come up with something totally different and better for you.

*the sugar is to energize the yeast and get it to consume oxygen the beer picked up during the transfer. That's my theory anyway.

 

[JAReeves]

I never went all the way to yeast washing. Initially I just harvested off the bottom of the fermenter, figured the dead yeast would be food for the new generations. Now I just pour off a bit from my starters and save it for next time.

 

[EthanH]

I'm making a session IPA/hoppy pale ale right now. 5 gal batch w/ 11# of grain and 8.5 oz of hops, buying in bulk and re-using yeast, comes to a little under $25.

 

[bracconiere]

8.5 oz of hops

even buying in bulk, that's gotta stretch your wallet!

 

[EthanH]

even buying in bulk, that's gotta stretch your wallet!

I'm not ashamed to say I buy almost exclusively when Yakima Valley has their "flash sales".

 

[bracconiere]

I'm not ashamed to say I buy almost exclusively when Yakima Valley has their "flash sales".

hmm, i have two 22lb bags of 2016 crystal hop pellets, Hops Direct were giving away for shipping.....i'm thinking 'light' "hazy" .... i do have 24" hop bags and just worried about needing a pully to get them out of the boil!

 

[EthanH]

hmm, i have two 22lb bags of 2016 crystal hop pellets, Hops Direct were giving away for shipping.....i'm thinking 'light' "hazy" .... i do have 24" hop bags and just worried about needing a pully to get them out of the boil!

When you need a pulley to get your hop bag out of the boil, you're either doing something horribly wrong or wonderfully right!

 

[bracconiere]

wonderfully right!

damn, you're a brillant man/woman, now i'm thinking making GIN with a packed column with hops! adding it to a keg of APA!

 

[Broken Crow]

hmm, i have two 22lb bags of 2016 crystal hop pellets,

Is that enough for one batch of hipster IPA?

 

[bracconiere]

Is that enough for one batch of hipster IPA?

i guess i could try and make a 5 gallon buchner funnel out of a 5 gallon bucket....mix it with some malt syrup, vacuum filter it? but that would be too cool for school!

 

[Broken Crow]

would that filter be after the fruit-press?
Extracting hipster IPA from wort-moistened hops:

 

[bracconiere]

Extracting hipster IPA from wort-moistened hops:

didn't people used to use second mash runnings for a work beer?

 

[Joggin]

If there's something you can tie it to, sure. But none of my lids come standard with a hook, or anything protruding, to tie a string to.

I did buy 5 kegs from a brewery, they had welded a tab or nut onto the bottom of their lids. So those kegs/lids are being used when I know I'm going to be dry hopping in the keg.

I use a piece of very thin (picture hanging) stainless wire to keep the bag suspended. The wire is easier and faster to attach to that tab than fumbling with dental floss. Or I prepare the bag hanging from a spare lid that has a tab, and switch them out even faster while streaming CO2 into the headspace through the gas post at a decent rate.

BTW, I use a small handful of glass marbles, I doubt a single one has enough weight to prevent it from floating.

I'm thinking maybe putting on a tight O ring around the bottom of the lids release valve and tie the floss to it.
Or a hose clamp maybe?
Things go in 3's they say.
First, leak in keg.
Yesterday found a damn mouse ate about a pound of base malt from a sack. Put out traps and got the fat bastid this morning.
Brewing today couple batches of ale to try using up my yard hops in freezer from last year. Hopefully no problem.
Number 3 may be finding out if I have to report for jury duty later today.

 

[IslandLizard]

After a few hours I checked again and a leak appeared at the string coming out of the corney keg thru the gasket.

That surprises me. Many have been successful over the years using floss like that to suspend dry hop bags. Are you using keg lube on the o-ring? Is it a silicone o-ring perhaps?

I'm thinking maybe putting on a tight O ring around the bottom of the lids release valve and tie the floss to it.

I seriously doubt that o-ring would stay put. It's a damp, slick environment up there.
Weighing the tank regularly or better, perpetually, is the best way to keep track of CO2 usage and warn for possible leaks.

Things go in 3's they say.

Too true too often. At least you got 2 down.
Hope for you that jury duty <ugh> blows over.

 

[Joggin]

That surprises me. Many have been successful over the years using floss like that to suspend dry hop bags. Are you using keg lube on the o-ring? Is it a silicone o-ring perhaps?

I seriously doubt that o-ring would stay put. It's a damp, slick environment up there.
Weighing the tank regularly or better, perpetually, is the best way to keep track of CO2 usage and warn for possible leaks.

Too true too often. At least you got 2 down.
Hope for you that jury duty <ugh> blows over.

I think you're right. I've done the floss in the past with decent results. I haven't lubed the lid 0 ring in a while. Probably the cause.
Hopefully no.3 isn't the white flecks I see floating on top of my Juice yeast I harvested in bucket. I've used it a number of times and it smells ok and tastes ok.
Don't need an infection.

 

[Broken Crow]

I think you're right. I've done the floss in the past with decent results. I haven't lubed the lid 0 ring in a while. Probably the cause.
Hopefully no.3 isn't the white flecks I see floating on top of my Juice yeast I harvested in bucket. I've used it a number of times and it smells ok and tastes ok.
Don't need an infection.

How about a hose-clamp on the inner neck of the PRV?

 

[level-one]

Been thinking a lot about water, since using distilled was such a high cost my last brew, and I had two possibly crazy thoughts. I have an old (2-3 years) Zerowater water filter system that I bought and didn't really use. It came with a large countertop system and 3-4 filters. I think it was a Costco deal. It works just fine. As advertised, it brings the total dissolved solids in water down to zero, or close to it. But the water tastes terrible for the same reason distilled water tastes terrible after all the minerals have been stripped from it. So you see where I'm going with this, has anyone tried to use a Zerowater filter as a source for brew water?

It's also attractive because if I switch to RO water, I've read that it's not great for the environment and I live in an area severely affected by drought. So it's top of mind for me.

The other crazy thought is I started thinking about distilled water and wondering, how do they make distilled water. Is it literally just re-condensed boiled water? Can you just make your own?

 

[Broken Crow]

The other crazy thought is I started thinking about distilled water and wondering, how do they make distilled water. Is it literally just re-condensed boiled water? Can you just make your own?

You can... I did it when I was a kid, BUT: The energy cost is massively higher than just buying premium branded bottle water.

 

[marc1]

Been thinking a lot about water, since using distilled was such a high cost my last brew, and I had two possibly crazy thoughts. I have an old (2-3 years) Zerowater water filter system that I bought and didn't really use. It came with a large countertop system and 3-4 filters. I think it was a Costco deal. It works just fine. As advertised, it brings the total dissolved solids in water down to zero, or close to it. But the water tastes terrible for the same reason distilled water tastes terrible after all the minerals have been stripped from it. So you see where I'm going with this, has anyone tried to use a Zerowater filter as a source for brew water?

It's also attractive because if I switch to RO water, I've read that it's not great for the environment and I live in an area severely affected by drought. So it's top of mind for me.

The other crazy thought is I started thinking about distilled water and wondering, how do they make distilled water. Is it literally just re-condensed boiled water? Can you just make your own?

If it brings TDS close to 0, then it would be great for creating blank slate brewing water to build up to what you want, very similar to RO or distilled.

 

[JAReeves]

Been thinking a lot about water, since using distilled was such a high cost my last brew, and I had two possibly crazy thoughts. I have an old (2-3 years) Zerowater water filter system that I bought and didn't really use. It came with a large countertop system and 3-4 filters. I think it was a Costco deal. It works just fine. As advertised, it brings the total dissolved solids in water down to zero, or close to it. But the water tastes terrible for the same reason distilled water tastes terrible after all the minerals have been stripped from it. So you see where I'm going with this, has anyone tried to use a Zerowater filter as a source for brew water?

It's also attractive because if I switch to RO water, I've read that it's not great for the environment and I live in an area severely affected by drought. So it's top of mind for me.

The other crazy thought is I started thinking about distilled water and wondering, how do they make distilled water. Is it literally just re-condensed boiled water? Can you just make your own?

I just finished setting up my RO system from @Buckeye_Hydro, and it's amazing. I live just north of you, so very drought-conscious as well. I run all of my beer-cooling water and any waste from the RO system into my rain barrels in the backyard; then I water the yard with it.

 

[beren]

You can... I did it when I was a kid, BUT: The energy cost is massively higher than just buying premium branded bottle water.

Not around here. It costs about $0.30-0.33/gal to make distilled water with my brother's water distiller, it's about $1/gal for any type of bottled water.

Look around for a used stainless distiller if you can, I'm using one by H2O systems but it's rebranded by a number of companies. 5.5 or so hours to distill 1 gal, i think 700w. It's good for CPAP users too Check Craigslist, eBay, etc. The more you spend, the longer it takes to break even.

 

[Broken Crow]

Not around here. It costs about $0.30-0.33/gal to make distilled water with my brother's water distiller, it's about $1/gal for any type of bottled water.

Look around for a used stainless distiller if you can, I'm using one by H2O systems but it's rebranded by a number of companies. 5.5 or so hours to distill 1 gal, i think 700w. It's good for CPAP users too Check Craigslist, eBay, etc. The more you spend, the longer it takes to break even.

Thanks! And sorry for posting without thinking. ..when I was a kid I made my own still...not very safe or efficient! Those modern water distillers weren't even on my radar, but now you've got me thinking I should look into it.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

Drink more, drive less.

 

[beren]

Drink more, drive less.

Save fuel. Drink a homebrew.

 

[bracconiere]

Save fuel. Drink a homebrew.

the ol' ball and chain!

 

[JAReeves]

Change over your engine's internals to run off ethanol, start distilling, and then you have a use for the bad batches.

 

[Broken Crow]

Change over your engine's internals to run off ethanol, start distilling, and then you have a use for the bad batches.

That's exactly why I built a still when I was a kid! I was experimenting with a mixture of ethanol and napthalene for my mini-bike.

 

[HM-2]

Be selective about what you homebrew to keep costs down. Brewing a 4-5% English style pale ale or bitter, or a German altbier, which can be done with a simple malt bill using a tiny bit of 1-2 crystal malts in addition to a base, an ounce of hops and readily available dried yeast is going to be a lot cheaper than an all-singing IPA with an lb of hops in it or a 12% Imperial stout.

I've never bothered with RO or distilled water, though I'm going to get an RO setup eventually. I usually just use tap water treated with metabisulfate, the difference with using bottled mineral water is nil to my plebian mouth when properly treated. Unless you live somewhere where tap water is basically non-potable, spending money on distilled water and precise salt dosing is just tinkering round the edges- it might make the difference between a great beer and an exceptional or "perfect" (for your tastes) one but probably no more.

You probably don't need ice to chill your wort if you're using either a counterflow or immersion. And even if you did, buying it isn't very cost effective.