What I did for beer today

[seatazzz]

Started off the morning by dumping the horribly overpitched WF lager from last week; it was truly disgusting. And since that was supposed to be next in the rotation of not-an-IPA in the kegerator, brewed up an impromptu batch of a basic Blonde, using all Crystal hops (because I've got scads of them and I like them), and fermenting on Loki at 66 instead of warmer, because reasons. Hoping it finishes fast, the yeast lagged a bit getting started but has a nice krausen tonight. Also dumped a LOT of dry hops in my Citra/El Dorado IPA, hand got a bit heavy with the El Dorado but that's another hop I've got lots of thanks to a flash sale at YVH a few months back, and my husband deciding we needed 2lbs of a hop we'd never used before. Not in my top five of juicy hops but it does a fair job.

 

[Tom R]

Came home from leading the volunteers at the non-profit to find that the Czech Premium Yellow Jacket Lager (see post #19310) has bubbles in the airlock.

I usually pitch lagers cold, 48F, so it can take a while to get going.
This was about 48 hours. I know better than to expect it to take of like an ale fermentation, but I'm always relieved and happy to see it (and hear) it start bubbling along.

 

[RandJsBackyardBrewery]

Well today I bought all new tubing for my 3 keg keezer as I have been chasing a co2 leak for a better part of this year. Wish me luck that this solves my problem.

 

[seatazzz]

Well today I bought all new tubing for my 3 keg keezer as I have been chasing a co2 leak for a better part of this year. Wish me luck that this solves my problem.

If you've done all the usual checking (kegs, regulator, connectors) I would suggest looking at your hose clamps; I got burned that way. Not by them being too loose, but too tight; it made a cut in the tubing where the co2 got out.

 

[Deadalus]

Got the yeast starter in its final phase… started with 750ml… stepped to 4.5 liters… final step to 5 gallons…View attachment 745792
Once it’s fermented out and crashed, I’m going to attempt a Utopias-ish strength ale..!

That's damn impressive for a starter! Probably wouldn't fit on most stir plates...do you just oxygenate it?

 

[Deadalus]

Well it was last night but I finally scored a 20lb CO2 tank for a decent price-$40. It might even have gas in it I'll be checking later.

 

[seanjwalker1]

Just kegged and bottled the Irish Red, 3 gallons kegged and 1 gallon bottled to share with my neighbor and barber. 2 days of kegging...will miracles never cease !

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Just kegged and bottled the Irish Red, 3 gallons kegged and 1 gallon bottled to share with my neighbor and barber. 2 days of kegging...will miracles never cease !View attachment 746013

Wow, you must be very neat, to work on carpet!

 

[seanjwalker1]

Wow, you must be very neat, to work on carpet!

Very very careful!!! I actually put a Lot of paper towels under the table to catch any drips. My wife was busy cooking in the kitchen and having her cousins Babel on the phone to notice heh heh . Actually I just fooled myself thinking she wouldn't notice. Of course she noticed she's a wife. The basement sliding door is just to the right of where I kegged, so I did have an exfil escape route in case she called an air strike. When I finished and went upstairs to rinse the equipment, she just casually smiled and asked if everything with the beer went ok...sent chills down my spine!!! That smile had me nervous..the calmness... I'm still wondering if I'll hear air raid sirens. Just in case, I notified my friends if they see the news about a mysterious townhome explosion in Michigan, if they show a burned out basement with a man laying next to scorched kegs, a smoldering kegerator and gripping a tap adjustment tool...its me, just play Taps. So far, so good...

 

[seatazzz]

Today is cleaning day; already finished the kitchen & bathroom, and did the monthly boil-out of the plate chiller. Started a load of laundry. In between times been staring, mesmerized, at the dance the yeast are doing in the blonde I brewed yesterday. Also made an Amazon order; out of dry yeast so restocked that, and ordered a carbonation lid w/stone for the kegs. The two in the ferment fridge should be ready to start crashing Tuesday night, so Wednesday will be kegging day. Last Monday I handed in my resignation at my job, got a nice new one lined up that I don't have to start until November 8, so after next Friday it's a glorious 2-week vacation with a trip to Vegas at the end. I haven't had 2 weeks off in a row since my daughter (31) was a baby.

 

[aharri1]

Transferring my first double decoction beer into the keg. Oktoberfest with all epiphany malts..very tasty. Let it sit on the yeast for ,4 weeks at 34. Now, into the keg until December for more lagering!

 

[kmarkstevens]

Oh, WY1969 loves doing that. It's like a lava lamp! Great big, golf ball-sized lumps of yeast convecting around the fermenter like a Star Wars asteroid field. Positively mesmerizing! The odd thing is this: I can't find any rhyme or reason to it. Sometimes it does it, other times it won't. Back around '98 I did about 10 re-pitches on the same recipe while I was trying to dial in a dark mild and sometimes I'd get the golf balls, other times it looked like a normal cloudy fermentation with a small chunk here and there. No difference in the finished product, though. Just yeast being their interesting selves, I guess.

Interesting. I've gone gone through prolly 2 dozen yeasties. This is the first one that looked like a snow globe in the fermenter. Certainly, Fullers, notty and other is the stir plate erlenmeyer can look like a snow globe, but never have I ever seen this brownian effect in a primary. Good to know it's not just a mutation in my zip code.

 

[JAReeves]

Smoked the dark malts for my upcoming porter using Irish whiskey-soaked applewood chips. After 2-3 weeks in the fridge, they should be ready to brew.
Checked on the yeast starters for next week’s red rye and the following week’s stout.

 

[balrog]

"a pint is a pound the world around,"

I use [Volume in gallons = (454/3785)*(LBWT/SG)]
So that it takes the SG of the liquid into account; and LBWT is liquid weight, taking the tare weight of container into account

 

[seanjwalker1]

Back in business! Almost half a year since I kegged! @aharri1 the Czech Premium is amazing! So happy since my 1st Czech years ago was a total disaster. A little tad too much hop on the Irish Red but nothing to complain about. Dunkel Vater Brauerei is open !

 

[grampamark]

Brewed some. A 2.5 gal batch of Blonde Ale at the city house. Watching the IC do 2 things at once.

 

[Newsman]

Ok, this was Sunday night and it was cyser, not beer, but....
I rigged yup a closed transfer of a cyser that has been sitting in my fermenter for about 6-8 weeks. I put a liquid out QD on the end of my siphon and connected it to an empty keg that I flooded with CO2. Then I got the siphon going , and opened the PRV so liquid would enter the keg.
Only problem is I got greedy and overfilled the keg. I also got some of the sediment transferred over as well.

 

[aharri1]

Back in business! Almost half a year since I kegged! @aharri1 the Czech Premium is amazing! So happy since my 1st Czech years ago was a total disaster. A little tad too much hop on the Irish Red but nothing to complain about. Dunkel Vater Brauerei is open ! View attachment 746218View attachment 746219View attachment 746220View attachment 746221

Awesome man!! I'm glad it turned out well!

 

[seanjwalker1]

Awesome man!! I'm glad it turned out well!

I really believe the extended lagering , at 36° for 4 months, made it really shine. Normally I would have lagered for 2 months but kept having to put off kegging because of health and other reasons. Turned out for the better.

 

[3 Dawg Night]

Kegged my Jolly Roger Robust Porter.

 

[aharri1]

@seanjwalker1 Oh yeah. 100% helped!

 

[Sunfire96]

Bottled a Brown IPA

 

[Bramling Cross]

I did a rare weeknight kegging. I kegged an IPA onto keg dry hops so that it'll be ready to transfer off the hops this weekend.

Coming out of the fermenter, it's looking good!

Thanks again, Mr. Walker. It's the second of your kits.

 

[Bramling Cross]

I really believe the extended lagering , at 36° for 4 months, made it really shine. Normally I would have lagered for 2 months but kept having to put off kegging because of health and other reasons. Turned out for the better.

I've experience the same. Last year, to my shame, I kept a CAP on the yeast, crashed to 38F, but still, on the yeast for 172 days because I had to lead a COVID-19 night shift. When I finally found the time and energy to keg that poor beer, it was amazing.

 

[seanjwalker1]

I've experience the same. Last year, to my shame, I kept a CAP on the yeast, crashed to 38F, but still, on the yeast for 172 days because I had to lead a COVID-19 night shift. When I finally found the time and energy to keg that poor beer, it was amazing.

I had transferred the Czech off the yeast to a secondary before lagering. I don't use secondary too much like I used to. This batch though didn't even need gelatin clarifying it was like mountain spring water!

 

[seatazzz]

New carbonation lid arrived today, so instead of waiting another day I kegged off the Citra/El Dorado IPA that I started crashing last night. Wasn't cold enough, didn't chill the keg, but I'm an impatient soul and wanted to see how the lid did. Also the pipeline is dangerously low, with only about a pint left of my delicious Munich Helles, 1/3 keg of American Strong, and the Blackberry Seltzer I did a couple months ago that has nicely mellowed into something very nice and refreshing.

 

[Beermeister32]

I really believe the extended lagering , at 36° for 4 months, made it really shine. Normally I would have lagered for 2 months but kept having to put off kegging because of health and other reasons. Turned out for the better.

This is so true. One month a good brew . 3 months a FANTASTIC brew!!!

 

[seanjwalker1]

Got some war treasure at Salvation Army, both of these German crystal beer mugs for a total of $3.50 ! Price tags on the bottom from original

store were marked $15.99 each. I love being a plundering ex soldier from the peasant masses. The aristocratic wife will scrunch her nose and tisk tisk tisk me. Tisk away ! All is fair in beer and war !

 

[seanjwalker1]

I put this on here for whoever could use it. Not a link but the discount code is on it. That's doing something for beer...isn't it ?

 

[Bramling Cross]

Got some war treasure at Salvation Army, both of these German crystal beer mugs for a total of $3.50 ! Price tags on the bottom from originalView attachment 746370 store were marked $15.99 each. I love being a plundering ex soldier from the peasant masses. The aristocratic wife will scrunch her nose and tisk tisk tisk me. Tisk away ! All is fair in beer and war !

The gold isn't even worn off. Somebody loved those and kept them on display. Killer score, sir!

I used to buy nice glasses like that for my friends whenever I traveled. Invariably, their spouses would shove them in the dishwasher and the graphics would start losing color and the gold would fade away.

I especially like the Wieselburger glass, it's a sharp looking label, but the bottom of that glass has all kinds of interesting things going on. I'd enjoy spending some time watching tiny bubbles float up through that glass