What I did for beer today

[Worf]

Ah.... after reading various folks' mumblings about bottling & considering the expense of kegging, I bottled 2 cases of a summer bitter. Way too simple a batch, but at least there'll be be in the fridge while I research the next batch.

Slow & methodical, with only the unspoken verbal noise in my head, things came off without a hitch.

Now that those are waiting birth from the glass, it's time to plan the next one. Likely a dunkel or something else more wintery?

 

[bracconiere]

after 20 years, and once a week sessions...i want to start a new thread, "what i did to get OUT of brewing today" i just did a sugar cane extract batch...

12lbs sugar topped up with 9 gallons volume water, added a cup of yeast...in a week it'll fill two kegs with a 1/2 gallon of oj a piece....not to bad really, and WAY easier then having to haul a 70lb mash tun to the garden to dump!

 

[seatazzz]

This morning brewed up a batch of the house Blonde on Lutra while working from home. For once everything went without a hitch, even got all the cleaning done without missing anything at work. Then turned down the ferment fridge on the WF lager from last week to get it started crashing, hoping to keg this weekend.

 

[Cellar_Dweller]

Last night I started setting up a 5 cu ft chest freezer to long term age our big beers. We've been making so much quick turn stuff lately, we want to get back to aged, high-ABV sippers. We'll probably make a quad and our imperial pumpkin pie ale to start. Definitely want to do a big imperial stout as well.

Also went through and polished all the stainless steel in the brewery and wired in a couple more LED tube lights overhead. Probably half dozen more of those to do the whole space under the house.

Should be taking delivery of about 75 lbs of various malts by EOD, as well as a 5 lb bucket of alkaline brewery wash, which I'm starting to use over PBW lately.

 

[seatazzz]

Yesterday after work was done set up a quick 3g batch of mead; it started working within a few hours. The blond I brewed yesterday morning? On Lutra? Krausen DROPPED like a rock overnight, haven't tested/tasted yet but it's got to be the fastest I've ever seen that yeast work. Hoping it's okay, letting it sit for a few days before taking a sample. Later I'll get the grain milled for my next batch of American Strong that will get bourbon-soaked oak cubes in the keg, to sit for several months until spring. Busy gal this week.

 

[grampamark]

Moved the quick ‘n’ dirty keezer from the garage to the house. Couldn’t come up with a simple way to keep the faucets from freezing. With only minor rearranging of furniture it fit just fine in the space behind the couch.

 

[seanjwalker1]

Moved the quick ‘n’ dirty keezer from the garage to the house. Couldn’t come up with a simple way to keep the faucets from freezing. With only minor rearranging of furniture it fit just fine in the space behind the couch.
View attachment 792108

It didn't rain Hell Fire on you ?? When I put my kegerator from the garage into the basement entertainment room 2 years ago, same reason, to keep lines from freezing...like any normal sane brewer would do...I got hit by the wife with a preemptive nuclear strike. It wasn't pretty. It's still here in the basement...but so are the high radiation levels.

 

[seanjwalker1]

Went to a this new to me LHBS I didn't know existed. About 15 miles from the house but only 3 miles from where the wife works so kinda works out. Picked up the fixings for my spiced White Christmas Ale and a few other goodies for after New Years brews plus some dark dry malt extract for hot chocolate.

 

[seatazzz]

Moved the quick ‘n’ dirty keezer from the garage to the house. Couldn’t come up with a simple way to keep the faucets from freezing. With only minor rearranging of furniture it fit just fine in the space behind the couch.
View attachment 792108

Am I seein' things, or is that a cheese grater repurposed to a drip tray????? I could be seeing things.

 

[bracconiere]

It didn't rain Hell Fire on you ??

he'll just have to wait till that wood counter catches a few splaters like the bathroom does!

I could be seeing things.

didn't even notice that! just was wondering how it came off to clean?

 

[grampamark]

It didn't rain Hell Fire on you ?? When I put my kegerator from the garage into the basement entertainment room 2 years ago, same reason, to keep lines from freezing...like any normal sane brewer would do...I got hit by the wife with a preemptive nuclear strike. It wasn't pretty. It's still here in the basement...but so are the high radiation levels.

Actually, it was my wife’s suggestion to put the keezer in the living/dining room/kitchen (it’s a small house with no basement). She’s a quilter which is a pretty expensive hobby compared to homebrewing. We’re both pretty tolerant of the other’s hobbies.

 

[grampamark]

Am I seein' things, or is that a cheese grater repurposed to a drip tray????? I could be seeing things.

It’s actually 2 cheese graters from the Dollar Store, with the handles cut off and the graters riveted together, crimped into a shallow pan I bent up out of some sheet metal. Attached to the keezer with a bunch of little magnets. It won’t support the weight of a full beer; it’s just to catch drips.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Kegged a coconut Porter:and filled the growler works nitro growler. It is pretty tasty, but I think I lost about a half gallon in the coconut and dry hops. Of course, there is cleaning to do.

 

[WestMichiganSteelheader]

Today, for beer, I drove 45 miles round trip in a blizzard with snowpacked and icy roads to pick up 65 bomber bottles for $20.

 

[hout17]

Today, for beer, I drove 45 miles round trip in a blizzard with snowpacked and icy roads to pick up 65 bomber bottles for $20.

You gotta do what you gotta do sometimes. I've heard it builds character!

 

[leedspointbrew]

Checked on my iced-coffee stout, lagering in the shed (38 degrees ambient, last I checked). Updated some recipe spreadsheets.

 

[seatazzz]

Had a minor scare yesterday; ferment fridge did NOT want to cool. Could have been the controller falling down after I knocked into it, could have been a glitch in the matrix. Have my WF lager in there that needs to be kegged asap. Finally just unplugged the fridge, told echo to remind me in ten minutes, then plugged it back in. Compressor fired up, started getting cold, and it's sitting at 45.5° right now. After I'm done with my latest sewing project (really cool tunic top) I'll get the stuff set up for kegging. Was supposed to brew today but just didn't feel the vibe, will try again tomorrow.

 

[seanjwalker1]

Cleaned the 3 gal keg out line just to be sure even though I cleaned both kegs 3 weeks ago. Glad I did cause for some reason had what looked like tiny black mold flecks . Don't know why I used beer line cleaner and starsan last time I cleaned. So did it again. Put these new filters on the fluid out lines which already have floaters on them. Then I transferred the 3 gal Honey Brown. Should be ready by Thanksgiving with the quick carb micro stone. By the way thanks @seatazzz for the MaGuyver tip of using a coin on the keg lid feet for more tension ! It's working !!! Saved my $45 quick carb lid from being a damn you to hell worthless piece of crap !!

 

[grampamark]

Turned the gas back on to my kegerator after being gone for 5 days. Not a big deal, really, but I wasn’t greeted by the slightest hint of C02 flowing into the kegs. All 3 beers are still perfectly carbed. Anyone who manages a multi tap serving appliance can relate…

 

[seatazzz]

Didn't do much for beer today other than ogle the mead fermenting away. Waiting on the husband to finish getting ready, then going to dinner before heading to a competition ceremony where I don't know if I won anything yet. Will be happy with a bronze for this one, it's a dark only comp and mine is not a stout or a porter. It's also the first pro-am I've entered, have no chance of that but there are a TON of sponsors, hoping to get a door prize or something.

 

[South Arm Brew]

Bottled my Christmas Sugar Cookie blonde ale, and organized my supplies.

 

[Deric]

Kegged up a Hazy Pale …

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I finally won this battle! I know, I know, there is a removal tool, but for a once possibly twice a year task I’m being frugal. Phillips screw drive, mallet and elbow grease.

 

[KeizerBrewr]

On the final step for my 1388 starter for my BGSA thats planned to go down on Black Friday. Bottled up some Baltic Porter and cider last night.

 

[seanjwalker1]

Bottled my Christmas Sugar Cookie blonde ale, and organized my supplies.

Wow that's great! I had planned on a sugar cookie white ale too but wasn't quite sure how to go about flavoring it. Not alot online. I thought about sugar cookie extract from Amazon or a combination of vanilla, almond, and butter emulsion extract with cinnamon and nutmeg and a bit of lactose to sweeten it a bit but chickened out and decided to go with the ubiquitous spices that I've always used in the Xmas Porter or stout, sweet orange peel, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Have you made this before? Very interested to know how it comes out and how you flavored it if you don't mind. I have not brewed it yet but was planning on doing it this week. Already bought the grains and spices.

 

[seanjwalker1]

View attachment 792342
I finally won this battle! I know, I know, there is a removal tool, but for a once possibly twice a year task I’m being frugal. Phillips screw drive, mallet and elbow grease.

I'm giving you a LIKE even though I have no idea what I'm looking at

 

[South Arm Brew]

Wow that's great! I had planned on a sugar cookie white ale too but wasn't quite sure how to go about flavoring it. Not alot online. I thought about sugar cookie extract from Amazon or a combination of vanilla, almond, and butter emulsion extract with cinnamon and nutmeg and a bit of lactose to sweeten it a bit but chickened out and decided to go with the ubiquitous spices that I've always used in the Xmas Porter or stout, sweet orange peel, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Have you made this before? Very interested to know how it comes out and how you flavored it if you don't mind. I have not brewed it yet but was planning on doing it this week. Already bought the grains and spices.

Never made this before! I made the mistake to add Vanilla and almond extract i secondary and it came out a bit over done. Too much extract. I posted a recipe earlier on this thread and I think if I only added a small amount of almond extract it would have been perfect. I believe it would have been good without adding anything to it. I’m hoping that once it gets carbonated and settles a bit it might end up smoothing out. It smells like sugar cookies. Taste meh…

 

[South Arm Brew]

Wow that's great! I had planned on a sugar cookie white ale too but wasn't quite sure how to go about flavoring it. Not alot online. I thought about sugar cookie extract from Amazon or a combination of vanilla, almond, and butter emulsion extract with cinnamon and nutmeg and a bit of lactose to sweeten it a bit but chickened out and decided to go with the ubiquitous spices that I've always used in the Xmas Porter or stout, sweet orange peel, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Have you made this before? Very interested to know how it comes out and how you flavored it if you don't mind. I have not brewed it yet but was planning on doing it this week. Already bought the grains and spices.

Never made this before! I made the mistake to add Vanilla and almond extract i secondary and it came out a bit over done. Too much extract. I posted a recipe earlier on this thread and I think if I only added a small amount of almond extract it would have been perfect. I believe it would have been good without adding anything to it. I’m hoping that once it gets carbonated and settles a bit it might end up smoothing out. It smells like sugar cookies. Taste meh

 

[seanjwalker1]

Never made this before! I made the mistake to add Vanilla and almond extract i secondary and it came out a bit over done. Too much extract. I posted a recipe earlier on this thread and I think if I only added a small amount of almond extract it would have been perfect. I believe it would have been good without adding anything to it. I’m hoping that once it gets carbonated and settles a bit it might end up smoothing out. It smells like sugar cookies. Taste meh

What size batch and how much extract did you use ? I was thinking an ounce of each for 5 gallon batch...vanilla, almond and butter emulsion. I'm too chicken though ! Only enough time for 1 batch before Xmas so I'm leaning on being safe and going with the normal spices. Please post how it taste when you keg or bottle.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I'm giving you a LIKE even though I have no idea what I'm looking at

Thank you, (takes a humble bow) that mangled piece of plastic is the bung from a cask. Both wood and plastic are single use, so there’s no need to preserve it. Having the tool or a really hefty long screw driver would have left it more recognizable.