What I did for beer today

[lumpher]

In the spirit of always upgrading, I just ordered a Stout Spout.

 

[BrewZer]

It's been in the fermenter a week now, at 65F +/- a degree, so it's time to check gravity and taste on the Piraat clone.

Visually, it's slightly hazy with a nice white layer of yeast on the bottom, well compacted below the bottling spigot. I'm not going to bottle from there -- I'll decant to a bucket and consider whether or not I want to add malt primer to that or use up some bottling tabs I have from the hefeweizen no-boil experiment.

The sample reads 1.012, down from 1.089, so 10.1% ABV -- almost right on! I expected it to go a bit thin due to a lower mash temp than I wanted, but there it is, not as much as I thought.

Tasting the sample starts with smells of bread and malt. On the tongue it shows some alcohol warmth up front; definite malty, bready sweetness in the middle and some hops in the back to keep it from being cloying. It's the closest I've ever come to liquid bread. I just wish I had a bottle of Piraat to compare it to... but that can be fixed with a trip to the beer store.

At about $9 per bottle retail, I just turned $48 into $522 -- alchemy at it's most useful! Two weeks to go and I'll bottle it in 58 12oz longnecks to avoid 22oz buzzes.

 

[BrewZer]

I just wish I had a bottle of Piraat to compare it to... but that can be fixed with a trip to the beer store.

Fixed. The guy at the beer store looked at me like I was nuts when I checked out. "That's expensive beer!" he exclaimed! "Yes, but it's GOOD beer!" I replied.

 

[MaxStout]

Finished a couple small woodworking projects. A "flight" of shaker pints and a bottle carrier.

 

[Deadalus]

This has been in progress for some time but the last couple of projects are all done. Rearranged the brew rig, lowered it and flipped the bottom shelf. Moved the two unitanks up, making room for the bigger uni. Discussed the panel upgrade elsewhere, and over right side is my half batch e-kettle with separate 120V controller down bottom.

 

[HM-2]

Pulled a sample of my Brut which has been carbing for 48 hours. I think I've nailed this one, super crisp and dry with just the right amount of fruity hop aroma and some great slightly funky mango from the yeast. Right now it's perceiving a lot sweeter than it's 1.002 finishing gravity would suggest which I'm guessing is a product of all that "absolutely nothing but fruit" Luminosa that went into the DH.

Finished off a recipe for a 10.5% West Coast TIPA that's designed to use up my remaining stash of Cryo BRU-1 and Centennial. Ordered a few bits I need for that.

 

[flipster]

Today was dry hop day for my "Munich Kolibri" Ale
First I cleaned-boiled my hop sock (yes, it's actutally a sock). No matter how often I repeat this, it's never not greenish afterwards.

10g Kolibri hops in the sock, tie the knot and pour on the boiled and cooled water.

Allow to cool to fermetation temperature (actually it's storage room temperature) and put the sock and the hop tea into the fermentation bucket.

The 2nd gen M44 yeast was very quick this time. Rest for four or five more days and then heading for the bottle.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Between daily snow storms, trying to get ready to brew. The snow shoveling is winning.

Weighing out grain to mill, filling the HLT and having a beer.

 

[leedspointbrew]

I picked up a grain mill from an HBT member xrobevansx last fall - he generously included a variety of grain that I'm now finally getting around to organizing / figuring out what to do with same. Lots of odds and ends that I'm not entirely sure how to utilize.

 

[Deadalus]

I picked up a grain mill from an HBT member xrobevansx last fall - he generously included a variety of grain that I'm now finally getting around to organizing / figuring out what to do with same. Lots of odds and ends that I'm not entirely sure how to utilize.

View attachment 869098

You have an Octoberfest roughly with the Munich and Vienna, a wheat, and maybe an English ale of some sort (a stout would work with the roasted barley). The crystal malts appear to be a range for various styles to keep on hand, I do that too.

 

[leedspointbrew]

You have an Octoberfest roughly with the Munich and Vienna, a wheat, and maybe an English ale of some sort (a stout would work with the roasted barley). The crystal malts appear to be a range for various styles to keep on hand, I do that too.

Thank you! Will keep all of those in mind.

 

[day_trippr]

Spinning up the 2nd pass of an over-build 1318 starter. Had a chamber empty so went full-temperature control

Cheers!

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Spinning up the 2nd pass of an over-build 1318 starter. Had a chamber empty so went full-temperature control

View attachment 869184

Cheers!

It looks lonely in there all by itself.

 

[day_trippr]

It's preparing for a higher calling than socializing

 

[Willy]

I knew that the glorious English Brown corny was really close to kicking - but Lordy... This batch was one of my best. Nector from heaven tasty. Really close to beyond imagination. Yum. But so close to over. :-(

Pouring what I believe is the last pour, I focused... Slowly it poured and filled the glass as close to filled as you might hope for. And then... The sound ... Zcxghfffft. Of kicking.

With an athleticism far beyond the expected for my age, the tap was shut so quickly that my flick approached the speed of light. At the same time, I pulled the glass out. Remarkable hand eye coordination.

Anyway, I got the last pour. Perfect. No trube cuz I was too fast. I am going to use this move in the future. Ha.

 

[Lampy]

Replaced an airlock

 

[Deadalus]

Soldered on a TC port on my SS Brewtech mini-bucket. I dimpled it out, hoping that would help the clamp clear the recessed lid. It helped but it's probably still too tight for a thumbscrew. I may have to put a hex nut on instead. Next two I will use longer ports. It was really hard to get the fitting in after first dimpling the hole, much patience is needed. The lid is thin too, heated up super quick. I was heating underneath on the TC and the solder started to flow as I was heating up a third spot on it.

 

[No Joy Brews]

Currently brewing a milk chocolate stout. It's a nice weather day here in Southeastern GA. Cheers!

 

[Skeeter686]

Currently brewing a milk chocolate stout. It's a nice weather day here in Southeastern GA. Cheers!

It got up to 24 degrees below freezing by me today. And I know someone from ND is going to reply that that's swimsuit weather, but I'm still jealous of your brew day.

 

[T Murph]

I've been working on establishing a personal yeast strain. It's elementary but I have repitched a strain of ale yeast over 20 times. Now I have cleaned it and rebuilt the yeast to a pitch able size. It is in its final beaker ready to pitch tomorrow into an American Pale Ale.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

It got up to 24 degrees below freezing by me today. And I know someone from ND is going to reply that that's swimsuit weather, but I'm still jealous of your brew day.

Wisconsin is with you on these frigid days and nights.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Shipped some entries to Drunk Monk today. I think I was shipper 5 or 6 for the whale pod box I used. Reduce, reuse, recycle.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Yesterday I brewed 23 litres of my Sussex Bitter clone
3500g Irish Pale malt
200g Flaked Maize
150g Medium Crystal Malt
25g Progress at 60m
25g Bramling Cross at 15m
25g EKG at whirlpool 80C for 15m
Nottingham style yeast

 

[An Ankoù]

Yesterday I brewed 23 litres of my Sussex Bitter clone
3500g Irish Pale malt
200g Flaked Maize
150g Medium Crystal Malt
25g Progress at 60m
25g Bramling Cross at 15m
25g EKG at whirlpool 80C for 15m
Nottingham style yeast

Is this a Harvey's Sussex Best clone? A fellow brewer swears by this stuff and is always trying to clone it. Ive never tasted the draught and the bottled leaves me indifferent. What's your take on this beer, @Cheshire Cat ?

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Yes it is a Harvey’s Sussex clone. I have tried the real stuff many times and it’s superb. I make the clone regularly. I don’t have their yeast and have guessed the water profile based on chalk cliffs.
PS I usually whirlpool with 15g each of EKG and Fuggles but didn’t have any of the latter.

 

[An Ankoù]

Yes it is a Harvey’s Sussex clone. I have tried the real stuff many times and it’s superb. I make the clone regularly. I don’t have their yeast and have guessed the water profile based on chalk cliffs.
PS I usually whirlpool with 15g each of EKG and Fuggles but didn’t have any of the latter.

I'll give it a whirl, then.
What water profile do yo use? High in bicarbs?

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Ca 80
Mg 16
Na 35
Cl 75
SO4 80
HCO3 100

 

[An Ankoù]

Ca 80
Mg 16
Na 35
Cl 75
SO4 80
HCO3 100

Excellent.
"Je suis sur la valise" as Google Translate would have it.

 

[T Murph]

I brewed a pale ale using my experimental yeast and it had activity in 4 hours. I will monitor fermentation closely and keep the temperature at 68 to 72 degrees. I expect it to perform much like US 05 and Chico 1056.

I also kegged a Marzen brewed 1/30/25. Got it lagering til St Patty's Day.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I harvested the Kolsch yeast slurry that’s been sealed up in the “kegmentor” as I plan to use it to pressure ferment an American light lager soon, then American lager will go on that cake after the light one is packaged. I wasn’t sure how I would find it. The liquid yeast was stinky when I pitched it, but not when I opened the keg . So into a sanitized jar fed it some boiled DME to be sure it’s okay and capable of making beer before I take up fridge space. Also began cleaning the keg, filling with hot water and PBW. Recipe for fizzy yellow water is pretty uncomplicated.