What I did for beer today

[aharri1]

Thanks! It's a lot of hard work!! Now I know why all the head brewers are usually thin. Probably lost an inch in my waistline in 2 weeks! The cleaning processes for the tanks are hardcore.

Congratulations, living the dream.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Became a plumber for the evening last night. Rigged up my RIMS/HERMS and the pumps. Did a leak test and ran it through a heating cycle.

It took 70F water in my MLT up to 120F in 15 minutes. Doing so dropped the HLT from 190F to 160F just as fast.

I need to figure out the proper flow rates on both pumps. Seems like slow is better there appears to be less bubbles when going slow and easy.

Left side is Wort HERMS
Right side is the Hot Liquor Recirculation.

Hoses might be too long. I need to figure out the best place where my pumps should be as this is non-standard stove top brewing. The pumps have 15A extension cord connected to GFI outlet in my bathroom. I stand a better chance of not doing the Polka if something springs a leak!!!

 

[Schlenkerla]

I have been having problems with my stirplate for the last four batches. I tried everything I could think of but it kept throwing the stir bar. I even raised the magnets up closer to the bottom of the flask. Then today I used plain water so I could see what the heck was happening and to my surprise the stir bar would not center on the magnets. I got a new bar and it centered right up. The only thing I can think of is I always boil the bar and it seems it has changed the magnetic field or the bar has demagnetized due to the neodymium magnets. From now on I will use StarSan. Does anyone have any expertise in this field?

I don't have expertise in this... I've had the same problem. If I turn mine up to full speed it doesn't throw my stir bar. I think the fluid level is a factor too. Small volume seems to be detrimental to it staying in the center spinning. The fuller it is to a point seems better. Roughly half full on my ehrlinmeyer flask.

 

[Schlenkerla]

I have been having problems with my stirplate for the last four batches. I tried everything I could think of but it kept throwing the stir bar. I even raised the magnets up closer to the bottom of the flask. Then today I used plain water so I could see what the heck was happening and to my surprise the stir bar would not center on the magnets. I got a new bar and it centered right up. The only thing I can think of is I always boil the bar and it seems it has changed the magnetic field or the bar has demagnetized due to the neodymium magnets. From now on I will use StarSan. Does anyone have any expertise in this field?

Found this....

Stirring

If stirring stops during a reaction, all bets are off. It is very important to stir continuously throughout an experiment. If your reaction is heterogeneous, it must be stirred very vigorously to ensure efficient mixing.

If you experience problems stirring, here are some things to try:

Move the bottom of the flask closer to the stir plate.

Use a bigger stir bar.

Use a larger or more powerful stir plate (not all plates are created equal).

If your stir bar gets stuck somehow, pick up the flask and swirl it until the bar is free, or pry it free with a pipette or spatula. These kinds of reactions require constant surveillance. If you are having this kind of problem, you might want to consider using a mechanical stirring apparatus.

If your reaction is very large, a stir bar may not mix it efficiently. It might work better if you used a mechanical stirring apparatus.

Stir Bars

Cylindrical:Long and thin bars that are excellent for Erlenmeyer flasks, but may spin irregularly in a round-bottom. The short cylindrical bars sometimes fit in a round-bottom and spin fine.

Football: Bars shaped to fit in a round-bottom flask. Normally available for 25 mL flasks and larger.

Fleas: Very tiny cylindrical bars good for 10 mL or smaller flasks, vials or test tubes.

Overhead Stirring

When a stirbar simply does not do the job, mechanical stirring is necessary. An overhead stirring apparatus is typically employed. Situations when overhead stirring may be required: high viscosity solutions, large scale reactions, or in heterogeneous reactions when a stirbar becomes mired in gunky, gooey, or otherwise insoluble material.

[emoji2398]2019 Alison Frontier, University of Rochester. Supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation. NSF Funding {+} Safety Disclaimer {+}


http://chem.chem.rochester.edu/~nvd/pages/tips.php?page=stirring

 

[ba-brewer]

If the bottom is not very flat and has a bump then it can be hard to keep the stirbar in place. Just need to move the vessel until the stirbar stays put.

Sometime I will put a thin piece of cardboard or two between the stirplate and the vessel to get things to work.

For me when I have the vortex too deep I have a hard time keeping the bar in place so I usually only have a small vortex.

edit: Just stepped up a small starter 100mL, the thing with the cardboard board is it is needed to get the fan to spin. Seems certain spin bars cause the fan not to spin at lower voltage and increasing the distance allows using lower voltage to the fan. It will spin with a higher voltage but immediately throw the bar.

 

[aharri1]

Nice sight glass!

Became a plumber for the evening last night. Rigged up my RIMS/HERMS and the pumps. Did a leak test and ran it through a heating cycle.

It took 70F water in my MLT up to 120F in 15 minutes. Doing so dropped the HLT from 190F to 160F just as fast.

I need to figure out the proper flow rates on both pumps. Seems like slow is better there appears to be less bubbles when going slow and easy.

Left side is Wort HERMS
Right side is the Hot Liquor Recirculation.

Hoses might be too long. I need to figure out the best place where my pumps should be as this is non-standard stove top brewing. The pumps have 15A extension cord connected to GFI outlet in my bathroom. I stand a better chance of not doing the Polka of something springs a leak!!!

View attachment 649682View attachment 649683View attachment 649684View attachment 649685

 

[Schlenkerla]

Nice sight glass!

Got this sight glass here and several of the tri clovers.

https://www.proflow-dynamics.com/pr...ight-glass-brewing/tri-clamp-sight-glass.html

 

[ba-brewer]

Ferment chambers all filled and well under way so nothing to do but make sure they are still holding CO2.

Started bringing a slant of Wyeast 3655 Belgian Schelde ale yeast back to life a couple days ago, it hit high krausen today so I made new slants and stepped up to 100mL.

Ordered more vials to make more slants. Stuffed a few pounds of 2019 hops into the freezer.

 

[Dave Sarber]

Transferred a spiced RIS to a bourbon cask for a wee bit of conditioning. Christmas beer!

 

[SteveH aka shetc]

Stepped up a Timothy Taylor yeast slant to 1 liter, to be pitched in a TT Landlord clone tomorrow.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Sniffed the airlock of the pumpkin ale

 

[JAReeves]

Last Saturday wasn't about beer: I put 5 Gallons of fresh apple juice from Honest Abe in SoCal in the closet to do its thing. All wild yeast, just a little pectin enzyme to clear it a bit. Last year's batch was primed with Passionfruit Juice, this year I am thinking Guava, but it primaries for two months, so plenty of time.

Today, I finally get to brew: my Red Rye IPA. Co-workers have been bugging me to make more, so it's on. And drinking the British IPA I made for my dad while everything boils. Gives me a chance to clean everything, as it's been months since I had a day to brew.

 

[brewbama]

Made proper labels for the beers I have on tap, on condition, and fermenting. Also made some labels for upcoming brews.

 

[HB2 HughBHomeBrew]

Bottled some IPA and cream ale

 

[jcav]

Today I set up my brewery on the back lanai for a brew day tomorrow. Got all my water volumes correct (Mash and HLT) and salts are adjusted. I even nail my pre-mash ph the night before as well. When I wake up tomorrow I make some coffee and fire up the electric element in the HLT and both pumps before breakfast, to heat up my mash and sparge water at the same time. Got two of my sons (out of three) coming over tomorrow and I also get to see one of my grandaughter's. Oh and the wife is making a nice Italian dinner for us all! Good Times!

John

 

[seatazzz]

Just milled the grain and set up the mash tun for brewday tomorrow. Finally decided on a nice IPA using five different hops; Comet & Chinook for FWH and bittering, then a mix of Strata, Crystal, Chinook, and maybe a smidge of Centennial in late additions. All "C" hops except for the Strata, which I suppose I could leave out, but I want to see how nice it plays with others. Should be a nice hop bomb about 6.5% based on the grain bill. Using two row and Vienna, have never used Vienna before so looking forward to seeing what it will do.

 

[orionol73]

Almost finished with the mash on a strata IPA. First time I’ve managed to get my hands on these hop so excited to see how it turns out!

 

[aharri1]

Brewing an all motueka IPA 5% target. Boil and dry hop

 

[orionol73]

Brewing an all motueka IPA 5% target. Boil and dry hopView attachment 650075View attachment 650076View attachment 650077

So I see your spider there and I bought one too with the intent I’d use boil hops in it but after 1 attempt at boiling hops in it the choice was clear...use it to filter the wort from mash to boil and then again from kettle to fermenter. Hops don’t get compacted into the screen and get a better boil

 

[ba-brewer]

I used my hop spider once too, glad I got a cheap one from china. Mine seemed to clog with break material and I could not see much fluid movement back to the kettle.

 

[Dave Sarber]

Yeah, I bought the one with the screw on lid. Pretty useless.

 

[aharri1]

That's what I do!!

So I see your spider there and I bought one too with the intent I’d use boil hops in it but after 1 attempt at boiling hops in it the choice was clear...use it to filter the wort from mash to boil and then again from kettle to fermenter. Hops don’t get compacted into the screen and get a better boil

 

[seatazzz]

Almost finished with the mash on a strata IPA. First time I’ve managed to get my hands on these hop so excited to see how it turns out!

I'm drinking on mine right now, brewed three weeks ago. Strata is a great hop, but I'm wishing I would have gone heavier on the late additions. Brewed an IPA today with them and C-hops as late additions, looking forward to seeing how well they play with others.

 

[seatazzz]

Yeah, I bought the one with the screw on lid. Pretty useless.

I've got that same hop basket, and I've been a bit disappointed in it; if pellet hops are used, it clogs up pretty fast. Great for leaf hops, but I use pellets almost exclusively so went back to bags. Didn't think of using it to filter break material during recirculation, might do that next brew.

 

[brewbama]

Cleaned my pump. Ready to go again.

Also added a tee fitting so I now have a third keg on gas.

 

[Dave Sarber]

Just cooked up an experimental pale tripel with Nugget FWH and Amarillo late additions. Cooling now, waiting for OG reading before I decide on the yeast to use.

 

[ba-brewer]

yesterday:
finished my wy3655 starter and started building a starter from a slant WLP835 lager X.

Kegged my panther piss IPA, tasted very grapefruity.

Put a second floor drain in my keezer. Pulled an empty keg and did not think about the 1gal mini keg sitting on top of some bombers that it was holding upright in the corner. Mini keg nosed dived into the bottom punching a hole with the gas in ball lock post. Now that is what I call a torpedo keg. ​

Today:
Plan to keg a centennial golden ale. Need to determine what to brew next, still need to purge some old hops but if I do a malty beer I can use some of the wort to test the wy3655 too. Need to start thinking about a permanent patch for the duct tape over the new hole in my keezer. ​

 

[Dave Sarber]

Cut out a piece of beer can, flatten it, and silicone it to the hole.

 

[orionol73]

I used my hop spider once too, glad I got a cheap one from china. Mine seemed to clog with break material and I could not see much fluid movement back to the kettle.

Amen to the cheap amazon version!

 

[orionol73]

I'm drinking on mine right now, brewed three weeks ago. Strata is a great hop, but I'm wishing I would have gone heavier on the late additions. Brewed an IPA today with them and C-hops as late additions, looking forward to seeing how well they play with others.

After a FWH addition I’ve got 2.5 oz in the late boil, 2 oz hop stand and scheduled for a 2 oz dry hop on 5 gallons