What I did for beer today

[Dave Sarber]

Checked FG's on all the current brews, might have gone too far on the RIS (down to 1.004!). Prepping a cask with bourbon to age this one.
Scotch ale is down to 1.018, still a bit sweet.
Saison is down to 1.008, might bottle this one later today.

 

[Dave Sarber]

Brewing a westlevern clone. Mill innovations lolView attachment 659296

Westvleteren. Jus' sayin.

 

[ba-brewer]

Ordered a new bag for my shiny new Mash & Boil. Also finally ordered an immersion chiller! No more baths!

Brewed up an extract bitter with plenty of EKG. I still like doing simple extracts once in awhile, and wanted to test out Maris otter LME.

Where did you get the Maris Otter LME?

Would like to hear how your bitters turn out with the MO extract.

I was thinking about start doing 1gal batches of bitters using extract but was going to shoot for some more balanced and malty to use to check out my banked yeast slants. Was planning to keep it simple so I could tell if I am getting drift of contamination.

 

[aharri1]

Good call!

Westvleteren. Jus' sayin.

 

[pshankstar]

Ok, what everybody's been waiting for...the cover shot from the latest issue of BEER PORN MAGAZINE Issue No. 6, Nov. Dec. 2019


View attachment 651387

By any chance did you make inserts for it to keep the bottles from knocking into each other? If so, can you share some pics?
Also, did you follow some guides online for the size? Or mimic a cardboard box dimensions? I mentioned this and showed it to my father in-law who’s into woodworking. He said it looks sweet and a job well done! I think it would be fun to build one this summer with him after they return from FL.

 

[Immocles]

Where did you get the Maris Otter LME?

Would like to hear how your bitters turn out with the MO extract.

I was thinking about start doing 1gal batches of bitters using extract but was going to shoot for some more balanced and malty to use to check out my banked yeast slants. Was planning to keep it simple so I could tell if I am getting drift of contamination.

LME from northern brewer. They had an ingredients sale awhile back so I stocked up and figured I would give it a shot. My expectations aren't super high, though. Im hoping I enjoy the results and have a quick brew day for this particular beer, but so far an extract version has been my favorite attempt

 

[Dave Sarber]

By any chance did you make inserts for it to keep the bottles from knocking into each other? If so, can you share some pics?
Also, did you follow some guides online for the size? Or mimic a cardboard box dimensions? I mentioned this and showed it to my father in-law who’s into woodworking. He said it looks sweet and a job well done! I think it would be fun to build one this summer with him after they return from FL.

Yes, I put dividers inside. To figure out the size of the box, I just lined up some bottles on the floor, with 1/4" spacers in between. Took that dimension, and added 1 1/2" for the thickness of the sides (3/4" twice). (HINT: if you're going for 22 oz bottles, outside of box should be in the neighborhood of 11 1/4" x 14 1/4").
The dividers are 5" wide boards planed down to 1/4", then notched on the table saw to nest together. They are glued in place before varnishing the inside of the box. TIP: use bottles as spacers when gluing the dividers in!

Right now, I'm working on a crate to hold one dozen 750 ml bottles, but it will have to have a separate hinged or sliding lid, because the widest stock I can get is not wide enough to completely cover the bottle necks.

 

[pshankstar]

View attachment 659336

Yes, I put dividers inside. To figure out the size of the box, I just lined up some bottles on the floor, with 1/4" spacers in between. Took that dimension, and added 1 1/2" for the thickness of the sides (3/4" twice). (HINT: if you're going for 22 oz bottles, outside of box should be in the neighborhood of 11 1/4" x 14 1/4").
The dividers are 5" wide boards planed down to 1/4", then notched on the table saw to nest together. They are glued in place before varnishing the inside of the box. TIP: use bottles as spacers when gluing the dividers in!

Right now, I'm working on a crate to hold one dozen 750 ml bottles, but it will have to have a separate hinged or sliding lid, because the widest stock I can get is not wide enough to completely cover the bottle necks.

Thank you for the info Dave!! That’s awesome and I can’t wait to see your other wood working projects for beer things! Cheers bud!

 

[Tyler B]

Brewed a scotch ale. Kegged two other brews that were in secondary. My first time kegging, super excited. Hoping to have my first homebrewed draft beer in the coming weeks.

 

[Tyler B]

Found the CO2 leak in my system (I hope) and while I was getting a full tank at the LHBS, I felt compelled to buy the grain for a DIPA and an Imperial Stout (Santa brought a grain mill)!

Sounds awesome!

 

[davidabcd]

Something boring--cut off the 72°F heat since my latest Tripel batch is done carbonating. Down she'll go into the basement at 56°.
Edit: And I'm planning out the next Tripel which is going to be another 13%+ but with slightly less hops than last time.

 

[MaltyWalty]

I started the cold crash on my Big Booty Brown Ale after discovering that my hydrometer is reading off, then took a gravity reading of the Figgy Pudding Milk Stout, then ordered ingredients to brew a pale ale this weekend. Tomorrow I will bottle my entry into a local Ironbrew competition that requires me use a random selected ingredient, so I've got a Rice Cream Ale.

 

[Punx Clever]

Brewed a Marzen...

Putting in my last effort for 2019... 11 gallons of Märzen to go on top of the yeast cake from a Baltic Porter.

Making the water... I got a RO system for x-mas. Getting 11ppm from my 450ppm well water. Cant' beat that!

Modification to the element to support whirlpool and immersion chiller. It was a 5500w ripple element:

Mash, 152 degrees, right on the daggum money:

First runnings. Gorgeous:

Last runnings, right around 1.008. Can't beat that:

Boil!

Pre-boil gravity... 13.5 gallons at 1.044 (temp corrected), works to 11 gallons at 1.054. I don't do direct OG measurements... figure one hydro sample equals one beer and I plan to save that.

Chilling... takes a bit to get down to lager temps with this crazy VA new years weather...

11 gallons in the fermenter with a third generation w-34/70 yeast cake. I'm brewing an ale next... this yeast is done!

 

[Mutant]

Taking some beer to my LHBS to welcome in New Year

 

[aharri1]

Had to put a blow off tube on my westvleteren 12 clone in less than 24 hours from pitching lol

 

[Pkrd]

Just gelatined my pale ale.

Might do a brew tomorrow night. Need a big IPA for those summer evenings.

 

[Dave Sarber]

Had to put a blow off tube on my westvleteren 12 clone in less than 24 hours from pitching lolView attachment 659700

What yeast did you use?

 

[aharri1]

Wyeast 1762 abbey ale II

What yeast did you use?

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

We are watching! [emoji6]

Had to put a blow off tube on my westvleteren 12 clone in less than 24 hours from pitching lolView attachment 659700

 

[aharri1]

Awesome! I made a big ass starter. 2.75L

We are watching! [emoji6]

 

[ba-brewer]

Yesterday:
Dry hopped my NEIPA, bought some DME to do a couple 1 gal batches.
Today:
Was going to do the extract batches but got/stayed lazy. Watched bubbles, setup a beersmith profile and recipe instead.

Ordered some yeast, WLP515, WLP041, WLP029 and WLP090. Plan to mix WLP090, WLP007 and maybe something else to see if it works like WLP075 Hansen ale blend. Have not done a Kolsch in while so that what the WLP029 will be used for first. A Belgian pale from the WLP515 and not sure what to do with the wlp041 it was an impulse buy.

 

[aharri1]

Picked 3.5oz of hops from my plant with more almost ready. Now to the dehydrator!

 

[Novacor]

Woke up this morning and thought it might be fun to do a New Year's brew. Turns out the LHBS is closed today. Oh well, just planned out the first brew of the year instead.

 

[Gozie Boy]

Picked 3.5oz of hops from my plant with more almost ready. Now to the dehydrator!View attachment 659846View attachment 659847

A question based on my relative ignorance on hop farming. I thought that hops were typically harvested somewhere in the Aug to Oct window, so apparently my understanding is wrong if you are still picking them in January. They certainly are beauties!

 

[ba-brewer]

A question based on my relative ignorance on hop farming. I thought that hops were typically harvested somewhere in the Aug to Oct window, so apparently my understanding is wrong if you are still picking them in January. They certainly are beauties!

Think it depends where you live and what hemisphere. I recall someone in new mexico I think saying they start harvesting in the spring on thru till fall. Also think I say someone in florida harvesting in an non traditional time for north America.

 

[aharri1]

I live in central Florida! I get 2 harvest a year due to weather! So, inside information! Lol

A question based on my relative ignorance on hop farming. I thought that hops were typically harvested somewhere in the Aug to Oct window, so apparently my understanding is wrong if you are still picking them in January. They certainly are beauties!

 

[Robert65]

Read FFT and checked progress on Sunday's brew. Then got a keg and all transfer apparatus sanitizer purged and ready to go. Looks like spunding tomorrow.

 

[Gozie Boy]

Yeah, northern hem. for sure. I also saw the comment from the fellow in Fla., and was impressed that hops could be grown in such a warm/far south environment. One general guideline is that hops are grown between of 35 and 55 deg latitude, which is quite a bit north of Fla. I appreciate that there are exceptions to everything. I am right at the 35deg boundary, but am also at 3000', which puts me at a further north "effective latitude". But no way can I grow hops this time of year.

 

[epc071]

Brewed a Belgian Wit today. Haven't brewed since January 2019, felt good. 8 years ago today I brewed my first beer, a Mr. Beer pale ale.

 

[kmarkstevens]

I live in central Florida! I get 2 harvest a year due to weather! So, inside information! Lol

Those are some fine looking hops. Add me to the list that didn't know hops could be grown this late. All the stuff I read was the summer solstice is the trigger for when hops should flower and start to ripen. The rule of thumb goal is to hit the top of the wire at the end of June, and then let the plants ripen.

Obviously there are exceptions. When do you let them shoot up out of the ground?