What I did for beer today

[SteveH aka shetc]

Judged on the final day of the Miami Area Society of Homebrewers Coconut Cup competition.

 

[Brewbuzzard]

I so need that can lol

I wish I would have seen this sooner, I'd have sent it to you.

 

[seatazzz]

Finally (after three years of owning it) installed a ball valve in my 12 gallon aluminum kettle. Until now it's just been used to catch first runnings, which get pumped back into the keggle once the sparge is done; now it can be used exclusively as the BK. Boils faster, has a lid that fits, and will mean less cleaning at end of brewday since the keggle will now just be the HLT. Was a bit apprehensive to drill into it but much reading here and elsewhere gave me the courage to do it. Was dead easy with a relatively cheap step drill bit from Harbor Freight and my trusty corded drill. Shortly gonna mill the grain for tomorrow's brewday as well. Good day!

 

[Brewbuzzard]

Painted my logo on some pint glasses. Kind of a pain in the a$$, but I’m too cheap to have them printed by someone else. They don’t look too bad if you don’t look close.

View attachment 664902

What paint did you use? Looks good

 

[camonick]

What paint did you use? Looks good

I use this paint and make stencils with my wife’s vinyl cutter. Apply stencil, brush with paint, remove stencil, let dry for 1 hour then bake in 350° oven to cure paint. I’m still struggling with the timing of removing the stencil... do it too soon and it smears the paint and if it dries too long, it sticks to the stencil and peels off the glass. I’m sure there’s a better way, but I haven’t figured it out yet.

 

[Brewbuzzard]

Fining my cream ale today.

 

[Robert65]

Finally (after three years of owning it) installed a ball valve in my 12 gallon aluminum kettle. Until now it's just been used to catch first runnings, which get pumped back into the keggle once the sparge is done; now it can be used exclusively as the BK. Boils faster, has a lid that fits, and will mean less cleaning at end of brewday since the keggle will now just be the HLT. Was a bit apprehensive to drill into it but much reading here and elsewhere gave me the courage to do it. Was dead easy with a relatively cheap step drill bit from Harbor Freight and my trusty corded drill. Shortly gonna mill the grain for tomorrow's brewday as well. Good day!View attachment 667745

I have aluminum kettles too, and have never been brave enough to try that. If I ever do, I know where to get advice!

 

[Robert65]

Brewed a Helles. And the maiden voyage of the SS Hydra. Which, despite being stainless instead of copper, was still a fair bit faster than my old immersion chiller. So, cool!

 

[seanjwalker1]

Brewed a Helles. And the maiden voyage of the SS Hydra. Which, despite being stainless instead of copper, was still a fair bit faster than my old immersion chiller. So, cool!

Nice! Only chiller I've ever had is stainless. And I'm brewing a Helles this week.

 

[Robert65]

Nice! Only chiller I've ever had is stainless. And I'm brewing a Helles this week.

Great minds....

 

[seatazzz]

I have aluminum kettles too, and have never been brave enough to try that. If I ever do, I know where to get advice!

It truly was dead easy. Marked my spot, put on eye protection, sat on the kettle to keep it steady, and started. Slow and steady does the trick, especially when getting it started. Most posts I read recommended making a pilot hole first, but I didn't need to; step drill bit started just fine without it. Don't forget the old adage, "measure twice, cut once", either. The bits I got are titanium nitride; Harbor Freight had two of them, different sizes, for $16.95. Cannot beat that. I did have to take it up to 7/8" instead of 3/4" to get the bulkhead through, but gaskets on both sides (red silicone on the inside, black on the outside) keep it from leaking too much. It did leak today during the brew, but only until the wort started boiling and sealed it up good.

 

[mullet6577]

Over the weekend:
Friday - kegged a chocolate milk stout and "brewed" an all extract no boil pale/blonde/something
Yesterday - brewed another chocolate milk stout that went A LOT better than the one that was kegged Friday. Added some cherry wood smoked malt to this one and actually hit close to all my gravities

 

[BrewMan13]

Brewed up an Irish red yesterday. Nailed the target mash temp, mash pH, and got better than expected efficiency. Was bubbling in ~5 hours.

 

[TheEagleRising]

Put my new Co2 gauge on

 

[501irishred]

Put my new Co2 gauge onView attachment 668069

Do you also have a primary regulator? In the picture it looks like you may have that hooked straight to high pressure.

 

[Pkrd]

I had a science lesson with my 12 year old. We discussed pH and I showed her my pH meter that I never use.

Her college fund is now fair game for beer money.

 

[TheEagleRising]

Do you also have a primary regulator? In the picture it looks like you may have that hooked straight to high pressure.

As of now I just have a 20oz paintball tank. Came on the single keg kit my wife got me for Christmas

 

[501irishred]

As of now I just have a 20oz paintball tank. Came on the single keg kit my wife got me for Christmas

I use the same cylinders in mine and love em. Even the small cylinders are around 800psi when full. (Glad I took this pic this morning, it’s about time for a swap).
the regulator you have pictured appears to be a secondary regulator that is intended for a low pressure in and out. I’d imagine if you run full 800psi into that valve bad things may happen (the paperwork should show the max pressure allowed).

 

[TheEagleRising]

I use the same cylinders in mine and love em. Even the small cylinders are around 800psi when full. (Glad I took this pic this morning, it’s about time for a swap).
the regulator you have pictured appears to be a secondary regulator that is intended for a low pressure in and out. I’d imagine if you run full 800psi into that valve bad things may happen (the paperwork should show the max pressure allowed).
View attachment 668142
View attachment 668143

This is the kit I have

https://www.kegconnection.com/draft-beer-at-home-and-on-the-go-deluxe-kegerator-kit/

 

[501irishred]

This is the kit I have

https://www.kegconnection.com/draft-beer-at-home-and-on-the-go-deluxe-kegerator-kit/

I was obviously wrong again (third time today ) Thats an awesome setup, I've just never seen a primary regulator without a high side gauge.

 

[TheEagleRising]

Tossed in 2oz of Ella for my 2nd dry hop. Another week and its keg time

 

[Brewbuzzard]

Packed up 19 bottles of various styles of my HB and two bottles of my brew buddy's hotter than hell sauce. To send to a friend that moved to bumbfukegypt as a sanity care package.

 

[Tyler B]

Brewed a Hopslam clone yesterday and saved the final runnings for today... Today I began the process of stepping up Chimay yeast from the dregs of a couple different bottles of Chimay.

 

[Tyler B]

Packed up 19 bottles of various styles of my HB and two bottles of my brew buddy's hotter than hell sauce. To send to a friend that moved to bumbfukegypt as a sanity care package.View attachment 668374

As someone who lives overseas... What a great gift! Even though it's getting better, it's still hard to find good/new/unique craft beer. And it's even harder to find good American style hot sauce. Your friend is lucky to have you!

 

[Dave Sarber]

@Brewbuzzard

Radisson Blu hotel, Al-Sharma district, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Label the bottles as balsamic vinegar, and they might get thru customs.


Not really, I'm flying home Saturday.
(And I'll be flying Sunday!)

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Labeled and packed my entries for nationals.

 

[Brewbuzzard]

Transferring cream ale for my father in law's birthday party.

 

[Novacor]

Bought my first sack of grain. Is this when this hobby starts saving me money?

 

[Dave Sarber]

Bought my first sack of grain. Is this when this hobby starts saving me money?

View attachment 668568

Hahahahaha!

 

[Brewbuzzard]

Bought my first sack of grain. Is this when this hobby starts saving me money?

View attachment 668568

Yes and no

 

[Brewbuzzard]

Picked up the RO water for tomorrow's brew day.

 

[ba-brewer]

Bought my first sack of grain. Is this when this hobby starts saving me money?

View attachment 668568

told myself about the same story. Figures if I bought in bulk the saving would pay for the mill in less than a year.

 

[kmarkstevens]

@BrewbuzzardNot really, I'm flying home Saturday.
(And I'll be flying Sunday!)

Take hand sanitizer and don't rub your nose or eyes on the flight...

 

[grampamark]

We’re at the city house for a few days and it’s warm enough to brew in the garage. So, I went to the LHBS and picked up the ingredients for a Kölsch. I’ll have to get water and make sure I have enough propane in the morning.

 

[Dave Sarber]

@Brewbuzzard

Radisson Blu hotel, Al-Sharma district, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Label the bottles as balsamic vinegar, and they might get thru customs.


Not really, I'm flying home Saturday.
(And I'll be flying Sunday!)

Well, I'm back in the USA. But my bag is in Saudi arabia., And I gotta pee. 18 hours in the air, and still got one flight to go.

 

[6Tap]

Well, I'm back in the USA. But my bag is in Saudi arabia., And I gotta pee. 18 hours in the air, and still got one flight to go.

Welcome back! [emoji482]
That is a long trip.

 

[Dave Sarber]

At home now, caught up on all the mail (2 keepers, and 2 pounds of trash). Don't think I could even finish a beer without passing out. Catch everybody tomorrow, for more weird science brewing.

 

[Novacor]

Not today but March 1st, 2015 I upgraded from Mr. Beer and brewed my first 5 gal. batch. The rest is history!

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Not today but March 1st, 2015 I upgraded from Mr. Beer and brewed my first 5 gal. batch. The rest is history!

Happy Anniversary, Mr Beer commercials got me interested in brewing, though I had never gotten one of their kits.

I just checked gravity on 2 that are just about done and added dry hops to one of them, I hope it gets that extra something it needs from that. Also washed about a dozen bottles.

 

[6Tap]

Cleaned brew room after brewing yesterday and now just drinking beer.
May take a nap on the hammock in the back yard...