What I did for beer today

[seatazzz]

Ordered two pounds of 2019 Galaxy hops from Yakima Valley Hops with their sale. Added a pound of BRU-1 hops to the order too. I’m hoping this gets me brewing more this summer.

I only have a pound coming because I needed some Citra & Sabro as well, and didn't want to spend a lot. Planning on a Galaxy SMasH done on Kveiking yeast in a couple weeks. Love their First Friday sales!

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

What did you make this year? I've yet to get started on the recipe for mine, I need to do something different this year.

Fruit cake old ale. I’m hoping there won’t be much tartness left behind, I can say the aromas emanating from the airlock are nice and fruity. (It’s for 12 beers of Christmas 2020 west coast has openings if you are into trading)

 

[Joshua Hughes]

Got water ready to brew tomorrow.

 

[JAReeves]

Measured out grain and hops for a Barley Wine + Parti-Gyle Pale Ale/Bitter; letting the water run through the filter now.

 

[3 Dawg Night]

Put the finishing touches on my mini-fridge fermentation chamber build. I'm going to brew on Friday, and I can't wait to try it out!

 

[hout17]

Bottling an oatmeal stout tomorrow or should say today lol. Also ordered a Speidel 30L fermenter to go along with my glass carboy looks like an incredible vessel from more beer. Also ordered the crop duster grain mill and a refractometer from Austin Homebrew Supply and finally I'm picking up an Igloo BMX 52 at cooler (fromTarget) to convert in to a mash tun. Between remodeling the master bedroom and brewing since being laid off has kept me busy.

 

[ba-brewer]

Watched some bubbles and took gravity readings, made temp adjustments. Did some pruning and training of hop bines. Reaped the benefits of bottling some extra beer that did not fit into the keg using a soda bottle and a carbonating cap.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Packaged big brew day amber.

Kegged most bottled primed a few.

 

[JAReeves]

Moved my Red Rye into a keg for spunding and dry hopping.

Brewed a Pale Barley Wine and dumped it onto the Rye's yeast cake. The yeasties took off immediately, hoping it'll finish about 12% or so. The hop schedule is based on an AHA Bigfoot clone.

Using the BW grain, I also made a Centennial Blonde Parti-Gyle (well, close enough), should be about 4.25%.

Since I live in Los Angeles, I have concerns over water usage and water wastage. I rigged up a system today, where my cooling water ends up in the rain barrels that normally collect runoff from the roof. Now my beer-cooling water will keep the hops and the rest of the garden happy, especially in summer.

 

[seatazzz]

Gonna drink a LOT of homebrew tonight. To make a long story short, two years ago the owner of the company I work for (originally a small air/ocean freight concern with offices in Seatac, Kent, Portland, and Vancouver BC) sold us to a huge conglomerate super-corporation that hadn't (and still doesn't) any idea of how ocean freight works. I've been a container dispatcher for 13 years, and I'm pretty damn good at it. Fast forward a couple years, and we're not making the money they expected; add the coronavirus kerfluffle and about 70% of our staff was laid off, with the rest of us expected to take on more responsibilities. I'm salary; expected to work longer hours so the hourly folks can work shorter hours. I'm not the complaining sort, I gladly took on more work to save the company. The manager (former owner), has other ideas now and apparently my job is on the line, based on some issues over the last few weeks that I had little to no control over. I was told today to fast-track training of my new supervisor on how to do my job; being in the workforce as long as I have, I know what that means. Get her trained, and they can get rid of me.

I know I can find another job (have a few tentative offers on the table) but at 52 it's hard to change. So tonight, with the husband at the pub playing cards with his buddies, I'm going to let my homebrew do what it does best; get me schnockered. And since I no longer work my second job, which had the constant threat of random drug tests hovering over my head, I might also pay a visit to our neighborhood "green" store tomorrow night. Gonna be a weird weekend.

 

[jcav]

I'm sorry to hear that Seatazz. I really hope that they keep you on and if they don't that you land an even better gig somewhere else. Good luck, these are crazy times.

John

 

[dnr]

After almost 7 weeks in bottle, I have only a slight chill have and a very mellowed out flavor profile.

I feel like this beer went from sharp to cohesive over the last 3 weeks.

 

[seatazzz]

Came home after a wonderful (sarcasm level 10000) day at work with the idea of putting the Irish Death on tap; took the American strong off to accommodate it. As soon as I pulled the co2 connect off that keg I got the dreaded fwoosh of offgassing; yet ANOTHER failed poppit. Fortunately @BobbyM got my order here in record time, and I have plenty of new poppits to replace it; except I apparently installed this post with my impact wrench (not really) and I can't get it loose; no worries, just grab said impact wrench and gently try to turn it. Except the battery is dead. Arrrrrgh. And the 20lb co2 tank that I got when I bought the kegerator is starting to, well, tank. I have a full 5lb as backup but I don't want to put it on if I don't have to. Oh well, at least there's still IPA and Wit....

 

[JAReeves]

Summer project is going to be a fermentation/aging chamber. Was on the fence about whether to use a mini-fridge or small window A/C unit. A neighbor was selling a barely-used window unit for basically nothing, so off the fence I jumped!

Now I just need to finish the plans and get the rest of the materials.

 

[BrewMan13]

Over the weekend I kegged my wheat wine, where it will condition until the fall. Went from 1.112 to 1.022; not surprised given the yeast took off like crazy in terms of lag time and blow off. Naturally a bit hot at the moment, but other than that, pretty satisfied; expect some aging to smooth it out.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Gonna drink a LOT of homebrew tonight. To make a long story short, two years ago the owner of the company I work for (originally a small air/ocean freight concern with offices in Seatac, Kent, Portland, and Vancouver BC) sold us to a huge conglomerate super-corporation that hadn't (and still doesn't) any idea of how ocean freight works. I've been a container dispatcher for 13 years, and I'm pretty damn good at it. Fast forward a couple years, and we're not making the money they expected; add the coronavirus kerfluffle and about 70% of our staff was laid off, with the rest of us expected to take on more responsibilities. I'm salary; expected to work longer hours so the hourly folks can work shorter hours. I'm not the complaining sort, I gladly took on more work to save the company. The manager (former owner), has other ideas now and apparently my job is on the line, based on some issues over the last few weeks that I had little to no control over. I was told today to fast-track training of my new supervisor on how to do my job; being in the workforce as long as I have, I know what that means. Get her trained, and they can get rid of me.

I know I can find another job (have a few tentative offers on the table) but at 52 it's hard to change. So tonight, with the husband at the pub playing cards with his buddies, I'm going to let my homebrew do what it does best; get me schnockered. And since I no longer work my second job, which had the constant threat of random drug tests hovering over my head, I might also pay a visit to our neighborhood "green" store tomorrow night. Gonna be a weird weekend.

This stinks, and training your replacement just adds insult to injury. I’m gonna send some good vibes your way that your next gig is even better for you.

 

[Joshua Hughes]

Brewing a dry stout.

 

[ba-brewer]

Came home after a wonderful (sarcasm level 10000) day at work with the idea of putting the Irish Death on tap; took the American strong off to accommodate it. As soon as I pulled the co2 connect off that keg I got the dreaded fwoosh of offgassing; yet ANOTHER failed poppit. Fortunately @BobbyM got my order here in record time, and I have plenty of new poppits to replace it; except I apparently installed this post with my impact wrench (not really) and I can't get it loose; no worries, just grab said impact wrench and gently try to turn it. Except the battery is dead. Arrrrrgh. And the 20lb co2 tank that I got when I bought the kegerator is starting to, well, tank. I have a full 5lb as backup but I don't want to put it on if I don't have to. Oh well, at least there's still IPA and Wit....

At least it is the gas side, the beer side getting stuck down can get messy.

If the poppets are getting stuck in the down position after removing the disconnect, maybe take a look at the disconnect to see if has something to do with it.

The tank going fast, maybe replace your post o-rings too or lube them up good.

 

[user 263363]

After life happening for the last few weeks I am coming back strong with a double brew day. A “light” lager and a mixed-ferm table saison are on the list for today.

Hopefully my Anvil Foundry will be here in a week or two and I can brew my first full batch of beer now that I have a kegging system waiting on it!

 

[OldDogBrewing]

I brewed a kind of brown-stout ale, dark in color but not roasty at all that I will be inoculating with the air in my garden, under a kind of tent where I usually drink my beer (including some lambics) and next to my neighbor's fruit trees, so the place is promising and so is the ambient temperature today, it might rain during the night but my hopes are that the tent will have enough residents in it plus all the stuff the wind is bringing now from the surroundings, maybe if I'm lucky something will come flying from the vineyards

 

[JAReeves]

I brewed a kind of brown-stout ale, dark in color but not roasty at all that I will be inoculating with the air in my garden, under a kind of tent where I usually drink my beer (including some lambics) and next to my neighbor's fruit trees, so the place is promising and so is the ambient temperature today, it might rain during the night but my hopes are that the tent will have enough residents in it plus all the stuff the wind is bringing now from the surroundings, maybe if I'm lucky something will come flying from the vineyards

I have 50/50 luck with ambient bugs: the grapes from my garden gave good bugs and all of my sours use that culture, on the other hand, I received a sour culture from a pro brewery that had 300+gallons going in a foeder and after two years of waiting it still tasted like a$$. I wish you the best!

 

[day_trippr]

Kicked four kegs on Sunday, swapped them for freshies today, and cleaned four kegs.
Not very exciting, but otoh the first pour of the first fresh keg is wonderful

Cheers!

 

[user 263363]

After life happening for the last few weeks I am coming back strong with a double brew day. A “light” lager and a mixed-ferm table saison are on the list for today.

Hopefully my Anvil Foundry will be here in a week or two and I can brew my first full batch of beer now that I have a kegging system waiting on it!

I killed this brew day. Hit all my numbers and managed to brew two beers and end up mostly sober by the end of the second. No good pictures but the lager is at 62f in my ferm chamber and the saison is in my upstairs bath tub. Of course we are having a dang cold snap with a high of 62 tomorrow, but by the time fermentation is well under way it should be in the upper 70s up there again.

 

[seatazzz]

So apparently this is my week to learn new skills. Took the 20lb co2 tank with me to work today to get it exchanged; the other tank was just at the top of the red when I left for work, figured I had a day or two before it blew. Completely out when I get home. Oh well, let's just put the new one on. Should note here that my current regulator is a cheapie (although with good reviews) from Amazon, and has served well for over 9 months. Once the new tank was on, turn the valve, and violent leaking from the PRV on the regulator. Oh crap. Managed to get the one I got when we bought the kegerator on, although that one doesn't have a PRV (yes I know I don't need one but I like having it). One of the dials was bent on it, but fixing that was easy. So since that was on, I took the bad one apart, just for science. Turns out the gasket underneath the PRV was shot; took one off my other other regulator (yes I have three), and after using many sharp tools to get the bad one out (no I didn't stab myself, for once) and also my trusty impact wrench (carefully, and slowly), my "good" regulator is now back on, and holding pressure for the last 45 minutes. Getting up to check it every few minutes, and giving it a spray with the only foamy cleaner I have (Fabuloso, man my garage smells pretty) and it's holding so far. NOT what I intended to do with my evening.

 

[ba-brewer]

@seatazzz, Sounds like you may have found your leak. Always nice when a sneaky problem becomes easy to spot.

 

[seatazzz]

@seatazzz, Sounds like you may have found your leak. Always nice when a sneaky problem becomes easy to spot.

Darn it, I hope so. 20lb exchange where I go is about $28, and I really don't want to have to get it exchanged again. Half tempted to turn the gas off when I go to bed tonight just in case, but I'm paranoid now. I don't like messing around with co2 (or electricity either) but sometimes needs must.

 

[ba-brewer]

As long as your kegs are fully carbed nothing wrong with playing it safe by turning off the gas.

If you have an accurate scale you could monitor the weight. Might be hard to tell for a small leak or if you drinking and carbing beer.

 

[OldDogBrewing]

I have 50/50 luck with ambient bugs: the grapes from my garden gave good bugs and all of my sours use that culture, on the other hand, I received a sour culture from a pro brewery that had 300+gallons going in a foeder and after two years of waiting it still tasted like a$$. I wish you the best!

I've been able to capture yeast from plants in the garden before, which was my main fear in the past, to not capture any yeast to kick-start the fermentation and let the enterobacter ruin the batch

It has rained during the night but there has to be something in the wort, now I need to wait and see if is anything good haha if it's good I'll be throwing a piece of cherry wood to use it as a reservoir and have a base of bacteria for future fermentations

 

[JAReeves]

SWMBO went to her LCS (Local Craft Store) and picked up a page of magnet material for me, so...

 

[seanjwalker1]

This stinks, and training your replacement just adds insult to injury. I’m gonna send some good vibes your way that your next gig is even better for you.

Amen to that Hoppy! Tazz, life is full of doors. For each door that closes, another door opens to rooms full of Windows of opportunities! Hang tough!