What I did for beer today

[JAReeves]

Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. Today is the latter. So help from the community is appreciated.

In making my wet hop saison, I had a giant bag of whole cones in the wort, so that they wouldn't plug the wort chiller, which I used for the very first time. I thought I would be smart and I put my immersion chiller in ice water, the water at about 40F then heading to the plate chiller. However, in running the wort out through the plate chiller into the fermenter, it came out at about 140F. And all of the break material ran out with the wort. I have subsequently chilled the wort to 80F, aerated with O2, and pitched the saison yeast starter.

When I have chilled with the immersion chiller in the wort, I have been able to run it into the fermenter at 80F or less, and the break material goes through a fine-screen chinois which catches the material and hops, and then also aerates the wort at the same time.

So, what should I have done differently with the plate chiller in order to get similar results?

 

[CJ-3]

Today I bottled up 5 gal of Apple Cranberry Cider

On a related note I'm starting to think I want to start kegging.

 

[kmarkstevens]

bwahaahahaha. Not sure what the other folks here will suggest, but my two cents is start out with buying a 4-pack of used kegs. One isn't enough. Four might seem like a lot but I've gone from bottling to 2 5-gallon kegs and a 2.5 gallon keg. I had toyed with getting the 4 pack and not regret that life choice. Trust me, you'll figure out what to do with 4 kegs if you have them.

Also, highly recommend that you learn to spund. And if you don't care about the first pours being over carbonated, you don't even need a spunding valve (word of experience says just buy the spunding value and don't try to DIY it). It will save you a ton in CO2 costs. And I like to think tastes better.

 

[bracconiere]

well, it's said in the ol' bracc brewery....it started like another great brewday, dropped the hydro in for a pre-boil gravity, got 1.040 at 138f....i'm like yeah, brewing master again! all gleeful laid down for a nap during the boil, anxiously awaiting confirmation i'm awesome....but it finally boiled down to 10 gallons, and dropped the hydro in again, it was floating at 1.066 at 80f....so i cryed a little tear into the brew...

but the way of life and love....

 

[MikeInStillwater]

Were you in a big hurry?

 

[bracconiere]

Were you in a big hurry?

i did kick a keg recently, but no....i think it's because i got to scared at 160, to try and step it to 162....but we'll see if that was it next batch.....

 

[pshankstar]

I haven’t used my 20 gallon SS Brewtech kettle in almost two years. I cleaned the kettle really well and flushed out the ball valve but didn’t take it apart. Well I plan to brew a 10 gallon batch of an IPA this weekend so I figured it would be good to take it apart and let it soak in some PBW for a few hours today. Ugh this looks nasty and I’m happy I’m doing this!!! I would hate to have off flavors because of this!!!

PSA - Take apart your ball valves, soak them and clean them!

 

[seanjwalker1]

Kegged the British Golden, not as English bready as I wanted but really decent, final ABV 4.7. Transferred the Hefe into secondary just to settle the biggest chunks of yeast. OMG the clove profile is spot on! Mild hardly noticeable bannana. Final ABV 5.2. Best hefe I've made yet! Used WB-06 for the first time vs Danstar and I love it ! . Will keg it tomorrow.

 

[day_trippr]

The supply chain gods have been messing with me the last week. The Formica top that was suppose to arrive today now won't show 'til next Monday, and meanwhile a package of 20 Tiny XLR connectors has been sitting 15 miles from me in a USPS sorting center since Thursday. Has not moved since. Combined they don't leave me much of a path to progress.

I did get the lid inside all painted, and had fun coating the shop with foam debris while cutting all the insulation board pieces to fit.

I installed a riser for my gas beam...

Started fabricating the inside connector panel that all of the flow meters and temperature sensors will plug into. I like using FR4 for such things though it is a bear on tools...

I have two other, smaller panels to fab, then I'll be waiting for the mail. Might have to go fishing or something

Cheers!

 

[SteveH aka shetc]

Moved my 1st ever mixed fermentation brew to the bathtub, and pulled the curtain shut. I'll see it in 3 months (actually weekly to make sure the air lock is not dry).

 

[Nick&Worty]

Eyed the secondary that I put my English brown into and wondered if I should have just left it in primary and avoided oxygen. Promised it I'd carbonate it and keep it cold soon. Wondered if Odo from DS9 was going to appear out of the settled krausen on my witbier. Reminded myself that fermentation is messy business and to chill out. Talked myself out of another 6.5 gal glass fermenter in lieu of a CO2 bottling attachment. Paid my kid hard-earned treasure to wash dirty brewing equipment from the last batch... cause I'm old and lazy.

 

[seanjwalker1]

Eyed the secondary that I put my English brown into and wondered if I should have just left it in primary and avoided oxygen. Promised it I'd carbonate it and keep it cold soon. Wondered if Odo from DS9 was going to appear out of the settled krausen on my witbier. Reminded myself that fermentation is messy business and to chill out. Talked myself out of another 6.5 gal glass fermenter in lieu of a CO2 bottling attachment. Paid my kid hard-earned treasure to wash dirty brewing equipment from the last batch... cause I'm old and lazy.

Thought I was the only one still watching DS9!

 

[grampamark]

Drank some. Oh, and sniffed an airlock.

 

[Redpappy]

While I burned wood for the last 7 hours, I drank a home brew ( well several) does that count?

 

[Elric]

Drank some. Oh, and sniffed an airlock.

Did it sniff you back?

 

[seanjwalker1]

Drank some. Oh, and sniffed an airlock.

Airlock Sniffers Anonymous my friend!!

 

[grampamark]

Did it sniff you back?

I hope not. That would have created suckback.

 

[pshankstar]

After a 24 hour soak in some PBW solution the gunk came right off. The plastic and rubber pieces are stained but the gunk and crud came right off and the stainless looks shiny again.

 

[day_trippr]

Cut the two small panels today, lots of drill press and some over-arm router time.
This is the IR sensor that will be mounted in the front. Left some room for who-knows-what.

And this is the lid interface panel that goes in the back and is cabled to the controller in the dolly.

Still don't have the Tiny XLRs to populate their panel positions so I can start wiring. Between that and the delay on the laminate for the top I'm pretty much at a hard stop until something gives. I may have to brew something...

Cheers!

 

[JAReeves]

Ordered some equipment my LHBS didn't carry.

 

[Immocles]

Bottled a gallon of idaho 7 smash-ish ale.
Chucked 8 bottles of a MO/EKG ale into the fridge. Organized aforementioned fridge. I have less beer than I thought.
Stared at my fermenter of Calista pils wondering when I’ll have times to bottle it.

 

[bracconiere]

i put my homemade oat malt in the oven, for @Jayjay1976 who apparently has a banana fetish....lol

 

[MikeInStillwater]

Moved my 1st ever mixed fermentation brew to the bathtub, and pulled the curtain shut. I'll see it in 3 months (actually weekly to make sure the air lock is not dry).

I noticed the cover on the top of your airlock. I have been using the S-type airlocks (what I had) but was recently gifted three of the type you are using. Should I be using the covers that came with mine? If so, why?

 

[MikeInStillwater]

I bagged up my hops (see photo at left) and put them in the freezer. I have 5 gallons of nut brown ale in the fermenter. I'm thinking about using my hops to dry hop the ale when I rack it to the secondary in about a week. This will be my first experience with dry-hopping and with my home grown hops, which are in their third year.
Any suggestions, warnings, advice? Oh, I believe they are Centennial, but the reason for "I believe" is a story in itself.

 

[VikeMan]

Closed xferred a big sweet stout to "secondary" keg with coffee beans, vanilla beans, and cacao nibs. Nice and dry at 1.050.

 

[SteveH aka shetc]

I noticed the cover on the top of your airlock. I have been using the S-type airlocks (what I had) but was recently gifted three of the type you are using. Should I be using the covers that came with mine? If so, why?

I assume for the same reason you would you the cover on the S-type locks. Probably slows down evaporation. The cover is perforated.

 

[aharri1]

Transferred my brand barrel aged wee heavy 10.2% abv into the keg. Wanted to bottle condition it, but ran out of bottles. Plus, any longer in the barrel would be overpowering. Came out great!

 

[Elric]

I assume for the same reason you would you the cover on the S-type locks. Probably slows down evaporation. The cover is perforated.

Also keeps the bigger bugs out

 

[Nick&Worty]

Tried unsuccessfully to find a hydrometer that won’t break when I drop it.

 

[aharri1]

Tried unsuccessfully to find a hydrometer that won’t break when I drop it.

Aka a refractometer lol