What I did for beer today

[3 Dawg Night]

Brewed my last (probably) batch for 2020, and planned/scheduled all my brews for 2021.

I may have a sickness.

Oh! And I shipped off my milk stout for the Chicago Winterbrew competition, to get some feedback!

 

[shetc]

In FL for the Dolphins/Chiefs game, there's a Total Wine close, it's like a candy store for drunks but almost too many choices. Had to get the Saison 13 because Megadeth, the rest sounded good
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South Florida Publix grocery stores are doing these bad boys as BOGO.

 

[Mike8212]

Just got my new glycol chiller set up. Cold crashing my WC IPA.

 

[seatazzz]

Just turned the controller down on the ferment fridge from 65.5 to 45, to start crashing/lagering the two WF lagers I've got in there. Came down to 1.010 from 1.055 in just 7 days; pipeline is relatively full so I can afford to let these lager at least a week. Taking it easy today since we got 3/4 cord of firewood delivered yesterday, stacking it just about did us both in.

 

[porterguy]

Made an amber with Kveik Lutra. Planned on top-cropping the yeast, but most of it had already dropped out after 28 hours. Guess I'll save some of the slurry for next batch and dry some of it for future use. I decided making some kveik-based brews is my best bet to get the pipeline back up to where I want it, and have more beer options available to choose from.

 

[Sammy86]

Kegged up 10 gallons split batch...5 gallons got 34/70, 5 gallons got Koln Kölsch Ale yeast. Now laggering for minimum 4 weeks.

 

[day_trippr]

Got everything staged for tomorrow's WCIPA brew, then poured a beer...then another...and another...

Cheers! (Woof. Dinner better be soon! )

 

[JAReeves]

Added yeast to wine must. Checked on lager, and it is bubbling at 50F. Yesterday, traded some home-brew for oysters and yuzu fruit with one of my neighbors, so today zested the yuzu and got it into vodka to make a tincture for a future fermentation. Dried out spent grain for bread.

Went to Smart&Final to buy ice for the cooling system, found out they're closing that store, so bought a bunch of adjuncts at 25% off (agave, etc.). That didn't suck.

Doing college financial aid paperwork for one of the kids. Not beer-related, but boy am I going to need one or three afterwards .

 

[kmarkstevens]

Kegged the Machine House mild v15 and saved a ton of WLP013 London ESB yeast off the bottom of the 3 gallon fast fermenter conical. The fast fermenter conical has become my go to for re-using yeast. Two canning jars with about 3 oz yeast each, and 3 centrifugal tubes with at least 50ml each. This is also a control as simultaneously also did a stir plate with about 25% of the WLP pack. Was lazy with the stir plate output and only filled two canning jars with about 3oz each. Will see if there is a noticeable difference. I'll prolly keep the stir plate results for making next generations after using up what came out of the conical. I'm pretty much convinced that using the conical for a 1030-1040 OG brew is a very efficient way to harvest yeast for future batches.

Brewed 5 gallons of a simple DME + carabohemia 1040 Czech pilsner. 34/70 as my go to lager yeast and Tettnang as the go to nobel hop. This will lager in the garage for a few weeks.

Now doing v17 of the Machine House Mild clone. I'm getting close to a winner recipe. Will post when I'm satisfied. I've been doing half batches in the fast fermenter and rotating thru yeast to fill up the yeast bank. Maybe by v20 I'll be at something y'all can feedback on.

 

[day_trippr]

We be mashin' a wcipa this morning...

Cheers!

 

[Rudeoso]

Picked up some supplies for next brew day (hopefully this weekend), removed labels off of 40 bottles, and racked 10 gal. batch of AHS Texas Red to secondary. The ABV on the red came in a bit higher than expected, so I'm super exited about that.

 

[Noob_Brewer]

kegged today. NEIPA, 7.5%ABV. Moutere/Nectaron combo. VERY drinkable now but grapefruit is up front now with passionfruit and peach more in the background. Excited to see how this conditions. Very pleased with it thus far.

 

[ba-brewer]

Brew a 2.5gal batch of @JAReeves Red Rye at Night. Did not make too many changes just used all rye malt(needed to use up) instead of rye malt and flaked malt, also used more base malt instead of DME. Came up a few points short but close enough. Looks brown in the hydro but in glass it has a nice reddish color.

 

[JAReeves]

Brew a 2.5gal batch of @JAReeves Red Rye at Night. Did not make too many changes just used all rye malt(needed to use up) instead of rye malt and flaked malt, also used more base malt instead of DME. Came up a few points short but close enough. Looks brown in the hydro but in glass it has a nice reddish color.
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Hope you like it! I just kicked my keg of it last night, now I need to make another batch.

 

[ba-brewer]

Hope you like it! I just kicked my keg of it last night, now I need to make another batch.

I am sure I will. I normally brew a fairly simple grain bill so I look forward to have something a little more complex. I was originally thinking maybe I would add a little hops but it smelling just fine as is, should allow the malt to come through nicely.

 

[KeizerBrewr]

I am currently in the process of crashing my massive 1388 starter for my BGSA that I am brewing on new years. It was so big it had to be split between two half gallon mason jars. Decanted enough supernatant to get it all into one. Should have roughly 400b cells at the moment. Will make a small starter on the 26th to perk them all back up and be ready to rock for new years.

 

[jcav]

Made a yeast starter for a Colonial Porter that I am brewing on Saturday.

John

 

[Sammy86]

I added gelatin to the kegs...yes I opened up a pressurized keg that had transferred beer in a closed transfer oh well, it'll still be beer!

 

[JAReeves]

Over the last three years, I have been upgrading my brewing equipment and process-like most of us here. I ended up with a lot of duplicate equipment, and my bro-in-law showed an interest, so I am currently packing what amounts to a complete home-brewery for him for Christmas (burner, kettle, mash tun, fermenters, various and sundry). I also pulled out some yeast, grain and hops for his first batch (my Centennial Blonde variation)-which will be all-grain.

I am currently making videos to give him the basics (he lives 500+miles away), though I am also recommending some books and a subscription to this amazingly fantastic website full of people way smarter than I!

All while drinking the 12BOC from @grampamark. I don't normally like Christmas spices in beer, but this is really smooth and complex. Well done, sir!

 

[grampamark]

All while drinking the 12BOC from @grampamark. I don't normally like Christmas spices in beer, but this is really smooth and complex. Well done, sir!

Thanks for the kind words!

I‘m not a fan of highly spiced beers, either. Most of the holiday recipes are pretty heavy on spices, especially ginger. To my palate, a little ginger goes a long way, so I’ve tried to put some interesting flavors into holiday beers without being too heavy on the ginger. I’m glad you liked it.

 

[seatazzz]

Up at this ungodly hour on a Saturday cobbling together a 6-way co2 manifold from my current 4-way and the original 2-way from my first kegerator; in order to turn my kegerator into a 4-tap, with two dedicated force carb lines. Now just need a quick trip to HD for a nipple to connect the two manifolds, more thread tape, just found the extra co2 line in a drawer. Also need to turn the garage inside out to find my other short tap handle and tap collar, they are here SOMEWHERE dammit. I've got three great beers on tap right now, but the WF lagers currently lagering in the ferment fridge are ready to keg NOW and I want some without having to take one of the other three off tap. Never happier than when I am sitting out here in my woman cave building new stuff. Can't brew for another week because no room, but want to be doing something.

 

[seatazzz]

Quick trip to HD later and I have a 6-way manifold. Doing a leak test now but seems to be holding. Waiting on the glue for the board backing for the 4th tap to dry, then will drill the hole for that and install the 4th tap. More ball-lock connectors arriving tomorrow, and I will finally have my 4-tap kegerator! Whoever built it originally could have made it a 4-tap but apparently didn't have the hardware/gumption to do it. Has room for 6 cornies with plenty of space on top for attaching connectors, thanks to a homebuilt rack that fits on the bottom. Beyond happy right now.

 

[shetc]

Finished some slants taken from Imperial L28 Urkel.

 

[Elric]

Brewed a spiced saison and reorganized my keezer this morning. Had some difficulty with the keezer and my neck is now locked up something fierce, but I am at least much happier with it's layout now.

 

[Rudeoso]

Racked two wine batches to secondary and finally bottled the dragon's silk imperial stout. Came in at 9.8% abv. Got to sneak a taste and i have to say i could drink it as is, so I can imagine how much better it will be once it carbonates. Can't wait

 

[seatazzz]

New connectors finally showed up, so we are now the proud owners of a 4-tap kegerator! As luck would have it, one of the three I have on tap right now is about to kick, and the lager I kegged today won't be ready to tap for a couple of days; fate can be funny that way.

 

[kmarkstevens]

Dumped a fresh squeezed cyser. Some obvious mold spores were going to town. The cider was fresh squeezed Costco apple juice from Oregon. Offered at Costco for about a week. I picked up 6 gallons, and saved 2 in the fridge for about a month before doing a second batch and it went bad.

Made a half batch of Boddington's Oldham mild and hopefully revived WLP026 (I got this in the vault purge and kept a little bit in the original White Labs tube.) I've got a 3 gallon conical, and this has become my mild fermenter as I try to perfect a recipe or three. Since milds are low ABV, it also works well to propagate yeast at the same time. So, I dial in a recipe and at the same time rotate thru yeasts to backfill the yeast bank.

I also bought a Chipotle Chocolate Porter kit from Austin Homebrew. First time I've ever bought a commercial kit since the old dump and stir days. It had been marked down $15 and there was a $20 free gift card if I made it to $100 spend. So, it's in the fermenter as well. I'll be using my workhorse yeast nottingham instead of a recommended Chico strain.

 

[3 Dawg Night]

Bottled five gallons of American amber ale.

 

[mohr.jozsef]

Hi! Today, i brew my NEIPA and by mistake, I hoped it twice (shouldn't hop at 10 min, but I did it at 60). It will be 110-120 IBU. Is there a way to save it?

 

[catdaddy66]

Bottled 6 gallons of a Frankenbeir and ended up with 2.5 cases (61 12oz bottles) that came in at 4.4% (1.038 OG, 1.004 FG)... YAY.

 

[danimal92sport]

Hi! Today, i brew my NEIPA and by mistake, I hoped it twice (shouldn't hop at 10 min, but I did it at 60). It will be 110-120 IBU. Is there a way to save it?

You might start a thread on this, I’m sure folks will have some advice.

Dan

 

[catdaddy66]

Pulled the trigger on a cereal killer grain mill and 50# bag of two row!! 2021 will be the year of my break out brewing!

 

[JAReeves]

Yesterday, sent a case of beer and wine to family in Sacramento; And a complete all-grain system for my brother-in-law, assembled from various parts I have acquired while upgrading my system.

If nothing else good, 2020 added another hobbyist to the League of Homebrewing Friends.

 

[bracconiere]

You might start a thread on this, I’m sure folks will have some advice.

LOL, leave the lid loose on the fermenter? i hear oxygen degrades hops.....so like half open air ferment?

and i screwed my beer lines to the top of the fridge today...see if it keeps them temp even with the kegs and my breakfast pours smooth!

 

[ESBrewer]

I'm waiting for the finings to work before bottling the brew tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'm experimenting with a traditional Finnish Christmas dish that is called something like sweetened potato casserole (I don't think there is any official name for such a dish in English). In this dish, the mashed potatoes (starch) are sweetened by amylase enzymes from wheat (sometimes maybe even rye) flour to produce a sweet base that is then baked in the owen. So preparing the dish is actually same thing as doing a mash while brewing. Because the flour (especially modern high quality baking flour) is very low in amylase activity, the dish does not always come out as sweet as it should. I just made an experiment where I mixed a little bit of British ale malt flours with the mashed potatoes to see if this would help make it any sweeter. It has only been for half an hour but I think the difference can be seen already as the malted (germinated) grain should be much more active.

 

[day_trippr]

Got everything staged for brewing another batch of my big mamma jamma imperial stout (1.107 og if I do it right) tomorrow. RO water is loading right now.
I'm psyched - I love brewing this monster because it tests pretty much every bit of brewing equipment I have and makes everything else I brew a comparative walk through the hop fields...

Cheers! (It's good to re-establish positive perspectives )

 

[seatazzz]

A bit early, but tapped the WF lager I kegged and started carbing the other day; mainly because the keg was too damn full to carbonate properly. I guess I'll just have to suck it up and drink a few pints of mostly-carbonated really delicious lager so the rest of the keg can carbonate to where I want it...sigh...the things I do for beer. For a 10g batch with probably not enough hops, it's very tasty; has that lager yeast 'bite', very malty but not sweet, just a nice refreshing lager that doesn't overwhelm with any overpowering flavor. 2nd 5 gallons of this 10g batch is still lagering in the ferment fridge; don't need it on tap for a while, and interested to see what extended lagering in the fermonster will do. Cobbled-together 6-way manifold is holding well, no leaks, and damn proud of the macgyvering I did this weekend. And since I did this on a shoestring, I can buy something else with the expected amazon $$ I'm getting from the parental. Thinking of getting another brewvision (with the longer probe) to install in the mash tun, or just blowing it all on dry yeast. Decisions, decisions!!

 

[BrewMan13]

Assisted with brewing at the new, local place called "The Warbler brewing". Super nice guy, very grateful!

 

[kmarkstevens]

Hi! Today, i brew my NEIPA and by mistake, I hoped it twice (shouldn't hop at 10 min, but I did it at 60). It will be 110-120 IBU. Is there a way to save it?

Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew. This is a problem, how? So, it's hoppier than is style defined but does it make for a disagreeable beer? Do ydid you try the wort to see if you like it as is? Do you like hops? Do you like hop bombs?

That said, if it's too hoppy, then
1. let it age (hops fade with age)
2. mix each bottle with a less hoppy beer or even perrier when you want to drink it
3. hold your nose

 

[day_trippr]

Big mamma jamma stout started up...

[edit] Nailed the pre-boil volume and gravity , tweaked the kettle pH, and the long boil is on!

[epilogue] Hit volume to fermentors and OG on the nose, pitched double packs of hydrated S04 and gassed both carboys, cleaned the kettle, and got done just in time for dinner.

Then I took a cat nap

From the hour ramping 24 gallons of water up to start the day then a 110 minute mash then an hour fly sparge then a 100 minute boil then a 20 minute cool down then 30 minutes waiting on the yeast to bloom and finally 30 minutes of final clean up makes for one hella long brew day for an old fart like me. Woof, I'm gassed...

Cheers!