What I did for beer today
- Thread starter iaefebs
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Just took a nice sample of my Cascade APA to test and taste. Got the sample poured into the test beaker, then opened the drawer where the hydrometer lives....or LIVED. Nothing. Hmmm. Did I put it somewhere else? Nah, it's always been in that drawer. Further investigation finds a tiny piece of broken glass in the silverware slot it was in. SOMEBODY broke my hydrometer and never said a word. Husband has some splainin to do when he gets home.
Update: he says he doesn't remember, but he's the one who replaced the silverware slot thing where it was. Sigh. Now I have to go shopping, darn it. And NO I'm not getting a tilt, those things are way beyond my price means.
Update: he says he doesn't remember, but he's the one who replaced the silverware slot thing where it was. Sigh. Now I have to go shopping, darn it. And NO I'm not getting a tilt, those things are way beyond my price means.
Yep... ramekin filled with clean water and a touch of bleach, F/B hot water rinse. And I'll sanitize it before I attach my hose to run into the bottling bucket.
Man caves are good.We’ve been on something of a de-cluttering kick for the last couple of weeks. Our house at the farm has a large, mostly unfinished, basement which has become the family storage unit. We’ve been trying to thin the herd a bit.
Among the unused items in the cold storage room was a small, CRT, TV which our daughter had in her bedroom when she was in high school (she graduated in ‘98). There is an extra satellite TV cable in my brewing space. So, I hooked up this little box today to see if it still worked. Didn’t even have to change the batteries in the remote. So, I can now amuse myself on brewdays with my very own magic lantern.
All I need now is a more comfortable chair and I could spend most of my free time here.
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Labeled some bottles.
![Craft A Brew - Safale BE-256 Yeast - Fermentis - Belgian Ale Dry Yeast - For Belgian & Strong Ales - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [3 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51bcKEwQmWL._SL500_.jpg)
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After breaking any number of hydrometers, i picked up a cheap plastic one on Amazon. Seems to work just fine.
porterguy
Well-Known Member
Brewed two batches yesterday, back=to-back. One porter, and one English bitter. Long day, but at least it cut down on some of the cleaning by using the BK a second after just a quick rinse. And only had to haul out all the equipment once, so that's also a plus. I could see doing it again. After a no-chill overnight, today pitched kveik Lutra in the porter, and kveik Espe in the bitter.
Bottling day!
37 bottles of oatmeal stout and 18 bottles + a full ukeg of mosaic ipa
37 bottles of oatmeal stout and 18 bottles + a full ukeg of mosaic ipa
Left the BK to soak in oxyclean for a few days, and just scrubbed it out. Had some nasty scorched black crud on the bottom, oxyclean loosened it up and the plastic scraper I use for my cast iron skillet took care of the rest. Nice and clean for next brewday, whenever that is; the two in the ferment fridge need a few more days, and the pipeline is relatively okay.
Tried the first bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone test batch #3 I've been working on. The color came in fairly close, the original a bit darker. Lacing and head about the same. Mine is a perfectly drinkable Sierra-like ale, 1.057 OG, however the Sierra is a bit sweeter and has more mouth feel or heaviness to the beer. Hopping seems very similar.
Next version I think I'm going to up the mash temperature a few degrees and also up the Crystal 60 a bit to work on the color.
The yeast used again was Hornindal Kviek, which I've been substituting for US05/WLP001/WY1056 lately, done at normal ale range temps - not "hot" however, I know it has that capacity. I'm finding the Hornindal is good for speeding up ales like this a bit.
Brewed 11/7, bottled 12/8 and tested last night 1/8/2021. Overall these beers are pretty close brothers, but not identical twins yet. Also I used the Brewers Friend hoppy water profile on this. I'll continue until I get a match!
Next version I think I'm going to up the mash temperature a few degrees and also up the Crystal 60 a bit to work on the color.
The yeast used again was Hornindal Kviek, which I've been substituting for US05/WLP001/WY1056 lately, done at normal ale range temps - not "hot" however, I know it has that capacity. I'm finding the Hornindal is good for speeding up ales like this a bit.
Brewed 11/7, bottled 12/8 and tested last night 1/8/2021. Overall these beers are pretty close brothers, but not identical twins yet. Also I used the Brewers Friend hoppy water profile on this. I'll continue until I get a match!
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Replaced the vanity fan switch with by timer switch by 7AM, attempt to fix a non-inflating Santa, clean neglected master bathroom shower, work on/scale recipe for next weekend's brew, fix a runner on the basement steps and have jambalaya cooking in the slow cooker. I do believe I've done enough for 1 day, so I'm treating my self to my own, homebrewed and kegged toasted lager.
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Jeff Kroosz
Active Member
Spunded a Blonde Ale.
Raised the temp of my BGS to 75°F this morning. Keeping it rolling along.
Came out this morning with all intentions of kegging the lager that's ready to go, to find the gauge on the co2 regulator gone down overnight. Only 2 months on this 20lb tank, another bloody leak, dammit. Running the 30psi test on it now to rule out the regulator or the manifold, if that's not it I have to go over all three kegs that are currently in the kegerator. Arrrrgh.
bracconiere
Jolly Alcoholic - In Remembrance 2023
Seriously considering getting one now. Which one do you have? The scale I use for weighing grain & hops isn't sturdy enough for a co2 tank. I suppose I could go the route of weighing myself and then again holding the tank, but that sucker is heavy, and wouldn't be accurate enough.someone said they hate their scale for unrelated reasons, but i still love mine!
bracconiere
Jolly Alcoholic - In Remembrance 2023
at this point i feel like they should be paying me, but i swear i'm not sponsered. just love the thing.
here you go, as long as it's pluged in to the wall it stays on 24/7, is acurate to 3 grams or 0.1oz, and can handle 110lb's. (but with that accuracy the suns gravity will have it creep 0.4oz's as it passes the yard arm, so don't panic if at noon it looks like you have a leak, in the evening it will go back up, lol)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KYA0RC2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
(and this is what i did for beer today, prevent yet another co2 leak!)
oh, and you can use it to carbonate by weight too! bonus!
edit: 3 grams will push a 6 pack, so just casually glance at it, if it goes down more then an ounce or in trouble over a day...but my avg 20lb'r has 288 oz's co2, so catching it after just an ounce instead lb's is a nice saftey net...
Felt productive for the first time in a while yesterday so I auto tuned my new Spike Solo. Cut the tubing too short but fortunately I have some extra to replace it with.
I'm really digging this thing so far! Heats up super fast especially considering it was below freezing when I did this. First brew will be a cream ale. Can't wait!
I'm really digging this thing so far! Heats up super fast especially considering it was below freezing when I did this. First brew will be a cream ale. Can't wait!
Got a yeast starter spinning, milled grain, and have water in the kettle for tomorrow’s brew day.
Picked myself up a $20 therapeutic heat wrap from Target for my temperature control issues. For only being 12x15" its 50W and can put out some heat, far less expensive than the dedicated heat wrap out there. Now just have to wait to order my inkbird and thermowell.
Spinning up some banked 1318 for a new neipa coming soon
Cheers!
[edit] I forgot how successive generations of 1318 tend to get more and more exuberant - turned my back to have dinner then came back to see the foam about to work on the stopper. No bueno! Two drops of Fermcap for the save!
Cheers!
[edit] I forgot how successive generations of 1318 tend to get more and more exuberant - turned my back to have dinner then came back to see the foam about to work on the stopper. No bueno! Two drops of Fermcap for the save!
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Trying to revive some expired Denny's Favorite yeast for a porter. Started it around midnight and still no signs of life. I'll give it a little more time before I grab some more yeast.
Kegged my german pilsner. I tasted a bit and it has that "it" quality even tho I only do lodo cold side. Hot side I don't splash while recirculating and I do a mild boil.
I also made a hard seltzer. Easiest thing I've ever done. In the fermenter @ 1036
I also made a hard seltzer. Easiest thing I've ever done. In the fermenter @ 1036
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Kegged 5 gallons of a "Bitter Brit" from a recipe here.
Also kegged 2 gallons of a "marmalade" bitter. I used Pub and First Gold hops, both of which should produce marmalade flavors. I'm aiming to prove that out.
3# of Bramling Cross arrived in the mail today, so guess what I'll be brewing with over the next few months? These were on close out for IIRC $8/pound.
Also kegged 2 gallons of a "marmalade" bitter. I used Pub and First Gold hops, both of which should produce marmalade flavors. I'm aiming to prove that out.
3# of Bramling Cross arrived in the mail today, so guess what I'll be brewing with over the next few months? These were on close out for IIRC $8/pound.
Sunday I racked my stout into a keg with some bourbon soaked oak chips and vanilla beans. I’ll let it sit for a few months and then add the cold brew coffee to the beer.
It was supposed to be an Imperial Stout but the numbers come out to be more of a Sweet Stout. Regardless the gravity sample tasted pretty darn good so fingers crossed it’s delicious after some time on these adjuncts.
It was supposed to be an Imperial Stout but the numbers come out to be more of a Sweet Stout. Regardless the gravity sample tasted pretty darn good so fingers crossed it’s delicious after some time on these adjuncts.
Brewed a milk stout yesterday.
Checked the FG on my ANY APA... 1.019, so ready to bottle. Good color, with a nice malty up front and a pleasant hoppy finish. Makes you want another sip... Can't wait 'till this is carbonated!
cyto
Well-Known Member
Brewing an Irish Red today.
