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What I did for beer today

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I'm already stressed about any O2 exposure from opening the keg to remove the bag, so I'm going to call this a learning experience and leave it shut. But I will remember for next time.
If you purge the receiving keg of oxygen you can do a closed transfer with minimal additional exposure. It costs some CO2 to push it over.

Leaving it in there will also tell you if a extended cold dry hop is something you like, so it is not a complete loss.
 
Got my Hulla Norrgård hops today, a really old Swedish, domestic hop variety with lineage back to the middle or possibly even the viking age. Gonna brew a best or strong bitter and use only that as flavor and aroma addition to get a sense of what it contributes.
Also broke my hydrometer while taking the final sample on the brown ale I'm gonna bottle tomorrow, will have to get a new (2) one.
 
Bought a keezer on Craigslist for $800. Five faucets (3 Perlick), 20 lb CO2 tank (~half full), Johnson controller, and four kegs (uncleaned; currently sitting with PBW inside). I've never minded bottling too much, but I'm still excited to join the ranks of keggers! I have a wheat beer that's finished up and sitting in my fermenter. It will be going into a keg tomorrow!

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I “transcribed” a couple of AHA (I’m a new member!!) recipes into Brewer’s Friend earlier today.

And I’m currently taste testing the Star Gazer Hazy DIPA from BBB 2021. Still young, not fully carbonated yet…..but it is hooked up to the kegerator already and I just couldn’t help myself.
 
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Went to the Mighty Orange HD, bought SWMBO a shelf to install above her sewing table. I also happened to maybe pick up some Reflectix to wrap the kettles now that I am using induction, I mean, it's environmentally friendly, right? Tasted the NZ PA I brewed for Big Brew, but it has an off flavor. Guess I have to wait for the yeast/lagering period to handle itself.
 
Moved the FW Wookie Jack clone to the kegerator to crash, since the yeast cake is over the spigot and it needs to compact down before I keg it. Should dry hop the Sabro/Citra IPA tonight but (being a girl) decided to do my nails instead. Yes, I work a full-time job, am a housewife, brew a lot, but I still like to have pretty nails (sorry no pic because can't find cord for phone but they are a very pretty hot pink). For those who may think I am superwoman let me dash your imaginations by stating that my house (other than the brewery) is a sh*tshow because I have better things to do than keep house. That's what husbands are for. I will get some laundry done because reasons but damn this homebrew is tasty.
 
but I still like to have pretty nails


hmmm, i've biting my nails a lot, trying to figure out if i want to add 8oz's of 60L to my store bought munich experiment....i've got till saturday to decide....

I have better things to do than keep house.


doing better then me, i don't have an excuse.....
 
The punted bottom of jugs and jars drove me crazy. Partially from always fiddling to get the right speed and position so it did not throw the stirrer and also the noise. Went to large opening beaker for a little peace of mind.

I made a starter of Wyeast 2042 Danish lager and made a few slants too. Been putting off canning more starter wort so I had to make fresh wort. Not sure what I will brew with it but I have a couple days to figure it out.
 
Making my first yeast starter for a batch of my smoked porter, using WL007-Dry English Ale. I am making 1 1/2L, so that I can pitch 1L and save 1/2L for next week.

A co-worker was finishing a work-related class on the Big Brew Day, so tomorrow's his introduction to home-brewing! Better late than never.

EDIT: Covered the HLT & BK with Reflectix. I am expecting tomorrow's brew day to be faster.
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Finished brewing and cleaning up after making a Saison for the warmer weather. This was also my first time making a yeast starter. No clue why it took me so long to come around to since it's so simple.

I'm still trying to decide if I want to split the batch into 2 or leave as 1. I haven't used fruits yet and thought this might be a good time to try throwing in some blueberries.

I also need to finish off what's left of my prior batch which was a lightly hopped honey ale. It really came together with a couple extra weeks of aging.
 
Cleaned my new-to-me kegs during my lunch break. The previous owner was apparently a clean-before-you-keg kind of guy instead of a clean-after-it-kicks kind of guy. Either that, or he was storing vinegar in them. New O-rings should be here today, and then I'll keg and carb the American wheat beer that's in my fermenter.
 
Set up the brewery on the back lanai tonight for brew day tomorrow. Got my salts and ph all set and tomorrow morning when I wake I will turn on the electric element and have some coffee and breakfast. After that I will grind the grain and mash in when the temp is reached. Gonna be a great day!

John
 
I maybe had an epiphany. I like Guinness nitro cans. It's one of the few beers that I actually purchase occasionally (and I typically get a case or three from Costco around St Paddy's daythat lasts at least half a year ). My Guinness clones are ok and drinkable, but why try to clone Guinness when there is also Murphy's as well as Beamish? So, tonight trying my hand at Beamish to see how that turns out...
 
Husband decided he likes my lager, to the point that the keg I just tapped last week is ready to kick. Wasn't planning on brewing today, since we're going on vacation in 2 weeks, but I'm gonna want beer when I get home, so why not? Later I'll keg the Wookie Jack clone that's been crashing a few days so I can use the fermonster it's currently occupying. Gonna be a good day.
 
Prepping my barrels for a second use. Filled them with some boiling water to let them sit and seal well. I'll clean them out afterwards and add rum to one and bourbon to the other. One wanted to be extra leaky.
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Had a buddy over to brew his first beer. We made my Ould Porter recipe. I smoked the dark malts on 1/1/21 for 3 hours with applewood chips and irish whiskey. Dried them in the oven and kept them on ice until today. Using my new-to-me setup, we learned more about the boil-off rate with my induction burners (just insulated the kettles with Reflectix), how much we lose to hose/pump transfers, or just stays in the plate chiller, and losses due to us making dumb-@$$ mistakes. Used my first ever yeast starter on this batch as well. Learned lots and it didn't take any more time than I expect-6 hours. It was a very good day.
 
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