What I did for beer today

[vtmikko]

Dry hopped Session IPA.

 

[seatazzz]

Brewed up a batch of the House Citra/Sabro IPA (named Sabrotooth) and scoured the interwebs for Omega Lutra Kveik within about 100 miles of me; NOBODY in our area carries it. So, since the husband is off to a bowling tournament today & tomorrow, planned a road trip down to Vancouver WA to pick up a couple of packs of it. The usual online suspects have it, but earliest delivery date is 11/30; and I want to brew with it next weekend. I'll justify the $$ spent on gas by picking up a few other things I need for the brewery while I'm there. They do offer shipping, but I need a road trip.

 

[seanjwalker1]

Brewed up a batch of the House Citra/Sabro IPA (named Sabrotooth) and scoured the interwebs for Omega Lutra Kveik within about 100 miles of me; NOBODY in our area carries it. So, since the husband is off to a bowling tournament today & tomorrow, planned a road trip down to Vancouver WA to pick up a couple of packs of it. The usual online suspects have it, but earliest delivery date is 11/30; and I want to brew with it next weekend. I'll justify the $$ spent on gas by picking up a few other things I need for the brewery while I'm there. They do offer shipping, but I need a road trip.

How close are you to Kent ? I got an old army partner in crime buddy there, he's now a Cpt on Seattle police..cough cough, hack....been trying to get him into homebrewing for years. I almost accepted a job at SEATAC years ago as a police officer. Just couldn't do it. Couldn't picture myself in my mid 30s chasing down street punks and stayed in the nursing field.

 

[seatazzz]

How close are you to Kent ? I got an old army partner in crime buddy there, he's now a Cpt on Seattle police..cough cough, hack....been trying to get him into homebrewing for years. I almost accepted a job at SEATAC years ago as a police officer. Just couldn't do it. Couldn't picture myself in my mid 30s chasing down street punks and stayed in the nursing field.

I'm actually just east of Kent up the hill, less than 8 miles away.

 

[BrewZer]

Actually yesterday, but me and Assistent Braufraulein bottled the St Joe AbBEE Honey brown ale in 20 22oz and 21 12oz bottles.

 

[SteveH aka shetc]

Bottled off tap using my TapCooler for the first time today. Worked like a champ! SO much easier than the Beer Gun.

Make sure you clean it well especially the valve assembly.

 

[Bramling Cross]

I steeled myself for another suicidal mission into Northern Virgina to acquire a 55lb sack of Montana Craft Malt 2-row. I haven't stocked a sack of domestic 2-row in a long time, so I'm eager to try it out. I doubt it'll be any different than Rahr or Briess, but I'm excited about it.

As usual, the window-licking, mouth-breathing, "can you help me to get this Crayon out of my nose" NoVa drivers did not disappoint. At the Sycamore Street exit I watched an Audi A7, an Audi S6 and a Lexus (who gives a $(%*@) and a whatever the Porsche-badged VW cute ute is, attempt to merge with their brake pedals for 2.3 miles. Speeds slowed to 40mph on an empty highway while these dead-fly-on-the-window -sill munchers sorted out how to perform one of the most basic of driving skills.

Together, they had well over 1,000hp and they couldn't figure out how to zipper up and merge over a period of two minutes.

If you're a Virginia driver and you're reading this, please, understand that it's you that is the problem. We're all doing our best to help you out, but it's your incompetence that is causing the problem. Also, get the $(%*% out of the left lane.

 

[JAReeves]

Cleaned the “new” used kegs, bottled the 12BoC Crabapple Lambicky Ale, and reinstalled the OS on my laptop. Now it won’t crash when I make the labels!

I should have taken the photo before I started tasting it, but it’s 1.000 and beautifully complex. The base is a 13% Wheat Wine.

 

[seanjwalker1]

I steeled myself for another suicidal mission into Northern Virgina to acquire a 55lb sack of Montana Craft Malt 2-row. I haven't stocked a sack of domestic 2-row in a long time, so I'm eager to try it out. I doubt it'll be any different than Rahr or Briess, but I'm excited about it.

As usual, the window-licking, mouth-breathing, "can you help me to get this Crayon out of my nose" NoVa drivers did not disappoint. At the Sycamore Street exit I watched an Audi A7, an Audi S6 and a Lexus (who gives a $(%*@) and a whatever the Porsche-badged VW cute ute is, attempt to merge with their brake pedals for 2.3 miles. Speeds slowed to 40mph on an empty highway while these dead-fly-on-the-window -sill munchers sorted out how to perform one of the most basic of driving skills.

Together, they had well over 1,000hp and they couldn't figure out how to zipper up and merge over a period of two minutes.

If you're a Virginia driver and you're reading this, please, understand that it's you that is the problem. We're all doing our best to help you out, but it's your incompetence that is causing the problem. Also, get the $(%*% out of the left lane.

You sound like me when I'm driving!!! . My wife gets quite self embarrassed and I can hear her going over and over in her head what sin she committed in life to be married to a cave troll barbarian whose ready every day to destroy the horde of cursed cracker jack box licensed moronic non driving malignant idiots infesting our roadways . She does at least 5 Hail Mary's to ask forgiveness for my flurry of dreadful curses hurled with utter contempt at the brain dead mechanized zombies doing their best to destroy themselves and anybody else behind a wheel...gotta love it !!!

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

You sound like me when I'm driving!!! . My wife gets quite self embarrassed and I can hear her going over and over in her head what sin she committed in life to be married to a cave troll barbarian whose ready every day to destroy the horde of cursed cracker jack box licensed moronic non driving malignant idiots infesting our roadways . She does at least 5 Hail Mary's to ask forgiveness for my flurry of dreadful curses hurled with utter contempt at the brain dead mechanized zombies doing their best to destroy themselves and anybody else behind a wheel...gotta love it !!!

It’s pretty much everyone who doesn’t drive like me is an A-hole. And I’ll curse you to hell.
What did I do for beer? Drank some at happy hour prices… thanks Brew Guru!

 

[kmarkstevens]

Lessee, I did an order 2 days ago with Hopsdirect.com. Shameless plug as I have been using them for about a decade. After placing the order, I noticed they had a black friday deal that I didn't put the code in for. Emailed and said no big deal but would appreciate if they could apply to my order. They did. AND today I got my order and thought it was the wrong shipment since the comped a pound of Bulma, Mt Hood and a hot shot of centennial extract on top of my order!

Hung out at the local HBS in Redmond WA with the Saturday afternoon brew buddy crew. Sampled a buncha stuff.

Made 6 gallons of the Czech hack (munich, vienna, carabohemia and melanoidum + nobel hops) tonight. It's cooling overnight and will pitch 34/70 in the morning.

Stir plate has Manchester yeast and 34/70 tag teaming (I've only one stir plate, so rotate between the two). The Manchester yeast was gifted by a homebrewtalkee, and it's a wierd one. In the previous ferment, and in the 2L erlenmeyer, this yeast looks like sunbursts on the surface of the sun or a snow globe that is constantly in a brownian motion. I've never seen this in a yeast before.

Tomorrow it's Tony's Pre-1970 Boddington on deck and will receive said Manchester yeast when ready to pitch.

 

[BrewChem]

Bottled a batch of English Mild and a sparkling orange/cranberry mead. Going to transfer a doppelbock that’s been cellared for 6 months to a keg to carb

 

[Beerstein]

Im going to keg an ESB. Used LalBrew London. Ive never had a diacetyl issue like this batch with this yeast.

 

[seanjwalker1]

Im going to keg an ESB. Used LalBrew London. Ive never had a diacetyl issue like this batch with this yeast.

How long conditioning ? Usually just extra time in the fermenter, primary or secondary if you do secondary, at 70° or higher will take care of Diacetyl. Maybe let it go an extra 7-10 days before you keg ?

 

[Beerstein]

How long conditioning ? Usually just extra time in the fermenter, primary or secondary if you do secondary, at 70° or higher will take care of Diacetyl. Maybe let it go an extra 7-10 days before you keg ?

Thats exactly what i did. took an extra 5 days. Im just used to not having to deal with it all.

 

[JAReeves]

Finally got a brewday and made a roast-toasty stout. Used whole leaf Cacade from @Kurt @ Gold River Hops . Smelled amazing, can't wait until it's ready!

Tasted the mid-1800's British IPA. It needs more time, as the hops haven't come quite together yet (Fuggles and EKG), and the oak is a little strong.

 

[grampamark]

Bottled a Session IPA. Got 25 12 oz bottles and one 500 ml bottle.

 

[slurms]

Finished setting up the kegerator in my new house, tracked down a CO2 leak... And kegged an IPA. Good day.

 

[ba-brewer]

, a mini-walk-in that holds three kegs,

I know there is an exit to this freakin' rabbit hole somewhere...!

I seen this a while back and was very curious to what a mini-walk-in might be but was afraid to ask as I might want one but I have my own rabbit hole and it seems to be quite full of refrigeration devices(3 for fermenting, 2 for kegs and 1 for yeast and hops).

Curiosity has got the best of me, what is your mini-walk-in?

 

[JAReeves]

I seen this a while back and was very curious to what a mini-walk-in might be but was afraid to ask as I might want one but I have my own rabbit hole and it seems to be quite full of refrigeration devices(3 for fermenting, 2 for kegs and 1 for yeast and hops).

Curiosity has got the best of me, what is your mini-walk-in?

Lol, it's just a bar fridge and an insulated box. It holds small kegs/hops/yeast/whatnot in the back and 3 kegs in the front. I am not temp controlling it, so it is holding at about 35F for lagering/conditioning. I have almost all of the parts for the final bit-a CO2 system inside that will also carbonate the 3 kegs while they condition. Then they can just jump into the keezer when space opens up, no waiting!

Having been in the restaurant business, I see a lot of things in reference to that experience, and this reminds me of a walk-in, just Hobbit-sized.

As for the rabbit-hole, it's crazy building (or buying) small-scale professional-level equipment. I love the beer it makes, but sometimes it's hard to wrap the brain around.

 

[bracconiere]

WOW, just washed my spiffy milk pail! i don't think krausen even sticks to SS? quick wipe down with a soapy wash cloth...shiny again! first batch was a cider, so i thought that was why it was so easy to clean, but this was beer, still a breeze....

 

[ba-brewer]

Lol, it's just a bar fridge and an insulated box. It holds small kegs/hops/yeast/whatnot in the back and 3 kegs in the front. I am not temp controlling it, so it is holding at about 35F for lagering/conditioning. I have almost all of the parts for the final bit-a CO2 system inside that will also carbonate the 3 kegs while they condition. Then they can just jump into the keezer when space opens up, no waiting!

Having been in the restaurant business, I see a lot of things in reference to that experience, and this reminds me of a walk-in, just Hobbit-sized.

As for the rabbit-hole, it's crazy building (or buying) small-scale professional-level equipment. I love the beer it makes, but sometimes it's hard to wrap the brain around.

So a horizontal collar type thing? I have seen people do similar thing for fermentation chambers.
Been thinking about a similar thing, but I only want to bring the temp down to the mid 50s to create a cellar for conditioning english beers.

 

[JAReeves]

So a horizontal collar type thing? I have seen people do similar thing for fermentation chambers.
Been thinking about a similar thing, but I only want to bring the temp down to the mid 50s to create a cellar for conditioning english beers.

Exactly right. It's drilled in the back for a temp probe, if I want to be more exact, but I think I am going to run the CO2 through there first and see how that works out. I'll post a pic when I finish the build.

 

[seatazzz]

Skipped the yeast-buying road trip because bad toothache and decided to make a batch of cider instead; which turned into a minor fiasco. Both fermonsters in use, and my 6g PET carboy is pretty much toast, so needed to use an old bucket; but the only spigot I could find was missing the nut to secure it. Bought the juice I needed and went to TWO hardware stores looking for something that would work; finally found a compression fitting that worked. Then got the bucket put together once back home, to find the spigot leaks. After much digging through random drawers and boxes, found a replacement that STILL leaks but just a drip once in a while; macgyvered it by sticking a length of tubing with some starsan in it into the spigot and tucking it up under the bucket handle. And ordered some new spigots.

 

[Brewbuzzard]

Cleaning carboys and kegs, third starter buildup for Marzen in a few days. Refilled the brew dog treat bag. I'm Batdog

 

[JAReeves]

Sniffed some airlocks, drank some homebrew: Grandpa Richie's Polska Piva, our house Rye IPA.

 

[Deadalus]

I finished assembling a spunding valve. Not that it takes very long or is hard to do or anything but I got the gauge separate from the rest of the parts. Kind of makes me sound like a slackard...

Ok well the other day I finished attaching my RO system to my brew rig. By finish I mean I added a feed line to the already mounted RO system. So I put a garden hose fitting on 3/8 tubing and a barbed x 1/4"NPT on the other end...I did have to go to Lowes to get a push to connect fitting. Kind of funny in itself as I don't think I have ever gotten out of Lowes with such as a small cheap item before. I was kind of embarrassed actually...I tried really hard to think of something else to buy too but drew a blank...I'm going to brew this weekend I swear I won't be a Slackard!

 

[ba-brewer]

Stepped up a starter of wlp030 thames valley ale yeast and made some slants from the previous step. Not sure of the actual beer I will make with it when it is done so spent some time looking at recipes.

 

[JAReeves]

I finished assembling a spunding valve. Not that it takes very long or is hard to do or anything but I got the gauge separate from the rest of the parts. Kind of makes me sound like a slackard...

Ok well the other day I finished attaching my RO system to my brew rig. By finish I mean I added a feed line to the already mounted RO system. So I put a garden hose fitting on 3/8 tubing and a barbed x 1/4"NPT on the other end...I did have to go to Lowes to get a push to connect fitting. Kind of funny in itself as I don't think I have ever gotten out of Lowes with such as a small cheap item before. I was kind of embarrassed actually...I tried really hard to think of something else to buy too but drew a blank...I'm going to brew this weekend I swear I won't be a Slackard!

I need to install mine as well. If you learned something cool in the process, put up another thread. Inquiring minds want to know!

 

[kmarkstevens]

Knocked off work early and cancelled my calls with Asia this evening, therefore took the opportunity and brewed up 5 gallons or so of Tony's Pre-1980's Boddington. I have a big honking pitch of Manchester yeast on the stir plate that is just raring to pitch in the morning. London III my ass. Two previous test drives with Manchester have gotten me in the ballpark, so fingers crossed this time I get on plate.

My 1040 Czech hack (munich, vienna, carabohemia, melanoidum, tettnang with 34/70) is bubbling away nicely out in the garage at a decent lager temp of maybe 56F. Did a big 2L pitch on the stir plate. I don't have temp controlled fermentation, so I look forward to brewing with the seasons. I do a lager or three every year starting around this time. Usually it's a Thanksgiving lager brew day but premature wort this year.