ClarnoBrewer
Well-Known Member
We all love to brew, but I bet most of us have had that one brew day that just didn't go as planned. Anyone have a story to share?
Here's mine:
Several years ago, the weather forced me inside, and my desire to brew fooled me into thinking that an AG brew day would be just fine on the stove top. I was brewing a Dry Irish Stout, and used way too much raw barley that I'd cooked down. Can you say first stuck sparge? Yup.
Friends were over, some of which had expressed interest in helping. However, they were all in the living room, drinking, chatting, etc... as I'm cursing life trying to get this damn wort to flow. Finally I got so frustrated that I had a juvenile moment and punched the cooler. Mash shot out and up onto the ceiling. Try explaining to your wife why there's 3lbs of black mash stuck to the ceiling!
Finally got things somewhat loosened up and into the boil kettle. 1.5 hours later, the kettle finally boils. Sort of. Everything else goes mostly okay until I realize that there's no way to hook up my chiller in the house. So out into the snow goes the brewpot. After 3 hours in the snow, I was able to pitch the yeast. Friends had gone home, wife was in bed, and the beer turned out mediocre at best. So many lessons learned that day!
Here's mine:
Several years ago, the weather forced me inside, and my desire to brew fooled me into thinking that an AG brew day would be just fine on the stove top. I was brewing a Dry Irish Stout, and used way too much raw barley that I'd cooked down. Can you say first stuck sparge? Yup.
Friends were over, some of which had expressed interest in helping. However, they were all in the living room, drinking, chatting, etc... as I'm cursing life trying to get this damn wort to flow. Finally I got so frustrated that I had a juvenile moment and punched the cooler. Mash shot out and up onto the ceiling. Try explaining to your wife why there's 3lbs of black mash stuck to the ceiling!
Finally got things somewhat loosened up and into the boil kettle. 1.5 hours later, the kettle finally boils. Sort of. Everything else goes mostly okay until I realize that there's no way to hook up my chiller in the house. So out into the snow goes the brewpot. After 3 hours in the snow, I was able to pitch the yeast. Friends had gone home, wife was in bed, and the beer turned out mediocre at best. So many lessons learned that day!