Upgrading My Beer Making Stuff

[dirtdart]

I read on one of those internet help sites that the hops need to grow 12 feet.  Seems a bit tall, is it absolutely true? 

[VonMessa]

Hey man, this weekend I am going to start on my mash tun.  I am going for a 10 gallon recipe so what 20 gallon coolerish?  Go as big as you can.  running out of room sucksSome pretty good links on you tube on how to make them. 

 Also, do you "vorloft", recirculate the mash back into itself, I think that is what it is called.  Thanks.  Yes, it makes the mash clearer, but not totally necessary.  Before I had a March Pump, I just opened the valve and ran-off into a 1/2 gallon pitcher, then poured it slowly back in.

[VonMessa]

I read on one of those internet help sites that the hops need to grow 12 feet.  Seems a bit tall, is it absolutely true? 

Not at all.

First few years, I tied some 1-1/2" pvc (8') to the fence and let the hops grow up that.

[VonMessa]

I'm hoping to plant some Hops this next growing season. If I had room I'd grow barley too.

If using it for beer,  you would have to malt the barley, which is pretty much not worth it for the effort on a small scale.

Malting is to make the barley start germination by way of wetting it, letting the endosperm sprout, then stopping the process with heat.  This lets the enzymes form, which are necessary to convert the starches to sugars during the mashing process.

Go for the hops, though.   

[dirtdart]

Thanks man, yeah the whole malting the barley thing came from reading in Papazian's book. He mentioned there were some German beers that used a smoked barley. Since I love scotch (If I could make it instead of beer I would, yeah that much), I figured it would be interesting to try.  I guess I could probably buy the stuff way cheaper than planting, but hell, where is the fun in that. The Engineering challenge in trying to come up with a contraption that will smoke the barley at a stable temperature could be fun.  

I am in the middle of MO, in a very small town, it is winter. No fishing for a bit, no hunting for me because the deer here are dog sized (I am from New Mexico where we have real game), and I can only handle so much of <insert gameID here>.  

Thanks, i hope to keep this thread alive, hope to post some pics soon.  

--Crusader  

[VonMessa]

Thanks man, yeah the whole malting the barley thing came from reading in Papazian's book. He mentioned there were some German beers that used a smoked barley. Since I love scotch (If I could make it instead of beer I would, yeah that much), I figured it would be interesting to try.  I guess I could probably buy the stuff way cheaper than planting, but hell, where is the fun in that. The Engineering challenge in trying to come up with a contraption that will smoke the barley at a stable temperature could be fun.  

I am in the middle of MO, in a very small town, it is winter. No fishing for a bit, no hunting for me because the deer here are dog sized (I am from New Mexico where we have real game), and I can only handle so much of <insert gameID here>.  

Thanks, i hope to keep this thread alive, hope to post some pics soon.  

--Crusader  

You can buy it.  Rauchmalt 

I actually just had a talk with a local homebrew supply store that is less than an hour from each of the two other local stores (owned by same person)
Most major suppliers won't deal with him because they would be in competition with the other ones.  It appears that I may be his new supplier of homebrew equipment    Time to put that lathe of mine to some $-making projects.

Going to finish the grain mill tonight and take the prototype to him to put in the store.   

[Dragon]

What parts are you making for the mill, needs pics.

[VonMessa]

What parts are you making for the mill, needs pics.

All of them  

Rollers, frame, hopper, etc.

I'll get pics eventually when I'm finished (and I've secured a patent)   

[Dragon]

All of them  

Rollers, frame, hopper, etc.

Nice.

 (and I've secured a patent)   

Damn!  How'd you read my mind?

JK

 

[dirtdart]

Man, once I looked at the price on pre made things I just abandoned the notion of buying new crap. 

Project 1.  Whole grain system:  Pump, mash tun, hot water, heat exchanger (I have one, it is just the garden hose, dunk kind) I like the one Messa links to.

Project 2.  A temperature regulated fermenter.

My next two brew projects:

Tomorrow, Imperial Stout
Sunday, Mead (adding ginger)

 

Congrats, wish you the best of luck on the mill stuff messa.

[VonMessa]

Man, once I looked at the price on pre made things I just abandoned the notion of buying new crap. 

Project 1.  Whole grain system:  Pump, mash tun, hot water, heat exchanger (I have one, it is just the garden hose, dunk kind) I like the one Messa links to.
From the bio diesel website


Project 2.  A temperature regulated fermenter.

My next two brew projects:

Tomorrow, Imperial Stout
Sunday, Mead (adding ginger)

 

Congrats, wish you the best of luck on the mill stuff messa.

[Babalonian]

Anyone see this last episode where they dumped all the 120 min?     

That cedar beer sounds friggin awesome.

 

I have a friend that occasionaly does a homebrew recipie that ferments in some cedar and oak barrels he's stumbled across and picked up over the years, made me think dogfish should get some mega cedar fermentation silos for their operation.

[Babalonian]

I read on one of those internet help sites that the hops need to grow 12 feet.  Seems a bit tall, is it absolutely true? 

This is something you need to jstu be aware of and should try to accomodate if possible, but as messa said, they'll make due with what you can give them... tall growing and vigerous hops plant = happy hops plant = good hops... it's a plant with a man's ego...

[Babalonian]

Man, once I looked at the price on pre made things I just abandoned the notion of buying new crap. 

Project 1.  Whole grain system:  Pump, mash tun, hot water, heat exchanger (I have one, it is just the garden hose, dunk kind) I like the one Messa links to.

Project 2.  A temperature regulated fermenter.

My next two brew projects:

Tomorrow, Imperial Stout
Sunday, Mead (adding ginger)

 

Congrats, wish you the best of luck on the mill stuff messa.

Most premade systems are for those brewmakers that have less time and more money IMO.  You can make some great home settups that can beat the pants out of anyones brew if you upgrade a few of its components as you see fit with higher priced proffesional quality components as you go... or an eye for the bargain random component, like my friend's vintage oak and cedar small barrels and a copper kettle/pot he scored at a yard sale for his mashes, one person's junk are now prized personal things he'll likely be burried with.

[dirtdart]

Finished my Mash Tun this morning...

Manifold

Inside of Tun

I went with 15 Gallon, thats about all I can handle for now...