Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: dirtdart on November 18, 2010, 08:50:34 AM
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Messa I hope you see this one....
I think I am past the carboy and want to go to a conical fermenter. Will this piece of kit make a difference? What would your first upgrade be going beyond stainless steel pots and carboy's. I am now making consistenly good beer (I pay attention to snaitation and the fermentation conditions). What next? Keg system? Mash? Laager cooled fermenter?? Really dont know.
Thoughts?
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Messa I hope you see this one....
I think I am past the carboy and want to go to a conical fermenter. Will this piece of kit make a difference? What would your first upgrade be going beyond stainless steel pots and carboy's. I am now making consistenly good beer (I pay attention to snaitation and the fermentation conditions). What next? Keg system? Mash? Laager cooled fermenter?? Really dont know.
Thoughts?
Not really sure how much value add a conical fermenter will have over a standard 5 gallon carboy. If you want to step it up a notch or two I'd really suggest moving on to mashing your own wort instead of using extracts, if you are not already.
Also, if you live in a climate that supports it, and if you have somewhat of a green thumb, you may want to look into growing your own hops. Nothing says good hop taste like fresh from the vine.
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What size conical fermenter? If over 10 Gallon then it will be very beneficial to go to mash instead of syrup. Unless you REALLY enjoy cleaning and filling bottles, get a few kegs.
I had a freezer that I installed an externally mounted thermostat so that I could lager, it worked great till it died on me last year. :cry
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Man, growing Hops sounds great. I think I will look into that for sure.
The mash thing intrigues me. I just am intimidated by the process, mostly because I have not seen it done. Anyone I know locally that homebrews does the recipe thing, not mash.
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Man, growing Hops sounds great. I think I will look into that for sure.
The mash thing intrigues me. I just am intimidated by the process, mostly because I have not seen it done. Anyone I know locally that homebrews does the recipe thing, not mash.
Going from extracts to mash is like going from a beer making kit to going to extracts. The quality of the brew improves greatly.
its not hard, it just takes some practice. You will accidentally make chocolate malt a few times, but thats ok. The level of control you gain from going to mash will astound you, and after your first successful mash brew you will be coming apart at the seams with all the ideas you will have.
As Papazan says, 'Relax, have a homebrew!'
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As Papazan says, 'Relax, have a homebrew!'
Good book, great quote.
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Going from extracts to mash is like going from a beer making kit to going to extracts. The quality of the brew improves greatly.
its not hard, it just takes some practice. You will accidentally make chocolate malt a few times, but thats ok. The level of control you gain from going to mash will astound you, and after your first successful mash brew you will be coming apart at the seams with all the ideas you will have.
As Papazan says, 'Relax, have a homebrew!'
I wouldn't go so far as to say the quality is THAT much better with all grain, but you are no longer limited to what you can find in the way of DME or LME. You can get quite experimental with your brew.
I do mostly decoction mashing, as I make a lot of German beer styles. It is more complicated and time consuming but, for certain beer styles, it is worth it.
I have never had a bad mash, or "chocolate milk". The first thing you need if you don't have it would be a recipe program (Beersmith, ProMash, etc).
Which will do all the temp calculations for you. Next, a mash tun. If you are even moderately handy with tools, you can make one from an Igloo cooler, ball valve, and some CPVC pipe. You can batch sparge, which is a bit less efficient that continuous of "fly" sparging, but requires less equipment.
If you are vigilant about your sanitation (which you already seem to have down pat), and have somewhere with a decently stable temperature to ferment, then you are good to go. Making good beer does NOT require a ton of fancy equipment. Monks have been doing it for years and years, even before electric light :)
The biggest thing that more equipment does for you is make the brew day easier, especially if you are doing it alone.
What I WOULD invest in is a good chiller. If you go all-grain, you won't be topping off the fermenter with cool water as your wort will be the full volume after the mash and sparge. I got my plate chiller from http://www.dudadiesel.com/ (http://www.dudadiesel.com/) for pennies less than ANYTHING that says Blichmann on it and I can cool 15 gallons from boil to 70 degrees in less than 10 minutes. It makes for an awesome cold-break.
I've got a small, 50 qt. mash tun and a bigger 120 qt. one. Here is the bigger one and the amount of grain it can hold...
The worst part is cleaning out the mash tun (which I make brewmeister Todd do :) )
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Dayton%20Beer/100_0958.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Dayton%20Beer/100_0894.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Dayton%20Beer/100_0912.jpg)
If you have the vertical space you can make a 3-tier gravity system. I don't, my basement has a low ceiling so I had to make a single tier and buy a March pump.
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Dayton%20Beer/100_0902.jpg)
I have also made a stir plate for making yeast starters (buy one smack pack and propagate it, or harvest yeast from a previous batch) which cuts down on cost.
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Dayton%20Beer/100_0964.jpg)
Here is a Vid of the system running http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDB-tPbsP5k (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDB-tPbsP5k)
As far as growing hops? I think it is the best thing that I ever did. I have six varieties growing now and, since my sister just bought a farm with some property, I plan on having many more. If you want to PM me after the winter, I'll cut some rhizomes and send them to ya.
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Hops%208_2_2009/100_2298.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Hops%208_2_2009/100_2294.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Hop%20Trtellis/New%20Pics/100_2048.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Hop%20Trtellis/100_1844.jpg)
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I still use carboys and have ferment hundreds and hundreds of gallons of beer with them. A 20 gallon+ fermenter is not something you are going to move around on your own. In addition, if you brew 20 gallons and one (5 gal.) carboy gets an infection, not all the beer is ruined. Plus you can keg some, bottle some as you see fit.
If anything go for more boiling capacity, you can brew more beer, less often :aok
Keep an eye out at scrap yards and beer distributors for damaged kegs. That is what I use for a boiler. I have two, total. The other is for a Hot Liquor Tank.
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What size conical fermenter? If over 10 Gallon then it will be very beneficial to go to mash instead of syrup. Unless you REALLY enjoy cleaning and filling bottles, get a few kegs.
I had a freezer that I installed an externally mounted thermostat so that I could lager, it worked great till it died on me last year. :cry
I may get to that, eventually. I cheat on most of my beer that calls for a lager yeast and use the Wyeast California Lager (2112) which is more forgiving, temperature wise.
The only time I bend over backwards is when I make my Octoberfest. My brewing buddies hate it (until it's time to drink) I insist on a decoction mash and a true Bavarian lager yeast. For that, I just adjust the brew fridge temps and make sure I do the proper diacetyl rests.
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Discovery is coming out with a show called "brewmasters"
Just thought some of you should know.
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Discovery is coming out with a show called "brewmasters"
Just thought some of you should know.
Saw that.
After the nice responses I got about the beer I sent to Dayton, I have been thinking about stepping things up a bit and geting my brewery license.
It a one-time inspection fee here in PA and the license is about $1200/year.
Beer is recession proof.
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Yep, saw the previews, looks like it will be worth watching.
It's about time that the small brewer gets the recognition for all the labor involved in making a good quality beer.
I mean, the constant samplings and repeated, almost hourly, quality control checks of the finished product are not for those without the strongest desire to do their best.
:cheers:
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Saw that.
After the nice responses I got about the beer I sent to Dayton, I have been thinking about stepping things up a bit and geting my brewery license.
It a one-time inspection fee here in PA and the license is about $1200/year.
Beer is recession proof.
That would be awesome. Can't think of a better job.
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I find this interesting but have never had the time to indulge.
I have 6 empty kegs in my garage with nothing to do with them.
At one time they were used for carbonation by an old company up north. I can't recall the name, but it is on all the kegs.
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Discovery is coming out with a show called "brewmasters"
Just thought some of you should know.
Thank you for mentioning that. I hadn't heard anything about it. :aok
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Saw that.
After the nice responses I got about the beer I sent to Dayton, I have been thinking about stepping things up a bit and geting my brewery license.
It a one-time inspection fee here in PA and the license is about $1200/year.
Beer is recession proof.
That would be pretty cool Von! God knows you are set up for it. :cheers:
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Thank you for mentioning that. I hadn't heard anything about it. :aok
Think it's hosted by Dogfish Head brewing in Delaware. Go there when I go down for Punkin Chunkin. They make great beers.
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That would be pretty cool Von! God knows you are set up for it. :cheers:
Trying to get this damn plane built do I have a way to ship it :)
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Messa, wow. I was looking at beer sculptures too, but your home made suggestions are much better. After we talked on vox a bit back I started making a starter, wonderful thing that is, thanks. Who is your mail supplier? I have a problem being in the middle of no-where?
Awesome pics...
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Messa, wow. I was looking at beer sculptures too, but your home made suggestions are much better. After we talked on vox a bit back I started making a starter, wonderful thing that is, thanks. Who is your mail supplier? I have a problem being in the middle of no-where?
Awesome pics...
This is my local store http://www.keystonehomebrew.com/ (http://www.keystonehomebrew.com/)
This website is awesome http://www.homebrewtalk.com/ (http://www.homebrewtalk.com/)
On the HomeBrewTalk site, you can sometimes find a "group buy" where a bunch of guys buy an entire pallet of grain and you have to meet at a Shipping company somewhere to pick up your share. I haven't done it yet because I haven't finished my grain mill. My neighbor has, though and said that it worked out to about ~ $0.50/lb. :O
Buying ANYTHING pre-made is going to cost ya. I made the single tier because I have a low ceiling and because having 15 gallons of boiling hot liquid in the air make me nervous. It was worth the $100 I spent on the March pump (ebay). I still batch sparge because I am too cheap to buy a second pump. Eventually I am going to set-up my HLT for electric heat, make a HERMS/RIMS system and get one of these http://www.embeddedcontrolconcepts.com/ (http://www.embeddedcontrolconcepts.com/) and network it to my home so I can start a mash while I am still at work :rock
Beer automation :x
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Seriously though, I think the switch to all-grain is an easy one if you are even mildly handy with tools.
Before I had my pump and stand set-up, I still did all-grain, I just had to do the mash and sparge manually.
If you don't mind a little more time/work involved, all-grain can be done on a meager budget and I think it saves $ in the long run. Buying the LME or DME or even a kit and you are paying for the convenience of someone having done the mashing process for ya.
You can get a 50lb bag of base malt (pale, pils, etc) and then a few pounds each of specialty malts and screw around with one gallon batches to test your concoctions until you are confident.
I use Beersmith and it works well for me. Just thinking about the smell of grains mashing makes my mouth water.
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BTW Von, finally got around to taste testing the Killimunati that to sent to Dayton, delivered to WA state by our very own SGY, Heavier than I am accustomed to, but very well made.
BTW, if you every have a hankering for something significantly stronger, just PM me, I have a small bottle with your name on it.
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BTW Von, finally got around to taste testing the Killimunati that to sent to Dayton, delivered to WA state by our very own SGY, Heavier than I am accustomed to, but very well made.
BTW, if you every have a hankering for something significantly stronger, just PM me, I have a small bottle with your name on it.
If it looks like water, shines like the full moon and kicks like a mule...
I'm in :devil
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If you like Silver, this will do the job and then some.
My buddy and I started this project for 2 reasons, and it really wasn't to make booze. It was more of a science project per se and to make ethanol for fuel. We succeeded on the fuel aspect and ran a couple lawnmowers off it.
We have kept at it for the sole reason that I am anal about effiectiency and not wasting input energy. Over the past year we have managed to double the output, and halve the energy input. Granted I am a far cry from crossing the 1:1 input:output line. We are currently using a double boiler design to process the batches. 1st boiler knocks it to 100proof, 2nd takes it to 180. All the Nasty fusil oils are out of it then.
Our next design will incorporated a constant flow drip feed to the boiler with the cooling waste water being sent across the flame as it exits to prep the next batch. Since at the moment we are using straight sugar, we do not need the full boil time. Eventually I will be going to grain, but I will be setting up some semi automated equipment for malting and grinding. Technically the sugar is cheaper to process, but, since I raise cattle as well, the distillers grains are a better source of converted proteins than raw grain and create and more tender meat.
And just for the record, the permit with the ATF is being submitted.
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I played around with my last recipe, came out OK. I was not aware that there was a program. Cool links.
How about that beer the "brewmaster" guys put together. I need to see about finding some of that.
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Think it's hosted by Dogfish Head brewing in Delaware. Go there when I go down for Punkin Chunkin. They make great beers.
Correct. As a long time dogfish drinker, (mmmmm 90 minute IPA :cheers:) I'm looking forward to seeing the guts of the operation when it hits Discovery. I just hope it doesn't completely go to their heads. (ha!)
My bro has a somewhat similar setup to yours Von, and I know he has considered scaling up production a bit. I'm not sure exactly what is needed in NY state though in terms of permit. Home growing hops is a good idea, and one I may pitch to add to his already pretty solid garden. :aok
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Correct. As a long time dogfish drinker, (mmmmm 90 minute IPA :cheers:) I'm looking forward to seeing the guts of the operation when it hits Discovery. I just hope it doesn't completely go to their heads. (ha!)
My bro has a somewhat similar setup to yours Von, and I know he has considered scaling up production a bit. I'm not sure exactly what is needed in NY state though in terms of permit. Home growing hops is a good idea, and one I may pitch to add to his already pretty solid garden. :aok
I'm not sure about the exact laws in NY, but I know that what one is limited to in PA for "personal consumption" is more than any one person could possibly drink.
The only reason that I would get the brewery license would be if I wanted to start selling. The only really big thing keeping me from that is bottling.
Bottling sucks. Period. Putting labels on even more so...
It was fun for Dayton because there was a purpose, but just to make money is not a good enough reason.
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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? Some 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.
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Anyone see this last episode where they dumped all the 120 min? :O :cry
That cedar beer sounds friggin awesome.
:cheers:
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I'm hoping to plant some Hops this next growing season. If I had room I'd grow barley too.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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. :aok
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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 :cheers:
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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 :cheers:
You can buy it. Rauchmalt :aok
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 :D 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. :aok
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What parts are you making for the mill, needs pics.
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What parts are you making for the mill, needs pics.
All of them :lol
Rollers, frame, hopper, etc.
I'll get pics eventually when I'm finished (and I've secured a patent) :devil
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All of them :lol
Rollers, frame, hopper, etc.
Nice.
(and I've secured a patent) :devil
Damn! How'd you read my mind?
JK
:cheers:
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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)
:aok
Congrats, wish you the best of luck on the mill stuff messa.
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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)
:aok
Congrats, wish you the best of luck on the mill stuff messa.
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Anyone see this last episode where they dumped all the 120 min? :O :cry
That cedar beer sounds friggin awesome.
:cheers:
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.
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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...
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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)
:aok
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.
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Finished my Mash Tun this morning...
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs733.ash1/162793_476328367948_700532948_5899940_5298270_n.jpg)
Manifold
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1183.snc4/150535_476328027948_700532948_5899933_852848_n.jpg)
Inside of Tun
I went with 15 Gallon, thats about all I can handle for now...
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Ran oxygen for the first time ... holy conversion Batman.. spent the day cleaning foam. Can't wait to taste this one.
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:aok
:x
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... tall growing and vigerous hops plant = happy hops plant = good hops... it's a plant with a man's ego...
Laminate some centerfolds and attach to the fence for an even larger yield.
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Laminate some centerfolds and attach to the fence for an even larger yield.
:rofl
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You know, I put up a picture of Shawk yesterday and it killed the rhizomes.... go figure. Shoulda gone for the hotties. :rock
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You know, I put up a picture of Shawk yesterday and it killed the rhizomes.... go figure. Shoulda gone for the hotties. :rock
Not mullet lovers, eh?
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So I read that mass produced american beers are weaker because during WWII things were a bit harder to come by and women were the main drinkers of beer. The boys came back, and thing never changed. Any truth to that?
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So I read that mass produced american beers are weaker because during WWII things were a bit harder to come by and women were the main drinkers of beer. The boys came back, and thing never changed. Any truth to that?
Not in my basement :)
Otherwise, I don't know...
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I finished my lauter tun. I have added a perforated copper coil into the roof of the tun to sprinkle water in for both vorloft and sparging.
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Beer is for sinners! :old:
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VonMessa, please let me know when you start your official, commercial, Brauerei so I can be subscriber number one to the Beer Of The Month Club. :aok
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After this weekend, beer production and equipment development will been temporarily suspended until such time as the upcoming Pinewood Derby has been won :devil
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After this weekend, beer production and equipment development will been temporarily suspended until such time as the upcoming Pinewood Derby has been won :devil
Hey... kids build their cars, parents NEVER have a hand in helping..... roflmao.... yeah, we swept the pine car/family pine car last year...
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After this weekend, beer production and equipment development will been temporarily suspended until such time as the upcoming Pinewood Derby has been won :devil
Delivery for VM, where ya want 'em?
(http://www.legendsofamerica.com/postcards-pictures-of/CA-1006-Logging%20Truck.jpg)
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Hey... kids build their cars, parents NEVER have a hand in helping..... roflmao.... yeah, we swept the pine car/family pine car last year...
Delivery for VM, where ya want 'em?
(http://www.legendsofamerica.com/postcards-pictures-of/CA-1006-Logging%20Truck.jpg)
Don't worry, he will be doing most of the work.
You can drop the wood in front of the machine he has been learning to use... :devil
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Smithy/100_1379.jpg)
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Made my first all-grain on WED. The New Belgium Ranger IPA clone in brew your own magazine last month. It is happily swirling away, so something went right. :cheers:
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:rock
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I wonder about growing hops in the Dallas/Ft Worth area.
I used to brew a lot with two other buddies. It was good sharing the expenses and batches as well.
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I wonder about growing hops in the Dallas/Ft Worth area.
I used to brew a lot with two other buddies. It was good sharing the expenses and batches as well.
They would probably love the sun, as long as they had enough water. I guess it all depends on how dedicated you are to making sure that they have enough to drink.
They usually like temperate climates, but hell, you could research and cross-breed some different varieties to grow better where you live. You could invent the Longhorn Hop variety that have huge cones and yield lots of hops :rock
I hear that everything is bigger in Texas :D
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Ran oxygen for the first time ... holy conversion Batman.. spent the day cleaning foam. Can't wait to taste this one.
I've been thinking for quite a while of the best way to do this, myself.
I was discussing it with my cousin when we brewed last weekend. It is a topic that we have discussed, before.
My brother had come over, as he now has the addiction since his fiance bought him a Mr. Beer for Christmas (don't worry, we fixed that). We gave him a crash course in all-grain brewing.
It was a classic case of not being able to see the forest because of all the trees on my part. We were talking about it (once again) and :headscratch: about where to get oxygen including the logistics of how/where to get/put it, what to use as a regulator (because it is oxygen, it would have to be non-reactive, etc). My brother, who is not mechanical by any stretch of the imagination, points at my gas-welding rig that I have been using to weld the chromoly tube and plates for my wing steel/fuselage tubing and says, "What's in the big green tank?"
DOH! :o
I'll be getting a diffuser stone this week and making a "HEPA" filter of sorts out of a air-line filter/dryer and some cotton balls (saw a write up on homebrewtalk.com). :aok
I've had my oxy-acetylene setup for years... :furious
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What parts are you making for the mill, needs pics.
All of it :D
I love a good scrounge. I also enjoy the challenge of re-purposing items that have outlived their usefulness.
The milling station stand began life as a TV/VCR stand with a "Lazy Susan" bottom. I took the turntable off of the bottom, stood it on it's side and the door where the video tapes went is now the lid.
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1715.jpg)
A big funnel will make an excellent hopper. It has a nice flat on it so I cut a hole in the "lid" with a flycutter :noid and used a well-worn fermentation bucket with the bottom cut out for more capacity. I cut a slot out underneath of where the rollers are mounted for the grain to fall into another bucket that will be there to catch the grist
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1723.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1716.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1724.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1725.jpg)
The frame and adjustment knobs for the roller assembly were made from some aluminum stock I had laying around for jig/fixture making. The plastic guard is from a piece of Lexan that I found @ my work (Window & Door installation company) which I heated and bent on my brake. The hole was cut with a hole saw. I was skeptical about having a single hole in the center until I saw something similar on YouTube and it seemed to work just fine.
The rollers themselves are from some unknown material that I got from a local scrap yard with about 100 lbs of other crap for $1. I know it is steel of some kind because it is magnetic. The way it machined made me think it was stainless or nickel except that it was magnetic and very badly pitted/rusted. It machined like crap, didn't cut a good chip and heated up quickly. I wound up burning out all the indexable cutting edges of one of my triangle carbide inserts. It started out 1.75" round, but by the time I got through the rust and pits down to a smooth surface, I finished out @ 1.5" Cutting the knurls was even worse. The bushings I purchased from McMaster-Carr, made from bronze and are a press-fit into the aluminum frame. I didn't want to take the chance of grease or oil getting into the grist if sealed bearings decided to take a dump. The gap is adjustable as the bushings on the movable roller were installed on an eccentric inside the knurled aluminum knobs and can be set with feeler guages.
cutting the rollers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y4BF2IcRXk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y4BF2IcRXk)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1718.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1719.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1720.jpg)
Only one roller is driven, the other will spin from the action of the grains being pulled through the gap. I was going to put a sprocket and bicycle chain on the driven roller, hook it to a stationary bike and make the wife pedal it. When I pitched the idea to her, it was not received well. :noid
I have decided to re-purpose yet another item. A car buffer which I had lent to a friend a while back who, in turn, broke the pad. Since it was a cheapo Harbor Freight model, I couldn't get another pad. I didn't look very hard for one either as I have no immediate plans to buff the "custom pinstripes" out of my Wrangler any time in the near or distant future. It has a gear driven, right-angle head and adjustable speed which is perfect because optimum milling speed is 200-500 rpms and I didn't want to mess with a belt drive, sheaves and a guard for them. (Less $, too) I am just going to mount the motor to the back of the unit and run a direct-drive shaft, perhaps through a pillow block with another bushing for rigidity. I'll turn the shaft down, tonight.
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1727.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1728.jpg)
The last details will be casters for portability, cover the back, mount a door on the front and pot a port for the shop-vac to keep the dust down which can be explosive in a confined space, believe it or not. Something as simple as a spark from the buffer motor could do it. Besides, milling in the brewhouse is not a good idea because the dust from un-mashed grain contains bacteria that can cause infections in beer that hasn't fermented yet.
The following is an example of that, except this was an intentional Lactobacillus infection that I introduced by leaving the mash @ ~ 100 deg. F after the mash was finished and tossing in a handful of un-mashed grains and leaving it sit for a few hours. I was making a Berliner Weiss.
mmmm :noid
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/0204001759.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/0204001759a.jpg)
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My brother had come over, as he now has the addiction since his fiance bought him a Mr. Beer for Christmas (don't worry, we fixed that). We gave him a crash course in all-grain brewing.
LOL.
I've been spying this thread, and finally had to comment after reading this.
I also was a person who received a Mr Beer for Christmas along with a Refill pack. I am down to the last can of HME, so I called a local brewer supplies place. This Friday I am going to pay him a visit and get started down the path of brewing my own beer.
Great thread, hopefully I can start contributing my experiences to it. :aok
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I think my brother has got all of us licked; what's better than being passionate enough about beer to regularly brew your own quality beers at home?... Simple, marrying a woman who is even more passionate about it than you and who insists you stay out of the kitchen and her way the entire time she's doing it. All you get (tasked) to do is help bottle, label, and drink it. :aok
Actually, I might have it best of all, I always get the call to come over and pickup some fresh brew when it's done and only have to provide more criticly-important and labor-intensive quality empty beer bottles. :D
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I think my brother has got all of us licked; what's better than being passionate enough about beer to regularly brew your own quality beers at home?... Simple, marrying a woman who is even more passionate about it than you and who insists you stay out of the kitchen and her way the entire time she's doing it. All you get (tasked) to do is help bottle, label, and drink it. :aok
Actually, I might have it best of all, I always get the call to come over and pickup some fresh brew when it's done and only have to provide more criticly-important and labor-intensive quality empty beer bottles. :D
R & D is important !!!
My wife is also very passionate about the beer, just not with helping to make it :rofl
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LOL.
I've been spying this thread, and finally had to comment after reading this.
I also was a person who received a Mr Beer for Christmas along with a Refill pack. I am down to the last can of HME, so I called a local brewer supplies place. This Friday I am going to pay him a visit and get started down the path of brewing my own beer.
Great thread, hopefully I can start contributing my experiences to it. :aok
Good Luck, Nef.
I'll be happy to help, when and wherever I can.
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When you figure out your cost on the mill please let me know. I use an aquarium tank pump through a filter to a diffusion stone. It ran 35 bucks or so. Today I am bottling my first IPA and am curious how of will taste. This being my first all grain and dry hopped run.
I met another Guy who brew but he likes to use adjuncts and makes nehi instead of beer. It is tough. You meet someone passionate about brewing but their pallatte and yours are so different. I think his stuff tastes like soda. I smile and say not bad.... bit damn. You guys know what I mean...
I let my Mead age for a couple of months now and the honey is starting to come out a bit more than before. I still think its tastes like wine not beer.maybe net time I score that much free honey I will use an ale yeast instead of a champagne yeast.
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IMO mead shouldn't come out tasting like beer.
Theoretically its somewhere in between I suppose depending on what ingredients you used.
I've been working on teaching my son in law, but he's a bit busy now with work, daughter is pregnant with twins, etc. So I may have to wait a year or 2 for things to settle down. :)
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When you figure out your cost on the mill please let me know. I use an aquarium tank pump through a filter to a diffusion stone. It ran 35 bucks or so. Today I am bottling my first IPA and am curious how of will taste. This being my first all grain and dry hopped run.
I met another Guy who brew but he likes to use adjuncts and makes nehi instead of beer. It is tough. You meet someone passionate about brewing but their pallatte and yours are so different. I think his stuff tastes like soda. I smile and say not bad.... bit damn. You guys know what I mean...
I let my Mead age for a couple of months now and the honey is starting to come out a bit more than before. I still think its tastes like wine not beer.maybe net time I score that much free honey I will use an ale yeast instead of a champagne yeast.
I think that there are mead specific yeast strains available.
The honey should ferment out completely (i.e. almost not taste like honey, once finished)
I have been told that it takes almost a year, minimum before mead is even close to being ready (not fermenting, but clearing, settling, mellowing, etc)
Going to AZ with the wife and kids sometime this year to visit a friend of the wife that moved from here to AZ. She married a guy out there about 10 years ago. He is full-blood Navajo and his grandmother lives on a reservation up near the four-corners. He said that if we come out at the proper time that we can go harvest salamanderly pear fruit as long as we leave enough for his grandmother to make some jelly with. I am DYING to try the Papazian recipe for the salamanderly pear mead. :rock
So far, the only cost I've incurred for the mill was for the bronze bushings :D
IIRC, you live near me, correct? If you are looking just for the guts, I'm sure we can work something out.
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I think that there are mead specific yeast strains available.
The honey should ferment out completely (i.e. almost not taste like honey, once finished)
I have been told that it takes almost a year, minimum before mead is even close to being ready (not fermenting, but clearing, settling, mellowing, etc)
I would let it set for 2 or more. If your not bottle finishing them, then the length of time is not as important, but, I like my mead bubbly.
Stick with the champagne yeast or mead yeast. Ale yeast will leave you with something resembling urine colored Kool-Aid. :cry
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Just pulled the trigger on 440 lbs of grain :rock
(55lb bags each)
(2) pale malt
(2) pilsner malt
(2) wheat malt
(2) munich malt
You guys busy? :D
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You guys busy? :D
Not any more! Besides, I think I feel this sickness coming on... :cheers:
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Holy Cow man.... this ranger IPA clone is a really IPA IPA.... damn.
OK, so here is my AAR from my first all grain brew attempt.
1. Getting your mash to a specific temperature is far more difficult than I anticipated, specifically keeping the ratio of water to grain at 1qt per lb or so. I found that just by adding the water, I had a 20 degree drop in temperature off of what my water started at. This was way more than I expected. Lesson learned was go hot, then cool rather than go cool then hot.
2. I vorlaufted (I hope that is right spelling) the mash. I bought a 9 dollar drill mounted pump and recirculated the fluid at a very slow GPM. The issue I had was the tubing I used walls did not hold up to the pressure when subjected to the heat of the mash. So, I bought thicker wall tubing for the next batch.
3. Sparging the grain was not to difficult since I made a "rain" fitting thingy on the top of my tun. The water enters a series of copper tubes and sprinkles across the entire tun instead of just dripping in a specific spot.
In general, I just don't know if the juice is worth the squeeze when it comes to all grain versus extract brewing. Since this is such a powerful, hoppy recipe, I really don't know. My recommendation would be for someone to take their favorite extract recipe and do it all grain and then contrast. I did an entirely new beer and category I usually do not brew so I have no frame of reference as to whether it is better than extract or not.
Deuces..... :cheers:
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Just pulled the trigger on 440 lbs of grain :rock
(55lb bags each)
(2) pale malt
(2) pilsner malt
(2) wheat malt
(2) munich malt
You guys busy? :D
Hell no, find me the next flight over. :D :aok (very jealous)
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Holy Cow man.... this ranger IPA clone is a really IPA IPA.... damn.
OK, so here is my AAR from my first all grain brew attempt.
1. Getting your mash to a specific temperature is far more difficult than I anticipated, specifically keeping the ratio of water to grain at 1qt per lb or so. I found that just by adding the water, I had a 20 degree drop in temperature off of what my water started at. This was way more than I expected. Lesson learned was go hot, then cool rather than go cool then hot.
2. I vorlaufted (I hope that is right spelling) the mash. I bought a 9 dollar drill mounted pump and recirculated the fluid at a very slow GPM. The issue I had was the tubing I used walls did not hold up to the pressure when subjected to the heat of the mash. So, I bought thicker wall tubing for the next batch.
3. Sparging the grain was not to difficult since I made a "rain" fitting thingy on the top of my tun. The water enters a series of copper tubes and sprinkles across the entire tun instead of just dripping in a specific spot.
In general, I just don't know if the juice is worth the squeeze when it comes to all grain versus extract brewing. Since this is such a powerful, hoppy recipe, I really don't know. My recommendation would be for someone to take their favorite extract recipe and do it all grain and then contrast. I did an entirely new beer and category I usually do not brew so I have no frame of reference as to whether it is better than extract or not.
Deuces..... :cheers:
Gravity is free :)
I won't lie. It takes a bit of investment when doing all-grain. Especially in volume. I have 60 gallons to make for two different weddings by June I will not even say that it makes "better" beer, but the flexibility is limitless, especially when trying to dial in on something you really are aiming for. It is also cheaper in the long run. This recent grain bill buy cost me about 50 cents/lb, including shipping. There is also "the smell" when mashing grains. Like a slice of heaven.
Stick with it. Use silicone tubing. (feels like fake boobs)
As long as the level of sparge water stays above the level of the gain, it is not paramount that it is sprinkled evenly. The bottom manifold has more bearing on this than anything.
Thermodynamics is a biatch, isn't it? :)
Are you using brewing software? If so, which?
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Man no I don't use software. Not yet at any rate. Also my batches have to be smaller because I move around quite a bit (I am in the army). So, my brew footprint can't be too big...at least until I retire. :banana:
is there a software out there for the layman?
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Man no I don't use software. Not yet at any rate. Also my batches have to be smaller because I move around quite a bit (I am in the army). So, my brew footprint can't be too big...at least until I retire. :banana:
is there a software out there for the layman?
ProMash (not crazy about it)
Beersmith (free trial for 30 days, $20 for license and VERY user friendly with good support) It does all the temp. and volume calculations for you depending on what you tell it you are using for equipment. It is absolutely worth the $20.
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Here we go! My first attempt will be brewing a Lager. Did this all before FSO tonight. I have an unheated back porch room, which maintains a pretty good temp for the Ferment and the Conditioning when its cold, but Spring is approaching so in the meanwhile I am on the hunt for a cheap fridge in the Papers.
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/2011-02-11185443.jpg)
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/2011-02-11193432.jpg)
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/2011-02-11212050.jpg)
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/2011-02-11235734.jpg)
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:aok
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Oh, HELL yeah ! :x :x :x :rock :rock :rock
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Bulk%20Grain%20Buy%201/100_1729.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Bulk%20Grain%20Buy%201/100_1730.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Bulk%20Grain%20Buy%201/100_1731.jpg)
My brother showing his reason to smile !!!
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Bulk%20Grain%20Buy%201/100_1732.jpg)
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That is freaking awesome Von! :banana:
Still thinking of getting that Brewer's license?
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Perhaps one day... :pray
I've got a lot of maintenance to do on the system which depends on the expediency of my welder buddy. I need some more fittings welded into my kegs as my ex-immersion chiller is going to become my new HERMS coil in the HLT. I can TIG weld, but I'm not yet proficient at doing sanitary welds on stainless. I don't want rusty welds :cry He does it all day long at various food plants in the area :rock
I also want to cut down the legs on the brewing stand as I am a short F-er and get tired of standing on my tip-toes to look inside the boil kettle (which also puts me really close to the flames)
It's been about 14 months of testing since I've put the system together and I've got a good idea of some changes that need to be made. Since a lot of the brewing process is hurry-up-and-wait, I'm trying to make the system require less of my attention so I can make beer AND airplane parts at the same time :rock
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Here we go! My first attempt will be brewing a Lager. Did this all before FSO tonight. I have an unheated back porch room, which maintains a pretty good temp for the Ferment and the Conditioning when its cold, but Spring is approaching so in the meanwhile I am on the hunt for a cheap fridge in the Papers.
You can also use a freezer. I had one donated to me a while back and then bought a 110v commercial t-stat that I mounted to the outside and just ran the sensing bulb through a small hole I drilled in the side of the freezer.
The freezer finally died after 30 years of service so I have the t-stat I can donate if needed.
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You can also use a freezer. I had one donated to me a while back and then bought a 110v commercial t-stat that I mounted to the outside and just ran the sensing bulb through a small hole I drilled in the side of the freezer.
The freezer finally died after 30 years of service so I have the t-stat I can donate if needed.
Where did you get it? I'm looking to buy/build one. I've already got the fridge.
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You can also use a freezer. I had one donated to me a while back and then bought a 110v commercial t-stat that I mounted to the outside and just ran the sensing bulb through a small hole I drilled in the side of the freezer.
The freezer finally died after 30 years of service so I have the t-stat I can donate if needed.
I might take you up on the offer if I get a freezer. But I'll probably get a fridge, So hopefully I will not to have to install a separate T-Stat.
My Lager is now fermenting great, So while I wait for that I will start an Ale of some sort. Heading over to the Brew Supply Store today.
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Where did you get it? I'm looking to buy/build one. I've already got the fridge.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#1846K26 (http://www.mcmaster.com/#1846K26)
1846K26
Line Voltage Heat OR Cooling Thermostat 120-277 VAC, SPDT Switch, -30 to 100 Deg F
In stock at $58.18 Each
My cord was long enough to where I mounted the t-stat on the side of the cabinet, ran the cord to it, cut to length, then use the remaining to run to the outlet.
Using this method actually turn the power to the unit on/off. So if it's not calling for cooling, the inside light won't work either. I suppose you could run 2 plugs, one for light and then run just the compressor through the t-stat, but since I had a freezer without a light anyhoo, I did it the simple way.
I also had 1 of these because the t-stat isn't marked very well, I'm a sucker for redundancy, and I broke/lost the knob :cry
http://www.mcmaster.com/#3561K12 (http://www.mcmaster.com/#3561K12)
3561K12
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I was thinking about getting the BCS-460 to control the brew day and running a thermocouple from the fridge to the controller , also.
The I can control everything from the computer, regardless of where I am. :x
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WOW, for what it does, that's a nice price. Even the relays and probes are reasonable. Looks like a darn good investment. I wonder if the wires on the probes can be extended, if not, your just gonna have to keep the fridge real close to your desk. I know, bummer, right?
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Hell, I can set it up to run anything I want.
Solenoid valves, heating elements, etc. As long as I use solid state relays, I can power whatever I want with it.
<enter dream sequence>
I'm at work. I log into the BCS from my office PC. I tell it to open the water valve until I get X gallons in the HLT. When that temp is reached, heat same water to strike temp, open valve on HLT and turn on pump sending ot to the mash tun which I conveniently filled with the grain bill before I left for work that morning .
Shut off HLT, turn motorized mash paddle on, stir for X minutes and the open all valves involved in recirculating the mash, sending it through the Heat Exchanger and doing whatever temp steps I tell it to.
Finish mash, send to boil kettle, sparge (with more water from the HLT) and send that to boil kettle. This is about the time I get home from work, fire up the boiler (which could also be automated) and start the timer for hops additions.
<end dream sequence>
See where I am going with all that? :devil
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Well, as I tell my wife, hit the lotto so I can have a nano brew system in my basement...she never complies of course... :joystick:
Hey, how the hell did I ever get by without a bottle tree?
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Well, as I tell my wife, hit the lotto so I can have a nano brew system in my basement...she never complies of course... :joystick:
Hey, how the hell did I ever get by without a bottle tree?
wife has a funny name for mine.
calls it the "dishwasher"... :headscratch:
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Man, I started storing my bottles on this thing with a trash bag over it. It keeps my stuff a bit cleaner than the boxes used to.
Brewing a Hefe this weekend in anticipation of some warm days ahead. The byo recipe for the new Belgium ranger clone is pretty damn good. Great hops aroma, fruity, nice clean finish. very good recipe.
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I'm a sucker for a good hefe :aok
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I'm a sucker for a good hefe :aok
Blasphemer!! :devil
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Blasphemer!! :devil
I guess I'll be doing a lot of blaspheming, soon :devil
Drilled holes in kegs and took them to welder
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Upgraded%20Breery/100_1748.jpg)
Had Braumeister Todd make a new hop bag (got tired of buying muslin "socks" from LHBS store. PVC coupling, hose clamp, 3/8" all-thread, 5-gal. nylon paint strainer.
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Upgraded%20Breery/100_1785.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Upgraded%20Breery/100_1786.jpg)
Got the kegs back from welder
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Upgraded%20Breery/100_1789.jpg)
New HERMS coil :rock
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Upgraded%20Breery/100_1791.jpg)
So far, it holds temp within 5-7 deg. of what the HLT reads when I recirculate. Still need to put sight glass back on kegs.
Should be ready for brewing on Sunday :x
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Ok man, is that your mash tun? I am trying to figure out your system there. Or, is that you boil pot?
What is HERMS coil? Your chiller?
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Ok man, is that your mash tun? I am trying to figure out your system there. Or, is that you boil pot?
What is HERMS coil? Your chiller?
Green cooler is mash tun.
Keg with coil in it is the Hot Liquor Tank which hold the strike/sparge water.
The coil is the HERMS
Heat
Exchange
Recirculating
Mash
System
I use BeerSmith to calculate my temps and volumes needed for total water.
I fill the HLT with all of the water I'll need for the recipe for the day and heat it to strike temp.
Pump strike volume into mash tun to preheat it.
Add grain, stir, etc. while keeping burner on HLT to maintain temp.
From the mash tun, I can pump to either Boil Kettle or recirculate back to mash tun. I used to recirculate directly back into the mash tun, but if strike temps were off or I gave BeerSmith incorrect info, it would screw up my attempt at getting to target temp. That creates it's own set of issues such as: temp too low and I'm collecting wort into a separate pot, running upstairs to the stove, heating it up (and guessing at this point, because the computer is on 3rd flr) so it becomes a situation of trial and error and a lot of luck. If temps were too high (which could denature the enzymes I need for conversion if above 168 deg F), I can add cold water, but again, I'm guessing at how much. If I drop it too low, I'm back to problem #1. Also you run the risk of diluting your enzymes too much and not having good conversion rates.
With the addition of the HERMS coil, can now recirculate the mash through that coil (which is immersed in hot water in the HLT which I will later use for sparging) and by controlling the temp of the water in the HLT, I can have better control of my mash temps. In essence, it is the reverse of a chiller. Instead of running cold water through it to chill the wort, I use it to pick-up heat to maintain my mash temp more consistently without the guess work and without screwing up my water to grain ratio. I've only had a chance to test it once so far, but it seems that there is about a 5-10 degree difference between the HLT water temp and the output of the coil which isn't bad. I just adjust the flame on the HLT with regard to the temp I am getting at the output of the coil.
It sounds complicated but, the fast and dirty explanation is that it gives me better control of mash temps which, in turn, should give me better efficiency. I still only batch sparge, but I'm hoping to see at least 5-10% increase in brewhouse efficiency, and omit a lot of hassle. This is not to say that all of this is necessary to make good beer. I started out by carrying hot water from the kitchen to the mash tun on the back porch and gravity feeding to the BK, then carrying the 12 gallons down to the basement...
Eventually, I will slowly automate to the point where I can babysit the process. That way I can fabricate parts for my plane while the beer is brewing :aok
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:rock
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Upgraded%20Breery/Brewery_%20v2/100_1797.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Upgraded%20Breery/Brewery_%20v2/100_1798.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Upgraded%20Breery/Brewery_%20v2/100_1804.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Upgraded%20Breery/Brewery_%20v2/100_1809.jpg)
I hit and held temps within 1 degree! Science, it works, biatches :lol
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Upgraded%20Breery/Brewery_%20v2/100_1799.jpg)
Even with a 75 minute mash and a 90 minute boil, the brew day still went smoother, even with Dr. Hopface being an ass :x
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Beer/Upgraded%20Breery/Brewery_%20v2/ToddHopface.jpg)
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(http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/188838_10150113326422949_700532948_6608200_5234624_n.jpg)
Weather has been horrible here. Got bored on Saturday and made a Mash Paddle. Tried it out on Sunday, worked well. Stirred without getting crap everywhere. Now I feel less bush league than when I was using a plastic spoon. It is red oak, charred to remove some of the surface oils and treated with mineral oil. Not a HERMs coil, but progress none the less. (Edit: It works great on kids too!)
What the hell is calculus. I am a combat engineer. If we don't understand it, we just blow it up.
(http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/8416_155943062948_700532948_2767527_6193627_n.jpg)
Like this VBIED explosion. Was around 15K in explosives. Cookie is for wussys.
I am brewing a clone of new belgiums abbey ale next week. I think that with this one I might have enough of an understanding of tastes to try to brew my own receipe. I have modified existing ones, never drawn one up from scratch. Some dude sent me a link that has enabled me to grasp the process in a bit more detail than I have in the past. :cheers:
Since I move around a lot, I think I am going to run a rig like yours, but in a bit smaller dimensions to stay at the 5 gallon batch size. This thread ought to be sticky!
You da man messa!
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(http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/31735_395556262948_700532948_4232058_4104017_n.jpg)
The Ol' plastic spoon will find a place (hallowed of course) in my beer kit. Will have to put it out now and then for nostalgias sake.
Nearly forgot to ask, what pump are you using to circulate? March?
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:rofl
I don't even have a mash paddle or rake. Still working on it :aok
Yep, March. Gets lots of use.
Just made a 3 gallon starter, today. Going to get some yeast going with 1/2 gal and freeze the rest of the wort to use for future starters, maybe even do some yeast ranching and stop buying it.
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how much money would you be spending to get a system set up for brewing <5 gallons at a time? or is it just worth it to brew in larger quantities
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Around here, you can get a starter kit and ingredients for a 5 gallon batch for < $100.
Fermenting bucket with lid and airlock
Siphon
Sanitizer
Bottle capper
Bottling wand and bucket
Hygrometer
Buy "The joy of homebrewing" by Charlie Papazian. Brewing explained in very simple terms without being patronizing.
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OK... so here is the plan...
I am going to take my existing boil pot and insert a "HERMS". This HERMs will have a Y valve on it and serve both as the heat exchanger to preserve the mash temp and as my wort chiller.
Thoughts?
I spent the better part of yesterday planning it out. As long as the attachment points for the coil can be removed for cleaning, and the coil has enough separation from the center for stirring, it should work. MTF.....
Wrote my first receipe yesterday for a scotch ale. Is next in the queue. In figuring grain weight, I do not really understand how to determine the lbs of grain when targeting a range of SG. Every other piece, IBU etc, I figured out. The grain piece is kicking my fourth point of contact.
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how much money would you be spending to get a system set up for brewing <5 gallons at a time? or is it just worth it to brew in larger quantities
I spent a bit up front, just because in most hobbies you end up buying the low end of what you need and then you get it here and there. The "decider for me" was the wort chiller. My brother in law brews and was using an ice bath. Not the worst thing I suppose, but his beer never tasted too good. So, as I read on in beer making books, such as the one messa recommends, I learned that you want to cool your wort quickly without risking contamination. A wort chiller seemd like a good way to do it. I spent 300 bucks I thin, including the burner I bought (turkey fryer kit from walmart).
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OK... so here is the plan...
I am going to take my existing boil pot and insert a "HERMS". This HERMs will have a Y valve on it and serve both as the heat exchanger to preserve the mash temp and as my wort chiller.
Thoughts?
I spent the better part of yesterday planning it out. As long as the attachment points for the coil can be removed for cleaning, and the coil has enough separation from the center for stirring, it should work. MTF.....
Wrote my first receipe yesterday for a scotch ale. Is next in the queue. In figuring grain weight, I do not really understand how to determine the lbs of grain when targeting a range of SG. Every other piece, IBU etc, I figured out. The grain piece is kicking my fourth point of contact.
Did you get my PM? :D
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I spent a bit up front, just because in most hobbies you end up buying the low end of what you need and then you get it here and there. The "decider for me" was the wort chiller. My brother in law brews and was using an ice bath. Not the worst thing I suppose, but his beer never tasted too good. So, as I read on in beer making books, such as the one messa recommends, I learned that you want to cool your wort quickly without risking contamination. A wort chiller seemd like a good way to do it. I spent 300 bucks I thin, including the burner I bought (turkey fryer kit from walmart).
I also have "How to Brew" by John Palmer (also free PDF here) http://www.howtobrew.com/ (http://www.howtobrew.com/)
"Designing Great Beers" by Ray Daniels
"Radical Brewing" by Randy Mosher
and my newest
"New Brewing Lager Beer" by Gregory J. Noonan (very technical not recommended as 1st read or if one is not fond of chemistry and the entailing math/chemical calculations involved in it) t has an awesome section on decoction mashing though which is the traditional German way of running a mash schedule, used successively by the monks before thermometers were invented.
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Did you get my PM? :D
I sure did, many thanks. Shoot me your street address, I will shoot you a paddle....
What are your thoughts on the single strike water/boil pot notion?
I am going to have to get off my butt and figure the math part out. I defer to the earlier, if you don't understand it, destroy it.
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I sure did, many thanks. Shoot me your street address, I will shoot you a paddle....
What are your thoughts on the single strike water/boil pot notion?
I am going to have to get off my butt and figure the math part out. I defer to the earlier, if you don't understand it, destroy it.
How about a rake? (My mash tun(s) are square and don't have a grain bed deep enough for a paddle) I'll send you the dimensions of them :D
I though about the same exact thing. You will need 2 pumps. One to push wort in one direction, the other to recirculate hot/cold water through or around your chiller. I got mine from here http://www.dudadiesel.com/heat_exchangers.php (http://www.dudadiesel.com/heat_exchangers.php) I will never use an immersion chiller again. A counterflow chiller may work just as good perhaps, but you can't beat the small footprint of the plate chiller. At one point, I toyed with the idea of making a "radiator" from soft copper tube that would be encased in a block of ice in the freezer and have glycol running through it. That would require a second pump (not necessarily a March, though) to recirculate the glycol.
I tried to use my immersion chiller as my HERMS coil, but it is 3/8" soft copper tube and was too restrictive. I could have filled my mash tun faster by pissing in it...
I went with 20' of 1/2" soft copper tube and, although still a bit more restrictive than the 5/8" tube, it flows at a decent rate and, at full blast, is still slow enough to pick-up heat from the HLT.
NOTE:
When purchasing copper TUBE, the size is the OUTSIDE diameter, unlike copper pipe which is the inside diameter.
3/8" copper tube has an OD of 3/8" and ID of ~ 5/16"
1/2" copper pipe (which is what I plumbed my rig with) has OD of 5/8" and ID of 1/2"
I wish I had told my brother that when I sent him for the HERMS coil.
The "helpful' plumbing "specialist" at the local home store sent my brother home with 3/8" tube after hearing what my brother was going to do with it after I told him I needed 1/2" tube :furious
In case I didn't mention it, I use all flare fittings for my connections. (all threaded fittings are 1/2", but flare side is considered 5/8" as the copper PIPE has a 5/8" OD.
I like the flare connections (like an automobile radiator has) over compression fittings (which aren't necessarily meant to be taken apart and put back together over and over) and over quick disconnects (which have more nooks and crannies for nasties to grow and wouldn't work for me as everything is hard-plumbed).
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Yeah, shoot me the specks for the rake. I have tons of oak. I have some walnut too, but I think you might pick some flavors off of that.
I think I can get away with one pump, just because I can use the household water supply through the immersion chiller. I saw the links to those plate chillers, pretty sexy I must say.
If I can build one pot that does a couple of things it reduces my footprint, which in my case is a bit of a deal.
Here is the numbers the widget :aok spit out for me. I will adjust over time. I am going for a little woody, kiss of peat and smoke.
Islay Scotch Ale
Type: All Grain
Date: 3/9/2011
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Brewer: The Dirtdart
Boil Size: 6.41 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (7.5 gal) and Igloo Cooler (10 Gal)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Ingredients
Amount Item Type % or IBU
12.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 90.57 %
1.00 lb Brown Malt (65.0 SRM) Grain 7.55 %
0.25 lb Peat Smoked Malt (2.8 SRM) Grain 1.89 %
1.00 oz Target [11.00 %] (30 min) Hops 26.4 IBU
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (6 min) Hops 1.8 IBU
1 Pkgs Scottish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1728) Yeast-Ale
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.071 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.020 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.69 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %
Bitterness: 28.3 IBU Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 11.8 SRM Color: Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge Total Grain Weight: 13.25 lb
Sparge Water: 4.11 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH
Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge Step Time Name Description Step Temp
45 min Mash In Add 16.56 qt of water at 174.9 F 158.0 F
:cheers:
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(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/drooling_homer-712749gif2.png)
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Well, I guess fair is fair :devil
BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Killuminati Pale Ale
Brewer: Daniel A. Messa
Asst Brewer:
Style: American IPA
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)
Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 10.00 gal
Boil Size: 13.20 gal
Estimated OG: 1.078 SG
Estimated Color: 7.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 67.9 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 69.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes
Estimated ABV % 8.5 :devil
Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
34 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 94.44 %
2 lbs Carared (20.0 SRM) Grain 5.56 %
2.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
2.00 oz Nugget [13.00 %] (60 min) Hops 39.0 IBU
2.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
1.50 oz Nugget [13.00 %] (30 min) Hops 22.5 IBU
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (15 min) Hops 6.3 IBU
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (5 min) (Aroma HopHops -
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [StartYeast-Ale 2 liters)
Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 36.00 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
75 min Mash In Add 11.25 gal of water at 164.6 F 150.0 F
Notes:
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How about a rake? (My mash tun(s) are square and don't have a grain bed deep enough for a paddle) I'll send you the dimensions of them :D
I though about the same exact thing. You will need 2 pumps. One to push wort in one direction, the other to recirculate hot/cold water through or around your chiller. I got mine from here http://www.dudadiesel.com/heat_exchangers.php (http://www.dudadiesel.com/heat_exchangers.php) I will never use an immersion chiller again. A counterflow chiller may work just as good perhaps, but you can't beat the small footprint of the plate chiller. At one point, I toyed with the idea of making a "radiator" from soft copper tube that would be encased in a block of ice in the freezer and have glycol running through it. That would require a second pump (not necessarily a March, though) to recirculate the glycol.
I tried to use my immersion chiller as my HERMS coil, but it is 3/8" soft copper tube and was too restrictive. I could have filled my mash tun faster by pissing in it...
I went with 20' of 1/2" soft copper tube and, although still a bit more restrictive than the 5/8" tube, it flows at a decent rate and, at full blast, is still slow enough to pick-up heat from the HLT.
NOTE:
When purchasing copper TUBE, the size is the OUTSIDE diameter, unlike copper pipe which is the inside diameter.
3/8" copper tube has an OD of 3/8" and ID of ~ 5/16"
1/2" copper pipe (which is what I plumbed my rig with) has OD of 5/8" and ID of 1/2"
I wish I had told my brother that when I sent him for the HERMS coil.
The "helpful' plumbing "specialist" at the local home store sent my brother home with 3/8" tube after hearing what my brother was going to do with it after I told him I needed 1/2" tube :furious
In case I didn't mention it, I use all flare fittings for my connections. (all threaded fittings are 1/2", but flare side is considered 5/8" as the copper PIPE has a 5/8" OD.
I like the flare connections (like an automobile radiator has) over compression fittings (which aren't necessarily meant to be taken apart and put back together over and over) and over quick disconnects (which have more nooks and crannies for nasties to grow and wouldn't work for me as everything is hard-plumbed).
Actually "copper pipe" is technicaly classified as "Type K Copper Water Tube", so it's all copper tubing. It's just sized differently (standard) than most other types of copper water tubeing standards. And you're correct, the O.D. of 1/2" type K is 0.625", however the I.D is not 0.5" but must be at a minimum of 0.5270" (with a minimum wall thickness of 0.049 for 1/2" and 3/4" size standards, this leaves it's actual actual I.D. at ~0.5275-0.5280" since I've never known a copper manufacturer to be generous with material thickness). Next time, I'd go with employing an irrigation system designer/specialist that does hydrolic calculations most days of the week over your poor inocent brother, lol. :aok
[Quick edit, forgot to x2 the WTs, today was an oak tree survey/report day, had the hydrology switch turned off.]
Hey, Messy, you should be able to get 3 gallons a minute out of that without compromising effeciency. If there's a desired rate you're looking to achieve then give me an idea, I'll let ya know what size pipe you should be wanting to use to achieve this.
Roughly:
GPM - Size (type K copper)
0-3 - Up to 1/2"
3-5 - 5/8"
5-7 - 3/4"
7-12 - 1"
12-19 - 1-1/4"
19-26 - 1-1/2"
26-46 - 2"
46-72 - 2-1/2"
72-96 - 3"
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Cool, thanks :aok
Seems to be good, now. It was horrendous with the 3/8" It would have taken more than a half-hour to drain 15 gallons out of the hot water tank at the rate it was going :O
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Ok, so I mapped out my plan for the swiss army pot, going to try to modify the pot this weekend (that is unless my stuff from austin homebrew shows up). I quick comment on them, I like the fact that they package their grain in dunk bags, so you dont have to buy one. A nice touch, seeing as how a large grain bag is indeed a few bucks other places.
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(http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/199190_10150117198192949_700532948_6639311_7208999_n.jpg)
Hefe... this tasted really good coming out of fermentation. I hope it tastes better after some bottle conditioning.
(http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/190223_10150117327442949_700532948_6641138_3285779_n.jpg)
My rig, 10 gallon cooler, 7 gallon pot. Pump s run by a drill (lol) march pump hopefully for fathers day....
(http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/200726_10150117327097949_700532948_6641136_5042512_n.jpg)
HERMs coil. I ran it tighter at first, transfer was not great. I hugged the walls of my pot and now it runs good. This will be my chiller as well. First run on this today with a new belgium abbey ale clone :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
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All of it :D
I love a good scrounge. I also enjoy the challenge of re-purposing items that have outlived their usefulness.
The milling station stand began life as a TV/VCR stand with a "Lazy Susan" bottom. I took the turntable off of the bottom, stood it on it's side and the door where the video tapes went is now the lid.
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1715.jpg)
A big funnel will make an excellent hopper. It has a nice flat on it so I cut a hole in the "lid" with a flycutter :noid and used a well-worn fermentation bucket with the bottom cut out for more capacity. I cut a slot out underneath of where the rollers are mounted for the grain to fall into another bucket that will be there to catch the grist
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1723.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1716.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1724.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1725.jpg)
The frame and adjustment knobs for the roller assembly were made from some aluminum stock I had laying around for jig/fixture making. The plastic guard is from a piece of Lexan that I found @ my work (Window & Door installation company) which I heated and bent on my brake. The hole was cut with a hole saw. I was skeptical about having a single hole in the center until I saw something similar on YouTube and it seemed to work just fine.
The rollers themselves are from some unknown material that I got from a local scrap yard with about 100 lbs of other crap for $1. I know it is steel of some kind because it is magnetic. The way it machined made me think it was stainless or nickel except that it was magnetic and very badly pitted/rusted. It machined like crap, didn't cut a good chip and heated up quickly. I wound up burning out all the indexable cutting edges of one of my triangle carbide inserts. It started out 1.75" round, but by the time I got through the rust and pits down to a smooth surface, I finished out @ 1.5" Cutting the knurls was even worse. The bushings I purchased from McMaster-Carr, made from bronze and are a press-fit into the aluminum frame. I didn't want to take the chance of grease or oil getting into the grist if sealed bearings decided to take a dump. The gap is adjustable as the bushings on the movable roller were installed on an eccentric inside the knurled aluminum knobs and can be set with feeler guages.
cutting the rollers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y4BF2IcRXk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y4BF2IcRXk)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1718.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1719.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1720.jpg)
Only one roller is driven, the other will spin from the action of the grains being pulled through the gap. I was going to put a sprocket and bicycle chain on the driven roller, hook it to a stationary bike and make the wife pedal it. When I pitched the idea to her, it was not received well. :noid
I have decided to re-purpose yet another item. A car buffer which I had lent to a friend a while back who, in turn, broke the pad. Since it was a cheapo Harbor Freight model, I couldn't get another pad. I didn't look very hard for one either as I have no immediate plans to buff the "custom pinstripes" out of my Wrangler any time in the near or distant future. It has a gear driven, right-angle head and adjustable speed which is perfect because optimum milling speed is 200-500 rpms and I didn't want to mess with a belt drive, sheaves and a guard for them. (Less $, too) I am just going to mount the motor to the back of the unit and run a direct-drive shaft, perhaps through a pillow block with another bushing for rigidity. I'll turn the shaft down, tonight.
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1727.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/100_1728.jpg)
The last details will be casters for portability, cover the back, mount a door on the front and pot a port for the shop-vac to keep the dust down which can be explosive in a confined space, believe it or not. Something as simple as a spark from the buffer motor could do it. Besides, milling in the brewhouse is not a good idea because the dust from un-mashed grain contains bacteria that can cause infections in beer that hasn't fermented yet.
The following is an example of that, except this was an intentional Lactobacillus infection that I introduced by leaving the mash @ ~ 100 deg. F after the mash was finished and tossing in a handful of un-mashed grains and leaving it sit for a few hours. I was making a Berliner Weiss.
mmmm :noid
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/0204001759.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Grain%20Mill/0204001759a.jpg)
What's that puke inducing rot at the bottom? Did it just move?
-Penguin
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(http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/199190_10150117198192949_700532948_6639311_7208999_n.jpg)
Hefe... this tasted really good coming out of fermentation. I hope it tastes better after some bottle conditioning.
(http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/190223_10150117327442949_700532948_6641138_3285779_n.jpg)
My rig, 10 gallon cooler, 7 gallon pot. Pump s run by a drill (lol) march pump hopefully for fathers day....
(http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/200726_10150117327097949_700532948_6641136_5042512_n.jpg)
HERMs coil. I ran it tighter at first, transfer was not great. I hugged the walls of my pot and now it runs good. This will be my chiller as well. First run on this today with a new belgium abbey ale clone :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
:rock
Awesome! I love it when a (beer) plan comes together.
:aok
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What's that puke inducing rot at the bottom? Did it just move?
-Penguin
I thought you were one of the smarter ones here... :headscratch:
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/AZQ1uDRbMLQjFhb.jpg)
Active lactobacillus fermentation, so yes, it was moving and smelled worse than vomit, feet, catfish and ass...
It was also very tasty when finished :aok
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I thought you were one of the smarter ones here... :headscratch:
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/AZQ1uDRbMLQjFhb.jpg)
Active lactobacillus fermentation, so yes, it was moving and smelled worse than vomit, feet, catfish and ass...
It was also very tasty when finished :aok
Oh, aha. So the grosser it smells in the vat the better it tastes in the glass? I apologize for my ignorance, I'm only halfway through my highschool biology class.
-Penguin
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Oh, aha. So the grosser it smells in the vat the better it tastes in the glass? I apologize for my ignorance, I'm only halfway through my highschool biology class.
-Penguin
Only the lacto fermentations. This style (berliner weiss), and a lot of Belgian styles, which traditionally relied on wild yeasts from the region. One can now buy these strains from a yeast distributer these days.
I actually let this one go a bit to long (notice the fuzzies). Also, fermentation is usually carried out in a different vessel than the one you would mash in. This fermenter is usually sanitized to ensure that the yeast you have chosen starts to metabolize the wort(unfermented beer) before any wild yeast or bacteria do.
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I was a bit concerned that the HERMs could not function as a wort chiller. I was wrong. I thought it was roughly as fast as my immersion chiller. About 20 minutes to go from boiling hot to 70-80ish. You said you use a plate chiller. How long does it take to spit out your 10 gallons? I am assuming the flow rate is slow to cool the wort sufficiently. Am eyeballing my next (post march pump) move....
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I was a bit concerned that the HERMs could not function as a wort chiller. I was wrong. I thought it was roughly as fast as my immersion chiller. About 20 minutes to go from boiling hot to 70-80ish. You said you use a plate chiller. How long does it take to spit out your 10 gallons? I am assuming the flow rate is slow to cool the wort sufficiently. Am eyeballing my next (post march pump) move....
5-10 minutes, tops :x
I can get down to about 60 degrees in 10 min (Cold tap water , even in summer), faster if I want to pitch at ale temps all by changing the flow. :aok
I'll never look back. I don't have it in line with the mash tun, though. Just between BK to fermenter output. That way there is no chance for it to get clogged with mash debris.
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Big Brown Ale is completed! 1 Week Primary... 2 Weeks Secondary... 3 Weeks Bottle Conditioning...
Rejoice Comrades! The battle for production has been won! And it is delicious!
The picture is two of the three of my give away six packs that i promised to my friends with a close up of the hanging label I created. Not to worry though... I have 2x 5 gallons in secondary of the same recipe with different Ale yeasts.
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/bigbrown1.jpg)
On the label is pictured my favorite drinking buddy whose nickname was used for the name of this brew.
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Big Brown Ale is completed! 1 Week Primary... 2 Weeks Secondary... 3 Weeks Bottle Conditioning...
Rejoice Comrades! The battle for production has been won! And it is delicious!
The picture is two of the three of my give away six packs that i promised to my friends with a close up of the hanging label I created. Not to worry though... I have 2x 5 gallons in secondary of the same recipe with different Ale yeasts.
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/bigbrown1.jpg)
On the label is pictured my favorite drinking buddy whose nickname was used for the name of this brew.
:rock
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mmmmm.....
Just finished the New Belgium Abby Ale clone... very nice I thought, good recipe in BYO. This week I am going to fire up that scotch ale, grain bill comes in today. Now that I have a march pump it is on like donkey kong. I just hope I did not overdo the peat piece. I want subtle fire/dirt, but not quite laphroig levels of peat. Anyway, cheers brew buddies. :cheers:
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mmmmm.....
Just finished the New Belgium Abby Ale clone... very nice I thought, good recipe in BYO. This week I am going to fire up that scotch ale, grain bill comes in today. Now that I have a march pump it is on like donkey kong. I just hope I did not overdo the peat piece. I want subtle fire/dirt, but not quite laphroig levels of peat. Anyway, cheers brew buddies. :cheers:
Oh, hell yeah! :x
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Big Brown Ale is completed! 1 Week Primary... 2 Weeks Secondary... 3 Weeks Bottle Conditioning...
Rejoice Comrades! The battle for production has been won! And it is delicious!
The picture is two of the three of my give away six packs that i promised to my friends with a close up of the hanging label I created. Not to worry though... I have 2x 5 gallons in secondary of the same recipe with different Ale yeasts.
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/bigbrown1.jpg)
On the label is pictured my favorite drinking buddy whose nickname was used for the name of this brew.
I love the lables Nef.... brew sounds damn good as well
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I love the lables Nef.... brew sounds damn good as well
I'll post the recipe when I get home.
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Ok so my manifold keeps getting plugged up in my mash tun. I think j am going to go with a false bottom instead. This will mean adding water volume to my mash. The books say a quart a pound, will it make a difference if there is a gallon or two below the mash. I do recirculate my mash through a HERMs so I need good flow. Though Herr beir ubermeisters?
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Ok so my manifold keeps getting plugged up in my mash tun. I think j am going to go with a false bottom instead. This will mean adding water volume to my mash. The books say a quart a pound, will it make a difference if there is a gallon or two below the mash. I do recirculate my mash through a HERMs so I need good flow. Though Herr beir ubermeisters?
Pictures would help, particularly of the problem area(s).
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Ok so my manifold keeps getting plugged up in my mash tun. I think j am going to go with a false bottom instead. This will mean adding water volume to my mash. The books say a quart a pound, will it make a difference if there is a gallon or two below the mash. I do recirculate my mash through a HERMs so I need good flow. Though Herr beir ubermeisters?
Make your slots a bit wider.
I use rice hulls in EVERY mash. They are cheap. The only time I have a stuck sparge is when I brew pumpkin beer (which I did on Sunday) The pumpkin "strings" get stuck.
As for the mash ratio? Use Beer Smith or ProMash. There is a field where you can input lauter tun deadspace and it will take that into consideration when calculating the recipe :aok
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No way...beer smith does that...excellent. Someone introduced me to that a while ago.....
I think the picks of the manifold are earlier on in the thread B. I believe my best call is a false bottom....
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No way...beer smith does that...excellent. Someone introduced me to that a while ago.....
I think the picks of the manifold are earlier on in the thread B. I believe my best call is a false bottom....
False bottoms seem to work better on taller, cylindrical mash tuns.
Seriously, try making your slots in your manifold a teensy bit wider, or make more of them (if you have the room)
Also, I'm not kidding about the rice hulls. A pound per 5-gallon batch makes all the difference in the world and they are less than $1.50/lb. :aok
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And they are neutral in flavor, I will have to read up more on it. I am running batch two of my scotch ale next week, I am upping the peated barley to 3/4 of a lb and going to secondary ferment with roasted red ouk chips, probably 3 oz.
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And they are neutral in flavor, I will have to read up more on it. I am running batch two of my scotch ale next week, I am upping the peated barley to 3/4 of a lb and going to secondary ferment with roasted red ouk chips, probably 3 oz.
Completely neutral.
1 lb/5-gallon batch. I buy them in a 55 lb. bag. Mine has lasted a year, so far.
No special instructions, just add them in the mash tun with the grain bill. Just make sure you tell your brewing software that you are using them in the mash so it can adjust the amount of water for when you dough-in as they will absorb some water, just like the grains. BeerSmith even has them in the inventory already. Some guys say to pre-soak them but I have tried both ways with no apparent difference (except that it is easier to just throw them in with the grains)
They are a must when using wheat or rye in the mash, but I throw them in every batch I make because they are dirt cheap and a stuck sparge on a 15-gallon batch really sucks :furious
Also, 1 qt./lb seems like an awfully stiff mash. You want enough water to make sure that you get complete conversion, but not too much that you dilute the enzymes to a point where they wont convert the starches.
I also stir my mash a few times even though I also use a HERMS system simply because I want to make sure that there aren't any dough balls that are not getting converted. I turn the pump off for a minute and use a mortar mixing paddle from HD or Lowes, etc. on my electric drill. It works like a charm but go slow as you have the potential to make an epic mess (do not ask me how I know this) :D
I would try dialing your system in a little better (enlarging slots, adding more slots, using rice hulls) before spending any time or money on shiny things that say Blichmann on them :aok
I have had the same setup for about 5 years now and I consistently get about 72-75% total brewhouse efficiency. I do not think I can get any better unless I fly sparge (I batch sparge right now) which would require a taller basement (so I can gravity feed) or another pump, or unless I go with an electric HERMS and automate it.
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I am with you on the shiny stuff, my crap is home made and proud.... I will try enlarging my slots and seeing how that pans out.
The other thing I need to get hot on is exploring beersmith a bit more.
Since I am limiting the size of my "brewhouse", I use my HERMs coil as my wort chiller as well it works ok, even better when I drop ice into my mash tun and use it as a well for my chiller. Getting a freezer full of ice ready for the project is not too bad. It also chills the wort down about 5 minutes faster.
I will post some recent pics this weekend. <S>
That reminds me, you want to make/sell me a mill? I had to use a blender last time, some dude brought me a ton of unmilled grain....
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I am with you on the shiny stuff, my crap is home made and proud.... I will try enlarging my slots and seeing how that pans out.
The other thing I need to get hot on is exploring beersmith a bit more.
Since I am limiting the size of my "brewhouse", I use my HERMs coil as my wort chiller as well it works ok, even better when I drop ice into my mash tun and use it as a well for my chiller. Getting a freezer full of ice ready for the project is not too bad. It also chills the wort down about 5 minutes faster.
I will post some recent pics this weekend. <S>
That reminds me, you want to make/sell me a mill? I had to use a blender last time, some dude brought me a ton of unmilled grain....
I wish someone would bring me a ton of grain... I use 50 lbs every time I brew.
The blender might be a contributing factor, you could be chopping the husks too much. A case where rice hulls would save the day :D
I'll see if I have time, I've got a ton of crap going on. Getting ready for http://www.punkinchunkin.com/ (http://www.punkinchunkin.com/)
:rock
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(http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/308188_10150343667587949_700532948_8358208_2007937041_n.jpg)
New Manifold. 50% Larger with slits 1/16 wider.
(http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/301598_10150344099237949_700532948_8360319_2036263817_n.jpg)
Black smudges are whats left of the barcode tags.... the sand off with some wed/dry.
Next on deck is version 3.0 of scotch ale. I have jacked the peated barley to 1 Lb and the Oak chips to two oz..... lets see what happens :D
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On a side note, my two device system is working well. I will post some pics next time I brew for other space challenged folks.
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Sinners! :old:
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(http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/308188_10150343667587949_700532948_8358208_2007937041_n.jpg)
New Manifold. 50% Larger with slits 1/16 wider.
(http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/301598_10150344099237949_700532948_8360319_2036263817_n.jpg)
Black smudges are whats left of the barcode tags.... the sand off with some wed/dry.
Next on deck is version 3.0 of scotch ale. I have jacked the peated barley to 1 Lb and the Oak chips to two oz..... lets see what happens :D
You know there's plenty of beer down at the cornerstore, right? Just get it from there :neener:
Nah, I'm just messing with you. However, it seems strange that you changed 3 variables at once (slit width, peated barley, oak chips) in what is a it's root a chemistry experiment. Why not one at a time in tiny batches?
-Penguin
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My newest creation... Well, it's been bottle conditioning since Memorial Day. I tried one the other morning (Before you ask, I am currently working night shifts.) This is shaping up to be a great beer. I plan on celebrating with it at Christmas!
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/KGS.jpg)
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Nice Nef... One day soon I will get to where I can control my fermentation temperatures. I just bottled a wicked IPA some guy dropped off. The dry hopping was 6 oz. I lost a lot more than I expected to the the trub and skim from the dry hopping. 5.5 into primary yielded 5 into secondary, but then only 4 into the bottling bucket... with no filter, lots of loss. My six year old daughter and future head brewmaster ran the racking cane.
What software are you using to make your labels?
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You know there's plenty of beer down at the cornerstore, right? Just get it from there :neener:
Nah, I'm just messing with you. However, it seems strange that you changed 3 variables at once (slit width, peated barley, oak chips) in what is a it's root a chemistry experiment. Why not one at a time in tiny batches?
-Penguin
Well, the slits were made larger because my pump is magnetic and does not have the draw necessary to move the thickness of the fluid I needed moved, so it is a minor thing, will have nothing to do with the final product.
As far as the peating and chips, the amount sounds like a lot, but it is really not that much. The last time I used the peated barley, I could not taste it whatsoever, so I doubled it, while playing with the other grain levels to keep it in parameters (thankfully some DUDE hooked me up with som stuff that helps me do the math stuff)..... :angel:
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What software are you using to make your labels?
Photoshop.
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Well, the slits were made larger because my pump is magnetic and does not have the draw necessary to move the thickness of the fluid I needed moved, so it is a minor thing, will have nothing to do with the final product.
As far as the peating and chips, the amount sounds like a lot, but it is really not that much. The last time I used the peated barley, I could not taste it whatsoever, so I doubled it, while playing with the other grain levels to keep it in parameters (thankfully some DUDE hooked me up with som stuff that helps me do the math stuff)..... :angel:
Beats a pen and paper :devil
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My newest creation... Well, it's been bottle conditioning since Memorial Day. I tried one the other morning (Before you ask, I am currently working night shifts.) This is shaping up to be a great beer. I plan on celebrating with it at Christmas!
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/KGS.jpg)
:rock
Oatmeal Stout is good for breakfast, too :aok
That one looks pretty wicked, though
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Topic for today is impatience.
So I have this scotch ale sitting on oak chips right now and it smells so good. My goal is two weeks in the secondary but dammit it smells so good. I am very tempted to bottle it this weekend. Ever have one of those beers that just smelled so good you did not want to wait?
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Topic for today is impatience.
So I have this scotch ale sitting on oak chips right now and it smells so good. My goal is two weeks in the secondary but dammit it smells so good. I am very tempted to bottle it this weekend. Ever have one of those beers that just smelled so good you did not want to wait?
Absolutely :D
I just did that with a cider I fermented. It's only been going for a month, but I filled two growlers with it to take to Punkin Chunkin.
Force yourself to wait. You and the beer will be better off for it. You can also bottle half now and half later so you can compare the difference.
I made a barleywine once where I did that. The difference between the properly aged and the "green" version were like night and day. The "green" one tasted like it was not ready. Harsh alcohol flavors with the grain flavors not mellowed and blended.
The one I aged for a year tasted like a completely different beer. Mellow, blended, and "right". It was about 13-14% ABV but the harsh, burn the nose, alcohol flavor/aroma was gone. It just left a pleasing warmth.
It really makes a difference. It was enough to force me to have patience, especially when there is not a deadline to meet.
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Sadly, I just bottled my last batch of beer for the next few months, likely the next year. I am getting a shoulder injury repaired (rotator cuff, labrum, ac separation), and then I head to the Stan' in May. So, as I crank open this bottle of "womans soul" I salute you my beermaking friends. May the new year bring fresh beer, nice aromas, and understanding wives. :salute
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Sadly, I just bottled my last batch of beer for the next few months, likely the next year. I am getting a shoulder injury repaired (rotator cuff, labrum, ac separation), and then I head to the Stan' in May. So, as I crank open this bottle of "womans soul" I salute you my beermaking friends. May the new year bring fresh beer, nice aromas, and understanding wives. :salute
Ouch :O
Heal quickly.
Keep your head down, your arse outta trouble and your weapon clean.
Come home soon. Until then, we'll keep the mash warm.
One more thing...
AIRBORNE! :rock
:salute
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Premature post! No rotator cuff repair needed, so I am up and running after a couple of weeks.
I need a beer recipe I can let sit in a fermenter for a year, any ideas, anyone??
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Premature post! No rotator cuff repair needed, so I am up and running after a couple of weeks.
I need a beer recipe I can let sit in a fermenter for a year, any ideas, anyone??
A year?
Mead, Barleywine, any big Belgian, another Scotch Ale :t
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Hmmmm scotch ale...... Sitting on oak for a year? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. :cheers:
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Going to start distilling some hard stuff for myself instead of buying the stuff at the store. Up front costs are going to be tough since it is going to be copper intensive but it should be worth it down the road.
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I used to lock my Porters, Meads, and Stouts in a custom built redwood cabinet and hand the key to the wife.
I had some last 2+ years that way.
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I used to lock my Porters, Meads, and Stouts in a custom built redwood cabinet and hand the key to the wife.
I had some last 2+ years that way.
You obviously don't know my wife :devil
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Well, I have two fermenters, but since I rack into a secondary, that leaves me with one fermenter. I am really mulling this scotch ale idea over. I finally think I have the right proportions when it comes to the peated malt. When you stored those beers, did you have any adjuncts in them. In my case, if I run with a scotch ale, they will sit on oak chips for a year. Thoughts?
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Well, I have two fermenters, but since I rack into a secondary, that leaves me with one fermenter. I am really mulling this scotch ale idea over. I finally think I have the right proportions when it comes to the peated malt. When you stored those beers, did you have any adjuncts in them. In my case, if I run with a scotch ale, they will sit on oak chips for a year. Thoughts?
Thoughts?
Use a glass carboy for secondary.
Bring your arse safely home so you can enjoy it :aok