Messages

1

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Air leak in siphon

« on: June 06, 2013, 07:11:30 AM »

It's unclear why all of a sudden the siphon is leaking. I suspect it is the reason why my last IPA sucks.   I'll try more dry hops to hide the off flavor.  Anyway will use worm clamp with existing hoses and then buy a size too small hose when I retire the existing hoses.

You might try just snipping an inch or two off the end of the hose. Maybe it got stretched a bit with repeated use.

2

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Straining your wort

« on: June 05, 2013, 02:20:07 PM »

I kept getting clogged bottling wands and finding hop matter in my beers until I got one of these.


As an added bonus it helps oxygenate my wort.

I strain using 5 gallon paint strainers. That's a great strainer, anything special about it and where did you find it?

+1 to strainer bags

3

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Competition routine question

« on: June 03, 2013, 11:46:12 AM »

Jim -

You might check to see about a homebrew club in your area. Our club holds several different sorts of local competitions, from the Club-Only Comps (sadly now defunct) to our own local "Master Brewer" comps. We have a ton of qualified judges who attend our monthly meetings and are always willing to give less formal one-on-one advise about our current brews. I don't compete, but I've gotten all sorts of hugely valuable feedback from our judges and other non-rated brewing members. Plus, you get to sample great beers...

LJ

4

Equipment and Software / Re: 10 gallon stainless... thing?

« on: May 31, 2013, 07:51:46 AM »

Not to mention 2nd breakfast

And Elevenses

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: LHBS

« on: May 27, 2013, 06:37:21 AM »

I'm a big fan of my LHBS. It's about 20 minutes away from me, has a full menu of fresh ingredients and lots of equipment choices. They are big supporters of my local brew-club, even giving members a 10% discount. They host events like Big Brew Day on site and are just about to get started with classes and seminars for brewers. Plus the staff is knowledgeable and always ready to talk beer. I have gone to the internet for some of my more esoteric equipment needs more my LHBS is my "go-to" place.

6

Equipment and Software / Re: Downsizing brew kettle

« on: May 25, 2013, 08:25:49 AM »

I have some 16 quart stock pots that I use. I prefer to brew in the kitchen and my gas stove burners are set too far apart to span effectively with a bigger pot. At this size, each pot gets its own burner. I use two of them to handle a 5 gallon batch as both HWTs and boil kettles, plus a third to hold some extra sparge and top-off water. The stove is a six-burner so there's plenty of room. They are easier and probably safer to move from stove to mash tun and back than a single larger pot would be (not a big deal if you're doing smaller batches, I guess). I don't chill in them, though - I pour my hot wort into my fermenting pail (through a mesh bag to strain) and chill there, which means I get slightly quicker chill times since I don't have to cool down the hot metal pots. I got mine at my local Meijers store - our Michigan upgrade to WallyWorld or K-Mart - for less than $40. You could also look for a local restaurant supply store; they always have lots of goodies adaptable to brewing.

7

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Bottling prep

« on: May 14, 2013, 11:47:48 AM »

If I were looking to buy a bottle tree, I'd probably get this instead. I have a red bottle tree and it takes up space and only holds 45 bottles. An inconvenient number since a 5 gallon batch is ~52 12oz bottles.
http://thefastrack.ca/homebrew/

My bottle tree is expandable; just unscrew the top hub/handle and screw on another "wheel" of nine drying "branches". When I got it, it had five wheels that could hold 45 bottles; I added another to get to 54 to handle a 5 gallon batch.

I've been wanting to do that, but can't find single "layers" for sale. Do you know where to get them?

I got mine from my LHBS (where I bought the original tree) here in SE Michigan a couple of years ago. Seems to me it was only a few of bucks for the additional piece.

Here's an example - not exactly like mine, but same idea:
http://morebeer.com/products/bottle-tree-addon-ring-9-posts.html

8

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Bottling prep

« on: May 14, 2013, 11:32:03 AM »

If I were looking to buy a bottle tree, I'd probably get this instead. I have a red bottle tree and it takes up space and only holds 45 bottles. An inconvenient number since a 5 gallon batch is ~52 12oz bottles.
http://thefastrack.ca/homebrew/
 
My bottle tree is expandable; just unscrew the top hub/handle and screw on another "wheel" of nine drying "branches". When I got it, it had five wheels that could hold 45 bottles; I added another to get to 54 to handle a 5 gallon batch.

9

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Beers for the non-craft drinker

« on: May 14, 2013, 11:26:41 AM »

I always keep a version for my Pale Ale on tap #1. It's got an ABV of about 5% or so, an SRM of 10, and maybe 40 IBUs. It's a good tasty beer, it's my wife's favorite (very important point - "If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"), and it's not too threatening for the MBC crowd. I think the term "pale" incites some confidence that I'm not going to challenge their palates too much. It's so well received that I find I have to brew it about every third or fourth brew session so I don't run out. To keep my interest, I'll play around with the hops types and mix, but the basic recipe stays pretty much the same aside from that.

10

Equipment and Software / Re: Mesh bags for hops?

« on: May 11, 2013, 07:58:48 AM »

I just toss my hops (usually pellets) into the boil kettle and let 'em rip. After boiling, I line my pail fermenter with a 5 gal mesh bag, and pour in the hot wort from the kettle. Then pull the bag out and hold it above the fermenter for a minute or so until it drains, filtering most of the hop debris plus hot break material etc, out of the wort. I then drop in my chiller and cool the wort to pitching temp, which avoids having to chill a hot kettle. And I end up with very little trub in with my yeast cake.

11

Equipment and Software / Re: First kit questions

« on: April 18, 2013, 04:55:08 AM »

Look for a restaurant supply store in your area. There are two near me that have lots of neat stuff that can be applied to brewing, like good stock pots in lots of larger sizes, and their prices are usually very good.

12

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Two Tap Kegging setup Question

« on: February 16, 2013, 08:30:21 AM »

The cheapest and easiest setup would be one CO2 bottle feeding a single output regulator, feeding a dual output manifold.

13

Ingredients / Re: honey malt

« on: February 13, 2013, 07:08:12 AM »

I've used about 2% honey malt in a rye ale that had about 27% rye malt. It's there, but it's a subtle sweetness behind the distinctive rye flavor.

14

Kegging and Bottling / Re: regulator replacement

« on: February 13, 2013, 07:04:49 AM »

Before you spend the bucks for a new regulator, you might want to try a rebuild kit first. As I recall, my LHBS has 'em for something like $10 - $15 or so, and they are easy to install. Basically, they replace all of the "wear-out-able" parts like seals and o rings.

15

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: How to become a better recognizer of flaws

« on: January 04, 2013, 08:07:34 AM »

As I understand it there are some folks who naturally have a much more refined palate than the rest of us. These are the "Super-tasters" who can readily identify subtleties in beer, wine and food that most people don't/can't notice. My wife is one of these, and it sounds like the OP's may be, too. But, like any other skill or ability, those of us lacking this talent can still improve our own palates by exercising them. Read up on what beers/wines are supposed (or NOT supposed) to taste like, then practice identifying those tastes. In my experience, it helps to practice with someone more skilled than you, who can help point out the tastes that may escape you.