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Kegging and Bottling / Re: Just Ordered A Chest Freezer!
« on: September 10, 2010, 08:18:19 AM »
eh i can't fit kegs on my hump, but thats okay cause that's where all my gas lines go and where i store beer.
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Kegging and Bottling / Re: What are proper regulator pressure gauges for CO2 systems
« on: September 10, 2010, 07:50:31 AM »
it has been recommended to me that the high pressure side gauge for co2 go up to 2000psi [3000psi for nitrogen] the low side gauge should obviously encompass all the potential psis you are going to use as a homebrewer. for whatever reason my co2 one goes to 160psi, where my beer gas one goes only to 100psi.
i definitely second bonjour in that you should just bring it in.
i definitely second bonjour in that you should just bring it in.
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Kegging and Bottling / Re: What are proper regulator pressure gauges for CO2 systems
« on: September 09, 2010, 06:12:05 PM »
i think it has to do with what they are made of on the inside, so as not to corrode with the various chemicals sitting in them all the time. also, a regulator will handle different pressures depending on what its intent.
the regulators that i have actually say on them what gasses they are intended for: both say: carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide
the regulators that i have actually say on them what gasses they are intended for: both say: carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide
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Kegging and Bottling / Re: Serving suggestions for Keg
« on: April 30, 2010, 01:21:13 PM »In my setup I find that 7 foot beer lines at 10 PSI works well.
I get a bit of a slow pour and about a half inch of foam in a pint glass of beer.
a balanced system requires a number of things:
* temperature
* pressure
* height of tap from center of keg
* line inner diameter
* line length
without knowing ALL of these things you cannot balance your system, so all these posts [sorry to single you out mainebrewer] with just a line length and psi are useless.
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Kegging and Bottling / Re: Serving suggestions for Keg
« on: April 30, 2010, 07:35:19 AM »Check this out!
http://www.maltosefalcons.com/tech/resistive-gate-draft-beer-flow-control
Dave
i've been monitoring a bunch of epoxy nozzle tip threads for a while now. rather than putting them inline like this, you can actually just put them in your dip tube, as they slide right in. apparently they work wonders.
BUT
the problem that many threads run into is that these are not certified food safe. a number of people have contacted mcmaster carr, who [smartly] refuses to say anything about the potential hazards of having these things in contact with your beer. they simply say they weren't designed to be food safe, any contact with food is at your own risk. additionally, even if they are made of something benign like hdpe, if they aren't made specifically as food grade hdpe, all bets are off.
you have to consider that every drop of your beer will be in contact with these things, and that alcohol acts as a solvent, leaching out nasty stuff even faster than water will.
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Kegging and Bottling / Re: Flat Beer
« on: April 22, 2010, 08:04:45 AM »
i don't think you're going to have a problem. as long as your beer stays cold, reactions are pretty slow. as has been said here, skunkyness is a product of uv degradation. the worst you might get is some minor oxidation, but even that, if you leave the keg closed, there will be a nice pillow of co2 on top of your beer which should protect it for a while until you can get a new tank. recarbonating your beer is not a process that will produce off flavors.
fwiw, whenever i put a new keg in the fridge, i pressurize it, usually to about 30psi as i find this helps to set the seals. then spray down the top with starsan. i look for bubbles that might indicate a co2 leak, as well as listening for faint hissing sounds coming from the keg. once that is done, you can vent the pressure and bring it back down to your carbonation temp.
lastly, keg lube works wonders. i've got a couple kegs that refuse to seal properly without keg lube. and i mean, they don't seal at all. turn on the gas and its so bad your hair starts blowing around if you're anywhere near the top of the keg. 30psi and keg lube will fix that right quick.
fwiw, whenever i put a new keg in the fridge, i pressurize it, usually to about 30psi as i find this helps to set the seals. then spray down the top with starsan. i look for bubbles that might indicate a co2 leak, as well as listening for faint hissing sounds coming from the keg. once that is done, you can vent the pressure and bring it back down to your carbonation temp.
lastly, keg lube works wonders. i've got a couple kegs that refuse to seal properly without keg lube. and i mean, they don't seal at all. turn on the gas and its so bad your hair starts blowing around if you're anywhere near the top of the keg. 30psi and keg lube will fix that right quick.
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All Grain Brewing / Re: I accidentally created a Sour Pale Ale
« on: April 01, 2010, 08:14:10 AM »
rkausch, in the meantime, the 1st copy of how to brew is online. you can read it at http://howtobrew.com/intro.html
there is a whole chapter on grains and what they do. http://howtobrew.com/section2/chapter12-1.html
that being said the later editions of the book have some changes that are important. [so definitely buy the book] for example: http://howtobrew.com/section2/chapter13-3.html under procedure says, 'Remove the grain bag from the pot, giving it a squeeze to drain the excess wort and avoid dripping on the stove.' do not squeeze your grain bag. {insert sex joke here} this actually will increase the amount of tannins in your wort and will lead to an astringent flavor. [later editions have been updated with that information.]
there is a whole chapter on grains and what they do. http://howtobrew.com/section2/chapter12-1.html
that being said the later editions of the book have some changes that are important. [so definitely buy the book] for example: http://howtobrew.com/section2/chapter13-3.html under procedure says, 'Remove the grain bag from the pot, giving it a squeeze to drain the excess wort and avoid dripping on the stove.' do not squeeze your grain bag. {insert sex joke here} this actually will increase the amount of tannins in your wort and will lead to an astringent flavor. [later editions have been updated with that information.]
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Kegging and Bottling / Re: leaks in kegs
« on: March 24, 2010, 09:01:33 AM »
depends on where the leak is. if its in the seal at the top you can try pushing the pressure up to 40psi. that usually will force the o ring to seat properly. once that is done, you can let the pressure off.
alternatively you can just starsan the top, keep your hands wet with starsan while you open it and fix.
lastly, you can rack into a sanitized keg that you know seals properly.
alternatively you can just starsan the top, keep your hands wet with starsan while you open it and fix.
lastly, you can rack into a sanitized keg that you know seals properly.
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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: How To Clean Bottles For Your Homebrew
« on: March 24, 2010, 06:08:39 AM »
hot pbw is pretty good at getting off most labels. the rest i hit with a brillo pad [basically steel wool with some sort of degreaser in it]. not really much elbow grease needed.
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All Grain Brewing / Re: Water adjustments: Strike vs. Sparge
« on: March 21, 2010, 09:08:24 AM »This question is addressed in part 4 of JP's & JZ's "Watergasm". Calculate for RA for the mash water but the sparge doesn't need adjustments. Then add in the kettle for bitterness/maltiness targets if desired.
rofl. i think it was waterganza, and maybe waterpalooza once or twice. but i like watergasm. hehe.
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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Brew Balls?
« on: March 19, 2010, 11:38:24 AM »
though i don't do it, i know people that just toss in a hydrometer when the ferment. they can pretty much watch it slowly sink over the course of fermentation. what i don't know is what happens when your krausen gets all over it so a. you can't read it, b. its sitting lower in the beer than it should due to the added weight of the beer stone and c. how you get it out without breaking it so you can clean it thoroughly. always seemed like too much of a pita to me. i pretty much just wait a week or two after fermentation appears done to make sure its as low as it's gonna go.
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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Looking for investorrs
« on: March 12, 2010, 09:15:59 AM »
from the standpoint of a potential investor, i'm already turned off.
this random person signs on to the aha, has one single post of 11 words asking for money. if this post is any indication of how he or she plans on running the business it is likely to fail. the fact is that this person has done absolutely nothing that would demonstrate their credibility for potential investors. in fact, in my mind they have demonstrated that they are not someone who i would consider entering into a business arrangement. that is to say, procuring investors is not like panhandling for loose change on the street, which is exactly how this person is going about it.
the fact is that this is a public forum. if there is a limit to the length of posts he's definitely not going to run into it with 11 words. as i see it, this person has stated his or her case, so i think all these sarcastic responses are totally warranted. so as far as i am concerned, flame on.
this random person signs on to the aha, has one single post of 11 words asking for money. if this post is any indication of how he or she plans on running the business it is likely to fail. the fact is that this person has done absolutely nothing that would demonstrate their credibility for potential investors. in fact, in my mind they have demonstrated that they are not someone who i would consider entering into a business arrangement. that is to say, procuring investors is not like panhandling for loose change on the street, which is exactly how this person is going about it.
the fact is that this is a public forum. if there is a limit to the length of posts he's definitely not going to run into it with 11 words. as i see it, this person has stated his or her case, so i think all these sarcastic responses are totally warranted. so as far as i am concerned, flame on.
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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 3/12 Edition
« on: March 10, 2010, 01:14:45 PM »
nothing this weekend as its the third annual st pattys day party. we've got 100 gallons of homebrew, and a whole lot of thirsty people . . .
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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: How to dipose of the red oxygen tanks?
« on: March 09, 2010, 04:57:10 PM »
yeah. thanks for that. when i bought my house i took no less than 20 truckloads of trash off the property to clean it up. it still isn't done yet.
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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Describe cloyingly sweet for me
« on: March 09, 2010, 01:53:37 PM »Ok, then I would not describe my most recent porter as any of the things cited above. I'm thinking the beer just has a good deal of body. My father-in-law described the beer as being "thick" but with really good flavor. I detect a bit of sweetness, but nothing that I would describe as over the top of maple syrup like.
basically if either the thickness or the sweetness which you describe here is in any way too much, that would be described as cloying.