Messages

1

Homebrew Clubs / Re: homebrew club officer advice

« on: April 17, 2012, 09:51:07 am »

We usually do flights of 3 beers. Each person gets 3 - 9 oz. plastic cups, numbers them with a marker to keep everyone on the same beer, then the brewer discusses their beer. Sometimes we allow commercial beer as a reality check. The homebrews win that contest most of the time.
I have  made numbered identifying collars out of PVC pipe that fit around the neck of the bottle to keep the #1 beer in the #1 cup, and so on, as the bottles are passed around the table. Things get confusing after 3 flights, even at 2 ounce samples!

At the beginning of the meeting, everyone who brought something fills out a 3"x5" card with their name, beer name and exact type and whether its homebrewed or commercial. Beers that match the style of the month, say IPAs, are sorted according to the strength and complexity before the tasting begins, then the person running the meeting calls out the persons name and their beer name, a collar is put on the open bottle and passed around. Then the fun begins.
Bob
Yeast Coasters

2

Homebrew Clubs / Re: Grand Rapids, MI

« on: April 17, 2012, 07:31:27 am »

There is Prime Time Brewers in GR, Brewers On The Lake (BOTL) in Holland area, and the mighty Yeast Coasters in Saugatuck-Fennville-South Haven area.
I think there are probably some un-registered groups in GR, maybe East side.
Bob Schneider
Yeast Coasters
bob.blustar@gmail.com

3

Going Pro / Re: How hard is it to be a pro brewer?

« on: February 20, 2012, 10:56:21 am »

We will be having a corner BREWERY on every street corner by the time all us boomers retire!

4

Going Pro / Re: Mast tun sizing

« on: February 20, 2012, 10:43:13 am »

Mash tuns should be wider than deeper, I think, about 1.5:1 width to height. Kettles about 1:1 ratio. Make sure your slope is significant enough in case the floor oil-cans when it heats up. My kettle has a slope of 3/4" per foot  draining to one side and the center sank enough after use that I can never get all the liquid out.

I use a plastic shovel to scoop out the grain, but then mine is just 2bbl.
First batch we filled the mash tun to the rim for a big porter. Go bigger by 30-50%.

For mashing in a lot of pro-brewers just use a canoe paddle to mix. No big deal unless you have shoulder problems.

What are you using for the false bottom screen?

5

Beer Recipes / Re: Looking for a recipe: Bohemian dark lager

« on: April 09, 2011, 12:04:09 pm »

I'm going for 40% pale malt, 45% pilsner, 10% vienna, 5% debittered black, all Saaz hops to 35 IBU and Budvar or Urquell yeast.
I want to have white foam on a black beer so I hope the black and vienna malts are not too high. Have to run it up the recipe program to check out the SRM. Not sure about the mash temp either yet.

Cheers

6

Pimp My System / Re: Arctic Brewery and Mobile Fermentation Trailer

« on: August 23, 2010, 02:06:10 pm »

Very "cool".
Other than the great adventure of the preparation and the trip, and making beer above the Artic Circle, I'm still puzzled about the Why. The Allsopps ale wasn't made up north was it?
 Nonetheless, Congratuations!!

Nice simple build on the brewery. Whats going to happen to it?
Bob Schneider
Yeast Coasters
West Michigan

7

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Your Homebrew Name

« on: August 17, 2010, 03:57:42 pm »

My home-brewery name is Spider Brewing because it rhymes with my last name of Schneider and I like spiders. There was also a character on the Flintstones that was their creepy neighbor's (Addams family knock-off) pet spider whose name was Schneider. Whatever...
But my daughter created a logo and some cool beer labels based on Spider Brewing and some of the beers I make. She won a Silver medal in BYO magazine's label contest recently (thanks for all the prizes!) and I want to use these someday when I open my nano-brewery. She's on the Dean's List too! Her website if you are interested: http://annalisaillustration.com/index.php?/design/spider-brewery/
Pic of some labels

8

Pimp My System / Re: Pimp my system?

« on: April 19, 2010, 05:29:40 pm »

My burners were completly enclosed with a fresh air vent and a flue. Someone more knowlegeable than I said the evaporation rate of the gas in the small cylinders isn't high enough and that a 100lb cylinder would work better. Or hook up a direct line to my house propane tank to get the gas before the 9psi regulator at the tank. So I haven't sold off my banjo yet. More to come I guess.

9

Pimp My System / Re: Rollera

« on: April 19, 2010, 05:23:56 pm »

You can use CO2 to push the beer out. 2-8psi will get it up at least 6' from my experience. That way the barrel can be closer to the ground, less of a tip hazard!
Bob

10

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: My problem judging first round

« on: April 19, 2010, 05:02:43 pm »

Moving to the midwest from California was a downer in the spring and fall because of pollen and molds, until I talked to an allergist. Then I was on Flonase, and switched when Claritin went OTC and generic. Loratadine has helped me a lot. Keeps it under control. When I was on Flonase, my tasting was off some. Loratadine is cheap at Sam's Club too. I rarely need more than a Netty Pot rinse and a hot shower.
 
Haven't tried accupuncture or homeopathic remedies.

11

Pimp My System / Re: Pimp my system?

« on: April 13, 2010, 02:46:43 pm »

Replaced the banjo with a tornado type burner. There are two of them under my brew kettle so I can ramp up to the boil with the 2 and keep it boiling with 1 burner. Total cost about $50. Now to hook it up to my house 500 gallon propane tank.
Bob

12

Pimp My System / Re: Pimp my system?

« on: March 01, 2010, 08:32:08 pm »

I would like to see a comparison of the burners out there. Boil a measured amount of 75 deg F water in the same kettle with time to boil and weight of propane burned to get there. Would that be useful information?

Interesting experience this last weekend: I was trying to get 50 gallons of wort to boil. My 210,000 btu banjo burner is nice and quiet but its a pig and would barely get the wort to boil. When I shoved the 120 btu jet burner under there I got a nice roiling boil and then the Cajun banjo burner shut off because the tank was empty. The boil continued with out change with the jet burner on its own tank.
I don't know if the jet burner is able to pump the heat into the wort because it has a more concentrated flame (no scorching either) but I am going to get two more high-pressure jet buners and set them under the kettle. I should be able to have a bigger range of flame power that I can turn it up to get to the boil and throttle it way down after I reach a steady boil and still use less gas. Then I will sell the banjo burner.
Bob

13

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 2/19 Edition

« on: February 22, 2010, 03:23:40 pm »

Semi-virgin brew on the permanent installation of my 2 barrel system. Makin 50 gallons and splitting it 3 ways: 2 styles of American Wheat with a lager and ale yeast, and a Belgian wheat with raspberries. Wish me luck. Hope the burners work and the pump lasts.
Bob

14

All Grain Brewing / Re: Making a mash tun

« on: February 22, 2010, 03:15:28 pm »

Teflon tape makes a good seal in a situation like this. I just keep wrapping the fitting until I have a big enough wad to seal up any holes. I've used it for packing in-place of the sleeve in a 1/4" compression fitting for a 1/8" thermometer stem.

But if you can get the fittings so they squeeze tighter on the hole through the wall of the cooler, less chance of it working loose over time. I have the pipe fitting screwing right into the valve on the outside of the cooler on mine.
Bob

15

Pimp My System / Re: Pimp my system?

« on: February 22, 2010, 02:23:32 pm »

What are you using or going to use to brew 20 gallons?  I've thought about going bigger but its the burner system and the brew kettle that brings things into perspective.  Imagine the burner you'll need with a 30 or 40 gallon brew pot.   

My banjo burner + a jet burner is barely able to boil 65 gallons. I get about 10 degree F rise in ten minutes. I think I need a better gas supply for the burners. The propane cylinders  are icing up. I could use my wife's gas kiln burners but I think they would blow a hole through the bottom of the kettle.