Messages

1186

All Grain Brewing / Re: Mystery Box?????

« on: February 06, 2011, 10:54:38 am »

I think you have 2 different 5 gallon recipes there.

I'd try to put together an oatmeal stout and and Engilsh bitter.

Off the top of my head, at least.

Paul

1187

The Pub / Re: I hate shoveling snow!

« on: February 04, 2011, 11:23:35 am »

A heated driveway seems like it would be really cool.  Unfortunately there are issues that are more serious than cost to operate.  With 2 feet of packed snow and sub-zero temps, it would take a very long time to melt off the drive.  Once it was melted off, there wouldn't be anywhere for the water to go and it would just freeze in the street.

Downtown Des Moines put in some heated sidewalks last year.  If I understand things correctly, they still need to clean the big layers of snow off but the heaters keep them from icing up.  It makes them safer but doesn't, necessarily, mean no shoveling.  It was also used as a campaign attack during the 2010 elections.  'Insert name of sitting councilman' voted to spend your tax dollars on heated sidewalks.  Can you trust someone willing to WASTE YOUR TAX DOLLARS in that way?  

I like the force field over the city idea.  Flame throwers would be fun too.

Paul

1188

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer

« on: February 04, 2011, 10:40:37 am »

When reading the hydrometer, you have to ignore the "meniscus," that little bit of liquid that "curves" up the side of the hydrometer, and look at the actual fluid level.

I found that this depends on the hydrometer. Mine for example reads calibration temperature water correct at 1.000 when I read the top of the meniscus.

Kai

The hydrometer I have at the moment reads .003 below actual.

Paul

1189

The Pub / Re: I hate shoveling snow!

« on: February 04, 2011, 09:52:58 am »

Here in Des Moines (or there-abouts) we had a 2' drift across the drive that was 25' wide and 50' long.  The snow blower was even starting to choke on it because it was packed so tight (40 to 50 mph gust for 24 hours).  My drive took about 45 minutes.  2 hours after that I had all the new, young neighbors, who didn't have a clue what to do with the 4' of snowplow drift at the end of the drive, dug out.

Luckily it was a balmy -5F at the time.  Gawd, I love Iowa! 

Paul

1190

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Storing bottles on their sides

« on: February 03, 2011, 01:34:23 pm »

I can't argue against that.  At my very small scale, I've never seen it but I don't make a living at it either.

Paul

1191

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Homebrew - It all tastes the same

« on: February 03, 2011, 12:21:37 pm »

Someday you'll want to start kegging, if only to avoid bottling.   

Kegging will not stop off flavors if they are in your beer.  It won't matter what container you put it in , it will still be off a bit.  Use these suggestions and then ask questions.  The folks on this board will you out with anything.

Paul

1192

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Storing bottles on their sides

« on: February 03, 2011, 12:06:52 pm »

If you are bottle conditioning, the yeast consumed any oxygen in the bottle so all that should be in the head space is CO2.  You should not have any additional oxidation storing them this way.

As others have said you'll have to deal with them yeast.

Paul

1193

The Pub / Re: Anyone else notice the Decline in quality of Bananas being purveyed?

« on: February 03, 2011, 09:55:19 am »

My understanding of the bananas we in the US are used to is they cannot even reproduce naturally.  They are all cloned and then planted so they are all literally the same plant.  This has been done to many plant species, by we humans, to make them store longer, travel better and appear prettier than most heirloom versions.  Of course, to bring out these traits the researchers needed to make trade offs and taste was the main one.

We have created a Catch 22 for ourselves.  We changed the plants so they make more food.  We found out how to use fertilizers made from oil.  Now we can feed more people so people make more people.  We already had too many people so now we have more "too many" people.  Now we need to make the plants produce that much more food.  Rinse-Repeat.

We can only push the envelope so far until we hit a wall.  I don't know where that wall is but it will not be pretty when we get there.  I read a book recently (sorry, I don't have the name with me) where an alien invasion came in the gift of perfect health for everyone.  Over population caused wars and starvation on Earth while the aliens sat back and watched us kill each other.  Sadly, some parts of the world will get to the war and starvation part without any aliens required.

Long comment to say +1 on eat local.

Paul

1194

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Groundhog's Day!

« on: February 02, 2011, 01:21:30 pm »

Oh, and to answer the OP - no, I don't have any specific dates when I normally brew.

I try to take the day off for my birthday every year (2/14) to brew.  That's my plan again this year.

Born on Valentine's Day, married on Groundhog's Day?  February is a busy month for you!

Ok everyone, here's a visual . . . Denny as cherub/cupid.

Now try to get that out of your head.

There went my afternoon.   


**Edited to get the quotes right.**

1195

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Groundhog Day Redux - The Repeating Beer Edition

« on: February 02, 2011, 01:15:36 pm »

I've gotten rather stagnant lately.  I always have wheat, blond, red, sour mash and amber on hand.  They get brewed anytime I put the last keg of any kind into the kegerater.  I also brew a couple of Rye IPA's and Pilsners every year.  Oatmeal stout and porters whenever they seem to be getting low (easy-cap bottles).

No particular schedule, just as needed.

Paul

1196

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: weird fermentation please help!

« on: February 01, 2011, 02:16:33 pm »

Did the temp of the room go up?  It may just be releasing CO2 due to a temp rise.

Paul

1197

The Pub / Re: Ethanol--For your vehicle.

« on: February 01, 2011, 12:34:36 pm »

We could extend our electrical generating capability if we simply did more thoughtful design.  Does every electronic device really need it's very own wall wart?  We have already, pretty much, standardized on 5, 9 or 12 volts.  I've always thought it made more sense to create a standard charging base and sell it separately.  If everything used a USB charging cable then you could have a charger with many connections that could actually be turned off and charge everything in your house.

One of my sisters was complaining about their electric bill one weekend and I told her to take away all the wall warts her kids have.  She didn't believe me until we went through her whole house and unplugged all of the major stuff she thought was using power.  Her meter was still turning.  After three passes through her house unplugging things, her meter finally stopped.  The I plugged back in her major appliances and the meter would start and stop.  After her kids got home and plugged all their stuff back in, even though none of it (for the most part) was turned on, her meter was spinning away happily again.

Does it need a power LED on 24 hours a day?  If it's turned off why does the cooling fan continue running?  Does it do the same job if you use a power strip to turn it off?  If yes, why does the transformer sit in the outlet all day and night?

This is just one of my rants.  Sorry.

Paul

1198

Equipment and Software / Re: Complete Home Brewery Kit

« on: February 01, 2011, 12:08:56 pm »

You asked about storing grains.

Many people swear by Vittle Vaults (dog food storage containers. Others use buckets with air tight lids.  I leave base malts in the bags they come in but I don't have critter issues in my basement.  

For specialty malts and  small stuff I usually just reseal the bag they come in with my Food Saver Sealer.  It even reseals most of the bags hops come in.

Pretty much anything air tight will work well.

Paul

1199

Equipment and Software / Re: Complete Home Brewery Kit

« on: January 31, 2011, 02:34:42 pm »

My wife gave me an inexpensive 5 lb/??g scale from K-mart or somewhere.  It takes a few passes to weigh out 11 or 12 pounds of base malt but it gets the job done.  There are lots of options out there and prices run the gambit.

For my thermometer I using a Green Egg dual temp, remote read thermometer.  It woks great and saves having to go outside to check how the temp is coming along every 5 minutes.

Welcome back to the obsession!!

Paul

1200

The Pub / Re: How Beer Saved the World

« on: January 31, 2011, 12:45:24 pm »

The discovery Channel web site only lists it on 1/30/2011.

We'll have to wait and see if they show it again.

Paul