Messages

16

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Hops and Lattice.....

« on: March 06, 2011, 11:25:25 AM »

I would recommend using the plastic Lattice.  Avoid using anything which has been pressure treated that will come in contact with what you will be eating / drinking. 

17

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Blonde Belgian kegged, force carbonated and it is too sweet

« on: March 06, 2011, 11:19:15 AM »

A final review of how to save a, Blonde Belgian kegged, force carbonated and to sweet."

After adding the Orval, and waiting, my patients got ran out.   The gravity had dropped down from 1.031 to 1.021 and it still tasted too sweet.  So I added dry yeast and it did not do anything.  My last step was to add 5 beano tablets.  Now that worked.   The beano crunched down the long chain sugars so that the yeast could convert them.  The final gravity dropped to 1.000 and the amazing thing is that it still has a sweetnes to the flavor.  The brew sets about 9.7 ABV and my wife really likes it.  We had barbecue two weekends ago and she tried a sip of mine and asked for one of her own.  She drank about 24 oz of the Blonde Belgian and has asked for it a couple of times since then.  Last weekend I drank 3 - 20 oz. glasses over a 2 1/2 hour period, while I was reviewing my lawn and planning for the spring projects.  Wow, this Belgian is strong.   My speach started getting a bit slured and I was shocked.  I absoluted can not remember when the last time that I drank enough to cause me to get to that level of intoxication.  I drink for the flavor, not to get intoxicated.  

I do have a question for you gentlemen.  I am amazed that there does seem to be sweetnes still in the brew since the hydrometer indicated 1.000 FG.   When I plugged the numbers into Beer Smith it showed Total calories 326 Cal/pint, Calories from Alcohol 265 Cal/pint.  I thought the calories would be absent or way lower, since the carbohydrates/sugars had been converted.   I have used beano in the past when attempting to make a beer for a friend of mine who happens to be a diabetic.  I was under the assumption that the carbohydrates would be converted into alcohol and therefore it would be an effective way to brew beer for a person who may have diabeties.  When the FG was crunched down to 1.000, I thought that the calories would also be near the zero range.   Do you think this is a software issue or am I confused?  Sorry if this seems to be jumping topics, although they are actually related with each other.
 
Cheers

18

Equipment and Software / Re: Malt Mill

« on: February 19, 2011, 08:16:18 AM »

I have a Barley Crusher that I've used for the past 5 years - put about 1.5-2 tons of grain through it in that time.  Its finicky and aggravating at times, but right now it works fine for me (hope it doesn't hear me type that :-) ).

If I could do it all over again, I'd buy a Monster Mill - bigger rollers (diameter and length), more solid construction, and it looks like deeper knurling (sp?).

Every time I have issues with the BC, I swear at it and tell it I'm buying a MM tomorrow and for some reason it starts cooperating for the remainder of the grist.

This is my case as well. I love the dang dang thing and it has served me very well for years. It is simply worn out at this point. The knurling is very worn, and it works kinda ok one time, and on the other hand it can take me fidgeting for hours to get it to mill one batch. You can flop the idle roller, that will help just a bit, it I've about worn out that method too...

I have a MM on the way from Fred, with hopper and five gallon bucket base...

Lonnie thanks for the update: 
I went ahead and ordered a MM3-2.0
My order summary
Descriptions Amount

6" long, 2" diameter, 3-Roller knob adjustable gap drill drive grain mill
$349.00 Item number: MM3-2.0
Options: Roller Material: 303 SS
Item price: $349.00


Base & Hopper for Monster Mill - MM3-2.0
Item number: MMHB-320
Item price: $40.00
Quantity: 1


Extension set for Monster Mill Hopper
Item number: MM-EXT
Item price: $25.00
Quantity: 1

Shipping and Handling
Shipping and HandlingShipping and Handling
Item price: $36.40
Options: Via: USPS Priority (FRB1)

Item total $450.40

I chose the Stainless Steel rollers to avoid the possibilities of rust.  I plan on pre-moistening
my grains the before milling.  Read an article in Zymurgy discussing the bennifits.

19

Equipment and Software / Re: Blichmann Therminator wort chiller

« on: February 19, 2011, 05:28:44 AM »

Thanks for the update:  Tell us more about the flow rate that you had with only a 6-7 inch drop.

Your comment about the 4 foot drop concerns me.  Did those folks talk specifically to the therminator, or any plate chiller?  The Blichmann website talks all about "low restriction, perfect for gravity systems"  I sent them an email, to ask there thoughts.

I was talking with them about the Therminator at the time.  

Well, finally got all the hose connections right and used my new therminator this past Saturday.  I had to slide the burners up on my Top Tier to make sure I still ahd room to get wort into my buckets.  But, from the ball valve in my boil pot to the Therminator is only a drop of about 6-7 inches, then into my buckets.  

My well water isn't very cold, so I could only open the valve half way.  But then, I put a cold wet towel with an ice pack on top of the Therminator, and I opened it up all the way.  Very cool gadget, that's for sure.  

20

Equipment and Software / Re: Blichmann Therminator wort chiller

« on: January 20, 2011, 05:46:57 PM »

Your comment about the 4 foot drop concerns me.  Did those folks talk specifically to the therminator, or any plate chiller?  The Blichmann website talks all about "low restriction, perfect for gravity systems"  I sent them an email, to ask there thoughts.

I was talking with them about the Therminator at the time. 

21

Equipment and Software / Re: Blichmann Therminator wort chiller

« on: January 20, 2011, 03:49:38 PM »

It is imperative that you protect your Therminator from getting clogged with the hops and trub from your wart.  I have not attempted to use gravity to drain the hot wart, I use a March pump.   When I was talking with the local home brew store, "Brewmasters", they felt that it would take at least a 4 ft gravity drop down, to enable that to work.   

Please take a look at the following link that was recommended to me to help control and protect your Therminator, before you start brewing with it. 

http://www.homebrewchatter.com/board/showthread.php?t=2550&highlight=hop+stopper

22

Equipment and Software / March pump stir plate alternative

« on: January 04, 2011, 09:37:43 PM »

I pulled the pump head off of my March pump and noticed that it is a magnetic coupled pump head.  I am considering testing to see if it can be used as a yeast stir plate motor.  I can install a reostat to control the pump speed.  I am interested in purchasing a magnet that is used in the flask for such a project.  Has any one tried this before?  If so did it work adequately to stir the yeast?   Where can I purchase a magnet for the flask? 

23

Equipment and Software / Re: Blow off tube

« on: January 04, 2011, 09:19:16 PM »

Consider using a 6.5 gallon glass carboy as you primary fermentor.

24

All Grain Brewing / Re: wort quality and water ratio question

« on: January 04, 2011, 09:06:25 PM »

I am looking at expanding my brewing to 26 gallon batches.  This topic in conjunction with John Palmers website:

Appendix D - Building a Mash/Lauter Tun

D.3 Sizing the Tun

 http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixD-3.html 

have given me the confidence to go ahead and purchase the 120 qt cooler.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-Xtreme-120-Quart-Cooler/14574678?findingMethod=rr

I kept second guessing about using such a large Lauter Tun, although I feel better now.

25

Equipment and Software / Re: First time to use my own March pump and Therminator.

« on: December 25, 2010, 09:44:00 PM »

You can bag your hops, or make a hop stopper:
http://www.homebrewchatter.com/board/f18/diy-hop-stopper-kettle-screen-pickup-t2550/

Narvin thanks for the tip.

I have reviewed the hop stopper and it looks like it will help with keeping the hops and trub under control.  I have ordered the 12 x 24 screen mesh and plan on building a hop stopper before I brew again.

So far this afternoon I have forward and reverse flushed theTherminator several times with extreamely hot water and used PBW in both directions also.  It looks like when I use the PBW, that it tends to dislodge the blockage.  It is amazing that the hop flakes keep on comming out.  So I decided to leave a solution of PBW inside the Therminator over night and will flush several more times tomorrow.  Hopefully this will clean out the plates.  Once that is completed I plan on flushing with Star San and then flushing with fresh water.   I will place the Therminator in my fermintation cabinet to help dry it out internally.  This has been a pain in the brew pot.

Again, Thanks for the Tip.

26

Equipment and Software / First time to use my own March pump and Therminator.

« on: December 25, 2010, 12:07:52 AM »

Brewed a 5 gal batch of Robust Porter this afternoon.   Partial grain, LME, DME and 3 1/2 oz of pelatized hops.   ( OG 1.070 ) Used the March pump and Therminator for the first time.  Have not built the brew stands for holding my 15 and 13 gallon pots yet.  So I am still working in my wife's kitchen in the 9 gallon classic.  It went about the way I though it would probably go.  Nice...but kind of a pain in the brew pot.

Recirculated boiling hot water for about 10 minutes to help clean and sanitize the internals.  Then recirculated boiling wart for 10 minutes to help sanitize and prime the equipment for cooling the wart and moving it into my carboy for pitching yeast. 
I cooled about 3 1/2 to 4 gallons of wart by the time that the March pump clogged at the intake and the Therminator clogged internally.  Reverted to moving the rest of the wart with my auto siphon.   Let wart cool down in the carboy for 1.5 hours before pitching yeast.

I did not have a prefilter or anything covering the intake of the March pump to prevent the pelatized hops from clogging the pump / chiller setup.  In my big pots I have false bottoms and plan on using whole hops, hoping that this will not happen.   I could use a  hop bag to hold the whole hops although I am not sure that it will hold pelatized hops very well at all.

What is the best method to prevent the March pump and Therminator from clogging again?

I have back flushed the Therminator, although I am not sure that the unit is completely purged of sediment. 

What is the best way to prepare the Therminator for storage and future use to hopefully avoid contamination problems?

27

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Looking back

« on: December 24, 2010, 08:35:58 AM »

Wow, that's a lot of beer!!!

Looks like you have been brewing every weekend.

The clarity of your brew is beautiful.

Looks like you are not into porters or stouts, and favor pales to ambers.

Of the brews you have brewed this year.  Do you have any brews which have stood out, head and shoulders above the rest?  

28

Ingredients / Re: Melanoidin Malt

« on: December 24, 2010, 08:22:33 AM »

A 1/2 lb of Weyerman has worked well for me in a 5 gal batch.  I used it in a Pilsner and an Oktoberfest.   
 

29

Equipment and Software / Re: McMaster part number for keg post o-rings

« on: December 22, 2010, 09:50:52 PM »

What might be the McMaster part number for the Coke Pin style cornie keg o-rings?

1.  Liquid and Gas Dip Tube O-rings
2.  Post O-rings for Liquid and Gas Posts
3.  Lid O-ring

Thanks in advance

30

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Kegerator Construction Issue

« on: December 12, 2010, 07:56:40 PM »

The only comment I want to add here is that cold air is heavier than warm air. I a Keezer it sits in the bottom of the well insulated box and the collar may leak a little, but would not generate a steady flow. On a fridge you would have to do some serious sealing to keep the cold air from falling out the bottom of your collar.....

I have seen a mini-frigerator converted using this style of fabrication into a kegerator and the individual was satisfied with it's operation.  He had two taps on his.

That day I bought 6 cornie kegs from him.   He shared a few beer samples with me and showed me how he had fabricated his kegerator.  In reality, it will work, till the time comes that you can afford a larger / nicer setup.