Topics

1

Yeast and Fermentation / Expected lifespan of O2 canister

« on: March 10, 2013, 10:19:20 pm »

How long should I expect a canister of O2 to last? I seem to be changing out every 2nd or 3rd brew, and it's getting expensive.

I'm aerating with pure O2 for about 90-120 seconds, with canisters from the hardware store that are like this:
http://www.amazon.com/WORTHINGTON-CYLINDERS-333666-Disposable-Cylinder/dp/B0086AKIBW/

Hooked up to a regulator and .5 micron stone from my LHBS.

Possible that I've got a slow leak in the regulator head? Should I disconnect it while not in use?

2

Equipment and Software / Pump technique and cleaning

« on: February 27, 2013, 05:21:52 pm »

Finally got to use my new March pump on Sunday. It was (pick one: Useful | Fun | Everything I Ever Hoped It Would Be | A Religious Experience). I used it for transferring strike and sparge water from the kettle to my gravity-fed cooler tuns, and for recirculating the wort during chilling.

As this was my first experience using a pump in brewing, there was an unexpected but not inappropriate learning curve, and there are a couple of issues I'd like to ask about.

First, is there a prescribed order for opening/closing valves and powering on the pump?

What I settled on was: close pump outlet, open kettle outlet, open tun inlet, power on pump, quickly open pump outlet to desired level. After transfer is complete, close tun inlet, quickly power off pump, close kettle outlet.

This worked well except for pumping the strike water, where I completely forgot to close the valves, 2 gallons of liquid flowed back into the kettle, and I lost 5°F in the mash tun. Otherwise, sometimes I had problems getting the flow started, and it seemed like it worked better if I kept the pump outlet valve closed to start, but I wonder if that's bad for the pump.

Second, what cleaning routine do you use? I flushed the pump with cold water at the end of the brew day, and when I cleaned the kettle last night I ran 180°F water through it to kill nasties, then added PBW, then rinsed with hot tap water. That's not the most efficient cleaning routine, so I'm wondering what y'all do.

3

Equipment and Software / Wort chilling: money available, solution desperately wanted

« on: December 04, 2012, 11:28:32 am »

Hey brewers, I'm hoping you can help me figure out what kind of a wort chilling solution to buy. I've got some birthday money to spend and an eye to speed up my brew day.

My current solution is a copper immersion chiller fed from the garden tap. Shut off gas, insert IC and stir... stir... stir... after a half hour I'm somewhere around 85F, going nowhere, and usually give up, drain the kettle and put the fermenter in the chest freezer and check it later. (FWIW, ground water here in Seattle is reasonably chilly, less so in the summer.)

I'm impatient, especially at that point when I've spent 4+ hours setting up and brewing and now I want to be done with the project, pitch the yeast, clean up and move on with my day. So I want to find a more efficient chilling solution.

I've read about counterflow chillers. I've read about plate chillers. I've read about recirculation. I have no experience with any of them and no idea which option is right for me. Maybe there's another solution I haven't heard about yet.

What do you recommend? What's a good option for quickly cooling wort? I've got $100 to spend, though if you think it's worth spending more, supplemental funds might be found (or possibly brought by Santa Claus).

4

Equipment and Software / Better way to rig my mash tun filter?

« on: November 19, 2012, 05:31:34 pm »

I've been doing all-grain for a little less than a year now. Built myself a 10-gallon beverage cooler setup and have been getting good results.

One problem I'd like to tackle is how the filter in my mash tun is plumbed to the outlet.

The filter is a 12" SS perforated, domed false bottom (http://www.learntobrew.com/store/item/30k6q/-_All_Grain_Equipment/False_Bottom_-_Stainless_Steel_12_inches.html), connected to the cooler bulkhead via a short length of 3/8" ID hose. The hose is secured by barbed connectors on either end, with SS hose clamps to secure it. (I'd share a photo, but I can't figure out how to do that with this bloody forum system.)

The rig itself works well enough, but it was difficult enough to install that I haven't yet disconnected the parts. Cleaning requires turning the tun upside-down, spraying with the hose, then turning it around to check and see if I got all the little bits of grain unstuck from the filter. Rinse, repeat.

What I'd like to do is replace the hose with a hard-plumbed system that is easy to disassemble so I can get the filter out to clean it properly.

Suggestions?

(I originally didn't try to hard-plumb because I'm not familiar with cutting pipe or soldering or any other way that would fit the custom length I'd need. Also, the elbow connector on the filter is a little fussy; there are nuts on both the top and bottom of the filter that are a tad loose and I'm always afraid I'm going to lose the bottom one. Maybe I should get someone to weld the bottom nut to the filter for me?)

5

Going Pro / Brewery internship?

« on: January 27, 2012, 06:57:30 pm »

The short version: What's the best way to go about contacting a brewery to offer myself as free labor in the brewery for a week or a month, in exchange for simply being there and learning more about how a brewery is run?

The long version: I'm employed full time in the software industry, but I'm contemplating a change in career. I enjoy beer and brewing and they say you should do what you love. I'm nowhere near ready to go pro, but maybe ready to apply to a fermentation science program and go the academic route.

But I want to know what working in a brewery is really like. My job affords me a lengthy vacation, during which time I'd like to offer myself to a local brewery (I'm in Seattle, so there are plenty to pick from) as free labor for a week or a month. Maybe multiple weeks at different breweries, if they'll have me. In exchange, all I ask is that I be allowed to observe and ask questions about the brewing process. Consider it an internship.

How do you think a brewery would react to this offer? Would they be likely to take it? Who would be the best person to contact? The head brewer or HR or the owner?

I realize that the obvious answer here is just to go ask some breweries. No penalty for trying, eh?  Problem is that I'm a bit of the shy type. Introverted, maybe. I have a hard time striking up conversations with strangers. In person, anyway; I've got no problem spilling my heart out to all you folks on an Internet forum.   So the idea of waltzing into a brewery and trying to get the attention of one of the proprietors and pitch them my idea is scary to me. I'd like to prepare myself with a good approach and a good pitch, hence a little asking about on the ol' Internets.

Your opinion desired.