Messages

46

Equipment and Software / Re: Johnson Temp Controller

« on: December 14, 2012, 07:35:17 AM »

Thanks I may try that. Doesn't get too cold where I am but maybe cold enough to stall fermentation.

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47

Equipment and Software / Re: Johnson Temp Controller

« on: December 14, 2012, 04:58:07 AM »

What kind of heater?

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48

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: getting started

« on: December 14, 2012, 04:52:22 AM »

I've had decent experiences ordering from morebeer, adventures in homebrewing, and brewmasters warehouse (though I've twice now ordered something only to have them say layer it's out of stock, so...)

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49

Ingredients / Re: Re: When and how to store rhizomes for the winter in warm climates

« on: December 14, 2012, 04:49:02 AM »

If you have the space, dig up as much of it as you can (no more than 12"x12") and refrigerate that.  It won't be the same as starting from scratch in the spring because you're leaving a lot of it intact, not just planting a pencil thin piece of rhizome.

Thanks, I'll try that. Should I go ahead and do that now or wait some more?

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50

Ingredients / Re: When and how to store rhizomes for the winter in warm climates

« on: December 13, 2012, 07:29:59 PM »

I don't have the option to plant them, unfortunately.

51

Ingredients / When and how to store rhizomes for the winter in warm climates

« on: December 13, 2012, 03:25:04 PM »

I'm in North Florida and have read that I should refrigerate my rhizomes during the winter.

1. When should I do this? The new hops book says they need 6 to 8 weeks below 40F.

2. Mine are in pots.  How much of each rhizome do I dig up?

3. Put them in a zip lock bag with moist paper towel, correct?

4. People say newly planted hops don't reach their peak until their second or third year. If I pull and refrigerate each winter won't they always be a like new hops and never improve their yield?

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52

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Ideal temp for WLP051

« on: December 12, 2012, 07:54:12 PM »

Craaap. My first stalled fermentation.    Even after bringing it up to 71 and swirling it's stuck at 1.025 (should be around 1.014). I dumped a packet of US-05 in there, hopefully I'll see some more activity in the morning.

I'm 99% sure it is NOT a wort issue: I mashed at 147F.

Could be my starter size was too small. The yeast was only 50% viable. I ended up with a smaller volume of starter wort than I should have (mis-measured). And I forgot to add any yeast nutrient to the starter wort.

Or it could be aeration. This was a 1.076 wort. The tube from the fish tank pump was loose so I wasn't getting full volume of air. (I just got an O2 kit so by-by to the fish tank pump!)

Anyway, no worries. I'll drink it as-is if I have to...overly sweet, 6% alcohol hop bomb that it is currently! 

53

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Ideal temp for WLP051

« on: December 09, 2012, 08:56:02 AM »

This is chunky...

Day after pitching:


3 days after:

54

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: I'm a rebel, Dotty, a loner...

« on: December 05, 2012, 10:53:44 AM »

*clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*
Deep in the heart of Texas!

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55

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: I'm a rebel, Dotty, a loner...

« on: December 05, 2012, 08:22:15 AM »

I'm in a townhouse so they do all of the outside stuff, maintain the pool, etc.

I don't see myself doing this again. I usually brew on the back screened in patio, but moving all my crap out there is a pain.

There was a police helicopter that flew over with a spotlight and I wondered what idiot called the cops thinking I was making meth.

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56

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Ideal temp for WLP051

« on: December 05, 2012, 07:37:16 AM »

Ok thanks. I'll do that. The starter smelled quite sulfury this morning when I put it in the fridge to settle, so I got to worrying about fermenting warmer than I usually do.

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57

Yeast and Fermentation / Ideal temp for WLP051

« on: December 05, 2012, 07:18:40 AM »

The local shop was out of WLP001 so I grabbed 051 instead. A few Google searches later and it looks like this strain doesn't work well below 66F (one forum post claimed it stalls below that).

Does anyone here have first hand experience with this yeast?  Does pitching at 66F with a slow rise sound okay?

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58

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: I'm a rebel, Dotty, a loner...

« on: December 05, 2012, 06:52:45 AM »

Who needs glycol when you have a perfectly fine radiator?



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59

Equipment and Software / Re: Re: Digital refractometer

« on: December 05, 2012, 06:50:52 AM »

...then I can drink the hydrometer sample!

You, sir, make a good point!

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60

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Using Oak Cubes

« on: December 04, 2012, 09:55:26 PM »

I used medium toast french chips in an imperial oatmeal stout back in June. It's aged really well. I love the vanilla flavor the oak gave the beer. I only kept it on the chips for 7 days (5 gallon batch, 2 oz chips).