Messages

1

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: starter volume

« on: April 30, 2013, 04:56:36 am »

The difference is at a given concentration of wort a larger volume of starter has more sugar for the yeast to eat. Volume doesn't correlate to yeast growth, but total amount of sugar does.

My understanding is that higher sugar content actually starts the yeast on an anaerobic cycle (like you want in beer) while the lower sugars can still encourage aerobic yeast growth resulting in better cell wall strength and more healthy yeast. The starter is supposed to grow yeast not make beer - yet. I've had great luck with starters down to 1.025.
Maybe tschmidlin can chime in?

2

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Taking Newly Bottled Beer on a Plane

« on: April 26, 2013, 06:31:11 pm »

Not to worry. It's not like will it be exposed to the vacuum of space. Most aircraft keep a lower cabin pressure than where I lived in Colorado (7200'.) No bottle bombs there, and none going over 11,995' passes.

3

Equipment and Software / Re: Thermometers - Calibration

« on: April 15, 2013, 10:52:59 am »

Boiling test is easy. The ice bath is not accurate unless done correctly. See here:http://www.thermoworks.com/learning/thermapen101_creating_an_icebath.html
Now if we could get a calibrating bath for 150...

4

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Brewing Lagers

« on: February 20, 2013, 02:49:03 pm »

Those frozen bottles are a PITA to squeeze through the neck of my better bottles I use in my fermentation freezer. They might work well in my conical though. It doesn't fit in the freezer, but I have rigged a thermo electric cooler to help bring down the temp a few degrees.

5

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Brewing Lagers

« on: February 20, 2013, 11:31:40 am »

To me, it is more of a matter of tap water temperature. When using my various chillers, I can get closer to lager temperatures this time of year when cooling wort. They still go in the fermentation freezer, but less wait time prior to pitching. Summer can be tough getting anything below 80F without a prechiller and sump pump combo.

rather than a prechiller/sump pump, you can knock most of the heat off with hose water first, then create a loop with ice water and get it down to 45df - I live where the water is always ~75-80 and I almost always can pitch right after running off to the fermentor, even in August. 

to the OP - sorry, not much help here - I have freezers for my fermentors b/c I can't even ferment an ale without them! 

Uhh, that is the prechiller, sump pump method I was referring to. I do try to get it down with an old wort chiller if only to cut down on the amount of ice required. Still easier to do it this time of year.

6

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Brewing Lagers

« on: February 20, 2013, 05:51:31 am »

To me, it is more of a matter of tap water temperature. When using my various chillers, I can get closer to lager temperatures this time of year when cooling wort. They still go in the fermentation freezer, but less wait time prior to pitching. Summer can be tough getting anything below 80F without a prechiller and sump pump combo.

7

The Pub / Re: Why does Budweiser just not get it?

« on: February 06, 2013, 05:55:45 am »

If anyone still believes "they" still don't get it, read last weekends rather lengthy article from the Washington Post about AB InBev and their attempt at buying out the last 50% of Grupo Modelo. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/beer-merger-would-worsen-existing-duopoly-by-ab-inbev-sabmiller/2013/02/01/efa78ce8-6b1c-11e2-af53-7b2b2a7510a8_story_4.html Interesting dance between the two bigs (ABI and SABMiller) who really do seem to get it. With craft beer at only 6% of US beersales, the efforts of these giants will place an even stronger hold over the distribution network. Craft beer will have a very difficult time expanding in the future. Yes, they do get it. Unfortunately...

8

Equipment and Software / Re: Removing keg lube?

« on: January 02, 2013, 06:58:35 am »

I swapped from LubriFilm (keg lube) to CIP-Film due to the lower melting temperature. Its melting point is 120F and I don't feel like I've handled a sappy Griswold Christmas Tree after using it.
https://haynesmfg.com/files/Tech/Technical%20Data%20Sheet_Haynes%20CIP-Film.pdf

9

Equipment and Software / Re: Faucet to Tubing Adapter

« on: November 17, 2012, 06:38:17 am »

Perlick changed their manufacturing methods, so some of these no longer  fit. I can't give you exact dates, but my almost two year old Perlicks fell into this category. My adapter looks exactly the same and I've been waiting since August for the shop to figure out what they are going to do. I'd call Williams to see if they can check an old and new style faucet for you. Otherwise the price is right and I'm tired of waiting.

10

The Pub / Re: Zombie apoclypse survival....

« on: November 09, 2012, 05:31:48 am »

i have a contingency plan for taking complete control of the costco by me. plenty of provisions

oh don't forget to limber up and double tap

As a side note, Costco is ground zero for zombies. Just go into any Costco anywhere with a purpose and you will find the store filled with zombies. They tend to block the isles, particularly around the feeding stations. Be careful around these slack jawed Costco Zombies running into you with their overfilled shopping carts, or their contagion may infect you as well...

11

Ask the Experts / Re: Ask the Experts: Mitch Steele on IPA

« on: October 24, 2012, 06:53:03 am »

When designing an IPA, what specific component or combination of chemical components in the hop am I looking for?  I want to venture out more, and try new hop varieties in an IPA.  Besides looking for the freshest hops, should I be looking at hop components such as, total oil, co-humulone, beta-acids, alpha-acids, myrcene, humulene, or farnesene?

Often times I can't find the classic IPA hops, such as, Simcoe, Citra, or Centennial.  So I would like to know what exactly to look for in a hop variety before I buy it and run a test brew.

Thank you.

I'd like to piggyback this question as well with respect to dry hopping temperature as it relates to hop essential oils ratios. I usually dry hop in keg for a period close to fermentation temperature, but I would like to know how these variables effect aroma over ranges from near freezing to room temp.

Thanks

12

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: CO2 bottle in the fridge?

« on: September 25, 2012, 05:51:16 am »

One of several videos using corn starch and rubbing alcohol to find a compressor HOT line during a kegerator build.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV8Pb7d5nZI&list=UUkforfGr_EUfBeVUCceGrDg&index=5&feature=plcp

13

Events / Re: GABF Tix problem...?

« on: July 31, 2012, 01:14:30 pm »

Did anyone see the option for the members only entrance? I would of loved to get that...

First 2000 tickets purchased in each slot by members get members only.

So how do we find out if that was us? I have fairly low (double digit) seat numbers on all my tickets...

Chemman, if you got the members only Saturday Session, you and about 8,000 friends will use the same door.

14

Events / Re: GABF Tix problem...?

« on: July 31, 2012, 01:11:05 pm »

I would hope the staff would remember the debacle in Denver surrounding the Rockies World Series (like that will happen again) tickets where the servers crashed because of the scalpers placing computerized buys. Maybe they will require a valid AHA number to redeem their tickets. That should release some.

15

Equipment and Software / Re: Tired of crappy therm and hydrometer

« on: May 27, 2012, 06:46:22 am »

Thanks Denny, I'll google it and see what turns up

Here's where I got mine...

http://cynmar.com/SearchByKeyword?word=nist%20thermometer

I bought this thermometer and thought my RANCOs were 7F off. I did an ice bath test (correctly, see the thermapen website) and found it was 3 deg high at 35F. complained to Cynmar and was immediately shipped a new one. Unfortunately it was worse at just over 35F and the boiling points were 221 and 224 respectively. So much for NIST certification. I payed for the Thermapen and have been pleased with the results. The ice bath wavers between 32 and 32.1F. I can live with that...