Messages

1

All Grain Brewing / Re: So your Barley Crusher won't Crush?

« on: April 06, 2011, 03:36:01 PM »

The BC touts a lifetime warranty. Should not need 50 bucks, although that is a pittance really. I gave the mill to a friend that didn't have one and told him to pay the 50 and get new rollers, and basically have a new mill that will last a long time for his brewing needs. I have not heard any great stories of folks trying to get new rollers under the warranty, actually, I have heard otherwise... You can't beat 2" hardened steel or stainless on the MM, but some don't need a MM.

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All Grain Brewing / Re: So your Barley Crusher won't Crush?

« on: April 02, 2011, 09:28:16 PM »

I have posted before on several forums about the great BC. I loved my old BC, but they do wear out over time. My Knurling was simply to the point of being smooth and the dead roller was simply that, dead... I have flopped it several times. It's not a base adjustment, it is simply worn out. I moved on... But I will not take away from all the great years and batches my old BC gave me. At the same time, I am LOVING my new getup...! This thing is a hawg!

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All Grain Brewing / Re: Skimming foam from the boil

« on: March 09, 2011, 04:42:52 PM »

I skim a bit. Only because it's there, and I am like, hey, there's something I can do! Otherwise, that gunk is great yeast food.

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Kegging and Bottling / Re: Tap-a-Draft

« on: March 05, 2011, 06:51:42 PM »

Personally for me, also starting out brewing in a very small apartment, the TAD worked perfectly for me at the time. I served many a great beer through that little system and it never failed me a single time. I gave it away to a fellow new brewer in my club years ago. He strapped nine bottles and the head to the back of his motorcycle and drove off. Never seen him since. I wish I had it back sometimes.

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Kegging and Bottling / Re: C02 tank and force carbonating

« on: March 01, 2011, 06:32:46 PM »

Let it sit brotha... Go down to Blue Star or Freetail and enjoy a great beer. Give this one a week or two. That's how I do it. I rarely do the shake method. I have enough beer on tap to let it rest, carb and settle out al on it's own.

EDIT to add: I keep my whole bar set to 12 psi 24/7. I have no leaks as I won't stand for them. It takes a good week to really carb up nicely for me...

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All Grain Brewing / Re: 5 gallon batches with SABCO mash tun

« on: February 27, 2011, 01:03:46 PM »

Typically, the dead space is just that. Dead space. You wouldn't count this space. Your water added will be what your recipe calls for above this dead space, so like you say, your mash is sitting in exactly what you were shooting for in your recipe you worked hard on. You also worked hard on hitting your strike temps too, and not accounting for the losses in your mash by not adding up water above the dead space will effect that too. But if you are making great beer, then by all means keep doing it that way!

Another way I like to explain this, and of course this is a very extreme example, lets imagine that you had five gallons of dead space, in a five gallon batch...

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Brewing TV - Episode 31 - Brew Your Own Bender

« on: February 25, 2011, 03:46:48 PM »

This was excellent J... Never missed an episode!

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The Pub / Re: N-Pee-OK

« on: February 21, 2011, 06:51:36 PM »

Put me down for the whiz factor. I'll pee where ever I am standing at and I make it a point to let everyone know what I am doing. I gotta lota garden in my back yard and have no problem whizzing where I eat.

9

Equipment and Software / Re: Brutus in aluminum?

« on: February 20, 2011, 07:19:05 PM »

Yea, I was going to let this thread pan out a bit before I jumped in with both wheels. If you have been to my website, I think I have about a hundred and fifty pics of Brutus systems on there now that folks have built. There are several hundred more. I didn't recommend AL in the beginning for a reason, but just two that I know of used AL to build their systems with no issues using 80/20 frame. Heat conductivity was my concern in this regard as my design also has internal wiring. As I designed it, Brutus is a beef indeed, but not at all ridiculously heavy. I hawl this thing around to many brew-ins in my area and I have a bad back and pushing 50!

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All Grain Brewing / Re: Acidifying the mash

« on: February 15, 2011, 05:55:59 PM »

how much do you use and how much of a drop in ph do you get?

I can't say how much as I don't measure. I acidify 20 gallons of my total brew day water at once in one container and monitor the PH actively. I add just literally a pinch at a time and watch the PH fall until I get it to where I want it. Usually right around 6.0.

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All Grain Brewing / Re: Acidifying the mash

« on: February 15, 2011, 03:15:37 PM »

Funny, I have never used lactic. I have most always used citric. It takes sooooo little to drop the ph that I can't see it imparting a flavor component to any beer. Years ago, I used phosphoric and that worked very well too but the citric was more readily available.

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: AHA Regionals...

« on: February 11, 2011, 10:43:54 PM »

Been a long time since I entered. I know the website will be updated soon with the entry info, but as I recall the first round is one bottle per entry? Trying to do some planning...

Time for another gold! (If I can stop drinking all my entries)

Hi Lonnie Mac,

Yes, the Rules & Regulations for 2011 have been posted on the web site.  The entry locations/shipping addresses are all updated for this year as well.  The online registration is currently being tested, but it should be up by next week (mid-February) as planned.

Good luck in the competition!

Cheers,
     Janis

Ah yes, I found it! Thanks...

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: AHA Regionals...

« on: February 11, 2011, 05:00:53 PM »

Yes, just one bottle needed for first round. A little googling came up with the following link to comp rules & details -

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/attachments/0000/6611/NHC2011_RulesRegs.pdf

Good luck with that gold!

Ah, as I recall... Thanks

14

General Homebrew Discussion / AHA Regionals...

« on: February 11, 2011, 04:43:05 PM »

Been a long time since I entered. I know the website will be updated soon with the entry info, but as I recall the first round is one bottle per entry? Trying to do some planning...

Time for another gold! (If I can stop drinking all my entries)

15

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: You know you're a (serious) home brewer when........

« on: February 09, 2011, 07:47:29 PM »

Lol! I know what you mean. I have ten! The Miljoco's are great, the Loves are also. I try to keep them all under control with my Thermapen. I have one moving probe during brew day. It is one of my Love controllers. All brew day temps are based on that one probe, right or wrong. It makes great beer!

Brew on brotha...