Messages

16

Equipment and Software / Re: Fermentation Immersion Chiller

« on: September 27, 2012, 01:08:10 PM »

To support what Kai said; I would also not recommend using copper in the fermenter b/c as the beer ferments, the pH drops down into the 4.4 - 4.7 range - low enough to leach copper into your beer. I'd avoid this by going with AISI 304 or 316 stainless steel to avoid corrosion.

So are you also saying that immersion chillers, which exit the boiler nice and shiny, should also not be used?

17

Equipment and Software / Re: Fermentation Immersion Chiller

« on: September 25, 2012, 09:24:19 AM »

I have been happy with using a 40 foot, 1/2" OD copper coil in my 20 gallon conical.  My only problem is I use my 28F chest freezer as my 5 gallon chill water reservoir (with an alcohol/water mixture).  I feel I should be using a larger chill water amount at a colder temperature for perfect control.

18

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Do you rinse sani-clean?

« on: September 24, 2012, 09:43:32 AM »

I sent an email to Five Star support and will repost what they respond.

Five Star responded with "If you use Saniclean at 1oz per 3g water, you do not need to rinse, you just let air dry. It just a low foaming version of Star San. Let me know if you have any more questions. Cheers!"

My follow up question was "If air drying will only concentrate the product, what would be the concern with draining and using the sanitized part?"

And their response to that was "There is no concern with that."

19

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Do you rinse sani-clean?

« on: September 22, 2012, 12:23:19 PM »

I got my Saniclean from a club member, so there is no telling how old it is.  My bottles merely instructs to air dry after draining.

I sent an email to Five Star support and will repost what they respond.

20

General Homebrew Discussion / Do you rinse sani-clean?

« on: September 22, 2012, 09:56:36 AM »

After being a long time user of Star San I decided to give Sani-Clean a try.  I was assuming it would be a drain and use product like Star San but in reading the directions in the Williams catalog it says to rinse it from equipment before using the equipment.

So do any of yinz drain and use?

21

Equipment and Software / Re: 201 or 304 Stainless Steel

« on: September 20, 2012, 10:05:26 AM »

Indeed it would.  Stick with 304.  Also best not to mix fittings/parts of different alloys, eg 304 and 316.  I know they used different filler rod.

304 and 316 can both be welded with Type 308 filler metals.  304 can be welded with 316.

For the base question, 201 contains probably about the same amount of chromium as a cheap chinese made 304 does.  With manganese replacing nickel it is known as the cheap man's austenitic.

From the Allegheny Ludlum website:
Welding
ATI 201 HP™ and ATI 201L HP™ can be welded by all conventional methods applied to 18 percent chromium, 8 percent nickel steels. Filler wire or electrodes of the conventional chromium-nickel analyses can be used. Like other chromium-nickel 300 series austenitic stainless steels where carbon is not controlled below 0.03%, ATI 201 HP™ alloy is sensitive to intergranular corrosion in the weld heat affected zone.

22

All Grain Brewing / Re: Fly Sparging Question

« on: August 31, 2012, 07:53:11 PM »

I rarely match the inflow to the outflow of my sparge, thus I often have the same situation as you.  I doubt that is the reason for your stated mouthfeel.

What temperature did you mash at?  Lower temps would lead to a thinner beer.

23

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Simpsons Legal Battle Over Duff Beer- Simpsons' Vs. Colombian Brothers

« on: August 30, 2012, 09:45:46 AM »

While on business in Spain last year, during lunch-(2)-hours I drank different beers all the time.  One day my English (living in Spain) host said there was a beer at the restraurant from Simpsons.  I was thinking the maltster, but when it was presented to me I saw Duff.  Having never watched an episode of Simpsons in my life I responded 'Huh?'.  I drank it and then found it at the local Eroskis.  I found it more akin to a Belgian beer and commented that I pitied the fool who bought the beer because of the Simpsons.

24

All Grain Brewing / Re: Mash out and sparging

« on: August 23, 2012, 09:30:19 AM »

See www.dennybrew.com for more info.

I'm curious, do you whirlpool after the boil?  I'm kinda guessing not since even with the holes pointed down on your kettle pickup you'd take up break/hop matter.

25

Equipment and Software / Re: Drilling through freezer compartment into fridge

« on: August 16, 2012, 10:01:10 AM »

To answer your question about tips:  leave the door of the freezer open and see if you can detect where the coolant lines are by condensation forming.

Even if that works, for each hole you want to drill, first barely pierce the plastic liner.  Then probe about with a nail to see if a coolant line is beneath the pierced hole or is close that the drill could nick it.

26

All Grain Brewing / Re: 2 gallons in my dead space

« on: August 16, 2012, 09:49:37 AM »

My MT is a converted keg and my FB sits on the transition from the sides to the domed bottom.  I have about 2 gallons beneath the FB.  Since I fly sparge and draw from the bottom, and I vorlauf 2 gallons, I have not found any problems with getting up to 80% efficiency.

27

Yeast and Fermentation / Is Wit Fermentation Sensitive to Pitch Rate?

« on: July 19, 2012, 09:48:57 AM »

I am planning either 15 or 18 gallons of Wit.  Depending on how I grow my starter, using the Wyeast pitch rate calculator:


http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_pitchrate.cfm
 
I can end up with as low as 8.2 mil/ml or as high as about 15 mil/ml cell count.  Does it matter?

28

Equipment and Software / Re: Conical Fermenters

« on: July 15, 2012, 07:15:46 AM »

Agree.
Beer is low pH and it will "eat" your cooper coil.
[/quote]

Precisely what happens with an immersion chiller.  Hi temps with low pH results in the IC coming out shiny.  Low temps with low pH, such as in the conical, do not damage the beers.

29

Equipment and Software / Re: Keezer and love control TS2

« on: July 11, 2012, 07:22:07 PM »

After reading the OP again, you need to re-install the thermostat to the freezer.  The TS2 does not take its place.

30

Equipment and Software / Re: Keezer and love control TS2

« on: July 11, 2012, 09:59:40 AM »

I have both a TS and a TS2.  Before I broke the TS (by dropping it) I had to have it set on heating for it to cool.

Access your List a Parameters (by pressing SET for 8 seconds).  Then scroll to d0 and change it to the other setting.

Are you sure you are wired to #9 and #10 slots?