Messages

61

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Bad gauges?

« on: July 25, 2012, 03:13:19 PM »

Where is your Co2 tank located? Inside or outside the fridge?  Let's start there.

62

Kegging and Bottling / Re: YIKES-Frozen Keg!

« on: July 16, 2012, 04:51:02 PM »

I repurposed a carboy shield in my serving fridge and that did the trick.  Just bent it into a V shape where the cold air comes in.  So it sits in between the two rear kegs.  Works like a champ.

The one frozen keg I had, never returned to what it originally tasted like.  It was an IPA, was super cloudy and the taste was not great.

63

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Two-toned beer?

« on: July 16, 2012, 04:43:03 PM »

That's just the yeast slowly dropping out of suspension.

Yup.  Give it a few days, it'll all drop out and look like the beer on the top.

64

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Bottling Frenzy

« on: July 16, 2012, 04:33:59 PM »

Glad the delivery was a success!  Plus, major props for bottling the volume you have, while taking care of your pregnant wife, and now child!!  Seriously, great job!

65

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: I would be totally pissed...

« on: July 16, 2012, 06:08:06 AM »

Broken airlock must have let some bad stuff in while he was gone.  He was out of town for a few weeks on business.

66

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: I would be totally pissed...

« on: July 12, 2012, 10:48:38 AM »

Sorry, the pic shows up on my computer for some reason.  I'll try again.  Yes, that occasion did suck!  Ok, think I got it to show up now.  Photobucket doesn't work.  I had to use Flickr.   

67

General Homebrew Discussion / I would be totally pissed...

« on: July 11, 2012, 05:26:34 PM »

Found this picture today.  Several years before I started brewing.  I broke my cousin's airlock!  Then tried to fix it with duct tape.  I would be totally pissed if someone did this to me!  I talked to him about it recently, the batch was ruined, he said he didn't care, but now that I brew,  I'm forever mad at myself for however this happened.  I'm pretty sure this was the first night I ever had Arrogant Bastard.  I'm pretty sure the two are unrelated...



I just realized I think I'm giving a thumbs up too, slightly out of camera range.  This is not a thumbs up situation!!

68

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: What can I do with T58 yeast?

« on: July 08, 2012, 07:45:00 AM »

I bought a couple of T-58 dry yeast packets (Fermentis) because they were on clearance. I've discovered that they're best for brewing Belgians, but I don't like this style.

+1 I also find Belgian Yeasts quite disagreeable.  Trade it for the US-05.  That's a great deal in my book.

69

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Imperial Bourbon Stout

« on: July 08, 2012, 07:39:56 AM »

Brew your own!!

I brewed up a Bourbon Stout a few months ago.  The base beer was my normal dry stout, 6% abv.  I added 16 oz of Makers Mark when I kegged it.  Let it age/mellow on  the gas for three to four weeks.  The bourbon flavor was great.

Unless you can get your hands on a bourbon barrel.

70

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Bottling Frenzy

« on: July 06, 2012, 04:58:52 PM »

So, I'm trying to understand how you had the money for 100 gallons of beer/cider/mead  supplies and fermenters and nothing to bulk package them in?  Only two kegs? Really? You must LOVE to bottle!

What do you have like 20 carboys?  Or large high volume conicals?  Maybe this has already been addressed, but I'm just trying understand your process.

I can't imagine the scenario where 100+ gallons of fermented adult beverages is a problem!

71

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: citra help

« on: July 06, 2012, 03:03:22 PM »

My best pale ale was dry hopped with Columbus and Citra (1 oz each)... It was awesome.

Dude, right on with this.  I agree.  I made  something similar, and I will always remember it!  In fact, I need to brew this soon!

72

Equipment and Software / Upright freezer for fermentation chamber

« on: July 04, 2012, 12:02:54 PM »

I was considering using an upright freezer to replace my fridge fermenter that died last week.  It's got a manual defrost, would that cause any issues since it'll only be down to maybe 55 degrees? 

Haven't got any dimensions on it yet, my fridge I could fit 4 carboys in it. 

73

Equipment and Software / Fridge died...

« on: June 28, 2012, 02:53:57 PM »

So another fridge died on me.  This was my fermenter fridge, so there's currently 4 carboys in there.  The stick on thermometers read 78 right now.  Everything is done fermenting.  Will it be ok for a few days at this temp, if the temp doesn't go up?  Or should I expedite getting a new fridge?

74

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: should i repitch?

« on: June 21, 2012, 04:22:41 AM »

If you pitched at 76 it would actually create a real vigorous ferment.  I guess based on your OG though.  All of my brews are typically over 1.060 so I usually have blowoff with US-05, unless I ferment really cold.

If you're gonna repitch at this point, rehydrate it.  The old towel and cold water trick is good in a pinch.  But, you should really think about a more consistent fermentation chamber.  You can do it cheaper than you think, if you have room for an extra fridge.

I agree with taking a SG reading before pitching.

75

Ingredients / Dry Hopping with Cacao Nibs

« on: June 09, 2012, 08:17:37 AM »

Anyone ever dry hopped with cacoa nibs?  I brewed 10 gallons of my stout a couple weeks ago, one of the recipes called for coffee and cacoa nibs in the boil, but I honestly didn't want 10 gallons of a coffee stout, so I held the coffee and nibs out.

I'm shooting for a nice coffee stout.  Will the nibs give me a coffee aroma/flavor if I dry hop with them?  I have 4 oz of them.  Or should I just dry hop with coffee and save the nibs for something else?