Recent Posts

11

Going Pro / Re: Fermentation Temperature Control

« Last post by micsager on Today at 09:40:34 AM »

So, back to my earlier advice. The easiest way to have exact temp control is to make the room cold and use a digital johnson or ranco temp controller set to heat and wrap each fermentor with heat wrap and use a thermowell. In my cold room, set at ambient 34 degrees, I can ferment a lager at 50 or a saison at 80. Works like a charm. I used to ferment 3 bbl plastic conicals this way.

That sounds like a good plan, but a bit more complicated than I want to do.  We now have 16 buckets fermenting in there, and a wrap around each one would be hard to manage.  I did get a bunch of those stick on thermometers that Tom mentioned, and before I left for work this morning, all 16 were in the 64-68 degree range.  I'm happy with that.  The 64 degree ones were all on the lower shelves.  I think I'll get a small wall mount fan, just to move the air around a bit. 

So far, this little room is working out nicely. 

 

12

Equipment and Software / Re: 10 gallon stainless... thing?

« Last post by mtnrockhopper on Today at 09:39:08 AM »

Insulated?!... Fill that puppy with beer and bring it to a party! Just need to work out dispensing.

13

Going Pro / Re: New opportunity...

« Last post by tschmidlin on Today at 09:20:43 AM »

+1 to good boots and a change of clothes, all the way down to underwear. Worse burn I ever got at brewery was on my foot, stupidly wearing tennis shoes. Make sure the boots you buy have excellent support. I used to run 30 miles a week but my feet never hurt the way they did standing on concrete for a year in piss poor shoes. You might want to look into some inserts, too.

What boots do you recommend?  I haven't found any that I love.

Definitely a change of clothes and eye protection.

14

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: 2nd Extract questions

« Last post by Joe Sr. on Today at 09:15:16 AM »

I still say ferment it out and see how it tastes.

At the least, you've learned two things: 1) turn off the heat before you add extract and 2) get some diffusion in between the kettle and the flame.

15

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: That German lager flavor

« Last post by nateo on Today at 09:14:39 AM »

S-189 is the best lager strain I've used. It's super easy to use, very clean, but not particularly "German" flavored. IIRC it's a Swiss lager strain.

16

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: 2nd Extract questions

« Last post by tschmidlin on Today at 09:13:18 AM »

Based on the latest pic, it looks like you need some kind of heat diffusion between the burner and the pot.  This could be a piece of metal, moving the pot further from the burner, or getting a thicker bottomed pot.  Or maybe you can just turn the gas down, full blast is not always a great idea.  It is obviously getting too hot right above the flames.

17

Equipment and Software / Re: 10 gallon stainless... thing?

« Last post by Jo Diesel on Today at 09:09:36 AM »

I vote for fermenting vessel. All the pros use stainless.  A Cooler makes a good mash tun

18

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / 2nd Extract questions

« Last post by flbrewer on Today at 09:08:30 AM »

Drained it you guys. Check out the latest pic on the above Instagram link. Major scorching on the kettle. Time to regroup.

19

The Pub / Re: bridge collapse

« Last post by tschmidlin on Today at 09:06:38 AM »

"Washington state was given a C in the American Society of Civil Engineers' 2013 infrastructure report card and a C- when it came to the state's bridges. The group said more than a quarter of Washington's 7,840 bridges are considered structurally deficient or functionally obsolete."  Not good.

As far a I know, that's a pretty good grade compared to other states.  This is what decades of not investing in our infrastructure gets us.

20

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: And now ... Alabama's first homebrew competition

« Last post by udubdawg on Today at 09:02:08 AM »

that's awesome.  I'd send them something in support, but of course I have no experience with removing it from my home.