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Author Topic: Brewhemoth Brag  (Read 20596 times)

Offline punatic

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Re: Brewhemoth Brag
« Reply #15 on: December 12, 2011, 12:00:53 pm »
Just wondering, but do you judge your own beer category in a case like this?

Never.

You certainly hope never. 
One time I was a BOS judge and was served my own beer.  The organizer goofed up.  I chose to withdraw my beer from BOS judging.  It seemed less disruptive to remove the beer than recuse myself mid-judging.  I was given the choice.
   
All things considered, I would have rather had the pile of goodies that came with winning BOS than the BOS experience points.  But the time for that decision was before the BOS judging started, not midstream.

There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way.


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Offline jeffy

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Re: Brewhemoth Brag
« Reply #16 on: December 12, 2011, 02:12:35 pm »
Just wondering, but do you judge your own beer category in a case like this?

Never.

You certainly hope never. 
One time I was a BOS judge and was served my own beer.  The organizer goofed up.  I chose to withdraw my beer from BOS judging.  It seemed less disruptive to remove the beer than recuse myself mid-judging.  I was given the choice.
   
All things considered, I would have rather had the pile of goodies that came with winning BOS than the BOS experience points.  But the time for that decision was before the BOS judging started, not midstream.


Actually I remember that incident, too, but I thought that the best of show judging points earned you the very first BJCP National rank in the state.  That was probably worth it.  :)
Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)
Homebrewing since 1990
AHA member since 1991, now a lifetime member
BJCP judge since 1995

Offline tom

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Re: Brewhemoth Brag
« Reply #17 on: December 12, 2011, 02:35:17 pm »
Good Karma!
Brew on

Offline tomsawyer

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Re: Brewhemoth Brag
« Reply #18 on: December 12, 2011, 07:50:37 pm »
I drained the PBW and have it soaking with Starsan now, so its ready to go.  I ordered some additional tri-clamp fittings and the stuff to make a spunding valve, hopefully things will be in by the weekend.  My Chicago trip got postponed so I have the weekend to play.
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline tomsawyer

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Re: Brewhemoth Brag
« Reply #19 on: December 13, 2011, 07:43:32 pm »
I'm considering setting up a chiller with a small wine fridge I'm not using.  Its Peltier cooled, I would drill holes in the top for the plastic hoses and put my coolant reservoir in the fridge and pump with a small pond pump.  Not sur ethis would give me lager temps, although duirng the winter the basement is cool (60F tops) anyway.
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline punatic

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Re: Brewhemoth Brag
« Reply #20 on: December 13, 2011, 08:36:42 pm »
I'm considering setting up a chiller with a small wine fridge I'm not using.  Its Peltier cooled, I would drill holes in the top for the plastic hoses and put my coolant reservoir in the fridge and pump with a small pond pump.  Not sur ethis would give me lager temps, although duirng the winter the basement is cool (60F tops) anyway.

You only need to take it down 5 to 10 degrees lower to ferment lagers.
There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way.


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Offline tomsawyer

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Re: Brewhemoth Brag
« Reply #21 on: December 14, 2011, 05:51:35 am »
I suppose I would have a chance in the winter.  And I could help the Peltier along at first with ice bottles.
« Last Edit: December 14, 2011, 07:12:19 pm by tomsawyer »
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline euge

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Re: Brewhemoth Brag
« Reply #22 on: December 14, 2011, 08:04:51 pm »
I didn't have a great deal of success with the peltier coolers. They cool down real good but don't maintain temps that well. To do it all again augmenting with frozen bottles would be a must.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline tomsawyer

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Re: Brewhemoth Brag
« Reply #23 on: December 15, 2011, 06:34:54 am »
Euge, how were you using them/n what application?

Right now I'm being too cheap to get a controller so I'm jus going to use a tape-on thermometer on the fermentor and set the temp of the cooler to hold at what I'm after.  The cooler has a digital temp readout so I'm assuming it won't be too far off whats going on in the fermentor, maybe 5F, with decent recirculation.
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline bo

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Re: Brewhemoth Brag
« Reply #24 on: December 15, 2011, 06:53:56 am »
Euge, how were you using them/n what application?

Right now I'm being too cheap to get a controller so I'm jus going to use a tape-on thermometer on the fermentor and set the temp of the cooler to hold at what I'm after.  The cooler has a digital temp readout so I'm assuming it won't be too far off whats going on in the fermentor, maybe 5F, with decent recirculation.

Peltier coolers are like anything else, they have to have good control to maintain temp. That said, they do suffer from their inability to cool any further when the hot side and cool side reach a maximum differential, which I think is around 60 degrees. A good heatsink and cooling fan on the hot side is a must.

Offline euge

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Re: Brewhemoth Brag
« Reply #25 on: December 15, 2011, 11:53:41 am »
Well mess with the current setup and see if it works for you. I pulled mine out of a coleman cooler and used it in two different applications- one with the ranco thermostat I have in my freezer right now.

The first time I swapped it into a igloo ice-cube cooler (blue) and it chilled into the low 50's. I placed it into the insulated tote and it would cool into the mid 60's with a lot of condensation and temp swings. But with some frozen bottles it worked well enough for fermenting ales. I wasn't happy though and abandoned this approach. Bought a freezer.

I think you might have to build and place the appropriate TEC's. There was a mention in Zymurgy with the ghetto chill 9000... I don't think you'll be lagering easily with the cooling unit.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline bo

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Re: Brewhemoth Brag
« Reply #26 on: December 15, 2011, 12:11:23 pm »
Well mess with the current setup and see if it works for you. I pulled mine out of a coleman cooler and used it in two different applications- one with the ranco thermostat I have in my freezer right now.

The first time I swapped it into a igloo ice-cube cooler (blue) and it chilled into the low 50's. I placed it into the insulated tote and it would cool into the mid 60's with a lot of condensation and temp swings. But with some frozen bottles it worked well enough for fermenting ales. I wasn't happy though and abandoned this approach. Bought a freezer.

I think you might have to build and place the appropriate TEC's. There was a mention in Zymurgy with the ghetto chill 9000... I don't think you'll be lagering easily with the cooling unit.

Did you provide plenty of ventilation to the heatsink on the back if the device(s).

Offline tomsawyer

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Re: Brewhemoth Brag
« Reply #27 on: December 15, 2011, 12:33:09 pm »
Euge, do you understand what I'm talking about doing?  I'm not going to dissamble the wine chiller.  I am going to put a gallon or so container in the little wine cooler, something that will take up most of the volume of the cooler's interior.  Then I intend to pump this chilled coolant using a fountain pump, through the internal chilling coil of the Brewhemoth.

I know the little wine cooler will maintain temp on white wine, I've had several bottles in it before.  The question is whether it will keep up with a 5gal ferment, and I think it will at least while the basement is running around 63F.  It'd be nice to be abel to cool the wort down to 50F and do lagers, although I have other means for that (keezer).

I can also use the keezer as my cooling source for the reservoir, I just had this other device and thought it would make things more portable.  For that matter theres the small frig/freezer, I could put the coolant reservoir in the freezer.  I bet that would keep up easily.
« Last Edit: December 15, 2011, 12:35:26 pm by tomsawyer »
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline punatic

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Re: Brewhemoth Brag
« Reply #28 on: December 15, 2011, 12:38:43 pm »
Euge, do you understand what I'm talking about doing?  I'm not going to dissamble the wine chiller.  I am going to put a gallon or so container in the little wine cooler, something that will take up most of the volume of the cooler's interior.  Then I intend to pump this chilled coolant using a fountain pump, through the internal chilling coil of the Brewhemoth.

I know the little wine cooler will maintain temp on white wine, I've had several bottles in it before.  The question is whether it will keep up with a 5gal ferment, and I think it will at least while the basement is running around 63F.  It'd be nice to be abel to cool the wort down to 50F and do lagers, although I have other means for that (keezer).

I can also use the keezer as my cooling source for the reservoir, I just had this other device and thought it would make things more portable.  For that matter theres the small frig/freezer, I could put the coolant reservoir in the freezer.  I bet that would keep up easily.

Use lots of insulation.  That is a pretty inefficient cooling system.
There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way.


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Offline tomsawyer

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Re: Brewhemoth Brag
« Reply #29 on: December 15, 2011, 01:34:20 pm »
Yes I will wrap the system with something if necessary.  The one thing i have going for me in making the smaller batch in the larger fermentor, is that the empty space will act as a heat sink to some degree.  The internal coil sits low in the fermentor so I think I'll at least get full use of the system's capability.
Lennie
Hannibal, MO