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Author Topic: so the debate is  (Read 10960 times)

Offline The Professor

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Re: so the debate is
« Reply #15 on: February 07, 2010, 10:29:14 pm »
You can start with a killer AG recipe, the freshest, best quality ingredients, and a big slurry of healthy yeast, but if you can't control the fermentation, you won't make great beer.  If you do go AG, you'll need temp control anyway....why not take care of that first?

Right on the money, Denny, as always.
AL
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Offline MDixon

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Re: so the debate is
« Reply #16 on: February 08, 2010, 05:27:26 am »
Alright, I'll ask - what's the tin foil for?

Well, since you asked...

When most people sparge they invert a plate, use a pie plate, float a tupperware lid or perhaps a flip flop on top of the mash to disperse the water and avoid disturbing the grain bed. Many purchase the whirlygig or some other such nonsense. I was of the floating tupperware lid/flip flop variety until one day it dawned on me to simply perforate some foil and put the sparge water on it. I'm so frugal I rinse off the foil and reuse.  ;D

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Offline denny

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Re: so the debate is
« Reply #17 on: February 08, 2010, 09:31:05 am »
When most people sparge they invert a plate, use a pie plate, float a tupperware lid or perhaps a flip flop on top of the mash to disperse the water and avoid disturbing the grain bed.

When sensible people sparge, they batch sparge and dispense with all that nonsense!  ;)
« Last Edit: February 08, 2010, 11:11:55 am by denny »
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Offline bluesman

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Re: so the debate is
« Reply #18 on: February 08, 2010, 10:47:54 am »
First things first. One needs to master ferm control before one can make quality beer. That's the first order of business.

With that being said...when I made the switch to all-grain...there was no looking back.  8)
Ron Price

Offline tubercle

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Re: so the debate is
« Reply #19 on: February 08, 2010, 11:44:31 am »
  When I switched to all grain my quality went up beyond my expectations not counting the possibilities it opened up by being so versatile.

   But I still didn't realize how sub-par they were until I got temp control.
 
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Offline dannyj621

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Re: so the debate is
« Reply #20 on: February 08, 2010, 01:47:27 pm »
i think im gonna go with denny and beerocd on this one my buddy has the cooler chest hes gonna buy the stuff to make our mash and i just bought a freezer chest for 36 bucks and im ordering the temp controller for it so thanks alot everyone appreciate it
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Offline babalu87

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Re: so the debate is
« Reply #21 on: February 08, 2010, 03:16:11 pm »
Chest cooler is the way to go. You can always upgrade if you want to later but it gets you on the door cheap.

Love controller is a great one for a chest freezer control
Jeff

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Offline beerrat

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Re: so the debate is
« Reply #22 on: February 08, 2010, 05:05:48 pm »
Fermentation control.  I do a mix off all grain and extract brewing and both are impacted by these key items: sanitation, fermentation temp control, and water quality (in my case, get the chlorine out). Once that process is repeatable, then all grain becomes the variable, not the fundamentals.

Good luck!

Offline beerocd

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Re: so the debate is
« Reply #23 on: February 08, 2010, 05:17:37 pm »
When most people sparge they invert a plate, use a pie plate, float a tupperware lid or perhaps a flip flop on top of the mash to disperse the water and avoid disturbing the grain bed.

When sensible people sparge, they batch sparge and dispense with all that nonsense!  ;)

You can sparge with this too, just lay it down on top of the mash. No splashing, little temp drop.
The moral majority, is neither.

Offline mr_jeffers

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Re: so the debate is
« Reply #24 on: February 08, 2010, 08:14:18 pm »
After reading this thread, I think I'll put off all grain for the time being and get my fermentation under control.  Do most people use the single stage (heat or cool) or the dual stage (heat and cool) controllers?
Jeff Brown
Southern Maine Homebrewers

Offline Hokerer

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Re: so the debate is
« Reply #25 on: February 08, 2010, 08:30:06 pm »
After reading this thread, I think I'll put off all grain for the time being and get my fermentation under control.  Do most people use the single stage (heat or cool) or the dual stage (heat and cool) controllers?

Single stage (cool) here.  Don't think I've ever had a fermentation where I needed to warm it up.
Joe

Offline MDixon

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Re: so the debate is
« Reply #26 on: February 09, 2010, 04:19:17 am »
If you do need to warm it up (say a fridge/freezer on a temp controller in an unheated space during the winter), you can simply place an incandescent bulb of low wattage (15-40w) in the fermentation area and allow the fridge/freezer to function as it normally would.
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Offline ndcube

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Re: so the debate is
« Reply #27 on: February 09, 2010, 05:30:45 am »
The single stage that I have (Love) with heat or cool, just not at the same time like the dual stage version.  I would need to unplug the freezer and plug in a heater or lamp and switch over to heating mode.

Offline babalu87

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Re: so the debate is
« Reply #28 on: February 09, 2010, 05:34:21 am »
After reading this thread, I think I'll put off all grain for the time being and get my fermentation under control.  Do most people use the single stage (heat or cool) or the dual stage (heat and cool) controllers?

Single stage (cool) here.  Don't think I've ever had a fermentation where I needed to warm it up.

I'm warming up a lager in my basement now in a swap "cooler"
Basement is in the low-mid 40's, need an aquarium heater in the "cooler" plugged into a Love controller to keep it warm enough  ;D
Jeff

On draught:
IIPA, Stout, Hefeweizen, Hallertau Pale Ale, Bitter

Primary:
Hefeweizen,Berliner Weisse, Mead

Offline Thirsty_Monk

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Re: so the debate is
« Reply #29 on: February 09, 2010, 09:41:31 am »
Do most people use the single stage (heat or cool) or the dual stage (heat and cool) controllers?

It really depends on ambient temp where you ferment.
If you have ferment fridge in the garage and temp swings wildly then get two stage controller.
If you ferment in basement where there is quite moderate temperature you could get by single stage.

I use dual stage Ranco controller and I ferment in the basement.
My ambient basement temp is 53F.
When I brew lager I cool first week and then I raise temp 2F each day till I hit 56F - 58F.
I will have to heat there.
When I ferment Ales I would have to heat now all the time.

Johnson is a good controller but it is PIA when switching from cool to heat because you have to open the box.
With Ranco it is just in settings.
Not sure about LOVE controller.
Na Zdravie

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