Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Rate my system!  (Read 16340 times)

Offline ibru

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 222
  • Brew Day is My Day!
Re: Rate my system!
« Reply #45 on: March 31, 2011, 09:10:06 am »
Last Sunday I did my first batch sparge on a pale ale. I started at heating water and crushing grain at 1 o'clock. My wife came out to my mancave at six to see how it was going. The only thing I had left was to pitch the yeast. My extraction was about as good (~75%) as I get fly sparging.

I could really like this!

Only complaint is I got done too early, had to take the wife out to dinner....

Offline Beer Monger

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 484
  • ---Michael Dieterle--------- ---Seattle, WA
    • Beer Monger - Adventures In the Wonderful World of Beer.
Re: Rate my system!
« Reply #46 on: March 31, 2011, 09:17:35 am »
Last Sunday I did my first batch sparge on a pale ale. I started at heating water and crushing grain at 1 o'clock. My wife came out to my mancave at six to see how it was going. The only thing I had left was to pitch the yeast. My extraction was about as good (~75%) as I get fly sparging.

I could really like this!

Only complaint is I got done too early, had to take the wife out to dinner....

Hey, I enjoy taking my wife out to dinner (but I enjoy cooking for her too).  :) 
Beer Monger's Blog
Follow my Beer Monger page on Facebook!

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.

Offline dak0415

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 558
  • Winston-Salem, NC
Re: Rate my system!
« Reply #47 on: March 31, 2011, 09:23:34 am »
Only complaint is I got done too early, had to take the wife out to dinner....

Showing her that you can take time to brew AND give her HER time - priceless!
Dave Koenig
Anything worth doing - is worth overdoing!

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27070
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Rate my system!
« Reply #48 on: March 31, 2011, 09:46:44 am »
Only complaint is I got done too early, had to take the wife out to dinner....

Dude, that's called keeping the gun loaded with beer bullets.  You don't know it's empty until it's too late!
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline ibru

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 222
  • Brew Day is My Day!
Re: Rate my system!
« Reply #49 on: March 31, 2011, 10:32:31 am »
Quote
Only complaint is I got done too early, had to take the wife out to dinner....

Showing her that you can take time to brew AND give her HER time - priceless!
Quote


Yep, I did get a few points with her...

BTW Monger, your system is similar to the way I built mine. My hot water tank is directly below the mast tun (orange, like yours). I use a 2 quart pitcher to bail my water for mashing and sparging. I didn't have enough head room to be totally gravity.

Offline ibru

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 222
  • Brew Day is My Day!
Re: Rate my system!
« Reply #50 on: March 31, 2011, 10:37:46 am »
I haven't quite caught on to the posting quotes, bear with me...

Beer gun??? Guess I got room for it in my safe. Like the idea! You can never have too many bullets for shooting or cashing in....

Offline Beer Monger

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 484
  • ---Michael Dieterle--------- ---Seattle, WA
    • Beer Monger - Adventures In the Wonderful World of Beer.
Re: Rate my system!
« Reply #51 on: March 31, 2011, 11:01:28 am »
Quote
Only complaint is I got done too early, had to take the wife out to dinner....

Showing her that you can take time to brew AND give her HER time - priceless!
Quote


Yep, I did get a few points with her...

BTW Monger, your system is similar to the way I built mine. My hot water tank is directly below the mast tun (orange, like yours). I use a 2 quart pitcher to bail my water for mashing and sparging. I didn't have enough head room to be totally gravity.
Have you thought about investing in a pump? 
Beer Monger's Blog
Follow my Beer Monger page on Facebook!

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.

Offline ibru

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 222
  • Brew Day is My Day!
Re: Rate my system!
« Reply #52 on: March 31, 2011, 11:59:55 am »
I do have a pump that I use to move wort from my brew pot through my counter chiller into my conical that sits in a temp controlled freezer. I just starting using it the last two brews. I just haven't put the valve on my water vessel yet. I will also have to make a "dipstick" so I know how much water I'm adding. Guess I didn't want to add too much too fast. I also needed to build my beer inventory. 

Offline oscarvan

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1707
Re: Rate my system!
« Reply #53 on: April 04, 2011, 05:32:50 am »
Large (blue-ish) cooler..... batch sparge. Two short pieces of hose, on from the HLT to the MLT, one from the MLT to the BK. No whirlies, no pumps, no issues. Beer tastes good.
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline Bret

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 210
Re: Rate my system!
« Reply #54 on: April 04, 2011, 12:19:47 pm »
Yeah, Denny, I brewed the pale ale and tried the batch sparge.  Wort seems good--got a slightly lower gravity than expected, but this might be something else--I hadn't used the type of malt in a while.  My set up is a little small for it--hard to get the amount of sparge water in all at once, but 
I do think I am sticking with it due to the issues Gordon points out.
Member #: 900000767

Offline Will's Swill

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 359
  • Secretly likes wine...
Re: Rate my system!
« Reply #55 on: April 05, 2011, 07:48:28 pm »
Large (blue-ish) cooler..... batch sparge. Two short pieces of hose, on from the HLT to the MLT, one from the MLT to the BK. No whirlies, no pumps, no issues. Beer tastes good.

Large (actually blue!) cooler..... fly sparge.  Two short pieces of hose, one from the HLT to the MLT, one from the MLT to the BK.  No whirlies, no issues.  Beer tastes good.  And it doesn't take any longer than batch sparging.  And once the input/output flow to the MLT is balanced (takes about 30 seconds of messing with two ball valves), I sit and drink a beer until everything has drained.  No reheating sparge water, no stirring, no re-vorlaufing.

Don't worry, I've batch sparged, too.  I prefer fly sparging, but only slightly and probably only because I started out that way.  Do what works best for you, obviously.
Is that a counter-pressure bottle filler in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?