Brewer's Friend Home Brewing Software

Good news for Oregon Home Brewers

The Oregon Senate has passed legislation to re-legalize aspects of home brewing that were outlawed last year. The bill, SB 444, invalidates last June’s article. At that time home brew clubs and beer competitions were considered illegal. The law was so narrowly reinterpreted that taking home brewed beer out of the house was seen as a problem.  It was stupid, and thankfully our democratic system has shown itself able to do some good.  The spirit of the laws surrounding alcohol regulation and taxation draw the line when money and commercial production come into play.  Unfortunately home brew got sucked into this temporarily but now that is fixed.

The credit for saving us goes to Sen. Floyd Prozanski! Oregon is fortunate that Sen. Prozanksi is a long time member of the Oregon Senate AND a long time home brewer.  I am impressed by the fact that not a single member of the Oregon Senate voted ‘No’ on the bill. All 30 members voted yes.  It was bi-partisan whoo hoo!

What the bill does in Oregon:

• Beer and wine competitions are legalized.
• Home brew clubs may operate again as they used to.  Members may bring the home brew to share and taste.
• Transportation of home brew is legal, including sweet wort.  You can brew at your friend’s house and ferment at your house.
• Compensation in the form of home brew contest prize money is legal.
• Club dues are legal provided the amount of the dues is NOT tied to the amount of home brew you get to drink.  Dues must be separate from how much beer you get during a meeting.
• Trading home brew is legal.
• Trading home brew ingredients is legal.
• Donating home brew to a not for profit qualifies for a tax deduction!?
• Restates statue limiting amounts of home brew per household.  If you are over 21 you can brew 100 gallons.  If your spouse or roommate is also over 21, you can brew up to 200 gallons between the both of you.
• Holders of a brewery public house license may allow customers to brew on site, provided alcohol by volume does not exceed 14% in the brew.  The customer made brew may not be consumed or sold in the pub.

It still needs to pass in the House, but it is widely expected to sail through without a problem. The bill has a rider that makes it go into effect when the Governor signs it. To track the progress of the bill:
https://gov.oregonlive.com/bill/2011/SB444/

For the full content of SB 444:
https://www.leg.state.or.us/11reg/measures/sb0400.dir/sb0444.intro.html

Posted in Announcements | 2 Comments »

Brewers Cannot Spell – Fermentor or Fermenter?

How do you spell fermenter, fermentor? According to my text editor both are spelled wrong! It is the big tub we put the wort in, add the yeast to, and watch bubble. It can also be called a fermentation vessel, carboy, or simply the primary.

According to google, fermentor gives 266,000 results, fermenter gives 725,000 results. Hmmm….

In product search, fermentor gives 689 results, fermenter gives 45,300 results. According to the market, the correct spelling must be with an ‘e’, fermenter.

It turns out yeast are also a fermenter, because of the ‘er’, in other words they do the fermentation.

This is giving me a headache. I’m ready for a beer. Here’s how my latest pale ale turned out:

Ahh that’s nice.

Posted in Fun | 4 Comments »

Hot Liquor Tank for All Grain Brewing

Advanced all grain brewers use a Hot Liquor Tank to heat their strike and sparge water. The term Hot Liquor Tank (HLT) is a misnomer that comes from the commercial brewing world. The HLT never holds anything that has alcohol in it or sweet wort. A better name would be a hot water tank, or hot water pot. The HLT has a simple job. It is the container where the brewing water is heated to mash temperature. The HLT is also where brewing salts are added to the source water.

In a gravity fed system, the HLT is at the highest level, the mash tun is at mid level, and the boil kettle is at the lowest level. Each level has a ball valve to allow draining to the next level with ease. Advanced setups involving a pump, single tier, or HERMS will have a modified version of an HLT.

1) Brewing water is heated in Hot Liquor Tank (HLT)
2) Mashing happens in Mash Lauter Tun (MLT)
3) Wort is drained into Boil Kettle (BK)

An HLT is a luxury for all grain brewers. Up until now, I was using a combination of a 20qt extract kettle and a 4 qt pot to heat my brewing water. This was based on a two-tier gravity system where the mash tun drained to my boil kettle. It works, but lifting 18qt of hot water is dicey. Now that I am going for a 3-tier gravity system in my brew shed I need the HLT.

Extract brewers do not have to worry about an HLT, since there is no mashing involved. Extract brewers should focus on building a mash tun first (bulkhead, mainfold ).

A complete HLT has the following:

• Ball Valve: for easily draining the brewing water to the mash lauter tun.
• Thermometer: used to tell how hot the water is that will be drained into the mash lauter tun. Get one that can be calibrated with a set screw.
• Sight Gauge: tells how much water is in the HLT
• Dip tube: allows you to drain to the bottom (see dip tube article).
• Capacity: Anything bigger than your brew kettle is wasted. I went with the same size for looks. Depending on the strategy for mashing, going with a smaller HLT would be fine.

The HLT I selected is from MoreBeer

I wanted an all inclusive package that would be hassle free. I also wanted to match my existing brew kettle which is also from MoreBeer. I have been very happy with both! Morebeer custom welds the stainless steel ball valve, fits the sight gauge and thermometer before shipping. It took about 10 days for the HLT to arrive. I had to add my own dip tube, just like with my kettle. Manufacturers don’t seem to get the utility of a built in dip tube on such a heavy pot.

Other things to note:

• When draining to your mash tun, make sure to use hosing rated for foods that can handle temperatures up to boiling.
• Accurate water volume is critical for all grain brewing. Make sure to account for dead space in the HLT when marking off the water volume ticks. The sight gauge doesn’t come with marks on it. See this page for information about total water calculations.
• The thermometer must be calibrated! Thankfully, MoreBeer HLT comes with a thermometer that can be adjusted. A poorly calibrated thermometer can lead to reduced brew house efficiency and differences in flavor and body if mash temperatures are wrong.

Morebeer.com gave BrewersFriend.com a $50 discount for writing this article.

Posted in Equipment | 10 Comments »

Brew Shed Plans The Obsession Continues

Home brewing is a fun hobby with many aspects. There is always something to do – a new batch, a do it yourself (DIY) build, or a brew shed.

The progression starts with a $150 kit from a friend and a 5 gallon batch of ale. This can lead to spending hundreds of dollars on equipment, including refrigeration systems, large boil kettles, and even computer controlled brewing sculptures. All this stuff needs a place to be kept. Closets, garages, basements, or a spare bedroom is where it beings to collect. Eventually, the brewer realizes a dedicated space is required. Separation of space is a good thing for the brewer, and for the rest of the brewer’s family.

You know you are seriously addicted to home brewing when you start making plans for a brew shed!

Here is a sketch of what I plan to build in the back yard:

The style is called timber framing or Tudorbethan and echos architecture in Germany/Austria from centuries past. I love the old world look and so does my wife, but it is not for everybody. I wanted room to store all my equipment, space for a computer desk, and lots of natural light. I plan to go with a monastery feel inside. I am thinking of a tile floor that looks like stone. Exposed beams will be faced in walnut. The stained glass window will shine on the brew sculpture in the morning!  A real place to meditate on brewing and get away from everything.

Design Considerations:

Some brew sheds double as a bar and hangout area (aka bloke shack). Many feature a man cave theme, hot babe posters, a big screen TV for watching the game, track lighting, and seating. Electrical and plumbing are good to consider, but they increase the cost. I found insulation is expensive, but essential since I want to store my wine out there too. It will have A/C and a heater to keep it between 50F-65F.

The brewing area will have an exhaust fan since I will be using propane initially. Never brew with propane in a non-ventilated area!

This shed doesn’t require permits here in Portland Oregon because of its size and height. It will be within the required property line setbacks. Check with your local building/zoning office to make sure your project conforms to the rules.

Google SketchUp was what I used to draw the plans. Their 3D warehouse is amazing. Someone had already taken the time to design brewing sculptures, kegs, freezers, etc. Look in the ‘components’ section of SketchUp to find that stuff. Very helpful and all free!

Here are the best pages I could find on others who built brew sheds:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f19/problems-swmbo-kids-195238/
https://www.jrbrewing.com/brewshed/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/my-new-brewery-alehouse-shed-brewing-porn-99310/
https://www.homebrewchatter.com/board/showthread.php?11067-My-brew-shed-build

You can also go with a pre-made option, such as these:
www.socalsheds.com
I personally wanted to design and construct my own brew shed, but some pre-built sheds are pretty nice too.

Cost and Time Line:

The materials estimate is around $8,000 for the complete 12’x16′ shed. That does not count labor I hire out. Keep in mind the $8,000 includes heavy duty concrete piers, electrical work, energy star doors and windows, insulation, a metal roof, gutters, etc. Hopefully we start getting the foundation in place this Spring. More to come on this topic!

Posted in Fun | 6 Comments »

Benjamin Franklin’s Birthday

Benjamin Franklin’s birthday is coming up Monday, January 17th. This year it happens to fall on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which makes it a day off for a lot of folks in the US. I plan to brew in honor of both!

Ben Franklin Quote:
“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”

There is some controversy over whether or not Ben actually said this. Apparently the quote comes from a letter he wrote, where in context he was talking about how the rains feed grape vines, and how good wine is. His exposure to fine wine makes sense. He spent a good deal of time in France as a diplomat while trying to get support for the revolution. The quote sounds great and fits with his popular style of witty truths. Even so, historians jumped on it and tore it apart:
https://urbanlegends.about.com/b/2008/09/15/misquote-ben-franklin-on-beer.htm

Personally, I am 100% sure Ben Franklin would be into home brewing, blogging, and beer.

What type of beer he would have had access to is another question. Unlike the so called hops shortage we had last year, there was a real hops shortage in the 18th century colonies. Also, many of the modern hop varieties we know and love did not exist back then. Some research indicates Goldings would have been available. The beer style would have been British (since America was under 21 years old still), and I bet it was towards the deep pale to brown end of the color spectrum. Molasses might have been an ingredient – the tax was ignored in the colonies!

This site has an excellent write up with detailed information on the topic of Poor Richard’s Ale:
https://www.benfranklin300.org/etc_article_ale.htm

Posted in Fun | 3 Comments »

Stainless Steel CAD Designed Dip Tube

A dip tube allows a kettle to drain to the bottom by itself. No lifting and pouring required. It works because of siphon action. Adding a dip tube to your kettle or HLT is something to consider.

My kettle has female 1/2″ pipe thread on the inside, with a ball valve on the outside. This made it possible to screw in the dip tube with wrenches and a little pipe dope. No welding was required. This dip tube leaves 1.5 quarts of dead space, but it is all trub anyway.  I actually get clearer wort in the primary. The other nice thing about this approach is it can be disassembled.

This dip tube is specifically made of stainless steel. Brass can contain trace amounts of lead. Copper is okay, but I don’t trust solder materials (or my soldering skills). A dip tube has to be completely air tight or the siphon won’t work.

This was not cheap at $39.35, however stainless steel fittings are expensive no matter where you go. Having a working dip tube on the first try was really nice. I was picturing several trips to the hardware store, until I realized a stainless steel fitting to go from pipe thread to compression thread is a specialty item. I started calling around and found Swagelok, a company with a local office that stocked what I needed and was ready to help. They actually designed this part just for me, and they saved the design so other people can order it too.

This dip tube was computer designed in an ISO-9000 shop with me looking over the engineer’s shoulder! Swagelok makes valves and fittings for all kinds of percision industrial applications like semi-conductor fabs. The CAD design is overkill, but in a cool way. Bending the stainless steel tube is the hardest part. It requires a special tool. It took them a couple tries to get it just right.

Here is the information on the parts, and how to contact them if you want to order it.
Swagelok Northwest (Portland Valve & Fitting Co.)
(503) 288-6901
www.swagelok.com

Part #: PORTL08-002, 1/2″ DIP TUBE

If you just want the connector, and not the tube, it is part SS-810-1-8.

Posted in Equipment | 1 Comment »

Instrument Calibration for Maximum Brewing Awesomeness

I am about to brew several batches of beer – whoot! In the spirit of science, and the interests of quality, I decided to recalibrate my equipment since it had been awhile. Besides, I broke my hydrometer and had to buy a new one, so I have no idea where I’m at with it. Beyond this basic checkup the brew kit doesn’t need much of a tune up this year besides tightening screws, checking seals on taps, and replacing old hoses. Here we come 2011 brewing season.

Brewing has aspects of chemistry involved. Scientific method is part of the process if you really want to master it. In order to replicate a batch accurate numbers must be measured and recorded. Please check out our brewday sheets for ready made record keeping.

Thermometer Calibration:

If you are an all grain brewer, it is essential to have at least one accurate thermometer and preferably a backup for use during the mash. I have a digital thermometer, and I keep an old school glass thermometer as a backup.

It turned out my digital thermometer was off by about ten degrees! This would have caused some very off mashes had I not addressed this.

My procedure was to check the temperature reading at freezing (32F / 0C), and at boiling (212F / 100C). I also compared the reading of my digital thermometer to my standard mercury thermometer. The procedure was simple, take some crushed ice and mix it in a glass of water. Let the ice start to melt. The solution will be at freezing temperature and should read within a tenth of a degree of 32F / 0C. Then I boiled a small pot of water and made sure it read 212F / 100C. I noticed some screwy readings, so I dug into the instructions on my digital unit and recalibrated it. This brought the numbers back to where they should be.

Hydrometer Calibration:

I would expect hydrometers to be factory calibrated, but of the two new ones I bought, one was +0.002. The other one was spot on and I’m using that now, but I have a mental note that my backup hydrometer needs an adjustment.

Keep in mind a hydrometer reading needs to be temperature corrected to 59F / 15C, or 68F / 20C depending on your hydrometer.
We have a calculator to handle that for you here.

The first thing to do is measure the hydrometer reading in plain water. Mine is calibrated to 59F. That means it should be 1.000 @59F. Also make sure to read the hydrometer correctly. The meniscus is the curve that forms due to surface tension from the suspended hydrometer. Usually the water line is what you want to read and not the meniscus, but it varies by model. The instructions will say how to read the hydrometer. The image below illustrates a 1.001 reading @ 68F and points out the meniscus which should be ignored in my case. After temperature correction, this hydrometer would read 1.002 in water. +0.002 is quite a bit (4% off for an average batch).

The second thing to do is prepare a sugar solution that will give you a reading of 1.046. One pound of table sugar in one gallon of water has a specific gravity of 1.046. My graduated cylinder (the tube the sample goes in) holds about 6 ounces, and 5 ounces is a good amount for taking a reading. Here’s where the math comes in. Figure out how many ounces you want to use for you reading, then use the equation below to figure out how much sugar to add in ounces.

Formula for 1.046 solution:
{ounces of water for hydrometer sample} * 0.125 = {ounces of table sugar needed}

I needed 5 ounces of water, and 5 * 0.125 = 0.625. I measured out 0.625 ounces of sugar and dissolved that into solution.

Derivation:
1 pound of sugar in 1 gallon of water has a specific gravity of 1.046, thus:
16 ounces of sugar in 128 ounces of water has a specific gravity of 1.046.
16 / 128 = 0.125, so we need 0.125 ounces of sugar per ounce of water for a 1.046 solution.

My good hydrometer read 1.045, and the screwy one read 1.047, but after temperature correction (68F to 59F), the numbers came out to 1.046 and 1.048. Now I’m ready to brew like a scientist!

Posted in Equipment | 7 Comments »

Moldy Wet Keezer Solution

Here’s quick tip for your keezer if you are having moisture or mold problems. Purchase a moisture absorbing product like DampRid or DryRid and drop it in your keezer (clean your keezer first if it is moldy). You can find DampRid or a similar product at your local hardware store next to the cleaning products. I spent about $10 on this and I’m very pleased. My keezer is now bone dry and the mold has not returned.

Freezers are designed to operate below freezing. They naturally collect condensation on the interior walls. Normally the condensation freezes and builds up a thin layer of ice. When a freezer is hooked up to a temperature controller set between 34-50F, the moisture is kept inside the keezer. The higher temperature and humidity creates a breeding ground for bacteria and mold. When beer is spilled it gets even worse. Every drop of spilled beer can turn into a mini breeding colony in a matter of days. Do not try keeping a towel in the bottom, it will just trap moisture and make it worse.

My moisture problem eventually led me to completely clean out my keezer. I let it dry out for about a week after cleaning it. I caulked the interior joints where water would seep into. When the caulk was dry I used an exterior primer paint to coat the surfaces to hide scrapes and rust spots that had developed. Two coats did the trick. It looks brand new inside. With the damp rid bucket in the keezer, it is now completely dry when in operation. I’m not sure how long the bucket will last me. It cost about $10. I set the Damp Rid on the hump so it is not taking up valuable storage space for kegs.

There are other products out there besides DampRid. I looked into buying reusable crystals that you microwave when they change color. There are also electronic devices that you can plug-in every so often to purge moisture. After reading reviews I decided I didn’t want to spend the money for a large unit, and choose to ignore the cheapo units. The cheapo units would require plugging in every one or two weeks, and that would be a hassle. The smaller products are designed for gun safes or closets. An environment like a kezzer where moisture is constantly collecting requires a stronger solution. I also wanted a hands off solution, so the bucket did the trick.

For my setup, I am using a picnic tap to dispense beer from my corny kegs. It takes extra care to keep beer from spilling. I keep a rag inside the keezer to set the picnic tap on so it absorbs any beer left in the spout of the tap. The rag is also handy to wipe up spills.

It might be possible to purchase moisture absorbing crystals in bulk. I believe it is just Calcium Chloride. Maybe one of our readers knows more about this?

Posted in Kegging and CO2 | 13 Comments »

Deschutes Brewery Tour

I visited Deschutes brewery in Bend, Oregon recently. The tour was fun and the free beer was great. They let visitors enjoy four complimentary 4oz samples from any of their main styles (Stout, Porter, Mirror Pond, IPA, and Cascade Lakes Organic). That works out to a free pint! They will also have small number of seasonals or special brews on tap to choose from. Do not expect the same selection available at their brew pubs (one in Bend, one in Portland). I hit up the brewery both days I was in Bend. It just happened to be ‘on the way’ to where we were going on our trip through central Oregon.

I highly recommend the tour, it was hands down the best I’ve ever been on. They are used to having home brewers visit and are open about their processes. It was a great learning experience. Here are some of the highlights:

Deschutes Brewing Process:

• They centrifuge their beer (as opposed to pasteurize or filter).
• They use 4 carbon filters on the local city water, then add brewing salts to style.
• Brewing kettles come from Germany, Huppmann brand. They are seamless construction. The kettles are so big they had to shut down a highway to truck them into Bend Oregon.
• They re-pitch yeast up to 4 times.
• Use an advanced laboratory for analyzing ingredients, wort, and beer to ensure highest quality and consistency. If they get an off batch they will make another batch to offset the problem and then blend the two.

About The Business:

• Founded in 1988, still privately owned and independently operated by its founder Gary Fish.
• Deschutes is currently the top independent brewer in Oregon, and has a goal of becoming the top microbrew in the US.
• Deschutes is looking to buy or build a brewery on the east coast to expand operations in that part of the country.

The Culture:

• The ‘restroom’ adjacent to the lunch room is actually a tap room.
• Everyday each employee gets a free pint of whatever they would like.
• They have a gourmet chef on site to prepare food for the staff.
• They have a strict quality control process and use lean practices.
• All employees can participate in tasting the beer for quality control. This includes being slipped off flavors and learning to distinguish between defects. Very cool way to learn about tasting!

For Home Brewers:

• They will give you hints about their recipes, but it is not a lot to go on. They give a rough outline of the ingredients only. The times, temperatures, and amounts are up to you. Turns out that is essential to getting it right, I’m still trying to perfect my Mirror Pond clone…
• Here’s a hint I saw written on a whiteboard in the brewery: boil the ESB and Green Lakes for 75 minutes.

The main Deschutes hub is in Bend, OR (brewery on west side of river, brew pub downtown). If you are ever in Portland, check out their brewpub in the Pearl District. They have a wide selection of locally made brews, and great food.

For more information:
https://www.deschutesbrewery.com

Deschutes was kind enough to hook me up with a t-shirt for writing this post.

Posted in Fun | 4 Comments »

Wax Sealed Home Brew Tested

For centuries the seal of choice on spirits and wines was melted wax. Lately special release craft beers are being sold with a wax seal. Home brewers can wax seal bottled beer without too much trouble. All it takes is melting the wax, dipping the top of the bottle, and letting it dry. The wax adds a touch of old world feel to the bottle. A wax sealed bottle screams: “I contain some serious brew!”.

I tired this to see what it is like. I’m glad I did it once, but I probably won’t do it very often.

The wax can be bought in a variety of colors. Search for ‘bottle seal wax’ or ‘bottle wax’ online or at your local home brew store (LHBS). It might be in the wine section. A one pound bag is available for under $10.

Process:

Bottle your beer as normal and cap. I recommend oxy-caps. Clean out a tin can you don’t care about and gently melt the wax. Prepare a landing zone for the dipped bottles. The wax gets really hot and in my case, started to pop and shoot everywhere. It took a lot of time to get the wax completely melted, a puck formed on the inside of the can. I recommend a mild heat setting to melt the wax and a long stick to stir with. Make sure to turn off the burner when you go to dip the bottles.

Safety Disclaimer: The wax is hot and you should wear eye and hand protection. Do not over heat the wax, and do not leave the flame unattended. Shut off the flame when you are working above it. My package of wax recommended a temp between 160F and 170F, and to never pour water on a wax fire, instead use an extinguisher or cover with a metal lid.

After dipping the top I rotated the bottle to help cover the crimps in the cap. The cap is the hardest part to cover completely. Multiple coats will be needed depending on how thick you want the wax to be.

The wax can also be spooned out on top of the beer cap but this can create runs. Some people add floss or some kind of fabric around the cap so it makes the tear off easier.

Do It Yourself Wax:

Some people have used Gulf Wax (parrafin) and crayons for tint. This approach is a little cheaper than buying the already made wax beads. Using your own wax may require mixing in Vaseline or other additives to get the desired texture. I think buying the bag of wax pellets made for this purpose is worth the extra couple of dollars.

An excellent thread on a do it yourself approach using glue sticks is here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/hot-glue-bottle-wax-experiment-127485/

Some Critiques On Wax Sealed Beer:

Yes, the wax seal makes it harder to open the bottle and creates a mess, sealing the bottles is time consuming, and the need for an additional seal beyond the cap is questionable. The benefits are mainly aesthetic. Home brewing is all about fun, and pride in your brew, so go for it if you want to! I would not put much faith in the extra sealing power the wax affords. I use oxycaps on all of my bottled beer, and I’ve opened bottled 2 years later that tasted awesome.

One clear drawback I noticed is the extra time it takes to clean the bottle if you want to reuse it. Of course that is not a concern when the bottle is given away.

In commercial news on this issue, Maker’s Mark bourbon has legal protection for their wax sealing practice as it was ruled to be part of their trademark: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/business/03bourbon.html

Big dark beers like Barely Wines, Belgian Strongs, Russian Imperial Stout, Double Imperial Porters, etc… are all great candidates for wax sealing!

Posted in Brewing | 6 Comments »