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I love my Keezer

Home brewers who keg their beer have a keezer or kegerator to keep it cold.

Kegerator = keg + refrigerator
Keezer = kegerator + freezer
Keezer = the place where my beer is kept cold and on tap

I prefer the Keezers, not to be confused with Geezers…

A kegerator or keezer can also double as a way to lager. I have used a standard fridge (kegerator) in the past. In the image above, the bucket on the right is a German lager bubbling away. In my opinion, the chest freezer setup (keezer) is much much better than a top/bottom fridge (kegerator). The keezer was cheaper to get setup, it holds more, and it is quieter. I think it also draws less power than a fridge.

Most setups will require a temperature controller. Freezers are designed to go below 32F, so to avoid freezing the beer, the temperature controller cuts power to the compressor when the desired temperature is hit. I keep mine around 40F, but raise it to 50F when doing my primary fermentation for lagers. You can just barely see in the bottom left corner where the senor probe is duct taped to the inside of the freezer.

The unit I went with is the Frigidaire 7.2 Cubic Ft. Chest Freezer from Lowe’s, Model #FFC0723GB. I paid $228 with free delivery! The top/bottom fridge I bought was $499.

Home Brew Talk has an awesome thread about the options here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/sizing-your-chest-freezer-corny-kegs-75449/

You can choose between getting one that holds anywhere from 2-10 corny kegs!

The only down side I have found is it is a little harder to lift full buckets, carboys, and corny kegs into the unit.

The inside of chest freezers have a ‘hump’ where the motor is. Corny kegs are too tall to sit on top the hump because the lid would not close. The way around this is to build a collar extension that raises the height of the lid. Most people put their taps through the collar.

In the image above there is a rag to catch drips from the picnic tap. I have read that keezers can get gross inside if not taken care of. Once I spilled a bit of beer on some bottles and did not take care of it. A few weeks later mold started growing. It wasn’t too bad, but I’m glad I caught it early. To avoid any future mess I make sure any beer that goes astray is wiped up immediately. Sometimes the walls of the keezer have moisture on them so I wipe them off occasionally.

Posted in Equipment, Kegging and CO2, Lagering | 4 Comments »

Second Year Hops are Sprouting

Compared to this time last year, the hops are huge! They are now second generation and should yield a lot more cones this fall. These hops have been in the ground for 12 months. They sprouted early because of the warmer winter in Oregon. I noticed the sprouts forming last week. Since hops are a perennial, they continue to regenerate every year with a new vine shoot starting in the spring. These are of course the female plant, designed for collecting the cones for use in brewing.

In a few weeks I will setup the lines the vines will grow on, hanging down from the eve of the house. I will also prune back the crowns to just the two strongest shoots. That way the plant puts all its growing energy into the remaining vines, instead of spread out across a dozen shoots. This practice results in a higher yield of hops cones.

Next year, I will need to thin out the root system around the plants so that they do not take over my entire property.

The nugget variety is a deep purple color and already has a shoot 1 foot long (not pictured).

For a size comparison, take a look at last year’s sprouts:
https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/04/19/baby-hops-sprout-pictures/

Posted in Hops Growing | No Comments »

Hops Types Pellet Plug Leaf

Hops come in three different packages, pellet, plug and leaf (whole/loose leaf). The difference between pellet, plug and whole leaf hops is much more than cosmetic. Aside from looking different, these variations will affect hop utilization (to a degree), freshness, and ease of storage/use. The best hop type for you will be based on your brewing style, storage room and equipment.

Pellet Hops:

Pellet hops are hop cones which have been pulverized and then squeezed into compact little pellets. These hops are highly processed which generally leads to a slightly higher cost per ounce. Listed below are some facts about hop pellets:

• They are no less “fresh” than whole/loose leaf hops
• They are the easiest of the three to store as they are very compact and require less room
• The fact that they are pulverized leads to approximately 10% better utilization over leaf hops
• They are very effective as “dry hops” as well since the processing pulverizes the lupulin glands
• They stay fresh longer than plug or leaf hops due to being compacted into pellets, reducing surface area, and reducing oxidation of the alpha acids
• They settle out in the kettle and in the fermenter easily along with trub and yeast
• Soak up less wort than plug or leaf hops
• Cannot be strained from the wort easily, will plug strainer

Plug Hops:

Plug hops are nearly a hybrid of pellet and whole leaf hops, being whole leaf hops that are simply compressed into 2 oz. (typically) plugs, about the size of a wine cork. With this process you get leaf hops (not pulverized), but in a more compact state than if you simply buy loose leaf hops. Here are a few facts about plug hops:

• They are no less “fresh” than leaf hops
• They are much easier to store than leaf hops
• They have only slightly higher utilization than leaf hops
• They do not settle out in the kettle and fermenter nicely like pellet hops do
• You will need a way to filter out these hop leaves when transferring liquids so that they do not plug tubing, siphons and dip tubes
• They will retain freshness longer than loose leaf hops due to being compressed, thus leading to less surface area and oxidation.
• Will soak up noticeably more wort than pellet hops
• Can be strained from the wort easily
• Design to fit through the neck of a carboy

Whole Leaf Hops:
Leaf hops are just that… the whole leaf, nothing else. These hops are also called loose leaf hops, as they are simply dry hop cones, not pulverized and not compressed in any way. Typically, these are cheaper to purchase than pellet or plug hops as there is less processing involved, but this is not always the case. Here are some facts about loose leaf hops:

• They are no more “fresh“ than pellet or plug hops
• They require much more space to store (3-4x as much)
• They do not settle out in the kettle and fermenter nicely like pellet hops do
• You will need a way to filter out these hop leaves when transferring liquids so that they do not plug tubing, siphons, chillers and dip tubes
• Due to their loose structure and greater surface area, these hops are more susceptible to oxidation and degradation than plug hops, and much more so than pellet hops.
• Will soak up noticeably more wort than pellet hops
• Can be strained from the wort easily

Finally, to preserve the characteristics (alpha acids) of any hops, you should vacuum seal them in either a vacuum sealed plastic bag, or in vacuum sealed Mason jars. Once sealed, the hops should be frozen, or at the very least, stored cold. Doing so will mitigate the dangers of oxidizing the hops and keep them fresh much longer. If you do have the capability to store hops vacuum sealed and frozen, you also open up the possibility of buying them in bulk and saving 50%-75% over buying them at most local home brew stores.

Posted in Ingredients | 2 Comments »

The Four Brewing Seasons (2 of 4)

Each season has at least one beer style that it is known for, if not several. This season an Oktoberfest / Marzen recipe has been selected. This is part TWO of a four part (season) series about these seasonal brews. Spring is quickly approaching, although much of the country is still in the grips of a deep freeze, it is time to start thinking about warmer days, melting ice and snow and brewing outdoors again!

When I think Spring, I think about March… in like a lion and out like a lamb as my grandmother used to say. When I think of March, I think of Oktoberfest! What…? Maybe some explanation is necessary for some of you. The beers served at the traditional German Oktoberfest in the month of October are actually brewed in the month of March, which is whey they are often called Marzens, or Marzenbier which means March Beer, in German.

Prior to modern refrigeration equipment, cold storage of beer consisted of underground caves and stone cellars. Often these storage areas were near ponds or bodies of water so that ice could be cut during the winter months and used for cooling during the summer months. Marzens, or Oktoberfest lagers, were brewed in the month of March and then stored through the spring and summer months until the Autumn festival.

Marzens are known for their full body, toasty flavor and mild hopping. Deep copper in color with an inviting,rich malt flavor and aroma, this beer is an excellent way to celebrate Autumn. Brewing this beer in preparation for Oktoberfest is an excellent way to welcome Spring!

Oktoberfest/Marzen (5 gallons)
This lager is malty, toasty, smooth, lightly hopped and perfect for those late Autumn gatherings around the fire pit. Brew it now so that it is ready for Oktoberfest at your home this Autumn!

MALT BILL – All Grain:
Vienna Malt 8.00 pounds
Munich Malt 1.00 pounds
Crystal 60L 1.00 pounds

Mash at 152F for 60 minutes

MALT BILL – Extract:
Light dry malt extract 5.75 pounds
Steep:
Vienna Malt 1.00 pounds
Munich Malt 0.50 pounds
Crystal 60L 0.50 pounds

HOP BILL:
Tettnang 1.25 ounce 90 mintues 3.3 IBUs
Tettnang .25 ounce 30 minutes 3.3 IBUs

YEAST:
White Labs 820 Oktoberfest/Marzen
Since this is a lager a starter is needed, click here on information about making a yeast starter.

FERMENTATION:
Primary Ferment at 55F for 3 weeks
Lager from April-October, 4-6 weeks minimum at 35-40F

RECIPE STATISTICS:
OG: 1.053
FG: 1.016
IBU: 20.9
SRM: 11.6
ABV: 4.8

Brew NOW, enjoy at your Oktoberfest celebration!

Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments »

Hops Alpha Acid Table 2009

Updated for the 2009 harvest.  New varieties added – thanks to everyone who wrote in!

Alpha Acids from hops contribute to the bitterness in beer. During the boil alpha acids are isomerized and increase international bittering units (IBUs). This site has an IBU calculator.

Hops also contain beta acids, which contribute to aroma only. The more alpha acids the more bittering potential per ounce. For example, one ounce of Northern Brewer (8.5) is roughly equivalent of two ounces of Domestic Hallertau (3.9) in terms of bittering potential.

This chart is a general guideline only. The actual AA varies from year to year depending on the weather, harvest conditions, and storage.

If you do not see your hops listed here please leave a comment or send us feedback and we will find out for you!

Posted in Hops Growing | 14 Comments »

Digital Thermometer for Brewing

A handy tool in brewing is a digital thermometer. When it comes to all grain brewing this is a must to accurately monitor and maintain the desired mash temperature. It also helps to know when boil is approaching (“a watched pot never boils…”). I keep this handy tool by my side when ever I brew.

This digital thermometer by CDN is called the “Q2-450 Proaccurate Quicktip Digital Thermometer”. They currently run about $18 on Amazon.com. We also use it around the house occasionally when baking or cooking.

Some tips:

• Make sure to calibrate it first! It was off by several degrees, which can throw off a mash severely. The instructions say to stir up some crushed ice.
• Keep it clean.
• Remember to keep it off, so that the battery lasts longer.

Brewers who build out their rig will want to go with a thermometer embedded inside their hot liquor tank or mash lauter tun. This has been covered by a separate Brewer’s Friend article.

Posted in Equipment | 3 Comments »

Yeast Washing 101

Yeast washing is a simple, yet useful procedure that will allow you to harvest, store, and re-use yeast from your own yeast bank for pennies per brew session. Please review how to make a starter and why a stir plate to help you best re-activate your yeast after cold storage.

SANITATION: You must sanitize everything in this process! Storing yeast successfully is fully dependent on keeping the samples pure.

YEAST STOCK: You will harvest the yeast that you are about to wash and store from a recently (same day) emptied fermenter. This yeast cake or slurry will be the basis for all that you are about to do. This is the yeast that will go on to propagate new colonies in future brews. See Fig 1

Fig 1.

HARVESTING: After racking the fermented beer from atop a yeast cake, there will generally be some liquid left along with the yeast cake. Swirl this around and loosen the yeast cake so that you can pour the slurry (sometimes chunks) of yeast into a sanitized flask or 1 gal. carboy. You want plenty of spare volume. Your yeast slurry will be full of trub, some break material, and hop particles. Currently, it is probably looking VERY thick and has no defined layers, though we are about to fix this! Fig 2

Fig 2.

WASH: You will want to have about a half gallon (ample amounts) of boiled and cooled water on hand (so we don’t cook the yeast). In your flask or carboy use enough of this water to double or triple the volume of the slurry that you currently have. Give it a few swirls to mix all of the contents (slurry and water) together. Cover with sanitized foil. See Fig 3

Fig 3.

WAIT: Given as little as 15-20 minutes to sit, you will be able to see some drastic stratification in your slurry. The heavier particles, trub, and break material will settle out quite quickly, leaving a dark layer with progressively lighter layers above it. Atop these dark layers you will have a creamy layer of liquid. This is what you want, water and yeast in suspension. See Fig 4

Fig 4.

SEPARATION: You will want to have several sanitized jars available to decant this creamy, yeast filled liquid into. Pour the creamy liquid containing the suspended yeast off of the sediment and into as many jars as it takes to hold it. Now you will have 2-4 jars full of this creamy looking liquid that you will place sanitized lids on, and then place into the refrigerator. See Fig 5. After some time has passed in the fridge you will see that the liquid is now much clearer and there is a nice bright layer of clean yeast at the bottom of each jar. See  Fig 6

Fig 5.

Fig 6.

STORING: If your sanitation practices are good, you can store this yeast for months. The yeast should remain in these jars, sealed and refrigerated, until you are ready to make a yeast starter to awaken them. It would also be a good idea to mark these jars with the yeast name, the date, and R1, for “reuse #1”, This way you can keep track of how many times you have re-used this yeast. See Fig 7. Typically after repeated uses the yeast will begin to mutate and its characteristics may change to a degree. You can typically feel confident re-using yeast 4-5 times before degradation is detected.

Fig 7.

RE-USING: When you would like to re-use this strain of yeast, simply allow a single jar of washed yeast to gradually warm to room temperature, decant the liquid and pitch the washed slurry from the bottom of the jar into some new starter wort. See how to make a yeast starter HERE.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

1. You can NEVER be too careful with sanitation when it comes to yeast washing/storing.
2. Do use a large clear glass container (large flask or 1 gal. carboy) for the HARVESTING and WASH steps in the process.
3. Ball or Mason jars make excellent containers for the WAIT and STORAGE steps in the process.
4. Be sure to sanitize the jar lids before securing them and storing your yeast.
5. Mark your jars with the yeast name, the date and the reuse/generation number (R1, R2,…) and so on to keep track of how many times you have washed this yeast and re-used it.

Update 11/12/2011: Check out the article on Bad Batches to see why you might want to avoid re-pitching yeast, or if you do so, make sure to understand the risks involved.

Posted in Yeast Cultures | 32 Comments »

Malt Conditioning

I find that the longer I brew, the more involved I become in the process and the mechanics of every detail. Learning new techniques and testing them on your own is part of the joy of having a hobby as vast as home brewing. Some new processes or techniques offer little advantage, and thus are disregarded. However, some techniques require so little effort and provide such a noticeable difference that they become standard. For me, malt conditioning is one such technique.

Malt conditioning is a very simple process which consists of adding a very small amount of water to your grain bill prior to milling. The addition of water to your un-crushed malt results in more resilient grain husks. The husks take on a more “leathery” feeling. They are less dry and brittle, which means that they will remain much more intact during the milling process.

Why would a brewer care to leave their grain husks more intact during the milling process? There are several reasons that would lead one to consider malt conditioning:

• Pulverized husks can lead to tanning astringency in beer
• Intact husks will create a more free flowing grain bed (fewer stuck sparges)
• You can crush finer to increase conversion efficiency without shredding husks

Items you will need:

• Atomizer bottle (for misting the malt)
• Scale, preferably digital (to accurately measure the water you are about to add)
• Large spoon or paddle (to thoroughly mix the malt)
• Malt
• Grain mill

The amount of water that you are about to add to your malt is VERY important. If you do not add enough water, the husks will not absorb enough and will remain brittle. If you add too much water, you will potentially moisten the kernel, thus affecting your crush and perhaps causing gumming of your mill rollers. No worries, this technique is EASY.

You will want to add 2% of the weight of the malt bill, in water, to the grain. For example, if you have a 10 pound grain bill, which is 160 ounces, multiply this by .02 (2%) and your result will be 3.2 ounces. This is the WEIGHT of water that you will want to add to your grain bill for conditioning. By doing so, you will thoroughly wet the grain husks, but you will not create a sticky mess in your rollers.

Malt conditioning is easy. A few simple steps and you will be on your way:

1) Weigh the atomizer bottle of water
2) Mist the surface of the grain, and stir
3) Weigh the atomizer bottle again
4) Mist the surface of the grain and stir
5) Repeat until you have added the calculated weight of water to your grain
6) When complete, allow 10 minutes for the husks to absorb this water

As you add water to the grain, it will become more difficult to stir. You may find it easier to add the water to half the malt, or a third of the malt, at a time. When milling, there is no need to change your mill setting, unless you are also wishing to do so. This process will NOT affect the crush of the grain itself, only the condition of the husk material after milling.

If by chance you notice grain sticking to your rollers after milling, you can simply run a handful of dry malt through the rollers to clean them. Also, this could be a sign that too much water may have been added to the malt. You can adjust the water proportions accordingly for your process. Feel free to experiment with 2%, 1.5%, etc,. I have had excellent results, though, using the 2% rule.

Please note that just because this process will allow you to mill your grain finer without shredding the husks, it is not advisable to crush too fine. There will come a point where you will produce too much flour and no amount of husk material will protect you from a stuck sparge.

Below are a series of malt conditioning comparison photos, the results are astounding! The setting on my Barley Crusher for the test was .035”.

NON conditioned malt on the left, conditioned malt on the right.

Closeup of conditioned malt:

Closeup of NON conditioned malt:

I have to give credit to Kaiser over at www.HomebrewTalk.com, who also has his own website www.BrauKaiser.com. His website and informative posts within the online brewing forums have been instrumental in educating me on this process.

Posted in Brewing | 2 Comments »

StirStarter Equipment Review

An essential tool in the home brewer’s kit is a stir plate. Using a stir plate with a yeast starter boosts yeast cell counts dramatically*. This leads to healthier fermentation, and thus better beer! I recall using a stir plate in chemistry lab. In that case it was a hot plate and stir plate combined. When I looked these up online, I found they were quite expensive (excess of $100).  Thankfully the StirStarter exists and fills this need for brewers perfectly at a much more affordable price. https://www.stirstarters.com/.

The stir starter comes complete with everything you need. It measures 4”x6” which is fine for up to a 1 gallon vessel. Any Erlenmeyer flask for yeast starters would fit comfortably on StirStarter.

It includes a rubber mat for the top so the flask grips the surface nicely.

Stir bar, catch magnet, instructions, and power supply (not pictured) are also included.

Using the StirStarter is simple. A yeast starter is prepared as normal. A sanitized magnetic stir bar is dropped into the flask containing the yeast starter. The stir bar is then centered in the bottom of the flask with a catch magnet (kept on hand). The flask is then set down on top of the stir plate. Gently the spin speed is increased to a steady rate. A whirlpool effect is not needed. If the dial is set too high the magnet can get spun off center. The spinning stir bar continuously mixes the contents of the flask. This increases the surface area potential of the yeast, leading to more yeast activity.

Some other notes about Dan at StirStarter. He ships fast, my package got here within three days. There is also a lifetime guarantee on the product. That is hard to beat.

In case you are thinking about building one yourself, here is the inside of the unit:

There are a few things going on in there involving electronics that have to be correct. One is the power level for the fan, the other is the wiring for the speed switch. The StirStarter website provides instructions on how to build your own. After just a couple seconds of reading, I realized building my own would be trouble. It would take me several trips to the electronics store and the better part of a weekend to build my own.  At the low price of the StirStarter, there is not much savings potential over buying a StirStarter worry fee built by a pro.

This site will feature an upcoming article about yeast washing, which explains saving and recycling yeast over and over again.

* According to MB Raines’ article about yeast starters, stirred yeast starters can get as much as ten times the amount of active yeast compared to a standard shaken yeast starter. According to the brewersfriend.com article on stir plates, it may be closer to a 100% increase.

StirStarter was kind enough to hook me up with a StirStarter for writing this post.

Posted in Equipment, Yeast Cultures | 5 Comments »

Beer Style Guidelines – What kind of beer is this?

Beer style guidelines are as numerous as the types of beers that you will find around the world. In fact there are different types of beer styles… styles of beer styles if you will. One organization that produces beer style guidelines is the Beer Judging and Certification Program (BJCP). They have a long list of beer style guidelines. Another organization that created beer style guidelines is the American Homebrewing Association (AHA), who publishes even MORE styles than the BJCP. Both offer copious amounts of information pertaining to any beer style that you can imagine.

For the home brewer, learning the details of the beer style guidelines is a natural progression. One of the first things I learned was the difference between ales and lagers. This was quite a fascinating discovery and fueled my curiosity and need for more brewing equipment. From there, I went on to explore the categories and branch out into brewing different styles. I have not tried the Rauchbier (smoked beer) category yet, nor the sour ales or lambics, but there is always something new to try! At this point, when brewing for personal use or a party, what really matters is having fun.

Home brewers should begin to consider guidelines more closely when crafting their own recipes. When it comes to entering beer into a competition, the guidelines must be given careful attention. For most competitions, the judges will be comparing your beer against the standards set forth for the category. One path to becoming a master taster is to become a BJCP certified judge. The best way to start is to join your local home brew club and inquire.

BCJP currently has approximately 70 styles of beer, plus a handful of classifications for meads and ciders. AHA has over 120 styles and gets very intricate with subtle differences between categories.

BCJP guidelines include descriptions of: Aroma (smell), Appearance, Flavor, Mouthfeel, Overall Impression, History, Comments, Ingredients, Vital Statistics (OG, FG, IBU, SRM, ABV). Commercial examples are also provided. I found these useful when I wanted to try a commercial variety.
The following websites will guide you to both BJCP and AHA beer styles. Cheers!

AHA Website: https://www.beertown.org/
AHA Guidelines: https://www.beertown.org/education/pdf/BA_Beer_Style_2009.pdf

BJCP Website: https://www.bjcp.org/
BJCP PDF Guidelines: https://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.php (available in web or PDF format)

Posted in Beer Styles | No Comments »