Black Friday Upgrades

[Yontsey]

I made some Black Friday upgrades yesterday with a new fermenter with all the bells and whistles and a glycol chiller. Ordered some bulk grain and new hops as well. I'm having some plumbing work done in the basement so I'm adding a stainless utility tub with some hot/cold hose outlets. It'll be really nice to have temperature control with fermentation as well as eliminating oxygen.

I've been watching YouTube videos non-stop for the last couple months on pressure fermentation and when/when not to use it, pressure transfers, spuding valves, carb stones, yada yada and I feel like I have a decent feel for it. I'm sure in practice, I will have some real life situational questions, but I'm really excited to get started. Won't have everything for a week or two and the glycol chiller *might* be backordered for a couple weeks. Hoping to get something rolling and in the tank for dry January but well see how timing works out.

 

[Brew Cat]

Sounds great. I do pressure fermentation for all my lagers. It's mostly to eliminate O2. But i also daisy chain a keg to use the excess CO2 to carbonate another keg

 

[Minbari]

I made some Black Friday upgrades yesterday with a new fermenter with all the bells and whistles and a glycol chiller. Ordered some bulk grain and new hops as well. I'm having some plumbing work done in the basement so I'm adding a stainless utility tub with some hot/cold hose outlets. It'll be really nice to have temperature control with fermentation as well as eliminating oxygen.

I've been watching YouTube videos non-stop for the last couple months on pressure fermentation and when/when not to use it, pressure transfers, spuding valves, carb stones, yada yada and I feel like I have a decent feel for it. I'm sure in practice, I will have some real life situational questions, but I'm really excited to get started. Won't have everything for a week or two and the glycol chiller *might* be backordered for a couple weeks. Hoping to get something rolling and in the tank for dry January but well see how timing works out.

Just make sure that fermenter is pressure rated. I have a ss brewtech cronical. Love it, but only rated for 3psi, lol. Can do pressure transfers, slowly.

 

[Brew Cat]

I use a fermzilla its very convenient. Kinda involved taking apart to clean the dump valve. I may get another without the valve part when making lagers. That said when I made IPA under pressure I would put the dry hops in the collection cup purge the cup then release the pressure. Close the valve to seal them in. At high krausen I'd open the valve and the pressure would blow the purged hops in and stir up the trub. It was fun but then I thought maybe I didn't want the spent yeast back up. To much to think about and couldn't tell much difference in an IPA anyway

 

[Yontsey]

Just make sure that fermenter is pressure rated. I have a ss brewtech cronical. Love it, but only rated for 3psi, lol. Can do pressure transfers, slowly.

Oh yeah, I made sure it would work with that. It's rated for 30psi so by far enough.

Going to install a stainless utility sink in my basement with hose outlet so I can move my stuff from my garage to the unfinished part of my basement. I'm brewing this weekend and it would be a nice luxury with the temps in the low 30s.

 

[Donoroto]

Oh yeah, I made sure it would work with that. It's rated for 30psi so by far enough.

Going to install a stainless utility sink in my basement with hose outlet so I can move my stuff from my garage to the unfinished part of my basement. I'm brewing this weekend and it would be a nice luxury with the temps in the low 30s.

I’m thinking of doing something similar. Is the sink drain completely using gravity? My ‘outlet’ is sadly at ceiling level.

 

[Yontsey]

That’s my bar sink in the finished part of the basement and the backside of the unfinished is where I’m going to put the sink. Just going to tie into the same drain line that runs to a grinder pump.

 

[Brew Cat]

I’m thinking of doing something similar. Is the sink drain completely using gravity? My ‘outlet’ is sadly at ceiling level.

I had the same problem but just use a sump pump. Workis great

 

[Yontsey]

Got my sink set up and my table moved from the garage down to the basement. MoreBeer finally got my order shipped out yesterday and have everything showing up tomorrow. Glycol chiller still on backorder.

Oddly, the only thing in my big ass order that was BO'd was a gray gas post QD. I have an extra one around but like to keep an extra couple of cheap parts instead of moving them around.

I ordered a bunch of parts from Brewers Hardware too due to price and/or availability. I went with their 3" TC Dry Hopper but unfortunately it's BO'd as well because they are out of several parts. They're making and/or sourcing several of them and hoping to get that soon. Might try and sneak in a brew session before the end of the year if I can get that before Dry January hits.

 

[Minbari]

Unless you got a killer deal on that glycol, i would just order one from someone who has it. I waited for a back order coat for my wife's Christmas present for 5 months, lol. Luckily i ordered it in June, lol

 

[Yontsey]

Thought about that but it comes from Blichmann directly. Could switch to a different brand but I'm not in a huge hurry and know someone that has one and really likes it.