What are you doing with homebrew today?
- Thread starter BOB357
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Woke up this morning and decided to price out a DIY mash tun with a false bottom and fittings. It'd be nice to be able to grain out and sparge without getting out the step ladder. But it's one more vessel to clean...
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Oh, thats real quick to try...
Cheers
I am almost done mashing my latest version of Amber Ale. My previous version (Use ‘Em Up) contributed the grain bill. However, this batch uses 10 grams of Chinook at 30 minutes, 10 grams of Centennial at 10 minutes and 10 grams of Cascade at knockout. As with my recent stout, I am using a fresh pack of Wyeast liquid, but this brew gets Wyeast 1056 American Ale.
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My DIY mash tun is a large (13 gal/49L) cooler (esky) with a hose braid for a filter. Once it's completed its mashing duties, it gets filled with hot soapy tap water. Everything but the brew kettle goes in for a soak and cleaning.
Closing spunding valve. Down to 1.012
Chilling wort now, using relatively cool outside air (52F) and cool water from the hose, along with some frozen water bottles. Closed the windows, so it is nice to feel the house warming back to a balmy 63F. I extended my boil time by 10 minutes, and adjusted my hops schedule accordingly. Initial measurements look to be close to targets, and that makes me happy. The Wyeast 1056 Smack Pack is puffy and ready to get to work. Time to sanitize my Speidel fermenter while the wort cools.
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I kegged today.
This concoction looks very clear.
I expected problems siphoning it, but it was no issue at all.
It's now carbing
Obviosly cleaned the little fermenter. siphon pipe etc today as well.
I’m considering a separate vessel too. I’m thinking a little better filtering of solids and not having to rinse the kettle before the boil. Prefer a steel one so I can do better mash temperature control. Honestly, for me, it wouldn’t be a bit more cleanup, and it’s cleaning that can be while boiling. AIO’s are pretty expensive and I’d prefer to wait until I’m a little more confident in my brewing skills to make that kind of investment, never mind my erratic brewing “schedule”. IIRC you already have a pump. That’s a really good step for eliminating the ladder. BIAB has it’s attraction, but I don’t see cleaning a bag much better than cleaning a pot, nor am I overly enthusiastic about the prospects of handling large bags of steaming hot grain. I think I prefer a rigid vessel with handles. It’s hot side hardware, so the sanitation sorta takes care of itself during boil.
I’m just a bit busy with remodeling for the now, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and the next big project is building a brewing shack/outdoor kitchen with an old storage shed. The missus got her kitchen, now I get mine. I’m pretty sure I’ll be going to a 3 vessel system then.
I do everything (mash and boil) in the same kettle, and have never felt the need to rinse the kettle between steps. That is the beauty of single vessel brewing.
Regarding cleaning of the bag, it really is quite easy. I just used my new The Brew Bag, custom built for my 5.5 gallon kettle, for the first time on Monday. The 4 handles make for easy lifting of the grain bag for draining. After I scooped out some spent grain to dry for flour, I dumped the remaining grain in the compost by inverting the bag. With the bag still inverted, I gave it a quick rinse to wash away any remaining grain, put it in my draining pot with a little unscented dish soap and used the bag to clean the pot. After rinsing, squeezed out any remaining liquid and hung it to dry. Easy peaz.
And ontop of what Herm said if your a little lazy like I can be with my Biab bag once it's dry a good flick gets any grains off that may have clung on for dear life.
I bought some bags, but have been a bit wobbly about using them in my kettle with the 'dragon' under it. I've been down this road already, and have some pretty sound advice from folks in the forum, but just haven't had the time to act on any of it. Most that BIAB seem to like it. Me, I guess I'm hardheaded enough that I need to know what there is to NOT like about 2 or 3 vessel brewing besides cleaning. It really isn't too much trouble to rinse out the kettle between mash and boil, and it would be the same effort put into cleaning a mash tun/pot. The difference would be I wouldn't be losing all the heat between mash and boil while I was rinsing the kettle. Same can be accomplished with BIAB, I know. Right now, I have to drain the kettle to an old fermenting bucket, then pour that back to the kettle after I clean out the spent grains. That's a pretty heavy bucket of hot liquid that I wouldn't have to handle if I change my mashing/boiling methods. Safety is a good thing. The energy savings would be a bonus.
Jus
Your over thinking it RoadRoach.
Anyhow you do you man.
Just lift your grain bag drain sparge hit the boil lol.
Your over thinking it RoadRoach.
Anyhow you do you man.
Transfered The Q4
Cleaning kegmenter and keg in anticipation of brew day tomorrow
Got this on the last cycle a bit of non foaming Phosphoric acid and Sodium Metabisulphate a combination of powerful sanitizer
Got this on the last cycle a bit of non foaming Phosphoric acid and Sodium Metabisulphate a combination of powerful sanitizer
Yesterday my wife and I made a short 20 minute drive out to the country, where we stopped in again at Detering Orchards to pick up another gallon of fresh pressed cider. We also picked up some Candy Sweet Onions and some red jalapeños to make some salsa.
Since we drank the last bottles of our simple cider last night, it is time to bottle the batch sitting in the fermenter. Then we can get the fresh cider going.
@Zambezi Special you usually pour your new cider on top of the old yeast cake, right? I am wondering if we should use that method, or clean the fermenter and start fresh with new yeast and nutrient.
Since we drank the last bottles of our simple cider last night, it is time to bottle the batch sitting in the fermenter. Then we can get the fresh cider going.
@Zambezi Special you usually pour your new cider on top of the old yeast cake, right? I am wondering if we should use that method, or clean the fermenter and start fresh with new yeast and nutrient.
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@Zambezi Special you usually pour your new cider on top of the old yeast cake, right? I am wondering if we should use that method, or clean the fermenter and start fresh with new yeast and nutrient.
Okay, new one for new layout. You could do this, highlighting text and it would come as a quote.
But that wasn't Herm's question.
Yes, I use the old trub. From cider to cider maybe 1 or 2 times
But really really often I re-use beer trub. First for beer. Almost always after that for a batch of simple cider. It's always come out nice and without any yeast nutrients.
I only just remebered I had those. So may start using them.
I just figure the trub has enough food for the apple juice.
As you all know by now: I got lots of questions, overthink things and then suddenly I just go ahead and do something.
Simple cidet is just great
Okay, new one for new layout. You could do this, highlighting text and it would come as a quote.
But that wasn't Herm's question.
Yes, I use the old trub. From cider to cider maybe 1 or 2 times
But really really often I re-use beer trub. First for beer. Almost always after that for a batch of simple cider. It's always come out nice and without any yeast nutrients.
I only just remebered I had those. So may start using them.
I just figure the trub has enough food for the apple juice.
As you all know by now: I got lots of questions, overthink things and then suddenly I just go ahead and do something.
Simple cidet is just great
I guess before adding fresh juice on old cider trub, I should first determine how I like the flavor of the current batch, which used S-04 at my wife’s request. That batch was begun back on October 18, so it should be done by now, right?
