What are you doing with homebrew today?
- Thread starter BOB357
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Well if you weren't halfway across the country I'd help you out with that.Oh and making sure the kolsch keg gets emptied!
I will be trying to get to lhbs Windsor to pick up grains and hops to brew https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1233343/mentored
While at Windsor, I hope to sip a pint or two of craft beer. Then I’ll have to get RO water for brewing.
While at Windsor, I hope to sip a pint or two of craft beer. Then I’ll have to get RO water for brewing.
And I have just spun up a starter of WLP090, San Diego Super Yeast for use tomorrow. As I have done previously, this starter will be overbuilt, with ~1/2 going in tomorrow’s brew, and the remainder being saved to build again.
Had to cover the fermenter with some blankets. The heating pad can only raise the temp 5F above ambient...
Kegged "Plough Boy Ale" Windsor hit 68% attenuation, hasn't moved in 4 days. Not bad considering I was on the low end of the temp range. Cleaned a couple kegs, the empy line on the keezer and changed the tap over to a front sealing Perlick. Only one left to change, whenever it runs dry.
That’s pretty good for Windsor. I hit FG usually day 3 with it
Enjoy
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Doing a boil off test to mark my water levels with the steam condenser
Bottling Rapier Wit. Finished out at 1.012, a bit higher than I wanted, but I've had cooler temps downstairs for the past few weeks. Thermometer in the brew said 65F this morning, so I'm assuming that put a few more yeast cells to bed sooner than I wanted. It was also a dry yeast (S-33), with an OG at 1.047, so probably very underpitched as well. That's one of the reasons I let 'em run about 3 weeks before I disturb them, to make up for some of the underpitch from dry yeasts. If I do a starter, sometimes I rack them at 2 weeks if I see no activity. I had a lot of free-floating krausen in this one, which is a little curious. The krausen normally all sticks around the side of the bucket on this brew, but this didn't do that quite as much. Maybe even a little more krausen than I'm used to seeing, but no photos to back up that statement. Hope to separate it in the bottling bucket.
I can see where this would be a problem bottling straight from the fermenter. I'm thinking some kinda filter screen might be in order in my bottling bucket. I have to keep remembering that stuff's already been in the beer for 3 week, so it ain't like there's more damage to be done. Just kinda gross getting a blob from a bottle. The brew showed a little natural carbonation when racked to the bottling bucket, which it normally does at 3 weeks. Looks like a good cloudy wheat beer, and being a Blue Moon knock-off, I guess that's a good thing.
It's so pretty outside (albeit just a bit chilly with the breeze) I'm considering putting on my Chocolate Oatmeal stout just to fill up the fermenter again. It's an extract based brew, and only has a 30 minute boil after a 15 minute steep of the grains, so I should have plenty time. I think I'll put the cacao nibs in when I drop the chiller this time, and see how that differs from putting them in the boil. I REALLY need to give the new conical a go and see how well that works for clarifying, but this brew is so dark it doesn't let much light through at all.
Any of you with similar conical fermenters (FastFerment 7G) have any suggestions when I should empty the catch bulb the first time? Or is that obvious? I still think I"m going to transfer to bottling bucket because I'm simply not prepared (and have no interest in) doping each bottle with primer. I'm still hanging on Herm's determination on the quality of racking to bottler bucket or direct fill from fermenter. Probably will be with a dark brew, but not so much with a lighter one. Gunna have to change a few habits as I improve my techniques and equipment, which will include more frequent visits to the fermenting dungeon. Right now, the procedures are pretty much put it in the fermenter, put it in a dark place, and mark a spot on the calender for 3 weeks later, 4 if it's a big beer. Not exactly rocket science but seems to be offering what little consistency I can get outta this hobby without upgrading the gadgetry. A LOT.
I can see where this would be a problem bottling straight from the fermenter. I'm thinking some kinda filter screen might be in order in my bottling bucket. I have to keep remembering that stuff's already been in the beer for 3 week, so it ain't like there's more damage to be done. Just kinda gross getting a blob from a bottle. The brew showed a little natural carbonation when racked to the bottling bucket, which it normally does at 3 weeks. Looks like a good cloudy wheat beer, and being a Blue Moon knock-off, I guess that's a good thing.
It's so pretty outside (albeit just a bit chilly with the breeze) I'm considering putting on my Chocolate Oatmeal stout just to fill up the fermenter again. It's an extract based brew, and only has a 30 minute boil after a 15 minute steep of the grains, so I should have plenty time. I think I'll put the cacao nibs in when I drop the chiller this time, and see how that differs from putting them in the boil. I REALLY need to give the new conical a go and see how well that works for clarifying, but this brew is so dark it doesn't let much light through at all.
Any of you with similar conical fermenters (FastFerment 7G) have any suggestions when I should empty the catch bulb the first time? Or is that obvious? I still think I"m going to transfer to bottling bucket because I'm simply not prepared (and have no interest in) doping each bottle with primer. I'm still hanging on Herm's determination on the quality of racking to bottler bucket or direct fill from fermenter. Probably will be with a dark brew, but not so much with a lighter one. Gunna have to change a few habits as I improve my techniques and equipment, which will include more frequent visits to the fermenting dungeon. Right now, the procedures are pretty much put it in the fermenter, put it in a dark place, and mark a spot on the calender for 3 weeks later, 4 if it's a big beer. Not exactly rocket science but seems to be offering what little consistency I can get outta this hobby without upgrading the gadgetry. A LOT.
Don't it come with a pump?
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I bought it without the pump because I had one, I also just made my site glass and made the steam condenser today
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Change the steam condenser, works better
Looks like my Bitter is finished fermenting. Clearing, yeast looks nice in the bottom, and the temp dropped down a few degrees. I will let it sit until weekend then I’ll keg it. Got a new 2.5 gallon keg (20% off sale) that it will make its home.
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I really like that idea!
I had some issues with mine when I tested it the first time, spray nozzle was too high and I was getting backflow int the kettle. Once it was adjusted down, it worked like a champ.
