coldchill
Footballguy
Use the disposables for the grain and go back and get a couple of nylon mesh bags for the hops (are you using hop pellets?).
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***OFFICIAL*** Footballguys homebrew thread (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter culdeus
- Start date
I don't use bags for the pellet hops. I just toss them in, and before I transfer from the brew pot, I swirl the wort to get most of the hops to the center of the pot, and then do the transfer (using a counterflow chiller.) Never had a problem.
Organized Chaos
Footballguy
Here is a great Oatmeal Stout. My buddy and I did the partial mash recipe of this for about our 6th or 7th brew and I just finished the last one last night, that was a very good brew IMO.I would highly recommend the recipie.
Organized Chaos
Footballguy
You can get a seperate pot of water (about 1 gallon or so) up to 150 and just dump the cracked grains in there, once they have steeped for the time you want, you can pour them into a colander (obviously has to be fine enough to filter out the grains) placed over your brew kettle. If you want to extract more fermentable sugars from the crystal malt, you can pour 170 degree water over the grains to do kind of a partial mash.Once I was shown this method I always steep the grains in a seperate pot (I also do 10 gallon full boils, so it is usually more efficient for me to steep in another pot anyway)
culdeus
Footballguy
What's a counterflow chiller?
coldchill
Footballguy
It is a wort chiller that cools the wort by running it through a coil of pipe that runs through a larger hose. cool/cold water is run through the larger hose in the opposite direction of the wort flow.An immersion chiller works by running cool/cold water through a coil of copper tubing immersed in the hot wort.
Immersion Chiller
Counterflow Chiller
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I never had an immersion chiller, but I just thought that the counterflow would be easier and less of a mess (didn't like the thought of putting the immersion chiller, sanitized or not, into my beer. With the counterflow, hot beer goes in, cooler beer comes out, just about at pitching temps, too!
Wouldn't hurt to try it just once. If it works, great. If not, remember to get a grain bag the next time you are at the beer store.
Jaysus
Good times!
I just dip that sucker in during the boil for a few seconds for som sanitary goodness!! haha
from what I've read, that's all that you need to do. I'd just feel a little uneasy about it. About the only thing I do with the counterflow is to run some sanitizer through it before and after use. I just can't believe, since using the CF, that I used to cool my beer by putting the boiling pot in to a tub full of ice water (used about 4-5 bags of ice), to cool it down. There's nothing like taking 5.5 gallons of 200+ degree wort and 20 minutes later, being able to pitch the yeast. Took me near an hour or so to cool it down with the ice water.
Organized Chaos
Footballguy
I may have to look into making a counterflow chiller, the immersion chiller works great in the colder parts of the year, but not so good in the summer.
Organized Chaos
Footballguy
We also buy the paint strainer bags from home depot, they are considerably cheaper for pretty much the same thing.
Northern Brewer has a counterflow for $70. Not sure what it would cost to make one, but for me, that's cheap enough not to have to mess with making one. Besides, I'm not that mechanically inclined.They also have a Chillzilla CF, which is supposed to be quicker at cooling the beer, due to the fact that inside tube is convoluted into an elongated spiral, which is speed up the cooling process. It is also all metal construction. It sells for $140. I've heard good and bad on this one. Some say its a lot faster, some say it isn't. My $70 CF does just fine for me, though.
culdeus
Footballguy
culdeus
Footballguy
Wow and are they. Got a bunch of those just in case I do beer trades w/ people starting up (Gator>Hi) practically free. I think I got 10 good sized bags for <$5.
culdeus
Footballguy
Ok, well not worried as much about that as much as the fact that my house couldn't keep up the A/C with the heat outside.
Oh well, not panicking. Got good feedback on my batch 1 from people that were over here for dinner and PGA watching. REALLY good feedback actually. One guy is offering to buy a batch and give me half if I let him use my gear.
It's starting to catch the fermentation a little stranger this time. There is what appears to be a cloud of yeast about 3" from the surface. It hasn't penetrated the surface yet, but I imagine it will soon.
Morale is high at Babyarm Brewery.
Oh well, not panicking. Got good feedback on my batch 1 from people that were over here for dinner and PGA watching. REALLY good feedback actually. One guy is offering to buy a batch and give me half if I let him use my gear.
It's starting to catch the fermentation a little stranger this time. There is what appears to be a cloud of yeast about 3" from the surface. It hasn't penetrated the surface yet, but I imagine it will soon.
Morale is high at Babyarm Brewery.
valhallan
Footballguy
I screwed up my brew in one of the dumbest ways possible this weekend.
I took the boiled wort down to my utility sink and started running cold water out of the faucet for the ice bath. While waiting for for the sink to fill, I turned away for about 5-10 seconds to show a friend my kegerator. When I turned back to the sink, the pot was laying on its side in the water
I guess it had started floating and somehow managed to flip over, even though the sink is barely wide enough for the height of the pot. Some of the wort flowed into the sink, and I'm sure some of the sink water made it into the pot. Unbelievable.. 
Lesson: ALWAYS PREPARE THE ICE BATH BEFORE IMMERSING THE BREWPOT
On a lighter note, brewing with aluminum was great. You just have to oxidize the pot with a pure water boil prior to brewing use and clean it with mild agents only (no bleach or rough pads).
Lastly, anyone know where I could buy a cobra tap other than my LHBS?
I took the boiled wort down to my utility sink and started running cold water out of the faucet for the ice bath. While waiting for for the sink to fill, I turned away for about 5-10 seconds to show a friend my kegerator. When I turned back to the sink, the pot was laying on its side in the water
I guess it had started floating and somehow managed to flip over, even though the sink is barely wide enough for the height of the pot. Some of the wort flowed into the sink, and I'm sure some of the sink water made it into the pot. Unbelievable.. Lesson: ALWAYS PREPARE THE ICE BATH BEFORE IMMERSING THE BREWPOT
On a lighter note, brewing with aluminum was great. You just have to oxidize the pot with a pure water boil prior to brewing use and clean it with mild agents only (no bleach or rough pads).
Lastly, anyone know where I could buy a cobra tap other than my LHBS?
Bluestaples
Footballguy
The Gator
Footballguy
I think you just found the secrect to coors. Bath water and a little wort. :XI screwed up my brew in one of the dumbest ways possible this weekend.I took the boiled wort down to my utility sink and started running cold water out of the faucet for the ice bath. While waiting for for the sink to fill, I turned away for about 5-10 seconds to show a friend my kegerator. When I turned back to the sink, the pot was laying on its side in the water
regularguy
Footballguy
Ordered this kit (with the Better Bottles option) from Midwest this week. Also added one of the upgrade kits with an immersion wort chiller, bottle washer, etc. I bought a 34 qt. SS turkey fryer on ebay. Only things I didn't buy were ingridients and bottles. I'm going to hit up a local shop for all of that. Hope to get started in a couple of weeks.Due to my involvment in both BOTM and BIF and what appears to be a 24 month beer or nothing restriction by my wife (squid related) I've developed an expensive and expanding taste in beers.
I'm ready to take this to the next level.
Coldchill who seems to be the FBG expert on homebrew sent me a DVD detailing the process.
I'm looking at the kits and this seems to be the right one. What other equipment would anyone reccomend?
Kit WebpageBrewing Intermediate Equipment Kit List: Instructional Homebrewing Video or DVD •
71 page instructional book
• 6 Gallon Glass Carboy
• 5 Gallon Glass Carboy
• 6.5 Gallon Plastic Fermenter
• 6.5 Gallon Bottling Bucket with Spigot
• 8 Oz. of Easy Clean No-Rinse Cleanser
• two #10 Rubber Stoppers
• 2 Airlocks (Keeps air out of the fermenter)
• 8 Inch Funnel
• Hydrometer (Determines alcohol content)
• Bottle Brush
• Carboy Brush
• Twin Lever Red Baron Bottle Capper
• Bottle Caps
• 2 Liquid Crystal Thermometers
• Bottle Filler
• Fermtech AutoSiphon
• Siphon Tubing
• shutoff clamp
What other stuff is basically mandatory here? Good to have?
What lessons learned do any of you have?
culdeus
Footballguy
Buying bottles is very expensive. Better off just removing the labels of your s pent ones yoursef. Bottles are >$1 per. So just go get a 6er of something and it's like taking $6 off the price.
I don't see a filter on that list. Doesn't mean it isn't included, but you'll need it. And you might as well get some disposable and reusable grain bags also.
My batch 2 is still going strong, but finally losing steam. Airlock is moving only once every 7 seconds vs. 3 24 hours into it.
Question: What methods do you all use to take samples during secondary fermentation?
I don't see a filter on that list. Doesn't mean it isn't included, but you'll need it. And you might as well get some disposable and reusable grain bags also.
My batch 2 is still going strong, but finally losing steam. Airlock is moving only once every 7 seconds vs. 3 24 hours into it.
Question: What methods do you all use to take samples during secondary fermentation?
FatMax
Member
That's the Mr. Beer kit, or something very similar. A coworker got one as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago. He tried making a Pale using their powdered ingredient kit. It tasted pretty bad.
coldchill
Footballguy
I sanitize a turkey baster and use that to take samples.
culdeus
Footballguy
Well, racked my second batch today. Used the auto siphon instead of the blow valve I had been using. Very easy and quiet.
Didn't move the primary or secondary during the process which helped.
This time I used liquid yeast and the amount of yeast in the primary was amazing. Caked everywhere.
I'm dryhopping this beer and am gonna sit on it a week or so. It appears that the fermentation process ate some of my beer or Gator has been over here siphoning off the top of the carboy. Either way I'm about 20oz shy of 5G this time. Didn't take a gravity because I didn't want to waste any beer at an intermediate step.
It was a ##### to clean out the carboy with all that yeast in there.
My TAD system is IN.
I'm down to only 6 batch 1 beers as people really dig the stuff and keep drinking all my beer
I'm using my airlock for the secondary. Ok?
Didn't move the primary or secondary during the process which helped.
This time I used liquid yeast and the amount of yeast in the primary was amazing. Caked everywhere.
I'm dryhopping this beer and am gonna sit on it a week or so. It appears that the fermentation process ate some of my beer or Gator has been over here siphoning off the top of the carboy. Either way I'm about 20oz shy of 5G this time. Didn't take a gravity because I didn't want to waste any beer at an intermediate step.
It was a ##### to clean out the carboy with all that yeast in there.
My TAD system is IN.
I'm down to only 6 batch 1 beers as people really dig the stuff and keep drinking all my beer
I'm using my airlock for the secondary. Ok?
The Gator
Footballguy
Nucular George
Footballguy
culdeus
Footballguy
culdeus
Footballguy
Got the ingredients to do a mini-mash Smoked Porter tomorrow.
I'm realizing how fast I go thru beer in giveaways and from having people over and stuff I'm gonna need to start cranking thru the stuff much faster and keep at least one carboy full at a time.
By tomorrow afternoon I'll have 10 gallons of stuff fermenting.
Any tips for mini-mash. People keep talking about sparging, but I take it tha'ts really nothing more than dumping a bunch of water on the grain bag over a funnell.
I'm realizing how fast I go thru beer in giveaways and from having people over and stuff I'm gonna need to start cranking thru the stuff much faster and keep at least one carboy full at a time.
By tomorrow afternoon I'll have 10 gallons of stuff fermenting.
Any tips for mini-mash. People keep talking about sparging, but I take it tha'ts really nothing more than dumping a bunch of water on the grain bag over a funnell.
Organized Chaos
Footballguy
Yeah, thats all a mini-mash is... Normally, I will steep the grains in one of the big grain bags, then pull the gains out of the water and rig it above my brew kettle, then pour 170 degree water over the grains.Got the ingredients to do a mini-mash Smoked Porter tomorrow. I'm realizing how fast I go thru beer in giveaways and from having people over and stuff I'm gonna need to start cranking thru the stuff much faster and keep at least one carboy full at a time. By tomorrow afternoon I'll have 10 gallons of stuff fermenting.
culdeus
Footballguy
I think I can pull that off.I still wonder how good I can get running at or around 70dF for fermentation. Things will get alot better when outdoor temps cool off here.Sparging question.Ok, got two brewpots. One little and one huge. I can control the temp much better in the small pot which is restaurant grade SS. My big pot is cheapass SS. Do you see anything wrong with this set of events...1) Use small pots to run the grain bag for 90 minutes 2) Dump contents to brew pot3) Use small pot to warm up second batch of sparging water to correct temp. SpargeBoil - (Any issue in letting the mash water cool off a bit while I wait? or is that water not the issue)WTF is an AAU? tiaJust noticed my recipie has hops in AAU units. I have a scale.Yeah, thats all a mini-mash is... Normally, I will steep the grains in one of the big grain bags, then pull the gains out of the water and rig it above my brew kettle, then pour 170 degree water over the grains.Got the ingredients to do a mini-mash Smoked Porter tomorrow. I'm realizing how fast I go thru beer in giveaways and from having people over and stuff I'm gonna need to start cranking thru the stuff much faster and keep at least one carboy full at a time. By tomorrow afternoon I'll have 10 gallons of stuff fermenting.
Organized Chaos
Footballguy
No Issue with that method at all, thats the way I would do it.AAU = Alpha Acid Unit...So for example if you had 1oz of hop pellets that were 12%, and your recipe required 6AAU of x hops, then you would put 1/2 ounce to equal the 6 AAU.if the same recipe required 8AAU of x hop, you would use 3/4 of 1 ounce of your 12% hopDoes that make sense?I think I can pull that off.I still wonder how good I can get running at or around 70dF for fermentation. Things will get alot better when outdoor temps cool off here.Sparging question.Ok, got two brewpots. One little and one huge. I can control the temp much better in the small pot which is restaurant grade SS. My big pot is cheapass SS. Do you see anything wrong with this set of events...1) Use small pots to run the grain bag for 90 minutes 2) Dump contents to brew pot3) Use small pot to warm up second batch of sparging water to correct temp. SpargeBoil - (Any issue in letting the mash water cool off a bit while I wait? or is that water not the issue)WTF is an AAU? tiaJust noticed my recipie has hops in AAU units. I have a scale.Yeah, thats all a mini-mash is... Normally, I will steep the grains in one of the big grain bags, then pull the gains out of the water and rig it above my brew kettle, then pour 170 degree water over the grains.Got the ingredients to do a mini-mash Smoked Porter tomorrow. I'm realizing how fast I go thru beer in giveaways and from having people over and stuff I'm gonna need to start cranking thru the stuff much faster and keep at least one carboy full at a time. By tomorrow afternoon I'll have 10 gallons of stuff fermenting.
Organized Chaos
Footballguy
Forgot about this...My buddy has been using a tub that he puts his fermenting bucket in, every morning before he leaves for work, he throws 2 2liters filled with ice in the bucket (filled with water), when he gets home, he does the same thing. He can maintain 65-70 degree temps like this..I think I can pull that off.I still wonder how good I can get running at or around 70dF for fermentation. Things will get alot better when outdoor temps cool off here.Yeah, thats all a mini-mash is... Normally, I will steep the grains in one of the big grain bags, then pull the gains out of the water and rig it above my brew kettle, then pour 170 degree water over the grains.Got the ingredients to do a mini-mash Smoked Porter tomorrow. I'm realizing how fast I go thru beer in giveaways and from having people over and stuff I'm gonna need to start cranking thru the stuff much faster and keep at least one carboy full at a time. By tomorrow afternoon I'll have 10 gallons of stuff fermenting.
culdeus
Footballguy
I think I'm no more than a month away from upgrading the fridge situation in the house. I'll take the old, crappy fridge and use it for brew purposes. I figure I can hit any number with that thing. I'll just turn the freezer off. (I guess that can be done).
BTW this is way more interesting and fun than I ever thought. I'm a scientist and work in a lab all day with chemicals and crap like that so this is right square in my wheelhouse.
BTW this is way more interesting and fun than I ever thought. I'm a scientist and work in a lab all day with chemicals and crap like that so this is right square in my wheelhouse.
Organized Chaos
Footballguy
Awesome
this is a great hobby!!Once i got the hang of things, I think that stablizing my fermentation was the best thing I could do for my brewing. I like to keep it at 65 for ales.
The Gator
Footballguy
culdeus
Footballguy
When are you gonna get your #### together.Babyarm Brewery = 2Teh Gat0r = 0
The Gator
Footballguy
When are you gonna get your #### together.Babyarm Brewery = 2Teh Gat0r = 0
I will be hopefully soon. The problem is it is out of my hands to get it started. So patiently I wait.regularguy
Footballguy
Alright, a buddy and I brewed our first batch, a brown ale, on Sunday afternoon. No major snafus except that my 6.5 gal Better Bottle had a hole in it. 
Midwest had sent me a ported carboy instead of the normal one (have since sent me the right one) so we used the plastic bucket which was also part of the kit, thankfully. Well, now we can't really see what's going on in there like we could with the carboy. Just a small amount of clear condensation in the airlock. I got curious and popped the lid Wed. night and took a quick peek. There was some foam in places on the top with bubbles but nothing thick at all. More like lacing instead of a foam. It did smell more like beer than before so I think there's some fermentation going on, just not sure how much. Would it be a bad idea to open it again and take a sample for an SG reading?
Midwest had sent me a ported carboy instead of the normal one (have since sent me the right one) so we used the plastic bucket which was also part of the kit, thankfully. Well, now we can't really see what's going on in there like we could with the carboy. Just a small amount of clear condensation in the airlock. I got curious and popped the lid Wed. night and took a quick peek. There was some foam in places on the top with bubbles but nothing thick at all. More like lacing instead of a foam. It did smell more like beer than before so I think there's some fermentation going on, just not sure how much. Would it be a bad idea to open it again and take a sample for an SG reading?
Bluestaples
Footballguy
no... but I'd give it a good solid shaking, and then wait a few days first...Alright, a buddy and I brewed our first batch, a brown ale, on Sunday afternoon. No major snafus except that my 6.5 gal Better Bottle had a hole in it.
regularguy
Footballguy
I guess I overlooked the part about filling the airlock halfway with water (or vodka?). I guess that would show activity better. No harm done though, I don't think. I'll fix that tonight and see if there's any activity still going on.
culdeus
Footballguy
Foam..in places sounds bad.By Day 4 it should be foaming like a bubble bath 2" high in all places.Alright, a buddy and I brewed our first batch, a brown ale, on Sunday afternoon. No major snafus except that my 6.5 gal Better Bottle had a hole in it.
regularguy
Footballguy
Yeah, that's what I thought too based on the pictures in the books. Now, I'll have to open it again tonight. Will report back with my findings.Foam..in places sounds bad.By Day 4 it should be foaming like a bubble bath 2" high in all places.Alright, a buddy and I brewed our first batch, a brown ale, on Sunday afternoon. No major snafus except that my 6.5 gal Better Bottle had a hole in it.
culdeus
Footballguy
I think you should pitch some more yeast.ETA: I'm no expert, but I did stay at a holiday in express last night.Yeah, that's what I thought too based on the pictures in the books. Now, I'll have to open it again tonight. Will report back with my findings.Foam..in places sounds bad.By Day 4 it should be foaming like a bubble bath 2" high in all places.Alright, a buddy and I brewed our first batch, a brown ale, on Sunday afternoon. No major snafus except that my 6.5 gal Better Bottle had a hole in it.
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