Drinkers with a Running Problem

Home Brewers... (Read 1606 times)


Prince of Fatness

    I'd say that your temperature would have to be down in the 50's for that to be a factor.  I have had a few occasions where there was no airlock activity.  I would eventually open the bucket up and there would be krauzen, seal it back up and it bubbles right away.  Every now and then that lid doesn't snap down all the way.

    Not at it at all. 

    Trent


    Good Bad & The Monkey


    Prince of Fatness

      Well that blows that theory.  Like you said though, a little early for concern.  Only other thing I can suggest is to give the bucket a little swirl every so often.

      Not at it at all. 

      Trent


      Good Bad & The Monkey

        Just stirred vigorously and got some fizzing. Good sign.


        Feeling the growl again

          Still no obvious yeastie activity here ~24 hours. Not worried just yet, the super high gravity can impede the start, and the temp has dropped a bit below 70.

           

          Everything is in a 7 gallon primary right now, with a 1/2" tube going from the bung hole at the top into a half-filled water jug.

           

          In my poor college days that was all I used for an airlock.  Works fine as long as you don't get a back-siphon.

           

          You could always get a yeast starter going and add that if you don't get activity.

          "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

           

          I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

           

          Trent


          Good Bad & The Monkey

            I started with a started yeast.

             

            The problem with an airlock is that with a big thick beer like this, you can get foaming that clogs the air lock. Then the pressure in the fermenter builds. And builds. Know what happens next?


            Feeling the growl again

              Know what happens next?

              The wee beasties get the bends?  Wink

               

              If that's 1/2 inch interior diameter hose that would have to be a hell of a thick foam.  Deal with only minimal foaming/volume expansion with winemaking.

              "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

               

              I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

               


              Prince of Fatness

                If that's 1/2 inch interior diameter hose that would have to be a hell of a thick foam.  Deal with only minimal foaming/volume expansion with winemaking.

                 

                With the conical tip of a standard airlock there is not much of an opening.  They clog easy.  With the tubing they usually don't clog.  I have seen chunks slowly traverse through the tube.  Gets through eventually as the pressure builds.

                 

                I think that Trent just sticks the tube in where the o ring is on the bucket lid.  I cannot do that as I drill out my lids with a spade bit and insert a stopper (I find it easier to install an airlock in the stopper ... no o ring to push down into the wort).  So, I use an airlock with the tubing but I have one that I snipped the conical piece off of in order to avoid the clogging.

                Not at it at all. 


                Prince of Fatness

                  Been looking forward to this for a while.  Brewed last night......

                   

                  Captain's Tripel

                   

                  12 quarts

                   

                  7.50 lbs Pilsner

                  .75 lbs Lyle's Golden Syrup (add with 10 minutess left in the boil)

                   

                  German Hallertau hop pellets 4.1%AA

                   

                  1.00 oz 60 minutes

                   

                  Wyeast 1214 Belgian Abbey Yeast (1 qt starter)

                   

                  Mash 149 degrees for 80 minutes.

                   

                  Boil 80 minutes.   Chill and pitch yeast.  Ferment 3 weeks or so, preferably over 70 degrees when active.  After primary fermentation rack into secondary with .75 oz of oak cubes that have been soaked in Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum.  Pour the rum in there too.  I used what was left in a small bottle, probably about 4 oz of rum.  Bottle as usual.

                   

                  The brewing was rather uneventful.  Because of the higher batch size and longer boil I did have to use an extra pot.  I just kept the excess simmering in a smaller pot.  This allowed me to add into the main kettle without disturbing the boil.  This worked out quite well as I had a bit over 12 quarts in the fermenting bucket when all was said and done.  That said I should just get myself a 24 qt kettle and be done with it (mine is 20).

                   

                  OG was 1.077, pretty much on target.  This yeast attenuates well (helped by the cooler mash) and I expect that this will come in around 8.5 - 9 % ABV.

                  Not at it at all. 

                  Trent


                  Good Bad & The Monkey

                    So some of us over in L&O are doing a collabeeration challenge. We all will start with essentially the same recipe and then vary it, then share bottles around among those of us participating.

                     

                    Here is the basic recipe for the challenge -

                     

                    Grain bill:
                    66% 2-row
                    12% Rye malt
                    12% Wheat malt
                    10% Brewer's choice malts (can even be more base malt)


                    Fruit, spices, or an other non-grain adjunct are fair game and do not count in the 10%.
                    Hops and yeast are brewer's choice

                     

                    OG 1.045 - 1.055
                    IBU 35 - 50

                     

                    Today I brewed mine. I'll post the actual recipe after the challenge is done. I went with a 3 stage infusion mash with a protein rest, a beta amylase rest and an alpha amylase rest. It went well, although the infusions did not quite hit the rest temperatures so I had to do some direct heat as well. No worries. I ended up hitting my expected SG of 1.070 with 5.5 gallons, and then infused water to bring down the temperature and to drop the SG to the goal above. Yeast is pitched, and so here we go.

                     

                    Protein Rest:

                     

                    Final Sacchrification rest:

                     

                    Sparging, with a nice open flow:

                     

                    Final boil, with hops:

                     

                    And to target:


                    Prince of Fatness

                      So some of us over in L&O are doing a collabeeration challenge. We all will start with essentially the same recipe and then vary it, then share bottles around among those of us participating.

                       

                      I hope to get to mine next week.  In the meantime my pipeline got damaged over the weekend, big picnic with about 4 cases of home brew gone.  The Galaxy Rye was gone in no time.  I guess that that recipe is a keeper.  My Nugget IPA has been dry hopping for almost a week so that will be bottled probably tomorrow.

                      Not at it at all. 

                      Trent


                      Good Bad & The Monkey

                        a dark chocolate spiced imperial stout.

                         

                        Just ordered a 5 gallon used rye barrel, previously containing Tuthilltown Huson Manhattan Rye. This stout will age in that bad boy. Oh yes!


                        Prince of Fatness

                          Just ordered a 5 gallon used rye barrel, previously containing Tuthilltown Huson Manhattan Rye. This stout will age in that bad boy. Oh yes!

                           

                          I think that we have had this conversation before but what did that barrel run you if you do not mind me asking?  Easy to find?  I do not do too many 5 gallon batches but would consider it if it is not too pricey.

                           

                          Also once you do this please post the process that you used for prepping the barrel and filling it.  Just curious.

                          Not at it at all. 

                          Trent


                          Good Bad & The Monkey

                            It was $149 - 30% = $105 +$20 shipping. Not sure why they had a discount going, but I took it. So the total was $125 to my door. Corsair used to sell 5 gallon barrels @ $75 + tax with local pickup, but that is long since past. The only other barrel I found was from Balcones, and it was $130 + shipping. Of all these, Tuthilltown has the highest rated spirits, although all three rock. Remember, the barrel gets to be reused but I need to keep it full at all times or it will dry out and become leaky. That means, this is a sunk cost, not a per-brew cost. So after I pull the stout out, I'll need to fill it with something else...

                             

                            Looking today, I see that Tuthilltown does not currently have 5 gallon barrels available. Perhaps I got the last one. It sounds like they have these available frequently though.

                             

                            Anyhow, waiting on final shipping info from them, but the order was confirmed and the UPS label printed.


                            Prince of Fatness

                              Remember, the barrel gets to be reused but I need to keep it full at all times or it will dry out and become leaky. That means, this is a sunk cost, not a per-brew cost. So after I pull the stout out, I'll need to fill it with something else...

                               

                              This is the part of the process that I was interested in.  I was wondering if you would have to "prime" the barrel, moisten it so that would not leak.  As for reusing it, I am not sure how interested I am in doing that.  I would imagine that you would only get so many uses, assuming that you want the effect of the liquor flavor in the beer.  Either way I am thinking that if I ever get into something like this I would prefer to do it with a smaller batch which would probably mean that I would be dealing with a barrel from a smaller distillery.  Just a guess there.

                              Not at it at all.