I haven't brewed since late spring and with the warm weather nearly done for I'm getting antsy. I have noticed I suck when it comes to getting the proper amount of carbonation. I'm either borderline flat or over carbonated big time. Very steady when I pour so I don't think it's my "form" but rather something in the process - whether that be storage, handling, or just priming sugar amounts. I use about 4oz. per 5 gal on average (depends on the brew type, never more than 5oz.) Dissolve the sugar in a couple cups of warm water, then when I rack into the bottling bucket it gets put in at the very beginning so it is mixing while siphoning. Lastly, I have used the racking cane at the very end to gently mix to hope for uniform carbonation throughout the batch. Don't know what else to try.
..... My problem lies in the bigger beers.....I get a head from h-e-double hockey sticks.... Been trying to figure it out myself....
Another big brew day here today. We are brewing four different 5 gallon batches so it's going to be a long day. We have added a second mash tun, though, and that will help a lot. I also bought my own grain crusher so we can really dial in efficiency. On today's brewing docket: Drop Dead Red (Irish Red), Bald Tire (Northern English Brown Ale), Gimme Another IPA (American IPA), Honk Honk Ale (English Special Bitter).
Cool! Your going to be busy, pumping four out today. ... What grain crusher? As I move towards BIAB, I'm thinking that I'm needing to invest in one of those... Have a Great Day and Have fun!
I bought the Cereal Killer from Adventures In Homebrewing. Strike water getting close on batch #1.....mashing in soon!!
Seriously JRSDWS , no pics? Didn't happen. Got 2 partials tonight, I don't think I'll go full grain until I get a garage. On tap are a coffee porter and IPA. We'll see how much LME we are left with and if we want to sneak in one last batch before a short break.
Only snapped these two pictures....a look at the mash setup and the draining of some sweet wort! I love the process of all grain brewing and building my own recipes. First batches with the new grain mill averaged 76% brewhouses efficiency.
How did things go? Your coffee porter, you doing beans after fermination? What kinda of IPA? I need to make another couple of brews myself...But work has been interfering with that lately..
First coffee porter, plan is to cold steep 16oz the day before bottling and add it to the bucket. Got to get something nice and fresh for that. IPA was a "dark day ipa" from brewtoad. It is dark for sure, and should be up in the 7's for ABV. I am not an IPA guy, but on occassion they hit the spot.
Any pictures of your setup? I'm looking at 1 to 2 kegs with a third possible. I've got a small freezer that should work for my application. Wanting to keep foot print as small as possible. Maintenance (life of ) of orings and pressure reliefs? Did you buy used or new? Price that I've seen is about 30ish difference at the shops.
I use corny kegs too. For at least a couple years now. Two kegs in one mini fridge. They were used but reringed when I got them. No need to get new ones. I use a touch of keg lube and the seals are like new. The worst part is that you can't tell how much beer or cider is left in the keg easily so get at least two to prevent unexpected disaster. Kinda like an extra propane tank for your gas grill. You can fill growlers and even bottles from the keg for travel.
So is storing Kegs condition similar to bottles. Like say I have room for 2 in my kegerator, but I want 2 more in line (say a stout or something that will take a bit to age). How hard is it to age in a Keg?
Here is my keg fridge set up. I keep the c02 inside the fridge and use a manifold to distribute the gas. I have the same set up in keep either in the garage or the basement, whichever is coolest. This allows me to put kegs on c02 and get them carbonated so when I empty a keg from the fridge another is ready to go in. Storing in a keg under pressure is the same as storing in the bottle.
Would anybody like some Cascades Rhizomes? I have a pretty healthy patch that keeps on spreading. They came as a root from a home brew shop about 20 years ago do I think I can dig some up for you and go he same. Now is the time to plant. PM me and we can iron out the details.
What are favorable growing conditions? Would definitely give it a try if I have the proper location amd temps.
I have them on the southern (sunny) side of my house with strings running to the eaves. After a few years they grow about 25' tall right up the strings. We probably have close to the same growing conditions. This picture was taken on June 15 a few years ago.
