Archive for the ‘Equipment’ Category
Saturday, February 6th, 2010
A handy tool in brewing is a digital thermometer. When it comes to all grain brewing this is a must to accurately monitor and maintain the desired mash temperature. It also helps to know when boil is approaching ("a watched pot never boils..."). I keep this handy ...
Posted in Equipment | 2 Comments »
Saturday, January 2nd, 2010
An essential tool in the home brewer's kit is a stir plate. Using a stir plate with a yeast starter boosts yeast cell counts dramatically*. This leads to healthier fermentation, and thus better beer! I recall using a stir plate in chemistry lab. In that case it ...
Posted in Equipment, Yeast Cultures | 3 Comments »
Saturday, August 29th, 2009
Soda kegs, commonly used in home brewing draft systems, require regular cleaning and maintenance. Following is a brief description of keg care and cleaning requirements to assure optimum performance from these pressurized vessels. For an explanation of the keg components referenced below, see our article on keg anatomy.
Believe ...
Posted in Equipment | 1 Comment »
Saturday, August 15th, 2009
If you do not keg your beer already, someday you almost certainly will. It is a superior package for the home brewer. They save time and they feel cool. Only downside is they are not portable. Cornelius kegs, or corny kegs for short, are a widely available means for home ...
Posted in Equipment | No Comments »
Saturday, June 20th, 2009
BIAB is an acronym for Brew In A Bag. It is a dead simple all grain brewing technique. All it requires is a large grain straining bag, 15 gallon kettle and a propane burner. This method is excellent for brewers who are wishing to convert from extract brewing to ...
Posted in Brewing, Equipment | 11 Comments »
Saturday, June 13th, 2009
This is an example of an ADVANCED project by one of the Brewers Friend authors. It shows just how fun, exciting, and interesting building out your own brewing kit can be. Be warned: Electricity is DANGEROUS! To complete this project you will need to have a 240VAC circuit that ...
Posted in Equipment | 16 Comments »
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009
There are some distinct differences between the these two popular methods of lautering your mash that you will want to consider prior to building your mash tun. As with most brewing equipment or brewing methods, you need to determine which one will provide you with the results that you ...
Posted in Equipment | 4 Comments »
Sunday, April 26th, 2009
$3.26 Sight Gauge modification for hot liquor tank (HLT) or mash lauter tun (MLT).
This article explains how I added a sight gauge to a 10 gallon hot liquor tank (HLT) cooler as well as an identical 10 gallon mash lauter tun (MLT). Gas fired vessels may also be converted ...
Posted in Equipment | 8 Comments »
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009
This article explains the basic difference between RIMS and HERMS systems. Both are advanced setups for home brewers where mash water (wort) is circulated through a heating system. The benefits include clearer wort, higher efficiency, and an impressive looking setup that helps automate the brewing process and leads to ...
Posted in Equipment | 8 Comments »
Sunday, February 15th, 2009
Instructions for adding a thermometer to your hot liquor tank (HLT) or mash lauter tun (MLT). This makes a handy addition, it is cheap to do (~$16), and improves temperature accuracy.
Lets face it, brewing is an art and a science. Science in itself requires certain controls and measurements ...
Posted in Equipment | 4 Comments »
