Either make a seasonal fruit sour or a spiced fruit forward beer. Even an apple spiced light lager where you add everything at packaging using an existing light lager.
I have been craving those things lately, and I'm actually going to make my own version of it this weekend.
I've got a 10-gallon batch of my Dark Lager on the schedule but I keep bumping it to do smaller batches of other beers. It looks like it may be 3 weeks before I get it going. For now I'm making do with my Brown Ale but I'm really looking forward to the Lager.At least the Black Lager is done
good point...that is a bit of a mind fuck. maybe i just roll without the spices and just orange cranberry???
i can buy "apple pie" or graham cracker flavorings those with actual spices should be sufficient to make a stout or something.
Ginger Ninja.
The dark lager is such a great style to drink this time of year because it feels fallish , but highly drinkable when it is in the mid 80s in the afternoon.I've got a 10-gallon batch of my Dark Lager on the schedule but I keep bumping it to do smaller batches of other beers. It looks like it may be 3 weeks before I get it going. For now I'm making do with my Brown Ale but I'm really looking forward to the Lager.
I have a similar set up as what you describe. I have a half-barrel unitank as well as a couple of smaller unis and a glycol chiller. I can pull off lager fermentation most of the year if I want to fight the heat but it's really hard when the garage temps are in the 90s pretty much round the clock. Crashing is the hard part. Everything runs constantly to get down to around 40 degrees and I'd rather have it mid-30s. And running more than one fermenter at a time can put a strain on the system. The small unis are pretty easy to cool but the half-barrel takes a lot. It's just now getting a little cooler but the garage temp is still in the 80s and we'll get a lot of days in the 90 degree range. It's much better if I stick to November through March or April for lagers.
what is your glycol % at? that can make a really big difference in cooling efficiency it should be >30 brix in a refract. be sure to be conscious of what the refract is calibrated for as well.
I had seen this before and forgotten about it. My glycol is about a year old in non-climate controlled garage and so far I'm still getting the same temps I was when it was new. Now, that doesn't say anything about how long the chiller is running to do that.
sample the resevoir. it should read >30 brix. that is the glycol plus the water. that will save you energy and keep your machine running for longer.Garage mini-split system to the rescue.
I've been cold crashing with outside temps in the 90's for 3 days now, beer has not gotten above 37F with this guy set at 71F. Plus, my glycol chiller actually cycles off now ! ! ! !
All in, I paid...~$1650. Once in a while I do stuff besides brew out here, so this will help for other stuff too. At least that's what I'm telling myself now.
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I had seen this before and forgotten about it. My glycol is about a year old in non-climate controlled garage and so far I'm still getting the same temps I was when it was new. Now, that doesn't say anything about how long the chiller is running to do that.
when you say, 'should be about 30 brix' is that for only the glycol OR the mix with distilled water?
My glycol is pretty new and should be a good mix. The biggest hurdle in crashing is the design of the coils in my big fermenter. Unless I'm doing a full half-barrel batch and filling close to full capacity, a lot of the coils are exposed above the liquid. I'm running 27-degree glycol when I'm crashing but it's just not making contact enough to pull the liquid down efficiently. That plus the thin neoprene insulating jacket and up to 90 degree ambient just makes it hard. My 7-gallon unis with a batch that yields 5 gallon actually run pretty well and will crash down to the mid-low 30s.
Looks awesome! Unfortunately, I live in a retirement community with "limited space" in the new home construction garages. I was lucky enough to get the Mrs. to buy off on a dedicated brew space in the garage (takes up about 20% of space available without impacting parking). I'll have to consider if I can "downsize" some things to add that additional space. Maybe her parking spot..
It's all about priorities..
Yeah...that may be a possibility eventually. I'd have to do some serious insulating and work out some ducts and vents. It would be easier to close off the small space where I keep the fermenters. That would limit access but I suppose if I use a 36" exterior door, it would be big enough to get stuff in and out okay.Garage mini-split system to the rescue.
I've been cold crashing with outside temps in the 90's for 3 days now, beer has not gotten above 37F with this guy set at 71F. Plus, my glycol chiller actually cycles off now ! ! ! !
All in, I paid...~$1650. Once in a while I do stuff besides brew out here, so this will help for other stuff too. At least that's what I'm telling myself now.
