Hoppy beers always yield less, it seems. also, pressure transfer becomes a pain and even serving from the keg can be problematic because leftover hop bits want to clog the poppets. I picked up one of these in my last transaction and I'm going to see about straining out of the kettle. I used my...

I'll have more beers on tap and in process then, so I'll have more to drink and more to talk about. :D

I guess I could have already been done by now if I'd just gone and got the bailin' wire out of the back of the pickup. :D

This gives me a good idea...I can bend some 1/8" brass rod into individual restraints and fashion a way to have them clip onto a rail of some sort attached to the fridge door. Solves the problem of unlatching one at a time and it won't be bulky or untidy.

I would have liked to stick around longer. Next time maybe won't have a schedule to stick to. :)

My zoom has to update apparently... joining shortly.

Turns out I have to attend a party this evening. Not absolutely certain of the timing so I may get to sign on briefly. :)

I did exactly that after opening the freezer door a couple of times. :D :D

When it comes to getting the most bang for your buck with hops, the whirlpool is your friend - 10 minutes at 180F will bring out more and different character than any boil addition. Flameout hops left in while the temp drops are excellent for smooth IBU contribution and huge flavor boost. Don't...

Got an Amber Lager and an Irish Red working away in the small Uni's right now. Looking to do at least a 10 gallon batch in the half-barrel Uni this weekend. Most likely the Pale Ale that my wife is fond of. As soon as that's out of the way, I'll put a sizeable batch of Bohemian Pilsner in the...

It's up against a wall...

The keyed locks are expensive and cumbersome. Uncoupling kegs is unwieldy and my wife won't have easy access but I do have stubby handles and, yes I could just replace them for everyday use...I suppose that's the smart thing to. :)

Yeah...I guess it's just an internal spring that makes the self-closers work...I was thinking that the plunger was different but I guess not. Do you find that they're strong enough to resist inadvertent opening but not so strong as to make it awkward for anyone who's not used to pulling a tap (I...

Edited to add pic.

My keg fridge is set up with 4 beer taps and a sparkling water tap. The fridge is dedicated to kegs but the freezer is used for meat and stuff. I don't always leave tap handles on but I've been doing so lately. The first few times I opened the freezer door and turned on all my taps let me to put...

Not dumb at all...Nice clean beer with just the right bitter and lots of C-hop flavor. Totally crushable. :) There are plenty of examples of "hoppy lagers" these days. The so-called Italian Lager uses mostly bold European hops with more fruit character but could easily be done with basic C-hops...

What's your yeast strain? Most of the lager yeasts will be pretty happy at the upper end of their range. I use a lot of S-23, 34/70 and Apex Munich and all of those would do fine fermented about 65 degrees. That would express some esters to enhance the hop profile. If you're thinking a single...

I think I'll be around...It's been a long time. :)

For adding color and flavor, I like to use a little more of a lighter roast. I might use Pale Chocolate in a slightly higher percentage to get bold coffee/chocolate flavor with too much of a burnt/roasty character, especially if I wanted to accentuate the smoother malt flavors. That being said...

So, here's a potential data point... I found that my bins weren't empty and my Pilsner bin still had about 15 lbs in it. I had been intending to do an amber split batch to get an Irish Red and maybe an American Amber. I decided that since I needed to test the viability of my Apex Munich that...