What are you doing with homebrew today?

I'm wondering what will happen to my batch of beer since my temperature controller developed a problem (it causes my solar system to trip).
Beer will now continue fermentation at higher temperature than planned
(Bry 97 at 17-18 oC for 4 days, uncontrolled there after)
 
I'm wondering what will happen to my batch of beer since my temperature controller developed a problem (it causes my solar system to trip).
Beer will now continue fermentation at higher temperature than planned
(Bry 97 at 17-18 oC for 4 days, uncontrolled there after)
If the main part of fermentation is 17-18 you’ll be in great shape. If you can somehow keep it below 21-22 for the remainder, better yet.
 
That's what happened with mine. I pitched around 18°C, raised to 19°C, but after a couple of days the cooling got messed up and it shot up to 23°C for a few days. Turned out damned delicious regardless. I've never used BRY-97 before, but it didn't seem to mind getting above its recommended range after a couple of days.
 
It was 23 this morning...
So it's going to go up...
I'll take a gravity sample tomorrow. Hopefully it all works out. Nothing much I can do.
Except for maybe running the fridge every now and again to keep it from going too high.
Well, not! The fridge trips the system.
So maybe the controller is fine. I would rather have the fridge working fine though...
Or maybe both are on strike
 
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It was 23 this morning...
So it's going to go up...
I'll take a gravity sample tomorrow. Hopefully it all works out. Nothing much I can do.
Except for maybe running the fridge every now and again to keep it from going too high.
Well, not! The fridge trips the system.
So maybe the controller is fine. I would rather have the fridge working fine though...
Or maybe both are on strike
BRY-97 is a pretty forgiving yeast, but it can throw esters and get fusel-like (hard to describe but think "headache like alcohol presence") above 24° C or so. Not sure the esters would show through all the hops, but fusels oftentimes make a beer a bit too harsh.

You say the beer was kept at 17-18 for 4 days so hopefully that was through the pitch, then high krausen, then slowing of activity. If so, that should give you hope that all will be well.
 
Good to hear after beeing away from brewing so long. Hope all went well with your back and new equipment.
Feeling the effects a bit today, but not too bad. I definitely figured out some areas where I can make my process less strenuous. My daughter had been lamenting about how the house would smell with me brewing indoors. She came home late last night and said there was no smell at all. Steam condenser FTW!
 
Getting ready to brew and I thought I had like 3 gals of StarSan solution left only to go downstairs and find the bucket empty and the spigot open. I suspect my almost 4 year old but it probably happened so long ago I can't even question him about it. I used the last of the concentrate to mix that and never replaced it. So now I got to brave the frigid cold to go to the store
 
Pride of London Porter ready [5.5%]. Kegged, bottled and re-did these wonderful labels I got from Homebrew Online before they went bust. Waterproof and easy peel although I have only ever removed three or four of them. Stick to glass, plastic and aluminium. Write in pencil even a heavy one like 8B and they virtually erase off for the next brew. Just wish I had bought a few more packs. Getting a bit ragged after a few uses and I don't always manage to get them on straight but can't grumble on such a find.

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Been trying to decide on a brewery name not that I am going pro.
 
Decide to spiffy-up the bottles of my Imperial Stout. I used a Velcro strip as a pull tab for easier access to the cap later on. Pretty simple process. Melt, dip, spin, done.

Before anyone warns me, I have no intention of cleaning or getting the wax off these bottles. That would be a royal PITA. These bottles were sacrificial.

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Getting ready to brew and I thought I had like 3 gals of StarSan solution left only to go downstairs and find the bucket empty and the spigot open. I suspect my almost 4 year old but it probably happened so long ago I can't even question him about it. I used the last of the concentrate to mix that and never replaced it. So now I got to brave the frigid cold to go to the store
So I still had StarSan in a different bucket. It's just been so long and things got moved around. But after going to the store anyways and not knowing where my PH strips were I just dumped it and made up a new batch of sanitizer. I might need to figure out some temp control though cause this basement is a bit cooler than my last one. Fermenter was at 70F last night and 62 this morning. I'm worried if it drops much lower but I think Nottingham is good down to like 57
 
I spent a good part of the day in my brewery, tidying, cleaning, organizing, and peeking at the scary Bunyip monster in the fermenter!

The Brewzilla steam condenser did a great job on my first indoor boil, but I was a bit disturbed by how much water it used.
It used A LOT OF water, like way too much.
I was pleased on the other hand at how little water the counter flow chiller used, but as I was puttering an working away I kept thinking about what I could do to reduce my water usage. As I was puttering I must have picked up my little Anvil pump and moved it around 4 or 5 times. The last time I picked it up, I looked at it and bango! It hit me.
Turns out I had everything I needed to plumb up a recirculation system to pump water to the spray nozzle from a bucket, and then run the drain back into the bucket. I had an extra bucket spigot so I cut a hole near the top of the bucket for the drain water to go back into the bucket. I probably won't need to, but I may just have some ice on hand to keep the water from getting to warm, but it really shouldn't matter.
 
As I was puttering I must have picked up my little Anvil pump and moved it around 4 or 5 times. The last time I picked it up, I looked at it and bango! It hit me.
That'll leave a mark. Ow!

As for cold water, snow works. As does a relatively slow water replacement in the cold liquor tank. (I assume that's what it's called. I mean, we have a hot liquor tank, so…)
 
That'll leave a mark. Ow!

As for cold water, snow works. As does a relatively slow water replacement in the cold liquor tank. (I assume that's what it's called. I mean, we have a hot liquor tank, so…)
Never mind the tanks, just gimme the liquor.
 

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