Recent injury flare-ups have me backing down to 1 gal batches again. I may end up giving it away because it was like $25 brand new
What are you doing with homebrew today?
- Thread starter BOB357
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Sorry to hear that. Yeah I'm considering how to move forward myself because after about November I'm going to have time for BIAB batches for a while. I might switch back to extract for a while cause I don't want to have to put this hobby on hold completely
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You're probably right. I checked the recipe and the alpha acids between the two hops only differ by a couple points (7.4 vs 5.2)
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I really don't enjoy bottling all that much, but it sure is satisfying when the job is done! Nice looking yield there bud!
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Brewing Q4 2020 Shady Bohemian and using the Mangrove Jack's Bohemian Lager yeast M84.
The blurb on the back of the packet - Ideal temperature range 10 - 15C.
OK. I decanted into the Fermenter and chilled it all down overnight in a normal fridge so I could do a little experiment with the yeast - not having used it before - and it reached 9C overnight. Lower than the yeast range so I could bring it up to temperature in a controlled way.
Next day I gave it a vigorous shake up, dropped in the sterilised Tilt and sprinkled the yeast onto the foamy head.
Into the fermentation fridge set at the minimum recommended temperature of 10C.
Here is a graph of the progress.
For a couple of days nothing happening until I whacked up the temperature to 15C when it all kicked off.
Maybe something was happening at the lower temperature that the Tilt wasn't able to pick up but anyway, upping the temperature did the trick so I would recommend using it at the higher end of the scale.
Shady Bohemian is off and running.
The blurb on the back of the packet - Ideal temperature range 10 - 15C.
OK. I decanted into the Fermenter and chilled it all down overnight in a normal fridge so I could do a little experiment with the yeast - not having used it before - and it reached 9C overnight. Lower than the yeast range so I could bring it up to temperature in a controlled way.
Next day I gave it a vigorous shake up, dropped in the sterilised Tilt and sprinkled the yeast onto the foamy head.
Into the fermentation fridge set at the minimum recommended temperature of 10C.
Here is a graph of the progress.
For a couple of days nothing happening until I whacked up the temperature to 15C when it all kicked off.
Maybe something was happening at the lower temperature that the Tilt wasn't able to pick up but anyway, upping the temperature did the trick so I would recommend using it at the higher end of the scale.
Shady Bohemian is off and running.
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Cleaned two taps and lines. Left them sitting with a charge of starsan.
Fridays brew is at FG, so time to cold crash. Then I remembered someone saying that the cold crash in the keg, so why wouldn't I do that instead of the elaborate set up I have been doing recently. So, I transfered it to a keg, set the ferm chamber to 2C, and hooked up the gas at 10PSI. Too easy! Will set a personal grain to glass record on this one, will move it to the serving fridge on Wednesday and give it a pull, so, that will be 5 days!
Fridays brew is at FG, so time to cold crash. Then I remembered someone saying that the cold crash in the keg, so why wouldn't I do that instead of the elaborate set up I have been doing recently. So, I transfered it to a keg, set the ferm chamber to 2C, and hooked up the gas at 10PSI. Too easy! Will set a personal grain to glass record on this one, will move it to the serving fridge on Wednesday and give it a pull, so, that will be 5 days!
Took 2 cases of "Kayak Romance" to my grandpa's 90th birthday party in the park. It was a big hit.
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Keep your equipment until you completely say uncle to brewing.
So I’ve had one in a shopping cart for a week now. What’s the verdict for you two?
If you say I buy it my wife will be cussing you lol
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As they say, " Just Do It ".
Since I bought my Anvil, I gave my propane burner, big kettle and other stuff to my son. Electric is the only way to go.
(He is putting it good use though...)
Since I bought my Anvil, I gave my propane burner, big kettle and other stuff to my son. Electric is the only way to go.
(He is putting it good use though...)
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In all honesty, I like the machine, but it has it's short comings.
If I were to rewind the clock, I think I may have spent the extra dough on a Grainfather... I think. Or maybe the Clawhammer unit.
Here are the shortcomings
- controller is at the bottom of the machine, there is a balance of at what height you use the machine, if you have it on the floor, you will have to lay down to read the screen. I have mine at about 36" off the floor, still have to bend over pretty good to read it, and need a stool to pour in sparge water with malt pipe up on the tabs.
- controller screen is set so far back that you have to have your eyeballs level with it to see which of the 6 programs you are in
- timers count up, huge fail here, do the designers not brew? I guess not
- controller is stand alone, if it had blue tooth or wifi capability it wouldn't matter that the it was way down there...
- machine is designed to very effectively brew 19-20L batches at 5% ABV, when you venture up around 6% mash can start getting thick due to the recoverable dead space below and around the malt pipe (basket)
- the immersion chiller that comes with it is not adequate in my opinion (I built my own)
- I find that the pump clogs pretty easily, so I use a paint strainer bag for boil and hop stand hops.
- the hop basket that they promote to buy along with it is way to fine of a mesh, I returned mine after one use
- Don has found with the 220V unit that the 500W element is too slow to effect step mash temp changes, and the 1900W element is too powerful for the same (I have the 110V unit, the 500W is perfect for holding mash temp, and the 1000W element is perfect for step mash temp changes, boil is weak, but adequate)
Benefits
Electric brewery with effective control and timers
Built in pump
Pretty easy top clean
They offer a whirlpool arm, but I made my own on the cheap
In spite of above, I do like the machine, but would have spent the extra dough in hind sight
I misread....thought I read fermzilla. I snapped a pic of this post in case I decide to upgrade later b
