sorry, yeah that's terribly inaccurate. It was early. I just meant to give it the extra hop aromatic punch.

D'Oh

4/13/2011 11:50:15 AM

bourbon aged black IPA is nearing 6 weeks of aging. really starting to smell phenomenal. the oaky, roasted flavors are pretty strong. calculated ABV is around 10.5%...9.5% without bourbon addition, then calculated based on 80proof alcohol addition to be about 1% rise. but the smell and flavor seems like its going to be so good it could really mask the alcohol.

letting this mellow out some more- not going to rush this bad boy. cheers

4/13/2011 11:57:52 AM

^^i knew what you meant

transferring my black IPA to secondary tonight.

[Edited on April 13, 2011 at 12:35 PM. Reason : .]

4/13/2011 12:34:02 PM

All my equipment was delivered yesterday sans Pyrex measuring cups. I picked up a 5 gallon stainless steel stock pot for 8 bucks and a deep frying thermometer for 10 bucks (which I may return). I'm excited to get started!

4/15/2011 3:23:30 PM

Quote :

"I picked up a 5 gallon stainless steel stock pot for 8 bucks"

did you get it at a garage sale or something? i thought mine was cheap at $40

4/15/2011 3:45:17 PM

It was 14.99 at this pottery store in Greenville and they had a 50% off one item coupon in their circular. The brand "Cuisine Select" has some pretty shitty reviews on amazon, but I'm sure it will get the job done.

The thermometer range is 100-400, so I don't know how useful it will be.

4/15/2011 3:53:55 PM

Ss is ss for a stove pot.

4/16/2011 2:45:45 AM

ahs anni blonde rye partial mash (sample pulled while bottling)
ahs anni wit partial mash (sample pulled while racking to secondary)

both seem promising

the blonde is a bit... cloudy, but w/e it tastes fine. the wit is still pretty aggressive, so we'll see how it turns out.

plan to do an ipa this week sometime.

[Edited on April 18, 2011 at 9:57 AM. Reason : shitty lighting. the wit actually looks pretty much exactly like a blue moon in color.]

4/18/2011 9:56:14 AM

Thinking about buying another cheap freezer on eBay to make a fermentation chamber. It won't cost much, but I can't help but feel slightly ridiculous with FIVE refrigeration units throughout the house (not that I don't already feel ridiculous with *just* four)...

Temp control is worth the investment though, IMO. And I need a way to be able to make lagers/pilsners in the summer.

[Edited on April 18, 2011 at 9:59 AM. Reason : gf]

4/18/2011 9:57:58 AM

Yeah I have an LCD thermometer in my spare bathroom now that's reading 66F. A week ago at high noon it would probably read 75F. The thermostat for my house reads 70. How much fluctuation is too much? I'm closing the door today and going to see how that stabilizes it. Granted this is all without running the AC/Heat pump.

4/18/2011 10:11:30 AM

Everything I've read just puts a LOT of emphasis on stable temperatures. After attempting to brew a lager at varying temps between ~50-62 degrees (during the winter, spare bedroom with window open), I can see why. It smelled horrendous. It was drinkable, but not something I'd want to brew again.

Other than that attempt, I've been fermenting ales exclusively. The temp downstairs at my house averages 69 degrees in the winter, but using a digital thermometer shows there's always at least a 10 degree gap between the min and max temperatures throughout the day.

I'm thinking this differential is going to be even higher during the summer, which is why I'm looking into a fermentation chamber.

[Edited on April 18, 2011 at 10:32 AM. Reason : d]

4/18/2011 10:30:27 AM

Maybe I will close off all circulation. Black out the one window in teh bathroom and set a radiator heater on the lowest setting to maintain 70-75?

4/18/2011 12:43:23 PM

Just kegged the AHS hefeweisen. I cant wait to drink this one...it's amazing even before carbonated.

Also, racked the AHS porter to secondary...I'll give this a few days and then keg later this week.

Trying to get a decent selection of beers on tap for a cinco de mayo party coming up!

4/18/2011 1:46:25 PM

put some vanilla beans in that secondary, you won't be sorry!

Kegging my AHS 20th IPA later today (it's been in secondary 2 weeks now), and possibly brewing up my AHS 20th Stout (I'm planning on adding coffee to secondary with this one).

[Edited on April 18, 2011 at 2:26 PM. Reason : g]

4/18/2011 2:24:47 PM

any pointers for the ahs ipa?

was going to brew that one this week. either today or most likely friday.

4/18/2011 2:39:23 PM

I got the extract version, so it was pretty straightforward. I left the hops in secondary for just a little over 2 weeks, and it smells gooooooood.

As sidenote, does anyone have a source for cheap Corny kegs? I'm looking at $50+ shipped from the online shops.

[Edited on April 18, 2011 at 3:55 PM. Reason : sd]

4/18/2011 3:54:35 PM

craigslist might be your best bet. The familiar soda kegs are no longer produced so you'll only see the cost for those rise due to the growth in popularity and declining numbers. Once their all gone HB shops will be forced to stock the new ones and will be much more expensive.

4/18/2011 4:00:11 PM

you looking for ball lock or pin lock kegs?

4/18/2011 4:56:52 PM

Ball Lock all the way

4/18/2011 5:25:38 PM

Well, they both work great. Ball locks are just a little more common I believe. Might help with sourcing parts later on.

I've seen some ridiculous steals on pin lock cornys though.

4/18/2011 5:33:40 PM

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/for/2329109501.html

$35 each.

4/18/2011 7:51:11 PM

^thanks for the heads-up. I'll be in Raleigh next weekend, hopefully he/she will hold a couple for me.

I prefer the ball locks, only because they are skinnier and I can fit more into my kegerator. But yea, there seem to be tons of deals on the pin locks right now for some reason.

[Edited on April 19, 2011 at 9:14 AM. Reason : d]

4/19/2011 9:13:48 AM

If anyone needs pin lock cornys, let me know. I think I know someone who has a few left for $10 each.

4/19/2011 9:30:18 AM

Thanks again for posting the link, I emailed the guy and he's going to hold a couple for me.


In other news, it's my birthday soon and I'm having a hard time coming up with gift ideas. What are some small-ish accessories/equipment that make your brewing easier? I also keg my beer, so any suggestions related to that would be welcome.

A couple simple things I couldn't do without: infrared thermometer, siphon pump, 2-in-1 hydro/thermometer, bottling cane (for the odd occasion when I do bottle), temp/level stickers for my kegs.

[Edited on April 20, 2011 at 11:01 AM. Reason : d]

4/20/2011 11:01:07 AM

i'd love to get a corny keg for $10!

4/20/2011 11:07:29 AM

^^maybe some books if you don't have any. Homebrew or Beer in general, there are a lot of great ones. Maybe some nice glassware pieces to display and drink with when you have tastings. hmm i'll keep thinking.

I plan to get a couple big coffee table books to set out for general reading/display. Thinking maybe one about irish/english pubs, and one full of beer photography.

4/20/2011 11:38:37 AM

I <3 my refractometer.

4/20/2011 11:44:34 AM

i snapped a racking cane in the middle of a brew day once, and wanted to kill myself.

since they're <$3, i keep a spare on hand now.

4/20/2011 11:45:09 AM

^^^ooh, that gives me an idea: a nice growler or two for quick-filling from the keg when I'm headed out.

^^refractometer, nice! Didn't even know such a thing existed.

Thanks!


[Edited on April 20, 2011 at 11:47 AM. Reason : j]

4/20/2011 11:45:42 AM

^yeah a couple nice swingtop 2L growlers would be great for taking beer to a party. Something like this that could be used for years.




I got 5 1L Stone brewery growlers for super cheap from my Flying Saucer that i have used to bottle and plan to keep for this very reason once I move to kegging. They aren't very ornate, but they were a steal.

Quote :

"i snapped a racking cane in the middle of a brew day once, and wanted to kill myself. since they're <$3, i keep a spare on hand now."

do you use the old fashioned cane or an auto-siphon?

4/20/2011 11:48:40 AM

Refractometers make it SO SO SO much easier to take a gravity reading. And you waste less beer since you dont have to draw a sample big enough to float a hydrometer in.

It literally takes about 2 drops of beer to measure in a refractometer.

And I have a huge collection of growlers that I got from breweries or Sams Quickshop with a $4 deposit...I figure I'll use them when I need them or trade them in at some point for $4 towards another growler full of beer.

Also, I couldnt live without my autosiphon and siphon holder (clips on the neck of your carboy/bucket and holds your siphon for you...awesome).

[Edited on April 20, 2011 at 11:53 AM. Reason : .]

4/20/2011 11:49:09 AM

^are those the half-gallon generic growlers? I use those as starter containers and they work wonderfully!

4/20/2011 11:52:07 AM

Quote :

"I <3 my refractometer."

ditto. i think i mentioned this earlier ITT when someone asked the same question, it's like $50 but SO worth it.

4/20/2011 11:52:23 AM

^^Yep.

4/20/2011 11:54:21 AM

i started with an auto siphon, didnt really like the effort, then moved to an "old fashioned" racking cane.

takes a time or two to get the method down, but i much prefer it now.

so easy, and allows you to really do other things while the siphon is going, just by monitoring the level and where the end is in relation to the trub. with a clip of course if going from a bucket to something else.

it snapped while trying to detach the tube from the end, while kinda holding onto the L part and pulling. derp.

[Edited on April 20, 2011 at 11:57 AM. Reason : it appears as if i might have been using the auto-siphon wrong]

4/20/2011 11:54:46 AM

i think i'll brew early sunday afternoon. may need to top off the propane tank, other than that I have everything I need.

4/20/2011 11:56:23 AM

^^LOL, I broke an auto siphon by doing the exact same thing. Couldnt get the tube off.

I still struggle with it

Auto siphon is really easy to use...put it in your carboy, pull up on the small cane a few inches, push it back down and you're siphoning. Easy as pie.

[Edited on April 20, 2011 at 11:59 AM. Reason : .]

4/20/2011 11:56:29 AM

I just went from having no idea what to ask for for my birthday to having 3 great ideas. Thanks guys.

Keep'em coming, even stuff you think might be obvious. I've only been doing this since January.


oh and the tube on my autosiphon is pretty much welded on at this point. I realize it's probably not the most sanitary thing, but I usually go overboard on the sanitation stage anyway so I guess it evens otu.

[Edited on April 20, 2011 at 12:00 PM. Reason : d]

4/20/2011 11:59:30 AM

My top birthday gift ideas under $60

1) Refractometer
2) Autosiphon & siphon holder
3) Digital scale (measure hops/grains)
4) Carbonator Cap - http://morebeer.com/view_product/18250/ This thing WORKS GREAT. I can carbonate beer in a day or less with this thing. Great for when you want to try a beer quickly before the keg/bottle can carbonate. You need a C02 setup though.

4/20/2011 12:11:46 PM

Can you use the refractometer for final gravity readings too? I heard you couldn't...

4/20/2011 4:56:50 PM

Yes, you can, if you have the original gravity.

FG = (1.001843-0.002318474*(OG)-0.000007775*(OG^2)-0.000000034*(OG^3)+0.00574*(reading during fermentation)+0.00003344*(reading during fermentation^2)+0.000000086*(reading during fermentation^3))

Or just use this Excel spreadsheet and type it in...
http://morebeer.com/public/beer/refractbeer.xls

[Edited on April 20, 2011 at 5:06 PM. Reason : .]

4/20/2011 5:06:12 PM

Also found out the issue with the images...

using thewolfweb.com i get this:
http://imageshack.us/img/blocked_domain.png


using brentroad.com, i can see the image just fine, apparently imageshack hasn't banned brentroad.com yet.

4/21/2011 1:13:31 PM

Interesting, maybe i'll upload the next ones to my profile on tww and avoid that whole mess.

Thanks for the refractometer clarification. Now i've got to explain to my wife why i need to buy one of these immediately.

4/21/2011 10:52:14 PM

Tdub has terrible JPG compression... it's not a big deal, maybe I'll just start using brentroad.com

Bottling the Black IPA tomorrow!!!

4/22/2011 11:18:05 AM

cracking open the first peach hefe tonight. pretty excited. it's been in the bottle about 2.5 weeks

4/22/2011 12:48:40 PM

^Really curious how that works out for ya.

I've got a lot to look forward to this month. I re-brewed the kolsch that i spilled all over the living room. This time i bought a digital temperature controller and i'll have it sitting in my keggerator at 60 degrees until it's ready. I'm almost glad i spilled the first batch I also bottled the northern brewer sinistral warrior ipa today and brewed a weisenboch. I'll be brewing an all grain american pale ale on Friday and kegging the pilsner lager by the end of the month.

Now i need to figure out what to do with all this beer once it's ready...

4/22/2011 10:51:57 PM

send me some

4/23/2011 9:35:17 AM

the peach hefe is quite tasty, but still a little green. There is a familiar taste in it that i've had in a few of my most recent batches and i'm starting to wonder if it's a side effect of my water. Temperature and sanitation control were about the best they've ever been so it's something else. and hell, it could be the green-ness of the beer but I know hefes are better fresh so at 2.5 weeks it should be ready to go. I really need to have it judged by a BJCP or at least a long time home brewer to see what they think.

4/25/2011 11:20:18 AM

Just wanted to drop in and say the AHS 20th IPA is delicious. It's been in the keg for about a week now, just tried some over the weekend and it's great. Plenty bitter, but not overpowering. Packs a punch, too.

4/25/2011 11:30:22 AM

^ brewed that one up saturday morning.

the off gassing from the fermentation lock is the best i've ever smelled. i have to admit though i sat with the packet of falconer's flight pellets open just smelling the bag for a good while. i used the abv booster packet, and the bubbling is FIERCE .

i'm excited by it.

primary - ahs 20th anni ipa
secondary - ahs 20th anni wit
bottled - ahs 20th blonde rye
next - ahs 20th kolsch (wasn't planned, bought it for a buddy and he hasn't picked it up yet. soooo i'm going to brew it)

went a little overboard on that sale.

4/25/2011 11:51:17 AM