It’s Beer Thirty FReepers! Time For The Homebrewing / Wine Making Thread #19 November 2, 2012

Free Republic | 11/2/2012 | Red_Devil 232

[Red_Devil 232]

I enjoy the brewing process and watching with satisfaction as the airlock goes active knowing those yeasties are happy but sure do hate the wait after bottling!

[knews_hound]

Thats the best reason to keg.

5 days from fermenter to glass.

Cheers,

knewshound

[knews_hound]

I had a very productive brew day.  A neighbor that is also a home brewer came by and we hung out all day, drank homebrews and cider and generally had a pretty good day.

I showed him a few of my tricks and he was stunned to see the beers that went into the fermenters, he said that the beer going into my fermenters was more clear than the beer he takes out of his fermenters :)

I have to say, they are some very pretty brews !

The Pale Ale -



The Blond Ale -



I finished just before dark and oh was I ready for some serious couch time after being on my feet brewing for 10 hours !

And did I mention how much I enjoy homebrewing?  I may have but I'm not sure....

Cheers,

knewshound

[Lurker]

Our hard cider is perfectly drinkable now. It’s got a lovely sparkle to it.

[knews_hound]

The guy that was hanging out with me was pounding my cider. It is a tasty batch as I have ever made. We ended up killing the keg I had on tap and I have had to put another one on gas.

I do wish I could get fresh pressed cider more often than a 3 month window in the fall. Trying to keep it around from November when I make it to June when I want to drink it is really difficult.

I blame evaporation.

Cheers,

knewshound.

[Lurker]

Next fall I’m going to do 20 gallons of the stuff. It does have a strange propensity to disappear inexplicably. I’ve got 6 bottles of the stuff on ice for the Bears game today.

We bottle condition ours. But our winter project is to turn the upstairs loft into a bar/rumpus room. A kegerator is included in those plans. :-).

Good to see you around again.

[knews_hound]

In order to not get banned, I have decided to confine my comments to the homebrewing threads only.

Beer is apolitical.

Cheers,

knewshound

[Red_Devil 232]

Please pass on your secrets to that lovely clear Beer! Are you filtering it because you force carb in kegs?

[knews_hound]

It’s actually much easier than that. It’s all about patience.

I use an immersion chiller and Whirlfloc tabs added 15 mins before flameout. Once it is off the heat, I cool it with the immersion chiller until it is as low as I can get it to go using groundwater. I try to stir it every few minutes. It usually takes almost an hour. Note, as soon as I get the tubing I need I will be able to cool it down even further using an ice water recirc.

But I digress.

Once I have it as cool as I can get it I give it a huge stir, running the swirling beer right to the edge of the pot. From there, I lid it and let it is for a full hour. Yes, an hour.

At the end of that hour all of the hot and cold break along with all of the trub will have settled into a compact layer in the pot. Toss the first pint during run off and that’s the way it looks.

I admit, waiting that full hour is a PITA. The results are worth it.

Cheers,

knewshound

[Red_Devil 232]

Interesting method. Every thing I have read recommends getting the wort as cool as you can and as fast as possible after the boil - 15 to 20 min at most. Then pitch your yeast as soon as possible. So you wait until after an hour or more before pitching the yeast? Is your stiring the wort your aeration method?

I may have to try this! That beer looks beautiful!

[knews_hound]

If my groundwater was cooler, it would be faster but since its nearly 80 this weekend, cold groundwater is hard to come by. Letting it rest an hour before transferring from pot to fermenter is what gets it so clear going into the fermenter.

As for pitching the yeast, the two batches I brewed yesterday are only now ready to have yeast added. The best I can do with 70+ degree groundwater is 76 degrees. That’s far too warm for my taste. I have had both of them in my fermentation chamber cooling down and now that all 20 gallons is at 66, I will pitch the yeast and warm them up to 68. Once a krausen has risen and the real active fermentation is slowing down, I raise it about a degree a day until it gets to 72 and finish it there.

I have a nice article on how to build a fermentation chamber in case you are interested - http://knewshound.blogspot.com/2009/01/building-beast.html

And no, I don’t worry a lot about contamination. I have excellent sanitation and have yet to have a problem.

*knocks on wood*

Cheers,

knewshound.

[Redcloak]

Add me to the ping list!

I'm just about to leave the house to go to the monthly meeting of The Maltose Falcons.

[Red_Devil 232]

You have been added to the list.

[Red_Devil 232]

Contamination! That is what I have been worried about right after the boil. But, like you, I always use extreme sanitation procedures. Your method will sure allow me to calm down after the boil. That has always been a very hectic half hour or so for me! I will be using your method on my next brew day.

Thanks!

[Hotmetal]

[Hotmetal]

After voting first thing in the morning I will be brewing my first home brew. It will be a Bell's Two-Hearted IPA clone. Partial mash.

[Red_Devil 232]

Sound like an excellent activity after voting!

[knews_hound]

Brewing sounds like an excellent way to spend election day.

Are you naming it?

Hanging Chad Pale Ale?

Recount IPA?

Landslide Pale Ale would be my suggestion !

Cheers,

knewshound

[Hotmetal]

How about Incumbent Punked Ale?

[knews_hound]

You should make a label for that one.

You could give bottles to liberals to wash away their tears !

LOL

Good luck on the brew day bud. Take your time, relax and enjoy.

Cheers,

knewshound