Posted on 11/16/2012 3:33:37 PM PST by Red_Devil 232
It’s going to be a busy beer day for me. First up, bottling 5 gallons of cider and 5 gallons of the Chocolate Coffee Stout. Next up, I have to keg the 20 gallons I brewed 2 weeks ago. I need to get them on gas ASAP since I am bringing them with us on our Thanksgiving/fishing trip on Wed.
I almost want to brew this weekend but the idea of leaving beer to ferment while I am away is not appealing. I have had things go wrong before and it’s just not worth the risk.
Happy Brewing everyone!
Cheers,
knewshound
He’s been brewing for some years now, and does all types of ales, beers and such. He hasn’t done meads yet, but I’ve mentioned it. He doesn’t brew specifically for high alcohol content - it’s just that certain brews end up that way. ;)
He’s very particular about the flavors, and ends up sounding like those people who discuss “notes of” this and that. He’s the same over cigars - though he doesn’t make those thankfully. I confess that my eyes glaze over when he gets talking about that stuff.
He makes wine also. Does a few really nice ones. Those I do partake of and enjoy.
Yep! You are going to be very busy.
I do not like to start a brew or a cider when I know I will not be around to watch it. Like a need to put a blow off tube on a vigorous ferment. I totally did not expect to have to put a blow off tube on the 5 gallon batch of cider I made on Tuesday, but I welcomed the healthy ferment. By the way, it is still fermenting nicely today, although just a little slower. I still have the blow off tube on and it would be very difficult to count the bubbles per min.
I have up on airlocks and bubblers, just not worth the anxiety to me.
I use aluminum foil and call it good. I am more time based since I have such tight fermentation control and go more by eye to gauge when it’s done. If the krausen has dropped and it looks clear, I give it a gravity reading and go with it. If I am within a couple of points of my projected gravity I keg it. If not, I keep it warmish and let it finish.
I tend to be more production based than most home brewers I think. I brew right to the legal limit and have got this down to a pretty regular schedule now.
Meanwhile, back to bottling cider.
Cheers,
knewshound
Yep every once in awhile one of those unexpected high gravity brews will sneak through. High gravity = high alcohol content. They usually are planed just to see what the brewer can do.
I may try a wine or two just because this mead I made last year is tasting mighty good! Mead uses the same principles used in wine making and ends up as a honey wine. I am seriously thinking about making a Blueberry mead in the near future.
I do like seeing the bubbles.
Lol, I do know what you mean. Since I made the fermentation chamber, the doors are always closed so I have to upset the temp control to look.
Since I have to mess up my ever so carefully controlled environment, I just gave up.
After cold crashing brews and having the bubbler liquid sucked back into the carboy, it seemed only logical. There were lots of anxious moments waiting to see if I contaminated the whole batch.
Good times, good times...
Cheers,
knewshound
Since I have to mess up my ever so carefully controlled environment, I just gave up.
After cold crashing brews and having the bubbler liquid sucked back into the carboy, it seemed only logical. There were lots of anxious moments waiting to see if I contaminated the whole batch.
Good times, good times...
Cheers,
knewshound
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