Today in the Shed

Kapea

We had an alarm screen on the control panel in the main control room at the power plant that read, "Now would be a good time to make for the exits."
It was right above the big read button labeled, "OH SHIT!"

Smaug

@Kapea said: We had an alarm screen on the control panel in the main control room at the power plant that read, "Now would be a good time to make for the exits."
It was right above the big read button labeled, "OH SHIT!"

True story? Dang!

Looks good JB. Very tidy.

jacksonbrown

@grim said: I respect any device that indicates an error condition with the word, "FAIL" in capital letters.

Error was one letter too much.

Punkin those connectors should hold up well

punkin

Made a full batch hopper for my grain mill. It's still slow as all get out, but at least i don't have to feed it a scoop at a time.

Dunno how long this 'temporary' solution will last.

:))

jacksonbrown

Looks like something I'd do.
My Pop was the pop rivet master. Everything's improved with a few pop rivets stuck in it. Everything from toilet roll holders to long-neck, stubbi holders needed pop rivets.

cooperville

I just covered my cardboard hopper with packing tape!! Does the trick

FloridaCracker

Works for me. How about a better picture of the gearing part?

grim

The bar is being set very high by the recent DIY and fab projects being displayed here. Punkin - I hate to be the one to tell you, but that kinda rig just don't make the cut anymore.

The least you could have done was whipped up a batch of steaming hot pomme frites on the side, maybe a nice garlic aioli on top, that would have provided at least a little redemption.

+1 on the pop rivet gun, pretty much nothing you can't do with some thin sheet metal, a DIY brake (lumber and hinges), and a pop rivet gun.

Unsensibel

There's nothing more permanent than the temporary...

Kapea

My roller mill is mounted on an old bathroom cabinet. A five gallon bucket underneath catches the milled grains. While milling I just close the cabinet door to contain the dust inside the cabinet. Pretty easy fab. Got the idea off of the AHA forum.

punkin

Mine is mounted on a cut out on the table, same with the 20 sheng bucket, it doesn't make much dust as i like a coarse grind anyway.

I'll take a pic of the drive while I'm brewing today if I remember but it's this one mounted with a spider coupling:

Home Brewer Special! Worm Drive Motor + DC Speed Controller! @ Motion Dynamics

Kapea

I like the plexiglass hopper. I could do one of those myself.

Mine is fabbed from sheet metal. A friend who works in HVAC made it for me.

FloridaCracker

I like the plexiglass. On a different note, I think you should have left the barrel aged stuff in the barrel a little longer.

:))

punkin

Didn't see that in the pic, it's hearts and cuts waiting on the bench to be sorted after a run. They are 4l hearts jars.

ElectricEd

Going back to MechWarrior's post, you lucky bugger, I had a TP wash in the shed where I was experimenting with the lees from the last TPW. It took off ok but then went sour. I've had a gin drought for the last 2 months because of it failing. :( In desparation I started off 2 x 200 litre TPWs. They started off well going down by 0.010 per day, that's slowed down to 0.002 per day. It looks like the gin drought will last for at least another 3 weeks. :( I agree with your method. Vapour infusion is the way to go. It gives the lightest lovely floral gin possible.

Mickiboi

@ElectricEd I think you might have had 2 or 3 problems reusing those lees. The pH would have been extremely low, the yeast or what was left of it would have been starving for food, there would have been a lot of sulphur compounds in there and you would have had a lot of waste solids in there. The waste solids would have eventually started to break down, the sour smell it turned into. I tried the same thing very early on and ended up with the same result. I ended up doing this.

Raised the pH up to around 7. My initial pH was 1.9. Made up a soloution of 1 litre of water and 50 ml potassium hydroxide and added slowly to get up to 7.5. Depending on your start quantity you might need more KOH. I started with 2 litres of vomit like substance.

Added 15 grams of dap and left for 12 hours, gets rid of the sulphur.

Added in 250 grams of sugar dissolved in 1 litre of water, starts to fatten up the yeast.

Left for 24 hours and then added to the sugar mix.

It ran to full completion, no smells to it but still had a wierd taste even after double distilling. It was more trouble than it's worth. I ended up using it as a cleaner in the shed. It was definitely not neutral.

What yeast did you initially use? Was your lees quantity around 10 to 15 litres to start with?

Its a lot easier to start a new batch every time. I think, personally, TPW is greatly overrated. Much easier to do a raw sugar, EC1118, yeast nutrient (Fermaid AT, Nutrozim, Distillivite) and DAP. Just don't add all of your nutrient at once.

crozdog

Did my first AG beer in ages on Saturday. Even though I hit my numbers, it was an action packed day.

First up, couldn't get all the hops I wanted, so had to do some last minute substitutions ie in the brew shop coolroom!

Secondly cause I was not doing a full batch in the 200l tun, the mash lost a lot of heat. was sitting at 55C instead of 66 so had to crack out the untested herms. F'ing ramp soak PID wouldn't turn on, so had to manually turn the element on & off so the wort didn't get over 70C & denature the enzymes. That took another hour. Did an iodine test - full conversion!!

Thirdly When draining the mash tun during the 1st batch sparge, I chocked the back of it up while I went to weigh out my hops. Of course the balance changed when it half drained, causing it to slide off the bench onto the boiler knocking it off the HP gas burner going flat out! hot wort spilling all over the floor, insulation on outside of the tun was starting to melt. FARK. turned gas off. managed to manhandle 50l wort in a 170l pot back onto burner. The tun was still full of grain & liquor, so couldn't lift it back onto the bench. had to scoop it out into buckets until it was light enough to get back onto bench. After a quick mop of the floor, I completed sparging & got the boil going.

Fourthly once I added the bittering hops, the boil lost its vigour..... turned out the gas bottle was getting low & was icing up - had to keep moving the bottle around to keep the flow up. Managed to pump 60l into a fermenter & another 20l into a cube at the gravity I wanted.

Fifthly When I pitched the yeast in the fermenter, I thought, that work isn't as clear as i'd like. Then remembered that in amongst all the action, I had forgot to chuck in the whirlfloc!

This beer is going to be either complete crap, or incredible & due to all the issues will be 1 I cannot ever replicate! But because of the cost of the hops alone in it, I sure hope its the later!

Spent yesterday pulling everything out of the back half of the shed & cleaning up the rest of the sticky wort that flowed under everything.

Here is the recipe for those interested. It's smelling great in the fermenter:

Birthday APA

Type: All Grain Batch Size: 80.00 l Vol: 80.00 l Efficiency: 70.00 % Mash Ingredients 15.00 kg Pale Malt, Traditional Ale (Joe White) (5.9 EBC) 83.3 % 2.00 kg Munich I (Weyermann) (14.0 EBC) 11.1 % 1.00 kg Caramunich II (Weyermann) (124.1 EBC) 5.6 %

Boil Ingredients 50.00 g Magnum [12.70 %] - Boil 45.0 min 18.2 IBUs 30.00 g Amarillo Gold [8.30 %] - Boil 15.0 min 3.9 IBUs 30.00 g Cascade [7.60 %] - Boil 15.0 min 3.5 IBUs 30.00 g Centennial [8.20 %] - Boil 15.0 min 3.8 IBUs 30.00 g Citra [13.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min 6.1 IBUs - couldn't buy so substituted with Crystal 30.00 g Simcoe [16.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min 7.5 IBUs - couldn't buy so substituted with Victoria Secret

As I no chilled, I expect to get some more from these added at flameout 30.00 g Cascade [7.60 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs 30.00 g Centennial [8.20 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs 30.00 g Simcoe [16.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs - couldn't buy so substituted with Victoria Secret 20.00 g Amarillo Gold [8.30 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs 20.00 g Citra [13.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs - couldn't buy so substituted with Crystal

Pitched US05 at 1.051 SG

Will either dry hop or steep the following in a litre or so of boiling water & add when fermentation is 3/4 complete 50.00 g Amarillo Gold [8.30 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Days 0.0 IBUs 50.00 g Citra [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Days 0.0 IBUs - couldn't buy so substituted with Crystal 40.00 g Cascade [7.60 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Days 0.0 IBUs 40.00 g Centennial [8.20 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Days 0.0 IBUs 40.00 g Simcoe [16.00 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Days 0.0 IBUs - couldn't buy so substituted with Victoria Secret

Estimated SG 1.011 Est ABV 5.7%

ElectricEd

@Mickiboi said: ...snip....

What yeast did you initially use? Was your lees quantity around 10 to 15 litres to start with?

Its a lot easier to start a new batch every time. I think, personally, TPW is greatly overrated. Much easier to do a raw sugar, EC1118, yeast nutrient (Fermaid AT, Nutrozim, Distillivite) and DAP. Just don't add all of your nutrient at once.

Thanks Mickiboi, I used Uvaferm 43 yeast, 1Kg of tomato paste and 100g of DAP to get it going. The ph was around 3.4, the yeast is supposed to good for down to 2.6 or 2.9, so I thought that it would be OK. The lees was around 10 litres when I started it. I certainly won't be trying to rejuvenate lees, especially after hearing about your experience.

My current 2 x 200 litre lots of TPW have slowed down and actually stopped yesterday. I put in 80g of Nutrozim (which is 70% DAP) and 80g of Everintec Biocibus Gold in each. I'll be checking them when I get home tonight. What surprises me is that TPW is supposed to be a "proven" recipe. My expierence parallels with your comment that TPWs are greatly overrated. Having upscaled to 200 litre ferments I haven't had one yet go the full distance without some additions. I keep experimenting with different approaches but haven't got on top of it yet. :( My next one will be with raw sugar as you suggest, but will it make a true neutral?

cooperville

has there been a change in temperature I haven't had an issue stalling as yet I'm doing 180 litre batches

punkin

You've had an absolute shocker @crozdog . Hope it turns out well for you.

I also brewed for the first time for ages during the week with a back to back batch of Nevs Kelvinator Kleanout APA. This has become my house beer and is a fantastic brew. 168 litres into 8 cubes and i'm set for this one for a while. I'll do another brew day next week for a summer ale and a wheat beer in 4 cubes each.

Not positive which hop you are having trouble getting but it seems it's Simcoe? I just bought a 5kg foil if you'd like a 1/2 kilo i could do it for $45 delivered express.

TheMechWarrior

Busted my gut over the weekend emptying everything out in preparation for my new grain mill to arrive on Wednesday morning. It's 9" wide rollers powered by a 5.5kW with a 2.8m transfer auger and discharge chute.

Installation of new hot and cold water supply lines was completed last week as well as the instant gas hot water system that can deliver 85oC water.

First batch scheduled for this weekend :)

crozdog

Looks like a nice recipe punkin. I used over 600g of hops in an 80l batch - might surprise a few people at the party i'm brewing it for ;-)

Yeah Citra & Simcoe were the 2 I couldn't get. Sub'd crystal 7&Victoria secret respectively.

Very tempted on the simcoe...... got any citra as well?

FloridaCracker

@crozdog said: Did my first AG beer in ages on Saturday. Even though I hit my numbers, it was an action packed day.

First up, couldn't get all the hops I wanted, so had to do some last minute substitutions ie in the brew shop coolroom!

Secondly cause I was not doing a full batch in the 200l tun, the mash lost a lot of heat. was sitting at 55C instead of 66 so had to crack out the untested herms. F'ing ramp soak PID wouldn't turn on, so had to manually turn the element on & off so the wort didn't get over 70C & denature the enzymes. That took another hour. Did an iodine test - full conversion!!

Thirdly When draining the mash tun during the 1st batch sparge, I chocked the back of it up while I went to weigh out my hops. Of course the balance changed when it half drained, causing it to slide off the bench onto the boiler knocking it off the HP gas burner going flat out! hot wort spilling all over the floor, insulation on outside of the tun was starting to melt. FARK. turned gas off. managed to manhandle 50l wort in a 170l pot back onto burner. The tun was still full of grain & liquor, so couldn't lift it back onto the bench. had to scoop it out into buckets until it was light enough to get back onto bench. After a quick mop of the floor, I completed sparging & got the boil going.

Fourthly once I added the bittering hops, the boil lost its vigour..... turned out the gas bottle was getting low & was icing up - had to keep moving the bottle around to keep the flow up. Managed to pump 60l into a fermenter & another 20l into a cube at the gravity I wanted.

Fifthly When I pitched the yeast in the fermenter, I thought, that work isn't as clear as i'd like. Then remembered that in amongst all the action, I had forgot to chuck in the whirlfloc!

This beer is going to be either complete crap, or incredible & due to all the issues will be 1 I cannot ever replicate! But because of the cost of the hops alone in it, I sure hope its the later!

Spent yesterday pulling everything out of the back half of the shed & cleaning up the rest of the sticky wort that flowed under everything.

Here is the recipe for those interested. It's smelling great in the fermenter:

Birthday APA

Type: All Grain Batch Size: 80.00 l Vol: 80.00 l Efficiency: 70.00 % Mash Ingredients 15.00 kg Pale Malt, Traditional Ale (Joe White) (5.9 EBC) 83.3 % 2.00 kg Munich I (Weyermann) (14.0 EBC) 11.1 % 1.00 kg Caramunich II (Weyermann) (124.1 EBC) 5.6 %

Boil Ingredients 50.00 g Magnum [12.70 %] - Boil 45.0 min 18.2 IBUs 30.00 g Amarillo Gold [8.30 %] - Boil 15.0 min 3.9 IBUs 30.00 g Cascade [7.60 %] - Boil 15.0 min 3.5 IBUs 30.00 g Centennial [8.20 %] - Boil 15.0 min 3.8 IBUs 30.00 g Citra [13.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min 6.1 IBUs - couldn't buy so substituted with Crystal 30.00 g Simcoe [16.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min 7.5 IBUs - couldn't buy so substituted with Victoria Secret

As I no chilled, I expect to get some more from these added at flameout 30.00 g Cascade [7.60 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs 30.00 g Centennial [8.20 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs 30.00 g Simcoe [16.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs - couldn't buy so substituted with Victoria Secret 20.00 g Amarillo Gold [8.30 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs 20.00 g Citra [13.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs - couldn't buy so substituted with Crystal

Pitched US05 at 1.051 SG

Will either dry hop or steep the following in a litre or so of boiling water & add when fermentation is 3/4 complete 50.00 g Amarillo Gold [8.30 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Days 0.0 IBUs 50.00 g Citra [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Days 0.0 IBUs - couldn't buy so substituted with Crystal 40.00 g Cascade [7.60 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Days 0.0 IBUs 40.00 g Centennial [8.20 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Days 0.0 IBUs 40.00 g Simcoe [16.00 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Days 0.0 IBUs - couldn't buy so substituted with Victoria Secret

Estimated SG 1.011 Est ABV 5.7%

If anyone ever wonders why I don't do beer, please, reference the quoted post.

punkin

Haven't got a lot of Citra, i usually only buy it by the kilo. Let me know when you are after hops and i can put an order in for a few kilos next time. I got rid of all my Victoria's Secret they had a really unpleasant floral flavour to me that reminded me of the bottom of a woman's purse, or smoking a cigarette that had been in the bottom of a woman's purse.

crozdog

@FloridaCracker said: If anyone ever wonders why I don't do beer, please, reference the quoted post.

HAHA - that was 1 day out of hundreds. it's in the fermenter bubbling away - smells freakin awesome!

Making 80l of high quality beer for <$100 more than makes up for the "challenges" on the day.

punkin

There's 960gms of hops per 84l batch for my house APA including the dry hops. And using Amarillo puts the price up a bit too :D

I'd guess $60 worth of grain and $90 worth of hops. Still pretty damn cheap compared to the $80-90 a slab you have to pay at the bottlo for a good hoppy beer. Theres just over ten slabs in an 80l batch, so a saving of $700 for 5 hours work?

Yes please ^:)^

And back to back batches make it $1400 saved in 6.5hours. \m/

FullySilenced

And maybe a couple good buzzes in them bottles too!

CothermanDistilling

pretty cool toy I got for my birthday...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZPFjMLk_Oo

punkin

That would go well on my Gamo Black Shadow. Sure would fix the bats in the tree next door. Got a link?

cooperville

Today I'm brewing up a double batch of Jamils who's your taddy porter