Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand into it…

Ah, shite.  Ran out of gas.

Fortunately I have another cylinder on hand.  After about an hour and a half of boiling, I still have about seven gallons of wort in the boiler.  DAMN!  The OG was really low; rather than make two batches I decided to condense the stuff and make one big beer.

I’m not all that crazy about big beers, but might as well.  This has been one terrific waste of time and resources so far. 

While not noticing that I ran out of gas I was Skype-ing with my buds at the He Man Woman Hater’s Club meeting.  They’re having a jolly time drinking decent beers, I’m drinking PBR.  My go-to beer when homebrew and funds are scarce.  And I’m getting to where I’m not all that crazy about that, either.

I suspect that I’m in the midst of one of those patches that are said to be rough when it comes to brewing; The last three batches that I’ve made have been problematic; My peeps, when they get to this point swear that they will give it up, find another hobby to waste their time and resources on.  Maybe I’m coming up on that point.

We shall see.

Brewing: Recovering resources from FUBAR

Background:

I brewed a double decocted Oktoberfest in May;  I got an out of town job in June.  I rushed the secondary and bottling since the job was slated to last a year or more.  After a month, the job disappeared.  Result of the rush job: BOTTLE GRENADES!

After two bottles exploded I changed my mind: Rather than keep the ultra sweet ‘beer’ for cooking, I decided to brew another beer and add all of that beer to the boil kettle.  I’ll get some sugars and a lot of malt flavor if it works.

I haven’t done this before, however I’ve added 2 bottles of ‘sour beer’ to the pot when making Irish Stout.  That is supposed to be one of the ingredients to Guinness Stout.  That beer turned out well.

I’m going to use a Belgian yeast (WPL550) in this beer.  I selected the Belgian Specialty style (16.E) based upon the wide range of tastes and colors laid out in the Style Guidelines.  If the results miss the mark but tastes ‘Good’, I’ll still be happy.  If it hits the mark and tastes good, I’ll be real happy.  If neither, well. . . we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

Time now is 07:00; I’ve planned to have flame on at 09:00.  Might do it sooner.  We will see. It depends upon whether The High Command is awake or not.   More after the deed is done.

Converting an Immersion chiller to a Counter-Flow Chiller

Building a Counter Flow Chiller

This work instruction document may be used at your own risk to construct a counter flow chiller from scratch, or converting an immersion chiller to a counter-flow chiller using basic workshop tools. One advantage of a counter flow chiller over an immersion chiller is that the hose water will not come in contact with the wort as sometimes happens with a leaky immersion chiller.  You’re on your own.

Materials

• Cooling Tube, Copper, straightened, smaller diameter than Nipple ID (or straightened immersion chiller to be converted)
• (1) 25’ (8m) Water hose without fittings (Length of the cooling tube determines the length)
• (1) 1.5’ (.5m) Water hose with male fitting
• (1) 1.5’ (.5m) Water hose with female fitting
• (6) Nipples, 2” (50mm) length copper tubes (must be able to fit inside ID of hose)
• (2) Tee fittings, copper, female openings, to fit Nipples
• (2) Reducers. Copper, to transition from Nipple OD to Cooling Tube OD
• (6) Hose Clamps, to compress Hose ends onto Nipples
• Solder
• Solder Flux
• Plastic zip ties as needed, about 8” long
• Tools Required
• Sharp knife
• Wooden Dowel, 2” (50mm), approximately the diameter of the Reducer small end OD
• Sandpaper, for roughing up the solder joint surfaces
• Round file small enough to fit into small end of the Reducer
• (2) metal C-Clamps, about as large as your hand
• Needle Nosed Pliers
• Channel Locks
• Clean shop rags
• Clean Paint Brush (Optional, for cooling soldered joints)
• Hand held Propane tank and valve / nozzle
• Bucket
• Soapy Warm Water
• Clean water from spigot as needed
• Socket wrench and socket to fit the hose clamp fastener
• Soda pop keg to use as a mandrel about which to coil the finished assembly
• Preparations
• Clean and dry the copper components;
• Sand and then tin the surfaces to be soldered

Figure 1 – TINNING THE SURFACES: X = EXTERNAL SURFACES; Y = INTERNAL SURFACES

• Uncoil chiller tube, relatively straight;
• Using the round file, open the small ends of the reducer until it fits easily over the chiller tube;
• Directions, Assembling the Adapters
• Make a pilot from the wooden dowel with the knife with a pilot that fits snuggly into the ID of the reducer’s small end, and a major diameter as large or larger than the OD of the small end;

Figure 2 - PILOT FOR INSTALLING HOSE

• Place the torch upright on the work surface and set it alight; This frees both hands;
• Assemble the adapter, starting by holding the Tee with the channel locks and adding the nipples one at a time, starting with the middle connection;
• Clamp a C-Clamp onto the middle joint to act as a heat sink to prevent it coming un-soldered whilst making the other two joints;
• Dampen the clean cloth, cool the joint once it is soldered; or use the paintbrush loaded with water as an optional method;
• Finish by adding the reducer.

Figure 3 - ASSEMBLED ADAPTER; (2) REQUIRED

NOTE: BEFORE YOU SOLDER THE OTHER ADAPTER ONTO OTHER END: do so ONLY on one end.

• Slide an adapter assembly over one end of the Chiller Tube;
• Note the area where the reducer and the Chiller Tube contact one another;
• Remove the adapter and tin the area of the tube;
• Replace the adapter and attach the C-Clamp to the large end of the reducer; this will draw heat away from the joint that has already been soldered on the adapter;
• Heat the chiller tube and the reducer, and solder the joint.
• Cool with the damp cloth or the optional soaked paintbrush

BEFORE YOU SOLDER THE OTHER ADAPTER ON THE OTHER END!!! Do the Following:

Directions, Adding the Long Hose

• Coil the hose in the bucked and add the warm soapy water; (You really want to do this)
• Insert the pilot into the Chiller Tube; (You really want to do this too)
• Place two of the Hose Clamps onto the end of the Hose; (You DEFINATELY want to do this)
• Feed the hose over the Tube and force it over the end of the nipple on the adapter;
• Position the Hose Clamps onto the hose in the area of the nipple, and tighten them both with the socket wrench;
• Locate the other end of the Chiller Tube by feel through the hose;
• Cut the hose off at a desired position that will leave enough of the chiller tube exposed to add the other adapter;
• Remove, and discard the pilot- unless you need it for another build.

Directions for Adding the second adapter

• Slide the other adapter over the chiller tube;
• Place two of the Hose Clamps onto the end of the Hose;
• Note where the Reducer and the Chiller Tube will make contact;
• Remove the adapter and tin that area of the chiller tube;
• Replace the adapter on the chiller tube;
• PULL THE HOSE BACK in the direction of the other end, and use the C-Clamp to keep it out of the way. This will keep the hose as far from the heat as possible;
• Locate the adapter in position for soldering;
• Clamp the other C-Clamp onto the large end joint of the reducer to act as a heat sink;
• Solder the small end of the reducer to the tinned area of the Chiller Tube;
• Cool the joint with the damp cloth or the soaked paintbrush;
• Remove both C-Clamps;
• Force the hose over the adapter Nipple;
• Locate the two Hose Clamps and tighten with the Socket Wrench.
• Directions to add the short hoses;
• Place the remaining Hose Clamps over the ends of the 1.5’ (.5m) hoses;
• Force the hoses over the Adapter Nipples;
• Locate the two Hose Clamps and tighten with the Socket Wrench.

Directions to Pressure Test the solder joints (May be done before or after coiling the final assembly)

• Connect the female end of the assembly to the spigot;
• Turn the water on as much as it will be when used to chill;
• On the Male connection of the hose, block the stream and take note of any leaks;
• If no leaks, go on to the Coiling portion of the show;
• If there are leaks, fix them, using the C-Clamps as heat sinks to prevent loosening other solder joints and to prevent burning the hose. (Use this method to rotate the adapters in the final assembly to orientations that best serve your purposes.)

Directions for Coiling the finished assembly

• Zip tie one end of the assembly to the handle of the Keg;
• Place a Zip Tie under the hose;
• Wrap the hose around the Keg;
• When the wrap comes to the Zip Tie, zip the coils together;
• Continue until the assembly is wrapped into a coil;
• Remove the tie that bound the end of the coil to the keg handle;
• Remove the coil from the keg;
• Use more Zip Ties to bind together adjacent coils at one or two more locations around the coil;
• Clip the stray ends of the zip ties;
• Sanitize the inside of the chiller tube.

Figure 4 - COUNTER FLOW CHILLER ASSEMBLY, WATER SOURCE (BOTTOM) AND WASTE WATER (TOP) HOSES NOT SHOWN

Go brew beer.

• Put the Female End of the Counter Flow Chiller Jacket ON the bottom;
• Connect the water supply to the bottom;
• Connect a hose to the top to remove the heated water to another location.
• Connect the top end of the Counter Flow Chiller Tube to the hot wort drain;
• Connect the bottom end of the Counter Flow Chiller Tube to the tube leading into the Carboy.

Notes

I place a valve on the egress side of the water jacket to regulate the water flow, and thus, regulate the temperature of the wort exiting the chiller tube; By doing this I will not have to adjust the water flow at the spigot end of the water supply hose to achieve the temperature that I desire.

Cheers!

More Brewing Equipment…

The other day I was patting myself on the back for saving a bit of what would otherwise have been junk for a future, as yet, undefined project.  I don’t know how long the little darlin’ had been laying around in the way… but when I DID need it… I was justified! 

Same project, different phase: A stand for the counter-flow chiller, adjustable to two different positions, not an absolute necessity but it sure would be nice to have control over the thing whilst I utilize it.

And now… phase two… I know that I saved another piece of useless crap, the injection molded handle that just wouldn’t stay on the snow shovel that was finally tossed… (Lessee… did I save the wooden part of the handle as well|?) but…

No.  I think that in a rage of common sense I tossed a whole lot of useless crap that “…will never be used for anything but a dust catcher…”  That might have been before the Refugee situation; I don’t recall.  At any rate, I can’t find the handle.  Fah!

I’ll get the thing made, one of these first days…

 

Brewery launch, 27 March 2013…

I launched the new brewery on the 27th using my new brewing equipment, brewing an Oktöberfest in which I replaced part of the grain bill with some of the grain bill that I use in Classic American Pilsner: Corn.  Replaced 2lbs. of Pale Ale malt with two pounds of Corn Meal.  I brought 2 gallons of water to a boil and added the corn to that, stirring for about 3 minutes.

Into the Mash Tun, I poured about a fourth of my barley, ladled the polenta atop that, and added the balance of the barley.  I added water heated to 127° (if I recall correctly – BeerSmith calculated it out for me) Then I did a double decoction and a 90 minute boil.

But neither the recipe nor the brewing procedure are why I blog today.  The new brewing equipment is is the focus.

My Best Beloved coaxed me out of hiding in the hills with a 60 liter brew pot, and a dialog began.  I’m back home, no longer refugeeing; and when the time was right… and once I’d made the other equipment that I began planning last year… I started brewing beer again.

I’ve also begun brewing out back, in the dog yard, (Tierra del Doody Brewery?) at basement level.  After nearly spilling a batch of beer as I teetered down the basement steps last year, that was the wise thing to finally do.

I also finished converting my immersion chiller to a counter-flow chiller, and built a stir plate out of a fan.  Both worked well.

And as was foretold by The Prophecies, I had another Stuck Sparge From Hell.  This is common when I use polenta rather than flaked corn in my recipe. And as usual, I eventually got that flowing again acquiring 7-1/2 gallons of run off, still less than I’d wanted.

Using the new brew kettle I found that I will need to add 1-1/8 gallon more liquid than originally planned to the boil kettle to wind up with the 6 gallons of finished wort that I had planned on. In all, I would up with 4-1/8 gallons of beer in the primary; I’m going to have to get a handle on the evaporation rate of the new system and make adjustments at the beginning.

As it turned out, I’ll wind up with about 4 gallons of 8.1% ABV beer, providing nothing else happens.

Cheers!

CyberDave2.1

Planning to brew here, out in the territories…

That’s the plan.  Plan A: Reclaim my brewing kit from My Last Lifetime.  Plan B: Start anew just as I did in 2000 when I became interested in brewing, again.

Yes it is I, CyberDave: The Last of the CyberDaves…

You know what has befallen me.  Nuf said.  Now, my new life begins.

Brewer On The Lam

 

I am.  On The Lam.  On the Lam, said Dave-I-Am….

It is I, CyberDave… and I’ve been dreaming of brewing again here at my new home somewhere in the hills of Franklin County.  E-Ha, as we would imagine the personnel indigenous to the region might say.  They don’t, really. That is yet another Holi-Wood  stereotype aimed at mocking the hill folk of the South.  (Bahstids…)  I’m actually quite cozy, having holed up with kinsmen and women and have become a cherished member of the community.

But back to brewing.  Once my personal Recent Unpleasantness is behind me I intend to liberate my kit and brew a tasty Lager…. CyberDave’s Liberation Lager, I’ll call it (altho’ at the time of bottling, it may take on a new name.)

And then there will be the Angry Man Ale.  A must for members of the Angry Man society. 

“An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression.”  - Proverbs 29:22

 

Angry Man Ale label.  So far….

Well, more as it happens.  Cheers!
CyberDave

Somewhere out in The Territories….

Bread and Circus!

We want more Bread and Circus!

-The Lazy Bastards

IPA is potable…

I have been sampling my IPA in the past week or so, took several bottles to work to share with friends there as well.  Tastes pretty good if I do say so mice elf.

Still have to brew more.  I’m out of grain, have to order another sack or two, want to make a counter flow chiller out of my emersion chiller (I have most of the parts – just lack the hose) and I lust for a good brewing kettle.  The canning pots have served me well, but they are chipped and banged up.  They need to be retired… or put out on a yard sale for the purpose for which they were made.  I’ll give you a good buy on ‘em… after I get a replacement.

Cheers!

Bwah! My Oktoberfest & ESB sucked!….

It seems that the hoses on my chiller were leaking into the brew kettle…. and introduced some evil bacteriae into the beer.  When I went to bottle the OKtoberfest it was sour.  I poured it all out.

Later I got to thinking about it… and took a great portion of the ESB to a friend who is experimenting with stilling to still out the alcohol if he is of a mind to do so. 

If one has a good buzz going, the ESB isn’t too bad; so the rest of it, I’ll use to finish off a drinking session that I may have started elsewhere.

I really hate to have to do away with a batch of beer; at least I know what the problem is.  I need to fix the chiller one day.

Cheers!
CyberDave

How do YOU spell “Aw Shiite!”?

Last nite I prepared to bottle my Oktoberfest… and it tasted just awful!  My ESB tasted same, as the chiller leaked about a gallon of water into the wort as it was chilling, also adding some vileness to the works to sour the lot of it.

So…. I dumped the whole lot down the drain.  Shiite happens….

Oh shite… it taste like it….

I tried out my Extra Special Bitters yesterday, and another today just to make sure.  It isn’t worth drinking unless I’ve had lots to drink before.  Bleah!  I think this was due to the chiller leaking about a gallon of water into the wort before I noticed what was happening.

Well, I can drink it after I am plastered… or use it in my smoker instead of water. We will see….

What a waste of good grain & etc…

Brews are merrily bubbling away…

Brewed an Oktöberfest on Friday and an ESB on Saturday.  There were some issues, but nothing that will cause problems.  This is the first beers that I’ve brewed this year due to $ and time constraints.

Last Wednesday was my last day at OCC and since I had Thursday and Friday off I decided to catch up a little.  The Oktöberfest took a couple days in the freezer before it started bubbling and the ESB should probably be racked to the secondary this afternoon after work.

Next week I have a 5 day weekend. And you know what that means..

Yes! Brewing!

I’m going to try to make two batches: An Oktöberfest and perhaps another batch of Classic American Pilsner.  Mmmm…. to both!  I bottled my CAP on Sunday and it should be ready to sample by the end of next week, tho’ I had to use DME to prime for bottling as I was out of corn sugar.  I had a Brewing Throw-Down with Jeff, who has never brewed ‘To Style’ before.  So we did.  His is excellent!  He kegged his.  Thus, his is carbonated already.

We’ll see what The High Command says about me brewing twice next weekend… I’m sure that she won’t be TOO happy a camper over it, but it MUST BE DONE!

Cheers!
CyberDave

CAP Brew Down!

Brew Down at Jeff’s!  Yarr.  The He Man Woman Haters Club (and don’t get the wrong idea… Cindy F. refers to our gatherings thusly…) held the first Brew Down (with apologies to Bobby Flay) yesterday, Saturday the 25.  A good time was had by all….

…Club Logo

“I brew crazy beers, and I’ve never used guidelines!”, Jeff said the other week.

“Ah, but CAN you brew to guidelines?”, I asked in a festive mood.  “Is that a challenge?”, he asked… “Yes!  I challenge you to a Brew Down, brewing to style guidelines of a beer.  I challenge you to….. CLASSIC AMERICAN PILSNER!”

And so it all began.  Jeff, Carl and I met at Jeff’s at around 9:00 AM on Saturday.  Jeff brewed using extract and I brewed using all grain. Jeff, Carl & I began at around 10:00 AM with me cooking 2 lbs of white corn meal in a pot for thirty minutes and Jeff hydrating his extract and adding 1.5 lbs of flaked maize in a grain sack. 

After 1/2 hour I added 2 gallons water heated to 137° F and added 2 gallons of 122° water to the barleym, then added the mush to the mash tun, and then as well for the first step at 122° for 30 min.  Jeff was doing a single step infusion.  After 30 min, I added 2 gallons of water at 187°, then another 2 gallons at 193 for mashout.  I think.  I might have forgotten the mashout (beer was involved) but some people say that mashout isn’t really needed.  So, whatever…

In all past attempts to do CAPs, I had added the mush to the mash before adding the water and got a stuck mash, requiring emptying the tun into a bucket and cleaning out the bottom.  This time I had John S. hold the plastic false bottom down while I added the 2g. 122° water, then purged the air from the tube to keep the false bottom from floating up during mixing.  That seemed to take care of the stuck mash issue.

Over the course of the day, we were joined by John S., Bryan S.. The Original Doug, and Alex & Cindy, who live near John S. and are also members.  We had pizza and beer and BACON JAM! on crackers.  Oh, the food & beverages were most excellent!

During the day, Brother Carl made some repairs to equipment and served as Still Hand when and extra set of paws was required.  Thanks again, Carl! It would have been more difficult without your assistance had you missed the soiree.

At the end of the day Jeff had 2 5 gallon batches, one of which he added California Ale yeast and the other and mine split a starter of Pilsner yeast.  I was packed and ready to return at about 7 PM, with Doug and Alex still there.  The Cindys had mysteriously disappeared… a shopping expedition, and were still out on patrol when I left.

A grand & glorious day it was. Cold, but we had wonderful fellowship and excellent consumables!

  

  Start                                               Doug, Bryan, Carl

       

       Cindy                           Ready to pack into car.

Last of my beer is bottled… now I can die peacefully

Or not.  Depends upon things.  The ESB turned out to be around 5.7% ABV and I’ll test it next week.  Finally, one that is within style guidelines as far as ABV are concerned.  I’ve been boiling off too much liquid here lately and the last few batches have been over the top.  Good, tho’.

Next project will be another Mead… haven’t done a mead since 2005 and it is about time to do another one.  This time, I’ll stick it away in some dark forbidding corner once it is bottled so’s I don’t drink most of it before it is ready, like I did last time.  We learn these things by experience.

Beer Bottling Setup

 

I use several handy items to assist me in my beer bottling task that have proven to be extremely handy.  You know what they say: Frank Zappa is the Mothers of Invention.

A ‘milk crate’ for supporting the bottling bucket.

One of my bench vices with a short piece of 1x1 lumber clamped in it with a large paper clip type of deal clamped upon the end to hold the Bottling Wand;

And of course the capper.  Notice that the capper is mounted upon a piece of 1x4 lumber that is C-Clamped to the bench.  I love C-Clamps. They make life so much easier.  Hats off to Mr. C for the wondrous invention!

Not shown are the re-tasked Typewriter table that weighs too much and has plastical wheels that aren’t nearly sturdy enough, but was too good an item to toss.  I place plastic shopping bags with two six-packs of bottles on that little darlin’ for transporting to the finishing area, whether it is the freezer for Lagers or the other side of the basement where the temperature seems to be more consistent on the floor than anywhere else in the basement.  I do a half case at a time, placing a new bottle under the tube as I place the filled bottle on the bench, placing the cap lightly upon it for capping.  It is the way of my people, you see.

The plastic shopping bags are handy in case something spills and, as happened one time in my old freezer, a preventative to having to clean up moldy crap where the oft-used cardboard sixpacks take on a life of their own.  Boy, was that a mess to clean up….

 

Cheers~!

CyberDave

OK. Back to beer.

Oktöberfest is in bottles at 60°F in the freezer unit and the ESB is finally in the Secondary.  I did the two tasks the same day, one after the other.  I DID however, neglect to pour the sanitizer into the carboy before racking to the Secondary but I suspect that the hot water will have undone any nasties that might have been in it and since beer was in it just before, there won’t be a problem anyway.  Hopefully.

Next beer won’t be a beer at all, next brewing session will be MEAD!  About time that I made more mead.  Huzzahs all ‘round!

Bwa-haha! Back on line with this blog…

As it seems, my problem was security.  I set up security thingys that caused Live Writer to tilt.  Having undone that, I can now post to my brewing thingy again.

Cheers!