-
Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!
You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!
The Homebrew Beer Thread
- Thread starter Marc
- Start date
UnaBonger
New member
Beano - Mine appears to be at the same stage as your is... It seems to have lightened in color and has gotten very cloudy. Also, my fermentation seems to have stopped/ended. Nothing noticeable coming from the airlock... I have mine sitting at 70 - 72 degrees. As I understand (from reading on HBT), you don't need to keep it covered as light doesn't have a negative effect on this. I think its the hops in beer that light can mess with and alter the flavor of beer...
BeanoNYC
Active member
The room that it's fermenting in is at 68. I threw the fleece throw on it just in case it dropped any further. I have to figure out what I should do to keep fermenting temps up in the winter. Might move my setup to a utility closet in the kitchen. Not too sure how keen I was anyway fermenting so close to my tuning bench. My airlock is still going strong, albeit a bit slower now.
roark
New member
I've always taken a brew with the season approach. The california common lager yeast works well in the low 60's range. Also the chico ale yeast is incredibly tolerant of lower temps. If you have a spot that stays a bit cooler bocks are fun to try.
Or you could buy more equipment - basically an electric blanket for your fermenter.
BeanoNYC
Active member
Ahhh. That's a good point. I'm still green when it comes to brewing knowledge so I wouldn't know what to brew when. Maybe I'll poke around HBT for some lower temp recipes.
BeanoNYC
Active member
Brewed a Nut Brown Ale on Saturday. (Partial Mash) Looking to make a Stout on Columbus day. (Partial Mash, as well) First batch tastes good! Hoppier than I expected too! Very satisfying to drink my own homebrew indeed. Got a lead on some cornies. 80 bucks for 4. Pressure tested with new o-rings. My neighbor/brew buddy and I are are considering. This guy has about 200 of them if anyone is interested. He only sells in lots of 4.
Also thinking about jerry-rigging a water basin with an aquarium heater to put my fermentation vessel in for the winter months. Figured it's a nifty way to keep temps up in the winter. Heater would go in the water + Carboy in the water = Indirect heating. Thoughts? I'm particularly interested in Marc's reaction from a safety point of view.
Also thinking about jerry-rigging a water basin with an aquarium heater to put my fermentation vessel in for the winter months. Figured it's a nifty way to keep temps up in the winter. Heater would go in the water + Carboy in the water = Indirect heating. Thoughts? I'm particularly interested in Marc's reaction from a safety point of view.
roark
New member
Aha soon you will be a full mash convert. Cheaper and you have a greater range of flavors. The downside is the extra 2 hours or so.
Good deal on the kegs. Typically I've seen more like $30 pressure tested, but no seals replaced. I might be interested in one if anybody wants to split up a lot. I can't see myself using more than 2 kegs these days.
Interesting idea on the heater.
BeanoNYC
Active member
I'd split the batch with you. My only concern is logistics. I won't be up north for a while on account of the baby coming. When I do, I can certainly swing by keene. We can look into a shipping charge too. If someone closer to you is interested, I can keep the 4.
BeanoNYC
Active member
Oh Yeah!
roark
New member
Nice. Looks a lot like my setup. I'd recommend drilling a hole and mounting a tower, something I've been meaning to do with my setup for awhile now. Is that fridge big enough for 2 kegs (or a carboy)?Oh Yeah!
BeanoNYC
Active member
Big enough for 2 kegs w/o the tank, but the fridge is on loan. No drilling. What do you mean by a tower? I'm thinking about picking up a chest freezer and putting a temp controller on it. I'll drill 3 or 4 taps into the front.
Edit: I figured out what you meant. That's a 6 foot fridge, no tower.
ctenidae
Active member
The Kolsch I bottled 2 weeks ago made its debut this weekend. Nice and light, fairly wheaty. Took a 6 pack down to my brother-in-law in Jersey- got good ans shaken up in the car, but we let it settle in the fridge for 2 hours. Even still, quite a lot of suspended yeast, distinct phenol kick on teh backside. The ones here at home are much better, since they've settled out very well.
Put a Scotch Ale into the fermenter last night. Starting gravity oc 1052. Ought to be a good one.
Put a Scotch Ale into the fermenter last night. Starting gravity oc 1052. Ought to be a good one.
Marc
New member
Wow, any of that one for sale? I love scotch ales.
ctenidae
Active member
You can't sell homebrew.
Wrong number! Prank caller! Prank caller!
After Thanksgiving, come on by.
Marc
New member
Sure you can. You just have to make sure the ATF doesn't find out.
Wait, what?
How about a barter for some locally grown fresh hop cones at the end of the growing season next year?
UnaBonger
New member
I'm bottling a Kolsch tonight 
Brewed a coffee stout this weekend... Cant wait to tear into that
BeanoNYC - My unadulterated Apfelwein came out great. I must say I think I have some brewing envy after seeing yourpic up above
Brewed a coffee stout this weekend... Cant wait to tear into that
BeanoNYC - My unadulterated Apfelwein came out great. I must say I think I have some brewing envy after seeing yourpic up above
ctenidae
Active member
Barter is certainly outside the ATF jurisdiction. For that, you're on.
BeanoNYC
Active member
You're looking at a long fermentation with that OG, CTen?
Killed off the yeast and backsweetened the Apfelwine. Kegged it yesterday. I'll give it a week on the gas before giving it a go.
Killed off the yeast and backsweetened the Apfelwine. Kegged it yesterday. I'll give it a week on the gas before giving it a go.
roark
New member
1052 is pretty much standard strength, no? ~5.5%?
Heh, in ~50 batches I think I only had a couple less than that. Always figured for the time I put in I might as well get some bang out of it.
BeanoNYC
Active member
You're right...I read it as 1.062.
