Homebrewers - Whats in the fermenter?

[BeerAdvocate]

Originally Posted by SUOrangeGuy

Anybody homebrew using the 5 gallon soda kegs? I have a minifridge I've been thinking of turning into a kegerator. I think that could be fun and I understand bottling to be tedious.

I have two 5gallon soda kegs in this Sanyo minifridge that I converted.
What model of minifridge do you have? You have to be very careful, as some of them have the coolant lines running across the top. If you cut one of those, your fridge is ruined. There are a few tricks to find out where the coolant line runs. Let me know if you have any questions.

[BeerAdvocate]

Originally Posted by Salvelinus

Can we do a sanitizer roundup? What are you guys using.

I started with a powder called one-step but I hated the powder I got it all over the place. Last night I used some Star-san and the amount of foaming drove me nuts. I know you don't need to rinse it but I hate the idea of sanitizer in my beer. Took me 4x longer to rinse growlers than it took to fill them.

Bottled a magnum filled pale ale, brewing up a porter for winter shortly.

Star San is the only way to go. Tons of people use it with no complaints.
Dont Fear the Foam!

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by NickyTeen

I converted a chest freezer to hold 4 corny kegs a Co2 bottle and reg and still have enough room for a case or so. I'm extremely busy so kegging was the way to go for me.

Currently in the fermentation chamber is a Belgian Quad, coffee chocolate stout and today brewed a red ale.

This is exactly what I intend to do once I finish my garage/mancave renovation next month. Can't wait to keg!

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by Salvelinus

Can we do a sanitizer roundup? What are you guys using.

I started with a powder called one-step but I hated the powder I got it all over the place. Last night I used some Star-san and the amount of foaming drove me nuts. I know you don't need to rinse it but I hate the idea of sanitizer in my beer. Took me 4x longer to rinse growlers than it took to fill them.

Bottled a magnum filled pale ale, brewing up a porter for winter shortly.

I use One-step without too many issues. Typically I make a big 4-5 gallon batch in my fermenting bucket, where I soak all my gear and then transfer it to the secondary. When that's done, I move it to a bucket where I soak any beer/wine bottles I've accumulated to remove labels.

It's a process.

[icantbejon]

Originally Posted by kaisersozei

I use One-step without too many issues. Typically I make a big 4-5 gallon batch in my fermenting bucket, where I soak all my gear and then transfer it to the secondary. When that's done, I move it to a bucket where I soak any beer/wine bottles I've accumulated to remove labels.

It's a process.

I forgot to delabel my last batch of bottles, so now my oktoberfest is sitting in a bunch of Sam Winter Lager bottles. I gotta remember to take off labels before bottling the winter ale.

[BeerAdvocate]

Brewing a Chocolate Pumpkin Porter - I hope it will be ready for Turkey Day

[SUOrangeGuy]

Its currently in storage so I'm gonna check when I get home for thanksgiving. Thanks for the pic.

[Salvelinus]

Thanks for the sanitizer info guys. Must not fear foam

[Tristan]

Man, this is a great thread! I've got a nice Kolsch and Chocolate Oatmeal Coffee Stout in the fermenter. I've got an Octoberfest, Dortmunder, German Pils, Wet Hop Pale Ale, Roggenbier and Munich Dunkel in the kegerator. Got to work on making some room for those beers in the fermenter!

Who's going to participate in "Teach a Friend How to Homebrew" day? It's November 6th. I'm thinking of doing a Black IPA or a Cream Ale. I've never done either of those before. Cheers!

[St. Lou Stu]

Today's progress towards tomorrow's brew session.

IIPA tomorrow... I'll use a portion of this:





Woot!! Hop Goodness!!

[BlackDog]

Originally Posted by Tristan

Who's going to participate in "Teach a Friend How to Homebrew" day? It's November 6th.

I had no idea that Nov 6th is "Teach a Friend to Brew" day, but cooincidentally I'm having a couple guys over to make a nut brown ale and sample various beers. Sort of a "guy's day."

Last night I added 3 lbs of raspberries to my Belgian Blonde, and tomorrow or Sunday I'll bottle my Imperial Vanilla Bourbon Porter.

[St. Lou Stu]

Just got the IPA in the fermenter. It was a train wreck. It'll still probably be good, but not exactly what I wanted.

IPA - Primary
American Lager - Secondary (Lagering)

I need to start brewing again

[duckmanco]

Originally Posted by BeerAdvocate

Star San is the only way to go. Tons of people use it with no complaints.
Dont Fear the Foam!

+1 here as well, NEVER ever fear the foam and don't rinse, I read somewhere, probably homebrewtalk that the president of the company that makes star san stated the foam actually becomes yeast food when the beer is racked on to it. Also rinsing could possibly bring in more bugs than you might have just cleaned. Something to think about anyway. Go with the foam, let it be.

Anyhow, I got northern brewer's bourbon barrel porter in the secondary with 2 oz. of toasted American Oak soaking in a pint of Evan Williams Single Barrel that will go in on Tues and sit for another few weeks, then bottling.

After tomorrow, Northern Brewer's Three Hearted Ale kit will be in the fermentor waiting for a dry hop of 1oz. each of Centennial, Amarillo, and Citra.... I'm hoping it comes off really West Coast.

[Tristan]

Originally Posted by St. Lou Stu

Today's progress towards tomorrow's brew session.

Holy Crap Tim! What have you turned into?

[duckmanco]

just put a Two Hearted ale clone (NB's Three Hearted) in the primary an hour ago, dry hopping on day 5 of primary fermentation. Whole house smells of Centennial hops and pale malt.

[Tristan]

Originally Posted by duckmanco

just put a Two Hearted ale clone (NB's Three Hearted) in the primary an hour ago, dry hopping on day 5 of primary fermentation. Whole house smells of Centennial hops and pale malt.

Just my . You might want to wait to dry hop until primary fermentation is totally complete. I'd rack to a secondary and then dry hop; while raising the temp slightly. c02 will carry most of the aroma from dry hopping while fermentation is still active. Yeast are the enemy of aroma! I've tried dry hopping in the primary and didn't have good luck with that method.

[BeerAdvocate]

Originally Posted by Tristan

Just my . You might want to wait to dry hop until primary fermentation is totally complete. I'd rack to a secondary and then dry hop; while raising the temp slightly. c02 will carry most of the aroma from dry hopping while fermentation is still active. Yeast are the enemy of aroma! I've tried dry hopping in the primary and didn't have good luck with that method.

[BlackDog]

I had a pretty big brewing day today. I had a couple buddies over and we brewed a nut brown ale, and we bottled my Bourbon Vanilla Porter. It finished with a gravity of 1.020, so it's 8.5% abv. Tasted really nice. I added about 8 oz of bourbon that had been infused with 2 vanilla beans.

Originally Posted by BlackDog

9 lbs gold LME
1 lb Crystal 60
1 lb Chocolate
1 lb Brown Malt
.5 lb Aromatic
.5 Oat Malt
** 1.084 OG

1 oz Tettnanger 60 mins
.5 oz columbus 15 mins

Wyeast 1028 London Ale

The "Brew Your Own" calculator says this should come in at 1.028 FG, 8.1 abv, and 42 IBU's. I'll add some madagascar vanilla beans to the secondary.

[Salvelinus]

I'm going to give this recipe a shot this week Warren. Thanks!