Home Brew Discussion

[Myk]

too much chlorine and it will produce some off tastes but many breweries use their "city water" you tried DC Brau yet? they use DC's fucking water so if they can brew a high qaulity beer with that crap a little chlorine in your water wont hurt. But Myk is right, too much and you got a weird off taste. Even your well water can have a bad effect if it's too hard or soft. If you want a sure fire first batch I'd just go by 5 gallons of bottled water

The big breweries take their water down to nothing and build from scratch. That's how you can get A/B beer that tastes the same whether it's made in St Louis, Chicago or Jacksonville.

If anyone has a spare wort chiller layin around lemme know. I'll make one but I'm lazy.

Hose, clamps and copper tubing. Unless you mean you're too lazy to drive to the hardware store there's really nothing to build.
Now cost could be an issue. You should compare the cost of buying one vs buying the tubing. With metals going up it can be cheaper to buy one premade sometimes.

 

[Myk]

I always get paranoid that the "no rinses" will still produce off flavors so I always rinse. can't help it

Same here.
I hate when my OCD gets the better of me and I have to wash a container I used Star San in with soap and water.
I don't mind the OCD so much but I'm probably putting more germs on it than existed after being soaked in a sanitizer.

 

[MDB111™]

Same here.
I hate when my OCD gets the better of me and I have to wash a container I used Star San in with soap and water.
I don't mind the OCD so much but I'm probably putting more germs on it than existed after being soaked in a sanitizer.

my rationale is about the same. I have to do it then when I do I think to myself "my well water probably just contaminated the **** outta all them bottles" That's when it gets the worst. You got 50 bottles and you could be fucking every one of them but I still do it. haha. Maybe next time right?

 

[MDB111™]

The big breweries take their water down to nothing and build from scratch. That's how you can get A/B beer that tastes the same whether it's made in St Louis, Chicago or Jacksonville.




Hose, clamps and copper tubing. Unless you mean you're too lazy to drive to the hardware store there's really nothing to build.
Now cost could be an issue. You should compare the cost of buying one vs buying the tubing. With metals going up it can be cheaper to buy one premade sometimes.

Myk that makes sense to me. But locally, DC brau is selling their beer with the pride of chocolate city's water. which is weird but seems to be working

 

[AuCN]

my rationale is about the same. I have to do it then when I do I think to myself "my well water probably just contaminated the **** outta all them bottles" That's when it gets the worst. You got 50 bottles and you could be fucking every one of them but I still do it. haha. Maybe next time right?

Put all of your bottles into the dishwasher if you have a sanitize function on it. Do it the night before and it will be ready (back to room temperature) the next night bottling. I never post rinse. My bro-in-law has got infections from doing that. I know people that have sucked half a airlock of star san into the brew and it was fine. Do as you please, obviously, I have the opposite concerns that you have. hahaha. But I keg now and will never go back! Drinkable beer in less than an hour! and only one thing to clean!

 

[Myk]

my rationale is about the same. I have to do it then when I do I think to myself "my well water probably just contaminated the **** outta all them bottles" That's when it gets the worst. You got 50 bottles and you could be fucking every one of them but I still do it. haha. Maybe next time right?

I sterilize my bottles and use them right out of the oven.
Wine bottles I have to rinse sanitizer out of. I just can't buy into that it doesn't do anything. Even if I'm using sulfites instead of Star San to sanitize with that's more sulfites than I'd have in there otherwise.

I meant if I have a measuring cup that I had an airlock stopper soaking in I have a hard time dumping it and putting it in the dish drainer. I have to take the scouring pad that's full of germs and rub it all over it. But I'm getting better.

Well water is kind of iffy but you should be safe rinsing with it.

 

[MDB111™]

Put all of your bottles into the dishwasher if you have a sanitize function on it. Do it the night before and it will be ready (back to room temperature) the next night bottling. I never post rinse. My bro-in-law has got infections from doing that. I know people that have sucked half a airlock of star san into the brew and it was fine. Do as you please, obviously, I have the opposite concerns that you have. hahaha. But I keg now and will never go back! Drinkable beer in less than an hour! and only one thing to clean!

you know i've read about kegging and it def. seems like the next step for me, I'm just not there yet. I love everything about the process I am just a beginner though so when I get there I'll mail you my last bottles! My next purchase is a Wort Chiller. Hands down, I am sick of waiting for the wort to get to pitching temp.

 

[MDB111™]

I sterilize my bottles and use them right out of the oven.
Wine bottles I have to rinse sanitizer out of. I just can't buy into that it doesn't do anything. Even if I'm using sulfites instead of Star San to sanitize with that's more sulfites than I'd have in there otherwise.

I meant if I have a measuring cup that I had an airlock stopper soaking in I have a hard time dumping it and putting it in the dish drainer. I have to take the scouring pad that's full of germs and rub it all over it. But I'm getting better.

Well water is kind of iffy but you should be safe rinsing with it.

What's the best brew you ever made?

 

[Myk]

What's the best brew you ever made?

Probably my Brown Porter, with or without vanilla. It's a pretty close copy of Taddy Porter but without the occasional oxidation problems imports often have.

 

[MDB111™]

Probably my Brown Porter, with or without vanilla. It's a pretty close copy of Taddy Porter but without the occasional oxidation problems imports often have.

From what I've read a Porter is a hard beer to master huh?

 

[Myk]

From what I've read a Porter is a hard beer to master huh?

I don't think so. A slightly less stout stout and stouts are supposed to be easy.
Of course I'm not saying mine is "mastered" I just like it a lot.

Having the vanilla'ed version right now.

 

[AuCN]

I don't think so. A slightly less stout stout and stouts are supposed to be easy.
Of course I'm not saying mine is "mastered" I just like it a lot.

Having the vanilla'ed version right now.

mmmmmmmmmmm....Vanilla Porter. That sounds fantastic. Never made one of those yet. That may be my next batch!

 

[AuCN]

you know i've read about kegging and it def. seems like the next step for me, I'm just not there yet. I love everything about the process I am just a beginner though so when I get there I'll mail you my last bottles! My next purchase is a Wort Chiller. Hands down, I am sick of waiting for the wort to get to pitching temp.

You will thank yourself when you do make the jump. I actually started brewing a lot more, knowing I wouldn't have to deal with bottling. If you do decide to go to kegging, I would check out kegconnection.com. That is where I bought 4 of my corny kegs, a 5lb CO2 tank, and a dual regulator. It was the best prices I could find, but if anyone else has a source with good prices, let me know!

 

[Myk]

You will thank yourself when you do make the jump. I actually started brewing a lot more, knowing I wouldn't have to deal with bottling. If you do decide to go to kegging, I would check out kegconnection.com. That is where I bought 4 of my corny kegs, a 5lb CO2 tank, and a dual regulator. It was the best prices I could find, but if anyone else has a source with good prices, let me know!

My problem with kegging is no room for another freezer. It would be nice to be done "bottling" in the matter of racking and only have one "bottle" to clean.

 

[MDB111™]

I do like swapping beers too so I don't think I'll ever give up bottling. I will not swap kegs. I'll keep that info in mind though for when i make the jump to kegging. thanks

 

[Myk]

I do like swapping beers too so I don't think I'll ever give up bottling. I will not swap kegs. I'll keep that info in mind though for when i make the jump to kegging. thanks

Yeah, I'd need a full sized chest freezer and about 8 kegs. Probably 4 taps to keep me happy (and not constantly switching). That could run into a bit of money.

 

[AuCN]

Yeah, I'd need a full sized chest freezer and about 8 kegs. Probably 4 taps to keep me happy (and not constantly switching). That could run into a bit of money.

Yeah, I just made a four keg system. I took the lid off a chest freezer and built an 8" wood "collar" (with a nice satained oak facing) and reattached the lid to that. I can hold 4 cornies and a 5lb CO2 tank. It was cheap though. I probably spent about $800 all said and done. I wanted it to look nice enough to keep in the house. I bought a new chest freezer instead of waiting for used one on Craigslist. View attachment 899View attachment 900

MdBear, you can bottle straight from a keg using a picnic tap, a racking cane (fits inside the tap) and a #2 stopper. It works the same as a counterpressure bottle gun. I just do that when I need to bottle some up for giving away or for competitions.

I just love cleaning one keg, racking, pressurizing, and having it ready to drink in an hour instead of two weeks. Just throwing out there my experience. I dont care where it ends up, just keep making beer! :beerbang:

 

[Myk]

Yeah, I just made a four keg system. I took the lid off a chest freezer and built an 8" wood "collar" (with a nice satained oak facing) and reattached the lid to that. I can hold 4 cornies and a 5lb CO2 tank. It was cheap though. I probably spent about $800 all said and done. I wanted it to look nice enough to keep in the house. I bought a new chest freezer instead of waiting for used one on Craigslist. View attachment 899View attachment 900

MdBear, you can bottle straight from a keg using a picnic tap, a racking cane (fits inside the tap) and a #2 stopper. It works the same as a counterpressure bottle gun. I just do that when I need to bottle some up for giving away or for competitions.

I just love cleaning one keg, racking, pressurizing, and having it ready to drink in an hour instead of two weeks. Just throwing out there my experience. I dont care where it ends up, just keep making beer! :beerbang:

You realize those dogs are "cleaning" the taps for you when you're not looking don't you?

 

[AuCN]

You realize those dogs are "cleaning" the taps for you when you're not looking don't you?

Hey, as long as they look shiny when I get home from work!

 

[MDB111™]

Opened up my Coffee,Chocolate,cherry, vanilla stout. Good but wont be making it again. It's a meal in a bottle