Central ADV Homebrewers

I always find them to be over-feathered.

Hope you rigged a blowoff... that is a beast.

I just got a good deal on this bit of kit:


Going to get that gas bottle filled and keg my IPA in a week. This setup used the little 'party' taps, I'll upgrade that to a little 2 spot draft tower at some point... but that might wait until next year when I move and change this to a chest freezer. That fridge has a temperature controller on the back that I can move when I want to upgrade.

Nope. Fermcap-S. Never need a blow-off tube again.

You should've seen my 1.103 Barley Wine. That fucker was like there was a constant gas leak in the airlock.

Ok, I'll admit that I have brewed some beer. Sure it was with a Mr. Beer, but the whole kit including bottles was on sale for $20; can't really go wrong with that, especially when I don't drink a whole lot to begin with.

I just wish it was easier to do smaller batches with 'real' equipment.

You can do small batches with real ingredients and your Mr beer kit.

Sent from my Incredible using Tapatalk

I've never used that stuff, how does it work? Just prevents krausen from going nuts?

I did a strong ale at 1.080, my blowoff jar was going like crazy. I don't even have a reference for a 1.1, I'd be afraid it would crawl out of the bucket and get me in my sleep, lol.
I have an IIPA that I'm going to do soon, targeting 1.090, and I'll rig a blowoff. I'm going to go investigate that Fermcap though. Thanks for the tip.

true enough. the problem is getting smaller quantities and scaling the recipe. I know there are programs to do some of that for you though.

It's basically the same stuff that's in Gas-X. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but it basically eliminates surface tension so the gas just escapes without bringing foam with it. I put it in during runoff when I'm filling up the boil kettle, then pour the whole kettle into the fermenter so it's still there, then rack off when the primary is done. After fermentation action is complete the Fermcap settles down into the trub and doesn't effect the head retention at all.

Trust me, it's the best thing since sliced beer bread. You can get it at Northern Brewer. I even use it when I'm making 1 qt. starters on the stove. Now I can boil in my Erlenmeyer without making a huge mess.

Ach, das ist nicht reingeitsbegot...

Yea, but neither are krausen covered ceilings....

& Technically, carbonating by bottled CO2 breaks the rules... To truly follow that statute you have to capture the C02 from the fermentation and carb back with that (some breweries do this) or use wort as the carbing sugar for bottling (much more common)...

I do have a question, does aging in oak break that rule? It adds flavor, which is not hops, water, barley or yeast*.. So if I do an bourbon barrel style ale dry 'hopped' with oak chips in secondary, does that break the rule?

*Yea, its not on there, but they used it and didn't know about it, so it counts.

That all depends on what time period of the law you are considering. Back when yeast was not mentioned and brewers were moving magic sticks between batches to get different flavors, wood might have passed as just more magic. Once Pastuer enlightened us about microorganisms and yeast became explicitly mentioned in the law, i doubt wood chips would have been acceptable. (An actual barrel might be a different story.) Things have been liberalized in the last few decades, and as with most contemporary laws, it has grown too obfusciated for normal people to keep up with.

But don't let any of this stop you from embracing a Western marketing strategy- every bottle of Fransiskaner hefe-weisen i've bought claims to be "Brewed in full accordance with the Bavarian 'Purity Law' of 1516" even though the law was set in motion at the time to keep wheat out of beer and make bread less expensive.

Well, neither is the Phosphoric acid I use to treat my pH, or the CaCl_2 I use to treat my water.

i don't care about some 500 year old rule, I make good beer.

Oh, I got a nitro regulator and a stout faucet for my Birthday last Tuesday, then on Thursday got a tank of 70/30 beergas, so I kegged my mild Amber, gassed it up, and am serving through my new tapper. Damn it's heaven!

I'm not worrying too much about my following of that rule. I'm having too much fun fiddling and figuring out what all my tools to make different flavors, and it isn't a magic stick, lol. The question was more theoretical, and your answer is a good one.

And on that note, I just received a Hefe-weisen kit that I'm going to brew this weekend, along with secondarying & dry-hopping a strong ale that is right now sitting at about 8% abv. That hefe is going to be one of four that we are kegging for our wedding reception.

Well, shit. I guess I have to turn myself in now.

"...In Kansas and Minnesota, home brewers can only make beverages for themselves or family members..."

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/143787336.html

See you in the pokey!

Brewed it. Its coming back to haunt me.... It came out at about 1.060. And then it went berserk.

I keep looking in on my attempt at Guinness about every couple hours. I fear it'll blow up like your hefe!

Sent from my Incredible using Tapatalk

Barricade the doors! Hide the women & children! Run for your LIVES!!!!



I know its the next day, if it hasn't by now its good to go.
Looks good, it will be great. Good luck!

It's sitting right there at the base of the neck, and the yeast are going nuts, I love beer!!

I need to brew a hefe...wanna share your recipe?

It was this:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/bavarian-hefe-weizen-extract-kit.html
with a 1L starter and 1.25 add'l lb of hefe dried extract. Came out right at 1.060. Between that higher OG and the 1L starter it is STILL gurgling, and my house has been about 63 degrees all week. Go baby go.

You nitro-ing or C02-ing that guiness clone?