The Beer Nerd - what are you drinking / brewing thread

Also kegged my hazy IPA when I got home. Taste is fantastic. I tried to purge the keg with C02 and then do a closed transfer but this beer just had too much trub and hops, and it clogged instantly, so I just drained straight into the keg like normal, but with a semi-purged keg this time. We'll see if it ends up clogging up again in a day or so, and also how well the purging works...

 

Anytime you have a lot of dry hops in the fermenter, you will need to cold crash for a couple days to get everything to mostly settle to the bottom or else the spigot will clog, as you discovered.

 

Yeah, I was impatient and didnt have any fermenter space to move it for a cold crash, since it fermented in the dining room because this Omega yeast likes warmer temps. I've pulled a few samples to make sure my shorter dip tube keg didnt clog up, but the transfer got stuck at the keg posts im pretty sure. Do you pressure transfer through your bucket valve, or through a racking cane? Do you think a pressure transfer is needed when it had a blanket of C02 from fermentation? I wasn't sure if the o2 coming in would be enough to blend and expose the beer just draining it into a keg.

Waiting for the Anvil buckets to be back in stock and then I think I'll bite the bullet and hope it fits in the fermenter...haha

 

Yeah, you're right about the hops clogging at the posts. That's much more of a concern than them clogging at the spigot, though I've had issues with both in the past. I transfer thru the bucket valve, so I don't have to open up the fermenter. Is it needed? I don't really know. I just know that opening up the bucket to run an auto-siphon had me concerned about O2 exposure. Same with having the keg lid off during the transfer. Not sure if my worries were actually founded, but I figured I had the means to eliminate both conditions, so I might as well do it. And doing so eliminated that God-forsaken auto-siphon from my transfer process, so that was a win. I was always worried that thing would trap bacteria and spoil my batch (I don't believe I ever actually had a batch spoil from the transfer, so I guess I was worried about nothing) and trying to get the pickup depth set so that I was pulling clear beer and not trub, but still having it deep enough to get as much beer as possible was a total PITA. Now I just sanitize one length of tubing, connect it to the fermenter on one end and a sanitized disconnect on the other, turn on the gas to 1-2 psi, open the spigot, depress the plunger to allow the beer to push out any O2 as it travels thru the tubing from the fermenter to the disconnect, connect to the keg, lock open the pressure-relief valve, and let her rip.

 

Yeah, I was kinda at a loss of how to do it when it stopped draining, but I get the idea now if it happens again. Baby steps towards a better process. Just waiting for those anvil fermenters to come back in stock and pick one up, or bite the bullet on an SS brewtech... Then I can really work on a true closed transfer

 

I'm purchasing a similar set-up, tho I don't have a kegerator so I'll be filling up either crowlers or growlers depending on what I decide to make. Any suggestions on what to make first for a beginner?

 

Any good? I haven’t picked mine up yet

 

Why the painters tape?

 

I'm sure it is....

 

I dunno I’ve had some shit beer from them plenty of times

 

I think you'll want to start with bottles, you won't be able to carbonate in a growler easily, and you'd need a special machine for a crowler, bottles are the best way to start. Re-use old ones and get a simple capper. I always say avoid making the same mistake everyone does when they start: Just start simple with an extract kit from your local store/mailorder spot. Then, go for a "SMASH" or Single Malt And Single Hop to get a feel for the process and the taste of different single ingredients. I recommend joining and reading on Homebrewtalk.com as well. Good luck!

 

When you gonna invite me up for a brew day?

 

In your words "Why, you won't even come anyway"

I dunno, i gotta get another batch going again though, not sure what to make yet. I'm thinking something different than normal, but everybody likes IPAs, so....

 

I'll ride the Harley up

 

It’s summer man, time for a nice lager.

 

I really enjoyed it! I tasted more of the walnut/maple than I did the banana. Was smooth and not boozy. Would order again for sure!

That's just how my brother in law sends them to me

Okay that is good to know! I'll invest in some bottles and capper it looks like. I'd love to get to the point of making a belgian tripel one day

Also will take a look at homebrewtalk and make an account.

 

I've just never been a lager fan....I dunno. I feel like i'd be over it well before i get through 5 gallons. I was thinking just a really simple kind of SMASH with something different, or a hoppy belgian amber.