1. Welcome to Tacoma World!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
    • Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

The Beer Nerd - what are you drinking / brewing thread

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by TnRedNeck721, Jul 1, 2013.

  1. Nov 27, 2018 at 4:09 PM
    relkins0413

    relkins0413 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2015
    Member:
    #153661
    Messages:
    1,343
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ryan
    Kings Mountain, NC
    Vehicle:
    2013 Silverado 2500HD Duramax
    nDub and uhplifted like this.
  2. Nov 27, 2018 at 4:32 PM
    uhplifted

    uhplifted The Hopfather

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2016
    Member:
    #190174
    Messages:
    25,192
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brian
    Huntington Beach, CA
    Vehicle:
    16 DCLB OR
    Ya we're definitely not doing a Mr Beer kit haha. We're not even gonna do extract, cuz fuck that. We're going straight to all grain. My friend who works for Brouwerij West in production is gonna help set it all up and what not. I just can't wait to get a kegerator so I can have beer on tap all the time!
     
    Shrevemp and rhion82[QUOTED] like this.
  3. Nov 27, 2018 at 4:41 PM
    uhplifted

    uhplifted The Hopfather

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2016
    Member:
    #190174
    Messages:
    25,192
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brian
    Huntington Beach, CA
    Vehicle:
    16 DCLB OR
    That is an insane amount of breweries. I got to the "C's" and stopped it was so long.
     
  4. Nov 27, 2018 at 6:30 PM
    Dgibson529

    Dgibson529 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2015
    Member:
    #172795
    Messages:
    1,580
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Derek
    Westfield, MA
    Vehicle:
    NE F150s of TW FTW
    I have a kegerator setup run from the basement up into a tap built into the kitchen countertop. Use a chest freezer and build a “keezer”. I have it hooked up to a temp regulator and it keeps it 39* works great. Had a fridge before that and it wasn’t keeping the beer cold enough and the fridge died out
     
  5. Nov 27, 2018 at 6:35 PM
    uhplifted

    uhplifted The Hopfather

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2016
    Member:
    #190174
    Messages:
    25,192
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brian
    Huntington Beach, CA
    Vehicle:
    16 DCLB OR
    Bad fridge maybe? My buddy has had a fridge tap for years and never had a problem. I’m getting the fridge for $50 so hard to pass up on that.
     
    Dgibson529[QUOTED] likes this.
  6. Nov 27, 2018 at 6:39 PM
    Dgibson529

    Dgibson529 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2015
    Member:
    #172795
    Messages:
    1,580
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Derek
    Westfield, MA
    Vehicle:
    NE F150s of TW FTW
    The compressor went out on the fridge and it was cheaper to just replace it with a chest freezer. Brand new the freezer was only $100. They can be had for much cheaper all over Places like CL.

    Post up a pic when you get it all setup
     
    uhplifted[QUOTED] likes this.
  7. Nov 27, 2018 at 7:08 PM
    uhplifted

    uhplifted The Hopfather

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2016
    Member:
    #190174
    Messages:
    25,192
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brian
    Huntington Beach, CA
    Vehicle:
    16 DCLB OR
    I'll see what I can find for some freezers. What size do you have? And how many/size kegs do you run? I'll be doing a 2 5gal setup
     
  8. Nov 27, 2018 at 7:16 PM
    Dgibson529

    Dgibson529 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2015
    Member:
    #172795
    Messages:
    1,580
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Derek
    Westfield, MA
    Vehicle:
    NE F150s of TW FTW
    It’s a 9 cu ft one I believe. The first keg I ran in the chest freezer was a full size barrel of yuengling. Still had room to stacks of 4 pack cans in there plus I use the basket to keep my hoses neat. Now I have a sixer in it which holds about 5gal. I could easily fit 3 in there if you were running 6th kegs or corny kegs
     
  9. Nov 27, 2018 at 7:21 PM
    Dgibson529

    Dgibson529 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2015
    Member:
    #172795
    Messages:
    1,580
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Derek
    Westfield, MA
    Vehicle:
    NE F150s of TW FTW
    @uhplifted google keezer and you’ll see how people have it set up. It’s much easier only because it’s a simple wood collar built between the chest and the lid and you install your taps or hoses through the wood rather than messing around putting holes in a fridge (unless the holes are already done for you)
    Then just sealed the seams up with some foam tape and Great stuff.

    Used one of these to reg the temps.
    https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Itc-...controller&dpPl=1&dpID=417y0W4HFmL&ref=plSrch
     
  10. Nov 27, 2018 at 7:35 PM
    YotaBum

    YotaBum Not So Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2015
    Member:
    #149496
    Messages:
    1,694
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Alex
    North Georgia
    Vehicle:
    2015 TRD Sport DCSB
    Blacked Out-887-Dakars-LR UCA-FJ Trail Team wheels-285 BFG KO2
    I’d rather have a 4 pack of tall boys vs 22oz bombers personally... And screw breweries that have a 750mL one year for $15 and then turn around the next year and charge $15 for 500mL of the same fuckin’ beer the next! Couple in particular here in GA did that this year... Sucks because they make good damn beer!
     
  11. Nov 27, 2018 at 7:37 PM
    uhplifted

    uhplifted The Hopfather

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2016
    Member:
    #190174
    Messages:
    25,192
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brian
    Huntington Beach, CA
    Vehicle:
    16 DCLB OR
    The main reason I wanted the fridge was because I wanted to be able to also store all the other cans the girl and I have. I’ll look and see what’s I can find
     
    Dgibson529[QUOTED] likes this.
  12. Nov 28, 2018 at 3:34 AM
    Dgibson529

    Dgibson529 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2015
    Member:
    #172795
    Messages:
    1,580
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Derek
    Westfield, MA
    Vehicle:
    NE F150s of TW FTW
    Ya that is what I thought one of the downfalls was but with the temp controller it keeps the chest at 39* and I just stack any cans that i have inside but I see what you mean that it may be a little neater or convenient with the fridge if you’re also storing a bunch or cans
     
  13. Nov 28, 2018 at 5:07 AM
    rhion82

    rhion82 El Duderino

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2009
    Member:
    #19084
    Messages:
    2,244
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mitchell
    TN/GA
    Vehicle:
    16 Taco
    I found my kegerator on craigslist for $75 at an ebay consignment shop. They took trades so I found some cheap ass wheel spacers, and fog lights and ended up paying $25 for the kegerator. Came with everything hoses, co2 tank, and reg. I can fit around 4 cases of 16oz cans in there with ease. Also when you get into homebrewing it is easy to do a temp controlled ferment and cold crashing in the kegerator to get better results.


    A full size keezer is on my to do list for the garage unless I find a cheap one on craigslist.

    I ended up doing a DIY temp control system box (LINK) it was pretty easy to do.
     
    This site contains affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
    Dgibson529[QUOTED] likes this.
  14. Nov 28, 2018 at 5:33 AM
    Dgibson529

    Dgibson529 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2015
    Member:
    #172795
    Messages:
    1,580
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Derek
    Westfield, MA
    Vehicle:
    NE F150s of TW FTW
    I definitely like the keezer setup better. It’s easier to keep the beer cold. My next project for it is to figure out a better way to cool the line going up into my kitchen. The hose is pretty well insulated and is about 4 feet of travel from the chest to the tap. I’d like to get it to a point where the tap is cold to the touch
     
  15. Nov 28, 2018 at 6:07 AM
    rhion82

    rhion82 El Duderino

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2009
    Member:
    #19084
    Messages:
    2,244
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mitchell
    TN/GA
    Vehicle:
    16 Taco
    Have you thought about doing a small DIY Glycol system for the lines? This guy was able to set one up for $120 (granted he had most of the parts already).

    This may work for your set up as well and take up less space. You would just have to submerge the pump in a bucket of water in the keezer and reconfig your draft lines
     
    Dgibson529[QUOTED] likes this.
  16. Nov 28, 2018 at 9:01 AM
    Dgibson529

    Dgibson529 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2015
    Member:
    #172795
    Messages:
    1,580
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Derek
    Westfield, MA
    Vehicle:
    NE F150s of TW FTW
    I’ve thought about the glycol setups but I honestly haven’t done too much research about them yet. Right now I usually just open the tap for a second or two before I pour in a glass just to get anything that was sitting in the line. Plus I clean my lines regularly
     
  17. Nov 28, 2018 at 10:26 AM
    christyle

    christyle 107

    Joined:
    May 16, 2017
    Member:
    #219225
    Messages:
    1,706
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Chris
    Chino Hills, CA
    Vehicle:
    2014 Raptor
    I honestly thought their Belgians and Sours weren't that good, but that was ages ago. I like their hazys better than anything else they've done. Any other Belgians they've done since that I've tried havent impressed me. My engineer bought me one of their recent saison on blackberries, so we'll see.

    After doing extract and all grain on gas fired systems, believe me, if you have the means to get 220 out to your patio easily, go electric of some kind. Makes the whole process easier, quieter, more controllable, and just plain fun. Spike makes a really nice system, but they're definitely pricey. There are a lot of people making their own spin on the Electric stuff, or building their own, the parts and info is out there, I just felt like paying someone else to do it for me haha.

    Honestly, I'm pretty surprised they only have the ability to run one of the elements at a time, and they're only 5500W. I know my 4500W coil needs to be ran at like 80% or more to hold any kind of boil on about 8 gallons of wort. I don't know how it'll be with a 10 gallon batch, let alone 15. I realize they're limited by most conventional 220v household circuits, but if i was making that much beer, i'd probably be running dual 30a 220 circuits. With that system, you just run the HLT until it's at temp, dough in with some of that liquor, use the remaining for the HERMS coil mash recirc, then transfer to the boil kettle while you sparge, turn on the boil element since you dont need the HLT heating anymore? I'm not a HERMs guy so it just seems over complicated to me haha. I do miss the wort clarity I got from the ghetto eHERMS I used to run, but it doesnt seem to translate to any different beer clarity.
     
    uhplifted[QUOTED] likes this.
  18. Nov 28, 2018 at 10:42 AM
    uhplifted

    uhplifted The Hopfather

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2016
    Member:
    #190174
    Messages:
    25,192
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brian
    Huntington Beach, CA
    Vehicle:
    16 DCLB OR
    Their old Belgians/sours before making the hazebro switch were really good. Now I think they’re just over hyped like Pliny, heady, etc. there’s too much good beer out now to wait and pay for their beer when I can go somewhere else and get something just as good if not better.

    I’ll look in to the electric stuff. I’m sure @TXpro4X4 could do the wiring for me, just not sure how viable it is. I have an outlet on the patio already and my washer/drier is back there too.... I might actually already have 220 for the drier that’s unused since my drier is gas
     
  19. Nov 28, 2018 at 11:01 AM
    uhplifted

    uhplifted The Hopfather

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2016
    Member:
    #190174
    Messages:
    25,192
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brian
    Huntington Beach, CA
    Vehicle:
    16 DCLB OR
  20. Nov 28, 2018 at 11:17 AM
    christyle

    christyle 107

    Joined:
    May 16, 2017
    Member:
    #219225
    Messages:
    1,706
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Chris
    Chino Hills, CA
    Vehicle:
    2014 Raptor
    Dope! same one I use, with a conversion extension cord I made for my welder originally (which is also a different plug). The grainfather/mash and boil/braumeister/etc are decent electric starting points, especially at 110v power and 5gal batches, but they have their limitations. I was real close to getting a mash and boil, they're real cheap for what you get. In the end, I knew i'd outgrow it instantly, so go 240v and dont look back. If your lady works at a homebrew shop, they likely get stuff through Morebeer (most local shops do I think), so you may be limited, especially since i don't know if they give much discount on Blichmann stuff, and even then, I don't think their BrewEasy is that ideal of a system really, for the price. Again, that's how I landed at the one I did. Another that looked real cool, but a little overdone was from colorado brewing systems: https://www.cobrewingsystems.com/co...er-home-electric-brew-system-20-gallon-kettle
     
    uhplifted[QUOTED] likes this.
To Top