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BugAC 
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2007
13805 posts
| Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 9:14 am)
How'd everybodies brewing go?
I finally brewed again after a 2 month hiatus. Brewed a bourbon barrel stout. My mash efficiency came out to about 77%, that is, if i did my calculations correct.
Started at 12 yesterday, finished the mash around 3 or 330, and finished the boil around 5. All in all, after cleanup, i wasn't through until around 7 pm. So a 7 hour brew day.
Tasted the brew before adding the yeast and measured the gravity. Came out to 1.082 OG. The brew tasted really sweet, but with 17.75 lbs of grain, i kind of expected that.
I made a yeast starter with 2 packs of Wyeast Irish Ale yeast. Pitched the yeast at the end yesterday. Within 2 hours, my brew was bubbling. Left for work this morning, and i had to take the airlock off and hook up a blowoff tube. I had krausen pushing out of the top of my 6 gallon carboy, even with only 5 gallons of homebrew.
This one should be good. I'm still worried about my whiskey barrel, though. I've been having it soaking in a barrel sanitizing/cleaning solution and water for a few months. I hope it did not cause any fungus or anything to grow inside. I plan on picking up a couple handles of cheap whiskey and pouring that inside, to get some of the whiskey flavor back. Then i'll secondary with some woodford reserve.
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BugAC
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2007
13805 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 9:35 am to BugAC)
Oh, and brewing went exceedingly easy (though time consuming) yesterday. I think, before every brew day, i get anxiety because i think that i'm doing too much that i can handle, but in the end it's very simple, just requires proper preparation.
Heat up mash tun with boiling water
heat up strike water
add grains
add strike water
let sit for 1 hour
recirculate wort to get the fine particles out.
drain into brew pot, while fly sparging (at a slow rate, about 1 hour).
Heat up wort to boil.
wait for hot break
add first hops
30 min. later, add second hops
15 mins after that add last hops
cool wort
pour into fermenter, shake the shite out of it to aerate
add in yeast, shake again to mix well
put in stopper and air lock (or blow off tube)
clean up.
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Aubie Spr96 
Auburn Fan
lolwut?
Member since Dec 2009
10096 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 9:41 am to BugAC)
Secondaried a brew this weekend and racked it on top on (1) ounce of dried lemon verbena leaves and dry hops. We will see how that goes.....
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BottomlandBrew
LSU Fan
New Orleans
Member since Aug 2010
6619 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 9:59 am to BugAC)
quote:
17.75 lbs of grain
I brewed a satsuma farmhouse on Saturday. Went well. Probably my last brew until the new year. Too much shite on the calendar. I might try and sneak a cider in there as that takes all of 20 minutes.
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BugAC
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2007
13805 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 10:03 am to BottomlandBrew)
quote:
I brewed a satsuma farmhouse on Saturday. Went well. Probably my last brew until the new year. Too much shite on the calendar. I might try and sneak a cider in there as that takes all of 20 minutes.
Well this is my last brew until i make room for more. I basically need to drink a case and a half of beer. I got a tight squeeze in my fermenting freezer with 2 cases of beer and 2 wine boxes of bombers and 1 carboy. One box of bombers are aging beers, the other are homebrews.
I did end up picking up Parish Grand Reserve Saturday. I was surprised to find some left. I went to Matherne's on perkins and they had 1 left, and i quickly snatched it. Then went to Marcello's for a spigot for my bottling bucket, and asked for it. THe guy said he could sell me 1 bottle. So i've now accumulated 2 bottles. I then went to Cuban Liquor, hoping to go 3 for 3, but they were out. They did say, however, that they should be getting more Wednesday.
This post was edited on 12/3 at 10:04 am
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Motorboat
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2007
4870 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 10:04 am to BugAC)
I'm about to go on a hiatus. Can't seem to find time to brew lately.
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BugAC
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2007
13805 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 10:06 am to BottomlandBrew)
quote:
BottomlandBrew
Oh, and i remember, my last brew i was using 2 qts/lb of grain, and i almost overtopped my mash tun. Well this time i used 1.25 qts/lb and i got much better efficiency. The previous brew was about 70% eff, while this one was 77%. The last brew was my best, so far, but i think this one may surpass it. That is, unless the whiskey barrel, taints my brew. I'd almost rather just secondary in my 5 gallon carboy and add soaked wood chips, so i don't contaminate my beer with whatever may be growing in that whiskey barrel.
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RedHawk 
Army Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2007
4957 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 10:07 am to Motorboat)
Racked an Altbier to a keg and force carbing it now. Started at 1.057 and finished at 1.014 after two weeks of fermentation. Had the thickest yeast cake at the bottom of the fermenter that I've ever had. It was literally three inches thick.
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Zappas Stache
Snotterburgh
Member since Apr 2009
4933 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 10:08 am to BugAC)
quote:
So a 7 hour brew day.
This is why I usually mash one day and boil the next.
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BugAC
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2007
13805 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 10:24 am to Zappas Stache)
quote:
This is why I usually mash one day and boil the next.
I was wondering about this. There was an article in How To Brew about this a few months back. How do you store your extract, to keep it good for brewing the next day? This would greatly help in brew days. What do you store your extract in?
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s14suspense 
USA Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2007
7128 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 10:32 am to BugAC)
quote:
I'd almost rather just secondary in my 5 gallon carboy and add soaked wood chips, so i don't contaminate my beer with whatever may be growing in that whiskey barrel.
Stop worrying about your barrel!
Shit's not going to grow with a good soak of Whiskey.
I brewed a pale ale last night with some Simcoe Cascade and homegrown chinook. Came out to 1.056 and it needs to be ready by the 15th for a Christmas party. Hope it goes over well.
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BugAC
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2007
13805 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 10:36 am to s14suspense)
quote:
Stop worrying about your barrel!
Did you forget who you were talking to? The only time i worry is when it comes to home brewing.
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s14suspense
USA Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2007
7128 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 10:41 am to BugAC)
quote:
Did you forget who you were talking to? The only time i worry is when it comes to home brewing.
That's why I'm telling you to chill...
Soak the thing in Whiskey if you want for as long as you can if that makes you comfortable. Between that and the alcohol in the beer by then you'll be fine.
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BugAC
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2007
13805 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 10:43 am to s14suspense)
quote:
Soak the thing in Whiskey if you want for as long as you can if that makes you comfortable. Between that and the alcohol in the beer by then you'll be fine.
I shouldn't need any expensive shite just to soak the barrel right? I was going to buy a couple handles of off brand stuff, and keep reusing it after every brew use.
Question, for those that have used the 5 gallon whiskey barrel, what do you use to rack the beer into a bottling bucket? My siphon is too big around. I have a smaller one, but not sure if that'll fit.
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BottomlandBrew
LSU Fan
New Orleans
Member since Aug 2010
6619 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 10:46 am to BugAC)
quote:
Question, for those that have used the 5 gallon whiskey barrel, what do you use to rack the beer into a bottling bucket? My siphon is too big around. I have a smaller one, but not sure if that'll fit.
I had to do the ol' suck on the end of the hose trick. Felt like I was stealing gas, especially considering I had just swished some vodka around in my mouth to sanitize it. Reminded me of those days before I knew what an autosiphon was.
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BugAC
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2007
13805 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 10:53 am to BottomlandBrew)
quote:
especially considering I had just swished some vodka around in my mouth to sanitize it.
Well if i'm out of vodka, i'll just use Starsan.
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s14suspense
USA Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2007
7128 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 10:55 am to BugAC)
quote:
Question, for those that have used the 5 gallon whiskey barrel, what do you use to rack the beer into a bottling bucket? My siphon is too big around. I have a smaller one, but not sure if that'll fit.
I want to say I could wedge my autosiphon in the bunghole 
I imagine you could force the siphon with morebeer's sterile siphon starter.
Just kind of form a seal with the carboy hood enough to get it going.
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BugAC
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2007
13805 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 10:55 am to BugAC)
And i may drill a hole in that rubber bung that came with it, to use as an airlock.
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Cosmo 
UNO Fan
glassman's guest house
Member since Oct 2003
54996 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 10:57 am to BugAC)
My belgian quad has been in bottle for a month and tried it this weekend. Not ready, definitely will need another couple months for the alcohol flavor to mellow.
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RedHawk
Army Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2007
4957 posts
| re: Homebrewing: Any homebrew updates this weekend? (Posted on 12/3/12 at 11:09 am to Cosmo)
quote:
belgian quad
Holy smokes! What was your OG?
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