StogieChat Cigar Forum

LC, sounds awesome!!!!

well, I got the IPA going late saturday night, so today would be the completion of day 3 for this brew, and it started off nice and slow, and has become very active as of last night.

Everything went great, and I got to use the immersion, which worked fantastic!  I was a little worried that I was going to actually melt the plastic tubing from the copper getting hot while I put it in the pot during the boil, but it wasn't a problem.  I was able to get it right down to 71 F, right where I wanted it, and got so happy I forgot to aerate it.  A co worker mentioned a cool option for aeration today, taking a paddle bit normally intened for mixing cement or sheet rock mud, and just attatch that to a cordless drill, and voila!  Not as kosher as a filtered air pump and aeration stone, I know, but it'll do the job I think, at least unitl I get the real deal. 

So here's some pics of the immersion chiller I made.



 



 

and one of it being sanitized by putting it in during the final 15 minutes of the boil



 

 

That rig works a LOT better when you run the wort through it while submerged in an ice bath. If you add a ton of kosher salt or rock salt (cheaper) in the ice bath, the temperature of the icewater will be about 10 degrees colder. So long as the ice water is agitated as you move the wort through the copper tubing, that should take you down to a good pitching temperature in about 5 minutes.

You'll need to come up with a boiling pot with a spigot, however.

A buddy of mine invented the wort-wizard -- a counterflow chiller with a venturi aeration system that is a vast improvment on most homebrew equipment. It works ALMOST as well as the commercial heat exchanger I use in my brewpub.

Here's a link. You'll want the $150 combo unless you feel comfortable making a counterflow chiller. (Which is basically like taking your rig and inserting it into a garden hose.)

http://wortwizard.com/


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More on chilling:

1) One "quick and dirty" chilling solution is to make a stronger gravity wort than normal, and then chill it by adding ice made from distilled water directly into the kettle. Having a computer program like Promash will really help (read -- completely eliminate) the math.

As a side note, I couldn't live without Promash. I've almost totally forgotten all the hop utilization equations thanks to this brewing godsend:  http://www.promash.com/

2) I have also had success using gel packs. Freeze 'em solid, give them a quick dip in sanitizer, then drop them into your kettle to almost instantly stop the boil. Then you can chill from there.

3) If you live someplace with snow, just place the covered kettle in the snow. Once it melts it's way to the ground, repeat. Repeat a few times, and you'll be at 75f

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Judging from the pictures, I'm guessing that you use a lot of extracts. Whenever you want to make the jump to all grain, or a partial mash, get in touch.

this all looks like fun but a TON of work!!! How is the end result??? Is it great beer??

Looks good LC, and thanks for the site Scoop

[user=75]LC stogiechat homebrew gnome[/user] wrote:

Quote:well, I got the IPA going late saturday night, so today would be the completion of day 3 for this brew, and it started off nice and slow, and has become very active as of last night.

Everything went great, and I got to use the immersion, which worked fantastic!  I was a little worried that I was going to actually melt the plastic tubing from the copper getting hot while I put it in the pot during the boil, but it wasn't a problem.  I was able to get it right down to 71 F, right where I wanted it, and got so happy I forgot to aerate it.  A co worker mentioned a cool option for aeration today, taking a paddle bit normally intened for mixing cement or sheet rock mud, and just attatch that to a cordless drill, and voila!  Not as kosher as a filtered air pump and aeration stone, I know, but it'll do the job I think, at least unitl I get the real deal. 

So here's some pics of the immersion chiller I made.



 



 

and one of it being sanitized by putting it in during the final 15 minutes of the boil



 

 

outstanding!!! great, great work, lc. that's the true spirit of homebrewing. i've always been kind of a clutz with tools and improvisation, so i admire the hell out of guys who can go to homeless and make the magic happen. just awesome.

Maduro PiPs Wrote:this all looks like fun but a TON of work!!! How is the end result??? Is it great beer??

I think as the years go by and I learn enough to do larger batches, the work ammount decreases, there's about the same ammount of work in doing a 15 gallon batch as a five gallon, I suppose, at least time wise.  I put about 8-10 hours into a batch, and I think it's well worth it.  with a few exceptions that were chauked up to learning experiences, it's fantastic beer.

 

Thanks BB, it was fun to make. 

 

And Scoop, I agree about the efficiency thing, but my set up almost entirely comes down to money and the fact that I don't have any.  But yes, I do look forward to upgradeing to a pot w/ a spigot and being able to run the wort through the coil and it coming out chilled.   

 

well, I siphoned over the IPA into the carboy, leaving enough of the fermented beer in there to keep the fallen yeasties happy I hope, and tomorrow will bottle the IPA and do the boil for the stout, pouring that right on top of the yeast that's in there presently(mionus the beer that I have left in there, which I will remove and reunite w/ that in the carboy).

 

In a few weeks I am headed to see a friend that has a whole bunch of brewing equipment and never brewed before, so we're going to go through the basics and boil and set his first batch together, I can't wait.  He's reading charlie's book and I told him to pick out a style of beer he wants for his first. 

[user=75]LC stogiechat homebrew gnome[/user] wrote:

Quote:In a few weeks I am headed to see a friend that has a whole bunch of brewing equipment and never brewed before, so we're going to go through the basics and boil and set his first batch together, I can't wait.  He's reading charlie's book and I told him to pick out a style of beer he wants for his first. 

the student has become the teacher.

well done, grasshopper. [guiness]

Damn LC sounds good.  With a few batches under your belt and you are now helping another, I love it.  The brotherhood of Brewing

Bungalowbill Wrote:[user=75]LC stogiechat homebrew gnome[/user] wrote:

Quote:In a few weeks I am headed to see a friend that has a whole bunch of brewing equipment and never brewed before, so we're going to go through the basics and boil and set his first batch together, I can't wait.  He's reading charlie's book and I told him to pick out a style of beer he wants for his first. 

the student has become the teacher.

well done, grasshopper. [guiness]

It is an honor to serve the wisdom and the teachings of the yeasties, I will do my best to live up to standard that these great ways have been and continue to be shared with me.