Anna's Brewdays

[Buffers brewery]

and the pump struggled again

So when you say the pump struggled was it…
During the mash/sparge - caused by the grain bed not draining fast enough to keep up with the pump?
During the boil - caused by debris blocking pipes or pump rotor?

 

[Wobbly13]

Relatively low stress brewday but was all over the place on numbers.
pH way way off for the mash at 5.8 despite upping the acidulated malt. I really don't get what is going on with that. There's a teeny bit of bicarb in the water salts but not enough to throw off the pH like that. Might end up just using lactic acid to titrate.

• Boil off volume was too low. The value i calculated was with plain water and it's a lot less, like over a litre less per hour.
• My preboil volume was too high as well, really not sure what went wrong there with the calculations.
• Overall outcome is that the volume in the fermenter is about 6 litres more than anticipated and ABV will be about 5.1 rather than 5.8. that's not a bad thing but it also means the hops will be more dilute...meh.

Oh and the pump struggled again, I really do have to work out something better than loose hops. I don't like mesh bags since they are yuck to clean, my hop spider mesh is far too fine to allow good circulation. Options I'm thinking about are the GF hop spider as it has a wider mesh, or several of the sealed hop mesh steel cylinder things, one for each time of hop addition and just drop them in. Thing is they aren't great to clean either though at least they can go in the dishwasher!

A x

Anna I believe you live in Stirling. If that is the case do you have a water report? I am fairly new to brewing so water adjustment isn’t something I have tinkered with yet. I assume it depends on the style of beer you are brewing, but thus far the beer has tasted fine, but could it be even better?

 

[DocAnna]

Lager yeasts are truly remarkable wee beasties. One week in at 9 deg C and most recently 5 psi and they are still having a rare old time in this batch f the Naeb’dy.

 

[DocAnna]

I am officially now utterly bonkers... despite having not enough time to do what I need to do every week, I've started the application process for an MSc in Brewing and Distilling with Herriot Watt. I've just finished a PgDip in another subject which was hard enough. I think I'm sharing this in the vague hope I might just come to my senses .

 

[Pennine]

Knowledge is never a bad thing and you seem pretty interested in brewing science

Also I am curious what you plan to do with it?

 

[Brewnaldo]

Absolutely fair play to you. I wish I had the time/brain capacity for this sort of thing. A fantastic way to add strings to your bow and you seem well suited to academic pursuits.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I am officially now utterly bonkers... despite having not enough time to do what I need to do every week, I've started the application process for an MSc in Brewing and Distilling with Herriot Watt. I've just finished a PgDip in another subject which was hard enough. I think I'm sharing this in the vague hope I might just come to my senses

What does the syllabus look like?

 

[DocAnna]

Knowledge is never a bad thing and you seem pretty interested in brewing science

Also I am curious what you plan to do with it?

That's a really good question:

1) I like studying and learning, have rarely had much of a gap in some form of study during my life and I've just finished a postgraduate diploma with Edinburgh University on Global eHealth, I had planned to take it to an MSc but the time when the dissertation was due was over COVID and a change of job so I really didn't have the time or concentration for it.
2) It seems quite a fun course list, and I really like science but haven't had the chance to study proper science things since my university days.
3) I have vague ideas of slightly early retirement and running a break even craft brewery ( or even slightly profitable)
4) I know it's rather late in life to come to brewing but I am absolutely passionate about it, and find the combination of biology, science and practical engineering a heady mix.
5) The OH is quite supportive of my brewing and studying it
6) Even if I don't do something myself with a brewery, I could help out at a local brewery if they'd let me.

What does the syllabus look like?

https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/study/postgraduate/brewing-distilling.htmIt's really flexible and I can take up to 7 years to do the courses so it's not in the slightest bit pressured. The core course content covers:

• Cereals, Malting and Mashing
• Wort Boiling and Fermentation
• Distilling and Whisky Maturation
• Filtration and Packaging
• Critical Analysis and Research Preparation
• Research project (MSc only)

Anna

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

…it's not in the slightest bit pressured.

I’ve told myself the same thing many times.

…I’ve also spent many nights working into the early hours completing assignments and conducting research.

 

[Pennine]

That's a really good question:

1) I like studying and learning, have rarely had much of a gap in some form of study during my life and I've just finished a postgraduate diploma with Edinburgh University on Global eHealth, I had planned to take it to an MSc but the time when the dissertation was due was over COVID and a change of job so I really didn't have the time or concentration for it.
2) It seems quite a fun course list, and I really like science but haven't had the chance to study proper science things since my university days.
3) I have vague ideas of slightly early retirement and running a break even craft brewery ( or even slightly profitable)
4) I know it's rather late in life to come to brewing but I am absolutely passionate about it, and find the combination of biology, science and practical engineering a heady mix.
5) The OH is quite supportive of my brewing and studying it
6) Even if I don't do something myself with a brewery, I could help out at a local brewery if they'd let me.



https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/study/postgraduate/brewing-distilling.htmIt's really flexible and I can take up to 7 years to do the courses so it's not in the slightest bit pressured. The core course content covers:

• Cereals, Malting and Mashing
• Wort Boiling and Fermentation
• Distilling and Whisky Maturation
• Filtration and Packaging
• Critical Analysis and Research Preparation
• Research project (MSc only)

Anna

Sounds like you have plenty of reasons to support it. I'd say as long as it won't detract from other important things in your life, go for it! If you are interested in opening a small brewery I often hear on podcast interviews how much they wish they had more business coursework. Not sure if they offer it in the program or if you have had any in the past but it might be worth taking a few if not.

 

[Dutto]

I am officially now utterly bonkers.……….

I think I'm sharing this in the vague hope I might just come to my senses .

I agree with the “utterly bonkers” statement …

… but sharing your ‘problem’ with the bunch of reprobates on this Forum is not the way to go! Sorry!


How do I know? Well, I’m now on Day Two of my attempt to master “The Penny Whistle”! (Which incidentally costs a lot more than a Penny!)


My other half pronounced me “Mad at your age!”; but I forgive her as she has already sat through efforts to play a keyboard, a squeeze box and an accordion! (With varying degrees of success - none of which were “concert quality”!)


I figured that, with only six holes to work with, I stand a chance! Here’s hoping that, before I cash in my chips, I may sound like this! (Which always reminds me of John Wayne in “The Quiet Man”!)





Bonkers? You’d better believe it!
:hat:

 

[Tommo 2]

I am officially now utterly bonkers... despite having not enough time to do what I need to do every week, I've started the application process for an MSc in Brewing and Distilling with Herriot Watt. I've just finished a PgDip in another subject which was hard enough. I think I'm sharing this in the vague hope I might just come to my senses .

Unlikely

 

[fielding2653]

Go for it, I made a significant career move when I was 48, post grad diploma in vision impairment and had to learn braille. Never looked back.

 

[Wynne]

I am officially now utterly bonkers... despite having not enough time to do what I need to do every week, I've started the application process for an MSc in Brewing and Distilling with Herriot Watt. I've just finished a PgDip in another subject which was hard enough. I think I'm sharing this in the vague hope I might just come to my senses .

I studied part-time over 3 years for an MSc in Brewing Science at University of Nottingham, graduating in December 2020. It was a particular challenge as my first degree is in Law so I had to refresh my sciences and maths but I really enjoyed the whole experience and feel it gave my brain a really good work-out. The only downside was that as I studied beer more I made less of it. Go Anna!

 

[Wobbly13]

Having completed 3 degrees during my career, 2 full-time: BSc Mechanical Engineering and MSc in International Relations, plus one part-time MSc in Military Aerospace & Airworthiness, I told my wife if I look like I am going near another degree to shoot me. The final one was quite a slog over 5 years but I did have to take a break for a year due to being deployed overseas.

I have fallen quite deep into the brewing rabbit hole, but think I’ll focus any future study practical courses. Nice chap from one of the local breweries has invited me to pop round to see a brew day.

All the best with the studies.

 

[DocAnna]

Not the greatest start to a brewday, I'm making an English IPA and have made a few changes to my boiler, having removed the Helix since it has caused blockages and problems with the last two brews, and replaced the basic filter on the pump inlet. I am planning to use some new giant tea ball strainers aka the @Tess Tickle technique with hops. This is the latest attempt to find the best way to add hops to the boil without blocking pumps.

Anyway, back to the start today... heated my strike water and because I was there when it hit temperature, tipped in the milled grains thinking I was doing well for time - and watched the temperature climb to 73 C.... I'd not given time for the temperature to stabilise/mix ! Quick add of two litres cold water from the tap and within about 3 mins back on track with temperature. It does mean the dilution of my salts additions will be off a bit but better that than kill the amylases.

Oh and I've a new wee toy for the water hose to show, once I've got round to taking a photo .

A x

 

[DocAnna]

The two new bits:
The big tea balls for the hops, each weighed out for each timed addition:

The Gardena flow meter on the hose which from testing seems accurate to +/- 50ml which is incredible. This is already making life a lot easier for measuring volume into sparge heater and the boiler, and far less expensive than a dedicated brewing flow meter - but can only be used for the cold water prior to brewing, I am not planning on putting wort through it.

https://amzn.eu/d/ffuWGzd

 

[DocAnna]

On the go fairly early today - already on to the sparge for my split batch sours .

 

[DocAnna]

I do like my current set up with the brewzilla as a sparge heater, but I need an extra power circuit as I’m being careful to only use one or the other of the vessels heating at a time. Blowing the garage circuit really really wouldn’t go down well with the OH .

The recirculating low level pump on the Klarstein is also good at recirculating over the element while heating towards the boil to minimise scorch - and the two stage sparge heights is also good. I don’t think my volumes and efficiency are quite dialled in properly yet, but it feels like I’m getting there.

I’d like to make some sort of sparge arm - rotating or spread but that will have to be for another day - any pointers on how to make this would be much appreciated .

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Here’s one option. You can use a length of beer pipe, a couple of John Guest fittings, and a submersible pump (or gravity).

This is mine in use.

The “head” is a ring of beer pipe with a JG T-fitting. I’ve cut the centre out of a bucket lid and used cable ties to hold the ring of pipe. The pipe is pierced using a large needle to form something like a shower head.

At the end (in the water bucket) is that submersible pump. This was me prototyping it. In the end I only used the outer ring, the inner ring wasn’t needed.