Equipment questions please :)

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Personally I get my CO2 from "GasOnTheGo" (aka Compton Garden Centre, Luton) which is not far up the road from me but apparently they do free delivery so might be worth a call (their cylinders are from Air Liquide)

https://www.gasonthego.co.uk

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

One more thing on the subject of gas: When you come to source it as well as "CO2" you might find references to "Pub Gas" ... that's different: it's a mix of CO2 and Nitrogen - which is good for serving stout (makes tiny bubbles) - but probably isn't what you are looking for.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

That's good to know, thank you for that!

 

[bobukbrewer]

Lisa MC - I mash (BIAB) in a 35 litre Burco and boil in a 25 litre Burco. Then I transfer to 13 litre and 9 litre stainless steel saucepans and after 4 to 7 days I bottle, using the jug and funnel approach. Each to their own. I like marmite too.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Lisa MC - I mash (BIAB) in a 35 litre Burco and boil in a 25 litre Burco. Then I transfer to 13 litre and 9 litre stainless steel saucepans and after 4 to 7 days I bottle, using the jug and funnel approach. Each to their own. I like marmite too.

I like marmite too - and black pudding!

 

[Redwulf]

There is a fella in Doncaster that does Co2

Yorkshire CO2 gas

Its a slightly surreal experience but he's open 7 days usually. I've had a couple of cylinders worth over the last year or so.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Thanks Redwulf!

 

[jof]

All this shiny new equipment arriving.

Now my birthday present has arrived (klarstein fullhorn so I can go from partial mash to ag) but I can't open it for 6 weeks.
It's sitting in its packaging taunting me like some kid doing a fortnight dance in the playground.

Got the Mrs to order with plenty of time as some others reported long delivery times.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Oh noooo that's awful, it must be burning a hole in your carpet ha ha! I'm gonna be the same when my first package arrives - I can't use any of it until I have the complete system, so it's gonna be pretty useless to start with.

 

[Leon103]

To answer your questions @Leon103

Keeping the beer cold is a problem yes, although I am planning on bottling and sharing quite a few with friends and family, and the rest will get drunk quite quickly I imagine. Some beers are better slightly warmer I guess as well, the fridge can turn off the flavour. I would like a kegerator setup but at the moment they're just too expensive.

I am getting a CO2 bottle and a tapcooler or similar - assuming members of the public can buy gas bottles? I know I can get propane gas ones (not suitable I know) because my last house ran on them. They were stored round the back.

I understand about opening the bottom bottle and letting the oxygen in. It was my understanding that I could release the pressure, then close the butterfly valve, put my hops in and then blow CO2 across the bottle before opening the valve again (this is why I bought 3 carbonation caps instead of 2).

I have a heat belt and inkbird on my list so like I say until I get a decent fridge I can only really control temperature upwards. I did source a fridge on gumtree yesterday but they are messing me about so they can shove off lol. I think i'd be better off with a larder type one anyway.

I haven't tried any kveik yet nope (or beers) so I haven't a clue about that. I have learned though that the ones with the bacteria are probably the ones you're on about so I will avoid those.

It's all a learning curve and if something doesn't work, I will tweak it for next time. Experimenting and finding things out is half the fun.

Thanks for the advice. ☺

Sounds like you have everything thought through. Kegerator's aren't expensive, you are buying the gas and reg anyway. Secondhand fridges can be cheap but not always available. I have always been lucky, posting on social media always seems to work. A second hand keg is £50.

A keg can wait though, temperature control at fermentation is more important. If you are using Kviek then you don't need an inkbird or heat belt. Pitch yeast at 38c or thereabouts and fermentation will keep the temperature up. It will be all over with in 48 hours. Not sure what bacteria you are taking about but i have tried a few kviek yeasts myself and not liked and got similar experience from other homebrew with them. Personal taste, maybe.

On gas, a lot don't charge deposit or monthly fees, shop around.

 

[jof]

Not only that but we have major house renovations due the week after. So nervous about timings on first run. It might have to ferment in the shed.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

That's great, thank you. I am gonna keep an eye out for a cheap, tall fridge. Failing that, I'll just have to dispense to a cheap keg or bottles and pop in fridge.

I've spent a few weeks learning as much as I can about the process so I don't jump in head first and waste my time and money.

With the kveik, I will be very careful what I buy and try to buy something that will hopefully ferment 'clean'.

Might put a facebook post on - can't hurt anything.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Have you tried many kviek beers? You will struggle to make a neipa with them. Kviek as it's uses but I find it gives a strange off flavour to the beer.

Like all yeasts it has it's attributes, I've made a few pseudo lagers pressure fermented with Kviek and the homebrew club and brewer at the brew pub we have our meeting at thought it was beer of the night. Yes you can make NEIPA with kveik, many commercials do and I used it for my first NEIPA and again not a recognisable kveik tang but a great beer for it's style. It is technique sensitive like all yeasts and can allow you to use your ferment fridge for other beers. It isn't one yeast to rule them all though and I use other yeasts and starters.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

@LisaMC
For your fermzilla if you want to put the dry hops in via that pot.
Ensure pressure in fermzilla, fit sanitised party tap on line to liquid out.
Close butterfly valve and remove pot with trub throw away wash, starsan and then add hops. Top up with beer from the party tap and reattach the bottle on foam then reopen butterfly and very little air entry.

However I just put the hops in bags with magnets at the start of ferment. Then slide them in and out when indicated. Just use the bottle for getting the yeast and trub out. Much easier.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

@LisaMC
For your fermzilla if you want to put the dry hops in via that pot.
Ensure pressure in fermzilla, fit sanitised party tap on line to liquid out.
Close butterfly valve and remove pot with trub throw away wash, starsan and then add hops. Top up with beer from the party tap and reattach the bottle on foam then reopen butterfly and very little air entry.

However I just put the hops in bags with magnets at the start of ferment. Then slide them in and out when indicated. Just use the bottle for getting the yeast and trub out. Much easier.

That's one way of doing it! I'd have never have thought of that! I was going to put the hops in a stainless steel tea filter and then they'd stay at the bottom so I could get them out. I'm not comfortable opening the top because of the huge gap at the top of the container. Hope you know what I mean ha ha!

Don't you have to let the pressure out before you take the bottom off as well, or you'd never get it off lol

 

[Rodcx500z]

Hi Lisa, i use CML no1 voss in the summer, i have a fridge but no temp control, some people say they get a bit of a citras taste but i find it very neutral, i chiil down to 35c and pitch and let it free fall normally done in 3 days, hope this helps

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Yes, thanks Rod. I use that company too but decided to try something different for my next venture lol

 

[Rodcx500z]

I don't know if you have seen this he is very good Pressurized Fermentation Q&A - Fermentasaurus, Fermzilla, Fermenter King JR - YouTube

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Yes I have watched him before, his accent annoys me though, I have to listen very carefully

 

[user 4749]

I see you are looking at a tapcooler or similar . I have a Tapcooler and cant praise it enough for filling bottles from a keg and tap very easy and very quick .
On tbe subject i stupidly lost its small o ring while cleaning it my fault contacted Malt Miller who are putting one in my next order free of charge fantastic service.