Improving Brews

[Dads_Ale]

Wow that is some serious cleaning for the bottles

With regard to the FV tap is it one of those that you can rotate the main body. If so do you completely disassemble it for cleaning i.e separate the two halves and the tap. I have found over time wort can get past the first seal and into the body which you cant clean out without full disassembly. When reassembling a smear of food grade silicone grease on the seals stops it happening in the future.
A friend had a series of infections from his tap as he hadn't taken it apart and just assumed running cleaner through it was sufficient.

 

[UKSkydiver]

Wow that is some serious cleaning for the bottles

I know. Overkill, right? But if the taste is still there, I know it's not the bottles and I can go back to my more usual, lazier regime.

With regard to the FV tap is it one of those that you can rotate the main body. If so do you completely disassemble it for cleaning i.e separate the two halves and the tap.

Yes and yes.
I completely disassemble it into its component parts and clean after and before each use. I have a few and I rotate them. Meaning I dont use the same one all the time. I dont go as far as the food safe gubbins though.

 

[Cowman]

I don't buy in bulk, so all of the base malts will do no more than 2 brews, and from different suppliers at different times. The speciality malts can be around for a while.

How are your specialty malts stored and how old are they? Are they crushed or whole?
Early this year I went through a phase of all my dark beers all tased wrong and the same but pale beers which used malts that got used quickly were fine. Maybe try brewing a batch with all fresh malt or an all grain kit

 

[The Baron]

Ive just got some crushed speciality malts of different types and most have dates of 2022 on them. I have stored mine in plastic boxes in a dry dark place and never had any problems even when out of date. I do make sure that my standard malts are used within a year though but even with them I have never had a problem maybe a slight loss in efficiency is the only thing I can possibly say and thats not 100% as It could be just certain recipes that give less

 

[Cowman]

My specialty malts were a couple years old and at coolish temp and went stale but it is was a bit old

 

[The Baron]

I would say the old adage of sniff, taste and look test should apply in other words if it smells alright looks alright and tastes alright it is alright

 

[UKSkydiver]

How are your specialty malts stored and how old are they? Are they crushed or whole?
Early this year I went through a phase of all my dark beers all tasted wrong and the same but pale beers which used malts that got used quickly were fine. Maybe try brewing a batch with all fresh malt or an all grain kit

Thanks for replying.

I only started AG a year a go, so they won't be older than that. Most younger. I didn't use specialty (dark) malts for the Hefe and there was still something there.

They are all pre crushed. They are stored in their original plastic bag closed with a plastic clip. In the garage at whatever the ambient temperature is.