Klarstein Mundschenk

[Druss]

Little to no Milton residue suggests some! This could be your cause, what did the beer taste like before you bottled it?

It's probably the only beer I've ever brewed that I didn't taste immediately before bottling, sods law really, that certainly would have narrowed it down a bit.

I use Milton to sterilise everything, have done for decades, this is the first time I've ever had off flavours of any kind.

The more I read up on this, the more I'm inclined to believe it may have actually been the water after all. I've only ever done one gallon at a time, left the water overnight to de-chlorinate and it's been fine.

This was the first time I've brewed five gallons at a time, would it need to sit out longer? Would stirring it every once in a while help? Or is it a good idea to use a campden tablet?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I always use a few mg of sodium metabisulphite. Add it into the unit as I fill it with water.

 

[Caramel Ox]

I have had that off flavour before when accidentally pouring yeast sediment into the glass. Maybe from bottling with too much suspended yeast? Or it was just certain strains?

Neither water or kettle seem likely sources to me - not that chlorinated water couldn’t be an issue but plenty of people use no treatment.

 

[foxy]

Ultrasonic cleaning in degreaser followed by a good rinse and finally passivation.
So not from the unit, most likely infection in the beer.

 

[Druss]

I just finished bottling the second batch I made in the Mundschenk, it smells and tastes like beer, no TCP whatsoever.

I put this batch directly on the trub from the previous (infected/chlorophenol infused) batch so I was a bit worried that there would be eighty odd bottles of beer going down the sink, but it seems fine.

I'm intending to reuse the trub again for my next brew, but as that won't be for a couple of weeks, I've filled a sterilised water bottle with some of it and set it aside in the fridge. There was an almost imperceptible smell of TCP that came from that, I'm assuming it was what was left over from the ruined batch.

So I'm still not really any the wiser, although, on checking my notes it seems the dodgy batch was made with tap water that was left to stand for about ten hours or so and the (so far) good batch used water stood for about 48 hours.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Might be worth getting one or two bottles in a high temp area, airing cupboard, above boiler as a fast ferment / condition to give you a hint if it is infection.
You haven't changed any variables for this second brew except a brew has been done in the klarstein.
Was the fermenter thoroughly cleared of Milton before the first brew?
I wouldn't use the yeast harvest until sure the 2nd batch is okay.
Infection may also be hinted in first batch with the development of gushers.

 

[Druss]

Might be worth getting one or two bottles in a high temp area, airing cupboard, above boiler as a fast ferment / condition to give you a hint if it is infection.
You haven't changed any variables for this second brew except a brew has been done in the klarstein.
Was the fermenter thoroughly cleared of Milton before the first brew?
I wouldn't use the yeast harvest until sure the 2nd batch is okay.
Infection may also be hinted in first batch with the development of gushers.

I did consider keeping a couple of bottles somewhere particularly warm and seeing if they became energetic/murky on opening, but the three or four I've opened so far have been clear and only lightly carbonated.

The fermenter was emptied out and was more or less dry before the first brew so I doubt it was residue that caused it.

I've kept harvested yeast from similar batches in the fridge for a couple of months before and it's been fine, this one should keep until I can test the current batch (I bottled it all today but also filled a one gallon keg for the purposes of testing in a couple of weeks).

 

[fluketamer]

more bling.

i replaced that little anoying white plastic cap on the overflow tube in the middle of the tun with this SS filter and 1/2 to 1/4 adaptor.

i also dropped the top screen (a la foxy) numbers are better without the top screen which seems to channel the wort rather than distributing it.

now i dont fiddle with the tube.

it all gets asembled grain goes in the basket first. then the basket gets lowerded into the strike water and the grist is underlet. then a couple of whisks with my doughball slayer. less fuss with the top screen and nut.

the top screen also prevents stirring which imo increases efficiency if you stir the mash once or twice in the first 20 mins. after that i dont like to mess with the mash cause it upsets the grain bed starting to form and filter the wort.

 

[dlowe1992]

Sorry if this has been covered on here already..
I'm thinking of ways I can improve whirlpooling / hop stands. Does anyone know what temperature the pump / recirc arm on the Mundschenk can handle?

I've always been loathed to attempt to use the recirc arm during a hopstand but would it be safe to re-circ when doing a hopstand at c. 85degrees?
Also, anyone find they block the pump doing this?

Ta,
Dan

 

[Druss]

Sorry if this has been covered on here already..
I'm thinking of ways I can improve whirlpooling / hop stands. Does anyone know what temperature the pump / recirc arm on the Mundschenk can handle?

I've always been loathed to attempt to use the recirc arm during a hopstand but would it be safe to re-circ when doing a hopstand at c. 85degrees?
Also, anyone find they block the pump doing this?

Ta,
Dan

I used the recirculation arm on mine throughout the boil and it's had no issues so far.

It did get blocked once when I overfilled the basket and a bit of grain got into it, but as long as the clamps are fully closed then there doesn't seem to be any issue with higher temps.

 

[dlowe1992]

I used the recirculation arm on mine throughout the boil and it's had no issues so far.

It did get blocked once when I overfilled the basket and a bit of grain got into it, but as long as the clamps are fully closed then there doesn't seem to be any issue with higher temps.

Great, cheers Druss.
Do you re-circ all through the boil? Hops loose or contained in some way?

 

[Druss]

Great, cheers Druss.
Do you re-circ all through the boil? Hops loose or contained in some way?

I leave the recirc running throughout mash and boil (obviously switching it off and disconnecting temporarily when the grain basket comes out), I use a pretty big hop spider and sort of hang it from the foam covered bit of the recirculation arm.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Most of those pumps are the same, kegland pump I think rated for boil ,can't see any advantage in recirculate during boil.
The vigour of the boil should mix everything absolutely fine, if you have a concern given it a stir.
Will cope at whirlpool temps, low risk of cavitation.

 

[dlowe1992]

I use a pretty big hop spider and sort of hang it from the foam covered bit of the recirculation arm.

Oh nice, so the recirculated wort feeds through the hop spider? Nice, kinda what I’m looking to do.

The vigour of the boil should mix everything absolutely fine, if you have a concern given it a stir.
Will cope at whirlpool temps, low risk of cavitation.

Plan is to use during a hopstand with leaf hops so the wort is in essence filtering through the hops and maximising contact. That’s the theory anyway! Better than a stand and easier than stirring!

 

[dlowe1992]

Well that didn't go too well... pump blocked while re-circulating during the hopstand!

It's happened before and I've managed to clear it by blowing back down the recirc arm. I've done that on this occasion and cleared a bit of hop debris, but still only a trickle coming through the recirc arm on full steam.

Looks like I'll have to take the pump and arm off and have a look.
Anyone done this?

I've had the bottom off last night and looks pretty easy to get the pump off. Anyone opened one up?

 

[Druss]

Well that didn't go too well... pump blocked while re-circulating during the hopstand!

It's happened before and I've managed to clear it by blowing back down the recirc arm. I've done that on this occasion and cleared a bit of hop debris, but still only a trickle coming through the recirc arm on full steam.

Looks like I'll have to take the pump and arm off and have a look.
Anyone done this?

I've had the bottom off last night and looks pretty easy to get the pump off. Anyone opened one up?

I've tried the old 'blowing into the recirc arm' thing on the couple of occasions mine has blocked and it worked fine, I tend to clean it all out with a garden hose and blast the hose right down the recirc pipe, that clears it every time.

 

[Caramel Ox]

I've tried the old 'blowing into the recirc arm' thing on the couple of occasions mine has blocked and it worked fine, I tend to clean it all out with a garden hose and blast the hose right down the recirc pipe, that clears it every time.

Yes this is what I do with the hose when cleaning. Often when seeming blocked it was just not starting, and all it really needed was an off-on cycle.

 

[dlowe1992]

Yes this is what I do with the hose when cleaning. Often when seeming blocked it was just not starting, and all it really needed was an off-on cycle.

Yeah I kind of assumed this was what was going on, but I've had a play this morning and best I can achieve is a trickle when it's on 'full throttle'.
I was using leaf hops loose in the kettle (although I do have a pretty good false bottom in there) but clearly stuff was getting into the pump. Noticeable when I did blow down that bits of leaf were coming back out the other end....

 

[dlowe1992]

Out of interest.. do you guys turn the pump on at the switch (on the base) and then open up what I call the 'throttle' on the arm?
Or do you open up the arm first and then switch the pump on?

 

[Druss]

I think I've only used the 'throttle' when the arm needs disconnecting when taking off or putting on the lid, other than that I just use the switch.