PilgrimHudds Brewdays

[matt76]

Ah bobbins, sorry to hear that mate, that sucks. Spent a bit of time cleaning the drains myself this afternoon - still got lots of bottles left from AG#12 & 13 which have never come good (used the same yeast cake in both, musta been dodgy somehow). I was thinking to myself, better to be realistic and honest with yourself - if it's not right it's not right, no sense pretending otherwise, just understand what went wrong and make it right next time

 

[cushyno]

That's unlucky with the spoiled batches.

I'm trying to revive some 6 month old stored Weihenstephan yeast in a starter. If it works I'll be doing a couple of similar brews to you - GH's weissbier and dunkelweizen again.

I'm thinking of fermenting at 17degC to see what clove character I get. No problem getting the banana when underpitching, but I'd like a bit of clove as well.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Ah bobbins, sorry to hear that mate, that sucks. Spent a bit of time cleaning the drains myself this afternoon - still got lots of bottles left from AG#12 & 13 which have never come good (used the same yeast cake in both, musta been dodgy somehow). I was thinking to myself, better to be realistic and honest with yourself - if it's not right it's not right, no sense pretending otherwise, just understand what went wrong and make it right next time

The more i think about it, it's probably not the FV, as i've had some decent ones since the Clansman, whats your cleaning regimen @matt76, what do you do with your siphon? I don't do anything special with the bottling bucket tap other than soak it in Milton.

That's unlucky with the spoiled batches.

I'm trying to revive some 6 month old stored Weihenstephan yeast in a starter. If it works I'll be doing a couple of similar brews to you - GH's weissbier and dunkelweizen again.

I'm thinking of fermenting at 17degC to see what clove character I get. No problem getting the banana when underpitching, but I'd like a bit of clove as well.

I still have high hopes for the dunkel, i'll be gutted if its infected though I guess it would narrow down where it's come from.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Hi Pilgrim I have a thing with taps a bit ocd maybe, I have a half size plastic fv all my taps go in it after use, I use a hefty dose of rip off Milton from the pound shop 79p per liter I put in 250ml and fill the bugger taps and small stuff go in till needed then they get a good rinsing before use and sprayed before use with a more dilated dose, it's just me and taps

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Hi Pilgrim I have a thing with taps a bit ocd maybe, I have a half size plastic fv all my taps go in it after use, I use a hefty dose of rip off Milton from the pound shop 79p per liter I put in 250ml and fill the bugger taps and small stuff go in till needed then they get a good rinsing before use and sprayed before use with a more dilated dose, it's just me and taps

Yeah see this is what I may have to do... this and the siphon is where my suspicions lie.

 

[matt76]

The more i think about it, it's probably not the FV, as i've had some decent ones since the Clansman, whats your cleaning regimen @matt76, what do you do with your siphon? I don't do anything special with the bottling bucket tap other than soak it in Milton.

At bottling I rinse out the washing up bowl and fill it with ~4L starsan. Syphon tube, clips, syringe, bottling wand, bottling bucket tap all go in for a good soak. I make sure i draw some starsan through the syphon tube too. I use the same starsan to sanitise the bottling bucket while I'm at it.

I've used Milton early on but i didn't like the bleachy smell it left so switched to starsan.

To be fair most of my beers have been ok to good, but a couple have been below par and a couple turned out to be drain cleaner. But through all the head scratching i don't believe the issue has come from bottling...

(The exceptions when it comes to bottling are AG#1 & 2 - both were great at first but then oxidised. I think the problem was a so called magic auto syphon pile of pap, caused a load of via and hence oxidation - now i just use a simple clear plastic hose and use a jumbo 200ml during to start the syphon!)

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Hmm I may invest in a bottling bucket where I can get the tap off easier and get a new length of hose for siphon. What's this jumbo 200ml thing, I tend to just suck...(yes this may be the source too I suppose).

I had an auto siphon once, it lasted 2 pumps. Pile of *****.

 

[matt76]

Hmm I may invest in a bottling bucket where I can get the tap off easier and get a new length of hose for siphon. What's this jumbo 200ml thing, I tend to just suck...(yes this may be the source too I suppose).

I had an auto siphon once, it lasted 2 pumps. Pile of *****.

+ A billion in the auto syphon!

Some people stuck the hose and have no bother, others say not to as it could introduce infection.

Just search eBay for a 100 or 200ml syringe:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/303226928589

After a few uses the rubber seal swelled up so it jams. Now I just lube the black rubber seal with a bit of olive oil each time and it's fine.

 

[cushyno]

I try to minimise all connections, taps, and places where infection could be harboured. Minimise contact with anything.

My method:
Single tube with a sediment trap into FV. Suck to start siphoning, lift tube above level of liquid and spray the tube with starsan where it was in my mouth. Crimp tube by hand to stop flow and never use a bottling wand.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Ahh a syringe, ok well I can get one from work no probs, i see what you are doing now! I'm going to to get a new bucket siphon and copy your method for the next one Matt with the star san.

@cushyno so you siphon straight from FV into bottle? Isn't that a massive pain in the arse?

This is why i'd like to employ someone to bottle for me, it really is tedious.

 

[matt76]

Ahh a syringe, ok well I can get one from work no probs, i see what you are doing now! I'm going to to get a new bucket siphon and copy your method for the next one Matt with the star san.

@cushyno so you siphon straight from FV into bottle? Isn't that a massive pain in the a**e?

This is why i'd like to employ someone to bottle for me, it really is tedious.

Oh I don't mind it too much, mind you I'm only doing about 20 bottles each time. Would be handy to have an assistant to cap while I fill though.

 

[cushyno]

Never used a bottling bucket, I think it's more chance for oxidation and infection.
I prime each bottle with boiled sugar and water solution using a syringe. Yes that bit is a pain, but it gives perfect consistency for carbonation.

 

[foxbat]

Oh no!

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Never used a bottling bucket, I think it's more chance for oxidation and infection.
I prime each bottle with boiled sugar and water solution using a syringe. Yes that bit is a pain, but it gives perfect consistency for carbonation.

Sounds a pain yes but cuts out the bottling bucket so I can see the benefits definitely.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

So it seems as though my dunkel has suffered the same fate, a very faint taste of TCP at the mo, but from experience it only gets worse.

I have an unexpected day off tomorrow so I'm going to brew a 10l batch of the dunkel, using a different fv and Campden tablet as I also have a suspicion about my water. When it comes to it I'm going to use new siphon tubing and bottle direct from the FV using @cushyno 's syringe priming sugar method. Fingers crossed!

 

[matt76]

So it seems as though my dunkel has suffered the same fate, a very faint taste of TCP at the mo, but from experience it only gets worse.

I have an unexpected day off tomorrow so I'm going to brew a 10l batch of the dunkel, using a different fv and Campden tablet as I also have a suspicion about my water. When it comes to it I'm going to use new siphon tubing and bottle direct from the FV using @cushyno 's syringe priming sugar method. Fingers crossed!

Sorry to hear that mate.

Best of luck with the next one.

Little tip from my own hard learned lessons - steer clear of Lactic acid in your water treatment

 

[pilgrimhudd]

So I've read Matt! No fear of that at the moment, a drinkable bog standard beer is my goal at the mo!

 

[cushyno]

@pilgrimhudd , when I do the syringe method, work it out something like this:

• Put syringe in starsan to soak.
• @ 3 volumes co2 for Dunkelweizen, I need 205g of sugar per 24L batch.
• Work out how much per bottle, try to make it a based on full or half full syringe.
• I used 1.5 syringe squirts per bottle - I go round them all once with a full squirt, then around again with a half squirt each. That's 7.5ml per bottle.
• 7.5ml X a potential 50 bottles = 375ml. (I always add a couple of bottles extra just in case)
• If 48 bottles is 205g, 50 bottles is 205* (50/48) = 214g
• Put 214g Granulated sugar in pyrex jug or pan.
• Add water slowly, mixing to dissolve, until you have 375ml of sugar solution.
• Microwave or heat on hob until boiling. Boil for a couple of minutes.
• Allow to cool.
• Do 1.5 squirts per bottle before racking beer into bottles.
• Job done.

For a 10L batch go with half the sugar and liquid amounts to get 3 vols if co2. You'll get a nicely carbonated Dunkelweizen.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

So, I am an absolute plank.....

I decided on a dunkel type user upper, all good, tapped it into the beersmith app, came out at 26 ibu, 5.7%.

3.5 kg munich
200g caramunich
100g special b
100g torrifed oats.

15g centennial @60
30g saaz @10

Mangrove Jack's belgian tripel pitched at 21c.

Trouble started during the mash, I thought there was quite a lot of malt for a 10l brew, then it dawned... I hadn't changed my equipment to the 11l stockpot!! I had measured everything out to my 19l tea urn!!! Argh!!!

I've now got a dunkel that's going to end up at around 9.5%...

 

[matt76]

Liquor back to bring it in to line?

Or maybe just add 2-3 times the amount of priming sugar, I'm not sure