The pump threads are 1/2” BSP parallel, and the adapters are from that to 3/8” push fit :-)
TETB’s Brewdays
- Thread starter The-Engineer-That-Brews
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RoomWithABrew
Landlord.
Thank you I'll see if I can get some.
RoomWithABrew
Landlord.
I have found half inch to a quarter inch, ideally wanting adapter to 5/16 ie 8mm as that's the majority of my beer line.
I think we are closer to real Amazon than UK one. Other retailers are accessible though but no Amazon in NZ.
I think we are closer to real Amazon than UK one. Other retailers are accessible though but no Amazon in NZ.
The Cali Common got off to a pretty fast fermentation once it got going (WY2112 California Lager, 18ºc):
Just done the gravity check (three days after the above was taken) and it looks to be down to about 1.014. Guessing it will drop 3 or 4 more points over the next week or so.
It got pretty whiffy at first but that seems to have all gone now and a sip from the trial jar is pretty reassuring: strong malt backbone and quite an assertive bitter hoppy finish although that I suspect will round out a bit in conditioning.
Quite relieved that liquoring back doesn't seem to have thinned it out too much :-) It does also mean more beer of course! Probably 2-3 litres more than will fit in a Corny so this might have to be one of my very occasional bottling runs (in part, at least)
Just done the gravity check (three days after the above was taken) and it looks to be down to about 1.014. Guessing it will drop 3 or 4 more points over the next week or so.
It got pretty whiffy at first but that seems to have all gone now and a sip from the trial jar is pretty reassuring: strong malt backbone and quite an assertive bitter hoppy finish although that I suspect will round out a bit in conditioning.
Quite relieved that liquoring back doesn't seem to have thinned it out too much :-) It does also mean more beer of course! Probably 2-3 litres more than will fit in a Corny so this might have to be one of my very occasional bottling runs (in part, at least)
Hmmmmm......
First use a couple of days ago, no pictures unfortunately but it seems to have worked. I say seems as it's dropped the remaining yeast out but the hop sludge that poured out of the dry hop bag as I lifted it out of the fermenter stayed in suspension. I have no idea why I disturbed the bag, must have been one of those good ideas at the time that got past the "don't be an idiot" filter in my brain.
Ho hum, will try again on the next brew
Cheers Tom
It's been way too long since I've had a chance to brew, but today was the day 
Kind of an oatmeal stout, based on the GH one I did last November but aiming for something a bit darker and more complex.
I'll admit I may have got slightly carried away with the grain bill but it's a bit of a user-upper.
I know I'll also probably get some stick for the S-04 but it's all I had...
I was a bit rusty but everything went pretty smoothly: no dramas and I hit 22L and 1.052 OG which is what I was after :-)
Nice to be back in the game.
Kind of an oatmeal stout, based on the GH one I did last November but aiming for something a bit darker and more complex.
I'll admit I may have got slightly carried away with the grain bill but it's a bit of a user-upper.
I know I'll also probably get some stick for the S-04 but it's all I had...
I was a bit rusty but everything went pretty smoothly: no dramas and I hit 22L and 1.052 OG which is what I was after :-)
Nice to be back in the game.
A few pics from today:
Looks like the yeast put in a good shift last night
Down to 1.024 as of this morning: 50% attenuation in 60hrs including lag time.
You can say what you like about S-04 but it doesn’t hang about
Sneaky taste from the sample jar is pretty encouraging
You can say what you like about S-04 but it doesn’t hang about
Sneaky taste from the sample jar is pretty encouraging
The stout is progressing nicely - yesterday it was down to 1.018 or so and it's started clearing down.
Next up: Munich Helles (to be precise, this one: https://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php/Edel_Hell) in a couple of days time.
I've had mixed success with lagers in the past as they've often come out with a harsh hop bitterness and/or been a bit too strong. But I got some extra pale malt earlier in the year so it's really time I got round to using it.
I just don't trust the tap water here for anything pale so I'm staying as close to the recipe as possible and starting with 100% RO+DI; then adding a bare minimum of minerals to hit the recipe profile (I'm fairly confident that the mash will bring in enough trace elements to assure the yeast health).
Talking of yeast, I'm being a bit lazy and going with dried w-34/70. I know I'd probably get slightly more character from something like WLP2308, but the only stuff at THBS is "use by 12th Nov" and I'm not really sure it will make that much difference. I'll probably ferment at the bottom of the range for the w-34/70 though, as I seem to recall @Alastair70 got some esters from it.
I've had mixed success with lagers in the past as they've often come out with a harsh hop bitterness and/or been a bit too strong. But I got some extra pale malt earlier in the year so it's really time I got round to using it.
I just don't trust the tap water here for anything pale so I'm staying as close to the recipe as possible and starting with 100% RO+DI; then adding a bare minimum of minerals to hit the recipe profile (I'm fairly confident that the mash will bring in enough trace elements to assure the yeast health).
Talking of yeast, I'm being a bit lazy and going with dried w-34/70. I know I'd probably get slightly more character from something like WLP2308, but the only stuff at THBS is "use by 12th Nov" and I'm not really sure it will make that much difference. I'll probably ferment at the bottom of the range for the w-34/70 though, as I seem to recall @Alastair70 got some esters from it.
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I’ve sworn off dried yeast for lagers. I’ve had estery brews, acetyl aldehyde, something that tasted like pear drops and other such disappointments along the way. I think pitching two sachets and keeping it cool is probably the way to go with 34/70.
Hmmmm. Now I'm concerned... however the w-34/70 seems to be quite widely used. What temps have you used it at?
Just looked back through the brew notes, and w-34/70 has not been the offender I thought it was. M54 and Lallmand Diamond have been the biggest culprits for off flavours, and I made an indifferent German lager with CML Hell. These more recent experiences coloured my views on dried lager yeast. The last brew with w-34/70 was in July 2022 and the tasting notes say "Worked a treat, cant wait to serve it the August BBQ"! Fermentation was at 12C until the gravity hit 1.020 then a slow ramp to D-rest.
Really useful - many thanks
Brewed the Munich Helles today: 23.3L and 1.047 - all good.
Discovered I didn't actually have any Vienna despite what my spreadsheet said
Ho hum... used Munich I instead (15%). Should be OK in a Munich Helles I guess?
Did as Kai's recipe suggests and added 2.0ml lactic to the pre-boil to reduce any harsh bitterness extracted from the hops (magnum and hallertauer mittelfruh). It'll be interesting to see how that works out.
Chilled it down to 20ºc with the CFC and it's now in the brew fridge heading down to pitching temp.
Couple of photos from today...
Wort was crystal clear after the boil... then it went through the CFC
Discovered I didn't actually have any Vienna despite what my spreadsheet said
Ho hum... used Munich I instead (15%). Should be OK in a Munich Helles I guess?
Did as Kai's recipe suggests and added 2.0ml lactic to the pre-boil to reduce any harsh bitterness extracted from the hops (magnum and hallertauer mittelfruh). It'll be interesting to see how that works out.
Chilled it down to 20ºc with the CFC and it's now in the brew fridge heading down to pitching temp.
Couple of photos from today...
Wort was crystal clear after the boil... then it went through the CFC
The Helles was down to 12.5° by 10pm last night so I pitched it with two packs of w-34/70 just before turning in.
Unsurprisingly only the merest visible signs of activity so far, but the temperature readings tell the real story. Beer temp 12.0, air temp 11.6; so the fridge controller is already working to control the metabolic heat
Unsurprisingly only the merest visible signs of activity so far, but the temperature readings tell the real story. Beer temp 12.0, air temp 11.6; so the fridge controller is already working to control the metabolic heat
Just kegged the oatmeal stout after 12 days in the FV with S-04 at 18ºc.
It's cleared down nicely and tastes pretty decent.
Mashed this one a bit higher than usual (67.5º x 60min) to give it more body. Seems to have done the trick
Vital statistics: OG 1.051 FG 1.016 ABV 4.7%.
It's cleared down nicely and tastes pretty decent.
Mashed this one a bit higher than usual (67.5º x 60min) to give it more body. Seems to have done the trick
Vital statistics: OG 1.051 FG 1.016 ABV 4.7%.
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In other news, the w34/70 seems to be chugging along nicely at 12°c in the Helles. Fridge is working away to keep the temp stable: air temp is 10°c….
