Any Brewers out here?

Phattony

I'm a home brewer as well. Going to take to leap to all grain this summer/fall. I always have home brew on tap. 

KenfromMI

@Phattony where you at in Detroit?  Dearborn here, was down there last night for the game but left early because I couldn't take it anymore LOL

CANMAN1976

Not fermenting at too hot a temp?

I fermented nottingham with a heat belt and I blew the airlock off in my face!!! 

I find cooler temps give a much less active fermentation!

Greeno55

CANMAN1976 said:

Not fermenting at too hot a temp?

I fermented nottingham with a heat belt and I blew the airlock off in my face!!! 

I find cooler temps give a much less active fermentation!

Hey Canman, I think that's directed at me. Not too hot at all. Basement is a nice dark 68°. The other batch rig beside it a couple weeks older has been brewing perfect in my bucket FV

Rzeancak

i have some ginger beer on the go right now

KenfromMI

I have an old house with a huge old boiler. In the winter time my basement is the perfect temperature for fermenting Ale's all Winter long. 

Phattony

@KenfromMI‌, I'm from Dearborn also. Small world?

hopmonster

Regarding quality of product, I can get a lot of fantastic commercial microbrews here in VA, but the goal is to make things that are not available. I made a 100 IBU I called Hopmonster about 1996 or 7. There were not too many IPAs regularly available then. I doubled that recipe at Christmas and called it Yeti. Truthfully it was pretty bad as it was a sloppy hop mess with a crap load of alcohol, but it was way ahead of its time. I have moved on to session beers a few years ago trying to make something I would drink willingly at low alcohol. Belgian singles (playing with color in a light beer) and session IPAs. I also made a hard left turn into long term barrel projects with wild and sour ales. In the new BA book on American Sour Ales I show up in the acknowledgements. These sour beers take years to make. I won a handful of medals, but I only enter one competition a year, if at all, and really only for feedback. I entered 5 competitions and pulled 2 best of shows in competitions that have hundreds of brewers, so I understand where I stand. Like cooking, there is always more to learn.

Cheers.

KenfromMI

@Phatttony I grew up in Dearborn Heights and have worked for the city for 26 years. Went to Crestwood High. Moved to Dearborn about 14 years ago. 

FATC1TY

Greeno55 said:

CANMAN1976 said:

Not fermenting at too hot a temp?

I fermented nottingham with a heat belt and I blew the airlock off in my face!!! 

I find cooler temps give a much less active fermentation!

Hey Canman, I think that's directed at me. Not too hot at all. Basement is a nice dark 68°. The other batch rig beside it a couple weeks older has been brewing perfect in my bucket FV

Keep in mind, a 68* ambient air temp, will have a fermentation temp of around 5-7* higher during the peak growth and fermentation phase.

That would have you above the ideal temps to ferment at for most strains.

Greeno55

Thanks @FATC1TY. I mistyped. My FV is sitting around 68°, maybe a touch lower. Nevertheless, it calmed down about a day or so later. Can't wait to keg it on Friday.

Griffin

Brewed a Saison Dupont this past weekend. It was a partial extract, but I have not made the leap to all grain yet and I was limited on time anyway. 2 to 3 hours is usually the max amount of time I have to spare.

Griffin

Quick question. My batch this weekend called for 3 additions of hops dropped at three different times. My local home brew store gave me those foil packets of hops, but I didn't need to use them all. Are they worth saving? And if so, how? Vac seal 'em? Keep in fridge or freeezer? Or just toss and buy new ones next time insuring that they are fresh?

FATC1TY

Griffin said:

Quick question. My batch this weekend called for 3 additions of hops dropped at three different times. My local home brew store gave me those foil packets of hops, but I didn't need to use them all. Are they worth saving? And if so, how? Vac seal 'em? Keep in fridge or freeezer? Or just toss and buy new ones next time insuring that they are fresh?

Vac seal if you can. If not, place in ziplock, push out as much air as you can and store in freezer.

They can be used for the next batch for sure.

I buy bulk, pellet and leaf during the harvest season. Usually around 8-13 pounds total, and store in vac bags in the freezer. Works well.

ChokeOnSmoke

Just bottled my 4th batch.  Loving the new homebrew hobby.  Recently dry hopped an APA, turned out really nice...

hopmonster

Choke - Bag up those hops, it is a *B* to get that out of a glass fermentor. Put some marbles (cleaned) in the hop bag and shove them on it. Even that is tough in glass. Outside that, brew on.

slheinlein

I've been brewing for about 5 years and got my egg about 2 months ago.  Firing up the egg and having a home brew is great.  I do all-grains and enjoy all styles.  Have a Zombie Dust clone and a stout on tap right now.  Just bottled some Belgium yesterday.  For me, the hobbies go hand in hand.

NervousDad

Be careful with that glass carboy they can be extremely dangerous. I never had a problem, but I've seen many that have. 

Nsdexter

Throw those leaf hops in a bag, you'll be struggling mightily to get them out. I've been brewing for about 8 years, I do all train BIAB, and extracts when I'm short on time. I've never had US05 blow up on me like that. Conan yes, cal ale yeast and afew Belgians get big. Blow off tubes are a godsend if you don't have a easily cleanable fermentation chamber.