New Brewery!

[Dansrc51]

I picked up a second CO2 tank at Industrial supply this week. The lady told me a pressure gauge showing tank volume was useless as CO2 is filled as a liquid and comes out as a gas (cold fill). She said it would always show full until empty, then drop to 0. So I just bought the gauge for regulation and set it at 10 PSI. Not sure how true that is, but the last few times I've changed a tank I can't remember it getting progressively lower. Anybody else have that experience?

On the subject of keezers, I'll show you mine if you show me yours



1947 International Harvester. yes, it's horribly inefficient, but it looked to cool to pass up

I built a dual stage temperature controller for about $30, so I can lager or ferment if I want to.

[Dansrc51]

Originally Posted by mud

So I just bottled a NB kit called "The Number 8". It is a dark Belgian similar to Rochefort 8.

I have read the reviews and they said what I found. At bottling it is quite hot. You can REALLY taste the alcohol and it is only about 7.9%.
I am sure it will mellow in the coming weeks.

My question is WHY? Why is it so forward and how does it mellow?

My wife asked, and I did not know the answer.....

Most of those beers contain a specific yeast added at bottling. This is done for several reasons, the first being natural carbonation to give a softer mouth feel, as opposed to forced CO2 carbing. Another reason is that yeast is chosen specifically to compliment the flavors of the beer, and as it ages mellows out the profile by continuing to do its thing in the bottle. As it breaks down more of the complex sugars and opens up more of the flavor, the alcohol becomes less hot and more subtle. There are many more reasons to age a beer, but for that particular brand that's what I know.

[bergermeister]

Originally Posted by Dansrc51

On the subject of keezers, I'll show you mine if you show me yours



1947 International Harvester. yes, it's horribly inefficient, but it looked to cool to pass up

I built a dual stage temperature controller for about $30, so I can lager or ferment if I want to.

awesome!

here's a piece of mine. gotta get a better pic of the perlicks.

[mud]

Originally Posted by Dansrc51

Most of those beers contain a specific yeast added at bottling. This is done for several reasons, the first being natural carbonation to give a softer mouth feel, as opposed to forced CO2 carbing. Another reason is that yeast is chosen specifically to compliment the flavors of the beer, and as it ages mellows out the profile by continuing to do its thing in the bottle. As it breaks down more of the complex sugars and opens up more of the flavor, the alcohol becomes less hot and more subtle. There are many more reasons to age a beer, but for that particular brand that's what I know.

Thanks for the input. I did a bit of reading as well. The "hot" alcohol is a more complex alcohol that needs to be broken down. In this type of beer it is desirable to have some of them, but not enough to make it taste hot. They mellow out over time as the longer chains are broken.

[fifthcircle]

Originally Posted by bergermeister

awesome!

here's a piece of mine. gotta get a better pic of the perlicks.

More pics!

I keep looking on craigslist for an old fridge to make into a hot rod kegerator. Hard to find these days!

Sent from my fat thumbs on a small touch screen.

[bergermeister]

they are getting harder to find. when I brought this one home, it repeatedly shocked my wife until I rewired it.

[Dansrc51]

That is a thing of beauty. I love Perlic faucets, they are nicely crafted. As a bonus if you work the taps at slight opening they will pour with an almost nitro like agitation of the CO2. We have them at the brewey (brothers place) but I haven't installed them yet. Love it, classic white and chrome. They don't make them like they used to

[Nytelyte]

For my birthday this year, my wife got me a full set of different beer glasses that she's engraved, some printed caps and labels, and made me this SWEET notebook.


Full hops comparisons and substitution charts, glassware schema, and brewing and tasting sheets all divided by slip sheets to put the recipe sheets that come with the kits.

I'm a lucky lucky man.

Brewed a pumpkin the other night. Started with the kit from Midwest, added 3lb DME, 1 additional cup brown sugar, 1 oz bittering, 60oz pumpkin (recipe is 30oz), some clove, nutmeg and a stick of cinnamon into the primary.
Came out at 1.075, rigged a blowoff and it went nuts for 3 solid days. My office smells awesome.

[bergermeister]

Originally Posted by Dansrc51

That is a thing of beauty. I love Perlic faucets, they are nicely crafted. As a bonus if you work the taps at slight opening they will pour with an almost nitro like agitation of the CO2. We have them at the brewey (brothers place) but I haven't installed them yet. Love it, classic white and chrome. They don't make them like they used to

thanks man. many guys drill the door for the taps, but I think it looks cleaner in the side. I'm very happy with the perlicks so far.

what brewery does your brother own?

[Shunka]

Bergermeister. Thanks for the info. Sorry I didn't respond sooner, had a busy couple of days.

I did indeed fill at osheas. Gonna head up there today and take my regulator and CO2 with me and see if they think it's bad. Pickup a new one and some other stuff as well.

Thanks for the offer of assistance as well. If the new regulator doesn't fix this I might need your assistance! Thanks again.

[fifthcircle]

Originally Posted by bergermeister

That's about as clean of the kegerator as I've ever seen! Well done!!


Sent from my fat thumbs on a small touch screen.

[tootal]

Well we brewed our Imperial Stout yesterday. Seven malts and a 1.091 OG. Irish Ale yeast and away she goes. The last time we made this we won a first in stouts in a nationwide competition. Looking forward to the results!!

[mud]

Just brewed up a double chocolate oatmeal stout today. OG is only 1.072 so not real high octane, but should be tasty..... Smelled AWESOME!

[Shunka]

Thanks for all the help everyone. It was indeed a bad regulator. Now to just fine tune.

[discochris]

Just transfered an Irish Stout to the secondary tonight to bottle next week (and am currently finishing off a 12 pack of Boulevard to get enough bottles for the bottling ).

I mentioned before that I want to do a Rye, but I think that will be my next keg batch - probably brew next week.