Is that a hydrometer in your pocket or are you just happy to see me

bleisurehatch wrote:
of course sweets will be the only one who understands more than 30% of this

So took my brewing up a notch this weekend 
Brewed an ESB using a BIAB method, but this time used a Sous Vide that I dropped in a hop spider to keep my mash at a consistent 154 temp.  So far I'm loving it.  I've read, getting a recirculating pump is the way to go to improve my efficiency . But I'm happy as a clam to keep it at a consistent temp. Was 40 degrees out and no thermal wrap/sleeping bag could keep that temp

ok, take two… won't be as long, i'll go bullet-point stylee:

- some folks definitely love using a sous-vide for keeping mash temps.  seems to work great, only complaint i've seen is that not all sous-vide sticks are made to heat sticky, sugary wort - these devices can get gummed up, burn the sugar, etc.  keep on eye out for that.
- i recirculate today using a pump to gently pull wort from the bottom of my mash tun and dump it back on top.  i manually control temps by adjusting the speed of the pump and the amount of flame i apply to the bottom of my MT.  it's a manual process but i've gotten pretty comfortable with it.  i have most of the parts to make a proper RIMS but have been too lazy to jump into the project… luckily:

- i'm waiting on the delivery of a Brew Vide (april they say), which is designed for mashing.
- best thing i've found for insulating a stainless MT or boil kettle is Reflectix.  slapping some of this stuff on your SS pot will speed up your brew day: losing less heat = heats up faster.  use their metal tape to attach. 

sweetcell wrote:
- some folks definitely love using a sous-vide for keeping mash temps.  seems to work great, only complaint i've seen is that not all sous-vide sticks are made to heat sticky, sugary wort - these devices can get gummed up, burn the sugar, etc.  keep on eye out for that.

Yeah I can see that being an issue.  I stick it in PBW and run it for 15 mins at the end and seems to keep that from happening, but I will surely keep an eye on it as I'd hate to break my SV.  most of it comes apart so I can get in there and clean pretty well

- i recirculate today using a pump to gently pull wort from the bottom of my mash tun and dump it back on top.

I want to do something like this, but can I do that with a $60 pump, or do I need to get a $300 pump?

- i'm waiting on the delivery of a Brew Vide

sweet!
Knowing what I know today, would have gone for the BrewVide™ All-In-One Kit in a heart beat
who needs a grainfather or Herms set up…that's all you need in my eyes

Reflectix

got this from home depot already
although don't use it when a flame is involved, only the sous vide

Last two batches I did half indoors…as it was 20 some degrees out
then Move the kettle to the burner outside for the hop boil
My hoses outside are frozen, so used a small recirculating pump I used for my keg washer to sit in a bucket filled with cold water and do the immersion chiller that way.  I still think I need one more chiller in the cold water for this to work in the hotter temps outside
Has worked out really well and I get it to sub 90 degrees in under 1 hour

First time I used the SV I got the water to 160 with the flame and didn't take that long
if you use the SV to get 6 gals from room temp to 160…it takes close to 2 hours
but since there is no flame, you can kind of set it and forget it.
which has really been the best part of getting it to temp and stay at temp for the entire Mash
Before that, 90 mins was spent pretty close to the kettle monitoring everything and being aware there is a live flame going on
and I almost never could keep a good constant mash temp, end up getting it too hot trying to get it back to temp

I think your advice on getting fermentation temp control was a big step into making consistent quality beer
but the Sous Vide, BAIB and Kegging have just made the whole process easier, shorter and the end result is very dependable
I finally feel like I've dialed in this process…after about 50 batches later (over a long period of time and sub par components)
so that's progress in my eyes

I did pick up a Ukeg used and for less than 3 beers at the anthem and I LOVE IT
I've not yet done the force carb from out of the fermenter, but I will
I can just pour from my keg into this and bring my homebrew anywhere
I just hated dealing with the bottles in the past and always having to worry about the crap at the bottom
this makes it soo much easier to share
I really do wish I had the 128oz one, but that's not what was available for that price
I just love the look and the gauge on it.  I know there are cheaper pressurized growlers out there, but this one is steampunk

So has that BrewVide shipped yet?
Seems you can't even pre-order one now and they are still updating and modifying the product
so my guess is no, you haven't received it yet

My current Sous Vide I think may have died last night
I'm hooked and have made about 10 batches at this point and will never go back

haven't received anything, other than email updates.  at this point i've written off the BrewVide, so if it does come through i'll be pleasantly surprised.  for the past (6 months?  more?), they have been spinning a twin narrative:
1) parts have become too expensive due to covid/supply chain issues.  they can't build the device at current prices.  there was talk of finding a new partner to co-develop, or bring in a/several new investor(s), etc.  at this point they're waaaaay behind schedule, and they haven't brought in more money as far as i know, so they're running on the initial kickstarter money… this is why i'm thinking this ship will sink at some point.
2) "the above doesn't matter, because we want to improve it anyways!  we need the extra time!!!"  the vaporware looks and sounds AWESOME <insert eyeroll>. 

they seem dedicated, said they won't give up, etc… i wish them the best but i'm not holding out much hope.  investing in someone's dream involves risk.  they offered refunds a while back but my heart won out over my mind and i decided to stay in.

in the meantime, i continue to manually adjust the flame under my MT as i recirculate.  i have most of the parts to build a RIMS.  i had abandoned that project when the brewvide came along but might need to resurrect that.  dammit. 

sweetcell wrote:
they seem dedicated, said they won&#039;t give up, etc… i wish them the best but i&#039;m not holding out much hope.&nbsp; investing in someone&#039;s dream involves risk.&nbsp; they offered refunds a while back but my heart won out over my mind and i decided to stay in.

as the saying goes….so goes sweets, so goes the country

this doesn't bode well for them

Weird as it's somewhat of a simple product, but it's obviously costing more to make it than they can sell for $3xx
I don't think I'd pay $500 for this, but I'm hooked on SV brewing so looking into more of a DIY

I like that the BV can do the boil too, that's what I can't do and have to turn on the propane and be out doors for
And the built in pump, but that I can DIY kinda easy

Side-eFeck wrote:
So I brewed a clone of this, no fresh wet hops

so in essence you brewed a hoppy red ale ;D  not my fav style but can be very tasty… hope someone takes you up on your offer, so we can get a second opinion.

what hops did you use?

sweetcell wrote:

Side-eFeck wrote:
So I brewed a clone of this, no fresh wet hops

so in essence you brewed a hoppy red ale ;D&nbsp; not my fav style but can be very tasty… hope someone takes you up on your offer, so we can get a second opinion.

what hops did you use?

Chinook
Centennial

I didn't dry hop (I forgot …but still came out delish)

my brewing update, for an audience of 1:

- got myself an Anvil Foundry during the holiday sales, still haven't unpacked it.  i love using my single-tier system, but brewing 15 gal is a full-day affair.  i got the Foundry so i can whip up a 5 gal batch any time i want, since i don't have to babysit the batch.  i spent some time this year with nothing in my kegs because i couldn't pull off a full brew day.  hopefully this gizmo will remedy that.  just gotta get around to unboxing it…

- got in a surprise brew day in early december thanks to the missus, and use Helio Gazer yeast along with Phantasm… dude.  the result is intense hoppiness along with a note of jolly rancher/fruity pebbles.  it's delicious but almost too much.  i'll definitely be using that yeast again, but might dial back the thiol precursors a bit.

- i still have a bit of the blond lager and the dopplebock'ish thing i brewed last spring, and they're still tasting great (yeay for free refrigeration in the cold river!).  would be something to be drinking last year's batch while brewing this year's.

Side-eFeck wrote:
Chinook
Centennial

nice, my two favorite classic american "C" hops.  can't go wrong with that combo.

- got in a surprise brew day in early december thanks to the missus, and use Helio Gazer yeast along with Phantasm… dude.&nbsp; the result is intense hoppiness along with a note of jolly rancher/fruity pebbles.&nbsp; it&#039;s delicious but almost too much.

Sounds interesting. Although the candy note is odd
I did some 85 degree kiveik batches of a “lawnmower” style… was done and ready to keg in 3 days
Was good,  it did have some off flavors, but that may just be me

I’m loving my sous vide brewing
On my 12th batch and never looking back
Although I really need to get a recirculating pump as I am pretty sure my efficiency is pretty low (I just add more grains:))

I am torn on the next purchase
Grain mill or the Tilt
I really should get the mill, but love getting the guesswork out of the fermentation

Right  now I am doing my first lager: Schwartzbier.  Can’t believe I’m going to have to wait 4 more weeks to try it, but very much looking forward to it

I don’t believe it…sidehatch has been talking about his home brew as long as I have known him and never have I sampled any….it’s always “oh the kegerator just broke….” Or some such


It’s el dorado

Starsky wrote:
I don’t believe it…sidehatch has been talking about his home brew as long as I have known him and never have I sampled any….it’s always “oh the kegerator just broke….” Or some such

REEEEEEALLY?!?

<looks accusingly at sidehatch> HOW DO YOU PLEAD?!?

Starsky wrote:
It’s el dorado

indeed, el dorado is another excellent hop.

I have a batch of schwarzbier homebrew we're drinking now.

If anyone wants to meet me at my car before/after the Hold Steady show, I'm happy to share a bottle or two. (to be drank at home, not in my car, on the street, or at the show….though i guess if you can sneak it into the show, that seems like something Space should approve of.)

Caveat: It's from a the extract kit from Northern Brewer, so nothing fancy or innovative. It tastes ok. Not great, but ok. Better than the swill I shared with a couple other boardies a few years ago.

And schwarzbier has no "t" in it.

Maybe Side and I could compare my schwarzbier and his scwartzbier when his is ready.

sweetcell wrote:

Starsky wrote:
I don’t believe it…sidehatch has been talking about his home brew as long as I have known him and never have I sampled any….it’s always “oh the kegerator just broke….” Or some such

REEEEEEALLY?!?

&lt;looks accusingly at sidehatch&gt; HOW DO YOU PLEAD?!?

Starsky wrote:
It’s el dorado

Guilty
Hutch has not been inside my house (nor I in his) in over 3 years (while my home brewing has been having a renaissance)
So while we’ve met up many times for shows, not a good opportunity to drink my homebrew
The one time there was an option (my 50th redo at colonial beach) the kegerator there was in fact not working (broken regulator)

But I’ll be filling up a growler this week and will hand deliver to the hutch-hold make up for this great disservice

Side-eFeck wrote:
Hutch has not been inside my house (nor I in his) in over 3 years (while my home brewing has been having a renaissance)

Good move. Whenever I consider a real estate transaction, I ask for confirmation of whether or not Hutch has been in the property recently.

&quot;Lead paint? Asbestos? Has Hutch been here?&quot;

Julian, wrote:

Side-eFeck wrote:
Hutch has not been inside my house (nor I in his) in over 3 years (while my home brewing has been having a renaissance)

Good move. Whenever I consider a real estate transaction, I ask for confirmation of whether or not Hutch has been in the property recently.

&quot;Lead paint? Asbestos? Has Hutch been here?&quot;

Definitely has an impact on the resale value, but not required to disclose in the State of VA

Side-eFeck wrote:

sweetcell wrote:

Starsky wrote:
I don’t believe it…sidehatch has been talking about his home brew as long as I have known him and never have I sampled any….it’s always “oh the kegerator just broke….” Or some such

REEEEEEALLY?!?

&lt;looks accusingly at sidehatch&gt; HOW DO YOU PLEAD?!?

Starsky wrote:
It’s el dorado

Guilty
Hutch has not been inside my house (nor I in his) in over 3 years (while my home brewing has been having a renaissance)
So while we’ve met up many times for shows, not a good opportunity to drink my homebrew
The one time there was an option (my 50th redo at colonial beach) the kegerator there was in fact not working (broken regulator)

But I’ll be filling up a growler this week and will hand deliver to the hutch-hold make up for this great disservice

Thanks for doing your part in stopping the spread.

A native Maryland hop hints at new possibilities for local brewers

The University of Maryland Extension, with help from farm brewers in the state, is testing whether a native Maryland hop plant discovered on a Frederick County farm can be grown at commercial scale. If successful, the project could be a game changer for Maryland craft brewers and other breweries up and down the East Coast, industry experts say.

Very cool

shemptiness wrote:
If successful, the project could be a game changer for Maryland craft brewers and other breweries up and down the East Coast, industry experts say.

i'm struggling with how this hop would be a "game changer."  do these industry experts think that the "MD native" labelling will somehow change the game?  that residents of the mid-atlantic will flock to their breweries because they've started making beer with a local hop?  i'd be shocked if it resulted in anything more than a temporary blip in demand, vast majority of beer drinkers don't care where their hops come from.  michigan has been trying to push their in-state hop production as a differentiator for years now, impact has been minimal).  it's described as a noble-like hop… well, we already have noble hops.  also, if you want a hop to go supernova it needs to be an IPA hop, not something spicy and floral.

so yeah, cool, local hops yeay.  TBD if it has any legs.