I collected 7 gal RO for tomorrow AM’s brewday. It took 3 hrs 8 min and yielded 14 ppm TDS at 6.5 pH.
It’s the first time I’ll be using the RO water filtered from my tap.
I plan to de-aerate using the Yeast Oxygen Scavenging technique in the AM. Tonight I’ll cover the kettle and be ready to go first thing.
This is tomorrow’s recipe mentioned in post #13:
Disclaimer: Any comment I add is simply the way I brew beer. There are certainly other ways that can be equally effective which other brewers may contribute. This is what I’ve found that works for me using my equipment and processes so I offer this for your consideration. YMMV
“Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.”
― Agnes Sligh Turnbull
Thx F.R. Even at 17 yrs, which was probably far better than expected, I couldn’t agree more.
Here I am doing a triangle tasting while letting her out of the house. I buried her under the wind chimes in the background:
The brewday is going great. Mash pH came in at 5.22 without any acid so I am really pleased with that. That’s my first positive indicator using the new RO system in place.
Here a chlorine test (before on RH side):
Here’s the Schwarzbier mentioned in post #1. It’s probably the best beer I’ve brewed in this style.
Disclaimer: Any comment I add is simply the way I brew beer. There are certainly other ways that can be equally effective which other brewers may contribute. This is what I’ve found that works for me using my equipment and processes so I offer this for your consideration. YMMV
I wanted to bury his ashes by the lake a mile from our house, wife disagreed.
We still have his ashes in a nice box, when I bring it up wife changes subject.
Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.
–Anatole France
It looks like I solved my fermenter CO2 leak.
I like to push sanitizer out of my keg with fermentation CO2 but sometimes the CO2 would take the path of least resistance around the seal instead of thru the keg. So, I put a little keg seal lube on the fermenter seal and it seems to be doing the trick. Only one day into fermentation and all the sanitizer is already pushed out of the keg and into the catch bucket.
I closed xferred Olde Bailey to the keg tonight. It finished at 1.009 or 10 for ~80% attenuation ~5% ABV.
Cold crashing at 32°F under CO2 pressure until just before Veteran’s Day.
Onwards and upwards to the next beer. I’m planning a run of four beers with some 34/70 I harvested from my Schwarzbier.
I am a bit late to the party here (way too much going on in my life here and I haven’t read all of the subsequent comments), but won’t there be some O2 pickup when underletting the mash tun from the oxygen that is sticking to the grain itself? Just asking since it seems that unless the grain is stored and crushed in an atmosphere of something like nitrogen and the mash tun is totally purged with the same gas, IMHO there will always be some O2 present in the MT. Maybe it is low enough that it won’t make that much difference but it is something to consider.
You’re probably correct Goose. …but I don’t underlet for the low O2 benefit per se. I do it so I don’t have to lift 7 gallons of hot water and pour it into the MLT. If I get a low O2 benefit all the better.
I see others collect their water a day ahead in anticipation of brewday. I’ve never done this but decided to do it today for tomorrow’s Altbier.
I collected 7 gal of RO water in 2hrs 25 min. The pH is 6.1 and the TDS is 11 ppm.
I decided to take it one step further and use the Yeast Oxygen Scavenging technique today. I usually do this brewday as well but the data shows the yeast will maintain zero O2 for 96 hrs.
Disclaimer: Any comment I add is simply the way I brew beer. There are certainly other ways that can be equally effective which other brewers may contribute. This is what I’ve found that works for me using my equipment and processes so I offer this for your consideration. YMMV
Got an early start today. Things progressed very quickly due to my pre-brewday preparations. All I had to do was heat HERMS water and brewhaus liquor, mill grain, hydrate the Brewtan B, measure a tsp each of CaCl, gypsum, and Ascorbic Acid, and mash in.
I am using a step mash as a good alternative to using a decoction mash. I’ve read, a modern German brewing practice is to use a Hochkurz (high short) mash. I will add my dark grains as the mash is heating to 170°F.
You need to splash some flour on your face so your wife know your still working hard.
[emoji23] Too late. She knows I have designed a “lazy man’s system”.
Today I close xfered the Alt from fermenter to keg. I had more bubbles in the hose than I’ve noticed in the past. I don’t know if I was taking on O2 or if CO2 was coming out of suspension or what.
I did notice the yeast in the fermenter was more ‘bubbly’ that other yeasts. I’m not sure if that’s a feature of K-97 or what. I haven’t used K-97 much so I am not as familiar with it as I am with other strains. I believe it’s a ‘top crop’ strain so maybe I should have skimmed it during fermentation. [emoji2369]
There should be plenty of yeast in suspension to consume O2 if that’s what it was.
At any rate it’s now in cold storage under CO2 service pressure. I understand K-97 takes a while to clear so I’ll give it plenty of time and temp for that to happen.
Disclaimer: Any comment I add is simply the way I brew beer. I am not paid or sponsored by anyone. There are certainly other ways that can be equally effective which other brewers may contribute. This is what I’ve found that works for me using my equipment and processes so I offer this for your consideration. YMMV
Back in Sept-October we spent 4 weeks in Germany. Something new was time in Saxony. Swarzbier is still to be found there, especially around Liepzig. Had two different ones, and there was vary little to no roast, but i was surprised at the chocolate flavors i was getting.
That’s awesome. I miss Germany.
On this day in history, Nov. 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. I was in Germany. It was an interesting time.
Prepped my water last night so I could get an early start this AM. Brewing a 2x Bock today. The 170th all-grain beer since AL made Homebrewing legal. This is the most grain I’ve used in this MLT. I’m really interested to see what the efficiency will be. Especially, no sparge. The mash volume is ~1/2” below the recirculating port.
How did it go? That’s a big one.
Pretty good. I came in 4 points shy of anticipated OG but I’m OK with that.
My concern is that Altbier. It’s not clear yet and I was anticipating serving it for the Dallas Thanksgiving game. I hit it with some gelatin two days ago and it seemed to clear a little but not enough for me. So, I hit it again this AM. I have the Golden Ale to fall back on but I sure wanted that Alt to clear.
Awesome news for that doppelbock.
For the Alt, buy some Red Solo cups 
