The Once and future HERMS

School has started again as have the multitude of projects I find to distract myself from it.

I am close to completing an electric 240 volt HERMS brewing unit - I already have a small control panel box that I have been using to do electric boils which I need to expand to having a PID.

here is the control box - the knob is for the pulse width modulator which controls the flow of electricity to the element in the boil kettle

I will post pictures of all the equipment and fittings as they arrive.

I have already removed the lids from all my kegs - three in all - 1 Hot Liquor Tank, 1 Boil Kettle that is 90% complete, and one Mash Lauter Tun that needs one more hole drilled and a fitting soldered on.

I suffered a great loss of beer a while ago - an infected carboy has been ruining my beer - something I have tried to fix.

State of Fermentation

This is a view into the past, about two weeks ago. I used the 26 cubic foot freezer that was going to be a keezer as a fermentation chamber - its been put to good use. 

seen here:

5 Gallons Apfelwein

5 Gallons Grapfelwein

10 Gallons of Graff

5 Gallons of my first attempt at an IIPA

5 Gallons of a Chimay Red Clone

An Update to my tap addiction

The taps  and handles have been done for a while but I have been so busy with school that I haven't taken any new photos. 

here is the final version, not entirely happy with the drip tray but I don't think I can cut it down without messing up the stainless steel. 

All the lines work, although only 4 of them have kegs on them right now. I just kicked my munich cascade smash - which I will be making again today with a few slight tweaks. 

For anyone interested as to whether or not the salt water chiller is working - it is - and continues to impress me with the fact that a 30 dollar pond pump can do so well in a below freezing high salinity environment.  

Last of the extracts - found it in my beer tunnel

As you can see this is highly carbonated - I think I over-primed by about an ounce when I bottled almost 2 years ago.

the beer has aged pretty well, no signs of oxidation.

A little background on this beer.

It was a Phat tire clone recipe kit from Northern Brewer that I brewed the same night as I brewed a hefeweizen kit from them. I had two yeasts to pitch and wouldn't you know it I switched them. So I ended up with a brown hefeweizen and a lighter colored ale.

I thought I had gotten them all but this one survived my late night scroungings.

It has a fruity background, a caramel note to it and almost no hop aroma or flavor - I suppose two years of aging will do that.



 

Brewing in the Snow

As the great pre halloween snow storm of 2011 is nearly upon us - some soap box jockeys screaming 10 inches of snow - I thought it best to make some more beer.

A new brewing associate Aaron and I will be making a batch of "Chimaybe" a Chimay red clone attempt I came up with today. He gave me two bottles of Chimay and I cultured some yeast from one of them

We will also be making two batches of Brandon O's Graff http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/graff-malty-slightly-hopped-cider-117117/ which I have made before and loved. This time I will be making an all grain version using .5 ounces of cascade hops, 3 pounds of Pale malt, and 1 pound of munich malt.

I plan on mashing this for an hour then boiling the runoff for 30 minutes adding the hops at the beginning of the boil.

Last week Aaron and I brewed up a low end of the scale DIPA - I used beersmith 2 to work it out, I'm still learning the program so I know there are some errors.

Type: All Grain Date: 10/22/2011 Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal Brewer: Ian Boil Size: 8.24 gal Asst Brewer: Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Stainless Kegs (10 Gal/37.8 L) - All Grain End of Boil Volume 6.24 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 % Final Bottling Volume: 4.25 gal Est Mash Efficiency 86.4 % Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Taste Rating(out of 50): 30.0 Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Ingredients

Amt	Name	Type	#	%/IBU
4 lbs	Munich Malt (9.0 SRM)	Grain	2	26.7 %
2.00 oz	Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min	Hop	4	32.6 IBUs
2.00 oz	Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min	Hop	7	10.7 IBUs
1.00 oz	Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min	Hop	8	3.2 IBUs
2.00 oz	Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min	Hop	10	0.0 IBUs
1 lbs	Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)	Grain	3	6.7 %
10 lbs	Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)	Grain	1	66.7 %
1.00 oz	Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min	Hop	6	12.5 IBUs
4.00 oz	Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 14.0 Days	Hop	11	0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz	Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 45.0 min	Hop	5	14.9 IBUs
2.00 oz	Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 1.0 min	Hop	9	1.4 IBUs

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.078 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.046 SG Est Final Gravity: 1.020 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.8 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.7 % Bitterness: 75.4 IBUs Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz Est Color: 7.7 SRM

Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out Total Grain Weight: 15 lbs Sparge Water: 5.16 gal Grain Temperature: 54.0 F Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F Tun Temperature: 54.0 F Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.20


It is still bubbling away in the fermentation freezer, along with a cascade Munich smash IPA I made the day before.

Boxee!

We finally got rid of cable! in exchange, we got a Boxee Box. You can get the software for free and build one yourself but for $169.99. So far it seems like a good alternative, it requires a bit of learning but doesn't seem to be like an old linux system or anything. I would liken it more to a slightly more complicated version of an On Demand Cable Box.

The remote is really neat with its simple layout and full keyboard.

I also found some third part applications that allow you to use hulu(which has been sadly removed from the official boxee app area) and almost all other tv networks. There are also massive databases of movies and television shows through some off the radar apps - just spend some time looking.

At the moment it seems worth it - no monthly charge, no limits on what you can watch(some shows do cost money but there are ways around that, others are just ad supported which just means that every once in a while there will be an ad. Cool Remote to play with as well.

Night Running with the Magicshine

I just got back from a 3 mile run - so out of shape - it took me 29 minutes.

I like running at night because there are fewer people to point and stare and because it is so much COOLER. Winter running is fantastic, but I prefer spring and fall because of the cooler air and pleasant smells.

My constant companion used to be a Gamma Headlamp from Alpkit - a nice little piece of kit but I have had two of them break on me - which the company offered to replace gratis but I am still sad about the product. Now I use a Magicshine light from here: http://www.geomangear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_41&products_id=314

This thing is the brightest headlamp I have ever used and is a Chinese knockoff of a Lupine lamp that is almost 100% close to the original. The Lupine lamp costs nearly 400 dollars if I remember right. I bought the optional headlamp strap( it was meant to be mounted on bike handles I think) and while it is nowhere near as streamlined as a Tikka it isn't all that bad to run with. The battery pack takes some time to get used to - I strap mine on a chalkbag strap and put that around my waist as tight as I can stand which stops it from moving around.

The magicshine is nearly as bright as a cars headlights and will really make sure motorists don't miss you on the side of the road. I have gotten some weird looks from police officers driving by but so far no arrests for lurking.

On a side note, the website where I bought it issued a recall on the battery packs about 8 months ago, I sent mine in and while it took a really long time I got a nice new(better constructed) battery pack that will not burst into flames.

Happy running

New Belgium Hoptober

Jus thad this for the first time, and while I am not a giant fan of Hop Bombs(which this is not despite the name) its hoppier than I am prone to drinking/making. Its a really drinkable session(6%) blonde ale with 4 types of hops and some rye thrown in. The bitterness is very low but the aroma is where I imagine the hoptober name came from - got to brew something like this soon. It is delicious. I bought a half rack of it, then I bought some Sierra Nevada Pale Ale(meh) i had to get through the Sierra nevada so I could buy another case of hoptober. It really is quite good.

also - heated pool ahahaha.  

Fridge Cat

This will sound like a question posited by a certain cat in a specific hat however for us to continue on with this I must ask you: Do you have a fridge cat?

Well we do. She pads lightning quick toward any open door, thumping loudly across any floor. She grunts and giggles while struggling to keep you from closing the fridge.


Why she does this we do not know. Any door, be it basement or refrigerator she finds irresistible and rushes toward it with reckless abandon.

My long draw beer tower is complete!

check out the full post here: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/long-draw-salt-water-chilled-beer-tower-271578/

I will post up more info later when I am not taking a telepresence course. Needless to say I love having beer on tap in my house.

6 Tap Tower Build

the top part of the tower is done, mounted and the lines connected. The 6 line run has been insulated and wrapped and Rylan helped my run it through a hole in the floor behind the cabinet. Its ready, and I drilled a hole in the fridge downstairs to prepare for running all the lines tomorrow. Tomorrow night I should be pulling beer from three taps. Now I need to order 3 more taps!

DIY Roof rack cross beams

So we have a honda pilot - that we just got back from the autobody shop after a run in with an out of bounds box truck - and while big it barely seats the 7 of us. It seats 8, so we have an empty seat but as the kids get bigger we find room more and more scarce. So when we planned a vacation with all of us we had to consider where we would put all of our junk.

Enter a Thule roof rack from craigslist I snagged for less than half price of retail. It requires crossbars to install- which we lacked until tonight.

Here is a parts list:

2x 1 inch wide by 4 feet wide steel square stock
4x 5/16 U bolts
8 - 5/16th acorn nuts/cap nuts
8 lock washers
3/8th inch vinyl tubing


Fit the bars across the top of the running bars, align the Ubolts and mark where you need to drill

drill holes and fit everything together.

I got the inspiration for this from an Instructables guide sheet, so the credit goes there: http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Roof-Rack-Ford-Freestyle/

We tested it out tonight with the roof rack on and there were no weird sounds or vibrations even at 80 miles an hour. I took off the empty Thule box and willow took it to a friends baby shower, she said there was a whooshing sound but nothing annoying - I think its the open ended tubing, something duct tape will fix.

The Dangers of Pitching onto a recently active yeast Cake

I brewed up a honey belgian beer a little while ago, and being the thrifty brewer I am decided to pour it directly into a recently emptied carboy with a very healthy supply of yeast from the last brew. So I lifted the kettle, put the tubing on and let it run into the carboy, after it filled I realized I had no airlock so I scampered inside to find one. This is what I found when I returned.

I filled it to the 5.5 gallon mark, and the yeast did the rest...very quickly. A bung and a blow off tube solved this issue but I learned that I should just make a starter from a previous batch and be done with it instead of trying this kind of trick again.

Mead Clarification

I brewed up a batch of Mead about 8 months ago, its was a straight mead with just honey and water, I didn't boil the mead and since it was my first attempt I kept poor records. The only thing I have written down goes something like this:

15 pounds clover honey
fill carboy with tap water
add yeast nutrient
add yeast

I know the age is around 8 months and I know it has fermented out because i took a refracotmeter reading(not really accurate at the end of fermentation). But tasting it it was dried out and pretty good. It tastes like it needs some more time to age out but I will do that in the bottle.

The point of this post is that the mead never cleared out. Never. Its been in a 33 degree fridge in the basement for over a month and is as cloudy as it was three months ago. So tonight I started the clearing process with a chitin based clarifier called Super-Kleer KC. Its a chitin( a shellfish derivative)  based clarifier that binds to the gunk(technical term) in the solution and drops it into the bottom of the fermenter. The instructions claim 24 to 48 hours will give you crystal clear results so we will see. The picture below is of the mead when I added the first part of the combination.

I think I will be bottling this in wine bottles and corking them, I was tempted to keg it and have it on tap but I don't think it has aged out enough and I need the fermenter for cider. I want to be able to check the bottles every few months or so until I know I have great simple mead.

Update: around 14 hours or so later the mead is really starting to clear, I will grab some photos tonight around the 24 hour mark and see where it has gotten to. Very impressed with the clearing agent so far.

Fall doldrums

As my school semester begins and Fall slowly carries away the hot days of summer I find myself in a bit of a blah period. I am up to date on my school work, we are planning a trip to Nags Head in a week or two and I have enough projects to keep me busy for about two months.

But here's the thing: I don't really have the motivation to do any of it. I could blame the constant rain or the beginning of another school year but honesty the truth is far more simple. I have been sitting on my ass far too much. It is hard, not impossible, to stay active when you have small children around. I haven't gone running any distance since our 5k with Coral, and I haven't lifted weights or done sprints in longer than that. Why? I put one foot in front of the other and - just in the wrong direction.

Willow and I went for a walk with Finn and Maelle tonight, Maelle lasted almost the entire time without getting upset: thanks to Finn singing and playing with her in our double stroller.

I suppose this means that i have to start running again. At one point I was up to 10 miles at a clip but I have fallen off the wagon. I don't really lose my distance abilities from what I have seen, I just get really slow. Time to start High intensity interval training otherwise known as run super fast for 1 minute jog for another minute repeat until near dead.

Pumpkin Pie Ale with Whipped Cream Vodka

That's right, I am adding vodka to beer. So is Willow. The beer, an attempt at a Southern Tier Pum King Clone, clocked in at around 8% alcohol on its own, adding a shot of this makes it a powerhouse of a drink.

The taste is great, its like drinking a slice of pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream - I would like to say I came up with it myself but that distinction lies with someone who works at the Henlopin Oyster house in Rehoboth Beach. 

Give it a shot, there are some great pumpkin beers out there and its a great excuse to try them!

Po' Boys Creole & Fresh Catch - and some beer

On our way down to Rehoboth Deleware we stopped at the best Cajun place I have ever been. Po' Boys Creole & Fresh Catch - its in a little strip mall type place along the road with limited signage. Inside it smelled amazing - the food was fantastic and they had a wide variety of beers. I tried a Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager. 

Was it good?

yes, it was cold and the mug was frosty. But I expected a darker lager. I poured a bit on the light side and had a nice amount of head for a lager. The hops and malt were on the lower side of the flavor profile and there was an odd sweetness to it that while not bad would not make me buy a case of this beer. I could drink a few on a back porch on a summer night but I think I would prefer my own lagers to this one. Still good though.

True to form, I had a catfish Po boy. well worth the trip - best place we ate all weekend.

If you go down that way try to stop by.

Wednesday was Pizza Night

I gave up flour about 5 months ago, gave up beer and most rice, all sugars, and all things processed. No cheese, no pizza, no tacos, no tortillas.

I went Paleo- I felt great and I lost 25 pounds over a period of a few weeks. I slowy left 100% paleo and started putting other things back into my diet. Last night I made pizza for the family and I ate some. It was delicious despite me knowing what it is.

So now I eat sushi and of course I make and drink beer- even when I go back to paleo I won't give up my own beer.

Anyway enough of that crap. I mad amazing pizza last night. Simple margharita pizzas, 6 of them with home made crusts, sauce and garden basil.

Dough Recipe:

5 cups   or all-purpose flour
1 3/4  teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1/3 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cups very cold water( i put ice cubes in mine)
more flour for rolling and dusting


Combine dry ingredients in kitchen aid mixer bowl, then add wet ingredients and mix on medium-high until the dough pulls away from the sides.  
remove from bowl onto floured surface
cut into 6 equally sized sections
I form mine into nice little spheres and set them on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet and into the fridge for at least 4 hours - 24 hours is ideal!


take them out, flour a cutting board/ work area and roll them out. they make beautifully thin pizzas!

Will make six 12 inch pizzas.


The sauce was simple: I blended up some garlic a few roma tomatoes and a bunch of basil. It was amazingly good. 


These are best if allowed to work overnight in a fridge, ours only had a few hours to work but they were great . 

The Car Accident!

 So this happened last week, as a result we are driving a dodge caravan - hooray free rental!

The day was rainy and i was driving beneath an interstate underpass, a box truck pulled out a few yards in front of me and despite my turning away and braking we met and the result is the image below.

They other driver was completely at fault - I know this because our car is getting fixed by their insurance, our car seats are being replaced, and we got a free rental for two weeks( its a van, but its a brand new van)

Yes, even our car seats are being replaced - more precisely we are being reimbursed for whatever car seats we buy to replace the ones that were in our Pilot at the time of the accident.

I was the only one in the car, and I was fine. I was able to drive home and finally make breakfast- which was why I had gone to the store to begin with.

Drive safe everyone!

A Six tap glycol chilled stainless steel Perlick Draft Tower Squid Thing

It arrived in a box advertising diapers. Surrounded in newspapers and with its tentacles bent so it looked like a happy octopus mixed with the terminator.

It came from a Festhaus in Florida, as near as I can tell this was some kind of beer garden chain that went under a few years back. anyway, its awesome.

It will live on top of my keezer in the next few months and I hope to be using my new forward sealing perlick 525ss to pour by booze.