Clearout Brews

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

Wierd. You mean the metal part is shaped like a section of pipe, and not like a little metal cup?



Im not sure. I think it affects the calibration, but I dont know to what extent. Maybe negligible, but you could always just test and verify with another thermometer.

Yeah it's like a little cup, but my point is that it seems to be "open" at the back. Liquid could get in there, so I want to seal it off. I think I'll extend the cable (maybe add another meter or two) and check the temperature with the fridge. Will stick the probe in there, keep fridge on for a day or two, then extend without removing the probe and check after the extension. If it changes too much, I'll just have to deal with the controller close to the fridge. Will also report back on that

You can quite easily modify what you have to fix. something like this

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2051[/ATTACH]

Yeah that's my plan. Well, close to that. I don't want to loop out of the STC, so I'll just loop from the connector blocks. There's little space behind the STC-1000, and if I want to stick it in a box I want it to look neat as well (want to use a transparent box).

[camsaway Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close camsaway]

cable length should have negligible impact - read up on N-Type Thermocouple if I remember right for STC-1000

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

cable length should have negligible impact - read up on N-Type Thermocouple if I remember right for STC-1000

I'll read up about it a bit, thanks man.

EDIT: It seems like it doesn't use a thermocouple, but a thermistor probe. No idea what the difference is, but the general consensus is that as long as you use half-decent wire, the added resistance and whatnot shouldn't have any impact on the accuracy. I'll test it a bit anyway (because fun), and revert. Will probably extend it by a meter or two, so that I can place the whole controller elsewhere.

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

How I'm planning on getting better extraction on clearout brew number two...

Screenshot_20190730_172307.jpg

Edit:to explain: got a nice big colander to fit my 12l pot. I will put the squeezed bag on it pour boiled water over, squeeze, repeat. Maybe it's strong enough for me to stand on

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

could work

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

So no brew day today as planned, but tomorrow instead.

Drew a little sample of my keg lagering pilsener. Still had a bit of sweetness. Not really sure of how to assess a lager. Still tastes quite 'green', like an ale after one or two days. Has a bit of dry crispness, but also a creaminess in the taste. The bitterness in my mind seems right on point with what I would associate with a pilsener, and it balances that creaminess nicely. The IBUs I would guess are no more than around 35 so I guess I am now a believer in this altitude-bittering effect theory. Hop flavour and aroma are very clean and uncomplicated.

Screenshot_20190803_191636.jpg

The beer has as bit of carbonation, probably equivalent of 1.0 to 1.5 volumes, just as a result of maintaining pressure to seal the keg. The big foamy head is more a result of dispensing from a short tubed picnic tap. Nonetheless, it retained the head nicely, and the lacing on the glass persisted.

A bit disappointed with the clarity. I intentionally didn't want to use gelatine, but expected it to be better than it was. I did note tho that the single bottle I filled is definately clearer (stored alongside the keg in the keezer)

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

Got my brew on today. Went quite well. Definately my least conservative effort today, and looking forward to the results. Started off with much more toasty and roasty smells than I am used to and a darker beer. When adding the southern Passion and cascade together at 10 minutes, the combined aromas were amazeballs and seemed to offset the maltiness nicely. Even though I got better numbers with extraction this time, I was surprised at how 'unsweet' the wort was versus previous brews.

The thing I was happiest with was not spilling any wort on the floor. I always land up with my shoes making ripping sounds as I walk around the kitchen cos some wort had found its way to the floor and become syrup glue.

I did lots of measuring this batch (even used my ph meter for the first time) . The squashing grain bag on the colander thing really was worthwhile... I got an extra 2L of wort at 1.035, so that worked out to about an extra 12% yield. I'll take that!

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

I've learned that after brewing, I have to mop the entire floor +2m radius where I worked, or wife will be upset. Also, if you think brewing beer is bad, wait until you spill the must from a batch of mead... :P

On clarity - I think you should give yourself some time. If you didn't fine, chances are it'll be pretty cloudy still. Could also be chill haze, although I have no experience in this regard?

[Harhm Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Harhm]

So no brew day today as planned, but tomorrow instead.

Drew a little sample of my keg lagering pilsener. Still had a bit of sweetness. Not really sure of how to assess a lager. Still tastes quite 'green', like an ale after one or two days. Has a bit of dry crispness, but also a creaminess in the taste. The bitterness in my mind seems right on point with what I would associate with a pilsener, and it balances that creaminess nicely. The IBUs I would guess are no more than around 35 so I guess I am now a believer in this altitude-bittering effect theory. Hop flavour and aroma are very clean and uncomplicated.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2062[/ATTACH]

The beer has as bit of carbonation, probably equivalent of 1.0 to 1.5 volumes, just as a result of maintaining pressure to seal the keg. The big foamy head is more a result of dispensing from a short tubed picnic tap. Nonetheless, it retained the head nicely, and the lacing on the glass persisted.

A bit disappointed with the clarity. I intentionally didn't want to use gelatine, but expected it to be better than it was. I did note tho that the single bottle I filled is definately clearer (stored alongside the keg in the keezer)

Its still far too early to asses your Pilsner ito flavour and balance as it will still change a lot in the next few weeks. If I'm not mistaken its only about 2-3 weeks old now. Remember everything (fermentation and conditioning) can easily take about double the time with lagers compared to Ales.

What you described as sweet, green and/or creaminess is more than likely just a little bit of yeast that was still in suspension when you transferred it to the keg and has settled at the bottom of the keg and will be mixed into your 1st pints and affect the taste and appearance a bit.

Clarity looks good for now, it will still improve a lot in the next 2-3 weeks. 35 is about where you want to be to balance the Pilsner malt that has a natural malty sweetness compared to 2 row. Slight sweetness can also be from the Crystal I think you also have a little crystal about 5% in this if Im not mistaken.

The creaminess will disappear as the crispness and dryness will increase as the beer gets fully carbonated. The bitterness should also seem to increase slightly and last longer in the palate.

The bubbles will get smaller and more homogeneous, its great that you already have very good signs of head formation, persistence and lacing (that's always indicators of a well brewed Pils or Lager)

Considering its a clear-out brew it looks like you nailed it

Just for interest sake How did you bottle a sample? I have been playing with bottling from the keg for the past few batches

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

Its still far too early to asses your Pilsner ito flavour and balance as it will still change a lot in the next few weeks. If I'm not mistaken its only about 2-3 weeks old now. Remember everything (fermentation and conditioning) can easily take about double the time with lagers compared to Ales.

What you described as sweet, green and/or creaminess is more than likely just a little bit of yeast that was still in suspension when you transferred it to the keg and has settled at the bottom of the keg and will be mixed into your 1st pints and affect the taste and appearance a bit.

Clarity looks good for now, it will still improve a lot in the next 2-3 weeks. 35 is about where you want to be to balance the Pilsner malt that has a natural malty sweetness compared to 2 row. Slight sweetness can also be from the Crystal I think you also have a little crystal about 5% in this if Im not mistaken.

The creaminess will disappear as the crispness and dryness will increase as the beer gets fully carbonated. The bitterness should also seem to increase slightly and last longer in the palate.

Thanks for that feedback. Yea, just under a month old at the moment. You make a good point, thats very likely a factor in the sweetness. I think the Carapils was also maybe excessive and probably adding to the solid head formation.

Just for interest sake How did you bottle a sample? I have been playing with bottling from the keg for the past few batches

I just did one clear bottle on 'transfer' day, directly from the fermenter, and put some table sugar in to carbonate.

Glad you raised this tho, because I want to be able to bottle from the keg so I bought a spare picnic tap to experiment with. I intend finding a tube size that will fit on the tap and find/ make a suitable grommet and experiment from there.
What have you tried so far for your keg bottling?

[Harhm Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Harhm]

Ill have to take pictures or vid to show you, think we should post it under equipment or kegging.

Its nothing new, Basically its a picnic tap with a piece of hose that goes to the bottom of the bottle. The bottle is sealed of with a bung or a piece of silicone hose will also work well, the pressure release is via a air needle (I used a medical needle) and made a change or 2 to work a bit easier than the setup below.

cp_filler1.jpg

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2079[/ATTACH]

That's more or less what I had in mind, but probably just going to stick the gas line side directly to my SodaStream. I like your needle idea. I had some funky little multivalve in mind but I think it will be tricky to make.

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

I think this clearout brew 1 pilsener is going to take a lot of lagering.
Screenshot_20190813_225000.jpg
Still quite murky after almost 1.5 months, and also still quite sweet. The hops flavours seem to becoming more refined and clean though.

On clearout brew 2, the (dark hoppy) red ale, dry hoped 2 nights ago with lots of ZA u1 hops and African Queen. Smells like more and the papaya and melon aromas are definately notable. Added some gelatine last night and the plan is to get it into a keg tomorrow night. Can't wait to have a ready to drink beer on tap again

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

I think this clearout brew 1 pilsener is going to take a lot of lagering.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]2095[/ATTACH]
Still quite murky after almost 1.5 months, and also still quite sweet. The hops flavours seem to becoming more refined and clean though.

On clearout brew 2, the (dark hoppy) red ale, dry hoped 2 nights ago with lots of ZA u1 hops and African Queen. Smells like more and the papaya and melon aromas are definately notable. Added some gelatine last night and the plan is to get it into a keg tomorrow night. Can't wait to have a ready to drink beer on tap again

Did you fine this brew? If not, I expect you might have some chill haze. You also got terrible efficiency IIRC and that's what I had as well. I think it has something to do with that...

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

Did you fine this brew? If not, I expect you might have some chill haze. You also got terrible efficiency IIRC and that's what I had as well. I think it has something to do with that...

No, I intentionally didnt fine this one because I want/ hoped the lagering would do what lagering does and take care of that (It is still early days in lagering terms though, I admit) I was kind of of the understanding that 'chill haze' was actually the very phenomenon that lagering exploited to clarify the beer? [ie: low temps/low solubility/drop out of suspension]

Might relate to the efficiency as there does seem to be a pattern: Whats your theory on efficiency connection with clarity?