What’s Brewing December Edition

I look for warm spells in the weather. I brewed a batch on Christmas Eve morning. I think it was upper 20sF. The only activity I perform outside is the boil. My boil kettle has a temp gauge so I don't need to stand by it to monitor boil overs. I just run out and check when I think it's around 205F or so. One huge advantage though is chilling the wort. My tap is ice cold in the winter and I can chill fast without ice or any other "tricks".

I think the layout of your living space can make or break brewing in the winter. My driveway is not conveniently located near my entrances so that would be a pain for me. The deck is my savior.

My Tank 7 clone should be ready to tap this weekend and my Landlord clone is one week into fermentation. Hoping these will last me well into February (??). It is brutally cold around Boston right now but I'd like to get a brew in sometime Jan/Feb. If not, I may have to actually go BUY beer!!!

 

That was the plan but my hose froze so I was forced to connect the chiller directly to faucet

 

Spontaneous fermentation! Leave the kettle out uncovered to cool. No cooling water needed!

 

I disconnect the cold water line from washing machine and connect chiller there. Able to use sink for runoff. Biggest hassle is carrying hot kettle back inside. I know probably not feasible for some but just an idea.

 

Through

Through my struggles last night I considered it

 

When I lived in Michigan I left my kettle out, covered, several times to cool in the subzero temps. Nature's wort chiller

 

Just finished brewing up a single hop Satus IPA today after a friend in a local club said it was one of the best IPAs he'd ever made. Anybody else brewed a single hop with Satus? Curious what to expect...all he mentioned was "dank".

 

WLP545 is a strong attenuator. But your remarkably low FG is also (more) a function of the fermentability of the honey in your braggot.

 

Mashing my braggot version of this right now: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/pirate-strong-ale.318340/

I have my wood chips soaking in Appletons VX

 

It was a big week / I probably bit off more than I can chew. First, I brewed a 1.100 English Barleywine with WLP007. Then I turned around and brewed a 1.085 Oud Bruin right afterwards. This one is fermenting with L. Brevis, L. Delbrukeii, P. Damnosus, and WLP545. After primary fermentation is done, both of these are going to get to chill out for a while on some oak cubes that have been soaking in cognac for a couple of months. Finally, I bottled a sour blonde that has been sitting on tart cherries and toasted almonds for 10 months.

 

Forced fermentation test revealed my Pils will finish at 1.014, right on target. Checked the main batch and it's at 1.031 (from 1.048 I believe) in three days. Will transfer and begin spunding at approx. 1.018-1.020 which I expect will be Saturday or Sunday. Then once at FG I will lower from 48F to 30-32F after a few days and let condition for two or three weeks.

 

I live in CO, so we get some warm spells between the cold days, which makes it easier to deal with. Instead of using the hose as my water source, I picked up a cheap fountain pump and I recycle ice water through my chiller. No runoff on the driveway, and your water bill will thank you.

 

This post reminds me that I need to get in a better habit of using FFTs to time hopping schedules, d-rests and the like. Hope the pils turns out great!

 

Was my first time doing it, actually, but will be part of my SOP going forward. It's nice to know a few days early what the actual FG should be. Useful like you said for hopping, rests or in my case to begin spunding.

Thanks, me too!

 

Brewed an IPA on 12/28. Ingredients were ~2 years old. 5 gallon batch. 6lbs light dme, 1B crystal 60L through my barley crusher mill steeped up to 150F then pulled, 2 oz simcoe for full boil, 1 oz cascade for 15 min, 1 oz east kent goldings at flame out. Tossed in Nottingham dry yeast (use by date was June 2016). Full boil, chilled with a copper immersion chiller. Probably will toss on an ounce of east kent goldings when i rack. Cleaned a corny keg. Hops were cryo vac'd and frozen, yeast was in a refrigerator. Wish me luck!

 

Hit my numbers, easy brew day, used the new burner and gravity fed fly sparge worked great! First time using dry yeast. NEIPA.

 

Also used my new Blichmann Beer Gun. Damn this thing is sweet and easy to use! Bourbon Coffee Imp Stout done, waiting on bottles for the other 2 versions.

 

@jbakajust1 awesome pics and set up. Love the wax topped bottles. I'm continuously inspired by you guys.

 

Thx! Glue sticks, crayons, paraffin wax, and an empty tin can on a hot plate (or an electric stove top). This is the best run yet, nice color, good consistency, great drips.

 

I move everything to a art foundry. It never freezes, surrounded by new things and nice folks. Bit of. Hike at times, but I am not complaining.