Fail thread (mistakes you’ve made 2021)

[Journeyman]

18 minutes ago, CLASSIC said:

He needs to get his priorities right 

Work can never make up for a lack of beer, but beer easily deals with a lack of work!

[Classic Brewing Co]

10 minutes ago, Journeyman said:

Work can never make up for a lack of beer, but beer easily deals with a lack of work!

We used to say " Work is the curse of the Drinking Man "   others may disagree.

[Malter White]

Bought a new hydrometer from a tropical fish shop a few months ago. I thought it was pretty cool because it incorporated a thermometer also. Handy. It read a bit lower than my previous hydrometer but it was easy enough to make allowances. My KnKs used to be around 1.036, now they're 1.032. Just had to allow for 4 points. Easy.

My current brew OG came in at 1.025 and I was a bit concerned. 5 days later and the reading is well below 1.000.

Discovered the issue. The tube with the calibrations inside the hydrometer has shifted down. Time for another new hydrometer.

[Popo the Reprobate]

9 minutes ago, MUZZY said:

Bought a new hydrometer from a tropical fish shop a few months ago. I thought it was pretty cool because it incorporated a thermometer also. Handy. It read a bit lower than my previous hydrometer but it was easy enough to make allowances. My KnKs used to be around 1.036, now they're 1.032. Just had to allow for 4 points. Easy.

My current brew OG came in at 1.025 and I was a bit concerned. 5 days later and the reading is well below 1.000.

Discovered the issue. The tube with the calibrations inside the hydrometer has shifted down. Time for another new hydrometer.

Just trim the top off

[Malter White]

2 minutes ago, Popo said:

Just trim the top off

Of course!! Why didn't I think of that?

[Classic Brewing Co]

10 minutes ago, MUZZY said:

Bought a new hydrometer from a tropical fish shop a few months ago. I thought it was pretty cool because it incorporated a thermometer also. Handy. It read a bit lower than my previous hydrometer but it was easy enough to make allowances. My KnKs used to be around 1.036, now they're 1.032. Just had to allow for 4 points. Easy.

My current brew OG came in at 1.025 and I was a bit concerned. 5 days later and the reading is well below 1.000.

Discovered the issue. The tube with the calibrations inside the hydrometer has shifted down. Time for another new hydrometer.

 

Get one of these @MUZZY they are excellent, the Coopers one does the job but these have more info including ABV.

[Malter White]

Just now, CLASSIC said:

Get one of these @MUZZY they are excellent, the Coopers one does the job but these have more info including ABV.

I actually had one very much like that from Brewmaker. It lasted over 20 years in the garage and about 6 months of my careless use. It came out of retirement after the Coopers one developed a crack. So then I found the fish tank version. I'm currently looking at a Brigalow hydrometer from Big W because I can get to a Big W today but there's no info of what's inside the packet. Whether it's glass or plastic. You can't even tell if it's a hydrometer apart from the label. Has anyone out there got one and can vouch for it?

[Classic Brewing Co]

8 minutes ago, MUZZY said:

I actually had one very much like that from Brewmaker. It lasted over 20 years in the garage and about 6 months of my careless use. It came out of retirement after the Coopers one developed a crack. So then I found the fish tank version. I'm currently looking at a Brigalow hydrometer from Big W because I can get to a Big W today but there's no info of what's inside the packet. Whether it's glass or plastic. You can't even tell if it's a hydrometer apart from the label. Has anyone out there got one and can vouch for it?

I have seen on out of the packaging & they are fairly basic, cheap too, $8.50 but it doesn't mean they don't work. 

[Malter White]

Just now, CLASSIC said:

I have seen on out of the packaging & they are fairly basic, cheap too, $8.50 but it doesn't mean they don't work. 

$11 at Big W now. I just rang Brigalow for info. Made of glass but only reads to 1.040. That should do me for the time being. I don't usually brew high ABV beers anyway.

[Classic Brewing Co]

22 minutes ago, MUZZY said:

$11 at Big W now. I just rang Brigalow for info. Made of glass but only reads to 1.040. That should do me for the time being. I don't usually brew high ABV beers anyway.

I seem to remember reading that a while ago, mine seem to average  1.037 - 1.040, in fact my records show the last two were 1.047 & 1.048. 

[Pezzza]

1 hour ago, MUZZY said:

The tube with the calibrations inside the hydrometer has shifted down.

@MUZZY Muzzler if the fish shop is not too far away - take the thing back - Australian Consumer Law mate - should be fit for purpose and if not customer has right to refund or replacement - unless you been playing squash with it or other? 

[Malter White]

16 minutes ago, Graubart said:

@MUZZY Muzzler if the fish shop is not too far away - take the thing back - Australian Consumer Law mate - should be fit for purpose and if not customer has right to refund or replacement - unless you been playing squash with it or other? 

A valid point you make, Graubart, but hardly worth the effort as the shop isn't close by. There's also an argument that it is fit for purpose. If I'd left it sitting in a fish tank and not in and out of tubes testing beer it probably would have remained stable.

[BrewLizard]

This is the hydrometer you want: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001X2B4T0

0.001 resolution, instead of the usual 0.002

[iBooz2]

After 4 brew days in a row and not even having to mop the floor afterwards I was feeling pretty good about my process but today it came unstuck.

While today's brew was doing the boil decided to hook up the RO filter and transfer about 20 L into a cube.  I had two cubes stacked up one on top of the other up on my bench and the outlet of the RO filter going into the top one.  Thinking I would have plenty of time before the water got to the top of the cube I slipped down the backyard to do a few jobs.

When I got back there was water pissing all over my bench into my bench drawers and flooding the floor.  For a moment I could not work out what was causing it, cube was only one quarter full as I did get back in plenty of time.  WTF! quickly turned everything off but it was still pouring into the drawers and the floor.

Turns out I had left the top cube tap open and as it was facing away from me did not twig.  So all my hard earned RO water was lost except for a couple of litres.  Oh Mr Hart, what a mess.  That will teach me to leave the scene of the crime while a hose is running.

Edited July 15, 2021 by iBooz2

[Spursman]

On 7/15/2021 at 9:42 PM, iBooz2 said:

Turns out I had left the top cube tap open and as it was facing away from me did not twig.  So all my hard earned RO water was lost except for a couple of litres.  Oh Mr Hart, what a mess.  That will teach me to leave the scene of the crime while a hose is running.

On the bright side, at least it wasn't wort!

How did the House CEO react?

[Yuley]

Hey all, a fail I had last week was with a leak in a keg - and managing to empty the end of the gas bottle. 

It started with me trying to do the right thing by SWHMBO and setting up a soda on the spare tap. Used an older style keg, previously leaked through the post - repair this. Filled it, tested it and all good. Anyway carbed it up, fiddled with it a little and low and behold the leak came back. So it left me without CO2 for lockdown. Obviously the wife's fault thou.

So filled it today, $22 for a 6kg bottle. I am thinking this is extremely cheap and now worried that I got a lower quality CO2 than I should have (I wasn't specific when I asked to fill it at FES in Bayswater Vic). What price do others usually get their CO2 refilled for?

Thanks!

[Journeyman]

24 minutes ago, Yuley said:

So filled it today, $22 for a 6kg bottle. I am thinking this is extremely cheap and now worried that I got a lower quality CO2 than I should have (I wasn't specific when I asked to fill it at FES in Bayswater Vic).

It does sound cheap but then, what is a lower quality CO2? I presume RES is Fire services? What else would be in their CO2 and can you ask them?

[iBooz2]

30 minutes ago, Yuley said:

So filled it today, $22 for a 6kg bottle. I am thinking this is extremely cheap and now worried that I got a lower quality CO2 than I should have (I wasn't specific when I asked to fill it at FES in Bayswater Vic). What price do others usually get their CO2 refilled for?

Yuley, I get mine filled at that exact same place.  Just after last big lock it down cost me $15 for my 6 Kg bottle and a couple of months back $10 for my 2.6 kg bottle.  FES used to be a client of mine so don't know if they recognized me and gave me a bit better deal.  They have a massive CO2 tank there for re-filling fire extinguishers so it will be the same grade CO2 they use in those.  CO2 is CO2 as far as I know.  Bit different with oxygen as there is industrial grade for welding etc. and then there is medical grades for hospitals and the like.  Maybe might have to grab one or two of those if this pandemic ramps up ha ha..

[jamiek86]

I pay $33 or something in wodonga to swap mine over as cheeky peak told me don't refil they send them away thats for 2.6kg to fit keggerator. think I had to buy the first one for a hundred and 10 or something.

[BrewLizard]

I pay $20 cash ($25 card) for a refill of 2.6 kg. That price above for a 6 kg is insanely cheap, though it’s more labour than gas with these things. CO2 is one of the cheapest industrial gases.  
 

Refills are definitely better than swapping if you started by having to fork out for a new cylinder. 

[jamiek86]

29 minutes ago, BrewLizard said:

I pay $20 cash ($25 card) for a refill of 2.6 kg. That price above for a 6 kg is insanely cheap, though it’s more labour than gas with these things. CO2 is one of the cheapest industrial gases.  
 

Refills are definitely better than swapping if you started by having to fork out for a new cylinder. 

yes as far as I know without asking the fire brigade which I might end up asking the wodonga one is closest to me and it's a 40 min drive.

Edited July 21, 2021 by jamiek86

[Yuley]

14 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

Yuley, I get mine filled at that exact same place.  Just after last big lock it down cost me $15 for my 6 Kg bottle and a couple of months back $10 for my 2.6 kg bottle.  FES used to be a client of mine so don't know if they recognized me and gave me a bit better deal.  They have a massive CO2 tank there for re-filling fire extinguishers so it will be the same grade CO2 they use in those.  CO2 is CO2 as far as I know.  Bit different with oxygen as there is industrial grade for welding etc. and then there is medical grades for hospitals and the like.  Maybe might have to grab one or two of those if this pandemic ramps up ha ha..

Thanks @iBooz2 and @Journeyman. I made the mistake of googling and trying BOC or Supagas first that had "Food Grade CO2" as well as CO2 - which then led me to google further about impurities in CO2. Maybe that was the ultimate fail

I figured you @iBooz2 might also refill there. Took me a while to find it never realised there was anything behind Siemens. Always makes me smile when I drive past that Seimens is next to the whore house, which is next to the sign "We Sell Boxes".

[Journeyman]

28 minutes ago, Yuley said:

Always makes me smile when I drive past that Seimens is next to the whore house, which is next to the sign "We Sell Boxes".

In MB we have a short street called Minge Court and on Minge Crt there is Minge Chapel... It's part of Minge Funerals which apparently is where Minges go after they die.

(locals insist it's pronounced 'mingey' with a hard G but they also claim 'Maurice Rd'  is pronounced 'Morris' and Jervois is jervoys...  Crow Eaters is funny folk! Oh. and pints are 425ml, schooners are 285ml and pots are 210ml )

[iBooz2]

7 hours ago, Yuley said:

I figured you @iBooz2 might also refill there. Took me a while to find it never realised there was anything behind Siemens. Always makes me smile when I drive past that Seimens is next to the whore house, which is next to the sign "We Sell Boxes".

Funny you should say that.  Being a computer engineer I used to do a lot of on-site service calls.  Many years ago I got a call from said brothel (MM) and they wanted me to come an fix them up.  I immediately thought is was a setup by one of my computer colleges who wanted to play a prank.  After a couple of hours and a couple more phone calls I worked out it was actually legit.

So off I go, thought this is going to be embarrassing as had sign writing all over the van and here is me parked up in their car park. 

A lightning strike had killed all the modems router stuff, Internet, EFTPOS and their computer.  Anyway got them sort of up and running that day but it took several trips back to replace all their gear.

I must have been good because the owners kept ringing me to come back to visit MM over the years and whats more they paid me cash for my services.

So that is my claim to local fame and folklore ha ha.    Probably the only bloke who has been paid to go and visit a place like this.  They turned out to be a good customer and recommended me to other businesses too.

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 minute ago, iBooz2 said:

Funny you should say that.  Being a computer engineer I used to do a lot of on-site service calls.  Many years ago I got a call from said brothel (MM) and they wanted me to come an fix them up.  I immediately thought is was a setup by one of my computer colleges who wanted to play a prank.  After a couple of hours and a couple more phone calls I worked out it was actually legit.

So off I go, thought this is going to be embarrassing as had sign writing all over the van and here is me parked up in their car park. 

A lightning strike had killed all the modems router stuff, Internet, EFTPOS and their computer.  Anyway got them sort of up and running that day but it took several trips back to replace all their gear.

I must have been good because the owners kept ringing me to come back to visit MM over the years and whats more they paid me cash for my services.

So that is my claim to local fame and folklore ha ha.    Probably the only bloke who has been paid to go and visit a place like this.  They turned out to be a good customer and recommended me to other businesses too.

Hey Al I bet you were offered a contra for services rendered.  But seriously that is a good story as I have encountered similar over the years, as I am sure some/all have.

I was offered free accommodation, meals & entertainment once in the Outback at a Pub I won't mention by an ex lady of the night whom had bought the Pub & wanted Stubby Holders in lieu.

I was a gentlemen & declined, not only did I miss out on her offer but also the $$ for the said Stubby Holders !!

Cheers.