It's Kegging time 2022

[Tricky Micky]

3 minutes ago, MUZZY said:

AG is a no go zone for this lazy brewer

Muzz, you're not on your Pat Malone there. I find it extraordinarily simple to do these FWK's - right now it suits me. My back is absolutely buggered so I'd have to put some serious R & D into how I go about the AG stuff. For now I'm content to be lazy. 

[Malter White]

@Mickep And why not? From all I've read so far the FWKs make some bloody good beer.

[Tricky Micky]

1 minute ago, MUZZY said:

From all I've read so far the FWKs make some bloody good beer.

They probably do Muzz, but because I'm such a tight a*#%e I buy the cheap versions and so far they've been ordinary. I must say though, that I tried a Hop Nation XPA (Ozzie D put me onto it) and it was just beautiful. But it was Exy. I'll stick to this FWK pathway for a bit and see how I go. 

[Classic Brewing Co]

4 minutes ago, Mickep said:

Muzz, you're not on your Pat Malone there. I find it extraordinarily simple to do these FWK's - right now it suits me. My back is absolutely buggered so I'd have to put some serious R & D into how I go about the AG stuff. For now I'm content to be lazy. 

The only thing that deters me from trying a FWK at the moment is the bladders they come in, I notice from your posts yours are in HDPE plastic drums, so far in SA we can only get them in the bladders - too messy I reckon.

I did order 2 once from Victoria but pulled out as the freight was as much as the product 

Keg Land sell them but I will have to go online to check theirs out. Their freight is also reasonable.

[Tricky Micky]

5 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Their freight is also reasonable.

Or not, I've had a lot of problems lately with these guys....I won't mention their name only to say that they are involved in "Freight" and move that cargo "Direct" to the customer.

[Malter White]

We all begrudge paying high freight charges but just looking at the price of diesel lately they're pretty much justified I'd say.

[stquinto]

4 hours ago, MUZZY said:

My foray into kegging hasn't been the utopia I wanted it to be but we'll get there eventually.
Although already purchased I still haven't claimed my bargain priced, modern keg fridge yet so that is one hurdle to jump before utopia arrives.
One thing I've been frustrated with is I find bottling a smooth, simple process because I've been doing it for a few years but once I added kegs to the mix bottling day became a fuddled and untidy chore. Switching from kegs to then adding the bottle wand to do bottles and priming after was becoming a nuisance.
To get the simplicity and streamlined functions back, in future I'm only going to make brews for a single vessel type at a time. I will solely keg a brew or solely bottle it. This could create some issues with having sufficient stock levels but with a little planning I hope all will be OK.

I’m with you on that one Muzz. I didn’t mind bottling before bit nowadays it seems such a pain in the a*#e, especially if you mix the batch.

I still have some serving issues but I’ll get there (well, I have to, I’ve bought all the kit… )

[stquinto]

4 hours ago, Mickep said:

Muzz, you're not on your Pat Malone there. I find it extraordinarily simple to do these FWK's - right now it suits me. My back is absolutely buggered so I'd have to put some serious R & D into how I go about the AG stuff. For now I'm content to be lazy. 

I reckon the only iffy bit is lifting the grain basket. If you got a pulley system it’d probably be ok. Perhaps you can find someone who has the pulley system you could tag along for a brew day and see what it’s like. You can come up here but it’s a bit far

Edited June 26, 2022 by stquinto
Typo

[Classic Brewing Co]

2 minutes ago, stquinto said:

I’m with you on that one Muzz. I didn’t mind bottling before bit nowadays it seems such a pain in the a*#e, especially if you mix the batch.

I still have some serving issues but I’ll get there (well, I have to, I’ve bought all the kit… )

I don't mind bottling the bit left in the FV after filling a keg, I have 1 x 2l Growler that I use for that purpose & usually get a couple of Longnecks or a few Grolsch bottles.

[Classic Brewing Co]

2 minutes ago, stquinto said:

I reckon the only iffy bit is lifting the grain basket.

I would agree with that I have it worked out now but you have to be spot on with it, they can get really heavy a well as hot & messy.

[ozdevil]

6 hours ago, Mickep said:

Muzz, you're not on your Pat Malone there. I find it extraordinarily simple to do these FWK's - right now it suits me. My back is absolutely buggered so I'd have to put some serious R & D into how I go about the AG stuff. For now I'm content to be lazy. 

Mate , my back is rooted as well,  the 35l brewzilla is fairly easy with 5-6kg of grain in the basket.

When i used the 3.1.1 model  of the 35l  i didnt try to pull it all out at once as there is some resistance so to speak
how i did  was just lift  qtr of the way  and hold it there for a minute or so to allow some drainage then  i would lift again and set it on its perch

with the new  BZ35 gen4    the grain basket is much bigger and has 2 levels   so you will lift to 1st level which is 1/2 way on the Grain basket  then lift to 2nd level  and sit on perch  and is not hard lifting at all   

however  65 litre is a bit different  becuase it can hold more grain   but i still use the same method with 35l model

Pulley system like Stquinto mentioned  will make light work  and fairly easy

 

[Classic Brewing Co]

9 minutes ago, ozdevil said:

Mate , my back is rooted as well,  the 35l brewzilla is fairly easy with 5-6kg of grain in the basket.

When i used the 3.1.1 model  of the 35l  i didnt try to pull it all out at once as there is some resistance so to speak
how i did  was just lift  qtr of the way  and hold it there for a minute or so to allow some drainage then  i would lift again and set it on its perch

with the new  BZ35 gen4    the grain basket is much bigger and has 2 levels   so you will lift to 1st level which is 1/2 way on the Grain basket  then lift to 2nd level  and sit on perch  and is not hard lifting at all   

however  65 litre is a bit different  becuase it can hold more grain   but i still use the same method with 35l model

Pulley system like Stquinto mentioned  will make light work  and fairly easy

 

Pulley systems would be great but it's being able to establish them in a normal household of which quite simply can't accommodate them, however if you have a large shed it would be possible. I have a medium size shed but it's not big enough to do do anything like that. It sounds like the Gen4 is much more advanced.

[ozdevil]

16 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Pulley systems would be great but it's being able to establish them in a normal household of which quite simply can't accommodate them, however if you have a large shed it would be possible. I have a medium size shed but it's not big enough to do do anything like that. It sounds like the Gen4 is much more advanced.

i hear phil   , i cant use a pulley system my self .

but i dont find it difficult pulling the grain basket with a rooted back,  i  just try to lift smarter   by not lifting all out at once

[Classic Brewing Co]

Just now, ozdevil said:

i hear phil   , i cant use a pulley system my self .

but i dont find it difficult pulling the grain basket with a rooted back,  i  just try to lift smarter   by not lifting all out at once

Yeah I have only done it a couple of times but you get smarter very quickly on your technique 

[Popo the Reprobate]

On 6/11/2022 at 5:03 PM, Popo said:

Kegged a pale ale today. Big dry hop. Last version was a ripper but this one has some astringency/extra bitterness. Not stoked at the moment. It's for a bit of a get together we are having in a couple of weeks time. 

It had a decent cold crash but hopefully some sitting in the keg will magic it better.

Well, it must have been ok according to others. Keg blew dry in record time. It got better but wasn't as good as the last. I used the New England yeast this time. Verdant the last. I think I'll stick with the Verdant and do it again.

[Malter White]

5 hours ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

I have 1 x 2l Growler that I use for that purpose 

Thanks for the reminder, Phil. I tucked my 2 litre growler away for a secondary ferment a while back. Just got to remember where I put it and what I put in it. It'd be well and truly aged by now (about 3 or 4 months). I think it was an APA from memory.

[Classic Brewing Co]

22 minutes ago, MUZZY said:

Thanks for the reminder, Phil. I tucked my 2 litre growler away for a secondary ferment a while back. Just got to remember where I put it and what I put in it. It'd be well and truly aged by now (about 3 or 4 months). I think it was an APA from memory.

They are wonderful inventions & I will surely be travelling to Lobethal  to pick up a couple more. I have filled mine twice since Hoppy & I have demolished it's contents twice. They are great.

[Malter White]

5 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

They are wonderful inventions & I will surely be travelling to Lobethal  to pick up a couple more. I have filled mine twice since Hoppy & I have demolished it's contents twice. They are great.

I just rediscovered mine. Due to it's extra height I didn't store it with other bottles in my study. I had to store it in another cupboard.

[Pints]

53 minutes ago, MUZZY said:

I just rediscovered mine. Due to it's extra height I didn't store it with other bottles in my study. I had to store it in another cupboard.

Please let us know how it goes

[Malter White]

42 minutes ago, PintsMeLocal said:

Please let us know how it goes

I've put my own beer in it before. It's a quality vessel, has a great seal. It's for this reason you don't use too much priming sugar. The lid just blows off like a champers cork when first opened.

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 hour ago, MUZZY said:

I've put my own beer in it before. It's a quality vessel, has a great seal. It's for this reason you don't use too much priming sugar. The lid just blows off like a champers cork when first opened.

I use 4 x full sugar measure scoops - just perfect !!

[Pints]

1 hour ago, MUZZY said:

I've put my own beer in it before. It's a quality vessel, has a great seal. It's for this reason you don't use too much priming sugar. The lid just blows off like a champers cork when first opened.

Amen Muzza but how was the aged beer? 

[Malter White]

18 minutes ago, PintsMeLocal said:

Amen Muzza but how was the aged beer? 

Oh right. I wasn't following your lead. Yeah, the first time around it wasn't very old at all. Maybe a month. I'll try to remember to report back on the current beer.

[DavidM]

9 hours ago, MUZZY said:

Oh right. I wasn't following your lead. Yeah, the first time around it wasn't very old at all. Maybe a month. I'll try to remember to report back on the current beer.

Come on Muzzy, it was only 2L you must be finished by now.. 

[Classic Brewing Co]

Just now, DavidM said:

Come on Muzzy, it was only 2L you must be finished by now.. 

Yeah Hoppy & I used this one for a warm up