What's in Your Fermenter 2023?

[Kegory]

2 hours ago, Back Brewing said:

So the freezer section dies kick in with the external temp controller ? I read that the freezer section can be disconnected so it put less strain on the compressor and less power.

I will keep looking for a full fridge which will suit my needs better. Because there is no freezer not many people will want them so should be able to pick up a bargain.

A point worth noting is that the Inkbirds have a setting to control when the compressor fires up. I've got mine set to 10 minutes. So, apart from responding to temperature changes they also have a timer so the compressor doesn't restart every few seconds (unless it's set to zero).

I'm not an engineer, not even a refridgeration mechanic (although I did once spend a couple of weeks servicing supermarket freezers I learned very little), but maybe someone with a bit more knowledge of these things will chime in.

[Back Brewing]

When the wife goes shopping tomorrow I will pull the back off our fridge and disconnect some wires and see if I can work it out

[Shamus O'Sean]

6 hours ago, Back Brewing said:

Just brewd the Abbey Blonde omitting the DME and hops in the boil, used Nottingham yeast at 20c will dry hop with 20g of Amarillo hops on day 4. OG was 1.042

After about 50 minutes activity started in the fermenter, does this seem a bit quick?

I sprinkled it in dry.

 

 

It does seem a bit quick.  But Nottingham is a very good yeast.  You may be seeing similar to yeast activity when making bread.

[Shamus O'Sean]

4 hours ago, Back Brewing said:

I notice you have a freezer section on your fridge does it affect the temperature controller or compressor at all?

The reason I ask is I have only been looking at full fridges as I read somewhere that you have to disconnect the freezer section to stop it kicking in.

I have a brewing fridge with a freezer.  I have no idea how to disconnect the freezer and do not see any need to do so anyway.  I do not think I would try to disconnect it.  Two of the most recent building fires were caused by a faulty fridge.  I think there is something in that for all of us.

[Shamus O'Sean]

Coopers Lager and Coopers New Zealand Pilsner.

I did a split batch today using a 1.7kg can of Coopers OS Lager, 1.5kg can of Light Malt Liquid Extract, 800g Light Dry Malt and 200g Dextrose.  The aim was to make 34 litres of wort and split it into my two Fermenter King Juniors to make 2 simple lagers. 

I kegged the Vienna Lager from the FKJ's last night, and left the White Labs WLP802 Czech Budejovice Lager yeast in the FV's ready for this "double dirty batch".

So the Coopers Lager, done as a standard 23L batch comes in at 21 IBU and around 4.5% ABV.  Now, diluting the Lager and the Light Extract to 34L, drops the IBU's to around 14 and ABV to around 3.3%.  So I had to make some adjustments to get the IBU's back up around 21.  Plus bring the ABV back up too.  So the 800g of LDM and 200g of Dextrose should get the brew back to around 4.3 - 4.5% ABV.

For the half of the batch, that would be the Coopers New Zealand Pilsner, it was pretty easy because I was doing a hop steep with Motueka.  Brewfather said if I did a hop steep with 30g of Motueka, I would get an extra 6 IBU's.  I just put the Motueka in a coffee plunger, poured about 800ml of boiling water over them and left it to sit for 20 minutes.

The Coopers Lager was a little different because I wanted to do a bit of a nostalgic brew inspired by, for most of us, the first Lager we did with the Coopers brewing kit.   I ended up deciding to do a 10 minute boil with 16g of Cascade to get an extra 7 IBU's.  The short boil with Cascade should also give the brew a bit more style than the first brew I ever did with the OS Lager.

I made up the Cascade boil and the Motueka steep separately.  At the same time, I combined the Coopers OS Lager, Light Malt Liquid Extract, Light Dry Malt and Dextrose in a separate pot with some warm water. Then I poured about 8L of pre-refrigerated water into each of the FV's over the top of the yeast cake in each FV.  Next I evenly split the fermentables from the pot between the two FV's.  Afterward, the respective FV got the Cascade boil liquid and the Motueka steep liquid addition.  Finally, each FV was topped up to 17L.

Original Gravity in both FV's was 1.040.  Wort temperature was around 14°C.  FV's into temperature controlled freezer at 12°C.

Wish me luck.

Edited May 20, 2023 by Shamus O'Sean

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

@Shamus O'Sean you definitely are one to experiment different things with split batches etc. Hope they are both good. I have not done a split batch yet but rather seperate brews different.

Edited May 20, 2023 by Uhtred Of Beddanburg

[Malter White]

Just a simple KnK Cooper's Stout I mixed yesterday but a unique, volcanic looking krausen has formed on it.

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

@Malter White I have had that before was a bit more like half the brew. Not sure why happens but as long as the gravity goes down.

[Malter White]

Just now, Uhtred Of Beddanburg said:

@Malter White I have had that before was a bit more like half the brew. Not sure why happens but as long as the gravity goes down.

First time I've seen one like this in my brews. They usually spread across the whole surface. Not concerned, as you said, as long as the gravity reduces.

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

12 minutes ago, Malter White said:

First time I've seen one like this in my brews. They usually spread across the whole surface. Not concerned, as you said, as long as the gravity reduces.

one I had was more like a half moon shape with the curve in middle

[jennyss]

Bottled yesterday and filled the fermenter again today. First time we've had such a tight turnaround!

In the fermenter now is a tin of Coopers Australian Pale Ale extract with 1kg BE2, 500g LDM, 25g Amarillo hops tied in a chux baggy and steeped before adding to the brew. Brought the brew up to 23 litres, and didn't have to add any cold water from the fridge. The tap water is only about 18deg after being more than 23 deg in summer! Pitched with the yeast supplied with the extract.  OG is 1043. I'll add  25g of Citra hops a couple of days before bottling, when fermentation is finished. 

[Classic Brewing Co]

7 minutes ago, jennyss said:

Bottled yesterday and filled the fermenter again today. First time we've had such a tight turnaround!

In the fermenter now is a tin of Coopers Australian Pale Ale extract with 1kg BE2, 500g LDM, 25g Amarillo hops tied in a chux baggy and steeped before adding to the brew. Brought the brew up to 23 litres, and didn't have to add any cold water from the fridge. The tap water is only about 18deg after being more than 23 deg in summer! Pitched with the yeast supplied with the extract.  OG is 1043. I'll add  25g of Citra hops a couple of days before bottling, when fermentation is finished. 

Spoken like a real pro @jennyss

[Pale Man]

26 minutes ago, jennyss said:

Bottled yesterday and filled the fermenter again today. First time we've had such a tight turnaround!

In the fermenter now is a tin of Coopers Australian Pale Ale extract with 1kg BE2, 500g LDM, 25g Amarillo hops tied in a chux baggy and steeped before adding to the brew. Brought the brew up to 23 litres, and didn't have to add any cold water from the fridge. The tap water is only about 18deg after being more than 23 deg in summer! Pitched with the yeast supplied with the extract.  OG is 1043. I'll add  25g of Citra hops a couple of days before bottling, when fermentation is finished. 

Be a tasty brew that one, I like the hop combination. Amarillo is one of my favourite hops.

[Malter White]

1 hour ago, jennyss said:

Bottled yesterday and filled the fermenter again today. First time we've had such a tight turnaround!

In the fermenter now is a tin of Coopers Australian Pale Ale extract with 1kg BE2, 500g LDM, 25g Amarillo hops tied in a chux baggy and steeped before adding to the brew. Brought the brew up to 23 litres, and didn't have to add any cold water from the fridge. The tap water is only about 18deg after being more than 23 deg in summer! Pitched with the yeast supplied with the extract.  OG is 1043. I'll add  25g of Citra hops a couple of days before bottling, when fermentation is finished. 

Go Jenny! Your brewing skills are developing nicely...and talk about efficiency, a one day turn around.

[jennyss]

1 hour ago, Malter White said:

talk about efficiency,

Running out of beer was the main reason!

[Classic Brewing Co]

12 hours ago, jennyss said:

Running out of beer was the main reason!

That's good enough reason, not that you need one! I am running out myself too, I have one to keg in a few days & one to make.

[DavidM]

13 hours ago, jennyss said:

Running out of beer was the main reason!

More bottles needed!

[ChairmanDrew]

Just put on what was around the house/easily available at the supermarket.

Coopers Dark Ale 1.7kg

Maltexo 550gm (Blacksands has been a bad influence on me)

600gm Dextrose

Moutere Hops (Only a wimpy 15gm steeped in the coffee plunger, might do another 15gm in a dry hop in a few days time).

19.5l, OG 1.040

Edited May 22, 2023 by ChairmanDrew

[Classic Brewing Co]

8 hours ago, DavidM said:

More bottles needed!

I have heaps to give away to anyone that wants them.

[Classic Brewing Co]

I am thinking of ordering one of these to increase production as I only have one fermenting fridge & I don't want to buy another.

I have to order an Ink bird & new heat belt for the other one anyway, so I may as well start off a fresh.

The way I see it if you set your target temp at 20c & the ambient temperature in the room drops below that, the thermostat turns the unit on to maintain the desired temp. It doesn't have a cooling function but that's not going to matter in the winter, besides down by the ocean & having a double brick house with high ceilings it doesn't get hot inside.

I have always had luck brewing at ambient temperatures with multiple fermenters so the 'Bucket Buddy' will be more reliable for specialist brews.

https://www.kegland.com.au/products/35l-ss-bucket-buddy-fermenter-with-integrated-heating-element

 

[Kegory]

6 hours ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

I am thinking of ordering one of these to increase production as I only have one fermenting fridge & I don't want to buy another.

I have to order an Ink bird & new heat belt for the other one anyway, so I may as well start off a fresh.

The way I see it if you set your target temp at 20c & the ambient temperature in the room drops below that, the thermostat turns the unit on to maintain the desired temp. It doesn't have a cooling function but that's not going to matter in the winter, besides down by the ocean & having a double brick house with high ceilings it doesn't get hot inside.

I have always had luck brewing at ambient temperatures with multiple fermenters so the 'Bucket Buddy' will be more reliable for specialist brews.

https://www.kegland.com.au/products/35l-ss-bucket-buddy-fermenter-with-integrated-heating-element

 

Looks tall, Phil. Will it fit in your fermenting closet?

[Classic Brewing Co]

7 minutes ago, Kegory said:

Looks tall, Phil. Will it fit in your fermenting closet?

It doesn't have too; it will sit on the floor or maybe raised enough to take a hydrometer reading.

[kmar92]

12 minutes ago, Kegory said:

Looks tall, Phil. Will it fit in your fermenting closet?

It looks to be the same physical unit as the 35L Brewzilla and the 35L Digiboil and they are reasonably tall. My Digiboil stands about 700mm tall.

[Back Brewing]

12 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

It doesn't have too; it will sit on the floor or maybe raised enough to take a hydrometer reading.

Would have to be higher than that wouldn't it?

How would you transfer to keg I wouldn't want to try and lift it up when it had 20 plus litres in it

Or am I missing something?

Edited May 26, 2023 by Back Brewing

[Classic Brewing Co]

27 minutes ago, kmar92 said:

It looks to be the same physical unit as the 35L Brewzilla and the 35L Digiboil and they are reasonably tall. My Digiboil stands about 700mm tall.

This is the height.