Its Kegging Time - 2024

[Triple B Brewing]

39 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Cheers, it does but maybe some of it is froth, but we will find out, I froze a 23l Coopers fermenter of Czeck Pilsner once while it was cold crashing, I ended up bottling it & at first it was a bit flattish but a re-carb & storing for a month & it was like nothing had happened to it, it was nice.

However, this is the first keg & 1/2 I have ever frozen (the 9.5l Corny still has some in it too) so I will re-group in the morning & see.

Yep, you'll be apples mate I'm sure mate  

[stquinto]

I kegged a Guinness AG clone. About 18 days in the fermenter, ending at 1.014, having started at 1.056, which is a bit strong, but hey!

I got two kegs of 15l, one with a boiled-up pint of soured wort, and one with 4g of lactic acid. 

Edited January 24 by stquinto
Typo

[Triple B Brewing]

On 1/24/2024 at 1:03 PM, Classic Brewing Co said:

Cheers, it does but maybe some of it is froth, but we will find out, I froze a 23l Coopers fermenter of Czeck Pilsner once while it was cold crashing, I ended up bottling it & at first it was a bit flattish but a re-carb & storing for a month & it was like nothing had happened to it, it was nice.

However, this is the first keg & 1/2 I have ever frozen (the 9.5l Corny still has some in it too) so I will re-group in the morning & see.

Hey Phil @Classic Brewing Co, how's that Czeck Pilsner lookin' today mate 

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 hour ago, Triple B Brewing said:

Hey Phil @Classic Brewing Co, how's that Czeck Pilsner lookin' today mate 

OK, an update, as I said earlier, both kegs were frozen, I thawed them at ambient overnight & today gave both a good shake & re-connected, set them at serving psi & now hoping for the best, you were right, there was still a lot of beer in them.

The real test will be when we actually pour one to see what damage has been done. If it is a failure, I accept it & learn from experience.

[Triple B Brewing]

45 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

OK, an update, as I said earlier, both kegs were frozen, I thawed them at ambient overnight & today gave both a good shake & re-connected, set them at serving psi & now hoping for the best, you were right, there was still a lot of beer in them.

The real test will be when we actually pour one to see what damage has been done. If it is a failure, I accept it & learn from experience.

Arrr carn Phil @Classic Brewing Co, it'll all be good, I'm positive - I can feel it in me bones buddy - you'll be kickin' back drinkin' well carbonated delicious all grain Czeck Pilsner by tomorrow arvo - no doubt  

Here's to a delicious glass of amber bubbles (one way or another)   

[kmar92]

Yeah, they will be fine @Classic Brewing Co

[Classic Brewing Co]

29 minutes ago, kmar92 said:

Yeah, they will be fine @Classic Brewing Co

I am hoping. I will know tomorrow. 

[iBooz2]

Kegged up my COPA cube B batch today.  This one was fermented with CCA (yeast as always) and this one was also dry hopped but with 23 g of PoR so it's been labelled COPA-Pr.

I know 23 g is 1 fifth of FA but I could not be stuffed opening a new packet and wanted to save some fresh stuff for the next batch.  This frees up my new FV fridge for the newly acquired 58 L SS Kegmenter #2 and the 44 L of @ozdevil ' s USPA which will go into that tomorrow.  Also got 8 x 345 ml stubbies for travellers and will harvest some to the CCA yeast trub to make / spin up another starter shortly.

With my next batch of my COPA I am going to dry hop it with Melba to see what that brings to the party.  The previous COPA cube A which was dry hopped with Eclipse was impressive and I have saved some to do a side by side compare with the PoR dry hop.

 

[iBooz2]

On 1/24/2024 at 3:34 PM, Classic Brewing Co said:

Here's a first, I have been having trouble dispensing beer from the taps, I thought it was a gas cylinder/psi/pressure issue, but I noticed that the temperature control inside the keg fridge was turned down too far, yep, the beer is frozen, it must have got bumped over the XMAS/New year period. 

I am aware that thawing the keg out & hoping that the beer will be OK when I reconnect is not desirable, but I am going to try anyway.

Why waste it - if I can get away with it. 

 

@Classic Brewing Co wad-are-ya-doing opening the kegs FFS?  If they are frozen just lift them out for a day and let them thaw, lids on and pressure sealed.  You have now let nearly all the carbonation CO2 out and of course some O in and when you re-seal them that's in there until the keg blows.  Could you not tell that the keg was frozen just by the weight of the keg and no drawing of any beer?  Then why open the keg? 

[iBooz2]

14 hours ago, stquinto said:

I kegged a Guinness AG clone. About 18 days in the fermenter, ending at 1.014, having started at 1.056, which is a bit strong, but hey!

I got two kegs of 15l, one with a boiled-up pint of soured wort, and one with 4g of lactic acid. 

@stquinto I have settled on my Guinness clone recipe now (thanks for your input) and have all the ingredients on hand except for the yeast so just waiting on that last piece of the jigsaw to fit before brew day.  Going to be very game and do a 44 L batch straight off the bat and then keg sour as you have done.  I am going to use 1 kg of flaked barley in mine BTW.

[iBooz2]

14 hours ago, stquinto said:

@stquinto your bosses/employer have obviously not noticed a huge increase in your DYNO tape expenditure over the last couple of years yet? 

[stquinto]

5 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

@stquinto I have settled on my Guinness clone recipe now (thanks for your input) and have all the ingredients on hand except for the yeast so just waiting on that last piece of the jigsaw to fit before brew day.  Going to be very game and do a 44 L batch straight off the bat and then keg sour as you have done.  I am going to use 1 kg of flaked barley in mine BTW.

Sounds like a winner @iBooz2 !

I’m not sure if the flaked barley should be milled though - I think that’s what clogged up my recirculating pipe. 
Maybe @Shamus O'Sean has an opinion, or anybody else who brews stout might know?

 

[stquinto]

One other point mate: I set aside a pint of wort just before pitching and over the space of the two weeks’ fermentation it grew mould. I sieved it and boiled it but it was sweet so didn’t use it. Instead I took another pint out from the FV and just left it 4 days (delaying kegging, so I cold crashed it during that time to drop out yeast, even if clarity wasn’t an issue). This time it was properly sour, so basically only leave out the wort for a few days, not the whole two weeks of fermentation (although it was done in a week). I’ve read of brewers freezing the soured wort after 4 days.

Just a thought…

 

[stquinto]

8 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

@stquinto your bosses/employer have obviously not noticed a huge increase in your DYNO tape expenditure over the last couple of years yet? 

Funnily enough it got mentioned the other day

[Classic Brewing Co]

9 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

@Classic Brewing Co wad-are-ya-doing opening the kegs FFS?  If they are frozen just lift them out for a day and let them thaw, lids on and pressure sealed.  You have now let nearly all the carbonation CO2 out and of course some O in and when you re-seal them that's in there until the keg blows.  Could you not tell that the keg was frozen just by the weight of the keg and no drawing of any beer?  Then why open the keg? 

Well, I thought they were nearly empty as they were fairly light to lift, what's done is done but I searched for info & this article was helpful, if the beer tastes bad it will get chucked as I have 2 fermenters ready to keg.

I will put it down to experience, as I said earlier the temperature control knob must have been accidentally bumped over Xmas.

https://brewingskills.com/how-to-brew/is-my-frozen-home-brew-still-drinkable/

[iBooz2]

9 hours ago, stquinto said:

I’m not sure if the flaked barley should be milled though - I think that’s what clogged up my recirculating pipe. 

@stquinto already got that covered thanks, my grain supplier says do not mill, no need, just throw the flaked barley straight into the mash.

[Shamus O'Sean]

5 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

@stquinto already got that covered thanks, my grain supplier says do not mill, no need, just throw the flaked barley straight into the mash.

And @stquinto, I do not mill any flaked additions (Barley, Oats, Wheat, etc) any more.  I add the flaked addition to the top of the dry milled grain and mix it up before adding it all to the mash.  Having said that, I have ordered grain bills before that included flaked oats.  The oats were mixed in with the other grain, so no choice but to mill the lot.

[Shamus O'Sean]

Kegged my Coopers Original Pale Ale (COPA) today.

The 25g Pride of Ringwood dry hop I did in one of the Fermenter King Juniors was in the FV for 11 days.  It did not seem to taste grassy.  But it was only a small sample.  Its aroma was much more pronounced than the sample from the non-dry hopped FV.  I am looking forward to compare these side-by-side in a few weeks.

Interestingly, the dry hopped FV finished at 1.008, but the non-dry hopped FV finished at 1.010.

Thinking I will call the dry hopped version a COPAPoRDH.  Pronounced Cop-A-Poor-Da-Ha.

[Triple B Brewing]

Well it was brew day today for me

Kegged the Hop Gobbler (23 litres made the reduction from 25L called for in the recipe was the only deviation I made. Kegged 1 X 19L Corney and 1 X 4L mini keg)

This is the second time I’ve brewed the Hop Gobbler (as per the Coopers recipe) and the sample taste from the fermenter today reminded me why I had written up my review from the first brew to brew this dark ale again - Magnificent tastes of caramel and coffee - MMMMM can’t wait for the week to pass before I have a carbonated taste

Once the fermenter had its clean, it was immediately backfilled with the simple Deuce Lager again to be made as per Coopers Recipe. 
 

So nothin’ more to do now but to settle back and get the snout into a couple of the previous brews

Starting with the next keg to be emptied - A Spicy Brunette (not really my cup of brew to be honest, but hey had to make it to know)

Then one from the last brew packaged - A Dass Alto - Arrr yes that’s more my style (nice notes of caramel coming through and a dark malt background - not bad at all )  I had a problem with this keg yesterday and had to transfer to a new keg - which explains the lack of clarity - should be bang on in a day or three

Then to round out today’s tastings -  A Coopers Pacific Pale Ale - oh yeah that’s a winner - nice earthy notes - that should pair beautifully with my sirloin steak for tea tonight

I just can’t believe how lucky I am

Have a wonderful week everyone - WOOHOO

[Shamus O'Sean]

1 hour ago, Triple B Brewing said:

Well it was brew day today for me

Kegged the Hop Gobbler (23 litres made the reduction from 25L called for in the recipe was the only deviation I made. Kegged 1 X 19L Corney and 1 X 4L mini keg)

This is the second time I’ve brewed the Hop Gobbler (as per the Coopers recipe) and the sample taste from the fermenter today reminded me why I had written up my review from the first brew to brew this dark ale again - Magnificent tastes of caramel and coffee - MMMMM can’t wait for the week to pass before I have a carbonated taste

Once the fermenter had its clean, it was immediately backfilled with the simple Deuce Lager again to be made as per Coopers Recipe. 
 

So nothin’ more to do now but to settle back and get the snout into a couple of the previous brews

Starting with the next keg to be emptied - A Spicy Brunette (not really my cup of brew to be honest, but hey had to make it to know)

Then one from the last brew packaged - A Dass Alto - Arrr yes that’s more my style (nice notes of caramel coming through and a dark malt background - not bad at all )  I had a problem with this keg yesterday and had to transfer to a new keg - which explains the lack of clarity - should be bang on in a day or three

Then to round out today’s tastings -  A Coopers Pacific Pale Ale - oh yeah that’s a winner - nice earthy notes - that should pair beautifully with my sirloin steak for tea tonight

I just can’t believe how lucky I am

Have a wonderful week everyone - WOOHOO

That's a lovely range of brews you have got there.

[Triple B Brewing]

11 minutes ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

That's a lovely range of brews you have got there.

Thanks Shamus - They'll just straight Coopers Kit n Bits recipes, but very tasty   

My next 4 scheduled brews are:

• DEUCE LAGER
• CASCARILLO AMBER ALE
• VINTNER'S LAGER
• TRENDY TROUSERS AMBER ALE

I've especially got my eye on and lookin' forward to the CASCARILLO AMBER ALE & TRENDY TROUSERS AMBER ALE - I'm hoping the the lagers in between will provide an alternate pallet cleaner / cut through  
 

[Shamus O'Sean]

8 hours ago, Triple B Brewing said:

Thanks Shamus - They'll just straight Coopers Kit n Bits recipes, but very tasty   

My next 4 scheduled brews are:

• DEUCE LAGER
• CASCARILLO AMBER ALE
• VINTNER'S LAGER
• TRENDY TROUSERS AMBER ALE

I've especially got my eye on and lookin' forward to the CASCARILLO AMBER ALE & TRENDY TROUSERS AMBER ALE - I'm hoping the the lagers in between will provide an alternate pallet cleaner / cut through  
 

Again, some nice brews you have selected there.  Of the four, I have only made the Cascarillo Amber Ale.  It was a rewarding beer to do because it uses extract as the base and you boil your own hops for the bitterness.  Tasted good too. 

[Triple B Brewing]

3 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

Again, some nice brews you have selected there.  Of the four, I have only made the Cascarillo Amber Ale.  It was a rewarding beer to do because it uses extract as the base and you boil your own hops for the bitterness.  Tasted good too. 

Thanks Shamus @Shamus O'Sean - I was thinking about the Cascarillo Amber Ale last night and wondered if I should add a partial mash to the recipe to try and add a little extra body to the brew. - Do you have any thoughts on that approach mate, or did you find it was a suitable recipe without tinkering with it?

Would value your input cobber - cheers

[Shamus O'Sean]

9 hours ago, Triple B Brewing said:

Thanks Shamus @Shamus O'Sean - I was thinking about the Cascarillo Amber Ale last night and wondered if I should add a partial mash to the recipe to try and add a little extra body to the brew. - Do you have any thoughts on that approach mate, or did you find it was a suitable recipe without tinkering with it?

Would value your input cobber - cheers

I do not remember why, but I actually added a 340g jar of honey to my Cascarillo.  Maybe to increase the ABV a little bit.  Maybe for a slightly different flavour.  My tasting notes do not note any honey flavour in the finished beer.  In fact, I did note that it did not have too much sweetness.  Also, on checking, I note I accidently boiled the Amarillo for 30 minutes instead of 20 minutes.  Although that would have only added 4-5 IBU extra.

I scored my version 6/10, and called it a nice, honest simple beer.

It would benefit from a partial mash.  It probably does not need any extra Crystal Malt because the Amber Malt will already have plenty of that.  Were you thinking of a little bit of Pale Malt or maybe replacing one of the cans with a partial mash of 2-3kg of Pale Malt.

[Triple B Brewing]

8 minutes ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

I do not remember why, but I actually added a 340g jar of honey to my Cascarillo.  Maybe to increase the ABV a little bit.  Maybe for a slightly different flavour.  My tasting notes do not note any honey flavour in the finished beer.  In fact, I did note that it did not have too much sweetness.  Also, on checking, I note I accidently boiled the Amarillo for 30 minutes instead of 20 minutes.  Although that would have only added 4-5 IBU extra.

I scored my version 6/10, and called it a nice, honest simple beer.

It would benefit from a partial mash.  It probably does not need any extra Crystal Malt because the Amber Malt will already have plenty of that.  Were you thinking of a little bit of Pale Malt or maybe replacing one of the cans with a partial mash of 2-3kg of Pale Malt.

Hi Shamus,

Thanks for your reply and feedback provided - super thanks mate 

Yep, I was thinking along the lines of keeping the two 1.5kg tins of Coopers Amber Malt as per recipe and then adding a partial mash of 1.5Kg of Gladfield Ale 2-row barley  and a little (300gms) of Vienna malt.

I knocked up a recipe using the Brewers Friend software to see what it would look like. - What'd ya reckon?

CASCARILLO AMBER ALE - With A Partial Mash - Beer Recipe - Brewer's Friend.pdf