What do you do for a crust?

[headmaster]

Crikey Ash,

 

Welcome to this forum, and many thanks for the offer to assist with water chemistry questions!!

 

My big one is, and it may depend on location of course, but are chloramines being used now to disinfect our water in all cases now? In other words has there been a trend away from chlorine gas to chloramines in the past while? I have read they use them for longer runs, and I am using Sodium Metabisulphite, less than 3mg/litre dosage in case there are chloramines in my Sydney water, (Ryde service area) to treat my brewing water, to avoid the polyphenolic compounds that may be created causing off flavours.

 

The only other one I have is that the best water analysis report I can get from Sydney Water is one from 2014. They say just use that. Is it so stable that it's likely to be accurate 3 years later? Do they amp up the disinfectant PPM when it rains and storms a lot?? Maybe I should take these questions to a water chemistry thread :-)

 

I do hope your brew inspires you to get back into this in a big way. I also brewed a few kits way back, for me in the early 90's, and results not great but so glad I tried again.

 

 

[Ash1525230049]

Hi Headmaster.

 

Answered your questions over in the "Chlorine, chloramine, chlorophenols and Campden tablets" thread.

 

Seemed like a good place for it.

[headmaster]

Very much appreciated Ash

[Beers Gone Wild]

Associate at a Professional Consulting engineering firm (civils) to support my bike addiction. Been offered jobs at Ozzie consulting firms twice but with all the rules and regs there' date=' I will lose my licence in a day. It is only a R500 fine here for a wheelie if the next light is not red and they can catch you lol. Besides, I prefer riding dirt (not dead straight flat outback lol). And the no open fires law means I will starve as you can't braai properly lol. Sacrilege to throw meat onto lumps of coal or gas.

 

Beer is a secondary hobby. Nothing goes down like a cold one after climbing off a bike.

 

Besides that, I'm a dedicated father of 2, and serve on the armed response unit of our community security so that we can live in a safe area. We are all volunteers, with each man in our generation having served in the police or military, it just seems like a part of life. So basically my life is full and busy.

 

Hey Dozer, we also do Geotechnical engineering and engineering geology. A lot of dolomite ground stability work. But that is not my field.[/quote']

 

After reading this News Article it sounds like the "Armed Response Unit" at your Village would be quite busy.

[loboz74]

Me I am a Correctional Supervisor or better known as a Screw, Turn key or BOSS(Bucket Of Slimy Sh*t). I've been working at the job for over 14 years so far. Recently work gave me the fantastic task of banning smoking inside the razor wire. Fair to say I was not the most popular screw around, man I could have done with some wicked strong home brew during that task.

[Scottie]

I guess I am part of the dying breed in Australia in that I work in the manufacturing industry, we supply a commodity to the local market and also the Asian market. Suppling the Asian market is ridiculous as there is almost zero margin, however domestic users of our product import from Asia and given the market size we are left with no other option. Not good for the balance of trade.

 

I started in the maintenance area as a tradie, I am lucky enough to have two, starting as an Instrument Fitter and later adding Electrician to my skill set. I have basically been going to school since I left high school, doing two apprenticeships, post trade courses, engineering and recently a Bachelor of Business. I took up home brewing in 2011 when I was about 2 years into my Uni Studies, it was a from of procrastination.

 

I moved from maintenance into production years ago as that was were all the action was, I did along tour as a shift manager and brewed an drank a lot of beer as part of the dealing with shift work therapy.

 

I have since returned to the reality of day work and have been working on curtailing my therapy sessions.

 

The one hope that I have is that future generations get to experience the joy of manufacturing, to actually make something in Australia for Australian consumption. This is one reason why I will try a buy as much Australian made stuff as possible, it is getting increasingly hard especially in the clothing footwear and textile sector, and now the auto industry.

 

The main problem I see is that many people don't look at the big picture, the day manufacturing ceases is the day Australia completes its fall from grace. I was going to say the day that Australia begins its fall from grace but alas I think this has already began. You see being from the manufacturing industry I believe that it is heavy industrial manufacturing and mining that puts the money on the table that allows everyone else to play (get in the game).

 

Cheers & Beers

Scottie

Valley Brew

 

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

Share your thoughts Scottie. Have been in finance (in the manufacturing industry) coming up to 20 years now. Free trade agreement after free trade agreement. Very aware of the theory of it all. All sounds very good on paper. Asian countries can export to us and we can export what we are good at to them. Everybody is happy and high fiving each other.

 

In reality its something different. What it does do is make rich countries poorer and poorer countries richer. Work goes to poorer countries. Demand for labour increases in those countries and so does the wages. The class of people rises and when it gets too expensive companies move to another poor country. Starting to see that with China now. Getting too expensive so companies are moving to vietnam. All the while because most of those countries are corrupt to the hilt and there are backhanded deals after backhanded deals the export work from the free trade deal never comes. So we gave work away and never saw anything increase locally. Seen it too many times.

 

I cringe every time Turnbull or Abbott or Gillard or Rudd sprouted one because the reality is always so far from the theory of it all.

[Norris!]

I now work as a business analyst for a TAFE, I am a retired US Army Scout who went back to school and then moved down under as my wife is an Aussie. The first homebrew I did was in 2004. I made an extract of an amber ale, using a recipe from the lhbs, I saved it for 1 year plus, when I came home from my 1st deployment, we tried it, it was awesome. 11 explosions later, 2 deployments and a move around the world I got back into Homebrewing because of the cost and for a hobby. I have forgotten everything I did before, sometimes I remember bits and pieces of how I used to brew, but I enjoy the journey. I have been mixing kits and bits for about a year now. My next brew will be a full extract, pretty excited about that.

 

Good to meet y'all,

 

Norris

[solidute]

Might as well add to the list.

 

Mechanic by trade but left after 5 years (4 of them as an apprentice) for the promise of more money and better hours. Been a salt miner for 11 n a bit years now. Wont say its as glamorous as the movies make it out to be, but 4 days on 4 days off 4 nights on 4 off etc etc plus an acceptable wage keep me coming back

[Mark D Pirate]

Will update this , still a chippy by trade but now somehow ended up as an installation contractor for food and beverage equipment .

Currently fabricating and installing shiny shiny stainless everywhere through a new chocolate factory here in Radelaide then my next task is to complete a small brewery and get it up and running , my brewing knowledge was another reason to hire me so if anyone thinks brewing is just a hobby then think again because it can lead to more .

 

This is my new toy

[MarkC]

I was retired until recently, when a friend recalled my journeys through winemaking and brewing, now I'm commercial manager for the biggest distillery in SA. Happy days.

[therealthing691]

Boilermaker Structural steel fabricator/ Supervisor I run a afternoon shift for a company doing large structural steel jobs

[Smitdog88]

I’m a chef. And have just taken in a role as a fill in fifo chef. So 2 weeks on here and there. And maybe temp work In The middle. Depending on the frequency of flights. But looks like I’ll be 2 weeks on 1 week off. 

 

But it how does this affect my brewing?

Well I’m actually half way trough my 2 weeks on at the moment. The day before I left I put down a pale ale that’s chugging away in the fermentation fridge. Along with a naturally carbonating keg of amber ale. 

2 days before I come back SWMBO is going to unplug the temp controller and plug the fridge in for me.  Beer should be good to go  

[Hermoor]

I have been hanging out here for a while now so thought it was time to add to this thread.

straight out of high school I followed the family business and became a paramedic, I did that for 13 years. After that I joined the police and now been here for 13 years. Nothing surprises me anymore, not going anywhere now I have three daughters, I need to scare any potential boyfriends!

[The Captain!!]

Nice one Hermoor. Tip my hat to ya.

After meeting the fathers to new GF’s in my youth the best “scare” tactic I had was, at 17:

”Are you a god fearing man?” I said, well actually I’m an atheist. Then he proceeds anyway saying “think of me as god!”

I pissed myself laughing. We got along really well after that.

I have one boy in a family of boys, no nieces or anything like that. Good luck to ya Hermoor.

Captain

[Malter White]

I'm in Otto's fraternity, I drive public transport in Adelaide. My son followed in my footsteps...he's a plumber...we both move sh1t. 
Been at it for 19 years. Prior to that I was a FMCG sales rep for about 15 years.


 

[PaddyBrew2]

I work for one of the big banks, work in credit. So any of you guys who have purchased property through one of the big 4 in the past couple of years , i may have dealt with you .

 

its why i drink 

[porschemad911]

10 hours ago, Muzz1525230212 said:

I'm in Otto's fraternity, I drive public transport in Adelaide. My son followed in my footsteps...he's a plumber...we both move sh1t. 
Been at it for 19 years. Prior to that I was a FMCG sales rep for about 15 years.


 

I grew up and learnt to drive in Adelaide. I have to say I admire / empathize with the bus drivers there, most of the car drivers seem to be extremely unpredictable and semi-suicidal. Every time I go back to visit my family I am fairly sure I will be filing a write-off insurance claim before the trip ends.

[Malter White]

1 hour ago, porschemad911 said:

I grew up and learnt to drive in Adelaide. I have to say I admire / empathize with the bus drivers there, most of the car drivers seem to be extremely unpredictable and semi-suicidal. Every time I go back to visit my family I am fairly sure I will be filing a write-off insurance claim before the trip ends.

I tend to think SA has the worst drivers and roads but I think every state would probably claim the same thing.

[porschemad911]

28 minutes ago, Muzz1525230212 said:

I tend to think SA has the worst drivers and roads but I think every state would probably claim the same thing.

Nope, I have lived in Canberra for almost 13 years now, and while almost no-one here can drive, they are not quite as unpredictably suicidal as the Adelaide drivers. They do have absolutely no idea how to merge at '1 Lane Form' markings here however. It seems 'continue at current velocity until insurance claim' is the default for those. Or 'try and floor it at the last minute it in a car with no hope'. Thank goodness my Volvo V70 T6 looks like a big ugly wagon but can fly off into the distance when encountering said mergers.

[Malter White]

19 minutes ago, porschemad911 said:

Nope, I have lived in Canberra for almost 13 years now, and while almost no-one here can drive, they are not quite as unpredictably suicidal as the Adelaide drivers. They do have absolutely no idea how to merge at '1 Lane Form' markings here however. It seems 'continue at current velocity until insurance claim' is the default for those. Or 'try and floor it at the last minute it in a car with no hope'. Thank goodness my Volvo V70 T6 looks like a big ugly wagon but can fly off into the distance when encountering said mergers.

I'm sure Otto will confirm this, and I think he's in Qld, but "form 1 lane"  actually means "speed up and pass the bus illegally because my car is faster".

[Otto Von Blotto]

Seems pretty accurate for a lot of people! Sometimes they realise they can't win and back off though. A lot of them don't seem to know the difference between the different lane ending situations either. 

From what I've seen, SA and NSW drivers are the worst on the road. The Mexicans think Queenslanders are, but I think it's just all those buggers moving up here and making us look bad.

 

[karlos_1984]

Qld and SA drivers can't comprehend the signs that say keep left unless overtaking.

When people from SA approach a roundabout, their brains evolve backwards

[Otto Von Blotto]

I think people from everywhere have no clue about roundabouts most of the time. They certainly have no idea how to indicate on them, "I'll just chuck my right blinker on and go straight ahead". Infuriating. Mind you, about 95% of the things are way too small and shouldn't even be built in the first place. The idea behind them is a continuous flow of traffic in all directions, but you're not gonna get that with a piddling little thing the size of a dinner plate. They need to be BIG.

Most roads up here don't have those overtaking signs because it automatically applies on roads of 90km/h or over speed limits, on the 80 or under speed limit roads it only applies if there is a sign present, which most of the time there isn't. Unfortunately you get idiots who think they can sit in the right lane of a freeway and dawdle along all day.

[willie_m]

I'm a structural drafter in Brisbane (Albion and walking distance to the Brekky Creek Hotel which is the only plus point) and just joined my current place 5 months ago. If it didn't look so unprofessional I'd be on the look out for a new job though as the micro-management and disorganisation makes this place almost unbearable. 

My two cents worth on the driving is having driven in Scotland before moving here is that the standards here are pretty bad. People undertaking along with tail gating and having seemingly no spacial awareness when merging are my biggest gripes. Maybe it's just my angry inner Scotsman coming out