Homebrewers - Whats in the fermenter?

[kaisersozei]

I brewed up a DFH60 clone (parital mash) at yesterday's Brewherf, but I'm thinking this thing is going to be one all-powerful IPA. OG clocked in at 1.084 and fermentation started in about 6 hours--withOUT a starter! So we'll see what eventually happens here.

[St. Lou Stu]

Look what goodness showed up today!!!!
It's IIPA time!!

[ODLS1]

I need to get an order in to them asap. Waiting on them to release the pellets. I got 6lbs last year. I'll probably do the same this year.

[Salvelinus]

Can we do a sanitizer roundup? What are you guys using.

I started with a powder called one-step but I hated the powder I got it all over the place. Last night I used some Star-san and the amount of foaming drove me nuts. I know you don't need to rinse it but I hate the idea of sanitizer in my beer. Took me 4x longer to rinse growlers than it took to fill them.

Bottled a magnum filled pale ale, brewing up a porter for winter shortly.

[St. Lou Stu]

Originally Posted by Salvelinus

Can we do a sanitizer roundup? What are you guys using.

I started with a powder called one-step but I hated the powder I got it all over the place. Last night I used some Star-san and the amount of foaming drove me nuts. I know you don't need to rinse it but I hate the idea of sanitizer in my beer. Took me 4x longer to rinse growlers than it took to fill them.

Bottled a magnum filled pale ale, brewing up a porter for winter shortly.

Star-san is some awesome stuff.
Don't worry about the foam. I will let the left over liquid drip out using a carboy drier (or just drip dry bottles) and the foam usually stays in the carboy or whatever. I then rack right onto it and let the beer push the foam out. Never had an off taste.

That said, I do get all of the liquid out. I've heard that yeasties actually like munching on the foam.

Star-san rocks. All I use.
Besides steam heat for clean bottle sanitization.

Edit - Rinsing is actually counter-productive.

[BeerAdvocate]

Originally Posted by Salvelinus

Can we do a sanitizer roundup? What are you guys using.

I started with a powder called one-step but I hated the powder I got it all over the place. Last night I used some Star-san and the amount of foaming drove me nuts. I know you don't need to rinse it but I hate the idea of sanitizer in my beer. Took me 4x longer to rinse growlers than it took to fill them.

Bottled a magnum filled pale ale, brewing up a porter for winter shortly.

Star San is the only way to go. Tons of people use it with no complaints.
Dont Fear the Foam!

[duckmanco]

Originally Posted by BeerAdvocate

Star San is the only way to go. Tons of people use it with no complaints.
Dont Fear the Foam!

+1 here as well, NEVER ever fear the foam and don't rinse, I read somewhere, probably homebrewtalk that the president of the company that makes star san stated the foam actually becomes yeast food when the beer is racked on to it. Also rinsing could possibly bring in more bugs than you might have just cleaned. Something to think about anyway. Go with the foam, let it be.

Anyhow, I got northern brewer's bourbon barrel porter in the secondary with 2 oz. of toasted American Oak soaking in a pint of Evan Williams Single Barrel that will go in on Tues and sit for another few weeks, then bottling.

After tomorrow, Northern Brewer's Three Hearted Ale kit will be in the fermentor waiting for a dry hop of 1oz. each of Centennial, Amarillo, and Citra.... I'm hoping it comes off really West Coast.

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by Salvelinus

Can we do a sanitizer roundup? What are you guys using.

I started with a powder called one-step but I hated the powder I got it all over the place. Last night I used some Star-san and the amount of foaming drove me nuts. I know you don't need to rinse it but I hate the idea of sanitizer in my beer. Took me 4x longer to rinse growlers than it took to fill them.

Bottled a magnum filled pale ale, brewing up a porter for winter shortly.

I use One-step without too many issues. Typically I make a big 4-5 gallon batch in my fermenting bucket, where I soak all my gear and then transfer it to the secondary. When that's done, I move it to a bucket where I soak any beer/wine bottles I've accumulated to remove labels.

It's a process.

[icantbejon]

Originally Posted by kaisersozei

I use One-step without too many issues. Typically I make a big 4-5 gallon batch in my fermenting bucket, where I soak all my gear and then transfer it to the secondary. When that's done, I move it to a bucket where I soak any beer/wine bottles I've accumulated to remove labels.

It's a process.

I forgot to delabel my last batch of bottles, so now my oktoberfest is sitting in a bunch of Sam Winter Lager bottles. I gotta remember to take off labels before bottling the winter ale.

[SUOrangeGuy]

Anybody homebrew using the 5 gallon soda kegs? I have a minifridge I've been thinking of turning into a kegerator. I think that could be fun and I understand bottling to be tedious.

[NickyTeen]

Originally Posted by SUOrangeGuy

Anybody homebrew using the 5 gallon soda kegs? I have a minifridge I've been thinking of turning into a kegerator. I think that could be fun and I understand bottling to be tedious.

I converted a chest freezer to hold 4 corny kegs a Co2 bottle and reg and still have enough room for a case or so. I'm extremely busy so kegging was the way to go for me.

Currently in the fermentation chamber is a Belgian Quad, coffee chocolate stout and today brewed a red ale.

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by NickyTeen

I converted a chest freezer to hold 4 corny kegs a Co2 bottle and reg and still have enough room for a case or so. I'm extremely busy so kegging was the way to go for me.

Currently in the fermentation chamber is a Belgian Quad, coffee chocolate stout and today brewed a red ale.

This is exactly what I intend to do once I finish my garage/mancave renovation next month. Can't wait to keg!

[BeerAdvocate]

Originally Posted by SUOrangeGuy

Anybody homebrew using the 5 gallon soda kegs? I have a minifridge I've been thinking of turning into a kegerator. I think that could be fun and I understand bottling to be tedious.

I have two 5gallon soda kegs in this Sanyo minifridge that I converted.
What model of minifridge do you have? You have to be very careful, as some of them have the coolant lines running across the top. If you cut one of those, your fridge is ruined. There are a few tricks to find out where the coolant line runs. Let me know if you have any questions.

[SUOrangeGuy]

Its currently in storage so I'm gonna check when I get home for thanksgiving. Thanks for the pic.

[BeerAdvocate]

Brewing a Chocolate Pumpkin Porter - I hope it will be ready for Turkey Day

[Salvelinus]

Thanks for the sanitizer info guys. Must not fear foam

[Tristan]

Man, this is a great thread! I've got a nice Kolsch and Chocolate Oatmeal Coffee Stout in the fermenter. I've got an Octoberfest, Dortmunder, German Pils, Wet Hop Pale Ale, Roggenbier and Munich Dunkel in the kegerator. Got to work on making some room for those beers in the fermenter!

Who's going to participate in "Teach a Friend How to Homebrew" day? It's November 6th. I'm thinking of doing a Black IPA or a Cream Ale. I've never done either of those before. Cheers!

[St. Lou Stu]

Today's progress towards tomorrow's brew session.

IIPA tomorrow... I'll use a portion of this:





Woot!! Hop Goodness!!

[Tristan]

Originally Posted by St. Lou Stu

Today's progress towards tomorrow's brew session.

Holy Crap Tim! What have you turned into?

[duckmanco]

just put a Two Hearted ale clone (NB's Three Hearted) in the primary an hour ago, dry hopping on day 5 of primary fermentation. Whole house smells of Centennial hops and pale malt.