What's on tap/brew schedule?


 

GaryP

TVWBB Pro
I know there are some homebrewers here other than myself. I'm cleaning kegs and draft lines today and brewing a black IPA tomorrow morning. Kegs are empty right now except for a cal common which can stay put until this terrible thing called dry January is over!

Been brewing about twelve years, used to compete and was even a BJCP judge. At one point brewed on a three tier rims system but am back to my old trusty cooler mash tun and 15 gal kettle. I keep it pretty simple these days.

Anyway, what do you guys and gals have working? Show me your systems and keezers! I'll snap some photos of my simple kit tomorrow. But for now here is my very much scaled back keezer. Used to have 7 on tap back when I was in CA!IMG_20210531_163617.jpg
 
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I'm getting ready to wire in the 240v outlet for the Anvil Foundry electric brewery (with recirc pump.) I'm probably going to brew either a Kolsch or a cream ale first, then a breakfast stout. Haven't decided on a 3rd yet. I've always been an extract brewer, brewing outside over a banjo burner (12+ years now.) Gotta admit that the possibility of year round brewing does have it's attractions. And I still have to brew my g/f's much requested Imperial stout (which will probably be in secondary for at least a year.)

I have a 4 tap keezer with a chalkboard drop front. The chalkboard turned out far better than I ever anticipated, and it's handy for labelling. Oh, and 4 Perlick forward seals (I can't recommend forward seal taps for homebrewers enough.)

My homebrewing dropped off drastically when a very nice little brewery & taproom opened up downtown. I've spent a lot of time there, and gotten to know the owners more than a bit. I've been ears deep in their 7 barrel brewery, still need to remount a peristaltic pump I repaired this week.
 
I do miss brewing, but have been out of the game for a few years (after brewing for about 25.) Started with extract, then partial mash, then all grain. Designed my own three-tier gravity system, working my way up to pump driven whirlpools and lots of other add-ons to the process. Eventually scaled that all back to my basic gravity system, and finally did all brew in a bag, single vessel stuff the last couple of years. Still have all my recipes standing by in Beersmith in case the bug bites, but it hasn't yet. :)

My favorites to brew were my house recipes: Hopping the Light Fantastic (WC IPA), School's in Session (Session IPA), The Nutter (nut brown ale), and a bourbon vanilla imperial stout that I don't think I ever named.

I may brew a partial mash one of these days....... :)

R
 
I've got a Cascade Pale Ale on tap and just brewed a Centennial Pale this morning. The old pipeline dried up over the holidays, so will be trying to knock out a batch every 10 days or so until I get 4 kegs in the keezer. Like to have 3 on tap and one conditioning.

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My setup is a simple batch sparge.
- 16 gallon boil kettle
- keggle for a hot liquor tank
- 10 gallon round cooler for mashing
- propane burner for boiling
- kerosene canning stove for strike/sparge water
- 8 gallon speidel fermenters

On the cold side I have a 7.5 cf fermentation fridge.
And I have a 7 cf chest freezer with picnic taps. It will hold (4) five gallon kegs and (1) two and a half gallon keg. Have couple 5 lb CO2 tanks and (1) fits in the chest freezer too.

Right now I have apfelwein fermenting and kegged.
A porter, a lager and a brown IPA are on tap. And a brown IPA fermenting (it's my current fave).
If I run out of room in the freezer, I am not afraid to naturally carbonate in the keg and condition that way. But normally I force carbonate. For whatever reason - I hate bottling and did not stick with brewing until I made the decision to keg.
 
Couple of things that I probably should mention about my keezer. I keep my CO(2) outside hidden in the corner, and with a 2 stage regulator. 2 manifolds in the keezer , and the high pressure manifold is rigged to deliver gas through the liquid out post so I can carbonate from the bottom.
 
I have this year’s Christmas Beer (Bock) and a Dry Stout on tap. My next brewday will be a Scottish Ale. (You can see the Christmas Beer in my Pork Steak post)

I brew 5 gal batches once a month (A-L) on a three vessel HERMS in my laundry room. I‘m not in a club and don’t compete. I just brew for me, my family, and friends. I am coming up on 155 batches in Feb.

F669BE1D-6A29-4275-AE1B-14150B78A758.jpeg

this is my ‘22 plan (same as ‘21 with minor tweaks and substitutions):

F2B59EC7-9C9B-451F-98E1-511E31CF7CFB.jpeg
 
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I brew small batches and bottle.
Got cider on the go (I almost always have) and currently bottle conditioning cider and wheat beer.
Upcoming brews: 100% wheat / blonde / amber, when I have some time
I used to keep a cider on tap for my wife, but the last couple lasted forever, so I just do beer now. Might go to small batch ciders in the future.
 
Beautiful kit you have there Dwain!

Andy your equipment sounds a lot like mine except I sold the fermentation freezer when I left CA. Chest freezers were no where to be found so I think I made 30 bucks on it from new plus didn't have to move it. Would brown IPA be similar to Janet's brown?

JKalchik- I know what you mean about having great local beer. The center handle on my keezer is actually from my friends brewery he opened. There is soooooo much good beer in northern CA, it was so easy to just go pick some beer up at a brewery or nugget. In south Texas, this are much different. There are a few things available but for the most part if you want something worth drinking, you have to make it yourself.

Very nice looking keezer Bob! I love a cascade pale. That's the classic I can always count on.

Anne M- a 100% wheat beer? Sounds like a total sparge nightmare. I'd be waiting for days on that one. Small batch seems like the way to go to keep some variety.

Rich- sound like tasty brews that were your regulars, I hope you get to brew a batch one of these days.

My brew day today was uneventful. Just oxygenated and pitched and put it to bed. Has been great reading everyone's responses. If any of you ever come down this way, come by for a pint or five!
 
Like your keezer too Gary. Wanted to go with a collar, but the only place I had to put it was a high traffic area, so opted for the tower. Was lucky enough to find the Hisense dual chamber freezer before it was discontinued. The other side (right) has room for 2+ cases of cans & bottles, so don't need a beer fridge.

My dad was from Cameron, about half-way between Temple and Bryan, as the crow flys. Most of his family moved to the Houston/Pasadena area after WWII. They're almost all gone now, So I don't get down that way much anymore. Same invite. If you're ever in the Reno area, let me know.
 
Empty at the moment. Dimensional oak for the front & sides with a 2x6 for the back. The drop front is 1/4" furniture plywood covered in chalkboard paint, and the trim is simple corner molding. We routed out the back edge of the corner molding where it would have contacted the freezer case, it's completely free floating from the freezer. I can return it to a freezer use by unscrewing the hinges at the back, lifting the lid & collar off, replacing the lid, and re-attaching the hinges (not like that's gonna happen.) Edit: it's an 11 cu ft. freezer.

Wiring up a new circuit for my brewery is turning out to be rather more expensive that I thought it was. It'll run on either 120V or 240V, but heating times are cut in half with the 240V circuit. What's really making it expensive is that I really want a 2 pole GF breaker, and regretfully, we have a Cutler Hammer breaker panel. I may have just found an online source for one at a semi-reasonable price, gonna have to try & make sure that it's not an off-shore counterfeit breaker (yes, I'm gonna look closely at the label and probably call Eaton.) By the time I'm done, I'll be able to flip a switch in the base of the brewery and use a different pigtail/extension cord to run on either voltage.
 

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Empty at the moment. Dimensional oak for the front & sides with a 2x6 for the back. The drop front is 1/4" furniture plywood covered in chalkboard paint, and the trim is simple corner molding. We routed out the back edge of the corner molding where it would have contacted the freezer case, it's completely free floating from the freezer. I can return it to a freezer use by unscrewing the hinges at the back, lifting the lid & collar off, replacing the lid, and re-attaching the hinges (not like that's gonna happen.) Edit: it's an 11 cu ft. freezer.

Wiring up a new circuit for my brewery is turning out to be rather more expensive that I thought it was. It'll run on either 120V or 240V, but heating times are cut in half with the 240V circuit. What's really making it expensive is that I really want a 2 pole GF breaker, and regretfully, we have a Cutler Hammer breaker panel. I may have just found an online source for one at a semi-reasonable price, gonna have to try & make sure that it's not an off-shore counterfeit breaker (yes, I'm gonna look closely at the label and probably call Eaton.) By the time I'm done, I'll be able to flip a switch in the base of the brewery and use a different pigtail/extension cord to run on either voltage.
Nice job. Gotta get than baby filled up.
 
@GaryP
The answer is BIAB ;)
Shouldnt be a problem.
The one I am sampling now is a 2/3 wheat and I never noticed a difference with my other beers.
But I am just a beginner and my own best customer

@ChuckO
Thanks
 
That is a hodgepodge of sorts! But anything with Maris otter gets a thumbs up from me. I'm just about to dry hop the cascadian dark ale.

Fermentation went nuts on this thing. Was about done in three days. I used one of those proper starter cans to make a 1l starter and have to say, really enjoyed not having to mess with the DME.
 
I'm getting ready to wire in the 240v outlet for the Anvil Foundry electric brewery (with recirc pump.) I'm probably going to brew either a Kolsch or a cream ale first, then a breakfast stout.

Make a test boil last weekend, and started brewing this morning around 9:30 AM. Fouled up my cream ale mash and ended up with a stuck mash (COMPLETELY my idiocy.) Ended up scorching a little malt in the bottom, but it'll turn out all right, mostly likely. Second batch is a sweet stout, and it's in the chilling phase. This brew went far better than the first (figured out what I messed up.) Cream ale should be on tap in 3-4 weeks, and the stout will be on in 4 to 5.

Gotta admit..... I think that I'm gonna get just a tad bit spoiled brewing inside now. It's 10 degrees F outside, and I have the HVAC fan running continuous to try and spread out the humidity. My g/f went off to take a shower (2 floor above,) and came back down to tell me "good gawd, that smells GOOD! I can smell it through the whole house?" I do have some adjustments to make in positioning the equipment, and general setup & cleaning methodologies (too much time wasted going back and forth.)
 

 

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