For bottle conditioning? Others have done it before you. Just be very careful with your priming quantities and sterilisation as it'll be a much bigger mess if it goes bang
Toast Beer / Homebrew Thread
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For bottle conditioning? Others have done it before you. Just be very careful with your priming quantities and sterilisation as it'll be a much bigger mess if it goes bang
I hate you guys some times.
Mini kegs for my micro brews, maybe 5-10L each time and I want them to fit in the fridge - is this realistic? and what would be a budget to aim for - total working system with at least 2 kegs.
I seriously hate bottling day.
Mini kegs for my micro brews, maybe 5-10L each time and I want them to fit in the fridge - is this realistic? and what would be a budget to aim for - total working system with at least 2 kegs.
I seriously hate bottling day.
Check out Beerkat. I think they're clearing all their current stock so you might be able to get a deal.
Will cost you around 150ish for a 5L keg with tap, Disposable co2 bulbs, reg etc.
Go straight for the soda stream co2 bottles and maybe keep your cost down by rolling with a pluto gun on one or both kegs instead of a tap
Bender_
X
Hey man, just on this - what do you mean by a soda stream bottle? I assume they sell soda stream CO2 bottles for cheaper than those little nang cannisters and you can connect to these kegs' regulator?
And what do you mean by the using a pluto gun? Does it use less CO2 when you pour than a tap?
And lastly do you recommend it or is it just a cheap substitute for iKeg or something similar?
Looking at buying a 5L kit and want to make sure I know what's going on.
Lynch takes a mark Beerkat just got a restock in of the kits This week and thay're about $20 off at the moment; $155 delivered for the 5L keg and regulator/tap set.
Gram for gram I don't think you'll save money on the soda stream co2 vs the little nang bulb co2, but convenience rates highly. You won't run out part way through a keg, less changing gas cartridges etc.
A pluto gun won't use less co2, but it could be a cheaper alternative to a proper tap. They are a hand held stainless squeeze gun running off some beer line. Positive could be cost and space when storing in a small fridge or esky. Negative could be the hose getting tangled / annoying and not having that pub feeling of pouring a beer from a tap. Cable ties solves one of those issues.
I recommend Beerkat and own one myself. I do have a discount code running too. It should still work. TCBB10 or TCBB10%. If neither work I'll chat with Graham for you but if they already have a sale it may be cheaper to go that way.
A mate has an ikegger. I don't think he was too happy with the quality of the reg but the vessel itself is pretty much the same.
Bender_
X
Thanks man that's great info.
Kegland is in a full on price war with KegKing at the moment- very messy divorce. Take full toll of someone else's misery and get on the site and buy up. Kegs are about $85 for the 9L and $89 for the 19L versions. Plus delivery of course but pretty good value.
Love the looks of those beerKats but they are pricey little suckers.
I already capitalised on their divorce by getting an even cheaper robobrew
Bender_
X
Discount code worked thanks mate.
My pleasure bud. Enjoy the wares. Hmu when you're ready to use it. The reg pressure settings are different to a kegerator so it may take some fine tuning
So I did my first brew in the robo yesterday, and got a ******* stuck sparge.
Wasted a bit of wort and I’m hoping my efficiency isn’t completely ****ed or I’ll be adding some extra malt extract.
Testing the hydro tonight as it’s in the cube no-chilling at the moment.
Also added the raspberries to my Belgian blonde - took a sample before I added them and it’s clear as *. Clearest beer I’ve ever made. Bought some pectinase to try and maintain that clarity after the berries have steeped for a couple of weeks
Wasted a bit of wort and I’m hoping my efficiency isn’t completely ****ed or I’ll be adding some extra malt extract.
Testing the hydro tonight as it’s in the cube no-chilling at the moment.
Also added the raspberries to my Belgian blonde - took a sample before I added them and it’s clear as *. Clearest beer I’ve ever made. Bought some pectinase to try and maintain that clarity after the berries have steeped for a couple of weeks
Actually happens a lot to first time users, robo and grainfather. Who milled your grain?
Grain and Grape. Not sure what their grind size is, but I like the idea of finer grind for more extraction anyway.
I think I might loosen the mash right up in future with a 3.5-4 to 1 water to grain ratio. The more I read about BIAB full volume mashing the more I’m attracted to the idea of pissing off sparging altogether, but I bought a robobrew now so I need to work out how to get around it.
I also don’t have a proper mash paddle which probably didn’t help.
I learned a neat trick last night to put your flaked grains in at the end once you’ve stirred the other grains in, so the oats and stuff aren’t falling to the bottom of the grain bed and clogging up the false bottom
I slowly add my grain too, pouring it over my paddle to break it up then stir it to minimise dough balls. Takes me a few minutes to mash in 5-6kg of grain, and that's with favourable BIAB water volumes.
Bottom letting with a mash tun would be something I'd like to explore.
Yeah I added half slowly then dumped the rest in. Ah well, it’ll be fine I reckon but plenty to improve on next time. One week at a time etc
Hmmmm actual divorce or just an ex employee?
Update: after my stuck sparge fail I realised I had missed my target OG by 10 points or something ridiculous so I added some DME and she’s fermenting away like a mother bitch.
Smells so good.
Going to add some roasted cacao nibs and frozen raspberries for a week
Smells so good.
Going to add some roasted cacao nibs and frozen raspberries for a week
Bender_
X
Like force carbonating? Yeah it is. What I've worked out is to not follow the method you would use when doing it to a 19L keg.
You want to transfer 0°ish beer to the keg, set the co2 reg to the desired psi (12ish) and then shake like crazy. Turn the keg upside down too so the co2 flows up through the volume of beer.
Dial the reg right back near 0 and use a big glass to pour your first one. It shouldn't need to be purged before pouring, but maybe let it settle out a bit first. The initial beer will pour from residual pressure within the keg.
With these small kegs I have noticed you need very little pressure dialled in for pouring. Unlike full size kegs that balance pressure through 2-3m lines. So when serving wind it back to a few psi, but when you're done for the night bump it back up to 12 or so otherwise the beer will only be carbonated to 3psi next day as the gas escapes from the liquid into the void/head space.
Bender_
X
LoL I'm sure to * that up.
Just on Kegland, been checking out grain mills and they're usually pretty pricey. Grabbed their 3 roller Malt Muncher today for $169 which is what most places have their 2 roller for.Thinking about getting a cheap desk/stand type thing from Bunnings and attaching it directly to that and having a area for brew days to work off for weighing etc similar to this (without the motor):
Trying to make my set up as minus electricity as possible (if that makes sense), only thing I have so far is the element for the HLT and the freezer for fermenting. I'm so bad with motors/electricity/mechanics I'm trying to limit my * ups. Also like the idea of being somewhat old school.
Your gonna want a motor mate.
Best thing to use is an old rolla door motor and a power supply from an old PC. Should be able to get both for free.
Hook the rolla door motor up to the mill with one of these spider couplings
https://www.mcmaster.com/#6408k11/=st78h2
If all thats too hard just grab a drill with a keyless chuck and pop it on each brew day. It will mill a normal sized grainbill in under 3 minutes
