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   1. Stuff it... I bought a Thermapen!

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      by nicko, 11 years ago in Bags, Mashers, Thermometers, Kettles etc.

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      After standing there for about half a minute each time I want to use my existing crap thermometer and once overshooting my temp while the heat was on and I was waiting for the thermometer to catch up, I thought stuff it, logged onto fleabay and bought a thermapen. I'm massively into cooking anyway, including roasts and BBQs, so it will come in handy often. :clap:
      
      I had to hold that stupid thing (my old thermometer) carefully too so it would actually stay on..
      
      HELLO four second readings!!...

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      Tech support at Ss Brewing suggest sliding a short length of silicon tubing over the tip.
      I will try to avoid hitting it when stirring. Maybe the potato masher is better than a spoon.
      Thanks for your suggestion.
      Robertz
      46 Replies
      61106 Views
      robertz64
      9 years ago
   2. A list of Queensland BIAB brewers.

      by nicko, 10 years ago in Australia & New Zealand

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      I think this will be handy when searching on here should you end up in a new town/city, or should you be on holidays and fancy a beer swap. I just drove down to Bundaberg and if I knew of other brewers along the way I would have taken beers along for possible beer swaps which would have been fun.
      
      If this has been done before, apologies as I missed it (don't shoot me Pat) :shoot: :sad:
      
      Name - Town. please copy and paste into the next post.
      
      Nicko - Mareeba (near Cairns).

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      Cairns for me, preaty quiet here in the FNQ !
      1 Replies
      10147 Views
      slash
      10 years ago
   3. Overshot my mash temp.

      by nicko, 11 years ago in General Chit-Chat, Nonsense & Rambles

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      Hi guys,
      
      I had a desired mash temp of 66.7C, after adding the grain the temp was about 63C, so I put the heat on but overshot the Mark, with the temp hitting approx 71.1C (shit).. So I stirred with the lid off to try and reduce the temp quickly, it dropped pretty quickly down to about 68C and at approx 67.7C I decided to cut my losses, put the lid on and started the 90min timer.
      
      I haven't been getting into the beer-science much, so... Have I stuffed my brew? From what I understand I might not...

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      When I first started I didn't know any different :blush:
      I've just carried on the tradition, pictured is my Green Bullet Pale mash with 900ml of headspace :)
      Just gone into boil with tonights brew (Jamils Extra Yellow) and that had a whopping 700ml :!:
      Always found Biabacus to be spot on with limits
      TT
      18 Replies
      21188 Views
      tingtong
      10 years ago
   4. Chat page

      by nicko, 11 years ago in Your Feedback

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      It's probably a pipe dream but a chat section would be good.
      
      I'm a bit remote, so I wish there was a list of Skype names or something for biab brewers, when they don't mind being called with a quick question or six they could be logged on, if busy they could log off (gentlemans hours could apply 7-9pm etc). I post a lot (probably too much!) but there's only one local club member who also biab and he's new to biab too.. Anyway, end of rant lol.
      
      I'm definitely learning a heap from this site,...

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      I'm going to remove the Chat page function for the moment as the activity there is too infrequent and, when there is activity, it is hard for anyone to see it.
      
      INSTEAD PLEASE MAKE FULL USE OF...
      Instead, anyone, including guests (subject to post approval), can now use the The Nonsense / Chat / Fast Answer / Guest Thread for, ...general chatting, asking and answering quick questions or when you feel as though you might be just writing utter nonsense :D
      13 Replies
      22368 Views
      Pat
      10 years ago
   5. Who has a BIABacus for Hop Hog (Aces High?)

      by nicko, 11 years ago in BIAB Recipes

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      Hi guys,
      
      Plenty of historical chatter on the forum about a hop hog clone, particularly Aces High and PP. Would love a copy as it's my favourite beer atm. If it's a secret recipe I'd be happy with a copy via PM and would be happy not to share it, it will just save me $70ish a carton of 16...also the amount of browny points from SWMBO would be off the scale as she loves it too.
      
      No rush, it would be an after Christmas brew, otherwise I'll make a BIABacus based on other forum versions and try to...

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      Thanks mate.
      13 Replies
      15050 Views
      nicko
      10 years ago
   6. Partigyle?

      by nicko, 10 years ago in BIABrewer.info and BIAB for New Members

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      Hi guys,
      
      I'm thinking about doing a partigyle this weekend, the first back will be a normal IPA, I'll dump the bag temporarily into a bucket and won't return the runnings into the kettle. I'll finish the first brew, then i plan on adding a couple kg of fresh grain to the bag and making a second beer that would be a lighter pale ale. Both 90 min mash and boil.
      
      I won't be planning the second brew very precisely, I'll take the gravity etc and will be curious to see how it turns out. I don't...

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      I have done it a couple of times Nicko. There isn't much too it really.
      What OG are you planning for your 1st runnings?
      
      If high enough, and your 2nd runnings volume is low enough you may be able to just rinse out without adding more grain. Depends what you are hoping to achieve. I know you say you aren't bothered about the 2nd brew, but if you calculate wrong, you could end up with a high volume of dilute wort that wouldn't make a very nice beer.
      
      The only other thing I would say is that if...
      4 Replies
      6884 Views
      nicko
      10 years ago
   7. Brewing this weekend.

      by nicko, 11 years ago in General Chit-Chat, Nonsense & Rambles

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      Pale Ales with Galaxy and Citra, can't wait!!

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      This should almost be ready now. Details please. How is that hop combination? I'm itching to try galaxy . . .
      
      Galaxy is fantastic. I've made this recipe before with the galaxy and it's about to be kegged again (Batch 2).
      
      I did Daemons recipe of 'sticks and stones' off AHB and it's fantastic. I'll post the BIABacus in the proven recipes thread sometime this week.
      
      Cheers.
      2 Replies
      5352 Views
      nicko
      10 years ago
   8. Christmas beer swap idea - Aussie brewers.

      by nicko, 11 years ago in General Chit-Chat, Nonsense & Rambles

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      Hi guys,
      
      How about a two-bottle random Christmas draw for Australian brewers? Basically everyone that’s keen answers this thread, I’ll put all the names into a hat (literally), then announce who is swapping bottles.. so for instance if I got PP then him and I would send each other a PM and swap addresses, then whatever brew we’re particularly proud of we’d mail two (plastic I’m guessing?) bottles to the other party. Either two of the same brew, or different brews… either way.
      
      Postage is...

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      We'll I was expecting more interest. Bung and PP you're each other's beer Santa. PM each other to get address details. Cheers.
      4 Replies
      7083 Views
      nicko
      10 years ago
   9. Today's brew - good amount off the trub?

      by nicko, 11 years ago in Brew Day Stories and/or Pics

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      Hi guys,
      
      Is this about where people draw the line?!? Thanks.

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      It sounds like you can choose to increase VAW and leave as much trub in the kettle as you want or you can leave the recipe as is and fill the cube up trub and all. I would probably increase the VAW and try to fill the cube up with as little trub and hop matter as possible so as to maximize the volume into packaging.
      
      I don't have that problem fermenting in the 6.5 US gallon carboy. I can fill it until the ball valve really starts to pick up trub and I still have plenty of space.
      
      Sounds good...
      9 Replies
      10468 Views
      nicko
      11 years ago
   10. Need advice this morning.

       by nicko, 11 years ago in Hopping

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       Brewing in a couple hours time so need some advice..
       
       Last time I did a pale ale I hopped in the cube only, one cube simcoe and one galaxy, it worked well with wort transferred around 90C and left to naturally cool overnight.
       
       I'm thinking today of doing the same with galaxy and citra, or I'll add galaxy as 10min and 5min additions as per the recipe and dry hop them with separate hops?
       
       BIABacus and recipe are here:
       
       Thoughts?
       
       Pros: two different pale ales
       
       Cons: fair bit of hops in the...

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       Cool thanks mate, I need to get more drinkers around so I have more brewing sessions!
       8 Replies
       14591 Views
       nicko
       11 years ago
   11. 4th BIAB - lessons learned.

       by nicko, 11 years ago in BIABrewer.info and BIAB for New Members

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       Hi guys,
       I did a Zombie Dust clone on Sunday, apart from one error it really went smoothly and I was happy with the session. A few quick points that might help new BIABers.
       
       1. I've started using a paint stirrer to agitate the mash and it's fantastic!
       2. After overshooting my mash temp (while reheating after pitching grain...not sure how that happened!!) I've since bought a thermapen, I look forward to 4 second accurate readings. With my current thermometer you have to hold your tongue right so...

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       :thumbs: Fantastic. Love hearing when a brewday comes to fruition. :thumbs:
       8 Replies
       9565 Views
       safebrew222
       11 years ago
   12. Dry hop in fermenter or keg...or both?

       by nicko, 11 years ago in Hops

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       Hi guys,
       
       Does dry hopping in a fermenter (after most activity has died down to prevent aroma losses etc from co2) give more flavour/aroma than keg hopping? Does anyone prefer one method over the other?
       
       thanks.

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       I kegged the ZD clone on a Sunday and force carbed, the following Thursday a curious taste turned into several schooners lol. I love it.
       6 Replies
       15448 Views
       nicko
       11 years ago
   13. Fishing vid.

       by nicko, 11 years ago in General Chit-Chat, Nonsense & Rambles

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       Hi guys, when I'm not drinking and brewing I like to fish, here's me in action, cheers!

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       Nicko, I love to Grouper fish . Here in the Gulf of Mexico it's REAL Grouper. When hunting it's whitetail deer, hogs , or when the opportunity arises turkey .
       Would love to get up to where 2trout is at and do some fishing or elk hunting !!!!
       Joe
       
       Cool mate, what's a real grouper?
       9 Replies
       11901 Views
       nicko
       11 years ago
   14. Measurements for Craftbrewer 70L kettle?

       by nicko, 11 years ago in Measurement, Mathematics and Records

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       Hi guys,
       
       Does anyone with a Craftbrewer 70 litre kettle (45cm x 45cm) have their water level measurements written down somewhere? I.e. As an example, If the kettle has 44L in it, what's the distance from the rim to the water surface?
       
       Just trying to save myself some time on brew days. I wrote down the measurement on the last brew but must have misplaced it unfortunately! If anyone is keen to help start a register that would be great! I have a carbon filter for my hose from a caravan/RV, so...

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       Thanks gents!
       10 Replies
       27376 Views
       nicko
       11 years ago
   15. Second BIAB.

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       by nicko, 11 years ago in Brew Day Stories and/or Pics

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       Hi guys,
       
       Second BIAB today, I'm doing a Pacific Ale clone, I got the recipe from AHB, tried to convert it into BIABacus, got part way there and Pat helped with the rest, thanks Pat.
       
       I've increased the VIF to 41 litres, which should fill two kegs nicely, going by the volume into packaging figures in BIABacus.
       
       This brew is going really well, I'm using a whiteboard to record bits n pieces, bugger just looked at the time, time to mashout, will update more later! :salute:

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       Haha thanks gents. In fairness it's a great recipe from AHB that probably took along time for Daemon to get right, but it's nice making tasty beer!
       33 Replies
       27703 Views
       nicko
       11 years ago
   16. A 'sort of' mini BIAB tonight Graff cider.

       by nicko, 11 years ago in Stove-top BIAB (also known as Mini-BIAB)

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       Hi guys,
       
       I'm doing this recipe tonight
       
       I'm using a hop bag to hold the small amount of grain (micro BIAB), I've converted the recipe to metric measurements, then did a quick calculation to scale it back to ingredients needed per litre, so I can quickly scale it anytime, depending on how much cheap juice I can find!
       
       I have 9.6L of Berri apple juice on hand, so I'll brew that tonight. :thumbs:
       
       No BIABacus, as this is really just a quick fun brew to try. I'll post the scaled recipe etc...

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       Good Day, here is a link on how to sweeten Wine, and not cause carbonation and loss of the sweetness in the bottle or Keg.....
       
       onclick= window.open(this.href);return false; ... tling-time
       
       Thought this may help....
       
       Thanks Joshua.
       7 Replies
       15836 Views
       nicko
       11 years ago
   17. First BIAB today.

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       by nicko, 11 years ago in Brew Day Stories and/or Pics

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       Hi guys,
       
       Well what a massive day, my wife has broken her arm so that's kind of thrown this weekend into a bit of a spin to I didn't start brewing until this afternoon and just turned the burner off five minutes ago, it's about 8.30pm, I knew that if it happened any later I'd have to wait until another day.
       
       I learned a lot today, first lesson was those big 1/2 fittings (my tap) need a larger shifter than I have, so I improvised with a set of multigrips and a cloth over the nut.
       
       I hid the gas...

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       Okay results are in..
       
       Dry hopping definitely provided more aroma (excellent aroma), but seemed to start fading as that keg emptied (I definitely need to experiment more with DH though).
       
       The hop tea did add a harsh bitterness for a couple of days, and I know what people mean now by grassy flavours, but after a week or less, the aroma is nice (not as aromatic as the DH though), the flavour is really good and both the harshness and grassy flavours have gone.
       
       This beer is also quite clear now,...
       27 Replies
       23784 Views
       nicko
       11 years ago
   18. 'Like' button.

       by nicko, 11 years ago in Your Feedback

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       It would be great if there was a like button on posts, it would be a quick way to thank people for posts that we have found helpful.

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       Thanks for your suggestion nicko,
       
       A lot of thought has been put into a way of setting up a system that encourages members to contribute and be rewarded for their contribution but it's a very low priority at the moment. The site is small enough for us to know who contributes quality so when the time comes, we’ll be able to give those people credit for, time served.
       
       Thanks again,
       Pat
       5 Replies
       12743 Views
       Pat
       11 years ago
   19. Brewer discretion is advised (a BobBrews video)...

       by nicko, 11 years ago in General Chit-Chat, Nonsense & Rambles

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       Just for anyone that hasn't seen this informative and entertaining video by Bob.. Nice work Bob!

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       nicko,
       
       Thank you. Call before you visit. I need time to empty a case of good craft beer into one of my kegs to pass off as one of my own! For my brew club meetings I only have to scrape off a label or two!
       
       Mate I'll have to call as I don't know where you live! :lol: I've only just upgraded from Aus-mega-swill lol, you could serve almost anything! :drink:
       5 Replies
       7054 Views
       nicko
       11 years ago
   20. Double batch help.

       by nicko, 11 years ago in BIABrewer.info and BIAB for New Members

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       So my first batch was here and it was a single batch with a TWN of 38.51L.
       
       So I've been told my 70L kettle is big enough for a double batch, but based on that TWN doubled for a 46L batch into fermenters, I'd need 77.2L, or doesn't it work like that?

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       Your kettle is big enough for a 'double batch' but it depends on what is meant by double batch. For example, your kettle will handle not a pure full volume mash.
       
       For example if you did a 1.050 OG brew and wanted 38 litres into the fermentor, a 70 litre kettle will double batch you. If you wanted 38 litres into the packaging, then it won't. Same if you wanted a higher gravity brew. With that in mind...
       
       Your kettle is the same as mine. If the BIABacus throws you a red warning, then in your...
       7 Replies
       7447 Views
       nicko
       11 years ago
   21. Mash out comparison?

       by nicko, 11 years ago in BIABrewer.info and BIAB for New Members

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       Hi guys,
       
       has anyone compared a 10 minute or 15 minute rest at mash out compared to zero rest? Is there any proven results that one is better than the other?
       
       I noticed Beachbum has a paint stirrer and agitates his mash with that which looks like a great way to mix things (he also did this on mash-in on a video but didn't create surface splash to minimise oxygen being introduced is my guess).
       
       I'm keen to hear what you are all doing and why, thanks. :clap: :peace:

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       Okay thank you gents, I'll have to stop by the local hardware store sometime. I'll check out that link Mally, I've read a few things on mash times, it's good to have your opinion and if it's not that big a deal I'll keep doing what I'm doing which is pulling the bag after a good stir when I reach mashout temp.
       3 Replies
       4275 Views
       nicko
       11 years ago
   22. Harvesting cricketers golden lager?

       by nicko, 11 years ago in Yeasts

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       Hey,
       
       Anyone know what yeast is used in this? The same fermenting yeast, or a bottle yeast?
       
       I had most of a six pack tonight with SWMBO, I had no jars pressure cooked, so instead of pouring the dregs of each stubby into a jar, I capped them with sanitised lids and put them in my brew fridge. I didn't have any cooled boiled water to pour into them, so instead I hope they will last until tomorrow and I'll transfer them to a jar and start yeast washing so I can store it.
       
       If I hear it's good...

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       Hey,
       
       Anyone know what yeast is used in this? The same fermenting yeast, or a bottle yeast?
       
       I had most of a six pack tonight with SWMBO, I had no jars pressure cooked, so instead of pouring the dregs of each stubby into a jar, I capped them with sanitised lids and put them in my brew fridge. I didn't have any cooled boiled water to pour into them, so instead I hope they will last until tomorrow and I'll transfer them to a jar and start yeast washing so I can store it.
       
       If I hear it's good...
       1 Replies
       4618 Views
       nicko
       11 years ago
   23. Milled grain - not fine enough

       by nicko, 11 years ago in BIABrewer.info and BIAB for New Members

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       Hi guys,
       
       Is this fine enough? Each gain was cracked on careful inspection with a fair bit of flour underneath the pile.

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       My LHBS doesn't do grain and I can't face another session with the old Marga Mill, it had a funny base on it as it was supposed to just do small handfuls at a time, it had a cute little impractical tray underneath that held a couple hundred grams, so I stood it in a large shallow plastic tub (so I could still use a drill) and had to empty the tub a few times while milling. It probably took a good 20 minutes to mill everything, possibly a lot more as I wasn't checking the time, so I'll keep up...
       3 Replies
       4267 Views
       nicko
       11 years ago
   24. Thermometer and scales arrived today.

       by nicko, 11 years ago in General Chit-Chat, Nonsense & Rambles

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       And to be expected I've weighed and taken the temperature of pretty much anything I could find around the house! Just waiting on hops to arrive now...

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       Make sure you take a temp of a glass of ice water and boiling water! Just to make sure!
       
       I will out of curiosity Bob, however there's some arguments that even if those temps are correct the thermometer may still be incorrect around the strike water temp range, so I'll check it against a 'certified' thermometer whenever I get the chance.
       2 Replies
       4412 Views
       nicko
       11 years ago
   25. Bought a 70L kettle (pics)

       by nicko, 11 years ago in Bags, Mashers, Thermometers, Kettles etc.

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       Hi guys,
       
       Here's a pic of my new kettle :thumbs:
       
       One safety note though, mine was drilled for a tap but it wasn't sanded at all after drilling, so mine still had metal filings inside (powder form) and a thin 1cm filing on the inside of the hole that almost got under my fingernail but fortunately didn't. I'll sand/file that smooth shortly.
       
       The filings powder was only annoying as my BIAB bag is inside. I'll just make sure it gets a thorough wash before the first brew.
       
       The base of the pot is...

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       Thanks Pat,
       I'll take that on board and keep you guys in the loop.
       12 Replies
       11862 Views
       nicko
       11 years ago

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