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1. Topics

   1. Brewing in Extreme Weather Conditions.

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      by wizard78, 15 years ago in General Chit-Chat, Nonsense & Rambles

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      Today I learnt that it isn't very much fun brewing in the garage when it's 30 odd degrees Celcius with about 1000000000% humidity! :idiot:
      I reckon I lost about 5 kg in sweat :cry: :lol:
      I hit my mash in temp then doughed in and managed to only drop 1 deg C :scratch: so I left the lid and sleeping bag of to try and get the temp down. Why is it when you want the temp to drop it won't and when you don't want it to it does? Like when I finally got it down to 65 C I wrapped it up then it managed...

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      I think I'll go to Aces place next time it gets hot or maybe Bob's :think:
      
      :P
      48 Replies
      38497 Views
      PistolPatch
      13 years ago
   2. Storing Hops

      by wizard78, 14 years ago in Hops

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      This link is to a thread on aussiehomebrewer posted by a reputable hop grower down here in Victoria on storing hops. Thought I might share the link for those interested.
      I have been storing my hops in the freezer after reading a post quite some time ago recommending it. I may have to change my ways.
      Cheers

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      Do you add just to the glass when drinking it or do you add to the whole batch sometimes? Have you tried citron vodka or you prefer plain?
      Happy turkey day all!
      Ola
      
      I have done it all. I keep a bottle in with my beer so it is always there if I need it? I keep the first run hop vodka for adding a little to marginal beers. You can make a D udweiser taste palatable? Not that I would have mega swill in my house but I brew plain amber ales for the Unbelievers and I may need to hop it up for myself...
      10 Replies
      22496 Views
      BobBrews
      14 years ago
   3. DIY Equipment

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      by wizard78, 15 years ago in Bags, Mashers, Thermometers, Kettles etc.

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      G'day all,
      I thought I might start a topic so people could show off some of there homemade equipment, seen as I'm a keen diy'er I thought I'd start it off with a couple of pics of my mash paddle and my beer font (both made from stainless steel.)
      Cheers Brad ;)
      P.s I didn't make the tap though

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      Thanks PP, Yeah there were a few hours involved in it, I didn't keep track though, I probably should have.
      Cheers :drink:
      59 Replies
      68024 Views
      wizard78
      14 years ago
   4. I need a recipe for a wedding brew!

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      by wizard78, 14 years ago in Creating Your Own Recipes

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      G'day all,
      So me and my better half have decided after 7 years of engagement we're finally going to get married. I know, I know, why am I doing it, blah blah :headhit: :lol:
      
      Anyway, I have decided to do a brew to give to all the beer drinkers at the wedding to take home. So what I need is some recipe ideas, some tried and true.
      I will be bottling in grolsch style swing top bottles.
      What I'm hoping to do is make at least 1 trial batch and age appropriately to make sure the recipe works etc.
      I...

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      :o Thanks PP :lol:
      The only thing I'm concerned about ATM is my bank balances are going the wrong way :scratch: oh well :lol:
      31 Replies
      32470 Views
      wizard78
      14 years ago
   5. My Fermenting freezer has carked it :-(

      by wizard78, 14 years ago in General Chit-Chat, Nonsense & Rambles

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      So I went into my garage today, and noticed my temp controller was reading about 18 deg C when it should have been 0, first I thought the probe was malfunctioning, so I got my thermometer and stuck it in and low and behold 18C :nup: :angry: .
      Luckily I didn't have a brew in there.
      Just thjought I'd have a whinge to some people who might feel my pain cause all I got from SWMBO was oh well.
      :angry:
      I do have a spare fridge a mates been using for a beer fridge, I might have to reposes it...

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      Well to make it 3, it seems I have a burst pipe on the soiled water side of my pool pump overnight. Not my pool exactly, a community pool that I maintain the pump shed and chemical balance of.
      5 Replies
      5943 Views
      hashie
      14 years ago
   6. pH meters

      by wizard78, 15 years ago in Brewing Water

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      G'day everyone,
      I'm looking into getting a pH meter while the Aussie dollar is good, and was wanting advice on whether or not to get a meter with auto temp comp? I'm looking at either the Hanna 98107 or 98108(with atc).
      I noticed that the one with atc only has a range to 50 deg C, so I assume you would have to collect some wort and cool to test.
      I hope some of you will be able to chime in with some of your experiences with either type of meter.
      Cheers :salute:

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      Thanks for the replies guys, look like I'll go for one with atc. :thumbs:
      4 Replies
      13985 Views
      wizard78
      15 years ago
   7. Merry Christmas 2010

      by wizard78, 15 years ago in General Chit-Chat, Nonsense & Rambles

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      I'd just like to wish every biabrewer a merry Christmas and a happy new year, and I hope everyones got a nice biabrew to drink for Christmas :drink: :thumbs:

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      |Happy xmas to all !!!!!! 1/2 way through a KEG OF aLE AND LOving it! can't wait till 2011 whem I'm sarting me AG Biab. Might have too sob|Er up abit first.
      
      Hail to the Beer and a wine for the ladies :lol:
      6 Replies
      8333 Views
      Yeasty
      15 years ago
   8. Taking homebrew on a Domestic Flight (Aus)

      by wizard78, 15 years ago in General Chit-Chat, Nonsense & Rambles

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      Hi guys,
      I have a wedding to go to this weekend up in Sydney, and was wanting to take a couple of homebrews up to drink with the groom on the morning of his wedding (to calm his nerves ;) ).
      Anyway, does anyone know if I can take the PET bottles on the plane?
      Cheers

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      Have a great weekend Wiz, and why not try and pack a keg, you know a couple of bottles will never be enough :)
      4 Replies
      5196 Views
      hashie
      15 years ago
   9. What Burner?

      by wizard78, 15 years ago in Bags, Mashers, Thermometers, Kettles etc.

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      G'day guys,
      I managed to get my hands on a keggle recently and was able to borrow a 4 ring burner from work. so today I gave it a test run and put 35 liters of water at 20 degC it took 40 mins to get to 68 degC and a further hourto get to the boil. Ambient temp outside was 10 degC.
      I wasn't all that impressed with the times and not to mention the boil was barely a boil.
      So I thought I'd put it out ther and ask the question, What is the best burner, price and power?
      I have priced a mongolian 23...

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      I've seen the NASA (turkey) burners just by themselves from the US for pretty low prices shipping is $42 USD which is a bit steep but the ebay seller aparently can ship 4 at the same price. So $120USD for 4x NASA burners seems alright.
      
      Only problem is building a stand :(
      21 Replies
      22071 Views
      outbreak
      15 years ago
   10. Hot break. Skim it on not?

       by wizard78, 15 years ago in Intermediate Brewing

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       Just been pondering my brewing process and one of the questions I have is when the wort comes to the boil and you get a foam up ( I am assuming this is hot break :? ) what does everybody do? Do you skim it? If so is it important to get it all? Or do you just let it go?
       Cheers guys. ;)

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       I think Bob has again hit the nail on the head, when folks line up for your beer then you know you're doing at least some things right! :P
       
       I used to skim religiously, but having sacrilegiously tried a few without, it seemed to make no discernible difference. I still skim the odd one now and then, but only opportunistically.
       7 Replies
       11020 Views
       Ralph
       15 years ago
   11. Efficiency?????

       by wizard78, 15 years ago in Intermediate Brewing

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       Hi everyone,
       I put down my 2nd brew this weekend, an Aussie pale ale.
       Grain Bill was 2.2 kg of Traditional Ale and 0.12 kg of Wheat malt. Bittered to about 24 with POR (including the small yeild from my own hop bine :D ).
       The thing I'm a little baffled about is my efficiency. My pre boil estimate with the biabrewer spreadsheet and beersmith was 1.031 and I got 1.034, which I thought was good efficiency, I think about 85%, however my post boil gravity was 1.046 with a target of 1.050.
       I know...

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       Sorry about the slow reply hashie - kept getting side-tracked :) and I didn't know what to write!
       
       I have never had dough balls!
       
       I'd like to hear more from people who had but that will probably jinx me - lol. The only advice I can offer is again to not worry about the figures on a single brew. I wrote a post a minute ago about how us brewers often start to rely/depend on our eyes instead of our mouths. I think I am only just starting to get out of that trap.
       
       Are you in it now?
       
       LOL,
       Patch
       12 Replies
       16926 Views
       PistolPatch
       15 years ago
   12. Tony's Aussie Pale Ale

       by wizard78, 15 years ago in BIAB Recipes

       

       OVERVIEW
       
       Style: Pale Ale
       Name: Tony's Aussie Pale Ale
       Yeast: US-05
       Original Gravity:1.046
       Total IBU's: 23
       Colour (EBC): 9
       Efficiency at End of Boil: 69%
       Mash Length (mins): 90
       Boil Length (mins): 90
       Your Vessel Type (Pot/Keggle/Urn): Pot
       Source/Credits: Tony's original recipe
       Notes/Instructions/Comments:
       
       Volumes etc.
       
       Your Vessel Volume (L or gal): 19L
       Your Vessel Diameter (cm or in): 31cm
       Water Required (L or gal):20.65L
       Mash Temperature (C or F): 65 C
       Volume at End of Boil (L or gal):...
       0 Replies
       4990 Views
       wizard78
       15 years ago
   13. Hopping Through a Hopback?

       by wizard78, 15 years ago in From Mash to Lauter (Water to Sweet Liquor)

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       G'day All,
       Been doing a bit of reading about hopbacks and was wondering if anyone has used one in traditional or biab, or even if it is practical for biab?
       If anyone has used one, was there a noticable difference in your beer?
       I read that they use the hopback in Little Creatures Pale Ale, and I don't mind that drop at all :)
       Cheers Brad ;)

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       I haven't used one myself Brad but have tasted several beers using one.
       
       Little Creatures does use a hopback but the amount they use in the hopback varies from brew to brew depending on what hop styles they have in store, how old they are etc etc. The head brewer from Little Creatures came and gave a talk to a few of us last year and it was fascinating at how he managed to juggle different methods of hopping to suit what he had in store and still get such good consistency in LCPA and his other...
       1 Replies
       4419 Views
       PistolPatch
       15 years ago
   14. I finally did my first Biab - Yay!

       by wizard78, 15 years ago in Intermediate Brewing

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       Well, after a couple of months of collecting equipment, ingredients, and finally getting some spare time(which ended up being cut short :evil: ) I finally put down my first Biab :D
       I brewed NRB's all Amarillo APA and I used the mini biab stovetop method with my 19L big-dub pot.
       It went fairly well, I'd like to say it went great but there were some issues starting from when I scaled the recipe and scaled it wrong. I did this before the Biabrewer calculator was available.
       I ended up juggling...

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       Sounds like you got it sussed goldy! Check out THIS CALC Usually does taste a little bitter at first. What was your recipe?
       Lloydie
       22 Replies
       24758 Views
       LloydieP
       15 years ago

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