Tom's Brewing Tips

• Labels

  After reading a few suggestions on the web, I found that brushing skim milk sparingly on the back of regular printer paper with a pastry brush and smoothing it onto the bottle with a paper towel works great. Be sure to use skim milk as the extra fat of other types makes it too slippery and dries too slowly. It doesn't cause inkjet ink to run and any spots go away after drying, which happens quickly. It is also easy to remove with warm water. But, since it is plain paper, it does have the disadvantage of being damaged by water such as happens when submerged in an ice chest. There doesn't seem to be a problem with regular condensation from refrigeration.

• Fermenting booth

  Since my basement temperature varies over winter and summer, I needed a way to control the temperature of my fermenter.

  Ale temperatures

  1. I hung an old bedspread around a chair under a heating vent in such a way that it went all the way to the floor and warm air blew into it when the furnace was on. That didn't seem to work, so I shut the vent and placed a 60 watt bulb under the chair. This works great and I was able to achieve a 65 - 67.5 f temperature range with a typical of ~66 f.
  2. I needed to make room for 2 carboys so I hung the bedspread in a tent fashion from the basement ceiling over a small workbench. With 2 carboys the temperature stabilized at ~66.9 f with one 60 watt bulb and at ~70.8 f with two 60 watt bulbs. The height of the workbench was a slight increase over the chair and helps in siphoning from the carboys. Previously, with the chair, the carboy had to be lifted onto something higher to complete the siphon.
  3. Eventually I bought a temperature controller to use with a fridge for lagering. It also works for heating so I put the probe by the carboy and set it to the desired temperature with the two 60 watt bulbs hooked to it. I set the differential to 1 degree so the temperature stays between the setting and setting - 1.

  Lager temperatures

  1. I ended up using the fridge I bought for lager fermentation as a 3 tap kegerator. Instead of buying another fridge, I bought a coleman electric cooler/heater.
  2. Using a cardboard box large enough to hold a carboy, I cut an opening in the side to accept the cooler with the lid detached. I cut another opening to provide a door to put the carboy in. Finally, I lined the interior with 1" styrofoam insulation.
  3. Connected to the temperature controller the temperature stays between the setting and setting + 1f.

• Bottle Rack

  I scavenged 2 freezer baskets from a freezer a neighbor put out for the trash. Placed upside down on a towel they work perfectly as bottle racks. Staggering the bottles so they fit nicely, they hold 28 bottles each. This accomodates a 5 gallon batch with a few extra. The rubberized coating on the mesh makes them easy to clean and sanitize with the swipe of an iodophor soaked sponge.

• Carboy Drainer Modification

  Carboy handles are indespensible but they make it so a carboy will not fit on a standard plastic carboy drainer. To remedy this, using a Dremel or other tool, cut away a portion of the plastic to allow room for the handle and its hardware so that the carboy sits level and contacts the remaining drainer supports properly.

• Kegs/Kegging

  I have the following keg couplers:
  • Sankey "D"
  • Sankey "S"
  • Hoff Stevens Twin Probe
  • German Slider
  • Grundy
  • U.E.C.
  
  Here are links to lists of coupler types:
  • kegman.net
  • micromatic.com

• Process Advice

  • Sanitation, sanitation, sanitation! Rinse everything used after the boil stops in Iodophor solution. Rinse hands in Iodophor solution before handling items. - Mike Uchima
  • Check for conversion sooner than specified mash time using a drop of Iodophor in a white dish with liquid skimmed from the wort (no pieces of grain). - Joe Formanek
  • Don't turn valve on and off for recirculation during lautering. - Joe Formanek
  • In order to avoid tannins, etc., don't oversparge - stop when run-off falls below 1.015 at sparge temperature. What's lost in conversion percentage will be gained in quality. - Joe Formanek:
  • When making beer with wheat or lots of grain use rice hulls during mash/lauter/sparge to avoid stuck sparge since grain bed will tend to be like dough even with the proper protein rest.
  • Consider using a blowoff tube when using Hefeweizen Ale yeast or lots of grain.
  • Consider making a yeast starter. My beers experienced a consistent improvement when I did this.

  Yeast starter

  • Put yeast out at room temperature for 24 hours
  • Heat filtered water to boiling (I use 3 cups [~.7 L] for a small starter and 6 cups [~1.4 L] for large)
  • Put 1 ounce of DME per cup into a large Pyrex pitcher
  • Pour water into pitcher and mix in
  • Pour into 1 or 2 liter flask
  • Cover flask opening with double thickness of aluminum foil
  • Boil for 10 minutes
  • Cool in ice water bath
  • Aerate by shaking vigorously
  • Pitch yeast
  • Fit with stopper and airlock
  • Keep at ~73 f
  The starter is best pitched into the batch at high krausen (maximum foam). Depending on the specific yeast and it's age, the starter may need to be done 12 to 48 hours before the brew.

• Removing labels from bottles.

  This process works well for regular paper labels (plastic ones usually can be peeled off). Place bottles in a container that is taller than they are. I use a rubbermaid storage bin. Put enough bottles in so that they support themselves upright. Pour some Arm and Hammer washing soda into the bottom of the bin being careful not to get any in the bottles. With a hose attached to a hot water spigot, fill the bottles with water first. Then fill the bin the rest of the way so the liquid covers the topmost label. Doing it this way keeps the washing soda out of the bottles (which leaves a film that can be difficult to remove) and keeps the bottles from floating. Let bottles soak overnight and then siphon the liquid containing the washing soda from around the bottles. The labels will simply slide off of the bottles. Rinse the outside of each bottle under warm water, rubbing it with a wash cloth to remove any remnants of glue or film. Assuming the bottles were rinsed clean after emptying, right before bottling rinse the inside of the bottles with an iodophor solution and then water.

• My brewing process

  • Equipment
    • Digital scales
    • 2 liter erlenmeyer flask with stopper and airlock
    • large Pyrex pitcher
    • 7-gallon mash/lauter tun with bazooka T-screen and spigot
    • Aluminum pie tin perforated with scribe (or ice pick)
    • 10-gallon Polarware brew pot with false bottom and spigot
    • 2 5-gallon pots for heating sparge water
    • Counterflow chiller that fits spigot on brew pot
    • Refractometer (replaces cylinder and hydrometer) for measuring specifc gravity
    • 6.5-gallon primary carboy with stopper and airlock
    • 5-gallon secondary carboy with stopper and airlock
    • 6-gallon bottling bucket with spigot, tubing and bottling wand
    • Phil's Mill grain mill and 6 gallon aluminum pot that came with a turkey boiling kit
  • Preparation
    • Weigh and Crush the Grain (usually the night before the brew): Weigh the grains on the digital scales per the recipe and crush them with the mill into the 6 gallon pot.
    • Make a yeast starter 24 to 36 hours before the brew using the guidelines above but scaled to the 5 cup volume utilizing the 2 liter flask.
    • Boil ~2 gallons of water in the brew pot with the counterflow chiller connected to the spigot. Turn off the heat and run the water through the chiller into a 5 gallon pot without any counterflow cool water in order to sanitize the chiller.
    • Clean equipement that will touch the beer after boiling in iodophor solution and rinse with water.
  • Mashing
    • Heat 1.25 quart of water per pound of grain in the mash tun to 170 f
    • Heat 4.5 gallons in one of the 5-gallon pots to 170 f
    • Bring 3 gallons to boiling temperature in the other 5 gallon pot
    • Mix grain into mash tun while stirring and add heat or cold water to reach target mash temperature
    • Cover mash tun and let rest at first mash temperature for specified time.
    • Repeat for specified mash temperatures adding boiling water or heat as necessary to reach target mash temperature.
      • Alternatively, scoop some of the mash into a 5 gallon pot using the Pyrex pitcher and bring to a boil. Then add it back into mash tun to bring it to the next mash temperature.
  • Sparging and Lautering
    • Put length of tubing on lauter tun (mash tun) spigot and place end in brew pot
    • Place perforated pie tin in lauter tun and open spigot to 45 degrees.
    • Capture run-off in flask or Pyrex pitcher and recirculate until run-off is relatively clear.
    • Capture run-off in brew pot while slowly rinsing with 170 f water poured onto pie tin until 6.5 - 7 gallons is obtained in brew pot.
  • Boiling
    • Put brew pot on 2 burners and bring brew pot to boil.
    • Watch for "first break" boil-over as boil occurs and adjust burners until it subsides.
    • Add any sugar in the recipe to the boil at this time.
    • Boil for 60 - 90 minutes
    • Weigh hops on digital scales per recipe and add to boil at specified times.
  • Cooling and Pitching Yeast
    • Connect counterflow chiller to brew pot spigot.
    • Connect length of tubing from chiller outlet to primary carboy.
    • Connect counterflow chiller cool water hose to cold water faucet.
    • Run wort from brew pot through counterflow chiller into primary carboy.
    • Extract sample of wort while removing tubing from carboy and use refractometer to obtain specfiic gravity reading.
    • For lagers, cap carboy and let rest for a cold break overnight while bringing yeast starter to lager fermentation temperature.
    • Rock carboy on folded towel to aerate.
    • Pitch yeast from starter into carboy.
  • Fermentation
    • Fit primary carboy with stopper and airlock and place in fermentation booth at specified temperature.
    • After specified time (~2 weeks) in primary, siphon into secondary carboy, fit with stopper and airlock and put at specified temperature.
  • Clean-up
    • Dump grain from mash tun into trash.
    • Dump hops from brew pot into trash.
    • Clean all pots with water
    • Boil ~2 gallons of water in the brew pot with the counterflow chiller connected to the spigot. Turn off the heat and run the water through the chiller into a 5 gallon pot without any counterflow cool water in order to sanitize the chiller.
    • Clean remaining equipment in iodophor solution and rinse with water.
  • Bottling
    • After specified time (~2 weeks) in secondary carboy, clean ~48 12-oz bottles and a 2-liter bottle in iodophor and rinse with water.
    • Boil 1 - 1.25 ounces of corn sugar per gallon to be bottled in flask, cool and add to bottling bucket.
    • Siphon from secondary carboy into a 2-liter bottle for force carbonation.
    • Siphon remainder into bottling bucket.
    • Place bottle caps in shallow level of iodophor solution in Pyrex pitcher.
    • Using a length of tubing and the bottling wand connected to the bottling bucket spigot, fill and cap bottles until bottling bucket is empty.
    • Place bottles at specified temperature for 2 weeks.
  • Kegging
    • After specified time (~2 weeks) in secondary carboy, clean 5 gallon soda keg and 2-liter bottle with iodophor and rinse with water.
    • Siphon from secondary carboy into a 2-liter bottle for force carbonation.
    • Siphon remainder into soda keg.
    • Flush keg with CO2, seal, pressurize to 30 lbs/sq in CO2 and place in fridge.
    • After a couple of days put on tap at 12 lbs/sq in CO2.

• My portable brewing process

  When I need to brew away from home, such as for Big Brew day at Two Brothers, I do preparation as above and use the following.
  • Ingredients
    • Adjuncts and sugars per recipe.
    • Hops and additives per recipe.
  • Equipment
    • Propane tank
    • 10 gallon Polarware boil kettle with false bottom and spigot
    • 2 tall plastic buckets (one with lid)
    • Metal stool with wood top
    • 6 gallon plastic carboy with cap and short angle tube attached
    • Short plastic hose with hose pinch clamp
    • Carboy carrier straps
    • Counterflow chiller
    • Chiller connecting hose
    • Garden hose with hose splitter
    • Towel and wash cloths
    • Mesh hop bag and clip
    • Wooden spoon
    • Refractometer and/or Hydrometer with cylinder
    • Propane lighter
    • Crescent wrench
    • Scissors
    • Pliers
    • Small cart
  • Preparation
    • Make a yeast starter 24 to 36 hours before the brew using the guidelines above but scaled to the 5 cup volume utilizing the 2 liter flask.
    • Boil ~2 gallons of water in the brew pot with the counterflow chiller connected to the spigot. Turn off the heat and run the water through the chiller into a 5 gallon pot without any counterflow cool water in order to sanitize the chiller.
    • Place yeast starter in carboy before leaving home.
  • Process
    • Boil wort in kettle on propane burner.
    • Stir in adjuncts and sugars per recipe.
    • Add hops and additives per recipe in hop bag clipped to side.
    • Stack 2 tall plastic buckets together upside down to hold the boil kettle after flame off.
    • Cover top bucket with a folded towel to act as a heat pad to protect buckets from heat of the kettle.
    • Place counterflow chiller on metal stool with wood top to hold it at the right level to connect to the kettle.
    • Connect short plastic hose with pinch clamp from counterflow chiller to carboy.
    • Drain kettle into carboy through counterflow chiller taking specific gravity.
    • Rock carboy on folded towel to aerate.
    • After returning home fix stopper and airlock and place in temperature booth.

• Early brewing process:

  If you'd like to see the brewing process from the 1800's as performed by Carillon Brewing in Dayton Ohio, click here.

• Handy Conversions:

  • Plato and Brix to Specific Gravity conversion:

    Technically, the formula for conversion from Plato to Specific Gravity is:
    
    • Specific gravity = {Plato/(258.6-([Plato/258.2]*227.1))}+1
    However, much simpler calculations that are accurate enough for home brewers are:
    • P = 260 - 260/SG
    • SG = 260/(260 - P)
    Likewise, Brix is approximated as:
    • B = 261.3 - 261.3/SG
    • SG = 261.3/(261.3 - B)

  • Liters to Gallons conversion:

    • G = L * 0.26417
    • L = G / 0.26417

  • Celsius to/from Fahrenheit

    • C = (F - 32)/1.8
    • F = (C * 1.8) + 32

• Commercial Belgian Yeast Info

  (taken from brew like a MONK by Stan Hieronymus)

  • Commercial Origins

    Brewery: Chimay Orval Westmalle Rochefort Achouffe Duvel Unibroue Corsendonk-Bocq

    White Labs: WLP500 WLP510 WLP530 WLP540 WLP550 WLP570

    WYeast: 1214 3787 1762 3522 1388 3864 3538

  • WYeast Descriptions

    WYeast Strain Number	1214	1388	1762	3522	3787	3538	3864
    Flocculation	Medium	Low	Medium	High	Medium	High	Medium
    Attenuation %	72-76	65-75	73-77	72-76	75-80	75-78	75-79
    Temperature Range 75f-85f and Resulting Flavor Profiles	Clove Bubblegum Banana Alcohol Rose Fruity	Alcohol Phenolic Fruity Tart Banana	Solvent Alcohol Phenolic	Clove Bubblegum Tart Phenolic	Bubblegum Clove Alcohol Fruity Tart Lt. Solvent	Bubblegum Solvent Banana Clove Phenolic Lt. Tart	Banana Clove Lt. Phenolic Fruity
    Temperature Range 65f-75f and Resulting Flavor Profiles	Clove Alcohol Phenolic Fruity	Lt. Fruity Alcohol	Clean Lt. Fruity	Clean Malty	Clove Alcohol Pineapple	Bubblegum Fruity Clove	Fruity Lt. Clove Sulfur

  • White Lab Descriptions

    White Lab Strain Number	WLP500	WLP510	WLP530	WLP550	WLP570
    Flocculation	Low	Medium	Medium-High	Medium	Low
    Attenuation %	75-85	75-85	75-85	80-90	70-80
    Temperature Range 75f-85f and Resulting Flavor Profiles	Fruity Mod. Phenolic Solvent	Spicy Acidic Solvent	Spicy Phenolic Solvent	Earthy Phenolic Solvent	Fruity Mod. Phenolic Sulfur
    Temperature Range 67f-75f and Resulting Flavor Profiles	Spicy Lt. Phenol Fruity	Spicy Acidic Clean	Spicy Lt. Phenol Fruity	Fruity Phenolic Sulfur	Fruity Phenolic Sulfur
    Temperature Range 58f-66f and Resulting Flavor Profiles	Clean Balanced Earthy	Clean Crisp Lt. Phenol	Peppery Spicy Lt. Phenol	Clean Lt. Phenol Spicy	Phenolic Spicy