Sometimes Even The Best Laid Plans...

[Chuck N]

...Can go awry.

Planned on brewing my Pale Ale today. Got up at 06:00, made coffee and measured out the grain and got it milled. Got the water in the pot and on the stove and started bringing the water up to strike temp. Had a few other house-hold chores that I tackled (and a few more yet to do) and then, as the water reached strike temp, I went to get my brew bag into the pot.

Where is it?

It's not in the box with all my brewing equipment.

It's not in the pot (obviously) or in the strainer (where it's suppose to be!).

The best I can figure is that the last time I brewed I washed and rinsed out the bag, hung it over the back step railing to dry and then forgot about it. Three weeks ago. It's gone.

So I was forced to take an hour and a half out of my planned schedule to run to the nearest Home Despot and back for some paint strainer bags.

I'm back on "schedule" minus the 1 1/2 hours and I'll get the beer in the fermenter but there's some things I'm not going to get to (again).

BTW

I'll be doing the boil out in my garage on my new propane burner and using my new hop spider that I just built. I'll try to take and post some photos.

[Beer-lord]

No worries, this one will be your best beer yet!

[Chuck N]

Well SNIT!

Either it's too cold outside - 25 degrees - or I bought a cheap-ass burner (more than likely the case). I had my pot on the burner for half an hour and it just couldn't bring the 4.25 gallons to a boil. So I'm forced back into the kitchen where my stove will get it to a boil but just barely.

[Brewbirds]

Allow me to refer you to a thread in the BIAB section called SMEIBBS' Corner.

[FedoraDave]

In the past, I would hang my BIA Bag on one of the lines down in the basement. SWMBO knew it was mine, and it was related to brewing, and she wouldn't do anything with it, and the next time I needed it, I knew it was there. But now I hang it in the beer closet. I try to keep as much of my brewing stuff in one place as I'm able, so I know where it always is. I also tend to stage my work area prior to grinding my grain and starting the heat on my strike water, just so I know everything is available and in its proper place.

[Chuck N]

I've been living in a construction zone since April (no one has ever accused me of jumping into a project ) so all of our office stuff - computer, printer and some files - are stuffed in the kitchen. That's why I was doubly stoked about my new burner. Which I have determined was the problem. I couldn't get a nice blue flame out of it. Just a dirty yellow one that sooted the Hell out of the bottom of my pot. You can't even begin to imagine how big of a mess that was to clean up. It wasn't just the pot but everything I touched after touching the pot needed to be cleaned up The stuff got on to EVERYTHING! Really spoiled my brew day.

But the pale ale is in the bucket and the bubbler is starting to dance this morning so "all's well that ends well."

P.S. I'm going to bring that burner to a buddy that deals with propane and propane equipment (and, no, it's not Hank Hill ) and see if he can figure out what's up with it.

[teutonic terror]

Chuck, if it's like mine it's just a simple adjustment on the air/gas ratio.
Loosen the screws and move the baffle one way or the other to make the adjustment!
Easy enough for you to do yourself at dusk!

Also, like Dave, I keep all my brew equipment in one general area to make sure I can put my hands on it when I decide to brew.

[FedoraDave]

Actually, I've got two places for my brewing equipment. Some stuff is in the beer closet, but some other stuff is in the basement; mostly bottling stuff, like the bottle tree, the sanitizer, and some miscellaneous stuff. The important thing is, I know where everything is, and can lay my hands on it when I need it.

[Chuck N]

From the research that I've done I think the problem is the cold. The colder it gets the less pressure you get out of a 20lb propane cylinder. What I might try is to bring the cylinder inside to warm up for a day or two before bringing it out to do the brew.

[RickBeer]

Chuck, storing a propane cylinder in your house would be risky.

[DaYooper]

Maybe equipment is different, but even in the dead of winter I dont seem to have any problems with my cooker which is stored in the garage with the propane tank. I think a lot may be due to the cold, dry winter air being denser and thus the carburetor needs to be adjusted. Winter is actually my favorite time to brew since I am not sitting on top of a smoking cauldron in 90 degree weather and with the burner going and the pot holding the heat it is actually quite comfortable. Wife will have nothing to do with it.

I also have a "brew closet" organized by shelves: expendables, brewing, bottling, and reference material & components for future build projects, with the LBKs on the floor. Much to the dismay of SWMBO however my vast bottle "collection" is spread across the basement in various nooks and crannies. The night before I try to lay out everything just to see if I need an emergency trip to the LHBS in the morning (meaning I can sleep in) or I can start bright and early. Downside is the wife with her OCD (just kidding dear) can have a tendency to put away brew equipment that looks like kitchen equipment like measuring cups, spoons, and the like.

[RickBeer]

If I don't put my equipment away, SWMBO isn't happy. And "away" has different meanings for men vs. women. I was shocked to discover that "in the basement" wasn't "away", nor was "in the basement in Rick's brewing area", nor was "in the basement in Rick's brewing area piled up in front of the area".

A neighbor had a bunch of wire shelving that she removed from her pantry and closets (why?) that she gave us for free. I have walls around my basement stairs with exposed studs (rest of walls are concrete), so I could easily mount the shelving to those walls without a concrete drill and anchors. Made one small area for brewing, the rest for other things. Capper is on the top of a file cabinet not pictured.

Upstairs, in the pantry closet, I store the bottling tree, empty LBKs, caps, sanitizer, and whatever brew is in the 4 week bottle stage (as it's warmer). Pantry is dust free as compared to the basement.

brewing shelves.jpg (241.17 KiB) Viewed 599 times

[jimjohson]

All my brew stuff is in the "man cave". I growl if swmbo even touches the door knob. Nice shelving, and you can't beat the price!

[Brewbirds]

@RickBeer It all looks nice and tidy. I approve.

[RickBeer]

@RickBeer It all looks nice and tidy. I approve.

Whew! I was worried...