BeerBorg

BlackDuck wrote:I want to learn how harvest and re-use yeast.

Yep that is my brewing goal for 2014. I want to be able to have my own yeast, hopefully a saison yeast, that I can maintain and grow. And of course to continue the fun I am having with Saisons until I get it down to a routine. Also I hope that I have purchased the last HME I am going to. (I need to go turn off the MR Beer subscription).

I also want to perfect my 1 gallon boil process. I think that will be getting perfected in 2014, and I will probably stay with extracts mostly for now with an occasional steep/PM.

The first of my Saisons will be getting bottled and conditioned this month so we'll see how those turned out and continue from there.

Monty

My resolution is to upgrade my brewery. Both in size and quality. As some Borg members know, I recently discovered my LBKs have an infection problem. To deal with that I went and got a 5 gallon bucket on the cheap. Can't quite do 5 gallon batches in that, but I think I can do up to 4 gallons, which almost doubles my production capabilities. As I do a batch or two with this and figure out my boils I think I may invest in a 6.5 gallon bucket and jump to 5 gallons. Just working through the problems, since right now my stove is struggling to boil 2 gallons of water. Maybe if everything works out I can move on and do some more AG brewing, but if not at least making better beers with steeps and partial mashes.

JimH wrote:My resolution is to upgrade my brewery. Both in size and quality. As some Borg members know, I recently discovered my LBKs have an infection problem. To deal with that I went and got a 5 gallon bucket on the cheap. Can't quite do 5 gallon batches in that, but I think I can do up to 4 gallons, which almost doubles my production capabilities. As I do a batch or two with this and figure out my boils I think I may invest in a 6.5 gallon bucket and jump to 5 gallons. Just working through the problems, since right now my stove is struggling to boil 2 gallons of water. Maybe if everything works out I can move on and do some more AG brewing, but if not at least making better beers with steeps and partial mashes.

Jim look into adding water after the fermentation a lot of commercial breweries do that. They will ferment a high gravity beer and mix down to meet the FG of the recipe.

My goal for 2014 is to just brew more and buy less craft beer. I think I'll follow Ron's lead on this one and try a shorter primary fermentation, I've always gone at least 21 days but I do that simply out of habit and I'm sure I could shorten that considerably. With good temp control and the fact that I only do 2.5 gal batches so yeast pitch rates are usually never an issue, I think I could get to keg under 10 days.

Mostly to keep improving, get the desired and expected results, and better beer. I think a little about entering a competition, but first I want to wow people with my brew.

Competition is on my mind for 2014!

Minimum 1 brew day per month.
Build fermentation chamber.
Enter 2 competitions.
Fully convert bar fridge to kegerator with dual tap tower.
Complete business plan for brew pub.

Not necessarily in that order...

My goal for this year is to brew all summer, even if it's just one five gal batch per month. I may convert one of my sliding door coolers in my farmstand (have 3) to a ferment chamber so I can do some lagers in the summer months also. I want to get the pipeline back up to where I had it a while back, always beer to drink with all the conditioning time needed.

I plan to organize more group brewing with friends. Lots of fun having 5 or more burners going at the same time. Smoking & barbequing meats. Drinking & laughing - Everybody has a good time.
We do this with my home brew club & plan at doing more of this at my local home brew shop "The Simple Brewer" in Somers NY. Less than 5 minutes from my house!
I also want to teach new & experienced brewers the brew in a bag methods I've been using with excellent results. This is going to be a big year for Home Brews!

haerbob3 wrote:

JimH wrote:My resolution is to upgrade my brewery. Both in size and quality. As some Borg members know, I recently discovered my LBKs have an infection problem. To deal with that I went and got a 5 gallon bucket on the cheap. Can't quite do 5 gallon batches in that, but I think I can do up to 4 gallons, which almost doubles my production capabilities. As I do a batch or two with this and figure out my boils I think I may invest in a 6.5 gallon bucket and jump to 5 gallons. Just working through the problems, since right now my stove is struggling to boil 2 gallons of water. Maybe if everything works out I can move on and do some more AG brewing, but if not at least making better beers with steeps and partial mashes.

Jim look into adding water after the fermentation a lot of commercial breweries do that. They will ferment a high gravity beer and mix down to meet the FG of the recipe.

Why do I love HB3 because he is an encyclopedia of brewing information.
If you can find a back issue of Brewing Techniques (May/June 1998 Vol. 6 No. 03 there is an article on doing exactly that for brewers that are time or otherwise constrained that might be of interest.

Okay that said my new beers resolution is to figure out how to brew with the equivalent of a cast on my left hand. If I can pour wort from kettle to fermenter then I need to figure out how to wash bottles with it on.

Hopefully that will only last a few weeks (6 to 8) before I'm okay.

If that works out BB2 wants to master an ESB, ALT (we feel we missed some stuff on those the first time) and do our first Wit from an outstanding recipe we tasted at the local home brew club picnic.

For the year overall BB2 is going to take the brewing chemistry class that GMan told us about and I would like to get more control over fermenting temps in the ice chests using frozen water bottles which have on a few batches let the temp rise on me.

Brewbirds wrote:

haerbob3 wrote:

JimH wrote:My resolution is to upgrade my brewery. Both in size and quality. As some Borg members know, I recently discovered my LBKs have an infection problem. To deal with that I went and got a 5 gallon bucket on the cheap. Can't quite do 5 gallon batches in that, but I think I can do up to 4 gallons, which almost doubles my production capabilities. As I do a batch or two with this and figure out my boils I think I may invest in a 6.5 gallon bucket and jump to 5 gallons. Just working through the problems, since right now my stove is struggling to boil 2 gallons of water. Maybe if everything works out I can move on and do some more AG brewing, but if not at least making better beers with steeps and partial mashes.

Jim look into adding water after the fermentation a lot of commercial breweries do that. They will ferment a high gravity beer and mix down to meet the FG of the recipe.

Why do I love HB3 because he is an encyclopedia of brewing information.
If you can find a back issue of Brewing Techniques (May/June 1998 Vol. 6 No. 03 there is an article on doing exactly that for brewers that are time or otherwise constrained that might be of interest.

Okay that said my new beers resolution is to figure out how to brew with the equivalent of a cast on my left hand. If I can pour wort from kettle to fermenter then I need to figure out how to wash bottles with it on.

Hopefully that will only last a few weeks (6 to 8) before I'm okay.

If that works out BB2 wants to master an ESB, ALT (we feel we missed some stuff on those the first time) and do our first Wit from an outstanding recipe we tasted at the local home brew club picnic.

For the year overall BB2 is going to take the brewing chemistry class that GMan told us about and I would like to get more control over fermenting temps in the ice chests using frozen water bottles which have on a few batches let the temp rise on me.

Never thought of that guys. I might have to do some research and think about that. Thanks Bob!

Beerlabelman wrote:I plan to organize more group brewing with friends. Lots of fun having 5 or more burners going at the same time. Smoking & barbequing meats. Drinking & laughing - Everybody has a good time.
We do this with my home brew club & plan at doing more of this at my local home brew shop "The Simple Brewer" in Somers NY. Less than 5 minutes from my house!
I also want to teach new & experienced brewers the brew in a bag methods I've been using with excellent results. This is going to be a big year for Home Brews!

Yes, group brewing is something I want to do more of as well. Have hosted a couple n00b group brews at my house in the past couple years. It's so much fun to get together with friends to brew...

My goals/resolutions in no particular are:

Launch brewery website
Launch brewery Kickstarter program
Kegerator build
Enter more competitions
Setup tasting session for all five beers we'll go with at the brewery
Continue to drive forward with investment opportunities for the brewery
Join brew master at local micro brewery to teach intro to brewing at local performing art centre

Become proficient at kegging, carbing, bottling from a keg, etc.

haerbob3 wrote:

JimH wrote:My resolution is to upgrade my brewery. Both in size and quality. As some Borg members know, I recently discovered my LBKs have an infection problem. To deal with that I went and got a 5 gallon bucket on the cheap. Can't quite do 5 gallon batches in that, but I think I can do up to 4 gallons, which almost doubles my production capabilities. As I do a batch or two with this and figure out my boils I think I may invest in a 6.5 gallon bucket and jump to 5 gallons. Just working through the problems, since right now my stove is struggling to boil 2 gallons of water. Maybe if everything works out I can move on and do some more AG brewing, but if not at least making better beers with steeps and partial mashes.

Jim look into adding water after the fermentation a lot of commercial breweries do that. They will ferment a high gravity beer and mix down to meet the FG of the recipe.

I have topped off after the boil many times with no ill effects. This way the yeast has a lower OG to work with. Reduces the risk of under pitching.