Help - Please Friggin Christ Help

[bear09]

Brewclub = new group of mates.

Not another group of mates to get me into trouble....

 

[raven19]

And welcome back Bear!

So many little things can be learnt at brew days with others. We all do things in different ways, so here's hoping to nail this issue asap.

Good news thread this one.

 

[Amber Fluid]

Bear09... in my sig you will see a link to the AHB map. Maybe check that out for brewers near by you could talk to.

It would be handy if there were more members on here so when things like this happen it can be used as a tool to help.

 

[Charst]

CUB ain't perfect either..as Ferg said your welcome to attend on sunday

What do you mean CUB's not perfect? All there beers are so clear and Bright, Its the Best cold beer, its made from beer, its drunk in slow motion in a place thats purer than where im from!

 

[DU99]

Amber Fluid ..thats a good idea"the map"

 

[jkmeldrum]

Nice one Bear....man up son!

Channel the inner bear....

Your original rant was great....loved it! I think we've all been there.....can't remember how many times I've left a valve open and seen my beautiful wort flowing across my kitchen floor! You gave me a bit of a chuckle cos I've really questioned the money/time and effort I've put in on occasions....but it's all worth it....I get a little bit better each brew.

Hey I used to get some stuck spurges with my 38L Cooler and 12" falsie.....but now I just do one simple thing before I mash....and that's to just check and double check that the falsie is sitting dead flat on the bottom of the cooler.....I'm sure you've probably tried it, so not trying to tell you how to suck eggs.....but I just give it a bit of a bend in my hands and keep putting it back in there until it's dead flat against the bottom.

Since I've been doing that I haven't had one problem even with wheat beers.

You only need one chunk of grain to slip around and under the side to get up and through that pickup tube and it can be so frustrating. No amount of 'back-blowing' can seem to get it out sometimes.

As for hazy beer etc, I don't worry about it at all as I am an ale man myself.....if I pour slowly and it's a clear beer - great.....if not - and it's hazy I don't care....even my stuff ups are generally better than the crap I used to buy.

I never thought I'd say this but I hate going to most pubs now as the beer is generally shitty!!!...and I won't ever lower myself to the VB stuff.....too much of a beer snob now.

Good luck mate....hang in there!!

Molly

 

[mmmyummybeer]

I'm sure the Worthogs will help you out. I agree with 'Relax' but also to Slow Down most especially on recirc (not sure on Vourlofs spelling) and Sparge, especially if you mash is getting stuck. I know you said you don't need advice but do try to slow it down and don't panic.
Whats the go with perfectly clear beers anyway, why does it seem to be the most important thing surely I would be more concerned on taste than haze.

Like also said early on and Charlie Papazians motto 'don't worry relax have a homebrew'

 

[bear09]

Nice one Bear....man up son!

Channel the inner bear....

Your original rant was great....loved it! I think we've all been there.....can't remember how many times I've left a valve open and seen my beautiful wort flowing across my kitchen floor! You gave me a bit of a chuckle cos I've really questioned the money/time and effort I've put in on occasions....but it's all worth it....I get a little bit better each brew.

Hey I used to get some stuck spurges with my 38L Cooler and 12" falsie.....but now I just do one simple thing before I mash....and that's to just check and double check that the falsie is sitting dead flat on the bottom of the cooler.....I'm sure you've probably tried it, so not trying to tell you how to suck eggs.....but I just give it a bit of a bend in my hands and keep putting it back in there until it's dead flat against the bottom.

Since I've been doing that I haven't had one problem even with wheat beers.

You only need one chunk of grain to slip around and under the side to get up and through that pickup tube and it can be so frustrating. No amount of 'back-blowing' can seem to get it out sometimes.

As for hazy beer etc, I don't worry about it at all as I am an ale man myself.....if I pour slowly and it's a clear beer - great.....if not - and it's hazy I don't care....even my stuff ups are generally better than the crap I used to buy.

I never thought I'd say this but I hate going to most pubs now as the beer is generally shitty!!!...and I won't ever lower myself to the VB stuff.....too much of a beer snob now.

Good luck mate....hang in there!!

Molly

Yeah had to get over myself but in order to do so I had to sleep on it (and read some of the responses from AHB'ers - that helped a lot)...

Glad to see Im not alone in the whole throwing my hands in the air and walking away thing - also not alone in rapidly coming back. I loved the comment when someone asked if they could buy all my gear for $100 - that got me smiling again.

Back to it next week. I have just placed an order with G&G for smurtos land lord with 1469 - they have some in. I shall report back on this brew day with some pix.

I hope to look back on this post in 12 months and laugh - I hope to be in a brew club of some sort by then too...

Cheers again.

 

[cdbrown]

One thing I learned was don't try to hard, don't rush and if something goes wrong - stop, think about it and correct it.

So you drained husks and muck to the kettle, I'd - kill the gas, drain the kettle and pour it back into the mash, stir up the mash, let it settle for a bit and slowly drain some to a bucket until it's clear and then drain it to the kettle. Problem solved.

Do you use whirlfloc of another type of kettle finings? Do you whirlpool and let the break settle before draining to fermenter? Do you chill after ferment and use gelatine to help remove the hop and yeast particles (polyclar just treats chill haze)? Give it plenty of time while chilled to let everything drop out of solution and then minimise movement of the fermenter to prevent stirring up the trub?

Lots of things to help with the brew - but just take your time with it as it is meant to be enjoyable!

 

[punkin]

The only bit i can't get over is tipping out beer


I've drunk so much shit in thirty years of kit and kilo you wouldn't believe it...hold your nose stuff.

 

[humulus]

+1 for joining a club,why not grab a FWK and start again!!!!! :icon_cheers:

 

[bobsaget]

As others have said you need to get in touch with some other brewers to do a brew with. But specifically IMHO I think you should first get someone (whom you respect) to watch over one of your typical brews. Then after the brew they will probably be able to tell you that you did X Y Z and a dozen others things 'wrong' which will probably open your eyes to some things that you had never thought of. The things that you have thought of, and changed, yet still brewed crap beer aren't the problem, its those thing you take for granted (for lack of a better phrase)/things you just plain didn't think of that someone else will pick up on.... if any of that makes sense.
I know I am going to do a brew with a mate, because I have brewed a few average beers myself and want to know what I should improve on. Anyways, keep your chin up and stick with it. *to the sound of a Mexican accent* - You can do it!

 

[Lecterfan]

It's been a great journey to read though - f*ck knows I've felt like that also...thanks for sharing!

 

[bear09]

One thing I learned was don't try to hard, don't rush and if something goes wrong - stop, think about it and correct it.

So you drained husks and muck to the kettle, I'd - kill the gas, drain the kettle and pour it back into the mash, stir up the mash, let it settle for a bit and slowly drain some to a bucket until it's clear and then drain it to the kettle. Problem solved.

Do you use whirlfloc of another type of kettle finings? Do you whirlpool and let the break settle before draining to fermenter? Do you chill after ferment and use gelatine to help remove the hop and yeast particles (polyclar just treats chill haze)? Give it plenty of time while chilled to let everything drop out of solution and then minimise movement of the fermenter to prevent stirring up the trub?

Lots of things to help with the brew - but just take your time with it as it is meant to be enjoyable!

This is just so dam true " kill the gas, drain the kettle and pour it back into the mash, stir up the mash, let it settle for a bit and slowly drain some to a bucket until it's clear and then drain it to the kettle. Problem solved."

Aint hindsight a bitch? After I cooled down and gotten over myself I realised this would have been an easy fix. And you know what else? I KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE STUCK SPARGE!! I have been thinking about it all day. DUring the sparge I opened a bottle of beer on the bench by banging the top of the bottle with my hand. I noticed when I did this that the runnings hazed for a few seconds before clearing again and then very shortly after it stuck. I am now convined that the banging action on the bench compacted the grain bed and caused the stuck sparge. IM AN IDIOT. In my angered state I tipped a fresh 2L starter of ringwood down the drain because "i didnt need it anymore - Id given up"... 24 small hours later and I am kicking myself.

I needed to relax and have a home brew....

SO glad that others have had shit brew days too and felt the same way. Im back on the horse - I have ordered more then $300 worth of grain and gear today - Im not more determined then ever!!

Once again cheers for the replies - I cant believe this post lasted more then 5mins...

 

[squirt in the turns]

Maybe you did yourself a favour by tipping the Ringwood - that stuff is so needy and petulant that you might've ended up even more frustrated later on! What's worse, a stuck sparge or a stuck ferment? I'm joking, of course. It's good to see the number of fellow brewers that spoke up to console and encourage you.

I had a couple of stuck sparges while I was using an SS braid as a manifold. I tried blowing back through it, poking it with a spoon, smacking and shaking the tun... <_< 3 butchered water supply hoses and 1 Beerbelly false bottom later and I'm much happier. I know the feeling of having tried everything, or looking at mounting expenses and still not being satisfied with the beer I'm making. But with every brew, I know it's getting better.

 

[argon]

I have to second the patience and stop and think about it attitude (and thought the same about draining back to tun... but i didn't want to rub it in at the time)

Almost every time I've had a **** up, it was something that i could have remedied if i stopped and though about it.

Recently i wanted to pitch some yeast from a currently fermenting batch. After racking to secondary I found that the batch had stuck only dropping a few points over 10 days. In the past i may well have just used the yeast cake and pitched it to the awaiting cubes... resulting in probably 3 batches of shitty ferments and poor beer. Instead i stopped, re-assessed and developed an alternative. It took a little longer to get things underway, with making 2 new starters from different strains, but i know i won't have fucked the subsequent batches with yeast that i don't trust to do the job.

It's a hard thing to clear your mind when you're frustrated... but it's often the best thing to do. I no longer drink during brew sessions... although i sooo want to. But i need a clear head if i'm to overcome any hurdles that are likely to pop up.

 

[cdbrown]

I killed my herms element in the last brew day trying to be clever by preheating it before pumping the strike water. Next time I'll check the water level in there before switching it on. I also tried to rush the milling of the grain and ended up clogging the rollers and destroying the rubber part of the coupler between the motor and mill. Spent more time taking it apart to clean it out than it would just to let it run normally. Now the time I'd spend on a brew will be done repairing the herms and getting the mill up and running again......