Launching Brewgeeks

[tknice]

Hey Guys,

I'm really not sure where to post this, but I've been working on a website called BrewGeeks and the goal is to keep it up to date with homebrewing news and funny articles but most importantly, share what we have learned and catalog some of the DIY projects we've done.

There is still lots to come but please check it out.

www.brewgeeks.com

Thanks!

-TK

 

[iralosavic]

G'day TK. Nice website - I liked your idea on preparing starter worts in advance. However, unless you are marketing only to Yankees, you might want to consider the use of the metric system

 

[tknice]

G'day TK. Nice website - I liked your idea on preparing starter worts in advance. However, unless you are marketing only to Yankees, you might want to consider the use of the metric system

Great suggestion iralosavic. I didn't even think of it because of what I'm used to.

Will definitely get that added.

 

[DU99]

Nice website..nicely laid out..your biab article was interesting

 

[dkaos]

Yeah looks cool mate, I love your fermentation chambers'.

 

[peas_and_corn]

A priming calculator would be nice in the 'calculate stuff' section.

 

[bruce86]

site looks great the fermenter box is awsome only thing is should the lightbulb heater be mounted above the carboy somewhere incase one beer shoots it load? or is the can completley sealed and not need to worry about liquid messing with electrics?

 

[Fish13]

thanks mate. Now it just needs a how to build a basic 3v...

 

[Benchish]

Nice job, everything is nice and easy to read and there are enough pictures to show whats happening without making it a slideshow.

Some more instructions on the keg line cleaner would be nice, that thing looks damn handy.

 

[tknice]

site looks great the fermenter box is awsome only thing is should the lightbulb heater be mounted above the carboy somewhere incase one beer shoots it load? or is the can completley sealed and not need to worry about liquid messing with electrics?

I don't know about sealed, but it is tightly closed. I sure hope a carboy doesnt blow in there--I always use a large blow-off when fermenting a yeast that I'm not familiar with so that helps. Also, there's already a lot of stuff near the ceiling. I need to get a picture of it, but I mounted these cheap $6 web cams from china up there as well so I can look in on the fermentation if I need to.
Glad everyone likes the site so far. My main method of brewing is no sparge biab which I borrowed from you, much thanks for that!

 

[iralosavic]

I don't know about sealed, but it is tightly closed. I sure hope a carboy doesnt blow in there--I always use a large blow-off when fermenting a yeast that I'm not familiar with so that helps. Also, there's already a lot of stuff near the ceiling. I need to get a picture of it, but I mounted these cheap $6 web cams from china up there as well so I can look in on the fermentation if I need to.
Glad everyone likes the site so far. My main method of brewing is no sparge biab which I borrowed from you, much thanks for that!

How do you get the webcam to transmit to the internet? I assume you have it plugged into a computer? I like the idea of being able to keep an eye on fermentation remotely (as my brewhaus is not on my own property), but I don't have a spare computer. Cheers

 

[iralosavic]

I have a question regarding your starters... My pressure cooker (it's an electric one that loses a lot of capacity to insulation etc) won't fit 1 quart jars in it, so I may have to use Pint (437ml) sized jars.

If I used the same percentage of headroom as you left in the quart jars (16%) I'd be left with 367ml. In order to make the process worthwhile, I'd like to store the wort in a concentration that can be diluted into a litre (and maybe some to dilute to 2 litres) and be at the right gravity (1.035ish). Do you know how to calculate the target gravity in the concentrated form to achieve the right gravity at target dilution?

Cheers

 

[hando]

I like the articles in your site. I've been thinking of similar ideas for fermentation temp control. Well done.

I must say though, imperial measurements are like a foreign language, and I was a bit disappointed not to see metric equivalents in all the measurements and calcs.

Cheers

 

[JaseH]

 

[tknice]

I have a question regarding your starters... My pressure cooker (it's an electric one that loses a lot of capacity to insulation etc) won't fit 1 quart jars in it, so I may have to use Pint (437ml) sized jars.

If I used the same percentage of headroom as you left in the quart jars (16%) I'd be left with 367ml. In order to make the process worthwhile, I'd like to store the wort in a concentration that can be diluted into a litre (and maybe some to dilute to 2 litres) and be at the right gravity (1.035ish). Do you know how to calculate the target gravity in the concentrated form to achieve the right gravity at target dilution?

Cheers

Hey iralosavic, I don't think it would matter if you still use 80 grams in a pint of water for your pressure cooker and then added another pint at the time you make the starter. It will bring it right back to the gravity we are looking for--just make sure the water you add is sterile.

You're right though about the gravity. 800ml and 80 grams is around 1.035 so you would use 40 grams for 400 (367ml) to have the same gravity. That is low for where you want to be for typical pitching rates.

FROTHIE: I get the picture (pardon the pun).

 

[tknice]

I like the articles in your site. I've been thinking of similar ideas for fermentation temp control. Well done.

I must say though, imperial measurements are like a foreign language, and I was a bit disappointed not to see metric equivalents in all the measurements and calcs.

Cheers

Thanks Hando.. Sorry about the imperial measurements. I want to have both listed to make it easy but as a typical dumb american, I didn't even think about it until someone mentioned it earlier. I thought I got most (if not all) of them in the Making Starters post. The BIAB post has a pretty nasty water calc section that is all imperial. I need to figure out the best way to represent both, especially when there is a large section like that.

Do you think it's okay to list the metric equivalent in parens after the imperial number for most things? How would you like to see it listed?

Thanks for any suggestions or help on this.

-TK

 

[iralosavic]

Hey iralosavic, I don't think it would matter if you still use 80 grams in a pint of water for your pressure cooker and then added another pint at the time you make the starter. It will bring it right back to the gravity we are looking for--just make sure the water you add is sterile.

You're right though about the gravity. 800ml and 80 grams is around 1.035 so you would use 40 grams for 400 (367ml) to have the same gravity. That is low for where you want to be for typical pitching rates.

I won't be using DME, which is where things get more complicated. I have 3 Coopers extract tins that are out of date that I want to use. The starter in advance idea is appealing to me because I can just dilute the 1.7kg extract to 16 litres to get 1.035 (roughly), sterilise it and story it ready for use. So I need to know what to dilute the can to in order to be at a concentration where, when further diluted to 1 or 2 litres (from the 400ml odd) (I might make 50/50 to suit smaller and larger starters), the gravity is 1.035ish. I will also store some sterile water ready to diute with. As you can see, the main reason for storing it in concentrated form is because there is just so much of it from one can.


I hope that makes sense! Cheers

 

[tknice]

I won't be using DME, which is where things get more complicated. I have 3 Coopers extract tins that are out of date that I want to use. The starter in advance idea is appealing to me because I can just dilute the 1.7kg extract to 16 litres to get 1.035 (roughly), sterilise it and story it ready for use. So I need to know what to dilute the can to in order to be at a concentration where, when further diluted to 1 or 2 litres (from the 400ml odd) (I might make 50/50 to suit smaller and larger starters), the gravity is 1.035ish. I will also store some sterile water ready to diute with. As you can see, the main reason for storing it in concentrated form is because there is just so much of it from one can.


I hope that makes sense! Cheers

That is a tough one.. I see what you mean now. I know you don't want to waste any extract since the purpose is to make use of the old cans, but you may just need to experiment a little and take gravity readings until you know what you're dealing with.

btw, I feel so stupid asking this but I'm trying to get the conversions correct for metric and I'm not sure what is commonly used--I guess the largest that is suitable? So if I said you needed to get 3/4 inch plywood, would you ask for 19 mm or 1.9 cm?

 

[iralosavic]

That is a tough one.. I see what you mean now. I know you don't want to waste any extract since the purpose is to make use of the old cans, but you may just need to experiment a little and take gravity readings until you know what you're dealing with.

btw, I feel so stupid asking this but I'm trying to get the conversions correct for metric and I'm not sure what is commonly used--I guess the largest that is suitable? So if I said you needed to get 3/4 inch plywood, would you ask for 19 mm or 1.9 cm?

I'll have a play around.

Australians typically use mm in the building industry, unless you're referring to something rather large, then we may use metres.

 

[Fish13]

That is a tough one.. I see what you mean now. I know you don't want to waste any extract since the purpose is to make use of the old cans, but you may just need to experiment a little and take gravity readings until you know what you're dealing with.

btw, I feel so stupid asking this but I'm trying to get the conversions correct for metric and I'm not sure what is commonly used--I guess the largest that is suitable? So if I said you needed to get 3/4 inch plywood, would you ask for 19 mm or 1.9 cm?

we would ask for 19mm.

although 3/4 ply is actually 18mm thick... hows that work for you... but 1/4 inch is 6mm ply...