Projects

October 2017

NEW: I have added an Arduino WebServer to monitor my refrigerators: WebServer  10/15/2017

Scott donated a 15+ gallon brew pot a few months back.  I took it to Will the Welder at Florida Metal Craft.  He is making some adjustments to the ports then I will be ready to brew a MEGA batch.  Just have to pick a brew and force my friends to come help me on brew day.

January 2017

Time to make some engineering adjustments to brewing system
Scott in North Carolina has offered to assist me in building a HERMS system.

Until then, I am going to make some extension hoses on my counter-flow chiller and split off the WATER output (3/8") and divert some thru a submersible copper coil chiller.  This will utilize the otherwise 'wasted' warm water that can now come in contact with the hot wort (sort of a recycling of water, to extract more heat because of the heat differential).  Drawing to appear below soon.

November 2016

11/5/2016
Started IPA #2 partial mash
Mashing 6.5 lbs of grain (0.5 lbs British Crystal)

10/28/2016
Transferred the IPA into a secondary, added 1 oz Cascade (dry hopping).  Then I pressurized the secondary (a little trick I learned from Kent at Crooked Can Brewery).  Tasting session with Carlton, Mike and neighbor Mike.  Got thumbs up all around... can't wait for the final product!!!

10/22/ 2016
Started an IPA kit.  I have never made an IPA using a kit, so I couldn't help but 'doctor' it up a bit.  I added the extra 2 lbs of DME malt, then brought it to a boil and tossed in an ounce of Northern Brewers hop pellets...

10/21/16
Bottled the Irish Brown Ale.  Tasted great, will give it a week or two to bottle condition. Chris O'Neil wants a sample.

10/14/16
Started a MountMellick Irish Brown Ale (compliments of Carlton)
This is a kit, with DME (dry malt extract) to make volume 5 gallons.
10/15/16 4 am, vigorous fermentation going on!!!


I bottled a Wheat Beer on 10/11/16
This is being bottle-conditioned, so we should be able to sample it in about a week.  Mike can hardly wait.

In queue is:
IPA
American Style Lager (waiting on equipment upgrades and to find fittings for my chiller)


2015
At Robby's house, we're planning to rebuild the Perlick kegerator.

It was designed to hold ONE 1/2 barrel keg (approx 16gal).
Since we keg our homebrew in 5 gallon kegs, we can fit 3 inside.

The tower only has one tap, so we will add a two-tap extension on the tower.
This will give us access to all three beers in the kegerator.

It will look like this when we are done:

3/2017 Finally got the Kegerator moved to my house, everything is broken except the compressor...
Ordered the door seal, evap fan.  I need to rebuild the door, its warped.  Replaced the Evap Fan, charged it up with R-290 refrigerant, and she pulls to 38 degrees F in no time!!!

My first attempt at roasting my own Chocolate Malt (11-11-16):