The various hardware items for producing beer or wine. Includes buckets, carboys, kegs, hoses, airlocks, etc.
4
votes
3answers
478 views
Plastic or Glass
Plastic or Glass fermentors? (Lets keep stainless steel out of this debate for now)
Each has ups and downs.
What are the main differences for the following aspects:
Shapes and configurations
Heat ...
4
votes
2answers
441 views
Propane tank usage in winter time
Today is 14F here in the northern suburbs of MA. In the winter time it can be tough to brew outside if you are a propane cooker brewer such as myself.
When the tank is going full bore it tends to ...
4
votes
3answers
260 views
What equipment do I need to starting making wine?
What equipment do I need to start making wine at home?
4
votes
1answer
265 views
Use of a mash screen
I have recently had some problems with my false bottom and want to experiment with a mash screen. This might be a bit of a stupid question but I have never used one before:
Can you do the mashing with ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
Pro Mash Tun design
I was wondering if anyone had a link to a graphic of what the typical profesional mash tun is like. Specifically I was wondering if the majority of professional scaled mash tuns draw from underneath ...
4
votes
2answers
378 views
Bag-in-box packaging
Is it suitable for beer "bottling" or would the pressure tear it apart? If it's suitable it could be really useful since it can contain a large quantity of liquid with low package weight.
4
votes
1answer
153 views
What are the exact dimensions/specs of the fittings on a standard stainless steel Hansen Coupler?
I have a standard stainless steel Hansen Coupler for Pin-Lock type Cornelius Kegs. I'm trying to find the exact specs on both the 1/4 MFL and the inside (female) threads, where it connects to the ...
3
votes
2answers
289 views
Did I Break My Airlock?
I don't really know what I did here. I cut off the bottom little cross guy on the stem of the airlock because it was getting clogged up during vigorous fermentations. Now the middle piece just kind of ...
3
votes
2answers
553 views
Quick disconnects - cheap alternatives?
I'm looking to get some 1/2" NPT & barbed quick-disconnect fittings for my little brewery, making it easier to break down and clean, as well as give me some flexibility in what I'm sending where.
...
3
votes
6answers
3k views
Converting your fermentation bucket into a mash tun
Most people use coolers for mash tuns, but living in an apartment myself I can tell that having the least possible equipment is a priority. I know some people use their secondary fermenters as mash ...
3
votes
4answers
2k views
How do I set up a Sestos D1S temperature controller?
I am trying to set up an Sestos D1S temperature controller. Initially, just to see if it works at all, I am trying to use it to control the temperature of my kettle. I've wired it all up correctly so ...
3
votes
2answers
80 views
What are the best online hombrew retailers in Australia?
I've been looking for good homebrew ingredient and equipment retailers in Australia and would like some recommendations. If you have recommendations for online retailers that have the follow qualities ...
3
votes
3answers
150 views
Should I upgrade my thermometer or just re-calibrate it?
I'm asking this because I recently made the switch to all grain brewing, and I'd like to make sure I'm as accurate as possible for mash temps.
I have a plain dial thermometer that I used for some ...
3
votes
3answers
547 views
My beers are with a slight acid taste after the few first sips. What could be wrong?
So far I have brewed 5 times. First went perfect, though it was the first time I was using my kit and the grains were already ground. Second and third batches went wrong. My concern is with the last ...
3
votes
2answers
290 views
Recirculating wort chiller
I am building an recirc arm for my chilling set up. Should my recirc have a gentle bend in it to 90degrees or would it be OK to just use a 90degree elbow of a piece of straight pipe under the wort ...
3
votes
2answers
428 views
What are some popular methods for measuring boil and HLT volume?
Particularly during lautering and during a boil, I have a hard time keeping track of water/wort volume. What method(s) and equipment do you all recommend for accurately calculating liquid volume ...
3
votes
1answer
273 views
What makes a brew bucket food grade?
This question usually pops up in my head every time I step into Home Depot and see all the orange buckets around.
What makes a bucket food grade?
3
votes
3answers
1k views
Adding oak chips to a carboy
I use bourbon-soaked oak chips in my scotch ale. My last batch got infected, but that's another story.
I want to add the chips to a carboy, as I'll be aging it for over a month. It's easier to add ...
3
votes
2answers
205 views
Carbonating Kegs In Quantity
Does anyone have any suggestions for how to build a rig to carbonate multiple corny kegs at one time?
I currently have a high pressure CO2 line in my beer fridge so that I can carbonate one that is ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
What wattage element is needed for hot liquor tank/heat exchanger, and what about brew kettle?
I'm completely captivated by www.theelectricbrewery.com, love their directions, and have ordered the parts, so I'll have my experience soon, but what is your experience with selecting hot water heater ...
3
votes
3answers
490 views
Is there a standard siphoning hose size?
We have a hose that fits some of our equipment (bottle filler wand) but it is loose on both the racking cane and auto siphon. Is there a standardized size for this equipment or does it vary?
3
votes
2answers
176 views
Got first 2 kegs and need advice
I just bought two 15.5 gallon kegs yesterday from a local brewery that is closing its doors. They asked for $15 each so there was no way I could pass them up. They are in great condition.
I would ...
3
votes
3answers
281 views
Cold Break with a False Bottom
Historically, I've cooled my wort with a immersion chiller and siphoned it off to the carboy once it gets down to a reasonable temperature. I recently installed a false bottom and ball valve. This ...
3
votes
3answers
231 views
What are some good places to get a keg for a brew kettle?
I got my first keg from a beer store, whom I asked if they had any kegs I could buy outright. The keg they "sold" me was in really good condition, and only cost me $30. I'm looking to get a second ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views
Wort Chiller Cool Down Times?
What tools or tricks is everyone using to cool their wort down after the boil? How long does it take you to get down below 70 degrees? I am using an older copper wort chiller (hooks up to a garden ...
3
votes
2answers
631 views
Optimal counterflow wort chiller
I am planning to build a counterflow wort chiller using a hose outside of a copper tube. There are a great variety of lengths and types available commercially and I have read that many commercial ...
3
votes
1answer
95 views
How to sparge with a inner mash cylinder?
I have bought a BeerMaker 30 and now I wonder how to do the sparging so that I get the clearest wort possible.
The issue for me is, that I have a steel cylinder that goes into my electric ...
3
votes
2answers
162 views
Rust in a plastic fermenter?
I've got a 6 gallon plastic fermenter - one of those food-grade plastic buckets Midwest gives you in the starter kit. I guess after our last brew, my brother and I carelessly tossed the remains of our ...
3
votes
3answers
285 views
Indoor-alternatives to kitchen stove
I am a kitchen-brewer doing 5 gls all-grain batches and am frustrated because the kitchen stove is lacking the last bit of power to yield a nice rolling boil. Are there any indoor-alternatives to the ...
3
votes
3answers
171 views
Buying equipment in bulk
If one wanted to buy homebrew equipment in bulk, is there a way to go straight to the distributor? Bypass the LHBS / Northern Brewer / etc., and buy straight from the supplier? IF so, does anyone know ...
3
votes
2answers
631 views
Fermenting 1/2bbl and 1bbl batches
As I start planning my pico brewery, I've been thinking about fermenters. I'd love some thoughts on ways to ferment 1/2 and 1bbl (15.5 - 31 gallon) batches. Options for when price is and is not a ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
Is it okay to ferment a 5 gallon batch in a 14 gallon conical fermenter?
I am considering getting a either a 7 gallon or a 14 gallon conical fermenter and am wondering if it would be okay to ferment a standard 5 gallon batch in the 14 gallon or if that would be a bad idea. ...
3
votes
2answers
134 views
What exactly should I measure while brewing?
I want the answers to be geared towards meads/wines if possible.
There seems to be so many things to measure. Which are the ones that really matter? I've started spending a lot of time taking all ...
3
votes
2answers
176 views
Is this beerstone or something else? White haze in my kettle.
I recently moved. As part of the move, I changed my brewing process and went back to using my old brew pot (instead of an electric turkey fryer) and started using filtered tap water instead of ...
3
votes
2answers
379 views
Letting the gas out of a keg
I'm new to this homebrewing, made a mistake and wondering the consequences of my actions.
I have just completed the first week of fermentation and now have moved over to a plastic keg supplied with ...
3
votes
1answer
376 views
What is a swamp cooler?
What type of equipment do you need to build one?
How do you use it?
What are the realistic expectations of using one?
3
votes
2answers
434 views
Open Fermentation Process
Can open fermentation be done simply by putting the fermenting beer in a bucket carboy and covering it with foil?
The purpose of the foil would be to just keep airborne contaminants from falling into ...
2
votes
2answers
89 views
Kettle lid with hole in it
I always boil with the lid off my kettles (2 pots).
But I've been thinking lately about the design of commercial kettles. It seems that to more closely match a commercial boil, I should put about a ...
2
votes
3answers
330 views
Can a water heater element be installed in a conduit punched hole?
I'm thinking I want to build myself a kettle with a heater, a valve and a cooling coil. So four holes. probably, two different sizes
Perusing the electricbrewery.com site, they stress the need to use ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
DIY Racking cane / Auto-siphon
I can't seem to find a local supplier that stocks a racking cane or siphon in my area so I'd like to have a go at making my own. I could find an online supplier but most US stores won't ship to AU ...
2
votes
3answers
779 views
What equipment do I need to start brewing into 5L kegs?
I have just bought a 5L kegerator system for my office & would like to start bringing my homebrew in.
What do I need to get started? Can I re-use purchased 5L kegs or are there any retailers ...
2
votes
1answer
296 views
How to ferment 15-gallon batches
It's probably a simple solution, but I'm planning on making the jump to AG very shortly and, having only done 5-gallon batches in the past, am wondering what is the easiest way to ferment a full ...
2
votes
3answers
505 views
Which material for a manifold in a converted cooler mash tun?
I've been using a stainless braid for the last 3 years or so in my Igloo Ice Cube cooler. Despite my being careful, it has gotten compressed in a couple of places over the years, and I'd like to ...
2
votes
2answers
197 views
What characteristics should a bucket have to be suitable for a mash tun?
Does it need to have anything special or any food-grade bucket would do?
2
votes
1answer
206 views
How big do the holes need to be in a Zapap style Mash/Lauter Tun?
I'm looking to make one of the mash tuns out of a plastic bucket. I find instructions like "drill a bazillion holes into the bottom with a small drill bit". How small? Is there a size that's too ...
2
votes
1answer
408 views
Which size auto siphon to empty a 5 or 6.5 gallon carboy?
I got an auto siphon as a gift recently. Unfortunately, it only reaches about half-way down into the carboy. All the brew supply sites and the fermtech site, itself, aren't exactly clear about the ...
2
votes
1answer
750 views
Corny keg fermentors
I had been thinking about using a couple corny kegs as fermentors. Maybe even trimming up some dip tubes to be able to CO2 push finished beer out of the kegs to clean serving kegs.
Here are some of ...
2
votes
1answer
54 views
Bottle drying after sanitisation?
When sanitising and using a bottle tree, should I wait for bottles to dry completely or can I use them just rinsed? The Youngs sanitiser I'm using says items should be used within 1 hour of being ...
2
votes
3answers
777 views
Can a Johnson A419 control both a heater and cooler, or is a single-mode?
I just recieved a Johnson A419 digital temperature controller, but I think I was mistaken in my expectations. I was under the impression I could plug both a heater and cooler into the controller; ...
2
votes
1answer
144 views
What supplies to bring to a beer festival?
At the risk of being flagged off-topic, as this is a bit tangential to actual brewing and fermentation...
It's Spring, and the beer festival season isn't exactly in "full-swing" yet, but I don't know ...
