Recent content by DuncB

@ctfoust You'll be fine, you have a big vessel and a sensible batch size. There's an efficiency hit bút just parti gyle a free beer. Big beers are a challenge though. Chaptalise is useful for a stout but I wouldn't use it for a barley wine.

Wouldn't suggest ice directly either.

Sorry to hear about the thumb, hope they haven't stitched it up too tight. Keep the hand injury elevated at rest, I suggest with pint glass in it.

I used the rubber fittings that go in the lids of fermenters that make the bubbler / airlock " airtight", used a little bit of silicone oil on the inside of each one to help the tubes slide.

Using my Guten 70 which is a similar vol AIO. Last barley wine was batch 23 litres, BHE 68%, OG 1.127 and FG 1.028 Grain bill total 14.3 kg, WLP 099 big pitch starter, oxygenated, roused, nutrients, no reiterated mash, 27 mash water and 9 litre sparge. Made a 20 litre 1.044 partigyle best...

No way I know of to dry. I think the pubs pull through fresh water prior to reattach to flush out sanitiser remnants. Then discard first half pint.

I think the sparkler should be at the bottom of the glass as you start to pour/ pull. Let this move up the glass as it fills. There's a reason for the long neck and sparkler, southern taps have short spout and no or a loose sparkler. Still a good looking pint though.

If you fix the tube with inner tube to ball lock the line cleaning is easy using the kegland https://www.kegland.com.au/products/red-ball-lock-plastic-carbonation-cap-x-6-35mm-duotight?_pos=2&_psq=carbonat&_ss=e&_v=1.0 I just put this in a container of water warm initially when cleaning the...

You definitely will find that biggest gauge line from your corny is better. 1/4 would be tedious. Vinyl might be crap but better than silicone. It's not a good idea to have your engine connected to the corny and a full cylinder of beer for ages between pulls. It will stale in the engine...

I assume then that suspended particles affect hydrometer same as my refractometer, because when I cross check with hydrometer reading is the same?

@hotbeer No I'm just measuring the wort sample, post mash, post sparge, post boil and after filling fermenter. No late sugar additions. Mixing wine kits with water is a challenge to get an effective mix. But I'm seeing this issue with all grain brews.

That's my question really, I need to mix it very well after it has cooled to get even measurements. Why would this occur if stratification can't occur in a well mixed fluid before the sample is taken? I do note using a clear fermenter that's conical for 95+ % of my brews that cold break does...

Why can I get different gravity readings from the same sample pot when I take samples of wort. Using electronic refractometer and with the temp stable. Mixing the sample thoroughly ensures all of the readings are the same. If not mixed obvious differences between top and bottom of the sample?

@pocketmon Reading through your most recent post, you mention gravity drop noted as temp falls prior to pitching the yeast. I suspect that this could be caused by wort stratification, the denser sugars will fall and the wort near the surface will be less dense. Once ferment starts gravity...

@bwible Re mini kegs for ale extraction with beer engine. This is what you need. https://rlbs.ltd.uk/5-ltr-mini-keg-cask-read-ale-extractor-for-hand-pump.html I've heard the mini kegs can rust after a while, the stainless 4 litre kegs seem to work well if vented adequately. I was beaten to the...