So I took some pics during brew day

[d3track]

Well, at least when I remembered to. Thought it would be fun to track through my session and let everyone tell me what I do wrong (hopefully something is right in there)

So while my wife was at work, my youngest was at a sleepover, and the oldest was still in bed (teenagers...), I had Labor Day morning to myself.

Got some coffee, and I started cold steeping some tea the night before. Got my stuff together and started cleaning the equipment.

Scale, refractometer, hops, campden, ph strips (more on those later), whirflock, yeast

Am I the only crazy guy who cleans before and after brewing? I feel like this takes up a lot of time

 

[d3track]

gathering water (added half campden tab to strike and sparge water

this is going to take a while, so lets look at some of my ugly junk in the workshop!

 

[Saboral]

Why are you adding campden to strike and sparge water?

 

[d3track]

get strike water going, I've got to admit, this thermometer is great! The dial thermometers seem to be way to slow and I had a harder time hitting my mash temps - I've been much better lately with this.

mashing (can't take pics while doughing in alone..) - you'll also notice that if a man buys chalkboard paint to cover his workbench, and there's paint left in the can, and if he was having a few while painting....yup, other things like mash tuns get painted and dumb stuff scribbled on them...

ph strips...why even effing bother...I have no idea what this means. Bru'n Water, I'm depending on you. At least this way I get in the habit of taking measurements when I finally splurge on getting a good meter

 

[d3track]

Why are you adding campden to strike and sparge water?

Chlorine and chloramine, it's the easiest way for me to make sure I get those chemicals out of the water.

 

[Horsehead]

The coffee cup never requires washing.
The coffee maker should be washed somewhat more frequently.
The beer brewing equipment should be washed after use and rinsed before use.
The fermenting equipment and bottles/kegging should be washed after use and stored cleanly, rinsed and sanitized before use.
At least that's my take on it.

 

[d3track]

first runnings after a 60-minute mash

getting ready to start the boil, I was grabbing the fermcap out of the fridge at this time

past the hot break

hops time!!!
http://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/images/1/2/0/1/7/1/thumb1_imagf8-66101.jpg

now that we are past the hard parts, it's time - pale ale with Jarrylo and Huell Melon

 

[d3track]

The coffee cup never requires washing.
The coffee maker should be washed somewhat more frequently.
The beer brewing equipment should be washed after use and rinsed before use.
The fermenting equipment and bottles/kegging should be washed after use and stored cleanly, rinsed and sanitized before use.
At least that's my take on it.

I always tell myself I'm just going to rinse, then I never do. Otherwise I'm pretty close to the same.

However - I dropped some PBW into the travel mugs, wow did those things sparkle! the SWMBO is now trying to think of other uses and asked how large of a container it comes in!

 

[d3track]

time to chill - you can kind of see the little pumps that have become infamous, not having to stir while chilling was one of the main reasons I got a couple of them - they work pretty well for me

I use the big tub of ice water and a pond pump (it's down there). in the summer I can get under 60* in about 40-45 minutes, under 70* in less than 20 minutes if there's enough ice that it doesn't all melt

to pitching temps

O2 -I should have taken video because this is always a question I have - I open the regulator so that O2 is just coming out, not opening it all the way. I figure if there's foam the O2 is escaping the wort. Thoughts?

 

[d3track]

and into the ferm chamber - I think it was @GavinC that I saw the bungee cords, A LOT easier than tape. And yes, that is a cut up can coozie I use to insulate

Thanks for reading everyone - it was fun taking pics along the way, it also got me thinking that I should take videos of areas that I question, maybe next time.

Oh yeah, and forgot to include:
It was an Oatmeal Stout
US-05 @ 67*