Confession Time

[1977Brewer]

New one, I was running cold water into an icebath for my priming solution today and while trying to move some ice cubes to set the pan down in the sink I realized the cold water had started to pour INTO my priming solution.

I thought "Great, now I have to reboil this." And then I decided I wasn't going to do that and I continued to bottle as normal.

Your confession is that you put water in your beer. Coors does that daily and advertises it.

 

[Singletrack]

Sinks can harbor a huge number of microbes, especially kitchen sinks.

You can get food poisoning from the bacteria in a kitchen sink.

I draw the line at using potentially contaminated water.



I'd never serve that beer to anyone until I had a few bottles and didn't get sick by a week later.

Arc Light. I hate that. Every time I hear that something terrible happens.

 

[Kampenken]

Scales sold for drugs are the best for hops and water additions. Gotta love that .01 gram resolution

No kidding! I live in a nice borough and in the back alley by our garage I found an old scale. What a fine tuned instrument with 4 measuring scales!

 

[wtaylor3]

Sinks can harbor a huge number of microbes, especially kitchen sinks.
You can get food poisoning from the bacteria in a kitchen sink.
I draw the line at using potentially contaminated water.

I'd never serve that beer to anyone until I had a few bottles and didn't get sick by a week later.

I should clarify, the water out of the faucet was poring into the priming solution not the standing water in the ice bath

 

[beerme70]

I like to brew naked.....wait, did I just say that out loud? Nevermind

 

[DrunkleJon]

Sinks can harbor a huge number of microbes, especially kitchen sinks.
You can get food poisoning from the bacteria in a kitchen sink.
I draw the line at using potentially contaminated water.

I'd never serve that beer to anyone until I had a few bottles and didn't get sick by a week later.

Nothing pathogenic can survive in beer. Especially once it's fermented. Toxins can remain but the PH and alcohol will kill anything that can make you sick.

 

[Col_klink]

Arc light. I hate that. Every time I hear that something terrible happens.

HAHAHAHA!!




I never check gravity before I decide fermentation is done. I wait 14 days and then I bottle. I do check it once its in the bottling bucket but never to decide whether its done or not.

 

[Rotor_Head]

I made a batch and didnt bother to check the OG. Nor will I for the FG. 14 days and in a keg.

 

[normonster]

I made a batch and didnt bother to check the OG. Nor will I for the FG. 14 days and in a keg.

F'it...that isn't so bad. I've done likewise over the course of like 80 gallons. If it tastes good then it is.

 

[truvr]

I never check gravity before I decide fermentation is done. I wait 14 days and then I bottle. I do check it once its in the bottling bucket but never to decide whether its done or not.

So the question is...how much does the priming sugar offset the gravity measurement...?

 

[cyanmonkey]

So the question is...how much does the priming sugar offset the gravity measurement...?

Just assume it doesn't. I can remember the exact amount, but it only increases abv by tenths of a percent, if that.

 

[Singletrack]

So the question is...how much does the priming sugar offset the gravity measurement...?

The offset in gravity = (oz of sugar) / 16 x (extract of sugar in pt/lb/gal) / (bottling bucket volume in gal) / 1000. For me, this is about 0.002, so if I forget to check gravity before racking into the bottle bucket, I subtract 0.002 from the hydrometer reading.

And I confess I forgot this again today.

 

[truvr]

The offset in gravity = (oz of sugar) / 16 x (extract of sugar in pt/lb/gal) / (bottling bucket volume in gal) / 1000. For me, this is about 0.002, so if I forget to check gravity before racking into the bottle bucket, I subtract 0.002 from the hydrometer reading.

And I confess I forgot this again today.

I confess, I wasn't expecting such a detailed answer. But thanks. Can you explain the 2nd term, (extract of sugar in pt/lb/gal)? I hate pulling that sample for the final reading. I may need to plan to forget this in the future!

 

[philipCT]

I use my wife's old weed scale. Glad we kept it.

weed scale? oh, weed. got it - never mind!

That's a confession. I truly went through that thought process "why would someone want to weigh weeds???". Man, it's been too long.

 

[Singletrack]

I confess, I wasn't expecting such a detailed answer. But thanks. Can you explain the 2nd term, (extract of sugar in pt/lb/gal)? I hate pulling that sample for the final reading. I may need to plan to forget this in the future!

Sure, but then I will have to confess something to stay on topic.

The "extract" of sugar is 37 pt/lb/gal for corn sugar and 46 pt/lb/gal for cane sugar. This is a measurement of the specific gravity resulting from dissolving 1 lb of the sugar in pure water to create 1 gallon of solution -- except it is reported as 37 instead of 1.037, for example.

And now, I confess that I have a huge multi-page spreadsheet to calculate all kinds of brewing-related stuff, all developed from scratch because I am a control freak, or enjoy it, or something. It keeps growing and growing and I can't seem to stop it. Now it has calculated that this post has exceeded my time limit and I am 39 minutes past my logoff time. Out.

 

[headspace]

I think most people like their beer over-carbonated and too cold.

I usually drink beer out of a wine glass.

 

[ol-hazza]

I took a gravity reading on my lager after finishing its d rest, found i hadnt taken an og reading, it hasnt dropped to its calculated fg and then racked it anyway.

So now im leaving it at 17°c over night, will measure it again tomorrow and if its the same then drop the temp.

What a cluster. And this is all because i wanted to save $5 so got a cheap hydrometer and test jar which is 250ml which is too big so i try not to take samples.

Oh and the cheap hydrometer sucks and i got two ofthem and they wont break

 

[SPR-GRN]

I've become a really lazy brewer (except with sanitation, I'm anal about that).

I have not taken OG or FG readings on my past five batches; 1 was a blonde, 1 was a cider and 3 were wine; I just wait a bit longer before kegging/bottling.

I also don't do starters anymore, and have had no ill affects.

The funny thing is my beer & wine are better than ever.

 

[hunter_le five]

You're all a bunch of amateurs.

I don't clean or sanitize my equipment anymore. If my beer gets infected, I just tell everyone it's a "sour", and ask if they can pick up on the "funky horseblanket" notes.

I don't buy yeast. That's for chumps and rich people. I just spit into the fermentation vessel every time I walk buy until it develops a krausen.

Bottling is tedious and kegs are expensive. Any time I want a beer, I just ladle some beer out of the fermenter into a cocktail shaker, and shake the hell out of it until it gets "bubbly". Or if I'm in a hurry, I'll just stick a crazy straw through the airlock bunghole and drink it that way.

My mother tells me my beers are the best she's ever tasted in her life, ever. She tells me that I'm the best brewer in the whole world and she's "super proud of her big boy".

 

[Psylocide]

My mother tells me my beers are the best she's ever tasted in her life, ever. She tells me that I'm the best brewer in the whole world and she's "super proud of her big boy".

You're a good boy, Norman.

 

[Peruvian802]

Wash, rinse, repeat...I never repeat.

 

[JohnnyO]

I am no fan of overly complex beers. I like my pale ales hoppy, not fruity.

 

[cyanmonkey]

I have no idea what I'm doing.

I mean, I've read enough about brewing and listened to a lot of things like the Brewing Network, but I don't know why I have to do things a certain way, I just blindly follow directions.

Things like pitching rates and starters...oxygenation...etc...

I only do them because I heard you're suppose to. I also repeat them to people like they're commandments, but I don't know why...just because someone told me they are.

 

[DrunkleJon]

I have no idea what I'm doing.

I mean, I've read enough about brewing and listened to a lot of things like the Brewing Network, but I don't know why I have to do things a certain way, I just blindly follow directions.

Things like pitching rates and starters...oxygenation...etc...

I only do them because I heard you're suppose to. I also repeat them to people like they're commandments, but I don't know why...just because someone told me they are.

I know this is not the thread for it but both of these things are for yeast health. Unhappy/stressed yeast will leave behind some off flavors that you will not like. Happy yeast will make good beer. Yeast in ales also contributes a large amount of the flavors you taste. Yeast are good.

 

[soccerdad]

Happy yeast tell great jokes. Stressed yeast just moan about how unfair life is. Whiny ba$tards.

I confess to using all dried yeast. They seem pretty happy - but deep down, who really knows??

 

[cyanmonkey]

I know this is not the thread for it but both of these things are for yeast health. Unhappy/stressed yeast will leave behind some off flavors that you will not like. Happy yeast will make good beer. Yeast in ales also contributes a large amount of the flavors you taste. Yeast are good.

Oh I'm aware, but only because someone told me it's true.

 

[Barley_Bob]

Oh I'm aware, but only because someone told me it's true.

I'm overruling this confession. It's one thing to do something, but have no idea why you're doing it (first post). It's another to do something but know why you're doing it and just not test other possibilities (second post).

How many people can honestly say they know for a fact that a dolphin is a mammal? Everybody knows it's true, but I've never dissected one to check out it's internal organs (I can come up with more esoteric questions if you're not buying this example). I haven't cut up a dead dolphin, but you're not going to catch me calling one a fish. My point is that we all choose sources we trust and treat the information they give us as fact. If a marine mammologist tells me a dolphin is not a fish, I'm on board. If Jamil tells me I need a certain pitch rate, I'm on board. I'm not going to intentionally screw up my pitch rate just to test and see if it really matters. Which would be an incredibly stupid way to live life. "Doctors say smoking causes cancer, but it's never happened to me, so I'm going to start smoking two packs a day." Bah!

Confession: I'm cranky this morning.

 

[cyanmonkey]

I'm overruling this confession. It's one thing to do something, but have no idea why you're doing it (first post). It's another to do something but know why you're doing it and just not test other possibilities (second post).



How many people can honestly say they know for a fact that a dolphin is a mammal? Everybody knows it's true, but I've never dissected one to check out it's internal organs (I can come up with more esoteric questions if you're not buying this example). I haven't cut up a dead dolphin, but you're not going to catch me calling one a fish. My point is that we all choose sources we trust and treat the information they give us as fact. If a marine mammologist tells me a dolphin is not a fish, I'm on board. If Jamil tells me I need a certain pitch rate, I'm on board. I'm not going to intentionally screw up my pitch rate just to test and see if it really matters. Which would be an incredibly stupid way to live life. "Doctors say smoking causes cancer, but it's never happened to me, so I'm going to start smoking two packs a day." Bah!



Confession: I'm cranky this morning.

And that's why I still follow those guidelines. I work in a laboratory and part of my job is to verify things over and over. I'm guessing that's why I'm irked by it. I'm not going t sacrifice 5 gallons of brew to test things out because I'm sure it's been done several times before.

I'm wired for greater understanding, but I'd rather make good beer every time.

 

[Psylocide]

I'm one of the biggest haters of all time.

 

[hunter_le five]

I'm one of the biggest haters of all time.

An impressive feat for sure.

 

[brewmesomewater]

I hardly sanitize as good as I should, and have a closet that must lead to Narnia because no matter what the thing always reads 65 degrees.

 

[Clarke]

I'm not going to intentionally screw up my pitch rate just to test and see if it really matters. Which would be an incredibly stupid way to live life.

I am of a different thought, I would intentionally try something different, just to see, I am curious enough to travel the road already been traveled to see what someone else experienced and the road not traveled to gain my own knowledge & opinion. Knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do and why. I have learned that what I do is not always right but I gain a tremendous amount of experience (not just in brewing) and when searching for one answer, I gain 5 more answers that I didn't even know I was looking for.

 

[SnakeRidge]

I'm one of the biggest haters of all time.

I am one of, if not THE biggest, hater of all time.

 

[Psylocide]

I am one of, if not THE biggest, hater of all time.

 

[SnakeRidge]

I hate that.

 

[Barley_Bob]

I am of a different thought, I would intentionally try something different, just to see, I am curious enough to travel the road already been traveled to see what someone else experienced and the road not traveled to gain my own knowledge & opinion. Knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do and why. I have learned that what I do is not always right but I gain a tremendous amount of experience (not just in brewing) and when searching for one answer, I gain 5 more answers that I didn't even know I was looking for.

You're raising a good point. One of my biggest pet peeves on this site is folks blasting someone for trying something new or different just because it goes against convention. The difference, I suppose, is that I'm all for conscious decisions to experiment. I am totally opposed to doing something different just to be a contrarian, and I'm super opposed to pouring 5 gallons down the drain. Do good research and then make rational decisions.

 

[cmoewes]

I like to "make up recipes" by using multiple other recipes and mashing them together.

 

[Psylocide]

I like to "make up recipes" by using multiple other recipes and mashing them together.

What temp do you mash them at?

 

[Barley_Bob]

What temp do you mash them at?

What is happening to this thread? Is it my fault?

Also, @Psylocide and @hunter_la5 have been on point two days running. Hot streak.

 

[cyberbrew]

I usually drink beer out of a wine glass.

You my friend, are a Maverick!!