Amazing yeast...
 

These are both wheat beer (hefeweisen) yeast strains, one is German and the other is American. Look at the differences in the way they ferment, it's incredible!
German...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386453465.jpg
American...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386453495.jpg

Are either of them re-pitches? Another big factor in creating a healthy yeast colony that has a vigorous fermentation like the German above is wort aeration. I use pure oxygen with a diffuser stone in the wort for ~60 seconds then pitch the yeast. I also alway make a starter which give the yeast a big head start.

Kerry,

Neither of these were re-pitches, but I try to do that as often as possible. I vigorously swirl and shake the hose as I move the wort from the kettle to the fermenter and it seems to be effective. I try to use starters also and the batch at the top has the starter and the one brewed last night does not.

I'm looking for a good all grain recipe for a dunkel weisse to try BIAB again next Friday...

Dunkle weisse is outta my wheelhouse but below is one I came across for a 5 gallon batch. I do regularly brew a bavarian style wheat and I like the ratio of wheat to pale malt in this recipe. The key to authentic German style wheats is a high ratio of wheat. Most American brewers won't come close to the German ratios because of the thickness of the mash which results in stuck mashes or very slow lauter times. My wheat recipe is 67% wheat which requires a lot of rice hulls in the mash to prevent problems lautering. You won't have any of those issues with BIAB.

6 lbs Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 1
2 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 2
1 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 3
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 4
8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 5
0.5 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.0%] - Boil 60 min Hops 6
0.5 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.0%] - Boil 20 min Hops 7
1 pkgs Hefeweizen Ale (White Labs #WLP300) Yeast 8

Thanks, Kerry! I'll try your recipe on Friday!! Thank you very much!

Art, what fermenters are those? Im getting ready to upgrade my BetterBottles and I really want something with a large removable lid like that to make the cleaning easier. When you transfer do you use the spigot, or does it sit below the yeast cake?

They are from an old kit called "Mr Beer" and are not available any more. Mr Beer now uses a small plastic container (3 gallons) not the 6.5 gallon containers I have. These fermenters are 20 years old and they have served me well and when they wear out, I'll replace them with a conical fermenter. I especially like these because I can see what's going on and most fermenters aren't transparent. If I could buy more of these, I certainly would...

The spigot is used for transferring the beer to the secondary or the keg and I have a plastic adapter and hose that fits perfectly.

I am with Art, I like to see what's going on. I have been using a 6 gallon carboy. Not as easy to clean but I am happy with it.
I tried my holiday ale last week to see how it was doing. It needs another week before I refrigerate it. I am happy with it so far. The juniper, nutmeg, and cinnamon flavors were a little underwhelming. That's my fault for erring on the side of caution. I didn't want to over do it. Lesson learned for next year. It will still be a tasty English ale.

I really liked my conicals for harvesting yeast. They weighed +30lbs apiece empty, tho, and were a major PITA to move around with beer in them. I went back to PET carboys after using the conicals for about a year. They are a lot easier to handle and fit in my temp controlled chest freezer/fermentation chamber.

I may get something like these when the time comes...
 

I may get something like these when the time comes...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386546040.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386546076.jpg

First pour off the keg of the belgian. It turned out quite delicious! Still needs a bit more carbonation and some time to clear up but I'm really liking how it turned out.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386615853.jpg

Kerry, That looks great! I've never brewed a Belgian, but I'm really familiar with wheat beers, so I'll have to try and brew one soon. The dunkel weisse is being brewed this Friday...

Kegging the ginger wheat beer tonight...
 

I just put the ginger beer into the keg...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386991917.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386991953.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386991981.jpg
Adding ginger root that has been soaking in giner brandy for a week. The strainer kept the pieces of ginger root from going in the keg...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386992008.jpg
Looks nice!
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386992048.jpg

Yes you put Ginger Beer into the keg..............


but did you put any in the mail? no need to ship kegs, grins,

but 2 two liter bottle may fit in the $15 flat rate USPS shipping boxes?

I'll try to ship some after it settles a bit. I have found that ginger ale needs a month or so to really get the flavors to their peak.

That color looks really good, doesn't it?!

This thread needs to be revived! I brewed up a Double IPA a week ago and will be kegging this weekend. Also made some purchases and improvements to the brewery... So what has everyone else been brewing??

New 27 gallon conical fermenter:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395268427.jpg

Hopback packed with 4oz of Citra leaf hops positioned for hot wort coming out of the kettle and then to the heat exchanger:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395268530.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395268656.jpg

In line oxygenation with site glass to see whats going on:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395268593.jpg

That is an awesome setup. I just started brewing a "fireside" ale

Fun with pumps! No more disconnecting to switch between vessels, just turn a valve.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395274783.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395274820.jpg

is that a heat exchanger from a 944?

I'm cold crashing a Brown Ale for me and a light Corn/Rice/Barley beer for the neighbors now.

krichard, that is an awesome rig. How big are those kettles? 50gal?

I have the same chiller. Its amazing. Boiling wort to 58 degrees F in seconds. The best money I've ever spent on my brewery. It looks like the trans cooler, or whatever this is on the new GT3 :)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395280005.jpg

They're 30 gallon kettles. I do 20 gallon into the kegs sized batches. It's been a fun journey getting to this setup and even more fun tweaking it along the way to continuously improve it.

Thats awesome. Here is a quick camera phone pic of my 10 gallon 240V Electric brew rig. The control panel also feeds my welding machine :)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395281735.jpg

I need to keg these.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1395281789.jpg

very nice Shuie! I've considered and am still debating converting to electric. I brew in the garage so it makes sense, but propane is just easy. Maybe next year...

Thanks. I really love electric. Less noise w/almost no heat loss so everything goes a little quicker. It will bring 10 gallons to a boil in ~20 minutes. Im up for anything that will trim some time from a brew day. That's why I love my Therminator!! Man, that really saves some time.

That is cool.
That I also how we do it when we "brew" in this place:
Stauning Whisky

I had a little extra time around the holidays so I brewed up 5gl of sweet, sticky IPA.http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...d31a32ff4a.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...9c170be634.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The hobby turned obsession has now turned into something a bit bigger....

My old homebrew setup has been modded and is now our mobile pilot system, makes it easy to clean up and get out of the way:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1419706733.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1419707209.jpg

added a couple of jacketed fermenters with glycol cooling for tight control of fermentation:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1419706827.jpg

got a hold of a freshly dumped whiskey barrel to age our imperial stout in:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1419706938.jpg

don't have any recent pics but we'll be firing up the big system next week to begin full scale production!!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1419707014.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1419707059.jpg

I have made some really good ones a a few that ended up in the sink drain. There is definitely a learning curve.

Krichard - that is insane! Are you going public?

84CAB, yes we are just starting to enter the market. We'll start distribution in the Austin, TX area in late January. This will be our primary market for the foreseeable future. You can check us out on Facebook if you're interested, I'm the ugly guy with the beard.

https://www.facebook.com/LastStandBrewingCompany

krichard,
Outstanding!! As a home brewer it is great to see it taken to that level, when I'm in Austin for F1 next year I will stop by.....great job and congratulations.

I have made hard cider & mead from a neighbor's honey but usually make wine. Cabs, tempranillo, syrah, malbec pretty much big reds. There are carboys that need to be racked now...

I'm following you on Facebook. Congrats on opening your brewery!!

Some recent brewing pics...