bitter reality brewing
10 Home Brewing Tips, Recommendations, and Hacks – Week 1
10 Home Brewing Tips, Recommendations, and Hacks – Week 1
I was working to share knowledge I’ve learned over the years and to inform on things every home brewer should be aware of from Beginners to Advanced and I quickly went from a top 10 to over 100 tips, recommendations, tricks, hacks, suggestions and realized that many home brewers know some of these but not all of these.
I will work to share 10 different home brewing tips every week for the next 10+ weeks.
1. Keep It Clean – PBW and Star san
2. PBW Safety
3. Star San Safety
4. Star San Dangerous for Pets
5. Cleaning Bottles
6. Never use Bleach
7. Star San spray bottles
8. Keg Cleaning
9. Keg Cleaning – Check your keg
10. Clean Disconnects (special brushes)
These tips will range from cleaning as this one was focused on to equipment recommendations to procedures/tricks/hacks/tips using during home brewing.
Items or Equipment used/suggested in this video:
The Multi-brush set I use for too many things to list
24 oz professional grade spray bottles
Dip tube brushes
Oxyclean (The link below for Amazon is usually cheaper than local stores.) Starsan / Star San (Its actually two works so it helps sometimes in searches) PBW
Bottle Brush
SOS Pads
Bottling Tree
How to Clean and Sanitize Beer Bottles for Home Brewing and Remove the Labels Easily.
How to Clean and Sanitize Beer Bottles for Home Brewing and Remove the Labels Easily.
What do you need?
Step 1. Used beer bottles of course.
Step 2. A bucket or large pot
Step 3. Very hot water
Step 4. A heaping table spoon of PBW or Oxyclean (Dye/Perfume Free)
Step 5. Patience
Step 6. A scrubbing sponge just for glue residue and possibly an SOS pad Step 7. More hot water
Step 8. Star San
Step 9. A bottling brush
Step 10. A bottle tree or like (optional but very useful).
Items used in this video that you might need:
Oxyclean (The link below for Amazon is usually cheaper than local stores.)
Starsan / Star San (Its actually two works so it helps sometimes in searches.)
PBW
Bottle Brush
SOS Pads
Scrubbing Sponges (non-scratch)
Bottling Tree
Fast Rack Rinser (Not used but many people recommend for faster cleaning)
2x American IPA – Anvil Foundry Small Batch Adapter – Brew House Efficiency – Back to Back Review
OMG! Yes it is that time…time to test the Anvil Foundry Small Batch Adapter to see if it has a positive impact on brew house efficiencies!
This is Part 2 of 2. I did 2 – American IPAs back to back – The same grains, the same amount of pellet hops, the same grain crush, the same PH, the same amount of starting and finishing liquid! Did it make a BHE – Brew House Efficiency difference? Might need to watch part 1 – https://youtu.be/XhNqrKnYGB0
Hell Yes it did…but YMMV – Your Mileage May Vary.
Recipe for a 5.25 gallon batch for the American IPA:
8 lbs – Pale Malt – 2 Row Belgian
1 lb 11 oz – Vienna Malt
1 lb – Carared Malt
8 oz – Acid Malt
3.5 oz Caramel / Crystal Malt 80L
1 oz – Columbus (16.2% A) – 45 minute addition
Last 5 minute additions:
2 oz – Idaho Gem (14.1% A) – 5 minute addition (1st brew)
2 oz – Eukanot (13.1% A) – 5 minute addition (2nd brew)
Added 1 heaping tsp of Wyeast Yeast Nutrient Added 4 oz cooled wort with 1/4 tsp of Super Moss HB
Imperial Labs – #44 Kveik Blend Yeast (1st Brew)
Framgarden – (2nd Brew) (Failed – so we repitched Ebbegarden)
Dry hopped for 7 days after fermentation:
2.5 oz – Idaho Gem (14.1% A) (1st brew)
2.5 oz – Eukanot (13.1% A) (2nd brew)
Equipment I used to brew this batch of beer:
Anvil Foundry 10.5 Gallon All-in-One brewing system with recirculation pump kit
Jaded Brewing Scylla
Awesome propane burner – Great quality.
Anvil 10 gallon Brew Kettle
Five Star Super Moss HB
Wyeast Yeast Nutrient
Gelatin – cheap bulk for clarifying
Hop filter for brewing
Glass Carboy
Plastic Carboy for measuring
Tilt Hydrometer during fermentation
Best Hydrometer I’ve ever used and a great company
Hop filter for dry hopping
Roasted Pumpkin Ale with Orange Zest and Bourbon Vanilla – Anvil Foundry – Part 2 of 2
Roasted Pumpkin Ale with Orange Zest and Bourbon Vanilla – Anvil Foundry – Part 2 of 2
This Pumpkin Ale came out amazing with lots of roasted pumpkin flavor.
The Bourbon Vanilla will be added during kegging. The Tangelo Zest will add a brightness to the overall sweeter flavors of the roasted Pumpkin Ale.
Recipe for a 5.25 gallon batch for the Roasted Pumpkin Ale
7 lbs 8 oz – Maris Otter malt
1 lb – Munich I malt
1 lb – Victory Malt
1 lb – Flaked Wheat
12 oz Honey Malt
8 oz – Caramel / Crystal Malt 10 L
6 oz – Caramel / Crystal Malt 40 L
6 oz – Aromatic Malt
6 oz – Rye Malt
1.5 oz – Tettnang U.S. (4.6% A) – 90 minute addition
Last 5 minute additions:
12 oz Dark Brown Sugar
Added 1 heaping tsp of Wyeast Yeast Nutrient
Added 4 oz cooled wort with 1/4 tsp of Super Moss HB
1.16 oz of Tangelo zest
White Labs – London Ale #013
75% BH Efficiency – OG 1.074
OG – 1.074 OG – 1.080 with Roasted Pumpkin added
Equipment I used to brew this batch of beer:
Anvil Foundry 10.5 Gallon All-in-One brewing system with recirculation pump kit
Jaded Brewing Scylla
Awesome propane burner – Great quality.
Anvil 10 gallon Brew Kettle
Five Star Super Moss HB
Wyeast Yeast Nutrient
Gelatin – cheap bulk for clarifying
Hop filter for brewing
Glass Carboy
Plastic Carboy for measuring
Tilt Hydrometer during fermentation
Best Hydrometer I’ve ever used and a great company
Hop filter for dry hopping
White Labs 013 London Ale Yeast
2x American IPA – Anvil Foundry Small Batch Adapter – Brew House Efficiency – Back to Back Review
OMG! Yes it is that time…time to test the Anvil Foundry Small Batch Adapter to see if it has a positive impact on brew house efficiencies!
This is Part 1 of 2. I did 2 – American IPAs back to back – The same grains, the same amount of pellet hops, the same grain crush, the same PH, the same amount of starting and finishing liquid! Did it make a BHE – Brew House Efficiency difference?
Hell Yes it did…but YMMV – Your Mileage May Vary.
Recipe for a 5.25 gallon batch for the American IPA:
8 lbs – Pale Malt – 2 Row Belgian
1 lb 11 oz – Vienna Malt
1 lb – Carared Malt
8 oz – Acid Malt
3.5 oz Caramel / Crystal Malt 80L
1 oz – Columbus (16.2% A) – 45 minute addition
Last 5 minute additions:
2 oz – Idaho Gem (14.1% A) – 5 minute addition (1st brew)
2 oz – Eukanot (13.1% A) – 5 minute addition (2nd brew)
Added 1 heaping tsp of Wyeast Yeast Nutrient Added 4 oz cooled wort with 1/4 tsp of Super Moss HB
Imperial Labs – #44 Kveik Blend Yeast (1st Brew)
Framgarden – (2nd Brew) (Failed – so we repitched Ebbegarden)
Dry hopped for 7 days after fermentation:
2.5 oz – Idaho Gem (14.1% A) (1st brew)
2.5 oz – Eukanot (13.1% A) (2nd brew)
Equipment I used to brew this batch of beer:
Anvil Foundry 10.5 Gallon All-in-One brewing system with recirculation pump kit
Jaded Brewing Scylla
Awesome propane burner – Great quality.
Anvil 10 gallon Brew Kettle
Five Star Super Moss HB
Wyeast Yeast Nutrient
Gelatin – cheap bulk for clarifying
Hop filter for brewing
Glass Carboy
Plastic Carboy for measuring
Tilt Hydrometer during fermentation
Best Hydrometer I’ve ever used and a great company
Hop filter for dry hopping