Working My Other Job

I have still been brewing regularly but have been slacking on the updating posts since this is a busy time of year at my other job.  I think I have got exactly what I am looking for with my Porter, Wheat and Honey Wheat and they will be ready for the next judging.

I have have been talking with my father about setting up our own bee hives for honey production, and getting wood kegs for the secondary fermentation to mellow the flavors in the craft beer.  These are the exciting times when I am changing the setup to prepare for the next level.

Another Attempt at the Porter

After all of the issues this past weekend with the new mash tun I decided to switch out the false bottom with the kettle screen and try the Smoked Porter again.  This time everything went as planned.

Sprage Cooler on Top, Flowing Through Tun into Wort Pot

This also was the first time I could try out the new sprage cooler that I purchased which after a couple of tweaks worked perfectly.

Nice Even Flow - Wish it Fanned Out More However

I was able to keep a constance flow when fly spraging compared to the uneven flow of the spoon method that I was using before.  Plus using the cooler allowed me to keep the sprage water at a more constant temperature.  I would suggest this purchase if you can afford it.

Kegging, New System & Mash Lock

This weekend I made my first attempt at kegging my beer.  I read the instructions and even watch a couple You Tube videos on the process before I started.

Transferring was a breeze and I decided to try my hand at force carbonation instead of the sugar bottle conditioning that I have been trying.  With this method you need to cool the fermentor down before applying CO2. 

Then once finished with the transferring you place the whole kegging system into the fridge at 10 psi for a couple of days then test. 

I have recently purchased a new mash and spraging system but the two batches I have ran through it so far have led to grain lock.  This last time was so bad that I ended dumping the entire batch.  Need to figure out the problem with my set up.