Oh golly gee.  Just got my 2 glass carboys that I got during the Amazon sale.  Once I learn, this is going to make a lot of yummy beer.  Now all I have to do is watch out for the homebrewing equivalent of over-torquing the drain plug.

I wonder if semen will corrupt a brew.

I think it would be hilarious to put a drop of spooge in the brew, and then print my on labels calling it "Man Juice."  Invite friends over, offer beers.  After everyone is done, tell them that it's not juice for a man, but rather juice from a man.

I must remember to write my obituary ahead of time.

phillipj wrote:

SilentlyAmazing wrote:

Saab92x.com homebrew exchange?

Would be a fun idea. Apparently there's enough people passionate about beer. I'd be up for sharing and tasting other people's experimental brews (except for the "Man-Juice" brew, that is).

The rules are tricky with mailing.  I think we'd have to do it right after bottling to sneak it through as a "yeast sample."

It's illegal to ship alcohol via USPS, so don't do that...  It's legal through UPS, FedEx etc. but if you say that it's beer, they may say it's against policy.   They'll only ship beer/wine if you're an authorized distributor.  I've never done it, but I'd just put each bottle in an individual ziploc so it doesn't leak if broken, bubblewrap the shit out of it, and just give it to the UPS guy/gal already boxed up and addressed.  If they ask what's in the box, just say glassware, or yeah, you can say "live yeast cultures", BBQ sauce, salsa etc.

I made a wort chiller last night.  I bought a 20' coil of 3/8" soft copper tubing, 20' of 3/8" ID plastic tubing to go from the sink to the chiller, and from the chiller to the drain (cut in half) fittings, clamps, etc.  It was just over $70, I assume because copper is getting crazy expensive.  I wrestled with it for about 30 minutes, and got something that sits upright, fits in my pot, and doesn't leak, while also looking pretty ghetto fabulous...

I hooked it up to the sink and ran it for a few minutes, and it doesn't leak at all, and works pretty well.  The coil was very cold.  I'm trying it out tomorrow night, and I'll try to take a picture or two.

The problem with those is that you have to sanitize the interior of the entire system, rather than just spray off and boil the immersion chiller.

Well, they make counterflow and plate wort chillers that do what you're talking about.  IIRC, you want to go through the hop-back before you chill the wort though.

SilentlyAmazing wrote:

I made a wort chiller last night.  I bought a 20' coil of 3/8" soft copper tubing, 20' of 3/8" ID plastic tubing to go from the sink to the chiller, and from the chiller to the drain (cut in half) fittings, clamps, etc.  It was just over $70, I assume because copper is getting crazy expensive.  I wrestled with it for about 30 minutes, and got something that sits upright, fits in my pot, and doesn't leak, while also looking pretty ghetto fabulous...

I hooked it up to the sink and ran it for a few minutes, and it doesn't leak at all, and works pretty well.  The coil was very cold.  I'm trying it out tomorrow night, and I'll try to take a picture or two.

Seems pretty on par with retail prices for a 25' cooler, any distinct advantages for yours?

SilentlyAmazing wrote:

No advantages to mine, it was just something to pass the time.  I needed it before tonight, and my LHBS isn't open until tomorrow morning.  I'll take a few pictures tonight, and probably update my blog and here.

Not knocking it or anything, imo it makes sense to make one that's more suited to your system if it's the same cost as a one-size-fits-all.  Interested in the pics.  Also, what's the blog URL again?  If it's in your sig I can't see it (turned them off long ago).

Followed.  You appear to be remarkably similar to me...

Welp, just put my first batch into the Mr. Beer.  Had plans to ditch the booster and use different yeast, but instead I went out and got drunk and decided to brew that shit up when I got home.  Currently sitting in a cooler, we'll(will? paging Chris) see what I got in T minus 17 days.   

After I screw up this first batch I wanna start brewing some good copper or blonde beers.   

That's quite impressive. 

I also bottled my Kolsch last night...



It was pretty painless.  I was pissed, I ended up being 3 bottles short of 2 full cases of 12oz. bottles.  It's pretty cool to have glass bottles instead of the PET bottles that came with Mr. Beer though.