517 replies to this topic

[denny]

Nice!  Thanks for helping to get this easier to get.

 

My pleasure and a bit of self interest...now I can get it more easily, too!

[pkrone]

Yeah, thanks, Denny.   Talked to my LBHS and he's going to get some for me.   No more $20 shipping charges for a slow boat ride from Australia.  Yea.

[Big Nake]

Hey kids... does anyone know if BTB spoils or goes bad? How is everyone storing it? I know Chils mentioned keeping it in the fridge and Denny mentioning that he just closes the bag and puts a clip on it. That's what I have been doing too. I am very close to the end of my first bag of this stuff and I'm wondering if it's working as well as it did when the package was first opened. Should it be sealed up in an airtight container? Does it age or go bad? I did send an email to Joe F. about it but I'm curious what you guys are doing with it. Cheers.

[neddles]

Mason jar with a lid from day one.

[positiveContact]

i've been vacuum sealing it and keeping it at room temp.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Update. Kolsch with brewtan tasted ok at 6 months old. Some very slight stale flavor but over all still decent. Usually kolsch is dead from being satle by about 5 months if it lasts that long.

[positiveContact]

Update. Kolsch with brewtan tasted ok at 6 months old. Some very slight stale flavor but over all still decent. Usually kolsch is dead from being satle by about 5 months if it lasts that long.

 

so a pretty good improvement right?

[Big Nake]

I asked the question about the BTB because I'm wondering if some of my latest beers were suffering from something (oxidation?) that BTB was handling in the past. I actually heard back from Joe F. this morning (kudos to Joe for replying on Christmas morning... didn't expect that). He told me that BTB is a stable product that can be stored however you wish... just close the bag, seal it up, put it in Tupperware, store it at room temp, in the fridge or freezer... doesn't matter. BUT... he said don't get it wet. That's interesting because at the bottom of this original bag of mine there are some clumps. Almost as if some drops of water got into the bag somehow. I have no idea if it matters but I brought some blonde ale to my P's last night that had been bottled awhile back and it tasted severely oxidized and I don't think that should happen on beers that were made with BTB. I have a new pack of BTB that Chils gave me and it's vac-sealed. I think I'll use it on my first batch of 2018, toss the old stuff and then vac-seal the BTB pack after each use. I have no idea if there is any meat to this... maybe my tastebuds are on the fritz.

[positiveContact]

I asked the question about the BTB because I'm wondering if some of my latest beers were suffering from something (oxidation?) that BTB was handling in the past. I actually heard back from Joe F. this morning (kudos to Joe for replying on Christmas morning... didn't expect that). He told me that BTB is a stable product that can be stored however you wish... just close the bag, seal it up, put it in Tupperware, store it at room temp, in the fridge or freezer... doesn't matter. BUT... he said don't get it wet. That's interesting because at the bottom of this original bag of mine there are some clumps. Almost as if some drops of water got into the bag somehow. I have no idea if it matters but I brought some blonde ale to my P's last night that had been bottled awhile back and it tasted severely oxidized and I don't think that should happen on beers that were made with BTB. I have a new pack of BTB that Chils gave me and it's vac-sealed. I think I'll use it on my first batch of 2018, toss the old stuff and then vac-seal the BTB pack after each use. I have no idea if there is any meat to this... maybe my tastebuds are on the fritz.

 

you mean you filled a bottle from the keg a while back?  I wouldn't expect BTB to save a beer from that kind of oxidation.

[Big Nake]

you mean you filled a bottle from the keg a while back?  I wouldn't expect BTB to save a beer from that kind of oxidation.

Maybe. My thoughts are not scientific... just observations. Here's my theory and feel free to poke holes in it. On the very first beer that I used BTB on (a helles), there was a very noticeable smoothness and softness and that beer would have been compared to non-BTB beers so the difference may be quite noticeable. It was also at a time when I had family over and that keg of helles was quickly drained. It may have been a coincidence too. I feel like some of my later beers have had some issues and I don't know if it's oxidation but it seems like it has that hot/dry/stale character. So I'm wondering if over time the BTB has just not worked as well because it's old, stale, bad, spoiled, has been mishandled, etc.

EDIT: I see that on page 1 of this thread I mention that an Amarillo-Citra batch was my first BTB batch so the helles must have been the first lager. I also see that it was June of 2016 and IIRC my first order of BTB was two 50g bags and I would be on my 2nd of those 2 bags. I guess I'm just wondering if this stuff is old and not performing as well. My last 2 batches (amber ale, blonde ale) were made with some low-O2 measures so we'll see what happens with that but early in 2018 I'm going to pick up some 2124 and make a helles with this new BTB from Chils and the other low-O2 measures and see what happens. I'm just thinking out loud but I think that my latest batches with BTB seem 'rougher' than the early versions.

[positiveContact]

anyone still using this?

 

so I'm not sure what was causing my dark green water with brewtan but it seems like it's mostly not happening now.  weird.  maybe my old mash tun was part of it?

[HVB]

Still use it every batch.

 

From reading elsewhere the color seems to be a reaction with BTB and metals in the water.  Maybe your water changed?  I think your old MLT was a cooler so I can not imagine it was that but it could have been a part of the bulkhead maybe.

[Big Nake]

Still use it every batch.

Me too, brother.  

[positiveContact]

Still use it every batch.

 

From reading elsewhere the color seems to be a reaction with BTB and metals in the water.  Maybe your water changed?  I think your old MLT was a cooler so I can not imagine it was that but it could have been a part of the bulkhead maybe.

 

that was my thought.  I used all SS parts for anything that touched beer but maybe low quality SS could cause an issue?  although my kettle has a lot of common parts with my mash tun maybe even sourced from the same suppliers.

Edited by pickle_rick, 21 September 2018 - 07:44 AM.

[positiveContact]

in any event I'll probably need more brewtan early next year.  are you guys buying it online now?  mine came from schwanz

Edited by pickle_rick, 21 September 2018 - 07:46 AM.

[Big Nake]

When I swapped out my old MT and put together a new one, I cut my old stainless braid apart to separate it from the valve.  When I cut it open I was surprised to find a copper wire inside running the length of the stainless braid.  I got that braid in 2004 when I first went all-grain and never knew there was a copper wire inside of it.  When I put my new MT together I got a new stainless braid from the hardware store and there is no copper wire in it.  

 

TL;DR:  sometimes you have copper and don't realize it.  

 

My LHBS now carries BTB.

[positiveContact]

When I swapped out my old MT and put together a new one, I cut my old stainless braid apart to separate it from the valve.  When I cut it open I was surprised to find a copper wire inside running the length of the stainless braid.  I got that braid in 2004 when I first went all-grain and never knew there was a copper wire inside of it.  When I put my new MT together I got a new stainless braid from the hardware store and there is no copper wire in it.  

 

TL;DR:  sometimes you have copper and don't realize it.  

 

My LHBS now carries BTB.

 

I kind of doubt mine does unless LDC carries it and recommended it to him.  in any event it would probably cost an arm and a leg there.  maybe I should check ritebrew?

 

ritebrew is just under $5/oz.  not sure if that is reasonable....

Edited by pickle_rick, 21 September 2018 - 07:53 AM.

[HVB]

in any event I'll probably need more brewtan early next year.  are you guys buying it online now?  mine came from schwanz

I have not had to buy anymore but my LHBS does carry it now.  I am not sure on the pricing but I would guess it is 5-7/oz.

[positiveContact]

I have not had to buy anymore but my LHBS does carry it now.  I am not sure on the pricing but I would guess it is 5-7/oz.

 

anyone know what a tsp of btb weighs?  I use about 1.7 tsp per 10 gal batch.

[HVB]

anyone know what a tsp of btb weighs?  I use about 1.7 tsp per 10 gal batch.

I have always done mine based on weight.  For the boil I add 1 gram for a 6g batch and the mash amount varies by the amount of strike water.  It looks like in the mash I am using 0.1g/G.  This is what I have used from the start so at some point it must be what was suggested.

Edited by drez77, 21 September 2018 - 08:13 AM.