39 replies to this topic

[matt6150]

I ferment, store and serve from the walk-in, which is kept at 50F.

You ferment everything at 50F? You only do lagers then?

[Clintama]

You ferment everything at 50F? You only do lagers then?

I ferment ales at 50F too, at least those that use US05, which make up a lot of my beers.

[HVB]

You ferment everything at 50F? You only do lagers then?

 

 

I have my chamber set to an ambient and each fermenter has its own temperature controller to adjust and maintain a different temperature.  Just another way to do it.

[Clintama]

 

 

I have my chamber set to an ambient and each fermenter has its own temperature controller to adjust and maintain a different temperature.  Just another way to do it.

How do you do that?

[SteveMillerTime]

Generally, I keg my beer right from the walkin, so it's already at 50F or a little higher by the time I get through. I then place the filled keg back in the walkin and set the pressure at 25 PSI and leave it 24-36 hours. After that, I lower the pressure to 10-12 PSI and enjoy.

 

If I'm not in a hurry to consume it, then I hook it up to my serving pressure and let it sit for how ever long it takes for me to need it. I may have to add a little additional pressure to get it where I want it to be if I go the latter route.

Awesome, gonna steal your idea. Right now I only have 2 kegs, so i'm usually only carbbing one at a time and my ferm chamber only hits around 50F. Since my keezer isn't finished yet I'll be carbbing in the keg and then bottling with my counter pressure bottle filler.

 

I've had my APA carbing at 15psi for just under 2 weeks now, will prolly bottle it saturday morning.

[Clintama]

Awesome, gonna steal your idea. Right now I only have 2 kegs, so i'm usually only carbbing one at a time and my ferm chamber only hits around 50F. Since my keezer isn't finished yet I'll be carbbing in the keg and then bottling with my counter pressure bottle filler.

 

I've had my APA carbing at 15psi for just under 2 weeks now, will prolly bottle it saturday morning.

 

 

 

 

I'd really like to get a dual regulator so I can have serving and carbing pressures available at the same time. Maybe some day.

 

That APA should be perfect after 2 weeks.

[HVB]

How do you do that?

 

For my set up I use a modified AC to cool the chamber and have 2 Ranco controllers and a couple of Love controllers that are used for the fermenters.  Each fermetner gets a temperature probe attatched to one side and a  heating pad is attached to the other side then the carboy is wrapped using a "blanket" made from Reflectix.  Once I finish my fermentation schedule I will remove the "blanket" and let it crash cool.  Seems to work for me OK.

 

[Clintama]

 

 

For my set up I use a modified AC to cool the chamber and have 2 Ranco controllers and a couple of Love controllers that are used for the fermenters.  Each fermetner gets a temperature probe attatched to one side and a  heating pad is attached to the other side then the carboy is wrapped using a "blanket" made from Reflectix.  Once I finish my fermentation schedule I will remove the "blanket" and let it crash cool.  Seems to work for me OK.

 

 

Kind of thought you might be heating them. I may have to do that myself during the summer months. I don't want to raise the walkin temp because I serve from it, but I also don't want to try and cool the rest of the brewroom to 65 or ???

[HVB]

Kind of thought you might be heating them. I may have to do that myself during the summer months. I don't want to raise the walkin temp because I serve from it, but I also don't want to try and cool the rest of the brewroom to 65 or ???

 

 

I do not currently serve out of mine but store some kegs in their that are conditioning.  I have contemplated making a divider out of foam board with some muffin fans to push the cool air to the fermenting side if needed but still keep the other side at the desired ambient. 

[SteveMillerTime]

 

 

 

 

I'd really like to get a dual regulator so I can have serving and carbing pressures available at the same time. Maybe some day.

 

That APA should be perfect after 2 weeks.

Yea, i'm thinking once i get my own place I'll have like a 10+ pound CO2 cylinder and some giant manifold strictly for carbbing in my home made walkin lol

 

I think so too, i poured 4 bottles last week and it tasted like it was close to being perfectly carbed...can't wait.

[Clintama]

Yea, i'm thinking once i get my own place I'll have like a 10+ pound CO2 cylinder and some giant manifold strictly for carbbing in my home made walkin lol

 

I think so too, i poured 4 bottles last week and it tasted like it was close to being perfectly carbed...can't wait.

Just a suggestion, but get a 20# tank instead. Costs about the same to fill as a 10 pounder and you can easily trade it for a full one at your local welding supply shop.

Edited by brewboy, 09 May 2013 - 07:36 AM.

[SteveMillerTime]

Just a suggestion, but get a 20# tank instead. Costs about the same to fill as a 10 pounder and you can easily trade it for a full one at your local welding supply shop.

Good to know...i'l have to keep that in mind when the time comes, thanks.

[gnef]

I have a dual zone walk-in, so I ferment ales on one side (set at 62F), and store everything in the cold side (set at 39F), and can serve up to 14 through the coffin box attached to the cold side. I currently have over 70 kegs in the cold side. I also have some kegs in a chest freezer that I use as a staging/tasting area when I run out of space on the coffin box, or a special keg that I don't want to put on the coffin box.

 

I use 50# tanks for serving, they last forever. I don't leave the gas connected though, as I don't trust my distribution system, and 50# is a lot of co2 to waste. I looked in to building a 14+ manifold, but it was way too expensive, and I knew I would never be able to get it completely leak-free.

[macbrak]

i voted flat, cellar temps but its some where between flat and carbed. I purge and over carb to +15-30 psi. I use 3 5#ers to avoid total leak loss.

[SteveMillerTime]

I have a dual zone walk-in, so I ferment ales on one side (set at 62F), and store everything in the cold side (set at 39F), and can serve up to 14 through the coffin box attached to the cold side. I currently have over 70 kegs in the cold side. I also have some kegs in a chest freezer that I use as a staging/tasting area when I run out of space on the coffin box, or a special keg that I don't want to put on the coffin box.

 

I use 50# tanks for serving, they last forever. I don't leave the gas connected though, as I don't trust my distribution system, and 50# is a lot of co2 to waste. I looked in to building a 14+ manifold, but it was way too expensive, and I knew I would never be able to get it completely leak-free.

you sir, are my hero.

 

i voted flat, cellar temps but its some where between flat and carbed. I purge and over carb to +15-30 psi. I use 3 5#ers to avoid total leak loss.

Yea, that's what i meant by flat. should have cleared that up. You never wanna store beer with O2...that compound is a bitch to beer.

Edited by SteveMillerTime, 11 May 2013 - 07:06 AM.

[positiveContact]

I have a dual zone walk-in, so I ferment ales on one side (set at 62F), and store everything in the cold side (set at 39F), and can serve up to 14 through the coffin box attached to the cold side. I currently have over 70 kegs in the cold side. I also have some kegs in a chest freezer that I use as a staging/tasting area when I run out of space on the coffin box, or a special keg that I don't want to put on the coffin box. I use 50# tanks for serving, they last forever. I don't leave the gas connected though, as I don't trust my distribution system, and 50# is a lot of co2 to waste. I looked in to building a 14+ manifold, but it was way too expensive, and I knew I would never be able to get it completely leak-free.

Have you thought about hosting a really kick ass party?

[Clintama]

I have a dual zone walk-in, so I ferment ales on one side (set at 62F), and store everything in the cold side (set at 39F), and can serve up to 14 through the coffin box attached to the cold side. I currently have over 70 kegs in the cold side. I also have some kegs in a chest freezer that I use as a staging/tasting area when I run out of space on the coffin box, or a special keg that I don't want to put on the coffin box.

 

I use 50# tanks for serving, they last forever. I don't leave the gas connected though, as I don't trust my distribution system, and 50# is a lot of co2 to waste. I looked in to building a 14+ manifold, but it was way too expensive, and I knew I would never be able to get it completely leak-free.

I've got a couple of 20# tanks and a 5#. I've thought about trading a couple or all of them for a 50 pounder and plumb it through out my brewroom where needed. I pay under $10 to fill a 20# tank, but I've never asked what a 50# would cost to fill. My bet is it's less than $10 more.

[SteveMillerTime]

I've got a couple of 20# tanks and a 5#. I've thought about trading a couple or all of them for a 50 pounder and plumb it through out my brewroom where needed. I pay under $10 to fill a 20# tank, but I've never asked what a 50# would cost to fill. My bet is it's less than $10 more.

less than $10 to fill a 20#?! i pay $15 for my 5# bottle!

[gnef]

Have you thought about hosting a really kick ass party?

 

Haha. I should. I've got way too much beer that is old now. I really should've invited the brew club over and had them float the kegs. I've now moved down to 5 gallon batches so that I don't have the same problem, hopefully

you sir, are my hero.

 

Yea, that's what i meant by flat. should have cleared that up. You never wanna store beer with O2...that compound is a bitch to beer.

I brew more than just beer, so it is beer, mead, wine, and cider in the walk-in. Some of the kegs I've been aging since 2006 or so, so I need a lot of kegs. This is the reason why I never do a still mead - I need to make sure I have CO2 in there, no O2, so I carbonate the mead to ensure that I can store it for years to come.

 

I've got a couple of 20# tanks and a 5#. I've thought about trading a couple or all of them for a 50 pounder and plumb it through out my brewroom where needed. I pay under $10 to fill a 20# tank, but I've never asked what a 50# would cost to fill. My bet is it's less than $10 more.

that is really cheap for CO2. I hope it stays that way for you! Here is it a minimum of $20 for a 20# tank, and the cheapest I've found is $30 for a 50# tank. there are some places that want nearly $40 for just a $20 tank, so I have to call every time, just to make sure.

[Clintama]

 

Haha. I should. I've got way too much beer that is old now. I really should've invited the brew club over and had them float the kegs. I've now moved down to 5 gallon batches so that I don't have the same problem, hopefully

I brew more than just beer, so it is beer, mead, wine, and cider in the walk-in. Some of the kegs I've been aging since 2006 or so, so I need a lot of kegs. This is the reason why I never do a still mead - I need to make sure I have CO2 in there, no O2, so I carbonate the mead to ensure that I can store it for years to come.

 

that is really cheap for CO2. I hope it stays that way for you! Here is it a minimum of $20 for a 20# tank, and the cheapest I've found is $30 for a 50# tank. there are some places that want nearly $40 for just a $20 tank, so I have to call every time, just to make sure.

It's just one welding shop that I've found that will swap it this cheap and it's been the same price for that last 3-4 years. Others want $15+ and a fire extinguisher company wanted $35.