Home Brewing / Micro Brewery / My own beer

[ScottulusMaximus]

Get an auto siphon. Taps really are the devil. Agreed you need a tap on a bottling bucket though. But that's also easier to clean as you have such little contact time. My issue with taps on fermenters is you take samples and then the beer stays in the tap. You can spray some sanitizer in after taking a sample, but still...

yeah i prefer to siphon off into the bottling bucket, that way also you can batch prime for carbonation and add anything else required without worrying about disturbing the trub

I have taps on everything, makes life much easier. I just run sanitiser through them.

 

[SukkaFoo]

I have taps on everything, makes life much easier. I just run sanitiser through them.

Ok cool. For me it's just one area where I can reduce risk. Sadly my experience is that eventually with plastic you will end up with something you don't want in there. Perhaps I do not sanitize as well as I think I do.

 

[SykomantiS]

so about this, what does one need to keg at home, i am seriously considering this depending on factors as i absolutely despise botteling

Bare minimum: CO2 cylinder, regulator, keg + disconnects, gas + beer line and a picnic tap if you're not going to mount a tap (right away)

 

[Steamy Tom]

Bare minimum: CO2 cylinder, regulator, keg + disconnects, gas + beer line and a picnic tap if you're not going to mount a tap (right away)

any chance you can link to affordable examples of these items?

 

[Snyper564]

any chance you can link to affordable examples of these items?

Also think about what kind of kegs you want. Im toying with the 19L corney kegs I can fit two in my fridge with three layers for bottles as well.

 

[Steamy Tom]

Also think about what kind of kegs you want. Im toying with the 19L corney kegs I can fit two in my fridge with three layers for bottles as well.

i honestly dont know the differences. i would say my need would be to dispense a few litres when needed, even as little as like 3-5 in a weekend.

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

Ok cool. For me it's just one area where I can reduce risk. Sadly my experience is that eventually with plastic you will end up with something you don't want in there. Perhaps I do not sanitize as well as I think I do.

Boiling water and iodophor, death to all. Just don't breath in the fumes... Will also turn some plastic yellow, especially clear plastic pipes.

 

[SykomantiS]

any chance you can link to affordable examples of these items?

Keg Solutions has some very good pricing on most of what you need. There's a downloadable excel file with pricing. Based in CT but I've ordered and shipped to Pta multiple times, no hassle. Last time I bought kegs from them, it cost met R1350 a pop, but I think the pricing has gone up again. Brewmart also had kegs the other day for about ~R1450.

I prefer ball lock kegs, many others prefer pin locks. There are also A/D/G/S type kegs but those work out more expensive as you need a coupler for each and they start at around R650 per coupler if I remember correctly.

 

[SukkaFoo]

Boiling water and iodophor, death to all. Just don't breath in the fumes... Will also turn some plastic yellow, especially clear plastic pipes.

I mean. I know how to sanitize. Been doing this for decade. I just also know the mistakes myself and many of the guys in the LHBC have made over that time. Personally I'd not recommend using taps. It's definitely easier, till you suddenly find your beers just aren't as good as they were before and you're just not sure why because you sanitize everything incredibly well. Just going on my experience is all.

 

[SykomantiS]

Keg Solutions has some very good pricing on most of what you need. There's a downloadable excel file with pricing. Based in CT but I've ordered and shipped to Pta multiple times, no hassle. Last time I bought kegs from them, it cost met R1350 a pop, but I think the pricing has gone up again. Brewmart also had kegs the other day for about ~R1450.

I prefer ball lock kegs, many others prefer pin locks. There are also A/D/G/S type kegs but those work out more expensive as you need a coupler for each and they start at around R650 per coupler if I remember correctly.

To add to this, my personal preference is for pushfit (DM Fit / John Guest) fittings for the gas line (so you would need a threaded keg disconnect for this) as it is a ball ache to properly seal the barbed disconnects on the 3/8" gas lines. But on the other hand I use barbed disconnects for my beer line because the inner diameter is much smaller and this works fine. If you use beer line for the gas as well then I suppose you won't have this issue (it's just more expensive per meter).

 

[Rocket-Boy]

How do you get the beer from the fermenter into the bottling bucket then?

On a different note, my beerlab order was involved in an accident with the courier. "Pieces", their word not mine, of my package have arrived at the depot...

Auto syphon, Its easier to make sure minimal trub gets out by starting from the top down.

Ah damn, I was planning on putting in an order with them this week, next weekend is brew time again.

 

[Rocket-Boy]

In other news I realized yesterday that I forgot to clean out my no chill cube after pouring the last batch into the fermentor... its been hot as balls here since then.
So it was literally covered with mold inside, PBW wouldnt even touch it.
I resorted to a cup of bleach and 2 Milton tablets then filling it up and putting the cap back on. This morning its clean as a whistle again, now I just need to get the bleach rinsed out properly.
Might actually end up scrapping it and getting a new one, but I figured it would be worth seeing if I could save it.

 

[Toxxyc]

any chance you can link to affordable examples of these items?

Kegging is convenient, not cheap to get started with.

Average prices, if you go middleway, you can expect to pay:

CO2 cylinder - R1k, for a 2kg one
Regulator - R800 for a cheapy
Kegs - Around R1.2k for second-hand ones, up to R3k for them new, depending on what you want
Disconnects and tubing and stuff - A few hundred bucks here or there
Party tap - R500?

Keep in mind this needs a dedicated fridge to store the keg with the beer in, or there's no way to keep your beer cold. So overall around R3.5k to get started. Not bad, but not cheap either. That's the main reason most people prefer bottling - it's cheap.

I want to go kegging now though. I'm REALLY tired of bottling crystal clear lagers or pilsners only to have them go cloudy in the bottle again due to the carbonation process.

EDIT: Oh yes, but don't toss out your bottles. You can carbonate in the keg and then fill bottles from the tap to take to parties if you want. It works.

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

Ah damn, I was planning on putting in an order with them this week, next weekend is brew time again.

Was not beerlabs fault, the driver servicing my area had an accident.

 

[GreGorGy]

any chance you can link to affordable examples of these items?

I haven't bottled in a long time. Corny kegs are great and easy BUT they are not recommended for long-term nitro use, which is where my passion lies (mmm Guinness). For CO2 they are fine. I put together a shopping list for someone else on another site. Let me see if I can find it.

 

[GreGorGy]

Argh - the links are to stuff that is sold out. But you need, at a bare minimum:
(this excludes JG push fittings, but YeahBew.co.za will advise you)

* Sodastream bottle

* CO2 Regulator. The following item allows you to use a Sodastream bottle and later the small bottle from mygas.co.za also fits this adaptor:

CO2 Mini Gas Regulator for Soda Stream 60 - Yeah Brew!

High Quality CO2 Mini Gas Regulator to connect Sodastream 60 CO2 bottle for convenience exchange of CO2 when running out unexpectedly. *Sodastream bottle not included.

yeahbrew.co.za

(R800)

* Gas line - about a meter

Gas Line 3/8- Per Meter - Yeah Brew!

yeahbrew.co.za

(R25)

* Gas connector for the keg

Ball Lock Disconnect Gas- Barbed - Yeah Brew!

Gas Ball Lock Disconnect For Corny Keg

yeahbrew.co.za

(R130)

* Liquid connector to tap and tap

Beer Tap Chrome With Ball Lock Quick Disconnect Kit - Yeah Brew!

With fast, easy set-up, this party-ready tap makes sharing easier than ever. You don’t have to fiddle with tubing, figuring out where to wrap it to keep it off the ground. Better yet, your beer won’t get warm sitting in Read more…

yeahbrew.co.za

(R450 - out of stock but he may still have advice)

* Corny Keg

19L Stainless Steel Ball lock Cornelius Keg - Yeah Brew!

19L Stainless Steel Ball lock Corny Keg from Keg-It

yeahbrew.co.za

(R1 900 but also out of stock)


Whatever you do buy, make sure the connectors are all the same. And the JG fittings are worth it.

You can also check with brewkegtap.co.za

 

[Toxxyc]

Keep in mind a SodaStream bottle costs a fortune to swap out, and you get like 3 kegs from it.

 

[bwana]

How do you get the beer from the fermenter into the bottling bucket then?

My plan is to drop a hose in, pressurise the fermenter and let it syphon out into the bottling bucket.

Then again I can't see how removing the tap and cleaning it out is going to be a problem.

In other news I realized yesterday that I forgot to clean out my no chill cube after pouring the last batch into the fermentor... its been hot as balls here since then.
So it was literally covered with mold inside, PBW wouldnt even touch it.
I resorted to a cup of bleach and 2 Milton tablets then filling it up and putting the cap back on. This morning its clean as a whistle again, now I just need to get the bleach rinsed out properly.
Might actually end up scrapping it and getting a new one, but I figured it would be worth seeing if I could save it.

Someone recommended caustic soda to me for stubborn stains.

 

[Snyper564]

Was wondering where all these grainfather clones came from...

Brew Buddy 40L All-in-ONE Micro Brewing Machine – Let's Brew

letsbrew.co.za

40l Home Brewing Machine/30l Beer Mash Tun/ Similar Guten All In One Brewing System / Mini Craft Beer - Buy Guten Microbrewery,All In One Home Brewing,30l Beer Mash Tun Product on Alibaba.com

40l Home Brewing Machine/30l Beer Mash Tun/ Similar Guten All In One Brewing System / Mini Craft Beer - Buy Guten Microbrewery,All In One Home Brewing,30l Beer Mash Tun Product on Alibaba.com

www.alibaba.com

 

[Dimpie (COMPUTEK)]

In other news I realized yesterday that I forgot to clean out my no chill cube after pouring the last batch into the fermentor... its been hot as balls here since then.
So it was literally covered with mold inside, PBW wouldnt even touch it.
I resorted to a cup of bleach and 2 Milton tablets then filling it up and putting the cap back on. This morning its clean as a whistle again, now I just need to get the bleach rinsed out properly.
Might actually end up scrapping it and getting a new one, but I figured it would be worth seeing if I could save it.

I would NOT use that cube .... they cheap ... just replace my friend.

You might just be unlucky and get an infection on your next brew and immediately think its the cube when it could be something else .... then on the brew after that the source of infection might still be there ... get me ?