I like to think of myself as a mash maverick, but I'm probably more of a mash murderermash rookie wrote:How many do I have to do before I can drop the "Rookie" from my handle?
Search found 40 matches
- Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:42 am
- Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
- Topic: Grinding advice
- Replies: 29
- Views: 5458
Re: Grinding advice
- Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:29 am
- Forum: Grains
- Topic: Barley - malted vs. unmalted
- Replies: 13
- Views: 9414
Re: Barley - malted vs. unmalted
Sounds about right, although I've never tried UJSSM so I can't really advise you there. Mould could be the culprit, I lost a lot of grain to mould. I couldn't say whether or not the stuff I finished had any mould - I assume as I never saw any that there wasn't, but who knows - right towards the end ...
- Thu Jun 16, 2011 3:59 pm
- Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
- Topic: Grinding advice
- Replies: 29
- Views: 5458
Re: Grinding advice
MR, are you planning on lautering/sparging your mash? I do because I use an electric element to run my still which I've read would burn the grains causing off flavours. If you still with an electric element, you'll want plenty of larger grain pieces and grain hulls in your mash so you can lauter/spa...
- Thu Jun 16, 2011 4:17 am
- Forum: Grains
- Topic: A YouTube Mash Video
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2272
Re: A YouTube Mash Video
I didn't know you could use a tin of malt extract in place of cracked malt. I would have thought that the enzymes in the malt would be destroyed as the malt would be boiled to reduce it to a syrup.
- Thu Jun 16, 2011 3:47 am
- Forum: Grains
- Topic: Barley - malted vs. unmalted
- Replies: 13
- Views: 9414
Re: Barley - malted vs. unmalted
I've malted a coupla 40kg sacks of raw barley horse feed recently as it works out as twice as cheap as malt from the brew shop. I probably lost half the total barley to the learning process, but anyhow.... I've made few few batches of wash with this stuff so far, and the end result is... well - ther...
- Thu Jun 16, 2011 3:21 am
- Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
- Topic: Grinding advice
- Replies: 29
- Views: 5458
Re: Grinding advice
you can find videos on youtube of people showing you how to make a grain-mill out of a counter top pasta maker. I made one and it works so-so (real slow and noisy) when powered by an electric drill. I found an electric stone mill in a junk shop which is just as slow, but easier to use and haven't lo...
- Wed Jan 26, 2011 10:42 pm
- Forum: Still Related Hardware
- Topic: Plastic rings inside ball valves
- Replies: 4
- Views: 864
Re: Plastic rings inside ball valves
Awesome, many thanks MM
- Wed Jan 26, 2011 9:25 pm
- Forum: Still Related Hardware
- Topic: Plastic rings inside ball valves
- Replies: 4
- Views: 864
Plastic rings inside ball valves
Before I created this post, I searched 'ball valve plastic' and didn't find this question already covered, and I opologise if it has been and I'm just useless at searching this site. I was just admiring the SS ball valve that I have recently acquired and on closer inspection I notice it has plastic ...
- Tue Dec 21, 2010 5:51 pm
- Forum: Column Builds
- Topic: Ideas for my next upgrade.
- Replies: 8
- Views: 1620
Re: Ideas for my next upgrade.
I tend to agree with Ayay, I would keep it simple (one valve). Fewer things to worry about and analyze during the run. The two needle valves are intended to be used one at a time, either with the lower one closed with the upper one controlling tak-off for LM, or with the upper one fully open and th...
- Mon Dec 20, 2010 12:03 am
- Forum: Column Builds
- Topic: Ideas for my next upgrade.
- Replies: 8
- Views: 1620
Re: Ideas for my next upgrade.
If your going to build the condensor like that, why not put a simple cold finger down the middle instead of a closed piple. Thats what I have on my VM, its called a gloved coldfinger and works really well and no need to wind coils and you will effiectively double your cooling surface area. Yeah, I ...
- Sat Dec 18, 2010 11:16 pm
- Forum: Column Builds
- Topic: Ideas for my next upgrade.
- Replies: 8
- Views: 1620
Ideas for my next upgrade.
Long-time lurker, I'm preparing to build... I want a head where I can experiment and learn about VM, LM and now that I've seen a few pics, why not RLM too? As I don't have the luxury of a workshop I want it as easy and affordable to make as possible (1/4" tubing is pricey for me). This is why i...
- Sun Dec 12, 2010 6:47 am
- Forum: Research and Theory
- Topic: NZ Made
- Replies: 75
- Views: 20248
Re: NZ Made
Check out my photobucket link in my new and improved signature. just to give you guys an idea of my mickey mouse improvised techniques. Aside from malting more feed, I'm currently about 70% off finishing an electric keg boiler which I plan on using as a tun/wort boiler/still kettle. I'll keep adding...
- Tue Sep 21, 2010 6:19 pm
- Forum: Research and Theory
- Topic: NZ Made
- Replies: 75
- Views: 20248
Re: NZ Made
How about fijoa? Not sure if its native but it would frment great! and tastes amazing. I once had a vodka mixed with fijoa pulp. mmmmm I always make a batch of Feijoa cider every winter, and if the wort goes south, I strip it to make feijoa schnapps. Awful stuff before you add the sugar, great once...
- Wed Jul 21, 2010 4:12 am
- Forum: Recipe Development
- Topic: Potato starch -> sugar (Amylase or pressure cooker)
- Replies: 14
- Views: 10383
Re: Potato starch -> sugar (Amylase or pressure cooker)
So can anyone tell me if a pressure cooker will work to convert potato starch to fermentable sugar?
- Sun Jul 18, 2010 4:20 pm
- Forum: Recipe Development
- Topic: Potato starch -> sugar (Amylase or pressure cooker)
- Replies: 14
- Views: 10383
Re: Potato starch -> sugar (Amylase or pressure cooker)
There's an asian food market down the road from me that sells potato starch in bulk at around $6 a kilo. Anyone heard of or tried using this stuff? I'm also interested to know if a pressure cooker can be used to hydrolyze starches, as amalayse has been impossible for me to track down here in NZ (I b...
- Wed Aug 12, 2009 1:13 am
- Forum: Research and Theory
- Topic: NZ Made
- Replies: 75
- Views: 20248
Re: NZ Made
If there's a Binn Inn anywhere near, the sell some pretty cheap malt extract - $5.50 per kilo. Just put 18kg Binn Inn malt in a wheelie bin with about 120L water and 500g bakers yeast. Looking forward to a big run real soon. Thanks for the horopito pic KS, I got a mate who does revegation landscapin...
- Wed Aug 12, 2009 1:05 am
- Forum: Recipe Development
- Topic: Ginger Brandy
- Replies: 12
- Views: 4497
Re: Ginger Brandy
Update on the EC1118 ginger beer: After watching the thing bubble slowly for a coupla months without showing any signs of stopping, I decided it would be a good candidate to put into a BeerSphere (plastic pressurized keg) so it's slow but steady production of CO2 would keep it always fizzy and well ...
- Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:40 pm
- Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
- Topic: You know you are a Shiner when…
- Replies: 365
- Views: 48106
Re: You know you are a Shiner when…
I can't wait to use that one, KS.I'm the candyman.
- Thu Jun 11, 2009 4:39 pm
- Forum: Research and Theory
- Topic: NZ Made
- Replies: 75
- Views: 20248
Re: NZ Made
Haven't seen any dimmers that rate higher than 300W here, on eBay I've seen 1KW light dimmers - still not enough. Lemme know how much your outlay is if you get something made.
- Thu Jun 11, 2009 5:55 am
- Forum: Research and Theory
- Topic: NZ Made
- Replies: 75
- Views: 20248
Re: NZ Made
I'm chronically broke at the moment, so sourcing all the ingredients for my bitters will have to go on the back burner. I did find a good link on one of the threads here to a place that has reasonable looking prices and international shipping: http://botanical.com/ . They have pretty much everything...
- Wed Jun 10, 2009 5:38 am
- Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
- Topic: Cheapest wort - new guy question
- Replies: 20
- Views: 2242
Re: Cheapest wort - new guy question
An old recipe for ginger beer has you add sultanas or raisins, which I think is the source of yeast, but I notice that the ginger beer never produces much alcohol. Not sure if the yeast in the sultanas is the same every time tho. I was under the impression that most wild yeasts don't give you optima...
- Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:22 am
- Forum: Recipe Development
- Topic: Ginger Brandy
- Replies: 12
- Views: 4497
Re: Ginger Brandy
I had relative success with stilling a batch of ginger beer that turned out less than delicious. I don't like sugary drinks much, but I found myself adding about 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar to this stuff to get it tasting nice. The ginger in my ginger beer recipe is the dried ground stuff from the s...
- Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:07 am
- Forum: Research and Theory
- Topic: vinegar?
- Replies: 22
- Views: 8553
Re: vinegar?
The vinegar itself has a higher boiling point than water, so it's never going to carry over. As for other chemicals caused by this ethanol oxidation, I wouldn't know, but I do know I've made great vodka from vinegary washes and have since become very blasé about preventing it in my washes (and in ot...
- Sun May 24, 2009 1:21 am
- Forum: Research and Theory
- Topic: NZ Made
- Replies: 75
- Views: 20248
Re: NZ Made
I can still get Maltexo at the super market. It's in the fitness foods/energy bar section. I used to love eating that stuff when I was a kid. It's about $10.50 for a 1.5 Kg tin, so it works out about $5 cheaper than the malt in the brew store. Just make sure you don't get the Matexo Plus stuff, whic...
- Mon May 18, 2009 6:43 pm
- Forum: Research and Theory
- Topic: NZ Made
- Replies: 75
- Views: 20248
Re: NZ Made
ok then, an update then on the feijoa buisness: Of the two feijoa wine/washes that I mentioned earlier, the first one went vinegar on me, and so nominated itself to become feijoa schnapps instead of wine. I threw it in the kettle and ran it as a pot still. First run to strip - and man was the smell ...
- Wed May 06, 2009 7:24 pm
- Forum: Materials Safety
- Topic: Ethyl Carbamate and copper reaction
- Replies: 31
- Views: 13754
Re: Ethyl Carbamate and copper reaction
you dont want to fully bleach the copper like this after every run. the golden color is called a patina and is beneficial. having shiny copper will give off metallic tastes. after each run just pour some of the hot backset left in the still through the copper then rinse with water. it is hot and ac...
- Tue May 05, 2009 2:32 am
- Forum: Materials Safety
- Topic: Ethyl Carbamate and copper reaction
- Replies: 31
- Views: 13754
Re: Ethyl Carbamate and copper reaction
It now can not be removed by simple water flush. Should I treat it by an acid (eg. citron + H2O2) and clean the surface to raw copper? I am affraid about mesh, because several such a cleaning could destroy it. I note that some guys on this site clean their copper with salt dissolved in vinegar. Aft...
- Tue May 05, 2009 1:09 am
- Forum: Research and Theory
- Topic: NZ Made
- Replies: 75
- Views: 20248
Re: NZ Made
I think the sodium meta' wasn't necessary anyhow, as boiling it should kill any bugs in the pulp.
- Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:30 am
- Forum: Research and Theory
- Topic: NZ Made
- Replies: 75
- Views: 20248
Re: NZ Made
Someone I know knows a friend that needs to get them off their lawn out in the country somewhere. Stroke of luck. It seems every autumn there's always someone giving away bags of them to their crafty friends for jams and such. You wanna put the word out with your friends/neighbours.
- Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:31 am
- Forum: Research and Theory
- Topic: NZ Made
- Replies: 75
- Views: 20248
Re: NZ Made
hmmm feijoa rum... that might not be half bad. one of my fav drinks is a feijoa mojito. I have 25kg of molasses sitting around, I might try 2kg of that, 1kg of brown sugar, then blended feijoas and pectin. I bet that is going to smell absolutely awful while fermenting... what part of NZ are you in ...