Topic: Equipment
Build a Peristaltic Pump
MEMBERS ONLYLike many brewers, I have the occasional need to move liquids from one place to another (transfer wort from kettle to fermenter, or rack from fermenter to keg, etc.). There are many pumps on the market that can assist in moving liquids from place to place. Most of these pumps, such as the March or
Fermentation Heater
MEMBERS ONLYFermentation temperature control can mean a world of difference in the quality of beer. One of my early hurdles in homebrewing was keeping my carboy cool enough through the warmer months. Too hot of a fermentation can encourage the production of fusel alcohols and esters leading to off flavors and aromas. This can be solved
Immersion Lid Temperature Controller
MEMBERS ONLYFor the past few years I’ve been doing small batch brew-in-a-bag (BIAB); brewing 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of delicious beer at a time, in my kitchen, by my lonesome. Something was missing in my homebrew life, and that was the social aspect of brewing with friends. Determined to start up a monthly collaborative “experimental brew”
Induction Brewing
FREEHard though it is to believe, it was more than four years ago that I delivered my presentation about the magic of induction brewing at the National Homebrew Conference in Philadelphia. Shortly
Fermentation Systems For Nanobrewers
FREEA brewery’s fermentation system is the most costly part for a start-up and the devil is in the details. Luckily, nanobrewers have plenty of options and there are ways to cut cost.
Metallurgy for Homebrewers
MEMBERS ONLYEvery homebrewer is faced with equipment choices, whether they make it themselves or buy it from a shop. That decision usually involves determining the best combination of cost, performance and anticipated maintenance for that item. There are brewers that live by the mantra, “simpler is better.” There are other brewers that live by, “cheaper is
Steampunk Brewing
MEMBERS ONLYLike any good collaboration, Staten Island, New York neighbors Scott Van Campen and Mark Zappasodi’s “Brewing as Art” — a fully functional, gravity-fed brewing apparatus on wheels that happens to look like something from a Victorian-era horror movie set — began over beer. “We were hanging out having some beers and talking about the art
Large-Scale Homebrew Systems
FREEBe sure to check out the comparison chart of all the models covered here at the bottom of this article. Homebrew systems have gone BIG. Large three- vessel brewing systems are simply
Pressurizing Your Fermenter: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYBrewer: Mike Gleason, Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers in Framingham, MA There is a lot of buzz surrounding the use of a spunding valve on fermenters these days throughout the homebrewing community. Some brewers like to add it for dry hopping and carbonating purposes, while others apply them for primary fermentation. Yeast companies have even started
Under Pressure: Capturing CO2 During Fermentation
MEMBERS ONLYThere are some who say that a beer whose entire fermenting and aging life is maintained at positive pressure — around 15 psi —tastes much better. Dr. Chris White of White Labs believes that not only pro brewers, but homebrewers can benefit from pressure during fermentation. “It is an especially nice practice for fermenting lagers because you can ferment at higher temps and still get
Brutus Ten Build
MEMBERS ONLYSee my cool brewery? I call it Brutus Ten. If you’d like one just like it, I have just one thing to say — build your own! Heck, I’ll even show you how. Brutus Ten is a 10-gallon (38-L), single-tier brewery situated on a stainless steel frame. The temperature of the hot liquor tank and
Testing Dissolved Oxygen
FREEIn brewing, dissolved oxygen (DO) is measured for two reasons. The first is to determine that sufficient oxygen is dissolved in wort to initiate a clean, vigorous fermentation. The second is to