Posted: 9/19/2022 8:30:21 AM EDT
[Last Edit: FrozenWinter][Edited]
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My wife is pretty awesome, and loves the beer I make. She also doesnt mind me spending money (within reason of course) on my many, many hobbies. Well she stumbled across a posting on FB marketplace for a Spikes CF5 fermenter, with extras. Chill coil(with pump and qd's), sight glass, carb stone, CIP spray ball and a pile of different fittings, adaptors and what not. Could use a bit of a cleaning, been sitting in his garage for a couple years from the looks of it.  So I guess I now need to build myself one of those AC unit glycol chillers. Anyone messed around with the Spikes conical before or built their own glycol chillers? |
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Originally Posted By Ambridge77: I've never home brewed and have no equipment to do so, but I think it's neat and am looking forward to you posting the results of your newest batches.  Got some experimenting to do first, get temp control for it figured out and make sure I know how to get it sealed, cleaned and sanitized. |
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So my new fermentor can do pressurized fermentation, i knew that when i bought it. What i didnt know is that by doing pressurized fermentation, you can ferment at higher temps and faster without creating off flavors and with lagers, you dont have to condition them as long. Lagers go from 2-3 weeks fermentation and 1-2 months of conditioning to 1 to 1.5 weeks ferment and 1 week conditioning. Might have to try this. |
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  Finally got to use my new fermenter. Brewed up an ESB, also added in a pump to my equipment as I didnt want to try and lift a full kettle high enough to gravity drain into the conical. Figured since I had a pump I may as well recirculate my mash with it. Wort came out a lot more clear than before. I think I'll have to build a new brew stand as I no longer have to use gravity for everything. |
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Joined:
Dec 2022
Posts:
2
EE: 100% (42)
SC, USA
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Looking good. My lager process: Brew as normal, including whirfloc in boil Pitch at 67F and hold there throughout the fermentation. Let it free rise to 15 psi and hold it there. Usually takes about 24hrs to get up to pressure. After two weeks, cold crash for a couple days at 34F Closed transfer to purged keg Hit it with gelatin Condition for about a week It goes in the keg about half carbed, so I do give it about 24hrs at 30psi after that to kick the carb level up quicker. So grain to glass in just over 3 weeks, and it is pretty good and pretty clear from the start, at least using 34/70 or S23. Leave in the keg a couple more weeks for even better results. I've tried pushing it faster but start to run into diacetyl... ymmv. |
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Originally Posted By Ambridge77: @FrozenWinter How did the brewing go?  Lol, guess I never updated this. Went great! I've done several beers since that ESB. Brewed a Saison over the 4th of July weekend that's bubbling away right now. |
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Well my wife did it again. She got me a combined birthday/Christmas present   I've been wanting one of the Spike Solos for awhile, brewing in the garage in the middle of MN winters is not the most fun thing. Spike was pretty slow with the shipping, this was ordered during their black friday sale and it just arrived this past Friday. I get it, they were slammed with orders. Hopefully brewing a batch this coming Sunday. |
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That's awesome. You are going to love it. Your beer will likely get more consistent from batch to batch. As an aside, can you ask your wife if she's looking to take any additional husbands? 
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Bro, I stayed in the Marines for 26 years and been to cola warrior like 10 times, I'm all about bad decisions. -HDLS
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Got a batch brewed on Saturday. Seems like every time I've upgraded my brewing equipment I make the same beer for my first run. When I started off years ago with extract brewing the first beer I made was a kit from Northern Brewer, AK-47 Pale Mild. When I moved to full volume boils I did that same kit again. Ditto for my move to all grain. So first EBIAB batch was AK-47. Brewing on this thing is pretty slick, not to mention it was -3* here in MN so being able to brew inside was really nice. Definitly have to dick with my grain mill a bit, had a fair ammount of pass-thru, thinking my crush was a bit on the fine side.  
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Originally Posted By TrainSafe: That's awesome. You are going to love it. Your beer will likely get more consistent from batch to batch. As an aside, can you ask your wife if she's looking to take any additional husbands?  I'll ask, dont hold your breath though 
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