|
|
Post by brewbama on Feb 8, 2022 21:20:34 GMT -6
I have hiccups on most brewdays — either a mistake I made (last brewday I forgot to put the false bottom in the MLT prior to mash in) or equipment failure (today my HERMS temp probe failed). The key is to identify the issue quickly, develop a solution, and execute to get back on the rails as soon as possible.
For example today the temp probe failed during sparge vorlauf so I just let it go until I transferred the wort from the MLT to the boil. While waiting for the boil, a quick troubleshoot by plugging the cable into a spare temp probe to determine the cable was bad, I disassembled the cable connector, realized I had a broken wire, resoldered it, tested for continuity, and back in business.
The event forever known as the false bottom fiasco was not as pretty a fix. Though I did realize what I’d done quickly, the solution was messy. Pull the bag, get wort everywhere, get it put together right and get the grain bag back in for the mash.
I thought it would be entertaining to hear some of the hiccups you’ve had during brewday and the solution used to get the yeast pitched and fermenter tucked away.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ken on Feb 9, 2022 8:53:34 GMT -6
OMG. I've been brewing since 1999 so this could take awhile. I have absolutely had days where I thought I was going to have to scrap the session because the mill wouldn't mill. I'm sure my neighbors heard words they had never heard before. I have also had the connections on my immersion chiller come loose during the chill which ends up spraying water all over me and potentially into the kettle. That's always fun... run and turn off the water, tighten the connection and continue, etc. I've also had the hose freeze up on me during a 14° brewday. With no way to chill I ended up putting the kettle into a bank of snow and waiting an hour before transferring to the fermenter. Another time I had a glass secondary out in the cold garage and I was going to bring it down to the basement to transfer it to a keg. I went to get it and as I came back inside my phone rang. I put the carboy down and took the call. Afterwards I picked it back up and now it was sweating a little bit. Head down the basement stairs and now the carboy is slipping out of my hands. I have one hand on the neck and one hand on the bottom but it's slick. At some point the carboy cap pops off. Now I barely have control of it and I'm cradling it like a baby. I got to the bottom of the stairs in a sort of "slide into third base" position and when I get there, a small amount of beer spills out onto the floor but I have saved it. Phew. I let it settle a bit and sent it to a keg. No more glass carboys for me, thank you very much. I shattered at least 2 of those things.
|
|
|
|
Post by cliffs on Feb 9, 2022 9:30:42 GMT -6
where teh silicone tubing attaches to the QD's, it fails periodically and sprays liquid until I fix it. Seems to happen every 5 brews or so
|
|
|
|
Post by denny on Feb 9, 2022 13:33:09 GMT -6
The one that immediately comes to mind for me was chilling a German pils when I noticed that ALL my hop additions were sitting on a table. I added 2 gal. of water and reboiled adding the hops per schedule. Turned out to be one of my best pils.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ken on Feb 9, 2022 14:13:09 GMT -6
The one that immediately comes to mind for me was chilling a German pils when I noticed that ALL my hop additions were sitting on a table. I added 2 gal. of water and reboiled adding the hops per schedule. Turned out to be one of my best pils. BWD (Brewing while distracted) is not allowed. My wife always wants to talk to me when I'm brewing thinking that it's "down time" and nothing important is happening. Meanwhile the sink is overflowing, the CO2 tank is leaking CO2 into the kitchen and the garage is on fire!  |
|
|
|
Post by denny on Feb 9, 2022 14:14:36 GMT -6
The one that immediately comes to mind for me was chilling a German pils when I noticed that ALL my hop additions were sitting on a table. I added 2 gal. of water and reboiled adding the hops per schedule. Turned out to be one of my best pils. BWD (Brewing while distracted) is not allowed. My wife always wants to talk to me when I'm brewing thinking that it's "down time" and nothing important is happening. Meanwhile the sink is overflowing, the CO2 tank is leaking CO2 into the kitchen and the garage is on fire!  Unfortunately I don't have that excuse! |
|
|
|
Post by Ken on Feb 9, 2022 16:42:48 GMT -6
BWD (Brewing while distracted) is not allowed. My wife always wants to talk to me when I'm brewing thinking that it's "down time" and nothing important is happening. Meanwhile the sink is overflowing, the CO2 tank is leaking CO2 into the kitchen and the garage is on fire! Unfortunately I don't have that excuse! Well, neither do I anymore.  |
|
