tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post630393670301399697..comments2024-02-23T15:34:32.816-05:00Comments on The Mad Fermentationist - Homebrewing Blog: Don’t Waste Your Beer Money!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-24310294078673423542016-12-13T21:28:24.734-05:002016-12-13T21:28:24.734-05:00Beers usually don't have much glucose or sucro...Beers usually don't have much glucose or sucrose, and what is there is consumed quickly by the brewer's yeast. The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-75460207438497763052016-12-12T15:57:31.961-05:002016-12-12T15:57:31.961-05:00Mike,
Does sucrose/dextrose/etc make any differen...Mike,<br /><br />Does sucrose/dextrose/etc make any difference for your souring? I've seen distinctly different results in my kombucha. Granted, that's generally dominated by acetobacter, where the differences seem pretty well documented, but I hadn't considered that other "souring" bacteria wouldn't behave similarly.mathuaerknedamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369230942083272513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-88508737736956003882015-11-29T14:24:37.651-05:002015-11-29T14:24:37.651-05:00Thermoworks has a one year warranty against defect...Thermoworks has a one year warranty against defects, so I wouldn't have qualified. I just don't see the hinge as an advantage. I'd rather a button for both one-handed operation, and simply as a matter of one fewer thing to break. I was sent a free Javelin Pro (Thermopen knock-off) and have the same basic complaints as with the Thermopen (although it hasn't broken). <br /><br />Very odd, do you know what the lines were specifically? If anything I'm noticing the "line beer" tastes worse from these than it did from the "3/16" ID Beverage Tubing" I had from NB previously. The Ultra-Barrier stuff also seem to kink easily, one of my taps was pouring really slowly, turned out the interior and exterior walls of the tubing had separated. The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-12316338132358658762015-11-19T12:33:43.410-05:002015-11-19T12:33:43.410-05:00Pretty nice list! Though I think a couple might be...Pretty nice list! Though I think a couple might be up to debate based on need. 1) I love my Thermapen. Of course I also use it for cooking, grilling, smoking, and other things. When used for you brewing it is very important to clean it right away, otherwise the hinge will get sticky. Strange yours broke down so quickly. Most of my chef friends have used them in busy kitchens for years without a problem. From my understanding the company will fix or replace them if there is an issue. <br /><br />The other is the high beer lines... well for me anyway. I have a kegerator with an upright draft tower... pain in the ass to change the lines. Last year I went to change them, ordered beverage tubing from a well known national brew shop that I use regularly, after installing them could not for the life of me get the plastic taste out of my beer. And no it was not the beer, out of the keg it tasted just fine. I tried everything I read on the internet and every suggestion they sent me to get the taste out. So, they sent me new ones... did it all over again. Still same thing. Moved to the high end antimicrobial PVC free lines... problem solved... same beer all the way through this process. The high end lines no plastic taste. I am very happy with the extra money I put into the lines.Cheshire_Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01884961820887843202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-6108179907886345082015-09-23T21:08:09.980-04:002015-09-23T21:08:09.980-04:00Completely agree on the corn sugar, haven't us...Completely agree on the corn sugar, haven't used it in years with no ill effects!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-62271668040019644742015-09-20T09:44:36.321-04:002015-09-20T09:44:36.321-04:00Great idea for a post. I had previously put some t...Great idea for a post. I had previously put some thought behind some of the same items, carboys, CO2 tanks, thermopens, and overpriced sugars from homebrew shops. I pretty much agree with you on these items, so having your insight on the others feels helpful. On the sugar issue, I would add that corn sugar from the homebrew shop for priming isn't markedly better than table sugar from the grocery store, just more expensive per pound.Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01234888179341561773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-27545736378812874202015-07-26T17:29:48.895-04:002015-07-26T17:29:48.895-04:00The thermapen shines where quick readings are real...The thermapen shines where quick readings are really useful - I love mine when cooking on the grill as I can slowly push through the meat and check the temp gradient as I go - only thermometer I've really be able to do that with. In brewing and regular cooking though, accuracy is the main reason I use the thermapen, and they have many other options that are every bit as good in that regard, for much much cheaper too.Shockerengrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03796835167404119001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-55534259579080832242015-07-25T22:46:25.206-04:002015-07-25T22:46:25.206-04:00Great post! I always love review posts like this f...Great post! I always love review posts like this from folks whom have "been there and done that"... I've wanted to try a "Thermapen" for years since "America's Test Kitchen" loves them, but the $20 version has been the "Best Buy" for a reason and it has served me well... Great tip on the "OxiClean", the prices on many of the Brew-Store products always seemed to be suffering from "Hobby Mark-up"Profithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07830211034031425739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-47777587957106357732015-07-22T19:56:33.557-04:002015-07-22T19:56:33.557-04:00I like my refractometer. Not a necessary tool, but...I like my refractometer. Not a necessary tool, but it saves five minutes of effort 4-5 times each brew day. Makes it easy to do a quick gravity check to determine if I need to adjust anything along the way, without having to wait for a few ounces of wort to cool.<br /><br />I've been just as happy with the other Theroworks thermometer for cooking as I was with the Thermapen. Easy to turn on/off one handed, more durable, and just a couple seconds slower.<br /><br />Never found dextrose to be worth the money, sucrose does just as good a job at a much lower price. Carbonation is dissolved carbon dioxide, which isn't any different based on the sugar source. Surprising that an employee of a store would talk you into buying something from them rather than the supermarket?<br /><br />I never had issues with plastic flavor with my old beer line (whatever Midwest sells as 3/16" ID Beverage Tubing). You may just be more sensitive than me. I think cleaning lines is more important than the type of line.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-64791369211342573342015-07-22T10:22:24.223-04:002015-07-22T10:22:24.223-04:00I agree with every item on the list! Especially t...I agree with every item on the list! Especially the carboys. I know 2 people that were severely injured by carboy shrapnel. One severed his achilles tendon, had to relearn how to walk. The other almost lost a couple of fingers. Nope, only plastic for this homebrewer!masonsjaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05369527568950239759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-42775719895495094632015-07-21T20:14:44.560-04:002015-07-21T20:14:44.560-04:00From personal experience with cheap vinyl tubing, ...From personal experience with cheap vinyl tubing, I must say that the extra cents per foot for good quality non-vinyl tubing is definitely worth the money. <br /><br />A while back I traced a plastic off-flavor to the cheap vinyl tubing from my keg to faucet, and after replacing it with the same stuff you mentioned in the post the problem was solved.<br /><br />As a relatively pedantic home brewer I spend a lot of time and effort researching and applying new techniques to refine my beer, so ruining it with a plastic flavor just to save a few bucks makes no sense...Izak DV.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08839853043758959784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-85929809108395912322015-07-21T11:56:46.316-04:002015-07-21T11:56:46.316-04:00Speaking of Dextrose, would you categorize it as a...Speaking of Dextrose, would you categorize it as an extravagant means of carbing vs plain table sugar? <br /><br />It looks like you keg most of your clean beers but still bottle some of the sours for aging.<br /><br />I only ask because I have been using dextrose exclusively, which I believe was out of fear -albeit unfounded- that table sugar would produce inferior carbonation. I suppose it began when I first went to the LHBS and noticed the dextrose with all the other bottling equipment and just assumed it was a necessary item. I know many of the calculators offer a table sugar option; probably some simple experimentation is all I need to assuage my fear. <br /><br />Love the blog and book!Rye guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11183542946819785720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-18231388577192602112015-07-21T09:50:31.416-04:002015-07-21T09:50:31.416-04:00I am going to have to disagree with the Thermapen,...I am going to have to disagree with the Thermapen, its an excellent tool in the brewery and the kitchen! In fact, I use it more often for cooking, grilling and bbq'ing because, well, you can't brew everyday!Victor W.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02523169964481205293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-49331450572630902422015-07-21T09:02:29.995-04:002015-07-21T09:02:29.995-04:00Great post! One thing I would add is high end kett...Great post! One thing I would add is high end kettles. I went Blichmann, and although I like them a lot, its only because of the bling factor. Doing it over, I would've bought undrilled kettles of the same size and put thermometers and ball valves where I wanted. <br /><br />One purchase I would highly recommend making is the Blichmann burner. If you are moving from stovetop to gas burner, skip the crappy turkey fryer. There are similar burners that might be as good at heating, but the overall construction of the Blichmann unit is really great. Best part is how quiet it is too. This is probably what had me hooked on wanting a three burner top tier. I have some buyers remorse over it. It is lessened when a friend says "WOW! That's frickin' awesome!!!" ;)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13039050393904505393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-42381290251865762212015-07-21T08:29:12.709-04:002015-07-21T08:29:12.709-04:00I would just say that it's nice to have two co...I would just say that it's nice to have two co2 tanks no matter what size they are. Then when one kicks you (hopefully) have the second one already re-filled and ready to go. The second can also be used to purge as you suggested. This is the system I've been using and I haven't regretted spending the extra money. Other than that I completely agree with your list.FerventBrewerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00214591907160820791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-72857325799173700532015-07-21T04:34:37.823-04:002015-07-21T04:34:37.823-04:00Rotating Sparge Arm, draining slowly and sparging ...Rotating Sparge Arm, draining slowly and sparging at the same speed meant the thing would not rotate, used it to recirc and it clogged up. Been sitting in the brewery with other useless stuff for 7 yearsMiCartshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13754996765568203599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-34123979624321521692015-07-21T04:26:48.407-04:002015-07-21T04:26:48.407-04:00I have to say, I've made every single purchase...I have to say, I've made every single purchase you have mentioned in this post, and I can't disagree with any of them, except I would add that the glass lined barrier tubing that I purchased (don't have the brand in front of me), has lasted a considerable amount of time and seems to have no flavor carry over from beer to beer. I do use BLC and recirculate for 30+ minutes before switching beers, but not having to replace my line as often as I would have to worry vinyl is worth the money to me. I also still use glass carboys for long term storage, but it's more out of stubbornness and fear of oxygen. graymomenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17856664830020782827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-84720024105254086202015-07-21T02:22:00.897-04:002015-07-21T02:22:00.897-04:00Please disclose your affiliate links. It's the...Please disclose your affiliate links. It's the law!Kenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11583717134076863159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-62293728477834662062015-07-21T01:46:14.134-04:002015-07-21T01:46:14.134-04:00I would say that the beer line and the carboys val...I would say that the beer line and the carboys value depend on how you feel about plastics, I went with a Phalate free beverage line. It has less friction, so not only is it more expensive but I need to use more. Say what you want about food grade vinyl being safe but I still have concerns. I also choose not to ferment in plastic at all for the same reasons. To each their own, we must make our own choices, in these cases it is not about product performance in terms of a better brew day for me.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00438360341479248974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-71754122303123182642015-07-21T00:45:06.238-04:002015-07-21T00:45:06.238-04:00I would say that a 5# CO2 can be very useful. I us...I would say that a 5# CO2 can be very useful. I use mine for taking with me to serve beer from my jockey box when needed, and also the general portability allows me to take it to my fermentation chamber to transfer under pressure or push our some sanitizer top leave CO2 in the keg that is being transferred to.TheGremlynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12906497884365099443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-47409491662172745002015-07-20T23:43:25.034-04:002015-07-20T23:43:25.034-04:00Refractometer, aeration kitRefractometer, aeration kitAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09815120389995461694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-31123208392501048362015-07-20T20:59:33.096-04:002015-07-20T20:59:33.096-04:00Amen on glass carboys. I incurred 7 stitches on m...Amen on glass carboys. I incurred 7 stitches on my right hand on my first solo brew day. Better Bottle thereafter.Brian Spraguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16951189686389729092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-33558800838026398002015-07-20T20:54:35.142-04:002015-07-20T20:54:35.142-04:00Just buy a can of hop extract and fill your own sy...Just buy a can of hop extract and fill your own syringes.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09572217599218728718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-54028907169061241192015-07-20T20:38:47.149-04:002015-07-20T20:38:47.149-04:00
I bought the Fermtech Wine Thief (~$8) but I neve...<br />I bought the Fermtech Wine Thief (~$8) but I never ended up using it. I also purchased a stainless racking cane but after using if for a year or so I went back to the Auto Siphon because it is so convenient. passlakuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04666110395780303225noreply@blogger.com