tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post8785201792435717339..comments2024-02-23T15:34:32.816-05:00Comments on The Mad Fermentationist - Homebrewing Blog: The $8 Homebrew BarrelThe Mad Fermentationist (Mike)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-27267611032382264382013-10-21T15:52:46.462-04:002013-10-21T15:52:46.462-04:00Mike, thanks for the fascinating discussion. I got...Mike, thanks for the fascinating discussion. I got really excited about the possibility of doing this as I read your post and I took a break to find and read Raj Apte's original essay. By the time I had finished the rest of your post and thought about it for a while, I had talked myself out of it again. I felt vindicated when I saw your own message saying that you are back to using oak cubes with a carboy or bottle. It's like I ran through the experience of a couple of brews without even heating the water in my HLT. As always, your blog is a fantastic source of information and inspiration.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-27663536909115216112012-12-17T22:09:35.882-05:002012-12-17T22:09:35.882-05:00I'd suggest going to a local hardware store th...I'd suggest going to a local hardware store that has knowledgeable employees. That'd be your best bet for figuring out if the wood is safe. Contacting the manufacturer is another option.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-61192562931352196442012-12-15T11:53:10.675-05:002012-12-15T11:53:10.675-05:00@Anonymous (and everyone, I guess)
How do you det...@Anonymous (and everyone, I guess)<br /><br />How do you determine if dowels (or chair legs, or anything else) have been treated with antifugal chemicals? I've tried growing mushroom spawn on storebought hardwood dowels with poor results. I'm less worried about anything killing the yeast, more worried about the potential for chemicals getting into my brew?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-83495814839583627072012-11-04T23:59:08.309-05:002012-11-04T23:59:08.309-05:00I know this is an ancient post, but I have a few c...I know this is an ancient post, but I have a few comments. I use glass carboys. But you could accomplish something similar to what you do with plastic by using a stopper reamed out wide and then buying an oak dowel rod from a hardware store. You can get a 3' long, 1/4" or 1/2" diameter rod for about $1-$3. <br /><br />Then if it swells, no issue. Just stick the dowel rod through the stopper and into the carboy. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-14470313402884127262010-09-24T10:47:34.193-04:002010-09-24T10:47:34.193-04:00My knowledge of how pressure works is pretty minim...My knowledge of how pressure works is pretty minimal. As CO2 is released by the beer most of it would build-up in the headspace, as this happens it exerts a downward pressure on the beer, I’d be worried that the easiest place for it to go would be up and through the airlock until the level dropped below the bottom of the oak peg. That is essentially what happened to me the first time I used just the oak peg, beer kept bubbling up through the wood. <br /><br />Glad you’ve enjoyed the blog, I always appreciate hearing that. Seems like lots of interesting beer being made up your way, just got to try a fantastic bottle of La Buteuse Brassin Spécial (an apple brandy barrel aged, funky tripel from Le Trou Du Diable).The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-20343169568626690172010-09-24T10:23:41.354-04:002010-09-24T10:23:41.354-04:00You're right!But What about drilling a hole l...You're right!But What about drilling a hole large enough so an airlock would fit in! I will try it and let you know! ( by the way I've been following your blog for almost 3 years, and this was my first post). You are a great source of inspiration for brewers here in montreal! If ever you're having a trip here in Mtl, let me know!Julienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13067922020954911131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-27631272940860069362010-09-23T13:24:46.650-04:002010-09-23T13:24:46.650-04:00Here: http://www2.parc.com/emdl/members/apte/Ginge...Here: http://www2.parc.com/emdl/members/apte/GingerBeer.pdf ? I think that is just a small hole for attaching the chair leg to the rest of the chair, not a hole drilled all the way down by him. I'm not sure, but it seems like the sort of thing he would have written/mentioned if it was part of his process. A hole all the way through the wood might also cause acetic and evaporation issues as well as give a route for bugs to get down into the beer.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-10199087822013067362010-09-23T12:07:30.974-04:002010-09-23T12:07:30.974-04:00That is very interesting! Just had a look at the R...That is very interesting! Just had a look at the Raj Apte website, and I noticed he drilled a hole in the middle of the oak stick, probably helps solving the co2 pressure issues! He also mention that he pre-soaked it. - JulienJulienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13067922020954911131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-2558644734601911202010-06-24T20:15:03.945-04:002010-06-24T20:15:03.945-04:00I've given up on these. These days I'll d...I've given up on these. These days I'll do oak cubes if I'm aging in a carboy or better bottle. I just didn't find the results from any of the oak peg/dowel methods to be any better than results with the simpler solution. Barrels are another story, sadly I've yet to find an easy way to replicate them on a small scale.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-20470898165774998832010-06-24T19:53:35.820-04:002010-06-24T19:53:35.820-04:00So, did it work well? Or would you advise just goi...So, did it work well? Or would you advise just going with oak cubes?Andreihttp://zmievski.org/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-1738303428613768702007-03-07T12:35:00.000-05:002007-03-07T12:35:00.000-05:00Thanks for the note.That is actually just a leftov...Thanks for the note.<BR/><BR/>That is actually just a leftover piece of oak from my original attempt at the Raj chair leg system (it was the only thing I had lying around when I got inspired to work this up). It probably should be an inch or two longer (or maybe I should make the hole a bit bigger and stick it in further), but you really don’t want too much contact between the oak and the beer. <BR/><BR/>Check out page 8 of http://www2.parc.com/emdl/members/apte/GingerBeer.pdf it’s hard to tell exactly how long Raj’s is, but it doesn’t look too much longer than mine. <BR/><BR/>Oak flavor can get really strong over just a short amount of time, as I learned when I left 2 oz of oak cubes in 3 gallons of barleywine for 2 months about a year ago. Particularly in sour beers, where you may want it to age in contact with wood for more than a year, you generally don’t want a strong wood flavor because it can overpower the more subtle flavors. In the original setup the oak had approximately as much surface area as .5 oz of the oak cubes/beans from StaVin. <BR/><BR/>You want as little head space as possible so you would need to keep the beer topped off to within an inch or so of the top (you can either use boiled and cooled water, or beer). Head space (and particularly oxygen in the headspace) encourages the growth of acetobacter which just loves turning alcohol into vinegar. <BR/><BR/>Of course this is still an untested system so there will likely be some bugs (like the optimal length and treatment of the wood) to work out before everything is said and done. I just wish that I didn’t have to wait so long to get the results from a project like this.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-14710720700285624822007-03-07T09:44:00.000-05:002007-03-07T09:44:00.000-05:00Hey, I saw your post on BeerAdvocate and came over...Hey, I saw your post on BeerAdvocate and came over to check out your site. This seems like a really great idea, but I do have a question - is that pieces of oak long enough to really have much contact with the beer, it appears that only a very few inches are in the carboy? Seems like good stuff, keep up the good work - Fool CircleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com