Happenings and Updates

 

It has been a couple of weeks since I last posted, thought I would give an update on the brewery

 

Centennial SMaSH: still carbonating, flavor so far is pretty bitter (like too bitter and I'm worried I may have done something wrong) but hopefully it will mellow some (like the IPA did); it's actually clearing up pretty well from a clarity standpoint too. Hopefully can do a formal tasting post in another week or so.

 

IPA: Hoping to evaluate this weekend. Stay tuned (spoiler: not groundbreaking, but in the right direction)

 

CraigsList: Rowdy Reptile is always looking to upgrade and since I recently came into possession of a standard half-barrel keg, it's time to make a keggle (i.e., boil kettle from a keg shell). I found a guy on CL who will cut a hole in the lid and weld a fitting in the side to allow me to drain the wort through a valve. Traditionally, most people will drill a hole and use weld-less fittings which is fine. Having them welded though, ensures no leaks, so I'm very happy to have this option. He's only charging $50 which is an awesome deal, so I'm very excited about that. The keg is being dropped off this weekend and should be ready to go for our next brew (a black IPA) right before Christmas.

 

I'm also selling the old boil kettle (to bank role the upgrade). The alumimum monster is finally going to find another home and will hopefully bring them better brews. After cleaning the kettle with a vinegar/water mixture, I scrubbed off a lot of grime from the bottom of the kettle. I am thinking this may be the culprit of a lot of the off flavors we've been having lately. Mostly from the standpoint that I have never cleaned the kettle that thoroughly in the past and the grime/scorch has slowly built up over time. Now that it's significant enough, we are probably starting to detect the flavors imparted into our beers.....probably should have cleaned it better, but I had read not to use anything abrasive on aluminum, so I only used a sponge. Oh well, at least now we're finally done with that. I am really hoping these off flavors will dissapear with the new kettle as well as the color issues and we can finally start making excellent pale beers.

Until next time

#TeamDietrich