Now that this new year is almost a week old and my very relaxing, almost-entirely-away-from -the-internets vacation is over I've discovered I should probably have an even longer break. I'm short on vacation time, have 17 metric shit-tonnes of work to do my "real" job, and a whole bunch of new brewery equipment (Conical! 1+ barrel per batch! Glycol cooling! Digital control! Shiny shiny!) is taking up the rest of my free time. I think I'm gonna just have to let this little mostly-unread corner of the intarwebs languish a bit for a while.
I'll be around, likely occasionally dropping ill-conceived drunken comments at the usual haunts, and continuing to delete idiotic troll comments over at Sadly, No! There will probably be some hideous photoshopped monstrosity that yearns to be created that brings me back sooner than I should be. Otherwise, drop a comment on this post if you have some silliness that won't wait.
Later, taters.
How DARE you stop entertaining us in lieu of farcical real life activities?
ReplyDeleteI'd feel bad if I thought I was actually entertaining you peeps in the first place.
DeleteI'm pretty easily entertained.
DeleteClearly, since you visit this silly place.
Delete...also, I ordered TWO snowblower motors for our FIRST robot. Dunno what we'll use 'em for, just yet, but hey! SNOWBLOWER MOTORS!
ReplyDeleteClearly one of them has to be used to power the rotating knives.
DeleteAlthough I respect your inclinations (while wondering about the level of hostility from one who has access to hi-test beers) one of the most consistent problems I find is explaining to people that FIRST Robotics is not intended to be a Battlebots/ Robowars kind of event.
DeleteI continue, of course, to recommend that you visit the local FIRST regionals. There is one at OSU, one in Oregon City, one in Portland, and one in Wilsonville.
I thought that might get a rise out of you. I am familiar with and have family involved in robotics -- in fact a local cousin was heavily involved in the local club and subsequently got an engineering degree and went to work on robots for NASA.
DeleteAnd it was a valid suggestion anyway.Doesn't the upcoming FIRST challenge/contest/whateveryoucallitthatisn't"battle" involve large inflated balls? What better defense against inflated balls than rotating knives? But there's probably some "rule" or something that prohibits that. What fun is that?
OK, so I'm easy. I'm also cheap.
DeleteBut there's probably some "rule" or something that prohibits that.
There is. It gets the kids used to being able to read rules, codes, etc. Like the real world.
There is. It gets the kids used to being able to read rules, codes, etc. Like the real world.
DeletePhooey.
I hope you at least help them interpret the rules in the most loose/favorable manner to find loopholes big enough to drive a knife-wielding robot through. Like the real world.
we'll program it to run over your toes. Twice.
DeleteSee, not that threatening. Needs more rotating knives.
DeleteHow about a cast punching fist that is attached to a pneumatic cylinder?
DeleteYeah, that's more like it.
DeleteHappy New Year! and congrats on the fermenter! So you're talking 30+ gal batches? wow! what does one boil up that much wort in, just a giant brew kettle on burner outdoors? I suppose you're using pumps to move all that liquid around.
ReplyDeleteFWIW, my latest upgrade is a 20gal brew kettle for making 10 gallon batches. I figure I'll just ferment in 2 x 5 or 6 gallon carboys. That lets me double production without really extending the brew day work too much. Plus I can mess around with 2 different yeasts, dry hops, etc on the same initial wort. Anyhow, cheers!
Yeah, a barrel is 31 gallons, and I actually have two 17 gallon conical fermenters setup, with digital temp control to keep each of them individually cooled/heated to the proper temp. That way I can have two different half-barrel batches going at the same time (just like you will with your 10 gallon setup). I boil in two separate pots on two big propane burners, and yeah, I have pumps to move it around. Sometimes I'll make one style in both pots, but most often I do something like an imperial stout in one pot, and a regular stout in the other, or things like that. I just split the output of the mash-tun to reach the desired gravity for each batch.the web.
DeleteSee if you can track down somebody's old corny kegs to use as fermenters. Way easier to clean than glass carboys, not fragile, they keep the light out, and sometimes you can find them free/cheap if they have messed up threads for fittings or are banged up enough that they don't seal right under high pressure, but will still hold liquid. You could use three of them and then brew up 12 gallons (or even a bit more) of finished beer.
Thanks for the suggestions. Right now my major limitation is how many carboys (or whatever fermenter I choose to use) can fit into my chest freezer, which right now is 2 x 5 or 6 gallon carboys. I'm using a 1/2 chest freezer outfitted with a digital temperature controller and a heating pad (so I can heat it in the winter and cool it in the summer and always ferment at the temp I want).
DeleteSo many options!!!! Thanks and have fun with your new setup.
That's actually what I used to use, and the corny kegs fit way better than carboys did in my freezer I could get 5 of them in there but only 2 carboys. The cornys are taller and skinnier. They're also way easier to get in and out -- they have nice handles built in.
DeleteI hadnt thought about the advantage of tall and skinny. I'll definitely look into the corny keg option. I'm using glass carboys 5 and 6 gallons but I'm deadly scared one is going to break on me someday. I do keep them in a milk crate when moving them around but I've heard some nightmare stories about people severing arteries and such from broken glass carboys. Brewing is fun and all but shouldn't be life threatening. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteget a room, guys.
ReplyDeleteNo, no, this is good, I wanna watch.
Delete-snerk-
DeleteEverybody's got a little voyeur inside them. He wears a jaunty cap.
DeleteThat's no cap!
DeleteBe careful what name your beer.
ReplyDelete