Tips for winter

[bt1]

Howdy,

More for new players but a reminder for all while you’re drinking your next drop of preference. Don’t get me wrong I’ll lash out on an experimental on a whim but for the routine brews a few things to think about.

Boilers/keg mashers

The heat shroud post has done the rounds for past couple of weeks and if you’re not using one in winter, for gas or electric I’ll make you one and you send me the $20 for the gas or $10 of power you save per month…minimum contract 12 months.
If you’re a keg masher, pop it over your keg for the rests and it will do the job nicely.
Costs approx $17 for a 44gall /205lt drum, off cut insulation from building site waste bins, 1 cutting disk or hacksaw.
If you design it right it will also pre heat your column or not…

Stills

For Bokas, Refluxers, platers and pot heads get some foil insulation, .5 mt of Velcro, left over insulation pieces. Roll your still up snug, cut foil insulation to shape, adding cut-outs for sight glasses etc. Lay it our flat once done, glue in insulation to suit. Refit then add Velcro and you’ve a nice jacket for your still.
Cost approx $6 for glue, $6 for Velcro remaining mtls sourced as scrap.

Washes

Try SAF lager S23 or simular yeast in larger fermenters. It runs from about 4c up to 9c and requires no heating. If you’re real tight/good you can add active yeast from one wash to the next so u pay for 1 lot of yeast only. A 200lt brew takes longer so you need to space em out but seriously $15-$22 worth of yeasts at the start will go whole winter no probs and you don’t need to heat.

Lots of solutions to heaters for washes. If you have to warm wash during winter then use some savvy…prefer immersion as it’s the most direct. I use aquarium heaters, they run for about 30 -40% of any given time span… cheap, fast and last if not banged about…btw use don’t cause them to fade it serious knocks and drops etc that hurt.

If your serious there’s a few posts from last year with links to power calculators hanging about…do the numbers on your preferred option.
Check fruit and veg…pumkin is cheap now, weetbix are being given ($4 for 1.3kg) away and I’m working on grain purchasing from farmers direct currently.

Work practices

So you just finish flogging the oven inside and the other half says… “You done cos I want to put the roast on”…Duh!
Bung your stock pot in the oven to dissolve your sugars or timber for medium toast…don’t let the lamb roast be the sole occupant of a nice hot oven on a weekend.

Pre heating

Going to do a run tomorrow? Bring your keg or keg & wash in the night before cos it will fire off at 20c instead of your shed’s -4c. Plonk it next to the fire place, to the side of the gas heater, cut vent into the hot water service or redirect the exhaust etc

Comments from the family?...draw a smiley face on the keg and give it a name… start talking to it…no one will bother you after that.

Waste

Sugar head grain (can’t speak for AG yet) makes the bloody most wonderful breads and scones.
Demonstrate empathy and you mastery of the kitchen …make a few batches. This is a great joint activity done naked with kids away…remember ghost and that sloppy clay scene?...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXfxUVjHFl0

I ..err…digress….

Backset for cleaning while it’s hot and good to dissolve sugars for the backset/dunder users for next wash or plonk it on top of the fire place/ heater..kk it takes a while but you got more time to enjoy err the clay…

Take fresh yeast out of the fridge portion up and use yeast bombs…far better starts in winter.

I’m done…no doubt there will be plenty more ideas…post up don’t be shy!

bt1

[Jonno]

mate top post! :handgestures-thumbupleft:

wish i was able to put some of the things ive picked up the last few months into words like that, again top stuff mate! :music-deathmetal:

[BackyardBrewer]

Lager yeast is an EXCELLENT suggestion. Don't try and change conditions of the wash, or heat your environment - change the wash itself by using a low temp yeast.

[emptyglass]

Comments from the family?...draw a smiley face on the keg and give it a name… start talking to it…no one will bother you after that.

:laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

[1 2many]

Lager yeast is an EXCELLENT suggestion. Don't try and change conditions of the wash, or heat your environment - change the wash itself by using a low temp yeast.

:text-+1:

Has anyone tried A larger yeast on a TPW. Could save a few bucks on power . :-B

[MacStill]

brings new meaning to the term "lager bomb" :))

[Tim]

We loved your post ... Especially the Keg with a happy face !! Very Very creative!

[Urrazeb]

Yea some good pointers there. Just regarding the design of the shroud... I cut one to pre heat the column like bt has suggested, but it melted the ferrule join and slightly slanted my column before I managed to shut it off, I did post about it a while ago, just think it through beforehand