Food So Has Anyone Brewed Beer Before?

fly said:
The old one had essentially turned to dust. It had been stored dry for 5+ years. Also, I've already thrown it away.

And according to the Q&A on Amazon, it works for the MW101.
Click to expand...
From the bit of knowledge I have on pH sensors, the whole thing smells like either (1) they built the sensor wrong, or (2) it's not compatible with the pH meter head. Especially if it's reading the wrong value consistently/repeatedly, across two cal solutions.

Send it back.
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: fly
wetwille said:
Did you remove the probe(yes I've looked at the connection now, it's idiot proof) and make sure there is m=no schmutz in there? Smallest piece of crap is going to fuck up the readings, first thing that unit has to do is amplify the signal from the probe a few thousand times.
Click to expand...
The old electrode was in there for 5+ years, so no real chance for shit to get in there. And nothing obvious in there. :hs:
 
So my garage lager-cider failed. The yeast died completely and it went off. I'm guessing 5C ambient and Safale S-04 don't go well together.

I've had lager-cider attempt #2 going for 10 days now. 24 quarts cheap grocery store apple juice, pectic enzyme, yeast nutrient and Saflager W-34/70. Got a temperature controller + strap heater on it and a blanket on it, and it's sitting in an unheated room in the basement at about 12C ambient. Pitched at 16C, when the airlock started moving I stepped it down 1C/day to 11C where it is right now. Airlock is still going slow and steady, getting ready to throw it in the secondary. W-34/70 is good for down to 9C, I'll probably just park it at 10C.

I don't know if 'lager-cider' is a thing, or if I should be calling this "apple lager" or what.
 
fly said:
ok?
Click to expand...
The outgassing may have killed it. Alkalines go acidic as they deplete. Or somewhat corroded where that probe connects. Have you tried cleaning it, despite it looking clean? That probe will be effected by the slightest amount of corrosion on the contact point to the device - it only carries a few millivolts the device has to amplify. Yes, I just repeated myself.
ok?
 
gee said:
So my garage lager-cider failed. The yeast died completely and it went off. I'm guessing 5C ambient and Safale S-04 don't go well together.

I've had lager-cider attempt #2 going for 10 days now. 24 quarts cheap grocery store apple juice, pectic enzyme, yeast nutrient and Saflager W-34/70. Got a temperature controller + strap heater on it and a blanket on it, and it's sitting in an unheated room in the basement at about 12C ambient. Pitched at 16C, when the airlock started moving I stepped it down 1C/day to 11C where it is right now. Airlock is still going slow and steady, getting ready to throw it in the secondary. W-34/70 is good for down to 9C, I'll probably just park it at 10C.

I don't know if 'lager-cider' is a thing, or if I should be calling this "apple lager" or what.
Click to expand...
What are you hoping to achieve, other than making the yeast uncomfortable?
 
wetwille said:
The outgassing may have killed it. Alkalines go acidic as they deplete. Or somewhat corroded where that probe connects. Have you tried cleaning it, despite it looking clean? That probe will be effected by the slightest amount of corrosion on the contact point to the device - it only carries a few millivolts the device has to amplify. Yes, I just repeated myself.
ok?
Click to expand...
The old probe is gone. Not sure what that has to do with the battery though.
 
fly said:
What are you hoping to achieve, other than making the yeast uncomfortable?
Click to expand...
I did a 20C ferment of grocery store apple juice using Safale S-04 - I've done a few of these now. Well, two successful ones + the most recent failure.

What you end up with is "boring ass cider", an apple cider with very little flavor. There's nothing really *wrong* with it, it's nice and crisp and refreshing and very crushable... it's just uniquely boring. It's got a flavor that screams "that's it?"

I figure by brewing it as a lager vs an ale, I can make it even more boring.
 
gee said:
I did a 20C ferment of grocery store apple juice using Safale S-04 - I've done a few of these now. Well, two successful ones + the most recent failure.

What you end up with is "boring ass cider", an apple cider with very little flavor. There's nothing really *wrong* with it, it's nice and crisp and refreshing and very crushable... it's just uniquely boring. It's got a flavor that screams "that's it?"

I figure by brewing it as a lager vs an ale, I can make it even more boring.
Click to expand...



Look at the ideal fermentation range temp.

You put your yeast to sleep.
 
Valve1138 said:

Look at the ideal fermentation range temp.

You put your yeast to sleep.
Click to expand...
Didn't just put it to sleep, I killed it, and threw off the whole batch. Yeah, it was a tard move.

This time around I'm starting with a more appropriate yeast:

They suggest 12-15C as the ideal range, packet the yeast came in says 9C-22C range but 12-15C ideal.

It's at 11C but it's still alive, getting a burp out of the airlock every 30s or so. I'll put it in the secondary tonight.
 
gee said:
I did a 20C ferment of grocery store apple juice using Safale S-04 - I've done a few of these now. Well, two successful ones + the most recent failure.

What you end up with is "boring ass cider", an apple cider with very little flavor. There's nothing really *wrong* with it, it's nice and crisp and refreshing and very crushable... it's just uniquely boring. It's got a flavor that screams "that's it?"

I figure by brewing it as a lager vs an ale, I can make it even more boring.
Click to expand...
IMHO, that's because you're fermenting out all the flavor and replacing it with alcohol. Also, since its just fruit, there aren't a lot of complex sugars for the yeast to break down into novel compounds, its all simple sucrose and frucose. Those are boring. Now by "lagering", you're just doing the same thing more slowly.

You'll either need to add adjuncts like lactose or maltodextrin (unfermentable, adds a little sweetness and adds body). You could also pasteurize, and then backsweeten with frozen concentrate apple (or any juice) juice. Or add spices/extracts, but make sure to do that after fermentation is complete, or all your aroma will exit your bung along with all the CO2.
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: gee and Valve1138
fly said:
The old probe is gone. Not sure what that has to do with the battery though.
Click to expand...
Here, I'll spell it out since you're struggling. As batteries sit and get old in a device they outgas(by design) - this is not the same as visual leakage. This is a slightly corrosive environment inside the device, which includes where the probe connects(yes I've look at the device), sometimes only on a microscopic level. If you haven't cleaned where the new probe connects it may be struggling through a micro-layer of corrosion that is fucking up the readings.
 
wetwille said:
Here, I'll spell it out since you're struggling. As batteries sit and get old in a device they outgas(by design) - this is not the same as visual leakage. This is a slightly corrosive environment inside the device, which includes where the probe connects(yes I've look at the device), sometimes only on a microscopic level. If you haven't cleaned where the new probe connects it may be struggling through a micro-layer of corrosion that is fucking up the readings.
Click to expand...
You're suggesting a battery that worked completely fine has fouled the BNC connection and made it read EXACTLY the opposite. That sounds far fetched, right?
 
wetwille said:
Here, I'll spell it out since you're struggling. As batteries sit and get old in a device they outgas(by design) - this is not the same as visual leakage. This is a slightly corrosive environment inside the device, which includes where the probe connects(yes I've look at the device), sometimes only on a microscopic level. If you haven't cleaned where the new probe connects it may be struggling through a micro-layer of corrosion that is fucking up the readings.
Click to expand...
From someone who puts 288 D-cells in a sealed buoy and sends it floating in the ocean... battery outgassing hasn't been a thing in a long ass time, to the point where nobody in the battery industry cares about it anymore.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back