Project: Draft Box

For some time now I've been wanting to build a draft box for parties and what not. For probably 3 years now I've been grabbing gear here and there for it, starting with a cooler that my neighbor offered to me. Then, about 15 months ago I scored a 3-circuit cold plate on eBay for about $85, which is very cheap by comparison. After stopping by the store to grab two shanks and some tubing, it was time to get to work.

First, I measured and drilled the 7/8" holes for the shanks. I spaced them 6" apart and left a space in the middle where I will add a third shank and tap sometime soon. Unfortunately my local homebrew store (LHBS in homebrewing forum-speak) only had 2 3" shanks. If you plan to follow my lead, know that once you get past the outer plastic layer and hit the insulation inside, it gets very messy. Drop the cold plate in only after all holes are drilled, shanks are installed and the cooler is cleaned out. Insulation in your cold plate is bad.

Once that was complete and the fittings were installed on the cold plate, in it went. I also wrapped each fitting's threads with Teflon tape, as the cold plate is aluminum and the fittings are steel. I heated some water in the microwave and soaked the ends of the 3/16" tubing in it before pushing them onto the nipples.




The 3/16" fittings on the liquid disconnects and cold plate were no problem; the shanks I bought had two 1/4" nipples welded on. No problem, as long as the tubing is nice and soft. And don't forget to put two Oetiker clamps on the tubing before putting both ends on the nipples.




For the rear, I just drilled two holes the size of the outer diameter of the tubing. Many commercial draft boxes use pass-through shanks, which work well but add to the cost, assembly and disassembly.






After all fittings were finished, it was time to flush the cold plate with OxyClean and sanitize with StarSan before giving it a test-run. It worked well, however it got pretty foamy at serving pressure of 8 psi...give that it was just flushed with 60°F sanitizer. Once the cold plate is chilled with ice water, it should be a different story.




Which means more testing. And more beer to drink! Cheers!

The Dangers of Carboys

Saw this today on one of the brewing forums I frequent. Unfortunately, it's not a freak accident. I've seen this quite a few times before and I'm sure I'll see it again:

My good friend and fellow brewer has been off this week recovering from surgery.

He dropped a full carboy and instinctively tried to save it... putting his hands in the path of the resulting explosion. All that liquid escaping pushes the glass shards out pretty explosively apparently.

He severed 5 tendons in one had and had over twenty stitches in the other.

After telling my wife this story she made me sit down and by a carboy hauler, can't say I blame her.

I guess the lesson is be very damn careful with your vessels, spend the money on safety equipment, and if the carboy is going save yourself, and cry over the lost beer later.

The carboy hauler will help, but for me this danger is averted by using food-grade buckets. Until I can afford to drop $600 on a conical fermenter, this will be my fermenter of choice. Not to mention you're going to drop $12 on top of the $20 per carboy you have. That gets expensive quickly; though presumably once you make that purchase, you probably won't have to replace it again (short of any disasterous accidents like the one mentioned earlier).

I've been brewing for almost 5 years and for every one of the 67 batches I've made, I've used buckets. Buckets just have a few advantages over glass carboys:

• Easier to clean
• Easier to harvest yeast from
• Do not shatter
• Have a carrying handle built in
• Protect the fermenting wort from light (UV has negative effects on yeast and unisomerized hop compounds)
• Less slippery than wet glass

Of course there's the ever-debated issue of scratching the plastic buckets that may create a place for bacteria and wild yeast to take hold and flourish. If you're using a Brillo pad maybe. I just hose 'em out, soak 'em in OxyClean, drain, rinse and wipe 'em down.

Oxygen permeability was also debated at one point, before it was pointed out that new buckets are made of a plastic that is impermeable to oxygen. In terms of secondary fermentation, many homebrewers are now using the Better Bottle. And many, including myself, are using Cornelius kegs for secondary fermentation. No "suck-back" issues with the airlock and the beer stays protected in stainless steel under a blanket of carbon dioxide (provided you purge the headspace with it).

Whatever method you chose, make an informed decision. Many homebrewers still like the glass carboy for primary fermentation, if not just for the perk of being able to watch the fermentation activity. Who doesn't like that?!

Cobblestone's

About a year ago I remember seeing a billboard for Cobblestone's in York, PA. Then, Trouble Brewing blogger Eric cited an article mentioning Cobblestone's and the South Central PA Homebrewers' Association. After reviewing the website and their salivation-provoking beer list, we put it on our to-do list.

Yes, the wife suggested it...even though she's not a beer drinker! How to know you married the right girl...

Anyway, last night we made the trip. Fortunately for me, it's less than 30 minutes from my house. True to the picture on their website, the inner doors open to a large expanse of TV screens, pool tables, dart boards, and tables. The service was great, the food was good, and the overall atmosphere was inviting. I started with a pint of Bell's Oktoberfest and it fit the bill perfectly. Although later I did order a pint of Bell's Porter, the server returned with something that was definitely not dark and nearly opaque. The server had been great in every way and since it was a light copper color, I was sure it wasn't Bud so I didn't complain. Instead I looked at it as a challenge to try to test my senses and palate. After a few sips and some nosing, I was certain it was an IPA. When it was time to pay up, the check told me it was a pint of Bell's Two-Hearted Ale. A nice surprise for sure!

All in all, their beer menu was encouraging and the pool tables looked inviting. Definitely heading there for Happy Hour someday!

Construction

This past weekend kicked off another stride of construction in the ol' basement. A good friend of mine stopped by and helped me wire the place and the next day I started hanging insulation. The basement includes my back room, which is where all the brewing-type things happen (fermentation, yeast propagation, serving freezer, endless cleaning, etc.)---minus the actual wort production process; that happens in the garage or outside on a nice day. It also includes my bar with four VentiMatic faucets that run straight from my serving freezer. Once it's carpeted and the furniture and LCD TV go down there, I think my wife may have to forcibly remove me from my "man cave".

It is nice to be able to build things the way you want them, though. Outlets for the temperature controlled freezers, one here and there for miscellaneous items, shelving, etc. Once I finish framing the HVAC chase I'll be hanging moisture-resistant drywall. Maybe some epoxy on the floor someday. Who knows.

For now, I just have to suffer through not having any light in the back room---it's wired, just needs to have the overhead 48" lights hung after the drywall goes up. Until then, it's a 1,000-watt tripod light. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a little to gain a lot.

Pictures? They're coming. That place is looks terrible right now!

Another trip, another score

I've got it down to a pattern now: trip to Michigan, stop in Arbor Brewing, stop in Andersons in Maumee/Toledo, return. Ok, and some family things in between too.

Arbor Brewing was pleasant as usual, but unfortunately their offerings this time were diminished in selection. The Sacred Cow Cask IPA was out, their menu said they had Dunkel but didn't, and their Abbey ale was the only seasonal on tap. All were good, nonetheless. Just not as diverse this time. Hopefully they'll have their Terminator dopplebock back on tap soon.

And as usual, the Andersons store didn't disappoint. Aside, I really wish we had one here but then there's the PA distribution stranglehold---so you can forget singles right out, nevermind selection. It truly is a shame that in a state with such great breweries as Victory, Appalachian, Sly Fox, Stoudt's (countless more) the consumer is so limited in terms of what and where they can buy. There's supply and demand (the countless stores that stock 30-packs of Bud/Miller/Coors) but then there's politics. Pathetic, really, and a scarlet letter on the Pennsylvania legislative and distribution systems.

Anyway, I arrived safely home with a bounty of tasty brews:

• Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA. Had it before, great beer. And look, I can buy one bottle!
• Lagunitas IPA
• Southern Tier Raspberry Wheat
• Paulaner Salvator Dopplebock. The original dopplebock. Didn't make it 4 hours in the house before it was opened and summarily poured. It will be missed.
• Three Floyds Rabid Rabbit Saison
• Arcadia Coco Loco
• Southern Tier Harvest Ale
• Arcadia Hopmouth Double IPA
• Southern Tier Big Red Imperial Red
• Fort Collins Brewing Chocolate Stout
• Great Lakes Brewing Oktoberfest
• Great Lakes Nosferatu (stock ale)
• Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Yes, that is a 6-pack of Southern Tier Harvest Ale. The "quadrupulus humulus lupus" descriptor on the package sealed the deal for me. And before you think that this is just another double IPA, take a sip and you'll find that it's not even a double IPA at all. It has a very pleasant hop aroma and flavor but restrained bitterness. The beer delivers a moderately-malty flavor, devoid of a darkness that would suggest highly-roasted caramel malts; only 2-row pale malt and wheat malt. Clearly, the emphasis is the hops here: Amarillo, Chinook, and Columbus hops in the kettle, Styrian Golding hops in the hopback, and dry-hopped with Amarillo.

I've really grown a fondness for Southern Tier. Their beers are creative, and who doesn't love the packaging? Vibrant and vivid.

The Three Floyds Saison, one of the Arcadia Coco Locos and the Arcadia Hopmouth will be going to my craft beer enthusiast and amateur magician friend Jason, in return for 3 bottles of Stone 2007 Vertical Epic he brought me. It's good to have good friends with good taste.

Cheers!