DIY Manifold

Built this manifold from the recommendation from one of the guys at the home brewing store. Trying to increase our ability to to get fermentables out of the mash to hit the higher OGs.

Equipment:
5 feet 12" PEX tubing
brass 1/2" T
1" to spigot
silicone rubber stopper
1/2" to 1" brass connector

We cut the PEX tubing to size and then drilled small holes into the tubing - more in the back and less in the front.

We had to open the hole in the mash tun to fit the 1" spigot. Luckily the 1" bit that we had to drill the tap holes into the keezer collar was the perfect size.

Then we had to connect the PEX tubing to the brass T. In order to make the tubing malleable enough we had to put the PEX tubing into the oven at 270 degrees. Had to use a grill lighter to heat the small connector in order to connect the brass T to the 1/2" to 1" brass connector.

Update:

Worked decently-ish for the first batch (Dry Dock Breakwater).

Didn't work for the second batch (Milk Stout).

Upgraded to a double braid 

Brew Day - January 1st, 2014

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

How Now Brown Cow Milk Stout (Hoggetowne Ale Works recipe)

Ingredients:
UK Pale Ale Malt
Black Patent Malt
US 80L Crystal Malt
Chocolate Malt 350L
Lactose

Willamette hops

Liquid yeast (White Labs Burton Ale Yeast WLP 023) via 1.5 L starter and stir plate
Note: yeast started at about 2 pm the day prior to brewing

Stats:
OG: 1.068 (estimated); 1.065 (measured)
FG: 1.022 (estimated); 1.022 (measured)
ABV: 6% (estimated); 5.6% (calculated)

Brewing Steps:

• Heated 3.7 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 167 degrees
• 1.25 quarts/pound 
• Used Sparge Pal app for volume calculations
• Added grains to mash tun
• Added water to mash tun by about 1/2 - 3/4 gallon at a time; poured last 1.5 gallons from brewpot straight into mash tun
• After all water added mash temperature approximately 152 degrees 
• Final temperature 151 degrees
• After 60 minutes tried to lauter but flow out of mash tun was minimal (used manifold with protective braid)
• Poured mash out, manifold was clogged and we couldn't unclog it
• Went to Home Depot and bought 2 braids
• Removed PEX tubing and connected both braids to the T

• Very good flow afterwards
• Manifold was "thrown into the river"
• Delay was about 1 hour
• Heated 5.3 gallons of sparge water to approximately 180 degrees and added to mash tun 
• Let sit for 5 minutes, then lautered until we had about 6.5 gallons 

• Added hops according to schedule
• Chilled by putting pot into tub with ice and water (filled about 6-8 inches of tub with water) and wort chiller/pre-chiller to 75 degrees in about 6 minutes
• Pitched yeast (whole 1.5 L bottle) and then aerated wort by transferring between brew pot and bucket 6 times
• Poured into fermenting bucket 
• Put bucket into fridge at 62 degrees (took 11 minutes post-boil)

• Ferment about 21 days
• Recommended schedule is to ferment for 3 weeks in primary

Update:

• Opened fermentation fridge on 1/14/14 to dry hop the dry dock and saw that lid for fermentation bucket had burst off
• Unclear if lid had been off for a few days or nearly two weeks. Gravity at that time was 1.022
• Transferred into secondary at that time. Cold crashed on 1/18/14 (PM) to prep for kegging on 1/20/14
• Should probably check the fridge more than once every 2 weeks to ensure the air lock does not get plugged up

Brew Day - December 31st, 2013

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

Dry Dock Breakwater Pale Ale (Norther Brewer recipe)
Christmas present from Scotty

Ingredients:
Rahr 2-row malt
Briess Caramel 60L
Belgian Biscuit

Chinook hops

Liquid yeast (White Labs California Ale Yeast WLP 001) via 1 L starter and stir plate
Note: yeast started at about 11 pm the night prior to brewing

Stats:
OG: 1.049 (estimated); 1.048 (measured)
FG: ?? [not provided]; 1.010 (measured)
ABV: ??% [not provided]; 5% (calculated)

Brewing Steps:

• Heated 3.3 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 167 degrees
• 1.25 quarts/pound 
• Used Sparge Pal app for volume calculations
• Added grains to mash tun
• Added water to mash tun by about 1/2 - 3/4 gallon at a time; poured last 1.5 gallons from brewpot straight into mash tun
• After all water added mash temperature approximately 154 degrees 
• After 60 minutes tried to lauter but flow out of mash tun was minimal 
• First batch using the newly constructed manifold
• Poured mash out, manifold was clogged
• Unclogged manifold and then cut old metal braid in half and put around manifold; secured with twist ties
• Flow was greatly improved
• Heated 5.5 gallons of sparge water to approximately 180 degrees and added to mash tun 
• Let sit for 5 minutes, then lautered until we had about 6.5 gallons 
• Added hops according to schedule
• Chilled by putting pot into tub with ice and water (filled about 6-8 inches of tub with water) and wort chiller/pre-chiller to 70 degrees in about 6 minutes
• Pitched yeast (whole 1 L bottle) and then aerated wort by transferring between brew pot and bucket 6 times
• Poured into fermenting bucket 
• Put bucket into fridge at 62 degrees (took 10 minutes post-boil)

• Ferment about 21 days
• Recommended schedule is to ferment for 1-2 weeks in primary, then 2 weeks in secondary, then condition for 2 weeks in bottle
• Will likely ferment for about 2 1/2 weeks, cold crash (started on PM of 1/18/14), then keg (done on 1/20/14)
• Dry hopped for the last 6 days (on 1/14/14)

Brew Day - Don't remember (sometime in December)

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

Pentasimcoe Imperial IPA (Hoggetowne Ale Works recipe)

Ingredients:
2-Row malt
Amber malt

Shinook
Simcoe

Liquid yeast (California Ale yeast WLP 001) via 2 L starter and stir plate

Stats:
OG: 1.072(estimated); 1.060 (measured)
FG: 1.015 (estimated);
ABV: 7.6% (estimated);

Brewing Steps:

• Heated 3.7 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 167 degrees
• 1.25 quarts/pound 
• Used Sparge Pal app for volume calculations - batch size of 5.5 gallons (maybe go down to 5 gallons so we don't have extra at the end?)
• Added grains to mash tun
• Added water to mash tun by about 1/2 - 3/4 gallon at a time; poured last 1.5 gallons from brewpot straight into mash tun
• After all water added mash temperature approximately 155 degrees
• After 60 minutes lautered into brew pot
• Heated 7 gallons of sparge water to approximately 175 degrees and added to mash tun 
• Let sit for 5 minutes, then lautered until we had about 6.5 gallons 
• Added hops according to schedule
• Chilled by putting pot into tub with ice and water (filled about 6-8 inches of tub with water) and wort chiller/pre-chiller to 70 degrees in about 7 minutes
• Pitched yeast (whole 2 L bottle) and then aerated wort by transferring between brew pot and bucket 6 times
• Poured into fermenting bucket (had probably ~5.5 gallons total volume - had to waste about 1/4 gallon or so of excess wort)
• Put bucket into fridge at 62 degrees (took 16 minutes post-boil)

• Ferment about 2-3 weeks
• Dry hopped on 12/26

• Put into secondary on 12/31

Brew Day - Don't remember (sometime in late November/early December?)

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

New Belgian Ranger IPA (Austin Home Brew clone recipe)
AKA "Rangah"

Ingredients:
Pale Ale malt
Crystal 120 L malt
Cane sugar

Shinook
Simcoe
Cascade

Liquid yeast (California Ale V051) via 1 L starter and stir plate

Stats:
OG: 1.059 (estimated); 1.054 (measured)
FG: ?? [not provided]; 1.008 (measured)
ABV: ??% [not provided]; 6.1% (calculated)

Brewing Steps:

• Heated 4 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 167 degrees
• 1.25 quarts/pound 
• Used Sparge Pal app for volume calculations - batch size of 5.5 gallons (maybe go down to 5 gallons so we don't have extra at the end?)
• Added grains to mash tun
• Added water to mash tun by about 1/2 - 3/4 gallon at a time; poured last 1.5 gallons from brewpot straight into mash tun
• After all water added mash temperature approximately 154 degrees
• After 60 minutes lautered into brew pot
• Heated 5 gallons of sparge water to approximately 175 degrees and added to mash tun 
• Let sit for 5 minutes, then lautered until we had about 6.5 gallons 
• Added hops according to schedule
• Chilled by putting pot into tub with ice and water (filled about 6-8 inches of tub with water) and wort chiller/pre-chiller to 70 degrees in about 8 minutes
• Pitched yeast (whole 1 L bottle) and then aerated wort by transferring between brew pot and bucket 6 times
• Poured into fermenting bucket (had probably ~5.5 gallons total volume - had to waste about 1/4 gallon or so of excess wort)
• Put bucket into fridge at 62 degrees (took 15 minutes post-boil)

• Ferment about 21 days
• Racked into secondary after about 18 days
• Kegged after about 21-24 days total

Update:

• Hoppy start, not much flavor on the finish
• hopefully will improve as it sits longer in the keg

Brew Day - Don't remember (sometime in November)

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

Lagunitas  Maximus (Austin Home Brew clone recipe)

Ingredients:
Crystal 60 L malt
2-Row malt
CaraPils malt

Centennial hops
Cascade

Liquid yeast (California Ale 001) via 2 L starter and stir plate

Stats:
OG: 1.074 (estimated); 1.062 (measured)
FG: ?? [not provided]; 1.008 (measured)
ABV: 7??% [not provided]; 7.1% (calculated)

Brewing Steps:

• Heated 4 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 167 degrees
• 1.25 quarts/pound 
• Used Sparge Pal app for volume calculations - batch size of 5.5 gallons (maybe go down to 5 gallons so we don't have extra at the end?)
• Added grains to mash tun
• Added water to mash tun by about 1/2 - 3/4 gallon at a time; poured last 1.5 gallons from brewpot straight into mash tun
• After all water added mash temperature approximately 158
• After 60 minutes tried lautered
• Heated 5 gallons of sparge water to approximately 175 degrees and added to mash tun 
• Let sit for 5 minutes, then lautered until we had about 6.5 gallons 
• Added hops according to schedule
• Chilled by putting pot into tub with ice and water (filled about 6-8 inches of tub with water) and wort chiller/pre-chiller to 70 degrees in about 8 minutes
• Pitched yeast (whole 2 L bottle) and then aerated wort by transferring between brew pot and bucket 6 times
• Poured into fermenting bucket (had probably ~5.5 gallons total volume - had to waste about 1/2 gallon or so of excess wort)
• Put bucket into fridge at 62 degrees (took 17 minutes post-boil)

• Ferment about 14 days

Update:

• Awesome. Top 2 beer we've made

Brew Day - November 2, 2013

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

Winter Warmer (Norther Brewer recipe)

Ingredients:
English Maris Otter
English Medium Crystal
English Chocolate Malt

Willamette Hops

Liquid yeast (Wyeast #1728 Scottish Ale Yeast) via 2 L starter and stir plate
Note: yeast started at about 11 pm the night prior to brewing

Stats:
OG: 1.069 (estimated); 1.058 (measured)
FG: ?? [not provided];
ABV: ??% [not provided];

Brewing Steps:

• Heated 4 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 167 degrees
• 1.25 quarts/pound 
• Used Sparge Pal app for volume calculations - batch size of 5.5 gallons (maybe go down to 5 gallons so we don't have extra at the end?)
• Added grains to mash tun
• Added water to mash tun by about 1/2 - 3/4 gallon at a time; poured last 1.5 gallons from brewpot straight into mash tun
• After all water added mash temperature approximately 160 degrees; left lid off for 30 minutes when temperature 154 degrees 
• After 60 minutes tried to lauter but flow out of mash tun was minimal 
• Tried to move braid coil around to improve flow, but didn't help any
• Tipped mash tun and was able to pull up braid to look at it. It was stretched out and crimped so much in a few places that no liquid could get in or flow through
• Poured out mash into bucket; removed braid. Went to Home Depot and bought a new one.
• "Twist and slide down" to get braid off inner line without stretching it. Good call Daniel
• Installed new braid into mash tun and transferred mash back into tun
• Lautered out about 1.5 gallons
• From end of inital 60 minute mash to addition of additional sparge water took about 50 minutes
• Heated 5 gallons of sparge water to approximately 175 degrees and added to mash tun 
• Let sit for 5 minutes, then lautered until we had about 6.5 gallons 
• Added hops according to schedule
• Chilled by putting pot into tub with ice and water (filled about 6-8 inches of tub with water) and wort chiller/pre-chiller to 70 degrees in about 10 minutes
• Pitched yeast (whole 2 L bottle) and then aerated wort by transferring between brew pot and bucket 6 times
• Pitched yeast at about 2:30/2:45 pm
• Poured into fermenting bucket (had probably ~5.5 gallons total volume - had to waste about 1/2 gallon or so of excess wort)
• Put bucket into fridge at 62 degrees (took 21 minutes post-boil)

• Ferment about 21 days
• Recommended schedule is to ferment for 2 weeks in primary, then 2-4 weeks in secondary, then condition for 2 weeks in bottle
• Will likely ferment for about 3 weeks, cold crash, then keg around 11/20

Update:

• Racked to secondary on 11/15/13. Sitting in the garage in the glass carboy. Outside temperature ranging from about 60-80, so garage temp probably staying 65-75ish.
• Keg maybe on 11/22?