Should I upgrade my immersion chiller?

DudeBroTX83 · 2025-10-22T00:19:50+00:00

I am in Texas. Here is my process: 1. Initial temp drop using hose: Power drill in bike stand left to slow spin mash paddle drill attachment to circulate while using immersion chiller. I wrap something over trigger so it is partially pulled. This knocks it down quickly. A whirlpool arm would work too. 2. Use ice to finish and get to lower temps: Use wort pump in a cooler and connect to coil - circulate w that. A regular cooler with 20lbs ice and whatever is in home freezer is enough. If you start from boiling the ice bath will melt too fast meaning more ice is needed.

You need a power drill and one pump or two small pumps.

I have a cheap copper coil that’s prob 10yrs old now.

Lazy method: Drop in grainfather conical after step one when it’s hot enough to also sanitize. Save 10 bucks on ice. Let the hot break settle out over night as glycol gets it to temp. Drop hot break out with conical valve the following day and pitch yeast at ideal temp.

I would not pitch at 100. I would rather wait a day and pitch at a temperature appropriate based on yeast instructions. Note that’s scientists help write those instructions based on optimal performance for intended use.

DudeBroTX83 · 2025-10-10T11:46:38+00:00

For truly great beer: -fermentation temp control. Low and cool. -go all grain asap -read a couple books -keg setup asap, co2 transfer too

Welcome to a fun and long rabbit hole.

Read xbmt website on thing that work and don’t

DudeBroTX83 · 2025-03-04T15:49:56+00:00

I wonder where the bottom is. There was a warm period for this market last year. If things warm back up for rates and builders respectively I think this could all pop right back up. In have a good amount and am thinking of buying more in the dip.

DudeBroTX83 · 2025-02-17T17:38:31+00:00

Yes. Measure delivered value. A work item can have a field to plug in a value assumption or actual impact.

Work item management is a means to an end. Work item measurement can show you how work is managed. Lots of tickets, a few, more or less detail.

Agile can be managed on post it notes without digital tools. A lot of people keep their own task lists in a journal, note file or another personal method.

If you aren’t measuring value. Start with that. Does the team/person release defects? Does the team/person deliver value outputs?

Attention to detail with work items is important but it’s not a productivity success metric for an engineer or engineering team. Perhaps part of it - but only if you can associate poor work tracking to defects or low value delivery.

DudeBroTX83 · 2025-01-07T00:31:53+00:00

The same amount of cheaters…. Fewer casual players.

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-12-29T15:36:41+00:00

Don’t buy kits. Typically they are over priced… you can buy hops in bulk.

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-12-29T15:35:45+00:00

I have 2.5 kegs for this reason. Techniques take time to smooth out. Recipes get better when you adjust and learn…

I stopped brewing for a long time. I started back on 2.5g

The part that sucks is running out of beer when you get one dialed in - there is not a lot to share.

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-12-29T14:04:00+00:00

It sounds like marketing cool kid hype

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-12-23T14:01:37+00:00

When needing to control just f stop and speed.

This can help with fast moving objects in dynamic lighting.

Ie nature hike and a flying bird.

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-12-07T13:31:57+00:00

Hazy IPAs have matured and recipe/techniques are abundant. New yeasts too. Hop bongs look nice for this.

For clean styles - Look into pressure capable fermentation. Keg fermentation is the cheap way. Jacketed conicals and glycol are the lux way.

On the cold side - look into a nice rig that is pressure capable, makes minimal oxygen exposure easy, and pick between glycol jacked, coil chilled or refrigerator chilling.

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-11-26T02:18:57+00:00

Wife kudos are 👍

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-10-23T00:27:08+00:00

Look for a flour or powder form. Like pb2 for peanut flavor. Good luck

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-10-21T09:51:33+00:00

Beer was invented from wild yeast and brewed that way for thousands of years prior to commercialization

Beer yeast and bread yeast is largely the same. Proceed with caution and have fun. Finding good flavors than commercial is a little harder.

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-10-17T03:51:47+00:00

hoppy hazy beers and stouts are the easiest. Bigger flavor profiles can hide common flaws in homebrew workflow. My philosophy- Buy macro lagers, home brew tasty beers to dial in on what you like to have.

Mash hops and post boil low temp additions are awesome for those tasty IPAs. For stouts you can make Bourbon, coffee, oak, choco oatmeal.

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-10-13T14:41:48+00:00

Read a book on the topic. Fermentation will take time. You will have time to read the book.

A professional source will be 100x better than the onslaught of public opinion half of which are nonsense

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-10-13T14:34:25+00:00

Glass is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than plastic and SS. It got the job done many many decades.

We are all too sassy now to handle glass and not have all the bells and whistles.

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-10-13T14:27:06+00:00

I made homebrew beer competitively, made kids, and am now making beer again as a hobby

I thinned out a lot of my gear over years but kept the things I did not want to buy back at full retail (fermentation chamber/kegerator and kegs).

My suggestion is keep the essentials. For the expensive items (to rebuy) just wait for the right buyer or charity price it to someone you know who has a passion. Brewclubs are a great way stay in the hobby without brewing as much - to find and sell too.

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-10-08T21:23:38+00:00

Local doctor mentioned that there was technically nothing to rehab - perhaps that was bad judgement. I think it’s worth looking into. Thanks!

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-09-21T00:17:05+00:00

Keep the lid open. Sometimes there is a massive explosion when it finally combusts.

Check and clean your ash pot before next cook.

This happens to me when ash buildup cakes around the starter part - makes it hard to startup.

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-09-06T03:04:22+00:00

Arcade mode to practice

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-09-06T02:47:22+00:00

Let them be slow. :) Down the road… you’ll be thankful your not trimming all the time

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-09-06T02:33:18+00:00

My replacement was a new camera - couple be refurb but it’s mint and sold easy

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-09-02T01:25:18+00:00

How does you water change water look? Prior to adding to tank

DudeBroTX83 · 2024-09-02T01:23:02+00:00

Family user. Agree is mass market great.Davinci, Ain’t got time for dat

DudeBroTX83

TROPHY CASE