My latest brewing mishap(s) - threw out my Grainfather overflow tube, and fun with hops

[GCR]

So yesterday I spent the afternoon doing up a recipe to make my first batch of IPA using only my own hops. I milled the grain, brought the mash water to strike temp and was about to connect the upper overflow tube - only to realize I didnt have it because I threw it out in the trash in the green bag in my spent grain (it was a huge grain bill, and when I flipped the mash tun upside down into the bag, it came off and I didnt notice it wasnt attached when I took the mash tun out to clean it later).

And no, I wasn't drinking at the time (it was a Saturday morning) - I am just that dumb.

Anyway, so I rush over to my buddy's house to grab another tube, and I'm off to the races.

First couple hop additions go well - but I can see the hop spider is going to be pretty full with these hops... so when it comes time for the hop stand, I decide to empty out the earlier spider and put in the fresh hops. But the spider isn't deep enough, so I was trying to figure out how much lower I needed to make it (I was going to jimmy rig it with a carabiner or something), and of course I end up dropping the whole thing in.

I was a little concerned that the hops might clog up the filter, but luckily I didnt have any issues at all.

The wort tasted pretty good, though perhaps a little less hoppy than usual. I used all my fresh hops (which I had air dried and frozen), so I am now debating whether to dry hop it with some pellets, or just leave it as is so I can claim it is my first beer entirely with hops I grew myself... I'll probably do the latter.

Gonna pick up a replacement tube from Everwood next time I am in town - their prices are always so reasonable... only 25 bucks.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

[joe_r_harvie]

I'd recommend the dryhop. I have brewed using my own hops in brews lots of times and the only way to get a good aroma is to grind them first. Looks like from your photos that you didn't grind your flameout addition?? I have never used a grainfather so forgive me if I've misinterpreted your pics. You won't regret a dryhop in an IPA. Either way I am sure it will be good.

[GCR]

I'd recommend the dryhop. I have brewed using my own hops in brews lots of times and the only way to get a good aroma is to grind them first. Looks like from your photos that you didn't grind your flameout addition?? I have never used a grainfather so forgive me if I've misinterpreted your pics. You won't regret a dryhop in an IPA. Either way I am sure it will be good.

That is very helpful advice, thanks. I did not grind them - though I did mix them vigorously. Still very much in the experimentation phase with my own hops... I've dry-hopped with them before and when I bottled the first time it seemed to have a bit of a medicinal/bubble gum smell, but a couple weeks bottle conditioning and both batches I made were great.

So after I pick them, i dry them on a screen with a fan for a day or two, then I vac seal em and freeze. How do you do yours? When do you grind them, and how? In a blender or something?

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

[joe_r_harvie]

I dry mine in my greenhouse on screens similar to yours. I flip them over on day one and they dry in a couple days. I vacuum seal and freeze them and take them out when I need them. So for my beer, I grind my 45 minute additions and anything after that. I use a magic bullet which is similar to a blender. If you just throw your whole cone hops in as late addition or flame out hops, the lupilin won't have time to dissolve well. Not to say you won't get anything our of them but they would benefit from grinding. The hour long boil additions can be whole cone but you would be better served to grind your late addition hops. FYI my magic bullet gets pasted with yellow lupilin when I grind so I rinse it in my boiling wort so I don't lose any hop potential. I have always used pellets for dryhop. Not sure if ground cone lupilin will dissolve in beer that is not warm?

[Brewbert]

I'm sorry for your overflow mishap but am envious of you starting to use your own hops. I intend to grow my own eventually as well and look forward to experimenting with them.

[GCR]

I dry mine in my greenhouse on screens similar to yours. I flip them over on day one and they dry in a couple days. I vacuum seal and freeze them and take them out when I need them. So for my beer, I grind my 45 minute additions and anything after that. I use a magic bullet which is similar to a blender. If you just throw your whole cone hops in as late addition or flame out hops, the lupilin won't have time to dissolve well. Not to say you won't get anything our of them but they would benefit from grinding. The hour long boil additions can be whole cone but you would be better served to grind your late addition hops. FYI my magic bullet gets pasted with yellow lupilin when I grind so I rinse it in my boiling wort so I don't lose any hop potential. I have always used pellets for dryhop. Not sure if ground cone lupilin will dissolve in beer that is not warm?

Thanks for the tips - I will try that out next year! They smell soooo good.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

[GCR]

I'm sorry for your overflow mishap but am envious of you starting to use your own hops. I intend to grow my own eventually as well and look forward to experimenting with them.

They are really fun. And you only need to buy them once!

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

[NovaJeff]

I’ve also thrown out my overflow tube in the past when dumping the grains. Didn’t realize it until I was ready to get going. Luckily Everwood had one and were open when I was in need. I’ve also grown my own cascade this past summer but haven’t used them yet. Thinking maybe for a pale ale.

[GCR]

I am glad (actually more sad than glad lol) that I am not the only one to experience this tragic mistake.

I think that grinding the fresh (dried) hops probably makes a huge difference, and cant wait to try this fall.

I put nearly 7oz (all I had, after they were dried) into the beer I made - see attached recipe for reference (FML stands for Ftesh Mystery Lupulin, as my dad had planted the hops for me at his place and forgot which was which) - and it is barely hoppy at all. The two batches I had made previously - where I combined pellets and fresh hops - were much better.


Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

[alltimelowe]

It seems I have also thrown out my top overflow tube, or simply misplaced it. Everwood was out of the Grainfather brand, but it seems the Robobrew extension fits fine. Does anyone have experience with the substitution?

Also, anyone who still has a Grainfather top overflow tube, could you send me the dimensions? I want to make sure the Robobrew one is actually long enough before I get into the brew. I've done some digging online and can find any specs.

[elreplica]

When you say Robobrew and GF overflow tube are you referring to the silicone hose? I frankenfucked my GF with camlocks and used the recirculating tube from the GF on the RB arm...so...puzzled with overflow but willing to help...if it’s the silicone tubing, Noble has that as does Everwood...if it’s the whole arm you threw out you’re in luck...get a camlock conversion to replace the shitty GF screw down valves on the return and counterflow...I can measure if you’d like...

[alltimelowe]

It's this piece on the Grainfather: https://www.noblegrape.ca/products/grai ... rflow-pipe
Can you measure it, please?

[Beert]

It's this piece on the Grainfather: https://www.noblegrape.ca/products/grai ... rflow-pipe
Can you measure it, please?

It’s 211mm with an inner diameter of 14mm

[alltimelowe]

It’s 211mm with an inner diameter of 14mm

Perfect, thanks that's exactly the info I needed.

For future reference, if anyone is looking at Robobrew's Upper Extension Rod as a replacement for Grainfather's Top Overflow Pipe, they are not the same length. Robobrew's is shorter, measuring at about 180mm.