All posts by micraftbeer

Homebrew Tips

Hyper Active Fermentation Needs Cleanup

I had a big batch of stout I made the other day.  It was a repeat brew because the previous run of this recipe turned out great and I wanted more.  So I was greedy and went for a big batch (targeting 5.5 gallons instead of 5).  As a result, my fermentation bucket was pretty full, and pitching 2 pouches of yeast in there really got things going.

I was using my Cool Zone temperature control system from Gotta Brew to keep things cool to start off with and manage the active fermentation heat, and then utilize electric heater to raise temperature as I progressed farther along in fermentation.  The Cool Zone comes with an insulated jacket to go around your bucket but let water & electric lines out to feed the cooling jacket and electric heater.  I recall some advice I was given about not letting things get dirty in there because keeping things in the cool dark would breed nasty stuff (foreshadowing).

cool-zone-ready-to-hook-up-to-ice-water-pump

So a couple days in, my yeast had taken off wildly and my small headroom in the bucket plugged my 3-piece airlock and yeast foam started to come up from below.  I switched over to a blow-off tube set-up, but I had already bubbled over onto the lid of the bucket.  The words were echoing in my head about not letting things get dirty in there, but I was pressed for time, so I didn’t clean it up.

A week and half later when I’m finished with fermentation and ready to transfer to a carboy for cold crashing, I notice a couple small flying bugs around my yeast mountain bubble over.  As I pull the bucket out further, I see they’ve decided to lay some eggs on Mt. Yeastmore and I’ve got a group of tiny larvae wriggling around enjoying their yeast bed.  It was disgusting.  So definitely heed the advice and clean up any yeasty bubble overs since it’s too enticing for insects to pass up (apparently).

hyper-active-fermentation-needs-cleanup

 

Events

Farmington Brown Dog Creamery and Dessert Bar

brown-dog-creamery-and-dessert-bar

When we heard there was a new ice cream shop opening in downtown Farmington, we thought, “Cool.”  Then we heard it was some sort of “craft creamery”, and then thought “Oh, that sounds very cool.”  Then we heard they were going to be serving special unique dessert creations.  It kept getting more unique.

Finally we heard they were going to be serving craft cocktails, and craft beer.  Woo-hoo!  The background story was that Brown Dog Creamery in Northville was looking to expand operations and add another location to expand their ice cream production.  They found out about the Farmington site and thought it would be a good location.  Then they heard a liquor license was available and that got them thinking of something new and unique.

We had stopped by a couple times during the afternoon for the ice cream and it was awesome.  On a recent Friday night we decided to check out the “bar” side of things.  There were a lot of folks in there around 10:00 PM as we took a seat at the bar.  The menu had an impressive/tempting array of hot appetizers, but we’d already eaten so we skipped that.  Then, in addition to their array of fresh-made ice creams, they had several delicious-sounding desserts.  We chose one made of cider mill donuts, caramel, and fresh whipped cream.

They didn’t have a massive draft list, but the 8 they had were all good craft- most of them Michigan.  There was a lively feel in the place, and they had good music playing, almost felt like we were in a nightclub- but not in an annoying way.  It was a very refreshing and different place to hang out in the evening.  We’ll be back.