Vortex! A DIY stirplate

The advantages of being a packrat!

Here's a previously unused 120mm 12v pc fan...two rare earth magnets mounted to the hub...and the whole thing mounted in an old plastic terrarium from when the kids were small.

The stir bar is a couple of small magnets, a couple bits of 1/4 inch dowel, all surrounded with some sugru.

As you can see, above, it works.

Here's a picture without the flask...you can see the magnets and the cool sugru bar.

I used an old 12v supply from something or other that's long, long gone, a potentiometer to control the fan speed and a couple of pc connectors.

I have no idea what this stuff cost originally...but I know it didn't cost me a dime today!

101 - thermometer calibration

Prior to Brew Day I like to calibrate my gear.

You don't want to tell the guy that can BIAB 20 pounds of dry grain, and get it soaking wet, out of the pot, without a block and tackle, that you might have been a wee bit off on the mash temp.

(lets see...20 pounds dry grain...I usually get about 2/3 qt water loss per pound...40/3rds....13 quarts...thats 3+ gallons, that's 25 pounds...plus the original 20 for the grain....hmmm...yeah...the guy that can hold 45 pounds of steaming grain at arms length, draining over a pot of 150 degree water....yeah....that's the guy we want to get the temp right for...)

And it's easy.

So this'll be one of a couple calibration posts....this time, analog thermometers.

Get a fairly large pot of water and bring it to a roiling boil.

Put your thermometer in...get it as deep as you can without actually touching the sides or bottom of the pot.  Check the temp.  As you can see, below, this one was reading about 215F.

Now look on the back of the thermometer...there'll be a little adjustment nut.  See it?

Put a wrench on it and turn it just a little.  Just a little means, really, a little...like 1/16th of a turn or less...maybe 1/32nd.

Put the thermometer back in the boiling water...same as before, deep, not touching the bottom or sides...wait a full 30 seconds...check the temp...

Repeat, as necessary, until the thermometer is dead on....like below...212F is what I read.

You can do this same adjustment with ice water and 32F...but it always seemed to me that 212 was closer to mash temperatures than 32...so I'll usually check the thing in some ice water, but not really pay much attention.

Anyway, that's it....after the water's boiling you've got 2-3 minutes, start to finish.

Simple Stovetop Mead

This is to show just how easy it is to make mead...truly, the simplest of the fermentable beverages.  No huge pot required, no special burner...this is stovetop stuff.

1)  heat 2 gallons or so of water on the stove.  warm, so the honey dissolves, but no need to make it anywhere near boiling.

2)  stir in 10 pounds of honey.  if you have it, you can add a teaspoon of yeast energizer or yeast nutrient...get it the same place you get your yeast...online or at your favorite local homebrew store

3)  put 2 gallons of cool water in your sanitized carboy or bucket.

4)  pour in the warm honey water.  shake vigorously, you want to get lots of air into it.

5)  top off to 5 gallons with cool water.

6)  check the temperature.  you want it less than 90F when you add the yeast.

7)  take a gravity reading if you have a hydrometer (you should have a hydrometer...they're cheap and they're pretty basic to brewing anything).

8)  pour in 1 sachet of rehydrated Lalvin D-47 (there are other yeasts, but this is my favorite for mead)

9)  put on your airlock and you're done.  last night it was about 60 minutes, start to finish.

Check your gravity over the next few weeks and, when you get down in the 1.000 to 1.010 range, rack to secondary. 

Now's when you get to make it special.  This is when you add whatever special, secret mix of herbs, spices, fruits or whatever is going to make it your unique, signature concoction.

Vanilla?  Lemon?  Orange? Roasted Jalapenos?  Ginger? This one is going to have 2 ounces of mulling spices from the Spice House in Chicago added.

Let it sit on the flavor anywhere from a month to a year.

For my own tastes, I like the meads I make to be very lightly carbonated, almost like a sparkling wine.  So not too much bottling sugar...maybe 1/4 cup for a 5 gallon batch.

Anyway, there you have it.  You can't get much simpler, easier or faster.

And remember, whatever you do, no matter how tasty, hide a couple bottles away...mead just gets better and better the longer you wait.