What's going on in your winery today..

[koomber]

Built an automatic counter-pressure bottler. Imagine an auto bottler combined with a counter pressure bottler. Parts were pretty cheap (the pressure relief valve was the most expensive, but that was only £20, and it is fully adjustable). Easy operation (one handed, just pop in bottle and it fills. No valves or nothing like that to contend with).
Hoping to test drive it tonight at some point.

Providing it works, it should be possible to link 4 of the basic unit (minus the PRV together) then link them to the PRV. With a bit of modification it will fill 4 bottles, stop filling once the bottle is full and keep pressure on the bottle.

I'll need to get a new pipe cutter though. The one I've got has torn my hands to ribbons since it was designed for copper pipe with a thin wall (plumbing pipe) rather than 2mm wall thickness stainless steel pipe.

It was also a great time to try soldering stainless steel and copper. The trick is to use hydrochloric acid as a flux on the stainless. I tried 'normal# flux but it didn't work. Quick 1 minute dip in HCl and it works perfectly.

EDIT/UPDATE: Gave it a whirl. Not a massive success. The prod that I used to open the checkvalve is prone to jamming open. I think I'm going to remove it and replace it with a ball valve. I'll loose the auto feature (for now) but on the plus side, it won't jam open and spray beer all over the floor.

The pressure release valve needed adjusting to release the pressure so for part of it I had to squeeze the bung to release the pressure. I would suggest that anyone who kegs their beer gives one of these a go. They are awesome. I believe cellar_rat has a tutorial on building a simplified one that uses the bung squeeze method. It works very well and in hind site I might have gone with this method from the start.

Who could say no to sediment free bottled beer?

[oliver90owner]

Recipe makes 2 gallon
2lt-red grape juice.
1lt-ribena blackcurrant juice.
1lt-cranberry juice.
2kg-sugar.
1tsp-ritchies yeast compound.( per DJ )
water.


Lifted from another forum or are you one and same? Wildbrew?

RAB

[koomber]

Turned the bottler into a more standard counter pressure bottler.

I've had a (crazy) thought though. Would you be able to use this to make sparkling wine? You might need to crank the pressure up (dropping the temp would help) to get the appropriate amount of fizz. But it would mean you could make the wine fizzy without doing the thing with storing at an angle and freezing the neck.

[Cellar_Rat]

Built an automatic counter-pressure bottler.

Where you soft soldering or brazing? Are there any pics ?

Would you be able to use this to make sparkling wine?

I can't see why not - it could be said from pre-pressurised corny surely?

I believe cellar_rat has a tutorial on building a simplified one that uses the bung squeeze method. It works very well and in hind site I might have gone with this method from the start.

Eh? - do you mean the £3 bottom filler?

PS - is this a new thread ?

[ToulouseLePlot]

I’ve been reading the paper as an old war-wound has been playing up and prevented me from bottling 3 carboys and 20 demi-johns and many other noble tasks.

I know you all read the FT, so must have seen this http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5107388a-f...#axzz2ZNm2ZRqO the Burgundy harvest was decimated yesterday. Possibly more than decimated, maybe halved.

What does this mean to us? Well there’s an interesting question. Of course the Burgundy growers can’t mix their grape with anything from abroad. So Mr Cellar Rat, be prepared for the price of merlot from Italy to rocket. It’s as close to pinot noir as they need and I bet there is some standard EU cheating. Be lucky to see any.

[Cellar_Rat]

Funny I was thinking the same - hailstones eh!

I prefer reuters ... http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...96N0QO20130724

[ToulouseLePlot]

You prefer an organ that measures size as big as the 'tip of the thumb'?

Seriously, you need to address some issues in your lifestyle and I think a subscription to the FT is essential.

Everyone likes an eccentric, but you can go too far.

[koomber]

Brewed my American IPA, only used 140g of Hops for 20L as I didn't want to go overboard. Still needs the remaining 60g for dry hopping though.

Recieved an order of grains and stuff. Some new dried brewing yeasts I've not tried that are apparently very good. Used this as an opportunity to update my inventory. Hopefully my tracking will improve this year!

[mark g]

Gooseberry&Raspberry,rose wine.
ingredients: makes 2 gallons.
1.5kg-Gooseberries.
1kg-Raspberries.
2lt-white grape juice.
2kg-sugar
1tsp-ritchies yeast & nutrient (1 per DJ)
water.
Method: simmer the berries in 2lt of water for 20 min then strain and press the pulp using some fine muslin
then dissolve half the sugar in the hot berry juice and leave to cool, then divide the berry juice and grape juice into
the DJs add the yeast & nutrient fit the airlocks and ferment for 1 week then make a sugar syrup with the other half of the sugar and add to the DJs when cool then top them up to the neck with cold tap water fit airlocks and fully ferment out.
when fermenting as stopped rack add finings and rack again after about 1 week when wine is clear,i would mature for
at least 6 to 12 months. :cheers:

[koomber]

Did a 40L brew today of a Brown Porter (somewhere between a brown ale and a full porter, in terms of colour) which was split between two fermenters. One has been pitched with an American Ale Yeast (very 'clean' ferment and high attenuation) and the other with London Ale Yeast (Estery and lower attenuation) to see what difference it makes to the beer. Should be interesting, though it will require some very thorough testing...

[robwrx]

Spent the afternoon getting 7 wines ready for this years local wine competition which happens tomorrow. Hoping to better last years two thirds, one second and a first from 6 entries. This year I am entering my very young black cherry port in the sweet wine category to make it 7 entries.

[lockwood1956]

Fingers crossed!

[robwrx]

Thanks Bob here they all are

[lockwood1956]

The Shiraz Viognier could do with topping up a little though, go and sit on the naughty step....and think about what you have done

(kidding they all look beautiful)

well done!

[robwrx]

It does spoil the uniformity doesn't it.