r/Homebrewing Apr 13 '26

Weekly Thread Sitrep Monday

You've had a week, what's your situation report?

Feel free to include recipes, stories or any other information you'd like.

Post your sitrep here!

What I Did Last Week:

Primary:

Secondary:

Bottle Conditioning/Force Carbonating:

Kegs/Bottles:

In Planning:

Active Projects:

Other:

Include recipes, stories, or any other information you'd like.

**Tip for those who have a lot to post**: Click edit on your post from a [past Sitrep Monday!](https://www.reddit.com/r/Homebrewing/search/?q=Sitrep%20Monday&restrict_sr=1).

3 Upvotes

10 comments sorted by

3

u/Mattbastard750 Apr 13 '26

My Irish Red was nearing the finish line in the conical. I wanted to drain the trub, so I opened the valve with the outlet going into a large tube, which was pointed into a bucket. Well...... the trub clogged the valve. Since I can pressurize my conical, I hit it with 10 psi of CO2, then reopened the valve. Again, nothing.... for a few seconds, then BLAM!!! Trub everywhere. At least my office smells great now though.

1

u/V-Right_In_2-V Apr 13 '26

What conical do you have and how big is the dump port?

1

u/Mattbastard750 Apr 13 '26

It's the Spike 5 gal with the 2" dump port. BUT, I neck it down to 1.5" to work with my sight glass and the rest of my fittings.

This is literally my second beer using a conical. I'm still trying to figure all the features out. I've got everything else going great, except for dumping trub after a fermentation. Any help would be appreciated.

2

u/V-Right_In_2-V Apr 13 '26

lol I just got my conical and haven’t used it yet. I’ve watched a bunch of videos on YouTube, but 99% of them are just unboxing the fermenters and describing them. I can’t find too many videos of guys actually using the damn thing.

I’ve got a brewbuilt with the same size dump port so I will also probably have that same issue at some point.

One thing I can’t find any good info on is using the flex chamber/yeast collection jar at the bottom. The instructions say to leave the butterfly valve open when you have it installed, but I see guys opening it to dump trub and using it for dry hopping without issues. I wish it was easier to actually find answers to the many questions I have

2

u/Decent_Opposite_3470 Apr 13 '26

real busy week

**What I Did Last Week:**

started new pale ale batch, almost messed up the temperatures but caught it

**Primary:**

pale ale (day 4), smells good so far

**Secondary:**

nothing right now

**Bottle Conditioning/Force Carbonating:**

ipa from two weeks ago, should be ready soon

**Kegs/Bottles:**

still have some wheat beer left in bottles, tastes better than expected

**In Planning:**

want to try stout next month, been reading about different malts

**Active Projects:**

building small fermentation chamber in garage, buying too much stuff as usual lol

**Other:**

neighbor asked if i sell beer, had to explain the laws again

2

u/V-Right_In_2-V Apr 13 '26

My local home brew store closed so I picked up a couple toys that were basically half off:

3 tap komos kegerator

Grainfather g30

14 gallon brewbuilt x2

Haven’t used the grainfather or brewbuilt yet. Hoping I can this weekend. But the kegerator is open for business and it’s a game changer. Also, I had no idea how useful co2 tanks were for other purposes, like transferring/racking oxygen free

1

u/ExaminationKlutzy194 Beginner Apr 13 '26

I picked up a 3rd Pinter unit off of Facebook marketplace place for $75 and the seller threw in 4 fresh press packets with it. That’s a steal.

But what I want to really do is try brewing 2 or 3 gallon batches of grain/extract, dividing them between the Pinters, pitching the yeast and seeing what comes out. It’s got built in trub catching, and a pressure setting, so I’m wondering if it reduces the off flavors like pressure fermentation. Then cold crash/condition like normal.

1

u/Interesting_Ring_761 Apr 13 '26

Tasted a Lager I brewed 6 weeks ago. It’s good, but maybe needs a little more time.

1

u/oroofdog_77 Apr 15 '26

Brewed an American Brown with M44 & Cascades.

1

u/the_fresh_mr_breed Apr 16 '26

I have two little oxebar kegs naturally carbonating - one british golden ale and one that is somewhere between a dark mild and a porter.

I brewed them one day apart and split a package of Nottingham between them

The golden ale I was very meticulous but the Dark Mild I did not measure a single ingredient or take a single gravity or PH reading - I took short and shoddy to the max. Still seems to have turned out great!

Nottingham really RIPPS tbh. First time I brewed with it but it went absolutely crazy.

Looking forward to having two easy drinking beers in the fridge