Boiling part two (or) what?

[Weissbock]

So obviously the E elements are pretty much dried malt extract, correct?  Ok I'm a bit spooked by this since no boiling involved, always having been a boiler.  Read several articles on how DME is produced with spray drying technique, they say it needs boiling to ensure killing contaminants that may infect your wort.  The question is, have any of you guys had any infections using these ingredients with no heating or boiling?  Just covering all bases, I'm a curious one for certain, ha ha!  Brewing without boiling just sounds alien to me since never tried it.  Sounds very convenient however!

Thanks!   

ALSO, what about adding hop pellets to fermenter? How clean and safe are they?  Perhaps heat 160 degrees for 20-30 minutes, cool down then add carefully to fermenter?

[Captain 3 Droids]

1 hour ago, Weissbock said:

So obviously the E elements are pretty much dried malt extract, correct?  Ok I'm a bit spooked by this since no boiling involved, always having been a boiler.  Read several articles on how DME is produced with spray drying technique, they say it needs boiling to ensure killing contaminants that may infect your wort.  The question is, have any of you guys had any infections using these ingredients with no heating or boiling?  Just covering all bases, I'm a curious one for certain, ha ha!  Brewing without boiling just sounds alien to me since never tried it.  Sounds very convenient however!

Thanks!   

ALSO, what about adding hop pellets to fermenter? How clean and safe are they?  Perhaps heat 160 degrees for 20-30 minutes, cool down then add carefully to fermenter?

Good questions. Although in the past I have done brew in a bag stouts and dark ales using grain etc and boiling I have mainly been an advanced kit brewer. In using the tins I have never boiled (and instructions don’t require this) and have not had any infections (touch wood) in many years with the tins, dry/liquid malts or hop pellets.

The Brewart E ingredients stand for  “elements” and combined are a dry extract equivalent to the tins of extract you buy. (some have hop additions) The “X” range are your dry malt additions with X5 being dextrose. (x1 = light dry malt; X2 = dry wheat malt extract; X3 = dry amber malt extract; X4 dry dark malt extract). Coopers take great care in providing quality products that don’t contain contaminates to effect your brew. 

So in short you do not have to boil and I have not or heard of anyone that has had an infection in their brew due to these products.

With hop pellets if making a hop tea then boiling water is added for steeping purposes. I’ve dry hopped in the fermenter on many, many occasions without any problems and it is normal practice in the brewing world. 

In many cases infections are caused by your own sanitisation processes. A lot of time can be spent on sanitising equipment etc but often people forget about their hands. If dry hopping for example it it easy to forget about sanitising our hands when we handle the hops, hop bag, container etc. (don’t forget the hop bag or hop container). I always spray my hands with StarSan non rinse sanitiser - fantastic product. So don’t forget about your hands.

Trust this has answered your concerns and gives some confidence to a “boiler” 😁🙂. It never hurts to ask questions and can also assist others with similar concerns.

Cheers Mark.

[Weissbock]

Thank you, Mark, also my middle name!  Very informative and appreciated answer!  I'm not a skeptic nor mean to sound as such, growing up in the "boiling world" I just have many questions.  With inexpensive additions like extra hops, specialty grains, etc, i imagine one could make really nice beers with the system. will be nice to ferment a lager the proper way with great temperature control! and sounds so convenient! Unfortunately it may be January' or February before I can purchase my droid, but gives me plenty of time to study up on it, and conjure up a few modified recipes, much fun for me!  Having a fit wanting one (actually two) now!  

I would go ahead with the purchase but the wife and I had some huge expenses due to her mom. getting very sick, in fact the wife had to move 290 miles to Florida to take care of her.  It's not been easy but you gotta take care of mom you know?   Posting a recipe for Anventinus wheat bock soon,  about 7% abv.  since I've no experience with brewart ingredients I may have it way wrong, curious to see if anyone has better suggestions for it!  Prost, Cheers, and beers!

[Captain 3 Droids]

Sorry about your wife’s mum. The health of family must come first and sometimes sacrifices have to be made. Hopefully your interest in brewing and brewing itself can ease some of the burden.

Not sure in your situation and Beerdroid offers in the USA but luckily here in Australia Coopers BrewArt purchases can be done via Zip Pay meaning $20/fortnight plus $6/month admin fee. (no extra costs/interest) so I was able to afford the unit 1 then the other.

You mentioned the lagers, I was not able to properly do these before as not having (or wanting) a fermentation fridge I was unable to get and control the low temperatures required. Well not to tease but the droid is brilliant in this. Lager mode 12C (54F) and as fermentation is near completion the temp automatically increases to clear up etc as should be done with a lager. The Brewprint lager recipes to date have been brilliant and have opened up a whole new brewing world for me. You will also love the custom mode.

January is not far away and hope your able to get a unit. Are you brewing with the traditional plastic fermenters? And temperature control?

Have you downloaded the BrewArt manual? If not - 

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/netstorage/pdf/207349-BrewArt-BrewFlo-Manual.pdf

 

 

[Weissbock]

yes, also never did lagers due to the required temps for the yeast. droid seems to make this easy!  Always wanted to make a clone of sam adams winter lager but with a few tweeks!  I have not brewed in a long time but used plastic buckets then bought some better bottles.  1 gallon glass jugs for my meads.  Thanks for BrewArt manual?, is their one for the droid as well, didn't see it.

[Captain 3 Droids]

21 minutes ago, Weissbock said:

yes, also never did lagers due to the required temps for the yeast. droid seems to make this easy!  Always wanted to make a clone of sam adams winter lager but with a few tweeks!  I have not brewed in a long time but used plastic buckets then bought some better bottles.  1 gallon glass jugs for my meads.  Thanks for BrewArt manual?, is their one for the droid as well, didn't see it.

Sorry Weissbock, downloaded wrong manual, here’s the complete one:-

https://brewart.com/101/wp-content/uploads/17493BrewArtBeerDroidInstructionManualAU_v1.1_3LR.pdf

[Weissbock]

Got it, Mark Thank you... I have much reading to do!

More women have begun the great brewing hobby in last decade,  they are a bit hard to find however!  An old friend, Pam and I talked much beer tonight.  Egads... she's going for a chocolate /vanilla bean stout soon..... says he'll make jt simple using vanilla extract!!!  Noooooo!!! I tried to tell her, hopefully she'll use bean form or man is she going to regret it!  ha! Another thing I like on the idea of the droid is ALL the bloody time it saves you, that means more time to add goodies to the wort, spices, specialty grains, etc.  I'm pumped up on it!!!

[Captain 3 Droids]

58 minutes ago, Weissbock said:

Got it, Mark Thank you... I have much reading to do!

More women have begun the great brewing hobby in last decade,  they are a bit hard to find however!  An old friend, Pam and I talked much beer tonight.  Egads... she's going for a chocolate /vanilla bean stout soon..... says he'll make jt simple using vanilla extract!!!  Noooooo!!! I tried to tell her, hopefully she'll use bean form or man is she going to regret it!  ha! Another thing I like on the idea of the droid is ALL the bloody time it saves you, that means more time to add goodies to the wort, spices, specialty grains, etc.  I'm pumped up on it!!!

I’m not into the way out styles, like sours, vanilla, marshmallow ect. However perhaps your friend would like to try this one. 

Edited September 24, 2019 by Barrelboy