Entropy continued

[JohnRoberts]

Batteries are funny... I have changed my charging behavior with my (dumb) smart phone. My prior behavior was to recharge when battery discharged below 90%. WWW advice suggested that too much charging causes these phone batteries to outgas presumably (from internal heating). Now I let my phone discharge to 50% or so.

This is pretty much opposite the best practice for lead-acid car batteries that prefer to stay fully charged to avoid deterioration. I read an article today about some EV car makers mismanaging upkeep of their low voltage (12V) lead acid batteries, resulting in unexpected breakdowns. I guess in any industry we have junior engineers who lacked intimate experience with things like lead acid batteries. EV car makers complain that they don't have good options for other than conventional 12V fans, lamps, and dashboard support. Tesla is using 48V for their cyber truck's low voltage system, but still use 12V lead acid batteries for other models. 48V low voltage systems will draw less current all else equal allowing lighter gauge wire for cost/weight savings.

I vaguely recall that aircraft used to use 48V low voltage systems. I have no idea what voltage they are using now.

JR

 

[kags]

Cell phone batteries are rated for charging cycles, which include only charging the last 10%, so it’s better to charge less frequently. I don’t think there are “memory” issues with batteries anymore.

Apple just announce that software updates have doubled the number of charging cycles the newer iPhone batteries can handle. This applies to patches applied to older phones, too, so the charging circuit behavior affects the number of charging cycles a battery can handle. My 2018 iPhone XR still has 85% battery life left and I charge it nightly.

 

[JohnRoberts]

My transition from bottling beer to using kegs is slowly and a little expensively making progress. I did this to save time and labor, not money so it's all good.

I am learning a glaring downside to living in nowhere MS. The complete execution of my kegging system requires a source of CO2 under pressure. I ordered a cheap 5# aluminum CO2 bottle that is now over a week late. Tracking said it was on a truck for delivery to me last Tuesday. I requested a refund yesterday. I then contacted Airgas who has an operation 30 miles away. The charge for a refill is only $30 but the initial buy-in >$150. Apparently they don't recharge bottles on site but ship them to their factory where the containers get pressure tested and refilled. The lady I placed the order with said the bottle may not be pretty which sounds like they just swap out filled bottles for empty ones. I may be rocking CO2 pressure by the end of this week.

I have not run out of bottled beer yet and have one batch of beer in a keg with priming sugar to carbonate by a secondary fermentation. Now that I finally have CO2 on order, I may fill a second keg without priming sugar (to reduce sediment). To carbonate the beer in a keg involves pressurizing it to 25# for like a week. I already ordered a regulator with two outputs so I can pressureize one keg at 25# to carbonate, and a second one to only 3# for dispensing beer.

Life is good.

JR

PS: A possible cheap alternative is to use an adapter to connect soda stream CO2 bottles to kegs. I feel like getting food grade CO2 from Airgas is a more reliable long term solution.

 

[MicMaven]

The complete execution of my kegging system requires a source of CO2 under pressure.
Life is good.

Fair Question: Ahem. While I may be old fashioned, a proper brew should generate its own fizz, notwithstanding it takes longer than forced carbonation, and forced carbonation may not require priming sugar. Yeah, yeah - I know you are in a hurry, but you only have to wait for the first batch to ferment and mature. After that, new batches assure a continuous flow. N'est ce pas?

Unfair Comment: Shoot. Considering all the fuss and expense of making beer, distilling bourbon is surely more attractive and efficient, notwithstanding the longer period aging in the barrel. In the short run, you can make rum and vodka to stay pickled while your bourbon ages. Or you can continue to make beer - but bourbon is surely more efficient and, other than the cost of the barrel, is less expensive and less fussy to produce!

Um ... just saying. James
_________________________________

PS - I will soon receive a new weather station, replete with wind speed and direction indicator and automatic self-emptying remote rain gauge which may be left out in the winter. I will retire the peanut can, because, according to an old adage I recently coined, "Man with two rain gauges never knows how much rain falls."

Happy trails to y'all. / JHR

 

[JohnRoberts]

Fair Question: Ahem. While I may be old fashioned, a proper brew should generate its own fizz, notwithstanding it takes longer than forced carbonation, and forced carbonation may not require priming sugar. Yeah, yeah - I know you are in a hurry, but you only have to wait for the first batch to ferment and mature. After that, new batches assure a continuous flow. N'est ce pas?

It is not about time but sediment. The pickup tube for dispensing beer from the 5 gallon mini keg is located at the very bottom of the keg (of course). Sediment can block the pick-up and/or draw muddy beer. If I carbonate the beer using 25# of CO2 there is no increase of sediment. It takes roughly the same time to carbonate with a secondary fermentation as to pressure carbonate. My first 5 gallon keg has priming sugar added.

They make floating beer pickups that float near the top of the brew inside the keg, presumably to avoid bottom sediment. Sounds too clever by half.

Note: Instead of adding corn sugar, brewers can add unfermented wort before bottling. This is called "krausening". I have never done this, but it will still generate sediment (dead yeast bodies).

Unfair Comment: Shoot. Considering all the fuss and expense of making beer, distilling bourbon is surely more attractive and efficient, notwithstanding the longer period aging in the barrel. In the short run, you can make rum and vodka to stay pickled while your bourbon ages. Or you can continue to make beer - but bourbon is surely more efficient and, other than the cost of the barrel, is less expensive and less fussy to produce!

Um ... just saying. James

I am not a mind reader but I am getting the sense that you like bourbon.

Have I told you my story about drinking hard stuff.... Ignoring the spoonful of gin I consume daily with my gin soaked golden raisins. This is a folk remedy for bad knee joints and I perceive a benefit?

OK, the story..... back in the early 70s while I was on leave from the army. I visited my old roommates living in Boston. I was as horny as a soldier on leave . I met a girl who lived in the building as she was leaving to go to work. I made a date with her for that evening when she came home from her job. I started with a fifth of scotch and started drinking around noon. By the time my date came back looking for me, the bottle was empty and I was down for the count. That happens when I drink hard stuff as if it is beer.

_________________________________

PS - I will soon receive a new weather station, replete with wind speed and direction indicator and automatic self-emptying remote rain gauge which may be left out in the winter. I will retire the peanut can, because, according to an old adage I recently coined, "Man with two rain gauges never knows how much rain falls."

Happy trails to y'all. / JHR

View attachment 124872

I have cut back my rain gauges to one 9 1/2" plastic pail, and the fancy freeze proof copper one. The 9 1/2" pail is obviously the more accurate but the copper freeze proof model works respectably well for it modest sized aperture.

JR

 

[MicMaven]

I am not a mind reader but I am getting the sense that you like bourbon.
Have I told you my story about drinking hard stuff....

Great reply, old man. I appreciate the further gloss and explanation of your process.

YEP, my young bride and I occasionally enjoy a wee dram of bourbon. Good, yet tragic story which underscores the long-established Greek recommendation, "Everything - in moderation."

Parenthetically, my wife and I have completely failed becoming alcoholics - neither of us can consume very much of any alcoholic libation, so we only consume small quantities of the VERY GOOD STUFF, whether beer or bourbon. We have little sports cars and enjoy traveling to, and touring, bourbon distilleries - you know, we gotta go someplace - might as well be touring a distillery as any other place - and we enjoy the samples they provide after the tour - so now you know our hobby is: Drinking and Driving (to the next one) - What a Country !

[I appreciate your taking my replies in good humor! All in good fun.]

I have cut back my rain gauges to one 9 1/2" plastic pail, and the fancy freeze proof copper one.

Roger. Interesting the copper model has held up under scrutiny. And now you KNOW it is reasonably accurate.

Happy trails. James / K8JHR

 

[JohnRoberts]

I have officially abandoned my rain gauge experiment (the DIY 9 1/2" plastic pail won for accuracy). I gave two of my excess rain gauges to my neighbor.

In hindsight I can imagine one potential issue with the DIY 9 1/2" plastic pail rain gauge. This is the same neighbor with over a dozen stray cats. The pail is large enough that his larger cats could drink out of it. Hopefully after any significant rain there will be plenty of standing water for the cats to drink nearby. They are not shy about drinking from the rain ditches.
======

My beer kegification change-over is progressing nicely. Yesterday I picked up a 5# bottle of food grade CO2 (30 miles away). I have two 5 gallon kegs already sitting full of beer. The only major component I am still waiting for is a dedicated beer refrigerator.

I first investigated removing a couple shelves from my food refrigerator and storing the beer kegs inside. Upon closer inspection each 5 gallon keg weighs 50# when full of beer. Two kegs and the CO2 bottle, with regulators etc is well over 100# supported by only a plastic shelf. The dedicated beer refrigerator is purpose built with access holes on top and back for CO2 lines and beer draw tubing and tap. There is a dedicated shelf/bracket on the back of the fridge to hold the CO2 bottle safely strapped in.

The beer fridge is in transit and due to arrive any day now. I have roughly a week's worth of beer in bottle so the plan is working out nicely.

JR

PS: Another trick to deal with yeast sediment blocking the beer pickup line in the bottom of the keg is to initially connect the CO2 feed line to the beer output port to clear the pickup line with a burst of pressurized CO2. Then remove and reconnect the CO2 gas line to the correct inlet port to pressurize the keg. That was easy.

 

[Tubetec]

My parents had the Rotokeg system at home around 40 years ago ,
What you see below is a more modern version ,
It has a float attached to the tap inside the keg that sits on the beers surface and ensures you dont suck up Missippi mud.
It also has a threaded valve on top for the Sodasteam gas cylinder .
The handy thing is theres no gas lines to deal with ,

Speaking of all things beer gas related ,
I was down my local pub on St Patricks day late on in the evening ,
It had been a long day for the staff and I think they'd had a few pints themselves at that stage ,
The gas cylinder for the beer lines ran out and they got in a bit of a headless panic ,
I offered to help out as I was probably the soberest person in the place at that stage , I danced a tango with a cylinder of Suregas(CO2)as big as myself out in the yard ,
I got em hooked up and soon the taps were flowing again ,
I wasnt allowed put my hand in my pocket for the rest of the evening , the beers were on the house after that .

Cheers ,

 

[JohnRoberts]

My parents had the Rotokeg system at home around 40 years ago ,
What you see below is a more modern version ,
It has a float attached to the tap inside the keg that sits on the beers surface and ensures you dont suck up Missippi mud.
It also has a threaded valve on top for the Sodasteam gas cylinder .
The handy thing is theres no gas lines to deal with ,

Speaking of all things beer gas related ,
I was down my local pub on St Patricks day late on in the evening ,
It had been a long day for the staff and I think they'd had a few pints themselves at that stage ,
The gas cylinder for the beer lines ran out and they got in a bit of a headless panic ,
I offered to help out as I was probably the soberest person in the place at that stage , I danced a tango with a cylinder of Suregas(CO2)as big as myself out in the yard ,
I got em hooked up and soon the taps were flowing again ,
I wasnt allowed put my hand in my pocket for the rest of the evening , the beers were on the house after that .

Cheers ,
View attachment 125147

Cheers.... My understanding was that Guinness stipulates a 75% nitrogen 25% CO2 mix ("beer gas") to pressurize their draft beer kegs and lines. I am unsure if this is trying to mimic the earth atmosphere's 78% nitrogen content. Our atmosphere is clearly not 25% CO2. The Nitrogen reportedly is responsible for the creamy (smaller) head bubbles.

I checked and air gas does sell a 75%/25% blended "beer" gas, but I didn't get a price quote.

I guess 100% CO2 is good enough to keep the draft beer flowing, during such a St Paddy's day emergency. CO2 is good enough for pressurizing my Johnny Beer at least until my first 5# bottle of CO2 runs out. .

JR

 

[Tubetec]

Theres two different cylinders ,
The Guinness and other stout beers use the suremix , beer uses the suregas .

Its not actually possible to put the wrong kind of gas on line ,
the two cylinders have a different connection .

 

[JohnRoberts]

Theres two different cylinders ,
The Guinness and other stout beers use the suremix , beer uses the suregas .

Its not actually possible to put the wrong kind of gas on line ,
the two cylinders have a different connection .

I kind of thought Guinness was beer (ale) but I expect there are some popular lagers there too (like Harp?). But lager is beer too, at least over here.

Having keyed connectors sounds like a good idea for that operation, based on your shared anecdote of having customers mess with the gas lines.

I never heard of Suremix but letting my fingers do some walking I find multiple different ratios. "Suremix 30" is 70% N, 30% CO2 so close to the Guinness preferred 75/25 ratio.

These appear to be food grade gases, but apparently some race car drivers use nitrogen to fill their car tires, that probably does not need to be food grade. My brother who used to race some said that nitrogen in tires makes a worthwhile difference. It surely cost more than just using compressed air which is already 78% nitrogen. I think there may be less water vapor in bottled nitrogen or something subtle like that.

JR

 

[MicMaven]

I danced a tango with a cylinder of Suregas(CO2)as big as myself out in the yard ,
I got em hooked up and soon the taps were flowing again ,

Great success story. Free beer ... always a good thing!!

On the last day of the Great Beer Trade Conference in London, the Representatives of several of the major producers decided to set aside their differences for a moment and go out for a beer to celebrate a successful trade show together, before foing their separate ways the next day.

The local guy selected a pub with a big selection of beer on tap. The Mexican rep ordered a Dos Equis, proclaiming it the best beer in all Mexico. The Australian rep ordered Tooheys Extra Dry, proclaiming it the best beer in Australia. The Japanese guy ordered a Sapporo Premium, proclaiming it the best beer in Japan. The Italian rep ordered Peroni in a bottle no less (ugh,how gauche!) claiming it the best beer in Italy. And the pattern continued with each of the sales reps ordering a beer from their respective home bases.

So, finally, the Guiness rep ordered ... a glass of MILK ... explaining, "Well, if you guys are not going to drink REAL BEER, then I won't either!"

("Take Courage," old man.) Cheers - bottoms up! James

 

[Tubetec]

Harp lager isnt all that popular here anymore ,
though it once was ,
Originally brewed in Dundalk , Co Louth ,
now the brand is handled by Guinness in Dublin ,
Its probably still popular enough in counties north of the Capitol ,
but I dont think Ive seen Harp on tap in years down in the south ,
bottles yes .

The Guinness is probably my least favourite of the three major players in the game here ,
but the other two breweries are local , the less traveled the pint the better ,
its a known fact ....

I have one city local I call in to from time to time , it was only 150 meters from the from the old Brewery site ,
The beer was taken out of the cold room in the Brewery , wheeled by hand truck back to the pub , where it lived in a fridge directly under the bar , the line was around 30cm ,
best pints I ever tasted ,

There is a Guinness product thats more like a black beer or ale than a stout ,
Used be branded Extra Stout , but also now Original ,
Its the one sort of Guinness I do like ,
It doesnt have the thick consistancy of draught Guinness , it has fizz but not the same head as a lager it only comes in a bottle and its its still available in almost every pub in the country .
Unrefridgerated ,off the shelf is the usual way its served in the old mens and country pubs , but I like it from the fridge .

As I said I was probably the only half sober one that night down the pub ,
What are you going to do , stand back and watch a mini riot break out when the glasses and throats run dry ?
You roll up your sleeves,get stuck in and help the staff out ,

There was a very tall athletic blonde attending a 21st party that night too who gave me the eye ,she made Taylor Swift look like a lamp post , If I was only 30 years younger I wouldnt have thought twice about Daddy'O and his buddies arriving up later in a van with a bag of pickaxe handles

 

[JohnRoberts]

Watch out about trying to read the mind of a tall athletic blond.....
===
I had to travel 30 miles to buy a 5# bottle of CO2, but my Johnny Beer doesn't travel more than a few feet from the brew pot, to fermenter, to my glass.

One of my regrets was never getting to taste fresh Guinness at the brewery. I guess you guys didn't buy enough Peavey gear for me to justify the visit.

Cheers

JR

 

[MicMaven]

Harp lager isnt all that popular here anymore ,

Who said anything about Harp? I think the story was about real beer, not the light weight variety.

The Guinness is probably my least favourite of the three major players

Ahem ... it was just a joke, ya know.

There was a very tall athletic blonde attending a 21st party that night too who gave me the eye . . . ,

You were drunker than you think.

she made Taylor Swift look like a lamp post

Practically anyone does that.

, If I was only 30 years younger I wouldnt have thought twice about Daddy'O and his buddies arriving up later in a van with a bag of pickaxe handles

Yep, that confirms you were drunker than you claim.


(all in good fun, of course.) James

 

[JohnRoberts]

(all in good fun, of course.) James

Is that like saying "no offense" before insulting someone?

JR

 

[MicMaven]

Is that like saying "no offense" before insulting someone? JR

Nope - not at all. Besides I said it after I said anything which could be construed as insulting - so it is more like closing the coop after the chickens have escaped.

Loosen up old man. I am just poking fun at Mr. Tubetec's story and I am confident he has a thick skin and a solid sense of humor. In fact I consider him quite resilliant, demonstrating an unusually flexible open mind in various discussions.

Lest anyone misunderstand; my days are numbered and I don't wanna play the game if it is no fun. Thanks for casting a shadow on my parade route!

Seriously, all in good fun. (How's that for an ersatz contradiction?) James

 

[JohnRoberts]

you can't pull the old man card on me....

How thick is your skin?

JR

 

[MicMaven]

you can't pull the old man card on me....

How thick is your skin?

JR

Pretty thick I hope!

(Immediately after posting my reply, I worried whether it would come off as intended, and almost removed it to be safe.)​

Sidebar - The unfortunate aspect of this two-dimensional black and white medium is, it can be difficult to convey humor, and one is not always sure whether another is joking, sarcastic, or serious. Unscripted and unrehearsed, it occasionally goes too far and gets out of hand, and sometimes humor gets lost in translation. Occasionally, my own dry sense of humor is misinterpreted. And yet, I take the chance hoping it hits the mark more often than not.​

Parenthetically, in ham radio, "old man" is a customary, polite and friendly way to address another operator. CW (Morse Code) operators abbreviate to "OM" and it is always a positive attribute. Out of that context, I worry it may be misconstrued by some as a jibe.


Concerning other matters -

Our new weather station arrived the other day, but it snowed so I delayed installing the remote sensors outside. The new sensors are working as they should (indoors,) and, as a bonus, the station also receives data from the sensors from our older weather station. Consequently, instead of conflicting rain gauges, we will likely have conflicting temperature, humidity and barometric readings!

I will let you know how the rain thing works. Based on your experience, I am not expecting perfection.

Happy trails to you, OM. James

 

[JohnRoberts]

I am making good progress with my transition to kegging beer instead of washing and refilling glass beer bottles. I am just now running out of bottled beer (only days left) but have two 5 gallon mini kegs in the fridge and one sitting at room temperature.

Yesterday I noticed while transferring a 5 gallon batch of beer from my primary fermenter into the keg it only took 5 minutes instead of a couple hours to bottle gallons of beer into individual bottles.

Then I had another thought, why not perform the primary fermentation inside the mini keg. That completely eliminates one step. Of course there is no free lunch and fermenting in situ causes trub (dead beer yeast and sediment) to precipitate out covering the bottom of the keg. Since the beer pick up tube is located at the very bottom to get the last drop, the trub complicates that.

Sometimes I feel like I am going through life without reading the instruction manual. I was not alone or the first to have that epiphany. They sell beer pickups attached to a float ball so it draws clean beer from near the top of the beer in the keg.

I will need to chew on the idea of fermenting inside the keg (I have three 5 gallon mini kegs to drink first and one 5 gallon fermenter full). There are several pros in that there are less opportunities for the wort to get contaminated in the CO2 environment. I like the idea of less labor. Right now I am washing a batch of old beer bottles before I put them away into storage.

73s old man

JR