A hydrometer reading showed that the gravity of the beer had fallen to ~1.010. Fermentation of the beer was, for all intents and purposes, complete. Good news! Regardless, to discontinue exposure to airborne baddies, the beer was siphoned into a glass carboy (i.e., a big jug). Not pictured: nervous grins.
Stay tuned for how it all turns out!
danoken, mdubinko, Sanandreas, and shuggiefisher added this photo to their favorites.
_jacksan 68 months ago | reply
dude, you're amazing. one of the most inspirational photo essays I've seen. Thanks!
cog_nate 68 months ago | reply
Hey, thanks!
Willie Nordmann 68 months ago | reply
So hows the beer taste? Did the broken fermenter lid ruin the beer?
Jeff Alworth 68 months ago | reply
I second that praise--no matter how the beer turns out, the experiment was a success. (Though I can only imagine what it felt like when you discovered the lid had fallen in. Four days? Maybe most of the sugars had already been gobbled up by the good yeasts. If not, call it a pumpkin lambic!)
dandicott 68 months ago | reply
very cool! I look forward to hearing how it turns out.
gumbowing 68 months ago | reply
Hi,
Excellent experiment!
I might suggest chamfering the lid as you cut into the punkin fermentor by angling the knife as you go in . Also, duct tape will keep the lid from falling in.
That is if you ever try this again.
berrongx3 68 months ago | reply
What style of beer were you shooting for?
Lady-bug 68 months ago | reply
Fascinating process, and an awesome set of photos! Thanks for sharing. :)
cog_nate 68 months ago | reply
Thanks again for the kind words. The recipe was for a pretty basic American Pale Ale. We overhopped it, and since the gravity was a bit lower than expected, the beer tasted a bit... unbalanced, when we siphoned the beer into the secondary fermenter. There was an interesting mouthfeel and flavor component in it that is hard to describe. It definitely wasn't "bad", in the bacterial infestation sense. Just odd.
We'll be kegging the beer this Saturday. I'll post a few more pics and impressions then.
ben-o-gistics 68 months ago | reply
I've got to say that it's renegade daredevils like you who are the reason beer was invented in the first place.
Maybe you can somehow prevent the lid from falling in by skewering it shut - driving from the top of the lid toward the pumpkin wall.
JasonLynn 68 months ago | reply
Awesome! Two thumbs way up!
stasarama 68 months ago | reply
You've inspired me to brew again! I'll probably stick to the kitchen for a while though. :)
neon.mamacita 68 months ago | reply
amazing! good luck and hope it turns out well :)
Jonny McPics 68 months ago | reply
All-Grain in a pumpkin?!? Ya GOTTA love it! I agree withe lambic comment....you could be onto something...
torre_egger 68 months ago | reply
love the set-up and the idea.
don_langevin 68 months ago | reply
My son, who is an advanced amateur beer maker, sent me a link to your photo set. I'm always looking for new and interesting images for my pumpkin books -- I've written three and am working on a fourth.
I noticed that you have larger images, which I need for resolution purposes when printing to commercial presses.
I'd like to review them for possible inclusion in my new book. Would you be interested in submitting them and participating in my next book?
Don Langevin
annedawn@comcast.net
www.giantpumpkin.com