The Latest — Steve Block

The Latest

  • Building a Mash Tun From a Coleman Cooler

    Overview

    The other day I pulled out my old Coleman cooler, which hasn’t been used since I went to Burning Man in 2006. After talking with some brewing friends I decided to use it as a mash tun. Coolers, both round and rectangular, are popular for mash tuns because they are inexpensive, easy to build, and well insulated, so they allow you to maintain temperature for an hour-long mash without having to continually apply heat.

    At first I wasn’t sure what size the cooler was, so I poured water in from 5 gallon pail. At 10 gallons the water level was right at the first break in the cooler wall, and at 15 gallons it was nearly up to the next step in the wall. Clearly this is a 70 quart cooler. The photo below shows approximately 15 gallons of water in the cooler.

    I emptied the cooler and came up with approximate measurements.

    • Length: 24 inches
    • Depth: 10 inches
    • Height: 12.5 inches to seal (highest step in the wall)

    I removed the drain plug inexpertly with a pair of pliers and the hole measured approximately a 3/4 inches in diameter. I also inserted a short dowel I had laying around to check whether I needed to make any height adjustments to get the a copper manifold to lay flush at the bottom. Luckily it looked like the height of the hole was perfect.

    There are several ways to create a good grain bed and allow the sweet wort out but leave all the grain and husks in the tun. These include mesh screens, false bottoms, braided steel lines, and copper manifolds. They all work in approximately the same way, but based on my measurements, the shape of the cooler, and the recommendations of my friend John, I decided to build a copper manifold.

    Construction

    After work on Friday I drove down to Home Depot to buy supplies. I bought 10 feet of 1/2 inch type M copper pipe (typical household pipe) and a bunch of 1/2 inch fittings. A parts list for the curious is enclosed.

    • 10 feet of 1/2 inch copper
    • 4 elbows
    • 5 tees
    • 1 female 1/2 inch MIP to sweat fitting adapter
    • 1 1 inch long 1/2 inch MIP brass nipple (almost too short)
    • 1 pack of #15 O-rings
    • 1 gigantic washer
    • 1 1/2 inch ball valve
    • 1 1/2 inch MIP to 3/8 inch barb adapter
    • 10 feet of braided nylon hose.

    I only actually need about 1-2 feet of the hose, but it came in 10 foot sections and I figured additional hose might come in handy. I had to make a second trip because my initial parts list had a 2 inch long brass nipple, and that proved to be much too long. I also picked up a hacksaw on my second way through. In hindsight a proper pipe cutter would have been better.

    I got the valve assembled into the cooler on Friday night, and got all the copper pipe cut to the right lengths. A test fit showed everything was expected to work perfectly.

    On Saturday morning I started working again. I washed all the copper parts in PBW, and scrubbed off the glue that held the UPC tags on the fittings. After rinsing and drying, I reassembled the manifold and crimped each connection lightly with a pair of pliers. It holds together well but can still be disassembled. This thing is supposed to leak so there was no point in soldering anything.

    I decided to cut the slits in the manifold using my knockoff Dremel and standard Dremel cutting wheels. Eye protection is critical for these things, people. The wheels have a bad tendency to shatter without notice. I lost 4 or 5 cutting wheels to breakage, and wore several more down to mere nubs. It took a while but I think the Dremel was the right tool for this. A hacksaw would have been a lot more physical labor.

    After I finished cutting the slits I used a small grinding tool to grind the burrs off of each slit, and then a nylon brush wheel to clean up after. There was still a lot of copper dust inside the manifold. I shook as much out as I could, and tried to rinse it out by forcing water through it with a hose.

    Testing

    After that I assembled the whole tun and did some checks. I filled the cooler with about 15 gallons of hot tap water (and concluded that it really might be over-large). I added PBW to wash the tub interior. I then took the temperature and closed the lid for an hour.

    During this time the outside of the cooler never got warm to the touch except at the narrow point where the valve attaches. The valve did not leak. The temperature at the start was a hair under 122. The temperature after an hour was a hair under 120. This seems pretty good to me, and I’m excited to try it out tomorrow when I brew.

    — Steve

  • Feels Like Spring

    We’re a few days into spring now, and it really and truly feels like spring already. It seems like we went from almost winter to full on warm weather in only a week. I’m certainly not complaining though. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying this weather.

    It almost feels like coming out of hibernation.

    I went out for a walk this morning in only a T-shirt[1]; the first time this year. It was still cool but with the sun shining on me it felt warm. That particular solar gift is one of my favorite things about living in Denver. After getting breakfast and groceries and doing some reading on the patio I went back out again on my fixed gear bike for a medium length bike ride. It was actually warm by then.

    I didn’t do anything fancy, just headed up the path towards the city. I turned around at Cherry Creek Mall, making for a total ride of about 22 miles. There were lots and lots of people out today. Many more than previous weekends. It’s great when people start getting outside.

    After my ride I had a beer and fired up the grill for a burger. One nice reward for such an active, outdoors day is that I can burn enough calories to actually allow myself a big, wonderful burger without causing trouble with my weight loss plan.

    On that topic, things seem to be going fairly well. Of course they aren’t going as perfectly smoothly as I could hope, but that is almost entirely a result of me being human, not a robot. I can’t always avoid temptation, and I can’t always say no. I spent two or three weeks stuck at around 228 before that number started inching its way back down over the past 2 days[2].

    But the general trend has been almost entirely downwards since January, and I already notice a big difference in how I look and feel compared to where I was even a month or two ago. I’m still pretty overweight but a shirt I couldn’t wear in mid January now fits me well, and I’ve taken another notch in on my belt. I remember how all this felt back in 2008 when I did it before, and it is pretty much the same. The feeling is absolutely great when you can stick with your plan and the weight starts coming off.

    I think my biggest challenge will be pushing past that 200 mark. Last time I got there the weight loss seemed to really slow down and everything seemed to get harder. I looked and felt great but I couldn’t get those last 20 pounds out of the way to reach my goal of 180. This time I have to keep pushing with the diet long past that 200 mark. I might have to adjust my calorie intake way down again just to keep it going. It’s really hard to say.

    Also difficult will be maintaining the loss. The last time I got down below 200 I stopped actively tracking what I ate and did and made the foolish assumption that I “got it” now and could manage myself without tracking. Maybe I will get there someday, but the slow 2 year climb back up above 230 showed how wrong I was about that.

    I may be stuck with tracking what I eat and how active I am for a long time. That’s a price I’m willing to pay if I can be fit and healthy though.

    — Steve

    1. Yes I had pants on. Stop being so literal. I was wearing this lovely pixel art Iowa shirt from United Pixelworkers along with a pair of Levi’s jeans. And shoes, even.↩︎
    2. If you have any interest in following my fitness and weight loss progress, I recommend following my specialty Fit Steve twitter feed.↩︎

  • I’m Not a Thief

    But I feel like one.

    I stopped by the Apple Store this afternoon because I had decided to buy a smart cover for my new iPad. I looked around and spent a while trying to figure out whether I preferred the leather or the polyurethane cover, and eventually settled on the leather cover in navy blue. I looked around again, wondering who would sell it to me. It’s always hard to find an free Apple Store rep, especially on a Saturday when the store is really busy.

    Then I decided to follow the advice posted on the shelf itself: use the Apple Store app on my iPhone to pay instead. “It’s the fastest way,” it claimed.

    So I pulled out my iPhone, and I opened up the Apple Store app. It knew immediately where I was, at the Park Meadows mall, and gave me options to buy right from the app. I scanned the barcode on the $70 smart cover, and the app asked me if I wanted to buy it right there. I hit the buy button and all that it asked for was my Apple password and the four digit pin code on my American Express. I entered both, and that was it.

    The Apple Store app gave me a receipt, electronically of course, and I got an email receipt as well. After that I wasn’t sure what to do. I guessed that I was done and could just leave the store, but it did feel weird. So I walked toward the entrance, smart cover my left hand and phone in my right. I had the receipt pulled up on my phone just in case.

    I walked right by the Apple guy by the door, and right by the cop standing just outside. And that was that; I was the owner of an iPad smart cover. I paid for it of course, but it still felt like I was shoplifting.

    So I guess that the Apple Store app works pretty well for buying small items that are on the shelf at the store. It feels strange, and you wonder how much stuff just walks away. Still, it saved me a lot of time versus having to find an Apple Store rep when they were busy selling to people less tech savvy than me. A net win, I guess.

    — Steve

  • Maybe Spring is Coming

    I spent most of last week in Michigan, doing some siting of wind turbines for a relatively large project that is developing quickly. We were fortunate and had excellent weather (but soggy unmaintained roads) when we were there.

    When we left the state a couple of days later though, it was cold and snow flurries were in the air. That was all cared for in a joyful arrival in Denver to a sunny day in the upper 50s, and a weekend that hit the 60s at times.

    I think maybe my wish for spring is coming true.

    I took advantage of this turn toward spring, and put in a fast walk yesterday and a slower, longer one today. I also took a short ride around the lake on my fixed gear on Saturday afternoon.

    Combine the lovely weather and the time outside with the annual temporal lie that is Daylight Saving Time and I’m feeling pretty good.

    — Steve

  • Tossing Stuff

    How do you live a simpler life? How do you keep a mountain of stuff from burying you?

    I’ll tell you: I have no idea.

    I spent part of the afternoon listening to Merlin Mann talk with Dan Benjamin about getting rid of stuff that doesn’t bring you pleasure or utility. And of course he’s right and it is something I’ve thought about for years. Literally. I make grand plans and I get a little ways, and then I give up.

    But of course, you can’t get anywhere if you don’t try.

    So here I am taking a few first steps. I threw away a few small useless things that have been sitting for years. I threw out a half dozen phone cords (yes seriously) and a few old USB cables. Several of the cables had never even been removed from the package.

    So do I keep up with small moves, or do I start the big moves Dan and Merlin mentioned. Do I buy a bunch of contractor bags and start just tossing things, or do I slowly pare things down? I don’t know. But I have a problem.

    I replaced two old suitcases late last year, but I still have the old ones. I have several battery chargers that I don’t need or use any more. I have a laptop charger for a laptop that is long since dead.

    I have a laptop that is long since dead. I have half a dozen naked hard drives. I have two 1U servers in bubble wrap in the garage. I have four bicycles but only two I ride. I have a bicycle helmet I replaced 4 years ago. I have darkroom equipment I haven’t used since I moved to Denver. I have two old cameras that don’t work, and half a dozen that do work but I haven’t run film through in 2 or 3 years.

    And all of this is not even remotely close to a complete list.

    I doubt I’ll ever live a minimalist life, but I’d love to pare things down.

    — Steve

  • Please Bring Me Spring

    For such a short winter it feels never-ending. Once every week or two we get a day that hints at a spring to come, and then vanishes. Low of 20. High of 40. Every day. Then it snows.

    Have I grown weak since moving to Denver or is it that to me a good winter feels right, but a lingering almost-winter drags on?

    Whatever it is, I’m looking forward to spring, and making plans to enjoy it. I want to throw the windows wide and let a breeze warm the house through the day and cool it through the night. I want to take my bike out for a long ride and not get chilled when I stop for a rest. I want to put on all my gear and ride my motorcycle west over the passes and through the small mountain towns. I want to sit and watch the sun set in Daniels Park while I read a book and nurse a beer. I want to go for a walk in the evening.

    All it takes is time, I know. But I’m impatient.

    — Steve

  • Phones Announced at Mobile World Congress 2012

    This list is hardly complete, and I won’t waste both your time and mine by actually linking to them. I don’t really care to know what the differences between any of these are.

    But you have to wonder if these manufacturers have learned anything at all from Apple’s success with the iPhone and a simplified product line.

    • HTC One S
    • HTC One V
    • HTC One X
    • HTC Vivid
    • Huawei Ascend D quad
    • LG Optimus 3D Max
    • LG Optimus 4X HD
    • LG Optimus L3
    • LG Optimus L5
    • LG Optimus L7
    • LG Optimus Vu
    • LG X3
    • Sony Xperia P
    • Sony Xperia S
    • Sony Xperia U
    • ViewSonic ViewPhone 4e
    • ViewSonic ViewPhone 4s

    Phew.

    — Steve

  • Ben on Gameface

    The following is archived for posterity from an email Ben sent us today.

    nono you guys have this all wrong. =( is for unhappy/sad.

    =| is gameface. which over the years has developed several different meanings that depend on context. but it is typically used for backhanded insults, dry sarcasm, intentionally ambiguous statements, obvious understatements, and to designate shame/apprehension or obvious bait.

    for example:

    ‘ben, you are a really fast runner. keeps you away from the girls =|’ (backhanded insult)

    ‘ross you suck =|’ (dry sarcasm-ish)

    ‘goalie seems important =\’ (understatement)

    ‘i have not biked to work since i bought the new car =\’ (shame)

    ‘mitt romney is not all that much different from obama =|’ (bait)

    can’t think of a good one for ambiguity, but it usually was a form of bait bitd.

  • Weekend Walks, February Edition

    I haven’t been on a bike ride since the big snowstorm early this month. I probably could have gone this weekend, but after my crash in January I’m still wary of packed snow and ice on the paths. Hopefully in another week or two we’ll get enough sun and that won’t be a problem for a while, because I’m itching to get out and ride. And to see how the rebuilding of my Trek went.

    In the meantime though I’ve tried to make it a habit to at least start Saturday mornings with a long walk. I generally hope to get out of the house before 9:30 and listen to Hypercritical, one of my favorite podcasts. John Siracusa tends to talk so much that I can go for 4 or 5 miles before he’s done. It’s awesome. When I can, I walk on Sunday, too, although I’d like to get bike rides in instead.

    I missed one weekend this month from sheer laziness but on the other two we’ve had so far I made it out for 4+ miles each day. I even managed 4 miles on the morning of the snowstorm, which was incredibly exhausting (wading through knee deep snow for almost 2 of those miles). I’ve gone on 4 long walks that I recorded, and a few unrecorded walks during work days. Work day walks are either a short walk to lunch, or a walk around the amphitheater block in the afternoon.

    This past weekend my Saturday walk was over to the state park, one of my favorite places to walk or cycle. On my Sunday walk I started on city streets and then followed a suburban trail that was new to me.

    I recorded 16 miles walking in January and 20 so far this month. If I get out this weekend I should be able to easily hit 30.

    — Steve

  • Coffee in the Office

    I’m going to start this one off with a very important disclaimer. I am not a coffee connoisseur, at least not in any way that can compare with Andy, Ben, Sam, or Samm. Andy has always sought out great coffee, while Ben and Sam are so obsessed they buy green beans in bulk and roast their own. Meanwhile Samm has a high end grinder and nice espresso machine in his house.

    On this scale, then, I am near the bottom. But I do enjoy coffee. I usually have 2 cups in the mornings on workdays, and 2 or more at home or at a restaurant on weekends. I rarely make coffee at home on weekday mornings, largely because I don’t leave myself much time between getting up and getting to work.

    For several years I have dealt with this in the laziest way I could. I drank the coffee from the drip machine in the break room. It’s a fairly standard coffee service arrangement where they provide the commercial drip machine and pre-packaged ground coffee.

    While an acceptable arrangement from the lazy man’s perspective, the coffee is not very good. I drink it with cream and sugar just to make it acceptable, and not even that can save it after it has been sitting on the burner for an hour.

    I’ve been OK with this arrangement for a few years now, but I’m finally ready to give in and exert some effort for better coffee. Preferably coffee I can drink black, and only apply cream and sugar as an occasional style choice rather than a necessity.

    I came up with several ideas to solve this, and my friends were able to supply a few other good suggestions:

    • Brew coffee at home and bring it in a thermos.
    • Brew cold press coffee and take the concentrate to work.
    • Use the Starbucks instant coffee things.
    • Bring in a French press and grind my own coffee at home.
    • Bring in an aeropress and grind my own coffee at home.
    • Bring in an aeropress and use the work coffee grounds.

    I rejected the first two ideas because they include daily or near daily carting of equipment or coffee back and forth, and that is not something I am good at. I rarely bring in lunch and when I do I often forget to bring my lunchbox back home for days.

    The French press idea was a pretty good one, as I have a press that I rarely use so this would cost no money at all. Because I almost exclusively brew coffee at home with an aeropress it was my favorite idea, but it would require buying a second aeropress for the office (remember that I don’t want to cart things back and forth frequently).

    In the end I settled on testing a few of my ideas. I made a fresh pot of drip coffee and had a cup of that. I made a cup of the Starbucks VIA instant coffee. Then I made a cup of coffee with the aeropress, using the pre-packaged work grounds (I only tried this because it would completely eliminate carting of things back and forth between work and home). Finally I tried the aeropress with the supermarket whole bean coffee I generally drink at home. For hot water for the aeropress and the instant coffee I used water from the hot water dispenser they installed by the sink.

    Here’s how things fell out, ranked in order from best to worst:

    1. The Vail Mountain beans ground at home at my normal settings and brought in using a spare Illy coffee container, brewed with the aeropress.
    2. Starbucks VIA instant coffee (thanks, Andy).
    3. Work grounds brewed with the aeropress.
    4. Regular work coffee.

    Based on this, it was clear that my best bet was probably another aeropress and the smaller hassle of grinding a few days’ worth of beans at home and then keeping that at work. I would still have to cart something back and forth but it wouldn’t be every day. In a pinch I will keep the instant coffee around as well.

    It was also clear that although brewing the work grounds with the aeropress was better than straight up work coffee, it wasn’t really very good, and the grounds are too coarse. A lot of water seems to drip through the aeropress before I ever press, and I think the coffee got a bit over-extracted. My grinder at home is dialed in to a pretty optimal setting, which is about halfway between espresso grind and regular drip.

    Based on this test I brought in my current aeropress and all its accessories and ground a few days worth of beans and took all that to work, and I plan to just leave that stuff in the office. For home I just ordered another aeropress, since they are only about $25 on Amazon.

    Other than the significant increase in caffeine intake (the drip coffee is kind of weak), this is a net win. My coffee is actually good now, and I can drink it black again. Cleanup is quick and easy, and I only look a little bit silly. I kind of wish I had done this earlier.

    — Steve