corkybstewart
05-06-2007, 10:48 AM
Yesterday I used dried bitter orange peel for the first time. I had to go to a birthday party at 2 PM so I started early. By 12:30 I was ready to pump the wort thru the CFC into the buckets. The first quart went well, then nothing. A chunk of orange peel plugged the pump, then some got into the spigot. I cleaned it out and decided to go with plan B, a 1/2 inch SS racking cane with a hops bag wrapped around it to keep the chunks out. It would not keep flow going, even hooked to the pump. I ended up scooping all 11 gallons of wort with a saucepan and straining it into the HLT. Finally I've got wort chilling, but by this time the ice in my pre-chiller has melted, it was 90F yesterday, so my wort only cooled to 82F. Normally I'm a pretty laid back sort of person, but by this time I'm looking for something to throw or break. Off to the store to buy more ice. I put the buckets in a tub of water and ice, and at 3:15 headed to the party. When I got back it was cooled to 62F and this morning its bubbling away in the tub of pretty cool water. I have no idea if this batch(Wit's End Belgian Ale) will be any good or not.
So the moral of this tale of woe is to put the orange peel into a hops bag before you throw it into the kettle.
So the moral of this tale of woe is to put the orange peel into a hops bag before you throw it into the kettle.