|
Prefect Six posted:Bottled my Northern Brewer Black IPA and oh man the hop aroma is great. It tastes great too, I'm so excited to drink this beer! Added bonus my wife gave me the green light on a kegging set up. Savor it. It seems to vanish every time I have friends over.
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 04:44
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 29, 2024 03:05 |
|
|
So my lady is getting me fresh cranberries from a bog in MA while she's there this weekend for my Cranberry Wheat. Should I be freezing, then thawing them so they are able to leach, or do you think if I just mash them up a bit and toss them in a secondary then rack on top, they'd be all set?
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 12:44
|
|
|
I always hear to freeze them first because it breaks the cell walls, making it easier for the yeast to get at the delicious sugars, but I haven't made a fruit beer yet.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 15:16
|
|
|
Well the things you learn... You know what else can drive up your original gravity? Not adding your last gallon of water to your fermenter It's only been 4 days, so yesterday I added it during the transfer to my secondary for dry hopping. Anyone have ideas about how this might go?
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 15:20
|
|
|
Morbid Florist posted:Well the things you learn... It will be fine. In fact, this is related to a technique I have seen advocated for making flavorful, but lower-alcohol beer: doing a high-gravity ferment to get the complexity of a strong beer, then cutting it with water to keep the alcohol content manageable. I doubt you'll have much of a noticeable effect at ~1.065 OG, but at least there's precedent. As long as the water you added was clean, there's pretty much no chance it goofed anything up. Boiled and cooled would be best as it both degasses the water and assures sanitation; water from a sealed bottle would be good too; but even regular tap water is probably going to be OK as municipal supplies are pretty sanitary.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 16:02
|
|
|
Jo3sh posted:It will be fine. In fact, this is related to a technique I have seen advocated for making flavorful, but lower-alcohol beer: doing a high-gravity ferment to get the complexity of a strong beer, then cutting it with water to keep the alcohol content manageable. I doubt you'll have much of a noticeable effect at ~1.065 OG, but at least there's precedent. This was distilled so I'm not worried about it getting contaminated. That's an interesting thing about making a lighter beer though, since that's kinda what I'm going for with this recipe: making an all-day-party drinker. Maybe I screwed my way into the right path for next time 
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 16:08
|
|
|
Morbid Florist posted:Well the things you learn... It reached final gravity in 4 days?
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 17:06
|
|
|
tesilential posted:It reached final gravity in 4 days? No I moved it to my secondary after 4 days, and dry hopped. I've still got another week at least.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 18:36
|
|
|
Uck, secondaries - the scourge of homebrewing instructions
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 18:41
|
|
|
Hey if it wasn't for the secondary transfer I'd never have known about the missing water and I'd have bunk beer. Not to mention I seem to have accidentally stumbled on a potential path for making my own light ale.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 19:03
|
|
|
primary fermentation is when the yeast converts all the simple sugars into alcohol. you shouldn't transfer to the secondary fermenter until your beer has reached final gravity. when you transfer too early you can end up with a "stuck" fermentation http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter8-4.html
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 20:08
|
|
|
Prefect Six posted:Bottled my Northern Brewer Black IPA and oh man the hop aroma is great. It tastes great too, I'm so excited to drink this beer! Added bonus my wife gave me the green light on a kegging set up. I made that last year and it's awesome and plan on brewing it very soon. I started kegging this summer and it makes home brewing so much better by not having to loving bottle. Speaking of kegging, if I want to bottle a few beers for friends to try, can I just turn down the psi and fill a cold bottle from the tap? It worked pretty well when I did it with growlers.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 20:21
|
|
|
mewse posted:primary fermentation is when the yeast converts all the simple sugars into alcohol. you shouldn't transfer to the secondary fermenter until your beer has reached final gravity. I'm following the kit recipe, and it says to move/dry hop 3-4 days in. But that's an interesting page you linked. Just by nature of my space/setup I'm having the bottle conditioning experiment he's describing every batch even if I haven't paid attention to it yet.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 21:32
|
|
|
Morbid Florist posted:I'm following the kit recipe, and it says to move/dry hop 3-4 days in. RiggenBlaque posted:Uck, secondaries - the scourge of homebrewing instructions
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 21:50
|
|
|
It's going to be just fine. But it would have been just fine without the move to secondary also. MorbidFlorist, many/most of us do single-stage ferments for most/all of our beers. The consensus is that secondaries are kind of deprecated.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 22:06
|
|
|
Anybody here done something like an american dark wheat? I've been thinking about a Lil Sumpin Sumpin sort of hopped dark wheat. Maybe pilsner and wheat and some dark wheat (mostly I want to play with dark wheat, I've never used it before) and a double decoction because decoctions are fun.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 22:31
|
|
|
Whoa, didn't realize you were insane.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2011 00:59
|
|
|
Hypnolobster posted:... I'll be making a new stand out of stainless that's a little bit bigger in all directions and with different supports. Don't know when I'll actually do that though, because so far I absolutely love brewing on this setup.... I'm getting ready to build one of these and my supports look very similar to yours. Do you find any lack of kettle stability with the simple square keg supports? I'm trying to figure out the best solution that will support the pots so I don't knock them off, provide good breathing to the burners, and keep the branding iron frame temperatures to a minimum. What are your thoughts on kettle supports for v.2?
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2011 06:56
|
|
|
Hypnolobster posted:Maybe pilsner and wheat and some dark wheat (mostly I want to play with dark wheat, I've never used it before) and a double decoction because decoctions are fun. Yeah they are, I'm going to attempt a triple decoction vienna lager on Sunday 
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2011 14:05
|
|
|
Jo3sh posted:It's going to be just fine. But it would have been just fine without the move to secondary also. MorbidFlorist, many/most of us do single-stage ferments for most/all of our beers. The consensus is that secondaries are kind of deprecated. I've tried out one stage but I have to say I find the taste a little bit cleaner/lighter doing the transfer. There's probably some beers I'll like better without the move. But last time I did it all single stage the fucker blew out on me, got beer mung everywhere and ended up dragging back all the crap that gets stuck on the upper parts of a carboy. It didn't turn out BAD but it wasn't as good.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2011 14:15
|
|
|
Bruinator posted:I'm getting ready to build one of these and my supports look very similar to yours. Do you find any lack of kettle stability with the simple square keg supports? I'm trying to figure out the best solution that will support the pots so I don't knock them off, provide good breathing to the burners, and keep the branding iron frame temperatures to a minimum. What are your thoughts on kettle supports for v.2? I like them. They're really nice and stable. Next time I'll probably use something that looks a little neater like some solid square bar stock or a rolled loop of round stock, but in terms of stability I couldn't be happier. Mine are radisused roughly to the shape of my 16.5" diameter kegs and leaned back a few degrees.  As for heat, unfortunately the only thing I think that could help keep the frame from becoming a giant pile of leg-scorching steel is to make an angle iron or similar frame that's held up off the frame with 4 studs. I thought a lot about doing that, but decided it would be too much work and wouldn't look as clean. As it sits right now, the heat only soaks down about 8 inches from the top of the stand. The top, obviously, will vaporize any liquid on contact.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2011 14:31
|
|
|
Hypnolobster posted:I like them. They're really nice and stable. Next time I'll probably use something that looks a little neater like some solid square bar stock or a rolled loop of round stock, but in terms of stability I couldn't be happier. I've also been considering the angle iron frame on standoffs to keep the heat away from the main frame of the unit but I really wasn't sure how necessary it would be. I do think I'm going to use some stainless bar stock to lift the kettles off the stand itself slightly. I'm using megapots instead of kegs so there is just a flat surface at the bottom and it could restrict the heat path from the burner if the four support bars of the frame were preventing the heat from escaping.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2011 15:13
|
|
|
Morbid Florist posted:I've tried out one stage but I have to say I find the taste a little bit cleaner/lighter doing the transfer. There's probably some beers I'll like better without the move. But last time I did it all single stage the fucker blew out on me, got beer mung everywhere and ended up dragging back all the crap that gets stuck on the upper parts of a carboy. It didn't turn out BAD but it wasn't as good. The explosion was yeast fermenting the beer. When you transfer too early (like you are doing) you are leaving a lot (most) of the yeast in primary and your fermentation becomes much weaker. Your beers are probably not attenuating as far as they should. Most of us only transfer to secondary when we're adding something to the beer, I.e. dry hops, fruit, finings. Next time let it sit in primary for 2 weeks before you rack to secondary, then dry hop. Keep in mind brewing kit instructions are written for alcoholics who want beer ASAP and don't much care how good it is. Take your time and do it right!
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2011 17:00
|
|
|
Happy Freedom to Home Brew Day everyone! http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d095:HR01337:@@@L&summ2=m& Signed 33 years ago today by Jimmy Carter
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2011 17:07
|
|
|
tesilential posted:Keep in mind brewing kit instructions are written for alcoholics who want beer ASAP and don't much care how good it is. Take your time and do it right! Well I'm probably in between boozebag and aspiring artist  My strategy now is to keep making the 6-7 kits I've done already but change things each time so I can learn what makes what happen, so there's plenty of room for changes. Right now is the ingredient tinkering, process changes are next.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2011 17:15
|
|
|
Noghri_ViR posted:Happy Freedom to Home Brew Day everyone! Woo hoo! Raise a glass in the general direction of Plains, GA! vvv I did, and I meant to comment on it, but I got distracted by something shiny. Jo3sh fucked around with this message at 19:44 on Oct 14, 2011 |
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2011 17:57
|
|
|
Anyone else notice the bill was House Resolution 1337?
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2011 18:21
|
|
|
Morbid Florist posted:Well I'm probably in between boozebag and aspiring artist Judging by avatar, boozebag. Speaking of avatars, Noghri's just makes me sad.
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 00:57
|
|
|
I need a simple extract recipe for an American Wheat. I just want to use it as a base for fruity wheat beers. Basically I need to know what hops and yeast to use...
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 02:36
|
|
|
So, sort of a kegging question.. I got a three keg ball-lock set up from keg connection, but I don't think they changed out all the O-rings. (A few days later, they sent me a set of new o-rings in the mail, but the ones on the kegs looked old.) I switched out the ones on the keg lids, but not the IN/OUT posts since I wasn't quite sure how to do it. So I put my saison into one of the kegs and now it tastes kinda like stale soda, or maybe a little metallic. I waited a few weeks, it tastes the same. Same thing direct from the keg or from the tap. My question is, is it ever going to taste like beer again, or will a soda-taste from the o-rings last forever? (This beer did sit in the primary for a few months, but I've never read about autolysis causing fruity/metallic flavors.)
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 02:56
|
|
|
You didn't mention if you actually cleaned the actual inside of the keg you used. Did you just spray it down or did you do a proper oxyclean soak? I doubt old o-rings would impart that much flavor.
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 03:01
|
|
|
I would remove the keg posts / dip tubes etc and soak everything in a cleaner as suggested above.
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 03:10
|
|
|
Fair question. I did wash the kegs out with PBW and put Starsan in before putting any beer in them. I will try removing dipstick/keg posts and soaking in cleaner to see how that helps, thanks.
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 04:13
|
|
|
Sionak posted:I switched out the ones on the keg lids, but not the IN/OUT posts since I wasn't quite sure how to do it. For the ones on the posts, I usually end up cutting the old ones with a utility knife or an Xacto. I've never been able to get them off without cutting them because the groove they sit in is pretty deep and narrow, but others have reported success just by using a fine tool of some kind to get under them. I say why go to the trouble - if you're replacing them, there's no need to be particular about them, right? For the one under the posts, on the dip tubes, once you get the post off, the dip tubes will just lift out of the keg (might want some soaking and/or wiggling if there's soda gunk up in there). The O-rings can just be slid off the end of the removed dip tube and a new one slid on. In both cases, a light coat of keg lube as you reassemble will help them seal nicely.
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 05:04
|
|
|
beetlo posted:Basically I need to know what hops and yeast to use... Tettnanger or Hallertauer and Wyeast 3068 are the classic choices for hefeweizens. If you're going for a fruity american wheat beer you probably wanna use American Ale 1 or 2.
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 14:47
|
|
|
So I'm interested in brewing a Belgian wit, and I came upon this recipe for a key lime wit: http://www.fermentarium.com/homebrewing/brewing-beer/how-to-make-a-key-lime-wit-beer/ code:1) I'd like to use DME instead if possible. From what I hear, in partial boils, LME caramelizes easier and leads to darker beer (this was a problem I had with my Belgian tripel), though this may theoretically be offset by a late extract addition rather than dumping it all in at once. I'm not sure about the wisdom in this, because doesn't the boiling process do something to the proteins that is fairly important for head development? 2) I've heard the conversion ratio is (LME by weight) * 0.8 = (DME by weight). Is this correct? 3) From what I can tell, the Belgian aromatic and flaked oats are steeped in addition to the extract as I don't believe they generate a ton of fermentable sugars. Is this correct? 4) Are flaked oats the same thing as standard-issue Quaker rolled oats (not the quick-cooking kind)? I happen to have a ton of those laying around.
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 17:29
|
|
|
crazyfish posted:So I'm interested in brewing a Belgian wit 1) DME and LME are pretty well interchangeable, so you should have no problem there. I have not heard that LME is easier to caramelize, but I do know that old or poorly stored LME can darken over time. I think you'll have a hard time getting as pale a beer as you would from all-grain no matter how you do it. Whatever you choose, get the palest you can and do a late extract addition to keep the color pale. The oats will add enough gums that I don't think you'll have a heading issue. 2) Yes, that's correct. DME ~=45PPG; LME ~=36PPG. 45*0.8=36 3) I really think you're going to want to do a minimash rather than just a steep. Personally, I'd replace the aromatic malt with pilsner and hold it and the oats for an hour or so at around 150. Aromatic is not a steeping grain; it needs to be mashed. It does have the diastatic power you would need to convert itself and the oats, but I am not so sure its character goes well in a Wit. 4) Flaked oats are more like quick oats than regular rolled oats. Lots of people report success just chucking quick oats into the mash, but for rolled oats, you would need to gelatinize (cook) them first.
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 17:52
|
|
|
I did one batch of homebrew a few years ago and I'm looking to start up again. I remember having a ton of issues with boil overs because I was using a 12-quart pot and I want to get something bigger - should I just get a 20-quart or should I opt for something even bigger?
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 18:44
|
|
|
If you want to continue to do concentrated boils, a 20-quart pot is a very effective size. If you are interested in doing full-volume boils or all-grain brewing, you will need a larger pot - probably something in the range of 28-32 quarts. It's worth pointing out that if you brew at full volume, boiling on the kitchen stove and chilling in the kitchen sink become somewhat problematic, so you'll also want to be aware of other potential expenses such as propane burners and wort chillers. Next you are buying ingredients or visiting your local shop, also ask about Fermcap-S. This is a milky liquid you can add to the boil (about 1 to 2 drops per gallon) that will break the surface tension of the foam in the pot, greatly reducing the risk of boilovers.
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 19:14
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 29, 2024 03:05 |
|
|
Jo3sh posted:If you want to continue to do concentrated boils, a 20-quart pot is a very effective size. If you are interested in doing full-volume boils or all-grain brewing, you will need a larger pot - probably something in the range of 28-32 quarts. It's worth pointing out that if you brew at full volume, boiling on the kitchen stove and chilling in the kitchen sink become somewhat problematic, so you'll also want to be aware of other potential expenses such as propane burners and wort chillers. Listen to Jos3h. I brew 5 gal all grain batches with minimal equipment. I use a 23 qt pressure cooker, a small 4 quart pot and a fermentation bucket. I mash in the bucket (holds an extra gallon compared to PC) and boil in the pressure cooker on my weak apartment and now town home electric stoves. It takes about 30 minutes to heat strike water and 45 minutes to get a boil going with the airtight pressure cooker lid on. This is a locking weighted lid, MUCH tighter seal then any pot and lid or brew kettle and it still takes a substantial amount of time. I honestly don't think I could boil 5 gal of water indoors without the pressure cookers
|
|
#
?
Oct 16, 2011 06:49
|
|