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Here's some thumbnail info about Rogue's Imperial red: 12 Ingredients: Malts: Great Western Harrington, Klages, Hugh Baird Crystal, Black, Munich, Chocolate and rolled oats. Hops: Willamette, Cascade and Chinook. Yeast & Water: Rogue's Pacman Yeast & Free Range Coastal Water. 19.4º PLATO 58 IBU 76 AA 47º Lovibond So that right there gives you a pretty good idea of what to shoot for. I'm personally not crazy about the pacman strain, but a lot of people really do like it, and it gives Rogue's beers a character that might be missing otherwise.
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Sep 22, 2011 05:42
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Edit:^^^ awesome info, thanks!Docjowles posted:There's a "west coast red" that is basically Pliny the Elder with some more crystal malt and color, and the traditional Irish red that is way more malt focused. I've never had Rogue's but just based on the brewery I'd shoot for like 80 IBU's and multiple big late hop additions. She's your fiance, how bitter does she typically like her beers? Hard to say - pale ales and hoppy red ales, definitely. IPAs, maybe, if they're on the gentler side. IIPAs, definitely not. I still don't have a good sense for how IBUs translate to taste, especially since IBUs don't seem to tell the whole story. Some high IBU beers seem to down a lot smoother than others. I'm guessing that has to do with how much malt sweetness is in there, and probably some other factors as well.
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Sep 22, 2011 07:04
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I think late-hopping has a lot to do with it. I love, love, love the taste and smell of hops, but I'm not a big fan of insanely bitter IPAs. That said if I make an IPA that is 70-80 IBUs of all 20 minute or less addition hops I feel like it goes down way smoother and is very enjoyable.
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Sep 22, 2011 07:08
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indigi posted:I think late-hopping has a lot to do with it. I love, love, love the taste and smell of hops, but I'm not a big fan of insanely bitter IPAs. That said if I make an IPA that is 70-80 IBUs of all 20 minute or less addition hops I feel like it goes down way smoother and is very enjoyable. Do you find the bitterness fades quickly this way? I brewed an IPA With maybe 37 IBU from the 60 mom addition and another 30 from late additions and I found it wasn't bitter enough after 1 month. It kinda went from IPA to pale ale.
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Sep 22, 2011 14:17
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Thanks everyone for the bottling from a keg tips on the previous page. Got my hef and  ale kegged last night, but when I checked the fridge temp this morning it was 60* and the compressor was really hot to the touch  I hope it simply was too close to the wall, I've unplugged it and will try plugging it in again when I get home from work.
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Sep 22, 2011 16:29
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Jo3sh posted:Q: Brewing must need a whole bunch of really weird equipment that costs an arm and a leg, right? Been thinking about trying out brewing for a long time and I'm ready to get started. One question: would I be better off getting the deluxe kit to start, or is the basic one just fine for now? The cost isn't really an issue, but if I'm going to have an easier time and will be better off in the future just getting better things right now, I'd rather do that. Back to reading. Thanks!
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Sep 22, 2011 21:45
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I would just buy the basic kit and add items as you need them (like a good thermometer and a big pot, if you don't have them already). You probably don't need two carboys AND a bucket, a test jar, and whatever else that deluxe kit comes with to start out.
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Sep 22, 2011 21:52
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mintskoal posted:Been thinking about trying out brewing for a long time and I'm ready to get started. One question: would I be better off getting the deluxe kit to start, or is the basic one just fine for now? The cost isn't really an issue, but if I'm going to have an easier time and will be better off in the future just getting better things right now, I'd rather do that. You can always expand a basic kit with whatever you need. If it were me I'd look at getting the basic kit and adding a 6gal glass carboy to the mix. I'd abuse the fermenting bucket to hold my sanitizer (which can be stored for next brew day and/or bottling day if you don't dirty it all up), and ferment in the glass. I'd encourage you to try some simpler extract or partial mash ales to start that don't really need a secondary stage, develop your process. And once you want to move to brews requiring some secondary aging, just pick up another 5 or 6 gal glass. I prefer 6gal for economy and flexibility's sake, so I can use them in a rotation - in my world there isn't really enough head space on a 5gal carboy to turn it around for primary fermentation. The trade off for a 6 gal secondary is the head space which will contain oxygen until the secondary fermentation process purges it out via the airlock. Edit so I don't stack replies: I'm planning my first all-grain batch this weekend. Going to do an oatmeal stout. I cloned one on hopville that looks pretty standard but calls for 1tbsp ginger root in the boil at 5 minutes. Was wondering how much flavor (if any) I can expect from this addition of ginger. Based on what I've read, it is a pretty potent flavor addition, with an ounce imparting noticeable flavor on a 5 gallon batch. Seems like a tbsp is going to be less than an ounce? And at 5 minutes, perhaps it will contribute mostly to the nose? clutchpuck fucked around with this message at 22:14 on Sep 22, 2011 |
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Sep 22, 2011 22:05
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mintskoal posted:Been thinking about trying out brewing for a long time and I'm ready to get started. One question: would I be better off getting the deluxe kit to start, or is the basic one just fine for now? The cost isn't really an issue, but if I'm going to have an easier time and will be better off in the future just getting better things right now, I'd rather do that. That looks like a pretty good kit, and there's certainly nothing wrong with it. It looks like they are using Better Bottles for the fermenters, and they are pretty nice. I would recommend, though, that if you do use Better Bottles, you never use the brush they will ship you. A good soak in PBW will get all your gunk out just fine. So add some PBW to your order if you go that way. Me, I am still waiting for Santa to bring me BBs and I still ferment in buckets with good results.
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Sep 22, 2011 22:11
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Thanks to both of you. I'm going to go ahead and take clutchpuck's suggestion and get the glass carboy as well. I am going to start simple, but just wasn't sure if there were things in the deluxe that you guys saw that would make life easier regardless. Appreciate the quick responses!
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Sep 22, 2011 22:11
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Docjowles posted:There's a "west coast red" that is basically Pliny the Elder with some more crystal malt and color, and the traditional Irish red that is way more malt focused. I've never had Rogue's but just based on the brewery I'd shoot for like 80 IBU's and multiple big late hop additions. She's your fiance, how bitter does she typically like her beers? The OBC listserve had a pretty good discussion about Reds yesterday. Here's 2 of the really good posts, keep in mind some of the info refers to previous posts: This one is from Bill Schneller and it responsed to someone asking for a good Red Recipe: quote:BJCP Category 10B (American Amber) includes reds. This second one is from Vasilios Gletsos who is the head brewer for Laurelwood, responding to Bill's post: quote:That is some great advice Bill, I always appreciate the good, indepth, well thought out advice you give. Hope that helps anyone reading
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Sep 22, 2011 22:33
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Does anyone have any experience with using sanitized bags of ice to cool down wort as described here? I would imagine the bag would melt or affect the taste of the beer, but maybe it doesn't? I'm anxious to get my first brew started but I'm concerned about getting the wort down to pitch temperature. I don't really have the money to invest in an immersion chiller so I'm looking for the most efficient and cheap way to do this.
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Sep 23, 2011 00:50
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Globochem posted:Does anyone have any experience with using sanitized bags of ice to cool down wort as described here? I would imagine the bag would melt or affect the taste of the beer, but maybe it doesn't? Don't worry. I have been using the "no chill" method for a year with no ill effects. (http://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/06/06/australian-no-chill-brewing-technique-tested/) Put hot wort in a sanitized bucket, seal, wait a day to add yeast.
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Sep 23, 2011 00:52
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jailbait#3 posted:Don't worry. I have been using the "no chill" method for a year with no ill effects. (http://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/06/06/australian-no-chill-brewing-technique-tested/) How do you avoid building up a ton of DMS in your beer when you do this? I thought the entire point of quickly cooling wort was to avoid DMS?
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Sep 23, 2011 01:05
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Or you could boil a gallon of water and put it in a sanitized milk jug, then freeze it. Cut the jug with sanitized scissors and toss the block of ice into the wort. You can also just buy a gallon of water and freeze it. Edit: of course you must factor in the additional gallon in your recipe when you calculate your volumes. VVV If you cover the pot near the end of the boil (to sterilize the lid) it will stay sterile while it cools. When you boil you effectively kill all microrganisms and most spores, they don't spontaneously form in the water. Tl;dr it will be sterile until microbes are introduced via air or objects. tesilential fucked around with this message at 01:33 on Sep 23, 2011 |
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Sep 23, 2011 01:06
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That milk jug deal sounds pretty good. I'm trying to not sound so clueless, but if one person has a question someone else out there probably has the same question, right? It didn't occur to me that I won't be dealing with 5 gallons of wort off the stove and that I'll need to top it off with water anyway. This is becoming slightly less intimidating the more I go through the steps in my head. Thanks, dudes. edit: I guess I still do have a question about the boiling water and plastics logistics. If I boil the water, how long can I wait to put it in the container, whether it's a plastic bag or jug? At what point does the boiled water lose it's sterility after sitting out? I'm doing the Google thing but haven't figured out the right word phrase yet. Globochem fucked around with this message at 01:28 on Sep 23, 2011 |
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Sep 23, 2011 01:16
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I have a Belgian beer, a dubbel I suppose, that began life at 1.072 OG. it's 75% pils, 15% dark candy syrup, 5% Munich II, 5% crystal 40. I used wyeast 3787, Westmalle's strain with a 2L starter pitched at 68*. Fermentation began quickly and was vigorous. Wanting strong esters and interesting flavors, I opted to due a mild version of Westvleteren's schedule which is to pitch at 68* and let it rise on it's own, stopping it as it approaches 82-84*. Having had bad experiences with high fermentation temperatures, I decided to keep it at 68* for 30 hours of vigorous fermentation (huge Krausen), then set the temp to 70 for another 30 hours. After that I raised it to 72* fermentation for 3 days. The gravity during this time was 1.035, halfway done. I raised the temp 2 degrees every 2-3 days then left it at room temp, 78*. Now, after 2 weeks, my gravity is 1.017 (waaay too high) and my main flavor is fusel alcohol! It's not undrinkable like my first batches, but it definitely has an unpleasant twang to it and the initial taste is rather green. The yeast has flocculated into a huge trub and the beer is crystal clear at room temp in the hydro jar. The beer became cloudy when I chilled the sample for tasting. What in the hell is going on? After reading brew like a monk a couple times, I expected completely different results from this yeast and method. I know several of you have uses this yeast. What fermentation schedule did you use and what were the results.
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Sep 23, 2011 01:30
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Eek. I used almost that same fermentation temperature schedule with my pitch of that yeast, although I pitched at 65* and kept it at 68* until it had been active for 36 hours. I hope it turns out ok TenjouUtena posted:How do you avoid building up a ton of DMS in your beer when you do this? I thought the entire point of quickly cooling wort was to avoid DMS? That's a part of the point. I'm not sure anyone 100% knows what they're talking about when it comes to some aspects of brewing. It can really make your brain hurt. My understanding is that a long (90+ minute) rolling boil will volatilize enough of the DMS that could be created that letting the beer sit hot, while not ideal cause you can't boil off everything, won't give you a DMS problem. Getting the right base malt is a big first step cause 6-row and lower-grade malts will have more SMM (a DMS precursor) than a high quality 2-row pale malt. Pale and Vienna will have less SMM than pilsner malt due to higher kilning temp, so if you're going no-chill keep that in mind. That said I'm sure people have had success brewing no-chill and not worrying about any of this. Berliner Weisse is traditionally made with pilsner malt and often not even boiled and doesn't have rampant DMS issues. indigi fucked around with this message at 01:35 on Sep 23, 2011 |
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Sep 23, 2011 01:31
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tesilential posted:I have a Belgian beer, a dubbel I suppose, that began life at 1.072 OG. it's 75% pils, 15% dark candy syrup, 5% Munich II, 5% crystal 40. I used wyeast 3787, Westmalle's strain with a 2L starter pitched at 68*. What did you mash at? Any nutrients? The westmalle strain is a big beast and needs nutrients to get a good healthy ferment, but hold on adding any oxygen or it gets too clean. 1.017 is definitely a lot higher than what I would expect from a grist like that unless you mashed at 154 or so.
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Sep 23, 2011 01:34
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rage-saq posted:What did you mash at? Any nutrients? The westmalle strain is a big beast and needs nutrients to get a good healthy ferment, but hold on adding any oxygen or it gets too clean. 1.017 is definitely a lot higher than what I would expect from a grist like that unless you mashed at 154 or so. 5 Gal strike water at 159* with 10 lbs of grain (4 gal batch) had me at 149-150*. Some spots could have been a little warmer than others until it was thoroughly mixed. Used whirlfloc and ferm cap in the boil, but no nutrients. The starter itself was just 100% pils malt. The sugar was added with 15 minutes left in the boil.
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Sep 23, 2011 02:37
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Globochem posted:I'm anxious to get my first brew started but I'm concerned about getting the wort down to pitch temperature. I don't really have the money to invest in an immersion chiller so I'm looking for the most efficient and cheap way to do this. i used to buy a couple bags of ice and cool the wort in my sink by immersing the pot in cold water + ice. the ice is crucial because it floats and heat rises. now i've got a couple of freezer bags that i fill with my tray ice and use that
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Sep 23, 2011 03:02
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Help Me With Head Retention Two of my last few brews have very, very subpar head retention. The bubbles are big and pop quickly and there is absolutely no retention at all - it's like soda, except it dissipates more quickly, I think. It doesn't even leave a tiny ring around the edge. What could cause this? Some sort of process flaw, infection, or ? I'm at a loss. I know it isn't soap because I've done multiple trials with only hand + warm water washing and it doesn't help, and my other homebrews I pour into glasses I've run through the dishwasher retain at the very least a ring around the edge and some lacing. One was the Scottish 70 shilling that was oxidized and the other was my graham cracker porter. I would think it could possibly be the fat content from the graham crackers, but the 70 behaves exactly the same (I've done a side by side comparison). I'm waiting on the results from my next two brews before I panic, but the fact that two have the exact same issue is a bit scary. The porter does have a bit of the weird wine-y taste associated with oxidation but I put that down to acetaldehyde due to it being pretty green - oxidation can't happen within 6 weeks, can it? e: oh also if I measure out my strike water for Saturday tonight and keep it in a plastic Home Depot bucket, nothing horrible can happen, right?
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Sep 23, 2011 07:01
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Globochem posted:
Don't worry about boiling water, just buy a couple gallons of drinking water and chuck them in your fridge. You want drinking water and not distilled water for the minerals. You'll most likely only be boiling 2-3 gallons at a time right now so when your boil is over take your pot and stick it in an ice+water+salt bath in your sink or a rubber tub and stir it with a sanitized spoon to cool it as much as you can. Then take your chilled drinking water and put it in your bucket and vigorously pour your wort on top. This will help mix it up and help oxygenate your wort. This should get you down to pitching temp or close to it, if you're still too high stick your fermentor in the coolest place you can find until it's the correct temp.
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Sep 23, 2011 11:26
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Hey, Bad Munki. What happened to your Custom Faucet Handle thread over in SA Mart? It escaped my CP and I don't seem to be able to find it.
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Sep 23, 2011 14:03
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Umm, poo poo. It completely slipped my mind. And Jo3sh is still waiting on his. Welp, guess I know what I'm doing today! 
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Sep 23, 2011 14:37
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Have a style question for the folks here in the thread. Earlier I mentioned that I was going to be making Tomme Arthur's Saison Blanc recipe, which is as follows:quote:5.5 lbs Pale Two Row Malt I was inputting this recipe into BeerSmith 2.0 to turn it into a brewday log, and according to the BJCP style guide for category 16C Saison, this beer is going to be like 75 IBUs, and the style is supposed to be 20-35 IBUs. I know that saisons are the "original" hoppy beers, but 75 seems way too high. Anyone ever brewed this recipe or something similar? I'm considering adjusting the hop additions to something more tame in the 35-40 IBU range, but I don't want to deviate too far from the recipe.
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Sep 23, 2011 15:20
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indigi posted:Help Me With Head Retention A few comments I have seen various places seem to indicate a vigorous boil and good hot and cold breaks are important for good head retention - something to do with the structure of proteins and how they change in the boil. So if you use a mild boil in an attempt to avoid boilovers, you might do better to boil harder and find other ways of dealing with the boilover issue - Fermcap or skimming. Also, no issue in measuring water ahead. I'm a trifle concerned about the orange Homer bucket, but even that I think is a pretty small risk. Jo3sh fucked around with this message at 15:33 on Sep 23, 2011 |
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Sep 23, 2011 15:27
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Huge_Midget posted:Have a style question for the folks here in the thread. Earlier I mentioned that I was going to be making Tomme Arthur's Saison Blanc recipe, which is as follows: Lost Abbey isn't exactly known for sticking to style. If that recipe is from a source you trust, it's probably correct.
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Sep 23, 2011 17:41
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I'm brewing an all-grain Oatmeal Stout this weekend and want to spice it up some with ginger root. When would be a good time to add the ginger if I really just want a little flavor but am more after some aroma? The recipe I stole says boil@5min, but I looked around and some recommend in the mash. What do you think?
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Sep 23, 2011 18:08
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Portlanders (I know there's a few of you in here, or at least 1): http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/for/2610767741.html might be worth looking in to. Organic grains for $1/lb or $40/bag.
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Sep 23, 2011 20:49
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Tedronai66 posted:Portlanders (I know there's a few of you in here, or at least 1): http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/for/2610767741.html might be worth looking in to. Organic grains for $1/lb or $40/bag. drat, a bag of Carafa will last forever.
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Sep 23, 2011 21:20
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Tedronai66 posted:Portlanders (I know there's a few of you in here, or at least 1): http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/for/2610767741.html might be worth looking in to. Organic grains for $1/lb or $40/bag. I'll add that my favorite place to get malt in the Portland metro is http://brewbrothers.biz/. I live in Vancouver but they deliver to my house. They have the cheapest prices*, They also have the largest selection of malt I've seen (Almost 50 base malts), and dry yeast is almost half price. The owner is very friendly, and there customer service so far has been great. *With a minor exception to https://www.mainbrew.com/pages/beerpages/ingredientpgs/grains.html who will beat malt prices by 10% of any local competitor, but he won't deliver, and since my average purchase is around $150 in malt it's not worth $15 to drive 60 miles. They also don't carry some malts I like, but if you're already in Hillsboro it would be worth it.
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Sep 23, 2011 22:32
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indigi posted:
 I use cheap American 2-row (usually Rahr) as my base malt for most beers, run a longish boil, and make styles where DMS would not be obvious anyway (ie, Belgians, stouts, bitters, IPA). I have yet to have someone complain of DMS in a no-chill beer.
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Sep 23, 2011 22:51
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Jo3sh posted:Also, no issue in measuring water ahead. I'm a trifle concerned about the orange Homer bucket, but even that I think is a pretty small risk. This is what was worrying me too. I know the buckets are #2 HDPE but was a bit worried about the dye. I don't know if I'd ferment in them because of that, but I've been storing grain in them for about 8 months and it all seems fine. Thanks for the input on my other problem, too - maybe I'll just boil the poo poo out of my batches tomorrow.
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Sep 24, 2011 02:05
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So holy crap, its been 8 days since I bottled my first homebrew and I just popped the first bottle. It...it tastes like beer! And good beer! Its quite hoppy but a bit sweet still. Amazing how much the taste has changed in only one week. I can't wait to see how it continues to develop.
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Sep 24, 2011 03:31
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Well, I finally got off my rear end and threaded some pipe and built the 3 burner setup for my brewstand. I've been using 3 different hoses and regulators and 2 tanks all damned summer and it's horrible. Now I'm running one 100lb(!!) tank, one 30 psi regulator and 3 burners off of a manifold. 3/8" pipe and I can run the burners at different levels at the same time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzdo9cgDGJw  Tomorrow, I'm taking it all back off and painting the stand properly. It's still got a random dusting of engine paint that I tossed on before a rushed brewday just to keep some rust away. I also finally remade my MLT insulation with some nifty velcro to hold it on around the sightglass, and I ground down some street L fittings and now I have nice full flow stainless camlocks.  
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Sep 24, 2011 04:51
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Hypnolobster posted:Well, I finally got off my rear end and threaded some pipe and built the 3 burner setup for my brewstand. I've been using 3 different hoses and regulators and 2 tanks all damned summer and it's horrible. Now I'm running one 100lb(!!) tank, one 30 psi regulator and 3 burners off of a manifold. 3/8" pipe and I can run the burners at different levels at the same time. Where did you get/what did you use for insulation wrap on your mash tun?
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Sep 24, 2011 05:12
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Huge_Midget posted:Where did you get/what did you use for insulation wrap on your mash tun? It's Reflectix. http://www.homedepot.com/buy/building-materials/insulation/reflectix/4-ft-x-25-ft-double-reflective-insulation-20958.html It's pretty much bubble wrap with foil on both sides. The problem is that it's not terribly heat resistant, so if you fire the mash tun with it on, it will melt into goo. 3 layers of it DOES insulate pretty well though. You need a good foil tape too (nashua brand is probably the best), and if you tape up all the loose ends of the insulation it holds it's shape nicely. I'll be replacing it with something that can handle more heat soon, most likely this stuff, or possibly some kind of captured wool fiber. http://www.mcmaster.com/#9349k2/=e73cvu Or I'll just finish my drat eRims tube and stop worrying about it.
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Sep 24, 2011 07:06
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God, I need to get to work on my brewstand. I've been vacillating between just getting another standalone burner or building something like Wallace and I'm pretty much decided on the latter, it just has a much bigger initial investment. I'm doing a double brew day tomorrow and it'd be so, so much easier if I could have two kettles going at the same time instead of waiting an hour or so to mash-in my second batch.
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Sep 24, 2011 07:52
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Picked up all the poo poo to make my cooler mash tun except for a false bottom, should be fun. Thanks for the advice/ feedback and confirming that a cooler and false bottom is the way to go. This is gonna be way more fun than using extract. I'll be going to the homebrew shop on sunday to pick up a false bottom and the ingredients for my next batch, saison's pretty much done. Bottling day (or "wish I had a keg setup" day) will probably be monday. First batch was an extract brown ale, then it's this saison, so next will be my first all grain batch. Any suggestions? I don't really wanna do anything real rich/ malty, no porters or anything, but I'm not really sure what I do want either haha. Maybe something hoppy, holiday-y, both? I'm thinking on it, but I really have no idea. I don't really wanna do some complex mash for my first all grain, but decoctions and poo poo pretty much just seem to be "take out a measured amount of the mash, heat it up, add it back, repeat(?)", not nearly as difficult as they initially sounded when I first started reading up on homebrewing, so that really doesn't seem so bad if it seems like the way to go for the style I'm feeling. Guess I'll just update if I have any ideas, maybe I can get some help putting together the grain bill. Also, if anybody knows offhand what size false bottom I need for a 5 gallon cylinder coleman cooler that'd be great, otherwise though I'll just drag it along to the homebrew shop sunday and see which one fits best haha.
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Sep 24, 2011 09:40
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