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Dukket posted:I'm hoping for a dry cider that isn't quite as tart as what I have. Also, I don't like how many ciders taste like apple juice - many, though not all of the Crispens have this problem. As for oxidation, if you are really worried, add like, 1/3 a cup of sugar. According to Papizian, yeast don't use all the O2 in their reproductive phase and most is actually stripped out of the solution by the off gassing of CO2 that occurs during the fermentation cycle. Using 1/3 should produce more then enough CO2 (it's the amount recommended for naturally carbing a corny keg) without having a noticeable effect on flavor or alcohol content.
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Feb 7, 2012 17:36
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What styles are good for aging? Two of my best friends are getting married in June and another friend and I would like to team up to create something they can have every anniversary. I was thinking a Belgian or porter. We have about 4 brew batches under our combined belts.
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Feb 7, 2012 17:37
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icehewk posted:What styles are good for aging? Two of my best friends are getting married in June and another friend and I would like to team up to create something they can have every anniversary. I was thinking a Belgian or porter. We have about 4 brew batches under our combined belts. Generally anything that's pretty strong (like 8%+) and doesn't rely on fresh hop character. So barleywine, imperial stout, Belgian quad, doppelbock... stuff like that.
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Feb 7, 2012 17:44
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zedprime posted:You need the pH buffering from malt to extract a lot of the nicer things from hops, hence the required early addition. Even extracts have break material that require the high temperature and mechanical stimulation from boiling, hence the late addition. See, that's the thing - I've made hop tea twice to add bittering/hop flavor to batches that were lacking. Both times I just used plain water to make the tea and it worked just dandy.
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Feb 7, 2012 18:10
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Looking around, making an immersion chiller seems like the way to go. Are there any accepted plans? I don't want to waste water, so would recirculating in to a 5 gallon bucket full of salty icewater stay cold enough?
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Feb 7, 2012 21:45
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For those of you who want to pick up a 2L erlenmeyer flask for making yeast starters, this one seems to be the best price around at $14 with prime shipping from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005QDP82Q/ref=ox_ya_os_product It just came back into stock and I don't actually own one so I can't speak to the quality, but the price seems right.
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Feb 7, 2012 22:30
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crazyfish posted:For those of you who want to pick up a 2L erlenmeyer flask for making yeast starters, this one seems to be the best price around at $14 with prime shipping from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005QDP82Q/ref=ox_ya_os_product It just came back into stock and I don't actually own one so I can't speak to the quality, but the price seems right.
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Feb 7, 2012 23:25
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I broke one Erlenmeyer flask recently by spritzing the neck with Star San shortly after boiling, so I could use a new one.
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Feb 8, 2012 01:33
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Just pulled a hydrometer sample of my Marzen (double decoction even). 1.013 final gravity from 1.056 OG. Perfect. 5.7% ABV. Also... it already tastes pretty good. One month left of secondary/lagering before bottling! Clearing quite nicely.
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Feb 8, 2012 04:26
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I didn't know those White Labs tubes could blow up like soda cans. Like 1/5 of the yeast flew out of the tube right as I opened it. I suppose since I'm making a starter on a stir plate it's okay, right?
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Feb 8, 2012 08:49
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Angry Grimace posted:I didn't know those White Labs tubes could blow up like soda cans. Should be fine. The yeast in them is active so they carbonate the tube.
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Feb 8, 2012 09:05
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I've got some leftover grains from my breakfast stout clone, looking for a suggestion on what to brew with them. I have 7oz chocolate malt, 8.5oz roast barley, 10.5oz debittered black malt, 11.5oz crystal 120. I can pick up some more 2 row. I'm looking for a 3 gallon batch. Any ideas?
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Feb 8, 2012 15:10
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So I'm going to enter a local homebrew competition and have to brew six beers for it. The only thing I'm having trouble with is their "Platnum" catagory:quote:Aroma: None to medium low malt aroma. Hop aroma may range from none to light, spicy or floral presence. Fruit aroma acceptable but not necessary This seems really WTF to me. They are doing a homebrew contest but want us to clone Bud Platnum? I don't have a fridge for lagering, so I guess I could do a gallon and ferment them in some growlers in the regular fridge, but I just have zero idea on where to start because of the whole champagne yeast requirement...the only time I've used champagne yeast is for my cider which has a rather distinct champagne taste.
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Feb 8, 2012 15:36
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Daedalus Esquire posted:So I'm going to enter a local homebrew competition and have to brew six beers for it. The only thing I'm having trouble with is their "Platnum" catagory: If I didn't know any better, I would have guessed that was a sort of tongue-in-cheek joke category. If it's real, that's pretty dumb - especially because they seriously used the word "sheeple." I don't think fermenting in a real fridge is going to work, typical lager fermentations are in the low 50's and most fridges are around 35-38*. The champagne yeast part is just saying that you should be priming with champagne yeast which gives it a sort of super bubbly, crisp carbonation.
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Feb 8, 2012 15:53
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Oh, it's real. Unfortunately. I'd just do the other five categories but you get a bonus for doing all 6 and the fee is $10 regardless of the number of categories. And that's a good idea of just using champagne to prime, makes me way less confused on how to proceed. Since the contest isn't until June and the winter has been really mild, maybe I can lager in the garage during March and April. I won't really have the control but it should stay in the mid-40 to 50 range.
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Feb 8, 2012 16:21
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internet celebrity posted:I've got some leftover grains from my breakfast stout clone, looking for a suggestion on what to brew with them. I have 7oz chocolate malt, 8.5oz roast barley, 10.5oz debittered black malt, 11.5oz crystal 120. I can pick up some more 2 row. I'm looking for a 3 gallon batch. Any ideas? You've got all the same grains as this. You might as well brew it. I have a carboy of it that I'm going to rack into a keg this weekend. It smells and tastes wonderful. http://www.byo.com/stories/issue/article/issues/258-januaryfebruary-2009/1911-founders-brewings-breakfast-stout-clone
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Feb 8, 2012 16:26
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Cointelprofessional posted:You've got all the same grains as this. You might as well brew it. I have a carboy of it that I'm going to rack into a keg this weekend. It smells and tastes wonderful. I have all those grains because I made it last weekend  Is there some way I could get a roasty black IPA with these grains? I noticed most of the recipes have Carafa III and crystal 60, can I sub in something I have here?
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Feb 8, 2012 16:29
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Daedalus Esquire posted:I won't really have the control but it should stay in the mid-40 to 50 range. Just use US-05 and run it at like 62-64*, it'll be plenty clean. Do a cream ale and lightly hop it with something noble to like 12IBU with a minimal or nonexistent late addition and prime with champagne yeast. Trying to do a lager without proper temp control is iffy at best, you'll generally get bette results with a clean ale yeast.
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Feb 8, 2012 18:11
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internet celebrity posted:I have all those grains because I made it last weekend I did a Blackish IPAish beer with 60L and Black Barley, and it was pretty good. IMO you need some Crystal to give it a slightly malty/Caramel middle flavor, but you could use the 120L for that since you don't care how dark it is. Just find your favorite IPA, find out what hops it uses, load up on those till you get the right IBU, and save some for late additions, and you'll have a beer!
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Feb 8, 2012 18:52
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So I'm in need of a bit of troubleshooting advice. My two most recent IPAs have been hosed up and undrinkable. I brew with two friends of mine in 10g batches and tend to do things together. The first one was left dry-hopped for too long (almost a month) because of scheduling conflicts and ended up with a funky taste. We attributed it to that issue and moved on. The second one was a little thin in mouthfeel, but was fine in general. When we bottled another beer the other day, it was brought to my attention that one of my buddy's entire batch tasted the same as the first. Mine were all fine. That is, until I got home and opened my next to last one, and it tasted identical. What should I look for as a sign of oxidation? I thought it was odd that mine all tasted fine, albeit thin, when fresh--but only later tasted awful. I've looked at off-flavor guides, and haven't found anything describing exactly what I tasted. Also, I should note that we have not had this taste AT ALL with any of our maltier beers--which since then have been two browns, a red and a barleywine.
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Feb 9, 2012 00:49
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I'm working on a mega fruity, citrus, piney double IPA recipe for this spring/summer. Anyone with experience with the style please feel free to chime in and critique it. Here's the first revision of the recipe (10 gallon, all grain w/ yeast starter):code:
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Feb 9, 2012 00:51
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LeeMajors posted:Also, I should note that we have not had this taste AT ALL with any of our maltier beers--which since then have been two browns, a red and a barleywine. So what is the difference in the recipes? Different base grains? Different mash process? Were the IPAs brewed after the other beers, or were they interleaved? Are there any of the maltier beers left? An off-flavor coming in after some time has passed could be oxidation. As we just discussed, oxidation in the packaging process can take a while to show up and is miles worse than hot-side aeration. Check for leaky hoses that could entrain air, aggressive handling or turbulence during the packaging process, etc. Could also be infection, though. Check for gunk and crevices in any equipment that touches the beer after the boil. Make sure your bottles and caps get a good sanitation before you package the next batch. Look for films and rings in any remaining bottles of unconsumed beer.
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Feb 9, 2012 01:02
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Jo3sh posted:So what is the difference in the recipes? Different base grains? Different mash process? Were the IPAs brewed after the other beers, or were they interleaved? Are there any of the maltier beers left? Big differences in malts along the way...even between the IPAs. The IPAs were sequential, but we've brewed a few since. There were no real differences other than switching to a hybrid sparge technique after the second IPA, but I'm not sure how that would affect the beer pre boil. That's what was so concerning to me--that two similar SRM and gravity beers with very different hop and grain profiles turned out exactly the same. The first happened immediately, the second was after some time. Furthermore, I would've expected a systematic oxidation or infection issue to have appeared in other beers. I'm pretty stumped. Might be doing a huge hose replacement and equipment sanitation/cleaning day soon.
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Feb 9, 2012 01:22
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LeeMajors posted:So I'm in need of a bit of troubleshooting advice. Generally when you taste oxidation the hop flavors are really muted and it kind of tastes like wet cardboard or paper.
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Feb 9, 2012 02:43
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So tonight was another installment of Why New Belgium Owns As a homebrew club project we've had 55 gallons of dubbel souring in an old La Folie barrel for 8 months, and today we pulled it out. It's a little harsh up front, but it's also warm and uncarbonated so I'm not going to really judge it yet. I may or may not decide to blend or age it on fruit or something but just the fact that we are able to do this project is why New Belgium's people rule, whatever you may think of their beer. At the same time, we racked another 55 gallons of robust porter into a used Leopold Brothers whiskey barrel. I'm even more excited to taste the result of that one; the base beer was really frigging good and we are only leaving it like 6 months so that the base isn't totally lost. They also let slip that they are considering a beer aged in absinthe barrels...  
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Feb 9, 2012 03:00
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I ordered this immersion chiller off of amazon, it just came this week and it was supposed to come with soldered fittings so it wouldn't leak. As you can see from the pic below, it looks like they used hot glue / some kind of sealant? When I tested it now, the input fitting sprayed water all over the place, and I was planning on using it tomorrow morning to brew. I'm obviously going to return it and get one that is soldered, but is there a certain kind of sealant I can use to fix it before I return it? If nothing else there's the 60lbs of ice in the bath trick, but I'd rather use the chiller. 
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Feb 9, 2012 03:13
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I wouldn't gently caress around with it much if you're planning to return it.
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Feb 9, 2012 03:33
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Wow, that's sorta ghetto...I mean, it's great that copper tubing sometimes fits into those, but they aren't even close to the right attachments. Copper tube into a male hose barb?  I agree, though: don't mess with it if you're going to return it. However! If you insist, here's how I'd fix it (aside from just ripping off that hose barb and putting the proper fittings on there and/or soldering it myself: Get a few inches of vinyl hose of the right size for that hose barb. Pull the copper tube out of the barb, slip the tubing onto the male barb, as well as a couple loose hose clamps, then put the copper tube back through the whole thing to where it was, and tighten the hose clamps down on each end. Here's a crappy ascii art cross section: code:Otherwise, if you want to get even more silly, just fill that poo poo in with super glue. But still, don't do that, just get one from someone who knows how fittings and/or a torch work.
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Feb 9, 2012 03:42
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It looks like there's enough open space on at least one of the fittings that solder won't fix it. Some nice filled epoxy might do it, but I agree with indigi - if you're just going to return it and buy a new one, don't gently caress with it unless you're sure you're going to fix it well enough that the returning part won't happen. For my old copper chiller, I used compression fittings. They lasted a good six years or so with no leaks, and I sold the chiller to a friend where it will give years more of service.
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Feb 9, 2012 03:43
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Did it spray water from the part where the copper goes into the barb, or from the spot where the hose-screw-ring connects to the barb? I have a very similar hose connector on mine, and though it's connected fine, if the o-ring and metal hose ring aren't seated perfectly it will spray everywhere.
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Feb 9, 2012 03:46
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I received this response: Sorry to hear that you're having a problem with the chiller. We've sold thousands of these chiller over the past year, and haven't heard of any issues with leaking. We use a liquid weld copper epoxy, which is supposedly as effective as soldered fittings. We don't advertise this chiller to have soldered fittings, but we do stand by our product. Of course if you go to the page, they mention "soldered" multiple times, and how it won't leak because it's soldered. I'm just going to return it, ice cool tomorrow, and get it from learn to brew (who has it at the same price). *edit* It sprayed from where the epoxy is missing (you can see in the pic), so unfortunately tightening it won't help. MomJeans420 fucked around with this message at 03:51 on Feb 9, 2012 |
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Feb 9, 2012 03:47
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In my homebrew group we're doing a cereal competition with random teams. The goal is to make a beer using a cereal in the mash. Does anyone have any good recipes for ones with Fruit Loops by chance?
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Feb 9, 2012 03:50
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On a side note, yours is about $40 for 25' of 3/8" copper pipe. For $14, you can get 20' of the same from home depot. For $43, you can get 50' of the stuff. But let's just go with the 20', so that's a $14 baseline. Add in the cost of a torch (comes with a tank) for another $13 and we're up to $27, throw in a little spool of solder and some flux ($3.50 + $2) and you're looking at $32.50. That leaves you $6 for the two fittings you'll need, AND you get a soldered chiller, AND you now have a torch and soldering supplies, AND you learned to solder. I don't think everyone should be making every bit of equipment from scratch, but it's definitely an option and it's not really a daunting project. And like Jo3sh said, if you get the compression fittings, they'll work just as well, and you can then save money by not buying a torch and soldering gear, so you can spend all your money on copper instead and pay, say, $10 more for a 50' chiller instead. Midorka posted:In my homebrew group we're doing a cereal competition with random teams. The goal is to make a beer using a cereal in the mash. Does anyone have any good recipes for ones with Fruit Loops by chance? I think most "candy" cereals like that are likely to have a lot of preservatives which might make getting anything useful out of them somewhat difficult, and what you do get out will probably not be things you want... Bad Munki fucked around with this message at 03:54 on Feb 9, 2012 |
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Feb 9, 2012 03:52
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Midorka posted:In my homebrew group we're doing a cereal competition with random teams. The goal is to make a beer using a cereal in the mash. Does anyone have any good recipes for ones with Fruit Loops by chance? I think the keys here are going to be high sugar, low fat, and no sorbates. Froot Loops will probably make the beer pink or something. Maybe Count Chocula or something? Or fuggit, just buy instant cream of rice or something and mash it.
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Feb 9, 2012 04:01
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I feel like Cheerios would be a great, if uninspired, choice. The flavor (if any carried over into the final product) would go well with a stout, wit, bock, and probably brown.
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Feb 9, 2012 04:06
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Unfortunately the cereal drawing was random and we can't switch, I definitely know it's not a great choice. I don't think there's a specific amount we need to use, I think maybe 8 ounces at most.
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Feb 9, 2012 04:07
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Dry hop it  Which is actually not a bad idea, because you could easily take some on-hand beer and just give it a try to see what it does.
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Feb 9, 2012 04:09
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i think froot loops is puffed rice and sugar so good loving luck getting that flavour across in any sort of fermented beverage
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Feb 9, 2012 04:11
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Oh, I see now - you're tied to the Loops. OK, now I am thinking hefeweizen, with a generous helping of Loops added after the main bit of the ferment dies down. It's already a cloudy beer, so the inevitable murk caused by adding starch won't hurt you; you might actually get a cute color from the dyes; the sugar will ferment off; and you have the best chance of getting any of the Froot flavor that way. Bonus points if you sort the Loops to add only one color. Are there green Froot Loops? it's nearly St. Patrick's day. Jo3sh fucked around with this message at 04:30 on Feb 9, 2012 |
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Feb 9, 2012 04:27
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Great idea Jo3sh, I'm going to look into that! Edit: Here's the rules: 
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Feb 9, 2012 04:34
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