|
I just ordered the AHS Killer IPA (14B) extract kit. First one from AHS, as I usually do NB's kits. My first IPA, pretty excited.
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2013 15:57
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 03:17 |
|
|
strikehold posted:I just ordered the AHS Killer IPA (14B) extract kit. First one from AHS, as I usually do NB's kits. My first IPA, pretty excited. I've been happy with both of their kit's that I've made so far. AHS Budget IPA (14B) and AHS Budget Kolsch (6C). I have an AHS Budget Stout (13A) that is going to get brewed this Friday. I'm going to try and make a "bourbon barrel" stout out of it. Toasted Oak chips soaked with bourbon, pour all that into secondary. Should be interesting!
|
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2013 16:04
|
|
|
block51 posted:I've been happy with both of their kit's that I've made so far. AHS Budget IPA (14B) and AHS Budget Kolsch (6C). I have an AHS Budget Stout (13A) that is going to get brewed this Friday. I'm going to try and make a "bourbon barrel" stout out of it. Toasted Oak chips soaked with bourbon, pour all that into secondary. Should be interesting! I've been thinking of trying their budget kits myself. My last three kits have been from AHB (Ruination clone, house white IPA, lemongrass ginger ale) and I've enjoyed them. The whole budget label makes me think of  guy tossing a single dollar bill in the air over and over.
|
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2013 16:25
|
|
|
block51 posted:And before that they've had free shipping on all kits but coopers can kits. They love running specials like free shipping it seems.
|
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2013 17:11
|
|
|
illcendiary posted:I've been thinking of trying their budget kits myself. My last three kits have been from AHB (Ruination clone, house white IPA, lemongrass ginger ale) and I've enjoyed them. I'm getting their Agave Wit, and session West Coast Pale. I figure I might as well load up on some kit's for the house warming party I'm planning for early Sept  Moooore homebrewing!
|
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2013 17:13
|
|
|
Blunderchat: How much lag time should one expect from yeast that was pitched directly from the fridge after being harvested from a prior batch that had been cold crashed? How about if it's going into a highly acidic wort and you did little in the way of aeration? It was really late on a Tuesday night...
|
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2013 19:41
|
|
|
Mikey Purp posted:Blunderchat: How much lag time should one expect from yeast that was pitched directly from the fridge after being harvested from a prior batch that had been cold crashed? How about if it's going into a highly acidic wort and you did little in the way of aeration? I pitched from a not-so-inflated + expired smack pack and it took about 6 days, I'm sure you're still okay unless it gets to around the 10 day mark. NEW POST ACTION: My lambic mead is 3.5 months old. If I snuck a taste right now, would it taste like balls? Or is it worth a shot for 
Marshmallow Blue fucked around with this message at 21:01 on Jul 25, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2013 19:44
|
|
|
Marshmallow Blue posted:
Either way, I'd really love an update on this when/if you do. I'm trying to plan my meads coming up and absolutely love this idea. Hell I've even got a couple lbs of cherries to do a Kriek Mead.
|
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2013 22:24
|
|
|
Marshmallow Blue posted:I pitched from a not-so-inflated + expired smack pack and it took about 6 days, I'm sure you're still okay unless it gets to around the 10 day mark. Schrodinger's Carboy: the contents are simultaneously terrible and wonderful until you taste a sample.
|
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2013 23:59
|
|
|
Jacobey000 posted:Either way, I'd really love an update on this when/if you do. I'm trying to plan my meads coming up and absolutely love this idea. Hell I've even got a couple lbs of cherries to do a Kriek Mead.  Lambic mead update: There was a thin waxy pellicle in the carboy I pulled. Some of it retained from a slow pour. The taste is really cool at the moment. It is very very light in the body department, but the flavor complexity is starting to develop. It has a sour note to it. Nothing near where I want it, but its coming along, nothing too funky at the moment but I'd imagine that's to be expected since it's so young. So far so good though. I'll add strawberries to one gallon and more oak to the other, as well as more maltodextrin.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2013 00:11
|
|
|
Cpt.Wacky posted:Schrodinger's Carboy: the contents are simultaneously terrible and wonderful until you taste a sample. And in the case of sours sometimes even when you taste the sample. I finally get to go pick up my bulk base grains from our local brewery tomorrow  . So glad they let our club get in on their order every once in a while.But I don't have a mill so I guess it's time to finally buy one. Last minute suggestions? May as well buy while everyone's doing shipping specials. The Barley Crusher is probably what I'll go with unless someone has a reason why not/something better.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2013 02:10
|
|
|
Predictably my trip to Belgium reignited my will to brew. Gonna make a Belgian pale ale this weekend inspired by "Brugse Zot" (The Fool of Bruges or something like that) from De Halve Maan which was a loving killer session beer. Pretty aggressive noble hop character, balancing maltiness, easy to drink pints of despite being listed at 6% on Ratebeer. Any feedback on the recipe? The only thing locked in is the yeast and rough OG since I just made a starter. Based on the description I'd have liked to use White Labs' "Antwerp" yeast but it's not available right now  code:
Docjowles fucked around with this message at 04:47 on Jul 26, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2013 04:43
|
|
|
Got kind of worried about my Dead Ringer being well, dead during bottle conditioning. Seemed to take a while to get anywhere, but it actually tastes like a real beer today. Like, pretty goddamn good. I've been worried this whole time because my yeast was old, the temperature was way too high during fermentation, then a cold snap after I bottled, etc. etc. I sampled 4-5 bottles over the last two weeks that all still tasted like straight up wort, and magically, it's all good today. edit: sorry, first batch, I expected it to be poo poo
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2013 07:27
|
|
|
Unrelated to anything, holy poo poo, fullroundaction finally got an avatar. And of course, it's a beer plus the Crimson Ghost  Please send me one of those pint glasses immediately, TIAHauki posted:I've been worried this whole time because This is how literally everyone's first batch goes. Welcome to the obsession!
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2013 08:05
|
|
. Magically, it's all good today.
|
Docjowles posted:Belgium I need to hear all about this trip (the beer parts)! My girlfriend wants to get married just so we have an excuse to travel there for our honeymoon and be insufferable nerds. Docjowles posted:Unrelated to anything, holy poo poo, fullroundaction finally got an avatar. I feel the same way  . Also I never realized how tall Duvel bottles actually were until I took that pic. I always thought of them as short squat things, certainly not taller than a pint glass, despite handling them every day. Blowin my mind here.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2013 13:15
|
|
|
I've got a batch of malted cider (5 gallons apple juice with 3 lbs. pilsner DME) but it seems to be taking a while to clear. It's at 2 months in secondary and there's been some settling, but it hasn't noticeably cleared. Should I wait 3-4 months before bottling or would it be better to just bottle now and shove them into boxes for aging? Also started a batch of mulberry wine, strawberry dessert wine (4 lbs. strawberries, 4 pounds sugar), and I have cranberry wine AND mead going. Those all have months and months to go before they're good, though. Only about four months until the rhubarb wine should be good on the other hand!
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2013 14:05
|
|
|
ItalicSquirrels posted:I've got a batch of malted cider (5 gallons apple juice with 3 lbs. pilsner DME) but it seems to be taking a while to clear. Should I wait 3-4 months before bottling or would it be better to just bottle now and shove them into boxes for aging? I'd get it packaged and have an experimental glass every so often until it's either crystal clear or just too drat good to leave alone.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2013 15:28
|
|
|
The last of my brewing equipment has finally turned up (2months!  ), so no more doing it half measures! http://imgur.com/a/SoktF (got electric because UK houses have 230V [230 V +10%/−6% (216.2 V to 253 V) or 230 V ±10% (207 V to 253 V)]).  Just need to wait for the chest freezer to turn up so I can fit it up to the temp control and the 4 or so more 5-10UK gallon demijohns to turn up. Was just using 1 carboy before I got the stuff.
Fluo fucked around with this message at 16:22 on Jul 26, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2013 16:09
|
|
|
ItalicSquirrels posted:I've got a batch of malted cider (5 gallons apple juice with 3 lbs. pilsner DME) but it seems to be taking a while to clear. It's at 2 months in secondary and there's been some settling, but it hasn't noticeably cleared. Should I wait 3-4 months before bottling or would it be better to just bottle now and shove them into boxes for aging? If you're planning to carbonate the cider by bottle conditioning then just package it now. If you really want that crystal-clear still cider look then you should rack it again and wait at least another month to see how much it clears up. There's nothing more frustrating than having a wonderful cider in a nice clear glass wine bottle that you take to give someone only to have the ultra-fine sediment get kicked up and make the whole thing hazy.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2013 16:39
|
|
|
I wrote a long post for a friend about making a starter from lambic bottle dregs and aged hops that I thought some people might appreciate here. Make a normal starter like you would with anything else, unhopped 1.040 wort in a growler or other similar container (Heck, you could even add the wort into the bottle). Let the bottle sit upright for a few weeks to let everything settle at the bottom. Put it in the fridge for a while before serving. When you're pouring the beer, try to do it all once even if you need multiple glasses. Pour until there's about 1 inch left. You're trying to keep from disturbing the dregs at the bottom as much as possible. The fresher the bottles, the better. The bugs also vary from brewery to brewery. You could pitch Jolly Pumpkin dregs directly into fresh wort and they would gobble it down. Any idea what the dregs of the beer contain? Brett, lacto, and pedio all require different conditions in order to thrive, so to be on the safe side don't use a stir plate and throw an airlock on top. Leave it in a place that's +/- 70 degrees for a couple of weeks. Those bugs all prefer different temperature ranges, but I've found that they do all right on the lower end. Then you should pitch it all into your beer. It's unknown what critters settle out on the bottom and what stays in suspension in the liquid, so I wouldn't decant off the spent wort. You can ferment with a neutral yeast like 1056 ahead of time or just pitch it by itself. I wouldn't worry about aged hops. I've never used them and I've never had any problem making something sour as a result of it. I haven't had any hop flavors in whatever I've done either. I usually use Herbsbrecker or Hallertau hops for whatever I'm doing. They're usually in the range of 2.9-4.3% AA and I'll toss in .75oz at the start of a boil. Lacto is the bug that doesn't like hops very much and I've never had a problem. If you really want to be authentic, there are online places that sell aged hops. As long as I'm on the subject, don't shy away from doing an extract version of this. The traditional way would include a turbid mash which involves multiple temperature rests and eat up your entire day. I just use 3lbs of Pisner DME and 3 lbs of Wheat DME with 8oz of maltodextrin. Here's a post that talks about it more and lists all the different viable bottles that you can harvest from. http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2010/06/harvesting-sour-beer-bottle-dregs.html
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2013 16:55
|
|
|
On the subject of lambic-oriented beer, if I were to make a sour (I'm thinking Kriek at the moment if that matters) in my normal fermentation bucket, would the critters that make it sour stick around in the bucket and mess with future beers despite normal sanatizing? Should I get a specific bucket for making sours, or would normal sanitizing take care of everything?
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 00:11
|
|
|
Most people have a fear if going sour in plastic. My only plastic is a bucket, and I do most of my sours in glass, but in total honesty, I have my doubts something like a bucket can't get to acceptably clean. Siphons are another story.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 00:13
|
|
|
I brew a lot of sours and things like brett and lacto sticking around is a homebrew boogeyman as far as I'm concerned. A good OxiClean/rinse/StarSan soak gets any and all things out in my experience. And as far as any actual microbiologist can tell, if my anecdotes aren't good enough (look at HBT). When in doubt brew a super hoppy pale ale in your recently cleaned sour fermenter and that will help to eliminate any residuals along with the normal santiization process.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 02:34
|
|
|
fullroundaction posted:When in doubt brew a super hoppy pale ale in your recently cleaned sour fermenter and that will help to eliminate any residuals along with the normal santiization process. I like this idea. Practical and delicious!
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 03:11
|
|
|
Hey guys and gals! I was wondering if I'm off to a good start. I've picked up a Brooklyn Brew Shop kit for 25$. It was 50% off. I know it's probably not the best kit, or the most pro, but has anyone ever used it before? What were the results? Should I pick up a few nore mixes since they too are 50% off presently?
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 03:32
|
|
|
Paladine_PSoT posted:drat I'm behind in reading this thread. At 19 days, the mead has gone from 1.114 to 1.092. I added all the nutrient in the first three days, though. Should I consider adding more at this point because it's chewing through it so slow? Should I maybe consider pitching more yeast? Airlock activity is good, but slow. Really constant. I'd like it to be drinkable by Oct 5th if possible.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 05:55
|
|
|
Kolta posted:Hey guys and gals! I was wondering if I'm off to a good start. I've picked up a Brooklyn Brew Shop kit for 25$. It was 50% off. What's in the kit? Brooklyn Brew Shop does the kits with the 1 gallon glass jug fermenters, right?
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 13:37
|
|
|
Yorkshire ales: fuggles or goldings? I cannot at all remember what I did last time but it turned out perfectly.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 13:50
|
|
|
Mr. Wiggles posted:Yorkshire ales: fuggles or goldings? I cannot at all remember what I did last time but it turned out perfectly. They are a stones throw away in character if you are talking English goldings. Fuggles are slightly earthier, goldings slightly more herbal. Continental goldings are slightly spicier and all but a noble hop.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 14:06
|
|
|
Kolta posted:Hey guys and gals! I was wondering if I'm off to a good start. I've picked up a Brooklyn Brew Shop kit for 25$. It was 50% off. What's in the kit, how old was it, and how has it been stored? Chances are good that at least part of the kit is still usable, but some bits may have to be replaced if it was marked because of age and it was stored in a sunny shop window or some such.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 14:11
|
|
|
Daedalus Esquire posted:Most people have a fear if going sour in plastic. My only plastic is a bucket, and I do most of my sours in glass, but in total honesty, I have my doubts something like a bucket can't get to acceptably clean. Siphons are another story. Agreed, the only separate equipment I maintain for sours is siphons, bungs, and airlocks. I re-use plastic for sours and non-sours without any problems.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 14:57
|
|
|
Jo3sh posted:What's in the kit, how old was it, and how has it been stored? Chances are good that at least part of the kit is still usable, but some bits may have to be replaced if it was marked because of age and it was stored in a sunny shop window or some such. It was slashed as a promo. Only the summer wheat kit. The others no. Link to the exact kit http://brooklynbrewshop.com/beer-making-kits/summer-wheat-beer-making-kit E: I'm not near the kit at the moment but I will check for a date on the box. Also it wasn't near any window displays.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 15:21
|
|
|
ExtremistCow posted:Agreed, the only separate equipment I maintain for sours is siphons, bungs, and airlocks. I re-use plastic for sours and non-sours without any problems. My two glass carboys are the only equipment I set aside for sours, and that's mostly because I love looking at the pellicle. If you're not confident in PBW, Star-San and hot water killing off the bugs (which is generally sufficient), nuking the equipment with a bleach solution and rinsing it thoroughly is a sure-fire winner.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 15:22
|
|
|
Paladine_PSoT posted:At 19 days, the mead has gone from 1.114 to 1.092. I added all the nutrient in the first three days, though. Should I consider adding more at this point because it's chewing through it so slow? Should I maybe consider pitching more yeast? Airlock activity is good, but slow. Really constant. I'd like it to be drinkable by Oct 5th if possible. Repitch, aerate and add more nutrients. That isn't right at all.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 17:02
|
|
|
I don't know, I've had ciders that move pretty slowly. I'd wait for Marshmallow Blue to weigh in. He's the mead king around here.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 18:52
|
|
|
I had the idea of adding hibiscus to a wheat beer (I drink a lot of tea with it) and I just noticed a couple days ago that the Mad Fermentationist did the same thing and loved it. He made a 3cups of water to 3oz of hibiscus flowers tea and added it directly to the fermenter. I was going to just dryhop with it but his way is probably more reliable and safe. I don't really want to water down my wheat batch, so is there anything wrong with using the beer instead of water? I don't know if there are any off flavors created by briefly boiling beer with suspended yeast.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 19:59
|
|
|
fullroundaction posted:I had the idea of adding hibiscus to a wheat beer (I drink a lot of tea with it) and I just noticed a couple days ago that the Mad Fermentationist did the same thing and loved it. The thing I hate about MadFermentationist is that every recipe he does sounds so drat delicious. When it comes time to actually brew something, I have a very hard time deciding what to do.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 20:23
|
|
|
fullroundaction posted:I had the idea of adding hibiscus to a wheat beer (I drink a lot of tea with it) and I just noticed a couple days ago that the Mad Fermentationist did the same thing and loved it. If we're talking a 5 gallon batch then 3 cups of water is not going to make an appreciable difference to the flavor or alcohol content. For example, adding 3 cups of water to a 5 gallon batch of 5% beer would only drop the ABV down to 4.8%. I imagine flavor difference would be similarly minimal. I'd just avoid complications and use water.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 21:23
|
|
|
Has anyone here cloned a unibroue beer? I want to try la fin du monde, but wyeast isnt currently making their canadian/belgian strain. Anyone had any luck culturing from the bottle?
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 22:46
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 03:17 |
|
|
Cracked a bottle of my Bourbon barrel porter. And after three weeks in the bottle, its only slightly carbonated. I didn't use an entire packet of priming sugar,but 3/4,hopefully it just is taking longer. Really pronounced Bourbon taste, almost too much. I'm just going to leave it for a few more weeks and hopefully it mellow a out
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 23:24
|
|