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Jacobey000 posted:I'd not add the honey until flame out, or at the start of cooling. Besides that? Looks like an interesting experiment. I know a bunch of macros are making apple "malt beverages" this time of year, but something with true gusto and flavor would be all the better. Save me a bottle, I'd love to try it. Definitely will  I am planning to put the honey (1lb not 1.5) in with the cider, then dumping the wort on top, then shaking it all up.
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Oct 22, 2013 17:49
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another very local brewer and good friend has proposed buying an old rye whiskey barrel for use in aging. This would be a big investment in both the barrel and the beer(s) being made... but im trying to find the pitfalls of using one. i know a 15 gal batch is huge, and i need a beer that goes very good with strong oak and whiskey tastes... but is there anything else i really need to know / pay attention too when using a barrel to age?
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Oct 22, 2013 19:38
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Update on Bam Bier clone: Followed the CYBI podcast directions to the T and nailed all my goals. OG, volume, and color were spot on. Pitched with WLP550, will be splitting up 12 gallons into two batches with different bugs. Currently growing dregs from two Bam Biers in my basement right now, it smells brett as gently caress right now. Can't wait to try these out in a month or so!
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Oct 22, 2013 19:39
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zedprime posted:I am still waiting for someone to buy a GC so they can calculate their exact IBU. I've got access to a GC, can't believe I haven't thought of this before.
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Oct 22, 2013 21:07
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hellfaucet posted:Update on Bam Bier clone: Followed the CYBI podcast directions to the T and nailed all my goals. OG, volume, and color were spot on. Pitched with WLP550, will be splitting up 12 gallons into two batches with different bugs. Currently growing dregs from two Bam Biers in my basement right now, it smells brett as gently caress right now. Now I really want to do this! They only take a few months? I was leaving sours for 6-12 months with JP dregs!
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Oct 22, 2013 23:38
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Roundboy posted:another very local brewer and good friend has proposed buying an old rye whiskey barrel for use in aging. This would be a big investment in both the barrel and the beer(s) being made... but im trying to find the pitfalls of using one. Wait until this comes back in stock and buy it: http://www.homebrewing.org/Used-5-gallon-whiskey-barrel_p_2187.html I have one and it's totally rad. Barrels are kind of a pain in the rear end sometimes. You have to keep them filled with some sort of sanitary liquid or you'll have to reswell it every time you want to fill it. Plus they can be kind of tricky to sanitize, if you ever get an infection you can basically never run a clean beer through it again. Edit: just saw you wanted a rye whiskey barrel and that's a plain one. Josh Wow fucked around with this message at 02:13 on Oct 23, 2013 |
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Oct 23, 2013 02:10
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Josh Wow posted:Wait until this comes back in stock and buy it: we were actually looking at this : http://www.keystonehomebrew.com/shop/15-gal-rye-whiskey-barrel-dad-s-hat.html but yeah, im reading its a pain in the rear end keeping filled, and its going to weigh a ton filled up. and once sour, always sour.
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Oct 23, 2013 14:08
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ScaerCroe posted:Now I really want to do this! They only take a few months? I was leaving sours for 6-12 months with JP dregs! Yeah, fresh Bam has a hint of tartness and is more relaxed on the funk than it's bottle-conditioned counterparts. I'm definitely planning on saving some for extended aging, but I also really love it fresh and hoppy! I also feel like the people who will be getting it for the wedding will appreciate it fresh as well.
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Oct 23, 2013 14:42
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hellfaucet posted:Yeah, fresh Bam has a hint of tartness and is more relaxed on the funk than it's bottle-conditioned counterparts. I'm definitely planning on saving some for extended aging, but I also really love it fresh and hoppy! I also feel like the people who will be getting it for the wedding will appreciate it fresh as well. I am wondering what a really funky Bam tastes like? I might have to do that next batch.
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Oct 23, 2013 15:13
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Roundboy posted:we were actually looking at this : http://www.keystonehomebrew.com/shop/15-gal-rye-whiskey-barrel-dad-s-hat.html I purchased and used that very barrel so hit me up if you have any questions. If you do get it, know that you really don't need to age that long (and shouldn't). My first batch tasted very strongly of rye whiskey after only a couple months and I'm worried it won't mellow out to where I want it. I did not refill mine right away but rather put some whiskey in and slosh it around every now and then. I'm planning to put another batch in soon. It is pretty heavy when filled but with a bit of effort I was able to lift it up to a table for racking myself so it isn't that unmanageable. e: Oh if you do end up getting this, also pick up the silicon bung that keystone has. It's only about $6 and you don't have to worry about water in the airlock at all then. EnsignVix fucked around with this message at 19:33 on Oct 23, 2013 |
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Oct 23, 2013 19:30
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Anybody here pick up the Megapot 1.2? I'm wondering if it's worth $200, or $250 for the thermometer version.
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Oct 24, 2013 00:28
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EnsignVix posted:I purchased and used that very barrel so hit me up if you have any questions. If you do get it, know that you really don't need to age that long (and shouldn't). My first batch tasted very strongly of rye whiskey after only a couple months and I'm worried it won't mellow out to where I want it. I did not refill mine right away but rather put some whiskey in and slosh it around every now and then. I'm planning to put another batch in soon. this is awesome advice ,keep it coming because on brew day this Sunday we are going to discuss the merits of buying it and decide. We are also deciding the brew to go in it that can handle high whiskey taste and the possibility of being sour.
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Oct 24, 2013 00:44
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Does anyone have a recommendation for a home made cider/fruit press? I live in an area that has a ton of apple orchards and I think I would be able to get a lot of free apples, and would love to make some cider.
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Oct 24, 2013 01:41
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Massasoit posted:Does anyone have a recommendation for a home made cider/fruit press? I live in an area that has a ton of apple orchards and I think I would be able to get a lot of free apples, and would love to make some cider. I built the Whizbang Cider Press and it works well. The apple grinder he includes in the plans was a disaster though. I used the stock motor on the garbage disposal for last year and then tried to mount a stronger motor on it this year. I found it nearly impossible to get the motor mounted properly so that it didn't shake itself apart or have the coupling tear up the shaft. I'm just about finished with a new grinder built from the Woodgears plans. I did a test run without the plunger and it seemed to work well. Unless you have a lot of time on your hands it's going to be tough to get something built in time for this year's apples. For this year you could ask around about cider pressing parties. It's pretty common for various groups to put them on and invite the public. Get your free apples and press them there, and start building your own press now for use next year.
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Oct 24, 2013 01:50
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If there are a lot of orchards, I can guarantee there are a lot of cider presses. Inquire with farms in your area about potentially renting their press.
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Oct 24, 2013 01:59
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Beer4TheBeerGod posted:Anybody here pick up the Megapot 1.2? I'm wondering if it's worth $200, or $250 for the thermometer version. $200 for a 15 gallon kettle? gently caress that, a converted sanke is the ultimate kettle. Round bottom for less loss, insanely heavy construction and cheap as hell. I found all 3 of mine on craigslist for $20 each. Added in sightglasses and 2 bungs in each and they kick rear end.
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Oct 24, 2013 02:06
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Barrels seem cool and I'll probably pick up one some day but from what I gather they're a pain in the rear end. I use these for oak flavor : http://www.infusionspiral.com/index.php/infusion-spirals/8-american-oak-infusion-spiral-1-package.html
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Oct 24, 2013 02:53
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Couldn't you also barrel age cocktails in that in the meantime? I suppose 5 gallons of cocktails is a bit much.
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Oct 24, 2013 05:05
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^^ These are 15 gallon barrels. Even at five though that'd be pretty pricey, and I hope you have a big party coming up. I think it'd work you have to imagine some of that cocktail flavor is going to be in your next beer too though. I actually sanitized/resoaked the wood with the same whiskey that was originally in the barrel. Expensive yeah, but I wasn't planning to brew something to go into it right away and I didn't want to have lovely bottom shelf whiskey flavor in my next beer.Roundboy posted:this is awesome advice ,keep it coming because on brew day this Sunday we are going to discuss the merits of buying it and decide. You bet, expect some loss to barrel absorption and unsiphonable beer. When rinsing it out dozens of small black chips, which I assume are small wood chips stained from my beer, came out. This seemed to slow my siphoning towards the bottom so I didn't get as much out as I thought. It was about 12.5 gallons down to 10.0 gallons, oh and expect a higher FG than what you go in with. I forget the reading but I know my abv went from 8.7% to 9.1%. As far as style, yes, you are going to want some strength and complexity to actually compete with the whiskey flavor. Looking at my notes I actually let it age three months in barrel, I would say I should've done less than two, and maybe even as little as one. I should've pulled some at regular intervals and racked it off before it got to be too much. Mind the sour beers, if you want that your designated sour barrel then okay but I'm not sure you'll be able to go back to non-soured beers. I anticipated a lifecycle as follows: 5+ strong porters/stouts/barleywines, a couple belgians, switch to sours, once I really am not getting any barrel character or it gets too buggy it goes outside as a pretty sweet looking planter/rain barrel and I buy a new barrel. I figure that should last me like five years. When I bought mine earlier this year they were $85, looks like they jacked up the prices on them unfortunately.
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Oct 24, 2013 14:27
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EnsignVix posted:^^ These are 15 gallon barrels. Even at five though that'd be pretty pricey, and I hope you have a big party coming up. I think it'd work you have to imagine some of that cocktail flavor is going to be in your next beer too though. I actually sanitized/resoaked the wood with the same whiskey that was originally in the barrel. Expensive yeah, but I wasn't planning to brew something to go into it right away and I didn't want to have lovely bottom shelf whiskey flavor in my next beer. That is very interesting on the losses.. we were doing a double brew (them 10 gal, me 5 gal) to fill it up, but that is interesting we seem to lose A LOT. a couple gallons is nothing to sneeze at. And yes, we are anticipating a high gravity beer, considering what its going to sit in.
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Oct 24, 2013 14:31
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Just saw this over on homebrewfinds: http://www.homebrewfinds.com/2013/10/reader-tip-great-deal-buy-one-bubbler.html BOGO on Bubbler PET carboys. These are the Northern Brewer brand of Better Bottle knockoffs. I got a pair of these, and they work just fine. I paid $36 for the pair, delivered, which is really only a couple of bucks more per fermenter than buckets and lids. It seems like a reasonable price for PET carboys.
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Oct 24, 2013 20:15
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The Bubblers are so nearly identical to Better Bottles, although in my limited anecdotal experiences, the hop residue from dry-hopping has come off easier (1 oxyclean soak vs multiple).
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Oct 24, 2013 20:29
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Jo3sh posted:Just saw this over on homebrewfinds: I wish they had ported ones. The racking adapter on my BB makes transferring and pulling hydrometer samples much easier.
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Oct 24, 2013 22:45
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The Bubblers (at least, the ones I got) do have a flat spot low on the side where you could cut your own hole and add a valve.
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Oct 24, 2013 22:47
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ChickenArise posted:The Bubblers are so nearly identical to Better Bottles, although in my limited anecdotal experiences, the hop residue from dry-hopping has come off easier (1 oxyclean soak vs multiple). I imagine they're the same bottle with different branding.
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Oct 25, 2013 02:12
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I wish to bottle my beer this weekend, but a problem was discoverd. i cant find the valve to the bottling bucket. Sure i can just get another, but i was looking at better alternatives. The original was a pain in the rear end to clean and attach, so has anybody replaced the stock bucket valve with something else? or replaced the bucket with something else still ? (im not moving to kegging yet)
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Oct 25, 2013 02:34
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Well this is the second brew day ruined by my DME for a starter hardening from what I assume is moisture in the air tight container I store it in. Granted it's been 6+ months since brewing last, but am I doing something wrong or should I just expect to change out DME every 3 months?
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Oct 25, 2013 02:46
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I've not had any trouble rolling up the left over bag, putting it in a zip lock, and sticking it in the freezer but then it didn't stay in there for more than a few weeks. If you're only brewing once every 6 months I would try to incorporate the left over DME into the beer you're brewing or just buy a new bag twice a year. E: contractions 
Galler fucked around with this message at 16:54 on Oct 25, 2013 |
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Oct 25, 2013 03:07
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Roundboy posted:I wish to bottle my beer this weekend, but a problem was discoverd. At the end of my bottling career when my valve broke I just used an auto siphon with a bottling wand in whatever bucket or carboy I wasn't using.
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Oct 25, 2013 03:13
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zedprime posted:At the end of my bottling career when my valve broke I just used an auto siphon with a bottling wand in whatever bucket or carboy I wasn't using. lol yes i did that out of the mead i bottled. It was very difficult to get that last few beers worth.. but that is my backup plan
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Oct 25, 2013 03:15
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So I tried to brew a really big IPA (like Pliny the Younger-style) but it finished at 1.032. I definietely made a big enough starter. Any ideas? Should I try and add more yeast to get it going, or is it a dump-batch?
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Oct 25, 2013 04:41
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Angry Grimace posted:So I tried to brew a really big IPA (like Pliny the Younger-style) but it finished at 1.032. I definietely made a big enough starter. That might be it. If you started at 1.100 or so, 1.03 is 70% attenuation which isn't that bad. I had a beer end up like that, and while it's not as dry as I wanted it was still delicious.
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Oct 25, 2013 04:48
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OK in situations like this, any reason you couldn't just throw some champagne yeast in there and crash it out when it hits your number? I'm asking...for a friend...
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Oct 25, 2013 05:32
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wildfire1 posted:That might be it. If you started at 1.100 or so, 1.03 is 70% attenuation which isn't that bad. I had a beer end up like that, and while it's not as dry as I wanted it was still delicious. I'd rather find a way to get it down past 1.020. I'm going to dump it if I can't because I don't particularly want 5 gallons of hoppy barleywine. My best idea so far is to just make up a starter with WLP090 and dump it in at high krausen.
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Oct 25, 2013 05:37
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wattershed posted:OK in situations like this, any reason you couldn't just throw some champagne yeast in there and crash it out when it hits your number? I'm asking...for a friend... If you're desperate, sure but don't expect miracles and it will definitely impart off flavours in the beer
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Oct 25, 2013 05:42
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Angry Grimace posted:I'd rather find a way to get it down past 1.020. I'm going to dump it if I can't because I don't particularly want 5 gallons of hoppy barleywine. You can add sugar but you risk making rocket fuel. If it truly is imbalanced you should have some booze wiggle room. Even high attenuation yeasts are going to struggle at that point since you actually got good attenuation and probably just have a bunch of complex sugars left. I thought 1.030 is totally legit for a DIPA fg though.
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Oct 25, 2013 11:50
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Galler posted:I've not had any trouble rolling up the left over bag, putting it in a zip lock, and sticking it in the freezer but then it didn't stay in there for more than a few weeks. If you're only brewing once every 6 months I would try to incorporate the left over DME into the beer your brewing or just buy a new bag twice a year. I just got busier than normal and am trying to get back in the swing of things. I'll try the freezer.
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Oct 25, 2013 13:30
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NORTHERN BREWER EMAIL posted:Flash Sale! $5.99 Flat Rate Shipping! Might stock up on some odds and ends if this isn't bullshit. I know from conventional wisdom and book learnin' it's not a great idea to reuse cakes from highgrav beers, but has anyone experienced any off-flavors or weird attenuation from doing so? I've repitched 3787 a few times out of necessity and haven't noticed things going awry. Though I never really go above 1.080 for anything.
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Oct 25, 2013 14:08
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- 24 Hours Only -
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fullroundaction posted:Might stock up on some odds and ends if this isn't bullshit. Doesn't apply to the 2 for 1 Bubblers apparently. Too bad, I probably would have bit on that even though I really don't need them.
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Oct 25, 2013 14:13
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wildfire1 posted:If you're desperate, sure but don't expect miracles and it will definitely impart off flavours in the beer This isn't true. There shouldn't be any 'off flavors' associated at all. Champagne yeast is pretty flavor neutral and will absolutely loving destroy any sugars left. Meaning: it's going to come out drier than you anticipate (think 1.010 - <1.000). Angry Grimace posted:I'd rather find a way to get it down past 1.020. I'm going to dump it if I can't because I don't particularly want 5 gallons of hoppy barleywine. So two things: 1)Don't dump it. That is kind of silly. Bottle it and let it age or if you have room just let it bulk age in a bucket/carboy. I think it was Mosher who said he buries barleywine on the side of a mountain and climbs said mountain every year with a reward of drinking of the hillside-chilled bottles once reaching the top. 2) have you tried 'rousing' the yeast? have you moved into a secondary? raised the temp 10f? move it to room temp to 'finish up'? These are all super easy things to do before bending over backwards before tossing in more yeast. If none of those work to get the fermentation moving again, then pitch a starter if you feel, or go thermal nuclear and toss in a $.50 sachet of champagne yeast.
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Oct 25, 2013 15:17
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