Messages

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 1/11 Edition

« on: January 13, 2013, 08:52:39 AM »

I'm in the middle of my first double brew day, brewing two batches of Irish Red to give them some conditioning time before St Patrick's Day. Planning on them both being gone by March 18...

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All Grain Brewing / Re: poor all grain efficiency, don't know why

« on: February 25, 2012, 10:01:47 PM »

And I think this gets to the heart of it. Why are we trying for such high efficiencies? Going from 75% efficiency to 65%  amounts to a pound and a half of base malt in a 5g batch, something like $2. Less than 4 cents a bottle. There is certainly evidence that lower lauter efficiency can give better beer.

I'm guilty as anyone for trying to improve efficiencies, but it's because I enjoy it. It just ain't a problem in the real world.

Great mindset. I've been starting to obsess about mash efficiency. It was getting lower and lower. I used to get a mash efficiency in the range of 70%. My most recent mashes were closer to 60%. Luckily, I narrowed my problem down to grain crush after looking at the most recent batch - there were still whole grains in the thing, maybe as high as 20% of the grist. But I'm still getting great beer, and it's important to remember that and stop stressing out. RDWHAHB!

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All Grain Brewing / Re: Go big or go home!!??

« on: February 25, 2012, 09:31:12 PM »

-First all-grain brews should NOT be imperial IPA's! LOL! 

Go big or go home. The first brew has to be something you want to drink or you won't be as tempted to stick with it. Give it its due time to condition, though, especially since it's high gravity.

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All Grain Brewing / Re: Short higher temp mashes

« on: February 25, 2012, 09:20:34 PM »

It seems like 10 minutes is very short. At that point, I'd want to conduct a conversion test rather than just trusting that it's done. I have heard about mashes that were conducted at 156-158 range achieving full conversion in 20 minutes, though.

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All Grain Brewing / Re: FLOW RATE INTO BOIL KETTLE

« on: November 21, 2011, 10:44:18 AM »

For batch sparge (or fly for that matter) wouldn't you run into problems with stuck sparge possibly if the grain bed doesn't set properly before the flow rate opens up? Of course that'd mean that's faster than the system would allow technically...

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Dry hopping a porter

« on: November 21, 2011, 10:14:27 AM »

Definitely going to be making a porter as my first batch when I get back home, and I love the Willamette idea. I'll be dry hopping with some after reading this thread.

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: How many Military Home Brewers on here?

« on: November 15, 2011, 12:14:31 PM »

As my screen name kind of alludes to, I'm active duty Navy. Stuck in the Gulf right now, but I'll be going to shore duty soon, so I'll be able to kick my brewing into overdrive. I was able to spend my last six months between deployments brewing up a storm. I got nearly ten batches brewed in that short time. In fact, there are still a few brews waiting for me when I get home from this one.

sars, the shorter underways are great for waiting for batches to ferment. A few times I brewed the weekend before an underway and bottled the weekend after we got back. But the long ones just make you miss the brewing...

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What to do when you can't brew

« on: November 06, 2011, 11:51:41 PM »

I don't know about making any hooch. Especially when I have access to some beer (albeit crappy beer) I will try to stay on the up and up.

Snowtiger, I don't have it half as bad as you. More power to you, being able to survive that without brewing. It's good that you'll be able to try to fit in a batch on your R&R. I have a couple of batches that have been aging while I'm here, and should be prime when I get back. I'm doing more working out here as well, and as much self improvement studying as I can stomach. The pipe helps me unwind and take my mind off all things for 30 min to an hr a day.

Stay safe over there Tiger.

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General Homebrew Discussion / What to do when you can't brew

« on: November 04, 2011, 11:23:54 PM »

In part I'm seeking ideas, but I am also giving an idea (maybe two).

Let's set this up. I am currently in Bahrain, a Muslim country where alcohol is tightly controlled and supplies are hard to come by. Worse, I'm on a ship here, so it's impossible to actually brew. It means I'm stuck unable to brew and I can't get my hands on any craft beer (none at all out in town, the best I can do is Guinness or maybe Killkenny, otherwise it's some standard European or American golden lager). Needless to say, I'm suffering from hop withdrawal. I'm also suffering from hobby withdrawal, as, between brewing and researching my next brew, I was able to occupy several hours of my weeks. Being on a ship actually stationed in Bahrain (rather than one that deploys to here and is underway and busy most of the time), I have some time on my hands that needs to be filled.

Enter pipe smoking. This has recently become the passion that fills the void left by brewing (don't get me wrong, I'm still passionate about brewing, but cannot act on it). It's a pastime that requires you to refine your technique for the best smoking experience, occupies an hour per bowlful of tobacco and allows you to hone your skill at flavor profiling. Anyone else an avid smoker?

Anyone else been faced with times they can't brew and need something to fill that time?

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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Realistically, how important is a starter? (dealing with WLP001)

« on: July 25, 2011, 12:18:54 PM »

Well, despite overwhelming concurrence that I should make a starter, I ended up not getting around to making one. The 24 hrs prior to brewing were chock full of activities away from home that prevented me from being able to get to the LHBS for some DME, or to make the starter (Green Flash official grand opening at their Mira Mesa location was packed BTW). From here on out, I will plan more effectively and get a starter going a couple of days in advance of brew day. Thanks for the advice, and sorry I didn't listen this time...

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Yeast and Fermentation / Realistically, how important is a starter? (dealing with WLP001)

« on: July 22, 2011, 10:33:52 PM »

I am brewing in just about 24 hrs, and don't have time to make a starter at this point really (or as far as I understand, I don't). I have never used one before, and had no problems as far as I could tell, but maybe my senses just aren't yet refined enough to figure out the subtle off tones from too-stressed yeast. My interest now is because as I've read more, it seems like the rule overwhelmingly rather than the exception. Next time I'll use a starter. However, now, I'm at a point where it's too late. So, how important is it really with one vial of WLP001 California Ale yeast pitching into a beer of approx 1.055 OG?

If I don't, do I need to go to the LHBS and buy a second vial? Just go with the one as I've done in my ignorant past with no noticeable ill effect? My experience has been that WLP001 is fairly robust, and carries its weight like a worker ant, but it seems like there are some major supporters of the yeast starter. Thanks in advance for the advice.

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law

« on: July 13, 2011, 12:50:04 PM »

I ask for deposit on growler and I refund the returns.

That sounds like an awesome way to do things. If the breweries I've visited did that, I wouldn't have half a dozen growlers kicking around (well, maybe).

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law

« on: July 11, 2011, 05:31:13 PM »

interesting idea, but making a "Califrowler" causes marketing problems for the breweries, doesn't it? Not being able to display their own label on their own product could be an issue the breweries will have. I'm all for being able to use X growler at Y brewery, but mandating a statewide growler be used is kind of odd.

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All Grain Brewing / Re: Tell me about Kolsch please

« on: July 11, 2011, 05:19:28 PM »

had a Fruh Kolsch from cologne last night. my son brought back a few from solingen as well as berliner pilsner.  it was pretty good but i don't see the attraction to brew one over other light refreshing styles.

Kolsch, to me, takes the best of both pilsner lagers and light ales in its best iterations. That's why I want to brew one.

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All Grain Brewing / Re: Mashing Ratios

« on: July 11, 2011, 05:08:17 PM »

What would the point be of sparging with 1.5x the mash volume (as opposed to sparging with equal amount, or with volume necessary to reach boil volume if you work backward like Denny)? Better efficiency? Get more of the good stuff out? I really think, at least for home brewing purposes, Denny's approach makes the most sense. I don't think you'd lose enough in efficiency not using exactly 1.5x mash water to sparge.