Messages

1

Ingredients / Re: Belma Hops?!?!?

« on: May 21, 2013, 06:08:59 am »

I've used it in a couple beers for bittering and one used it for bittering, flavor and aroma. No weird off flavors that I detect. I also used it as a dry hop in a wild beer. Pairs really well with that funky brett character.

2

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: When is a Wit not a Wit?

« on: May 20, 2013, 10:29:17 pm »

It will be fine. You won't get the clove character as much by using 550 or 575 and it will be fruitier.

Personally I'm not a huge fan of 575 so I would rather use 550 but that's just me.

3

Beer Recipes / Re: Oaked Rye Imerpial Stout

« on: May 20, 2013, 12:32:55 pm »

That is a lot of rye. Not necessarily a bad thing but definitely will have a big rye flavor.

Given your timeframe, I would re-yeast for bottling to ensure timely carbonation and conditioning.

4

All Grain Brewing / Re: Collecting Cooling Water for Future Brews

« on: May 20, 2013, 12:29:27 pm »

I put it to use watering the hops/garden/yard depending on what needs watering the most.

5

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Most and Least

« on: May 20, 2013, 12:28:18 pm »

Least valuable: That little float thermometer that came with my kit.

Definitely the least reliable piece of equipment. Mine is 13 degrees off at mash temperatures.

6

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing this Weekend - 5/18 edition?

« on: May 17, 2013, 10:01:36 am »

No batches going in the kettle this weekend but I have some other stuff going on. I'm lagering my first lager, so that's going to tie up my fermentation chamber for a while. I'm going to go ahead and lager a barleywine with it. I have an imperial stout that is finishing fermentation and after resting for a couple weeks I'm going to add it to the chamber with the other two beers for a brief lager. Then all three will get bottled up late May/early June, so I'm going to start growing up some yeast for bottling those three beers plus some blackberry lambic.

I also have a couple brett strains I'm trying to build to a pitchable quantity, so I have those working over the weekend and next couple weeks as well.

7

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Most and Least

« on: May 17, 2013, 09:48:25 am »

Definitely agree that temperature controller on fermentation is the most important piece of equipment. Although I guess without a heat source I'd have to do only no-boil beers and have no way to heat the mash to appropriate temperatures, so maybe the stove or turkey fryer are most important.

I'm not sure what's least important. Maybe my erlynmeyer flask for starters. It does the trick for starters but I could use any number of other vessels. I only have an electric stove so no direct heating in the flask for me. A few months ago I would have said my party pig is my least useful piece of equipment but I've actually gotten a lot of use out of it by repurposing it. So much so that I bought a second one on ebay.

8

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: What to brew next

« on: May 16, 2013, 06:16:05 pm »

You could go a lot of directions with all of those. I have some brett custeranus I'm building to a pitchable quantity in some runnings from an imperial stout. It smells pretty good. Definitely a bit fruity. I also have brett anomalous in a starter with the same runnings. Very funky. I haven't played with nanus though.

9

Beer Recipes / Re: Ballast Point Homework Series...

« on: May 16, 2013, 02:58:28 pm »

Did I read that right that it's only a 20 minute mash?

10

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: When did you switch to all grain?

« on: May 15, 2013, 09:14:18 pm »

I think my fifth or sixth batch was all grain. I haven't brewed an extract batch since. I remember going into my first AG thinking I was going to screw everything up and coming out thinking I did ok. Actually, I did make a colossal error. I left my scale set to ounces instead of grams when I did the water adjustments. I ended up with incredibly salty brown ale. It was undrinkable but made really good brine for meats and did a nice job to boil hot dogs. I found a few bottles a couple months ago and gave one a taste before pouring it out. It tasted like olive juice. It was three years old.

11

Ingredients / Re: 2011 NZ Rakau hops

« on: May 15, 2013, 09:08:34 pm »

all I need is one stupid ounce for a clone of Funkwerks Tropic King.

I hate to burst your bubble, but it was disappointing. . .

I wasn't a huge fan but my wife really, really likes it. Funkwerks was kind enough to share the recipe so I offered to make it.

I did like Exotic King, which is a blend of barrel aged Tropic King and fresh Tropic King. I'm going to hang on to some of the clone I brew for some faux barrel aging with bourbon-soaked oak chips but let her keep the fresh stuff and I'll drink the aged saison.

12

Ingredients / Re: 2011 NZ Rakau hops

« on: May 15, 2013, 05:02:11 pm »

I've been trying to find some Rakau hops in decent shape for months. I know the 2013 harvest should be spilling out soon but all I need is one stupid ounce for a clone of Funkwerks Tropic King.

13

Beer Travel / Re: New York City

« on: May 15, 2013, 04:58:44 pm »

My wife is currently up there for work. She was at the gingerman last night and did some bar hopping in the east village.

I told her to come back with good beer or don't come back at all. She already bought the beer.

14

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Goose Island beer

« on: May 13, 2013, 07:37:17 am »

We've started getting Goose Island in the past few months. I like a lot of the beers and they aren't showing up in poor quality. We're not getting BCS or either Pepe beers but I'm hopeful it will show eventually.

15

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: British Yeast Recommendation

« on: May 13, 2013, 07:35:54 am »

i just don't like the bready flavour you get from S-04. I did taste a homebrewed Stout that was brewed with S-04 and didn't taste any of that bready flavour.

I've been using S-04 as my house yeast for a little while now. It doesn't always have to give you that yeast character. Personally I like some yeast character in my English beers so I do ferment those around 66-68F. American beer styles don't need that character so I ferment those with S-04 at 62-64F (usually ramping up from 62 to 64) and it comes out really clean.