Messages

1

Homebrew Clubs / Re: Newbie Here

« on: May 17, 2013, 02:42:53 pm »

If you want to brew something close to MGD, you should try a cream ale or other light ale.

You'll have a hard time doing lagers without a dedicated fridge to ferment in.

I'm not sure they make a kit to get you what you want.  Good luck.

2

Ingredients / Re: How to Sanitize Sugar Addition

« on: May 17, 2013, 10:11:15 am »

Dump it in.  I've done it many times with no worries.

I don't think a pound is too much to add all at once, but you could break it up into staged additions if you want to.

I'd make sure you get the break up the brown sugar so it's not too clumpy.

3

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: 1968 in No-Crystal AIPA (Mash Temp Help)

« on: May 16, 2013, 12:53:41 pm »

1968 is weird.  its a great yeast, but i guess you have to learn its fickle nature.  I've not used it in a few years, but I've had it attenuate only 70% and then on repitch pushed 80%.

Cigar City uses it as their house and gets 75-80% attenuation. 

I would make your beer without sugar, but mash lower first time around and see how it turns out.

I get attenuation in the 80s using it for my old ale.  It get's repitched from a bitter and I use sugar to boost the gravity of the old ale so maybe those two things are helping my attenuation.

Looking at the notes I have here, one of the batches has gone from 1.082 down to 1.012.  My recollection is that batch may not have been 1968, but the 1968 only finished a few points higher.  Maybe 1.016 or so.

4

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: British Yeast Recommendation

« on: May 16, 2013, 12:11:44 pm »

My beers sit in primary usually for three weeks.  Sometimes longer depending on my schedule.

I've never experienced a problem from giving them extra time and I've never tasted diacetyl in my beer, although it's possible I've missed it.

I've had other off flavors from time to time, but none that I would attribute to time on the yeast.

5

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Beers for the non-craft drinker

« on: May 16, 2013, 07:52:27 am »

I find that my tripels tend to be popular with people who don't usually drink a lot of craft beer.  For parties, I'll typically make a tripel and maybe a wheat beer of some sort.  I find that non-craft drinkers seem more likely to try it if it looks similar to BMC.

I also keep some Miller Lite on hand for those hard core folks.  I've been known to have one now and then after working outside all day.  If their IFC they go down like water.

6

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Goose Island beer

« on: May 15, 2013, 09:06:36 am »

This is a little off-topic, but a couple of former brewers for Goose Island are starting their own 40-bbl brewery in Geneva, IL, shortly.  http://www.penrosebrewing.com/

I've heard that they are bringing a few other Goose Island employees with them.

I think there's been a bit of a diaspora since the ownership change, though I think to some degree there were always people leaking out to other local breweries.  This is good for the local craft beer scene. I'm not sure if the rate has increased, but I bet it has.

7

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

« on: May 15, 2013, 09:03:01 am »

I have not yet after ~20 years of brewing.

However, the percentage/volume of grain in my partial mash has been increasing incrementally over the years.

I've thought about it and put together a mash tun, but I'm almost too comfortable with my current process to go through the effort of switching.  Someday when I have more free time, perhaps.

8

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Goose Island beer

« on: May 14, 2013, 03:59:20 pm »

I'm in their Wrigleyville pub having a Dublin stout.

You can keep the Nero. Nasty stuff.

9

The Pub / Re: A bomber is rarely a good deal

« on: May 14, 2013, 09:55:29 am »

Sorry for all the confusion.....

I think I get you now.  At the risk of beating a dead horse, though, for me it's all about the cost per ounce in the typical packaging in which I would buy the beer. 

I don't buy a lot of singles, but I buy a lot of beer that comes in four packs.  Used to be, a bomber of Unibroue was around $6.99 maybe little less.  That was a pretty fair price compared to the four packs which are around $10.99.  These days, the bombers are $9.99 or more and the four pack has stayed the same.  So, for me and my buying decision, the bomber is not such a good deal.

I can see your point about comparing single packaging, though, as the four pack is not a single (obviously). 

Heading to Goose Island in a few hours to get prepped for the Cubs game.  Or pricing research.  Perhaps both?

10

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Bottling prep

« on: May 14, 2013, 09:36:51 am »

I tried to drink the last few ounces out of my bottling bucket last night.
 
Note: bottling buckets are too wide to make good cups.

But racking canes can double as straws!

11

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: dry hopping for the first time

« on: May 14, 2013, 09:06:31 am »

I typically put my dry hops into stainless steel tea balls so that they are easier to remove from the beer when the time comes.

You can also get mesh tea infusers that are larger and probably give the hops better contact with the beer.  The tea balls I bought years ago fit through the neck of a Better Bottle, which is why I bought them.

Some people dry hop in nylon bags.

12

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Bottling prep

« on: May 14, 2013, 08:56:13 am »

the towel is very important - you WILL spill beer

I am sure I am not the first person to come up with this, but I did come up with it independently. I fill my bottles inside a cookie sheet. then I can just pick up the cookie sheet, toss it in the sink, and not worry about any sticky beer residue on the floor (which drives my wife crazy).

I've been using a big square tupperware thing.  It'll comfortably hold between 6 and 8 bottles with room to maneuver.  I'm filling off a keg, so sometimes I get a fair bit of foaming before I get the caps on.  I'm almost ashamed to admit that I've poured the spilled beer into a cup and enjoyed it...

13

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: British Yeast Recommendation

« on: May 14, 2013, 07:29:56 am »

FWIW, my current batch fermenting with 1968 is throwing off a lot of heat.  It's sitting at about 6 degrees warmer than the Belgian fermenting next to it (also very active).  It spiked up to a little over 70 last night before I got it cooled down.

I've never previously noticed a difference in the amount of heat generated by different yeasts, but it looks like 1968 could be one that warrants a closer watch to keep it within a reasonable temp range.

14

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Pin lock VS Ball Lock

« on: May 13, 2013, 09:37:54 am »

NB has single handle new 5 gallons for $120.  I believe they are the Italian ones, not the Chinese.

I've got a couple 2.5 gallon Chinese kegs.  They work just fine but have noticeably thinner steel and no rubber bottom.

BTW, that's a score on the 3 gallon keg as I'm sure you know.  Wish I had more of those.

15

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Bottling prep

« on: May 13, 2013, 09:28:27 am »

If I were looking to buy a bottle tree, I'd probably get this instead. I have a red bottle tree and it takes up space and only holds 45 bottles. An inconvenient number since a 5 gallon batch is ~52 12oz bottles.
http://thefastrack.ca/homebrew/

The bottle tree was a huge leap forward for me in terms of convenience, but they sure do take up space.

I tend to leave it out and fill it with rinsed empties as I go.  Every now and then I'll box those up and try to clear space.