Messages

1

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Brew Shoes?

« on: June 27, 2010, 03:22:00 pm »

I wear my Vibram 5 fingers. Not a lot of protection against carboy drops though. My suggestion: don't drop a carboy on your foot. 

Yeah but when someone is drinking and brewing anything can happen.  Well maybe just in my case.

Don't drink and brew...problem solved 

2

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Probably infections right? Excessive / climbing head.

« on: June 19, 2010, 07:37:20 am »

IMO, a lot of people like to blame everything on infections, but I don't know if an infection could cause gushing without producing off flavors/aromas. If the infection was producing CO2 to increase the foaming then it was fermenting and introducing its byproducts to the beer which would result in off flavors/aromas. Therefore, I am willing to say if the beer tastes/smells fine that it is a priming problem.


For you next batch I would recommend using 2 Coopers' priming tablets per bottle, and then do everything else as normal (except don't add priming syrup) and bottle. The Coopers product is very consistent, and if you have gushers then, we will need to discuss infections and off flavor identification.

Just my opinion  

3

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Using my Homebrew to raise money for charity

« on: June 14, 2010, 05:58:06 pm »

This Saturday (6/19) my local area is having a charity home brew festival, and the way they got around it is NC did not like selling tickets to an event where untaxed beer is being given away, so they started a "join the charity" fee and the state let it go. So for $15 you can become a member of the charity and enjoy ~ 5-6 hours of free home brewed beer, not sure of this would fly in other states or not

4

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Techniques for Enhancing Malt aroma?

« on: June 04, 2010, 10:23:55 am »

One "trick" is not to use estery yeast or late hop additions which can cover up the malt aromas. Another would be good portions of Munich malt since it is one of the dominate ingredients in most of the styles you mentioned.


Do NOT try to dry grain a beer like you would with hops or you will get a sour/infected brew going.

5

All Grain Brewing / Re: Step Mash Temperature Control

« on: May 25, 2010, 04:03:24 pm »

One word: HERMS

Let's see... a big pile of complicated tubing and pumps or a pan of boiling water??  WWDD??? 

No my friend, WWBGD

6

All Grain Brewing / Re: Step Mash Temperature Control

« on: May 25, 2010, 10:27:07 am »

One word: HERMS

7

General Homebrew Discussion / Buying beer and flying it back home, is it legal?

« on: May 20, 2010, 06:23:44 am »

Is it legal/safe to buy beer and check it in as luggage on a commercial airliner to bring back home?

8

The Pub / Re: RIP Ronnie James Dio

« on: May 17, 2010, 10:14:49 am »

I was shocked by this news yesterday, a world with Dio is going to be an unpleasant and sad place

9

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: 2011 NHC

« on: May 17, 2010, 10:10:49 am »

I know this will offend someone, but Alanta kinda sucks for beer. There are certainly some good spots, but they are not centralized and most don't have a Hotlanta address - think Sandy Springs, Decatur, etc. As far as Asheville, there is no place large enough for the conference hotel that I am aware of and flying into Asheville, while possible, is not a great move financially. The best prices for flights would be Charlotte, or maybe Greensboro or Greenville and then you're looking at a drive. Now the beer scene would be perfect for the conference. Darn near everything within walking distance of everything else (if there was a hotel).

Another rub is what Drew mentioned, local support. MALT has a strong club, but probably not enough to pull off the conference by itself if held in Asheville. Just the cellarmaster job and their staff would be a nightmare with 760 beers in the second round, so 2280 bottles (95 cases of beer). Couple that with club night with around 400 5gallon kegs and ProBrewer's Night with 50 (or more) 15 gallon kegs and one starts to understand the task at hand! How do you keep that many beers cold and organized can be a logistical nightmare. Most cellarmasters don't see much of the conference.

My hat's off to those who are up to the challenge!

I think our best bet is Bill Lynch's group with some support from the other clubs.

10

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: 2011 NHC

« on: May 14, 2010, 06:31:59 am »

I would not complain too much even if it came to Atlanta

11

Ingredients / Re: Alkalinity reduction using lime

« on: May 13, 2010, 05:06:50 pm »

Awhile back I was pondering using Masa flour as a corn adjunct, but some people warned against it because of the lime that is used in making it. Kai, are you suggesting that lime is OK with brewing?

If so, then Masa may be the cheapest corn adjunct out there with an over the top corn flavor

12

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: 2011 NHC

« on: May 13, 2010, 05:02:47 pm »

I'd like to see either Nashville, TN or Asheville, NC sometime soon. But I am not crazy enough to raise my hand.

There has been some discussion about it by some in the Asheville home brew club, but we do not have anywhere near the number of hotel rooms that are needed. I was hitting up the Charlotte club, but did not get any bites 

13

Ingredients / Re: Post your water report

« on: May 10, 2010, 02:42:57 pm »

Waynesville, NC (28786) city water

pH 7.4
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est 39

ppm

Sodium, Na 8

Calcium, Ca 4

Magnesium, Mg < 1

Total Hardness, CaCO3 14

Sulfate, SO4-S 4

Chloride, Cl 2

Bicarbonate, HCO3 15

Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 12


Jealous yet

14

All Grain Brewing / Re: Off flavors

« on: May 10, 2010, 02:34:49 pm »

In darker colored beers I have noticed vegetal flavors/aromas coming from chlorine in the water.

15

All Grain Brewing / Re: Is it just me or are session beers hard to enter into competitions?

« on: May 10, 2010, 02:32:51 pm »

Way to go Drew, I was about to mention problem with milds. At least with Mild there is the excuse of not knowing what is should taste like due to lack of commercial examples, but Scottish ales should be something any and or all BJCP judges should know how to judge no matter the ABV