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Ingredients / Re: Priming with Stevia Packets
« on: June 10, 2013, 12:32:10 PM »
Ok, I understand. I don't think I'm gonna use it. Don't want a sweet rye stout! Thanks guys!
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2
Ingredients / Priming with Stevia Packets
« on: June 10, 2013, 12:10:21 PM »
So, I had a little extra beer when I racked to my kegs today. I bottled two 750 ml bottles and am thinking about priming with Stevia packets. As I noticed on the back it's actually dextrose, or corn sugar. One packet is 1 gram of stevia. How many for each bottle? I was thinking two.
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Kegging and Bottling / Re: Bottling from a keg
« on: May 05, 2013, 11:57:53 AM »
I have never used a counter pressure bottle filler, so I can't help you there. However, I have used the Blichmann Beer Gun quite a bit. I think the point of purging the bottle is so you don't pick up or add any excessive oxygen to your beer when you bottle it. I have only used the purging option a few times, as I mainly only bottle one batch of beer a year, my big beer which is always bottle conditioned, so I figure in that case a little O2 would be fine.
As per your third suggestions, I've done both. I definitely prefer the picnic tap with a tub option over filling from the tap. I usually vent the keg a little so it doesn't foam, then start filling chilled bottles, that I want to ship to family. I only do this with beers that are going to be drank in the next week or two after filling, as how I do it, isn't really sanitary. I'd be overly worried about aging a beer using this process, without running cleanser and sanitizer through the picnic tap first.
As per your third suggestions, I've done both. I definitely prefer the picnic tap with a tub option over filling from the tap. I usually vent the keg a little so it doesn't foam, then start filling chilled bottles, that I want to ship to family. I only do this with beers that are going to be drank in the next week or two after filling, as how I do it, isn't really sanitary. I'd be overly worried about aging a beer using this process, without running cleanser and sanitizer through the picnic tap first.
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Equipment and Software / Adding Oxygen to Wort
« on: April 28, 2013, 07:29:48 AM »
So, I want to get a diffusion stone to add oxygen to my wort. I'm hoping this will start fermentation quicker and result in a lower final gravity (?). I have two main questions and if I'm missing anything else, I'd like some pointers. Here it goes:
1. Do I need to sanitize the gas line prior to each use? ( I know I need to sanitize the stone)
2. How long should I blast the wort with oxygen and is the time going to be gravity specific? (IE, higher gravity, more oxygen?)
I'm looking at taking my brewing to the next level, I feel this is the next step for me. Water testing and treatment is next.
1. Do I need to sanitize the gas line prior to each use? ( I know I need to sanitize the stone)
2. How long should I blast the wort with oxygen and is the time going to be gravity specific? (IE, higher gravity, more oxygen?)
I'm looking at taking my brewing to the next level, I feel this is the next step for me. Water testing and treatment is next.
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All Grain Brewing / Re: 10-gal Batch with 2 different OG's
« on: February 25, 2013, 07:21:15 AM »
I'll try this. We were not together when we took the readings. Perhaps one of us had too many Hop Slams? I have photo documentation though.
In my defense, I only had one HopSlam! I was really puzzled by this one too. Trey, the next time we get together we need to check our hydrometers in some distilled water and see what's going on. I guess the most logical explanation is that yours is not reading correctly, since I checked it with two different styles/brands of hydrometers. But, I guess there is a chance that both of mine are faulty though. Can't totally rule that out.
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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: How to pour a Black & Tan
« on: February 06, 2013, 07:36:27 PM »The reason a Black and Tan works is from the difference in gravity of the two beers. Having two Imperial beers may be problematic.
Yep.
I agree, however, Guinness is app. 4.2% and Bass is app. 5%. So as long as the "tan" beer is less gravity, in theory, it should work. Get the terrapin, that's the best way to pour them.
Still thinking about it, would it matter so much the abv%, or the final gravity?
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Ingredients / Re: All Zythos APA or IPA
« on: February 02, 2013, 07:24:58 AM »
Definitely! Got the apricot puree in too, so we're good to go!
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Ingredients / Re: All Zythos APA or IPA
« on: February 01, 2013, 06:24:06 PM »
Just chiming in now that the beer is starting to carb. It's actually really good. To me, I should say, It is really dank, not citrusy like the "descriptors" describe it, but very good. It's funny how beers change, some beers taste great when I keg it, then not good when it's drinkable, and vice versa. I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Tastes great!
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Ingredients / Re: All Zythos APA or IPA
« on: January 30, 2013, 07:55:27 PM »
Just kegged this beer. Not fantastic. I don't think Zythos is intended to be an IPA/APA hop. It does have pronounced garlic/really dank ish flavor and aroma. It's not a bad beer, I'm sure it will be better when it's carbed up but not really what I was expecting. This is what I brewed:
10 # Munich
1.2 # Maris Otter
.50 # Carapils
1 oz Zythos @ 60, 30, 15, 0, Dry
Safale US-05
OG 1.060
I'll post some more notes when it's carbed up in a few days. If it doesn't taste great, the problem is I've still got 10 ounces left. Maybe it'll surprise me with a little age. Hopefully. Rebel describes them as: Description: Tangerine, Citrus, floral, pine and Grapefruit character (the best of the best) I don't get any of these flavors/aromas.
10 # Munich
1.2 # Maris Otter
.50 # Carapils
1 oz Zythos @ 60, 30, 15, 0, Dry
Safale US-05
OG 1.060
I'll post some more notes when it's carbed up in a few days. If it doesn't taste great, the problem is I've still got 10 ounces left. Maybe it'll surprise me with a little age. Hopefully. Rebel describes them as: Description: Tangerine, Citrus, floral, pine and Grapefruit character (the best of the best) I don't get any of these flavors/aromas.
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Ingredients / Re: Vitners Harvest Apricot Puree Gravity
« on: January 30, 2013, 05:15:51 PM »Fruit purees add both sugars and volume and often the end result is similar or lower gravity.
Williams Brewing says 1.036-1.048 for this but that is a big difference. Not sure what would be accurate for this.
These are the details from the website I ordered it from:
Hot filled puree can be added directly to the fermenter, does not need to be boiled.
Specific Gravity 1.036-1.048 when diluted to 1 gallon.
3lb. 1oz. can
I understand that when we add it, it's increasing the volume. But the 3lb can is only 5 cups which is 40 oz. We scaled our batch so we should each have 5.5 gallons. So that's only increasing the volume by 5.6%. How would one create a new item in Beersmith to accurately add it to the beer? It says 1.036-1.048 when diluted to 1 gallon, we are not diluting. Simply adding the can after the bulk of fermentation is done. Basically, I need to know how to correctly add the specific gravity so I know what the abv is. We don't want to end up with a 10% beer. I just wanna know how to do this correctly, so we can scale the base beer's ABV.
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Ingredients / Vitners Harvest Apricot Puree Gravity
« on: January 28, 2013, 05:47:06 PM »
A friend and I are going to brew an Apricot IPA soon, I was wondering what numbers to punch into Beersmith for the gravity. I ordered two, three pound containers. So one container will infuse app. 5 gallons of beer.
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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Don't make yeast starters from dry yeast? WTF?
« on: January 26, 2013, 09:03:10 PM »
If you read the instructions for US-05 it says plain as day, "Sprinkle into wort". And I swear Nottingham use to say, "Do not aerate". But it also talks about Lysine so, you know, You didn't say the magic word!
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Kegging and Bottling / Re: Commercial keg reimbursement
« on: January 26, 2013, 11:24:28 AM »
Gotcha. Wise words, as always.
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Kegging and Bottling / Commercial keg reimbursement
« on: January 26, 2013, 09:08:33 AM »
So, I have this "friend" who acquired two kegs from a fairly well known brewery. Not BMC but not so widely known as a craft brewery either, even though they technically are. He feels bad about not returning the kegs, as they are unusable to the brewery now, and is considering contacting the brewery and asking if he can pay for two 15.5 gallon sanke kegs. Being a homebrewer he realizes how much is involved even on a small scale, and if any of his equipment came up missing, it would be a great loss.
Should he proceed with trying to contact them? Or would this just open a can of worms he's not ready for?
Should he proceed with trying to contact them? Or would this just open a can of worms he's not ready for?
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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Looking for a Good Online Supply Store
« on: January 20, 2013, 04:14:38 PM »
For me you can't beat Norther Brewer, their site is great, easy to navigate, shipping is reasonable. I've used Rebel Brewer in the past too.