Messages

1

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Schneider Weisse - bottle capture success

« on: December 06, 2011, 12:57:13 PM »

No... That's what I had on hand when I bottled (S23)

I don't bottle that much except for anything over 7%, so I am use to adding dry yeast when I bottle... it seems to give me better carbonation results... I usually use ale yeast.

I didn't want to keg this as I believe better results come from bottling and a tiny bit of yeast in the bottom of every bottle just as the original.

If I was to do it correctly I would use wort and the original strain, but that takes a bit more effort.

That's the great thing about this yeast, its out there for anybody to use.

2

Yeast and Fermentation / Schneider Weisse - bottle capture success

« on: December 06, 2011, 10:38:08 AM »

I have been trying to clone this beer for a long time now... Every time I tried I would get closer and closer, until one of my brew buddies suggested capturing and culturing the bottle yeast - the only variant I had not messed with up to this point.

I tried sometime last year around this date, but found the bottle dregs to be unresponsive. I waited until the summer because I thought there might be "fresher" bottles available, as there is more product turnover in the hot weather.

I took the dregs of two bottles of Schneider Weisse and stepped it up in a small flask... It took quite a bit of rousing and sterile air to get it going. After it fermented out, I washed it and stored it under sterile water in my yeast fridge... I recently got it going again to see how it would perform.

I had no issues getting it going a second time... 250ml of wort started OK with 30 minutes of sterile air to help it along... stepped up to 500ml, then into about 1.5 gallons of all grain light ale wort I had left over from a recent brew session - it really started to come alive in that all grain wort.

I let the fermentation get a full head of steam and ran out to buy a Muntons wheat beer kit to throw more wort at it... I made up 3.5 gallons of wort and dumped the 1.5 gallons of already fermenting wort on top of it... It took off real quick showing signs of real top cropping ability... I skimmed the brown trub off the top a few times to make sure that stuff did not fall to the bottom after fermentation subsided. This yeast is quite strong and gives a nice bread like smell when fermenting.

After 5 days I racked it off and was surprised by the taste... For a mixed/kit with the wrong hops it tastes pretty similar to a degassed original sample of that beer - The flavor profile is similar to the original but different from other liquid wheat beer yeasts I have tried in the past (and was never quite right)

I let the beer sit on secondary for 1 week then bottled with a mixture of corn sugar and lager yeast... Can't wait to do a side by side taste comparison.

Now I have a nice strong sample under sterile water.

Hopefully the results will be good enough to try a full scale all grain batch soon.

So if your having trouble getting this yeast going from bottle samples, I would suggest waiting till the summer time to do it - seems to have worked for me.

3

Pimp My System / Re: some more of my stuff

« on: January 18, 2010, 09:02:02 AM »

There is always going to be some oxygen in there unless you can purge it with something first (nitrogen)...

I use the typical foodsaver vaccum sealer with there best quality plastic bags... strong enough but not as strong as a commercial unit. I am just compairing my bagging system to what they use a say HopUnion... they use mylar/aluminum
bags and purge with nitrogen which I believe you can only do in a closed system, then they hit it with a massive vaccum which
looks to have very wide sealings bars on it (11 lbs brick of pellets)

The mini keg I got at a resturant equipment salvage yard... $20

4

Pimp My System / Re: Some of my stuff

« on: January 18, 2010, 08:48:31 AM »

Yes, I start the motor on the stir paddle that mixes the hot mash water at 7 RPM then I open up the bottom drawer on the hopper to let the grist trickle out at whatever rate looks good... I use a insulated aluminum bubble blanket (not shown) you can get at the hardware stores around the mash tun once I mash in... It can only go on once the hopper is removed. I can hit the usual mash temps (140's to 150's) and it holds there pretty good for up to 2 hours... I think it might drop 1-2 degs over 90 mins with 100lbs of grain in there (lot of thermal mass)
I made the hopper because mashing in 100 lbs by hand is a lot of work and you loose a lot of temperature... I have a split lid which is not shown... it covers the mash tun when it is mixing so I don't loose too much heat... it is made out of plywood and covered with oak vineer. It usually takes 30 mins to mash in and I don't get any large dough balls.
I can do a step mash with boiling water infusions, but it is hit or miss with this system so I usually stick with single temp which is great for ales... I also do this for lagers and they seem pretty decent also.
The most I have ever done in that tun was 120lbs of grain.

5

Pimp My System / Re: some more of my stuff

« on: January 13, 2010, 07:02:42 AM »

Yes, and also to keep them fresh longer.

I vaccum bag my cones but because there is oxygen in there they don't keep longer than 8 months... I usually get 3 lbs per year from my plants, but between that and pellets I buy I usually end up throwing cones out I don't use - this will cut down on the amount of waste because I believe that plugs stay fresher longer... who knows I may be able to double the storeage life.

Right now it is in the testing phase... it cost me nothing to put together and I can always dimantle it if it fails.

6

Pimp My System / some more of my stuff

« on: January 12, 2010, 05:34:55 PM »

Hop plug maker...


2 ton jack (overkill) nylon disks are for pushing and for seperating 1/2 to 1 oz plugs


hop back (purchased) holds 3 oz of cones


growler - 1 gallon mini keg (use to hold vanilla for icecream machine)

7

Pimp My System / Re: Some of my stuff

« on: January 12, 2010, 04:59:51 PM »

Those are 55 gallon HPDE plastic drums... food grade, cut the tops off.

8

Ingredients / % Rye?

« on: November 28, 2009, 02:53:29 PM »

I love rye beer... my house ale has been an evolving recipe for a while and currently I have been trying to strip it
down a bit to make ingredients last a bit longer - less of everything.

I started out with about 22% rye in this beer with an OG of 1060 and 40 IBU. It's not a rye IPA, it was just meant to be my
house ale... UK pale ale malt, no color or crystal malt, Cascades and Nottingham yeast.

The latest batch was 9.5% rye with an OG of 1045 and 14 IBU of Cascades. Even thought it is a far cry from what I started
with it is still excellent house ale... even more drinkable than that first version.

Even at this small % of rye the flavor still shines thru with a spicy peppery taste.

What I need to know is how low can I go and still taste it?
From what I have read most of the info says that 10% will not be noticeable, but it is in my beer.

Is it more noticeable because there is no crystal in this recipe? Could it be a combination of the malts and yeast I am using?

I was just wondering if anybody else uses this small of a % in there beers and how they percieved it.

(BTW - I still love the high test version)

9

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: does anyone brew two batches at the same time?

« on: November 20, 2009, 06:05:33 PM »

Yes... I have 2 systems, one where I can do 15 gals and one where I can do 45 gals. On the larger one I can
split the wort between 3 kettles, one 30 gal and 2 x 15 gal so I can hop 4 different scheduals/bitterness/flavors.
When I chill I sometimes mix it up in the carboys by soaking special/dark grains to take a base beer even farther,
it just depends how much work I want to put in it.
Max output for one of these brew days is 12 carboys, but it is a lot of extra work before and after - sorting/grinding grain,
sorting/weighing hops and getting all the timing correct... plus all the carboys and yeast pitching !
I can also pull off 2 different types of beer by using first runnings only and batch sparging to get a small beer... this could be
lager or ale, Belgian, Barley Wine, Imperial beers...
Pulling off the big brew day usually adds 3 hrs on top of my normal 6 hr single brew day so it is pretty taxing especially if your having a few pints during 

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Whatcha Brewin' this week -- 2009 Nov 18-24?

« on: November 20, 2009, 02:31:40 PM »

I just finished the brewday... 6 hours not including cleanup.

I did 15gal of house ale @ OG 1045, which consists of 90% british pale ale malt and 10% rye malt.

Pitched yeast was US-05, Nottingham, and S04 for one carboy dosed with some black malt liquid (20SRM)

It was worth taking the day off to brew... good times 

11

Yeast and Fermentation / Danstar Munich dry wheat beer yeast?

« on: November 19, 2009, 06:19:33 PM »

Has anybody tried this stuff? opinions?

Was wondering if it is similar to Fermentis WB-06?

LHBS was blowing some out cheap...

12

Pimp My System / Some of my stuff

« on: November 18, 2009, 08:53:51 PM »

my larger system - 30g HLT 45g MT 30g Kettle 2 x 15g Converts




hop dryer


100lb grist hopper/stir paddle

13

Ingredients / Re: Is Maris Otter worth it?

« on: November 18, 2009, 12:00:13 PM »

Good question... it was actually Thomas Fawcett & Sons MO, they were out of the Crisp brand at the time and
I only bought half a bag, but it was so pricey it kind of scared me away !

Don't get me wrong, it made fantastic beer but with the way things are money wise I could not justify it. Another thing
was I was the only one in my crew who could tell the difference... it was sort of wasted on my drinking buddies - they just
want me to churn out Bud clones 

Maybe if the price comes down a bit I will give it another try, right now sticking with Domestic malts and the cheapest price I can find. US or Canadian malt make excellent beer.

14

Ingredients / Re: US Goldings

« on: November 17, 2009, 09:34:42 PM »

I don't have anything to report on US Goldings but since Goldings are my favorite hop I feel
I should jump in here and say don't go there... I had/have a real bad experience with some
US Hallertaus I bought a large supply of only to find they were substandard as a finishing hop.

I would stick with the imported stuff (EKG) or just the Kent Goldings - no issues as a finish hop
in my beers.

Goldings are pricey so I only use them from finishing... use Target/Challenger for boiling in english brews.

I now stay away from any hop labeled "US" - No offence to US products intended.

I bought a 11 lb brick of hops and all I can use them for is boiling... just getting thru the last few pounds
is going to be hell - they are horrible under 20 minutes in the kettle.

15

Ingredients / Re: Is Maris Otter worth it?

« on: November 17, 2009, 09:18:09 PM »

My standard english malt is Crisp and I have been using it for years with great results. Recently
I compaired it to MO to see what all the fuss was about and personally I can't justify the increased cost
for a small increase in quality. When you start dumping 2 bags per batch into the mash tun it adds up
in a hurry ! I guess it is even worse if your buying 10 lbs at a go from the LHBS.

I think to be fair if your compairing MO to other malts then compair it to Scottish or English varietys... the malt
I have been using has a carmel aftertaste I dig that works well with Barley Wines, Porters, and English ESBs
whereas the MO has more of a bready note in the finish.