Topics

1

Other Fermentables / 16% Sweet Mead?

« on: August 10, 2012, 04:49:00 am »

This is a simple question and I think I already know the answer, but I would love to get a response.

I made a Northern Brewer sweet mead kit.

15lbs of honey. The OG was somewhere above 1.100. The FG turned out to be 0.992. I calculated about 16% abv.

This turned out to not be sweet at all since apparently almost all sugar was eaten.

My question is -

In an attempt to "degass" the mead, I almost daily rolled/shook around the carboy on its bottom "to get the gas out".

Did I just keep throwing the yeast back in the fermentables for it to eat more than it was supposed to?

2

Ingredients / Hot peppers in an IPA

« on: August 01, 2012, 12:40:49 pm »

I plan on making a 3 gallon batch of Habanero IPA.


When would you add hot peppers?

3

Ingredients / Coffee and Stout

« on: August 01, 2012, 12:38:55 pm »

I read a few posts on other sites, but felt asking here would give me the answer I would prefer.



At what point do you add the coffee? 

Do you just brew coffee or just use ground coffee?


Is Chocolate similar timing? Use those "nibs"?

4

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Using Ice to cool wort?

« on: July 31, 2012, 08:43:07 am »

Simple question.


Besides contamination..... is there any other negative reason of adding a 10lb of ice to the 3gallon boiling wort to get it to pitching temps in under 5 minutes?

5

Beer Recipes / PHAT ???? Ale

« on: July 31, 2012, 08:39:23 am »

I brewed this beer last night. I thought it would be fun to make beer names using the first letter of the hops/additions used. This one is PHAT. My question is.... what beer type this would fall into?

Pale? Blonde? Golden?

Not sure what it technically would be. It was not as light colored as I had hoped. So, I would assume Pale Ale.


Recipe -

OG – 1.052
IBUs ~26

Steeping -
1 lbs Briess Carapils

60 Minute Boil -
6lbs NB Organic Light LME
1lbs Honey

Hops/Additions -
.25oz Apollo – 60min
.5oz Tettnang – 20min
1tsp Irish Moss – 15min
.5oz Sweet Orange Peel – 10min
.5oz Palisade – 5min
.5oz Horizon – 1min

Yeast -
1pkg Safale US-05

6

Yeast and Fermentation / Two yeasts for one split 5gallon batch?

« on: July 20, 2012, 02:27:16 pm »

Simple question.

If I make a 5 gallon 1.060 batch, split to 2.5 x2, and money is not an concern, would using a full "smack pack" be too much yeast in each?

7

Beer Recipes / Dark Ale - My first recipe

« on: July 20, 2012, 12:20:36 pm »

        I purchased all this stuff and am planning on making the beer tomorrow. Just wondering if anyone sees any blaring issue that would make this suck.


Slick Dark Ale 1
   Style: Brown Ale   OG: 1.065   
   Type: Extract   FG: 1.015   
   Rating: 0.0   ABV: 6.55 %   
   Calories: 218   IBU's: 53.36   
   Efficiency: 40 %   Boil Size: 5.57 Gal   
   Color:   18.1 SRM     Batch Size: 5.00 Gal   
   Preboil OG: 1.063   Boil Time: 60 minutes   
 
Fermentation Steps
Name   Days / Temp
Primary   21 days @ 68.0°F

 
Grains & Adjuncts
Amount   Percentage      Name   Time   Gravity
3.15 lbs   31.03 %      Dark Liquid Extract   60 mins   1.036
1.00 lbs   9.85 %      Briess Caramel 60L   60 mins   1.034
6.00 lbs   59.11 %      Amber Liquid Extract   60 mins   1.036
 
Hops
Amount   IBU's      Name   Time   AA %
1.00 ozs   45.95      Warrior   60 mins   15.00
1.00 ozs   4.78      Liberty   10 mins   4.30
1.00 ozs   2.75      Fuggles   5 mins   4.50
1.00 ozs         Cascade   14 days   5.50
 
Yeasts
Amount   Name   Laboratory / ID
1.00 pkg   California Ale   White Labs 0001
 
Additions
Amount   Name   Time   Stage
1.00 tsp   Irish Moss   15 mins   Boil

8

Yeast and Fermentation / 2 wks Primary ; 2 wks Seconday ; 2 weeks bottle?

« on: July 17, 2012, 12:25:42 pm »

I have just recently brewed my first 2 extract batches. I am planning on Brewing every other Saturday while my girlfriend is at work. I have a bi-weekly brewing schedule that I think would work really well. I was also wondering if anyone else does something similar?

As the title suggests,

This Saturday I will be bottling my first brew. I will be moving my second batch to a secondary. I will also be brewing a third beer Saturday.... obviously putting in a Primary.


My plan is to repeat this every two weeks. Most likely doing 2.5/3.0 gallon batches once I have a stockpile of beer that household consumption can't keep up with. 


Questions -

Is there any disadvantage to leave the beer in a Primary for 5-7 days after the fermentation stops?

If I am not dry hopping, should I just bottle after the initial 2 weeks or would the secondary still help?

If I missed a week, would 4 weeks in a Primary be ok to Bottle and would 6 weeks before bottling be too long? Or would I need to bottle and transfer asap?


Thanks!