Messages

1

Ingredients / Re: Double Crush Steeping Grains

« on: May 02, 2013, 08:26:01 am »

Great.  Thanks for the reply.  I was unsure so thought I would ask. 

Thanks again!

2

Ingredients / Double Crush Steeping Grains

« on: May 02, 2013, 07:51:17 am »

So I recently went with a friend to our LHBS to pick up ingredients for an 10 gallon extract recipe that we will be brewing for Big Brew day on Saturday.

Some of the grain that my friend gathered was not crushed while some was (the LHBS's mill is a little strange and you have to move the rollers on the bottom to get it going). I don't think he noticed it wasn't crushing properly.  I didn't notice until I got home when I was putting away the grain that there appeared to be whole grain in the bag.  I opened it up and...sure enough there was whole grain along with grain that was crushed.

My question is, can I run the grain through again without compromising the recipe?  I know that double crushed grain will extract more flavor/sugars so I am concerned of extracting too much since we are using extract. 

Thoughts? 

Thanks!

3

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: boil off - extract

« on: April 29, 2013, 09:56:20 am »

good point.  I think i am going to add all of the extract at the beginning.  So the volume would be what...roughly 2 gallons (guessing) for a 10 gallon batch.  expecting 1-2 gallon boil off.  I will try it out this week prior to brew day.

4

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: boil off - extract

« on: April 29, 2013, 08:25:58 am »

Why didn't I think of that!  Perfect idea.  I will try the boil off exercise. 

I have 15 gallon megapot...so it is wide. 

Thanks for the tip!

5

General Homebrew Discussion / boil off - extract

« on: April 29, 2013, 08:18:09 am »

So I am going to be attempting a full boil this weekend.  I am still brewing extract but will be making a 10 gallon batch.  I would like to try my hand at a full boil but I have a quick question. 

Based on everything I have searched people say it depends, but I was hoping someone could give me a good average number of how much water I should start with if I was to doing a 10 gallon batch.  11 gallons?  12 gallons?

Thanks a lot for all of your help.

6

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: overdose of DME

« on: April 15, 2013, 07:41:25 am »

Garc_mall is spot on.  3lbs instead of 2lbs isn't a huge difference but will make it a stronger beer.  If you are using dry yeast, recalculate your recipe to identify your intended OG (a sample with hydrometer is better) to ensure you have a yeast cell count that can handle the OG.  You should be good if the recalculation/measurement is under 1.060.

7

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: Low OG...any suggestions?

« on: April 15, 2013, 07:37:25 am »

Jeffy,  I think you might be spot on.  I am having a feeling I did not mix it well enough even though I rocked the carboy back and forth for awhile.  Oh well.  I gave it another good shake as I could see the separation after hooking up my blow off tube.

Barely any fermentation activity this morning but it is still a little early.  I am going to take another gravity reading this afternoon. 

Thanks for the suggestions.  I was dumbfounded that I would get such a drastic OG difference with extract. 

The only thing I thought was not mixed well or too much top off water. 

Thanks again.

8

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Low OG...any suggestions?

« on: April 14, 2013, 06:20:12 pm »

Alright, so just got done brewing an IPA.  Based on my recipe calculations the OG should have been 1.062.  After the boiling process and adding water I tested the gravity and it is at 1.040.  Significantly lower than my intended OG.  I am a little disappointed and really surprised as my previous IPA hit my intended OG at 1.060.  Any suggestions at this point?  I have already pitched the yeast so not sure what else can be done except just ride it out and see where it lands.

Here is the fermentables.

5 gallon batch.

9.15# of pale extract
.25# of cane sugar (wanted to dry it out a little)

roughly 7 ounces of hops
1 oz magnum
6 oz of centennial

Any thoughts?

thanks for your help.

9

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: How to tell a craft brewer his beer is seriously flawed

« on: April 01, 2013, 07:09:41 pm »

Wow...just wow.

At least you tried.

10

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: IPA - Flavor & Aroma Loss - Suggestions?

« on: March 15, 2013, 10:09:50 am »

True.  Great suggestion.  That just may be it. 

Thanks.

11

General Homebrew Discussion / IPA - Flavor & Aroma Loss - Suggestions?

« on: March 15, 2013, 09:47:39 am »

Hello All,

So I bottled an IPA almost two weeks ago.  Upon tasting it prior to bottling, the aroma and hop flavor was absolutely fantastic.

I tasted one about 5 days after bottling and the aroma and flavor was still there but obviously still under-carbed. 

I tasted one yesterday (bottled 12 day ago) and the flavor and aroma just were not there.  I am hoping its just an off bottle but would hate to see my great IPA go wrong. 

Any suggestions?  Just let it sit for a little bit longer? Anything I can do at this point?

I was thinking the carbing would help this IPA and bring forward the aroma and flavor but it kind of tastes a little bleh. 

I know, RAHAHB. ha.

12

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Best Way To Dry Hop in Secondary (Frist Time Dry Hopping)

« on: March 13, 2013, 03:15:18 pm »

+1 to just adding them to the primary. I don't keg, so I line my bottling bucket with a sanitized paint strainer bag to catch any hop debris that makes it through my autosiphon when I rack.

Dang....I will have to try this. 

I just dry hopped a beer and went straight from the primary to bottles.  There is a fair amount of yeast and hop sediment at the bottom that I would love to limit to a degree.  Thanks for the suggestion erockrph.

The OP might want to take this suggestion.

13

Events / Re: NHC Hotel question

« on: March 13, 2013, 09:21:10 am »

Excellent!  I figured that was the case based on what I saw about the upcoming NHC, but just wanted to make sure. 

Thanks Bonjour!

14

Events / NHC Hotel question

« on: March 13, 2013, 08:49:46 am »

So I am planning way in advance to attend the 2014 NHC in Grand Rapids...which is my hometown.  Super excited to have NHC in such a great city.

I have a noob question.  Does AHA/NHC reserve blocks of hotel rooms or do attendees just try to find what they can? 

I already noticed that most rooms in city hotels are booked up during the dates of the conference.

Thanks for entertaining this question.

15

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What is your favorite music to listen to while homebrewing?

« on: March 06, 2013, 11:32:50 am »

It kind of depends but it is usually one of the two....

1. NPR
2. Roots Reggae (Bob Marley, Burning Spear, etc.)/New Roots Reggae (John Brown's Body, SOJA, etc.)

I like to keep it mellow when brewing.  If I start listening to Norwegian Death Metal, then I get too worked up/drinking too much, and start missing stuff. ha.