Messages

1

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Zymurgy Top-Ranked Beers

« on: Today at 01:35:21 AM »

This list is unscientific.

I think this is a key thing.  Of course it is unscientific, but it's kind of fun.

I have had pliny a bunch of times - it is a great beer.  It is definitely in my list of best 1000000 beers and is certainly in the top 100%.

Now that's commitment, Tom!

What can I say

I can appreciate that people like to rank beers.  I don't.  I know that I would prefer a Pliny over the smoked porter I am drinking right now, because they used cherry wood smoked malt at too high of a level for me and I find it to be harshly phenolic.  That cherry smoked malt doesn't have the smooth smokiness of weyermann rauch malt or my home smoked malt.

But to me a big part of beer enjoyment is situational.  Floating down a river in 105F weather a Coors banquet really hits the spot.  Not the Anderson Valley Boont amber or the 21A Hell or High Watermelon we also had - coors banquet.  if we had had pliny with us . . . no.  I generally despise a light lager and that beer is nowhere in my top 100 or even 1000 beers because under normal conditions it just doesn't taste good to me.  But it probably makes my top 50 beer memories, for whatever that is worth.

2

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Zymurgy Top-Ranked Beers

« on: June 19, 2013, 11:27:10 AM »

This list is unscientific.

I think this is a key thing.  Of course it is unscientific, but it's kind of fun.

I have had pliny a bunch of times - it is a great beer.  It is definitely in my list of best 1000000 beers and is certainly in the top 100%.

3

All Grain Brewing / Re: Rather than doing a decoction...

« on: June 19, 2013, 11:24:10 AM »

The cereal/decoction mash is in a pot, that goes into the pressure cooker. The pressure cooker has a false bottom and water under the false bottom. The goods never go over the steam temp, so no scorching, and no need to stir.

I'm sure we all know this, but I think it's worth pointing out that the steam is under pressure and will be hotter than 212F.  How hot depends on the pressure.  Just to be clear.

Going to the NHC BJCP reception?

With a pressure cooked cereal mash you get to about 230f, and some caramelization but lots of melanoidin production. Mr. Renner is a good friend.

Already mentioned in reply 10. 

Ok, worth pointing out again

4

All Grain Brewing / Re: Rather than doing a decoction...

« on: June 19, 2013, 09:28:29 AM »

The cereal/decoction mash is in a pot, that goes into the pressure cooker. The pressure cooker has a false bottom and water under the false bottom. The goods never go over the steam temp, so no scorching, and no need to stir.

I'm sure we all know this, but I think it's worth pointing out that the steam is under pressure and will be hotter than 212F.  How hot depends on the pressure.  Just to be clear.

5

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Who's going to NHC?

« on: June 18, 2013, 10:35:45 AM »

Had to change my family vacation plans and buy a last minute flight, which I got for $132 bucks but have to fly in Wednesday. Anyone be around philly Wednesday night?

I get in Tuesday too.  Maybe we should recreate our Seattle lunch? Except this time I won't have to run off and can actually relax and have more than one beer.

6

Going Pro / Re: First Pro Competition

« on: June 18, 2013, 10:24:39 AM »

Just curious, do the judges know whose beer they're drinking or is it judged blindly?

A friend of mine judged this competition and he told me that all beers were judged blindly.  In addition, since these were local breweries and local judges, they were asked to disclose if they had close connections at any breweries so they could judge categories that those breweries didn't enter to avoid any apparent conflicts.

Yes, blind.  The organizers are very experienced at running BJCP competitions, they put this one together for the pro beers this year.  I think it was a huge success and I'm sure it will be repeated.

7

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Water filter at new house

« on: June 17, 2013, 11:43:16 PM »

I have tasted beers where the brewer made the mistake of using a garden hose (one time I was the brewer, which is how I recognized it next time) - don't do it.  The white RV hoses are fine.

8

Beer Recipes / Re: Conversion from brewery to homebrew system/math help

« on: June 17, 2013, 10:51:43 PM »

Personally I prefer making a toddy by cold steeping the coffee, then straining and adding it to the keg.  Use 1 oz of coffee per pint of water, for a 5 gallon keg I use 3 oz of ground coffee.  You're in the right range with 4 oz, it just depends on how much coffee flavor you want.

9

Going Pro / Re: First Pro Competition

« on: June 17, 2013, 10:30:55 PM »

I judged the competition (but not the ambers )

From what I was told, the forms are similar to the GABF ones but modified to add room for feedback and tasting notes.  Feedback was to be focused on best category for the beer, technical flaws, and bottling issues.  I found them to be very easy to use and they allowed for quick judging (BOS style).

10

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Lagering Time

« on: June 15, 2013, 12:20:17 AM »

I think I need to bleach my brain to get rid of that image....

You say that now, but just wait until Club Night.

Club night, if done properly, provides its own bleach.

11

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: i'm brewing a beer for a movie

« on: June 15, 2013, 12:18:51 AM »

This is just really cool

12

Ingredients / Re: Too dry. How to correct.

« on: June 14, 2013, 11:58:46 PM »

You could be right duboman.  Maybe some of the real dry flavors will be masked with dry hopping. I don't know.

This was the first AIPA where I really boosted the sodium to around 250 ppm to enhance the hop qualities.

I'm assuming you meant to say sulfate, not sodium. Getting the sulfate up to that level will enhance the dry/crisp/bitter impression of the beer. Let it carb up and then see what you think.

If you really meant sodium, can you tell us more about where you learned this technique and what it's supposed to do for the hops?  I don't think I've ever had a beer with that much sodium, except perhaps a gose.  Usually it's 1/10 that at most.

13

Equipment and Software / Re: How much pressure?

« on: June 14, 2013, 11:52:21 PM »

Any pressure vessel that hold over 14.9 psi have to be certified.
Do not play with fire.

Thanks, I didn't know this.  My fermenters have PRVs on them set for ~13 psi, but I know they are rated for 15 psi only so I don't mess with them.  Exploding fermenters = bad.  Very very bad.

14

Events / Re: I am going to the NHC !

« on: June 14, 2013, 11:47:36 PM »

awesome

15

Ingredients / Re: Juniper Berries

« on: June 14, 2013, 12:26:28 AM »

Yeah, my "juniper" is an eastern red cedar.

I buy mine from a spice market, maybe I'll plant one eventually.