Messages

1

Equipment and Software / Re: Chest Freeze/Keezer

« on: July 26, 2012, 07:03:43 AM »

Make sure you have enough vertical space for anything you might attach to your kegs.  If you are ever going to put carboys in it, make sure you account for the air lock, for instance.

2

The Pub / Re: State Fair Food that just Screams Weaze 8^)

« on: July 26, 2012, 07:00:46 AM »

Not just any bacon corn dog.  A double bacon corn dog.  Deep fried twice. 

Must be state fair time if food on a stick is in the news...

3

Other Fermentables / Re: Pickles and Crispness

« on: July 26, 2012, 05:57:56 AM »

Pickle crisp is CaCl2

Fixed it for you

IIRC, CaCl2 is used in molecular gastronomy when they make those "caviar" drops of some liquid into a CaCl2 solution.  So the "firming agent" (insert joke of choice) use seems to fit.

4

Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: Your Top 4 Hefeweizens?

« on: July 26, 2012, 05:55:02 AM »

A fresh Weihenstephaner is so far ahead for me that I don't even bother thinking of another three.  I guess I like Paulaner and Franziskaner if I can't find a Weihenstephaner, but I'm not happy substituting.  I like Schneider a lot, but it seems kind of dark.  It's a fairly unique beer, an amber hefe.

5

Ingredients / Re: Muntons Caramalt/Maris Otter

« on: July 26, 2012, 05:47:46 AM »

Maris Otter is a barley variety.  But when anyone in a brewing context says "Maris Otter" without any other explanation, they specifically mean "pale ale malt made from Maris Otter."  That's implied.  So tell your LHBS guy you want base malt, not crystal malt.  Caramalt is a 10-15L crystal malt, kind of like a darker carapils.  Maris Otter (pale ale malt) is a 3-5L base malt.

6

Other Fermentables / Re: How'd mead and cider get to be part of a beer organization.

« on: July 26, 2012, 05:33:41 AM »

You could use Summit hops with your Durian fruit.  Wait.  How would you tell the difference?

7

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Fermentation Temps

« on: July 26, 2012, 05:32:36 AM »

If you're not having problems, DON'T GO LOOKING FOR IT!

I can't count the number of people who were making good beer, read a bunch of stuff on the internet, overthought what they were doing, and drove themselves into the ditch.

This has been a Public Service Announcement.

8

Beer Recipes / Re: Recipe help please

« on: July 26, 2012, 05:28:39 AM »

So Summit is the saffron of the hop world?

I'd love to see someone do the experiment to determine the threshold of stankiness, or otherwise isolate that character.  Or if it is taster-dependent on some genetic basis.  I know people who say green bell peppers taste like gasoline and others who say cilantro tastes like soap.  So I'm willing to accept that some people will sense things differently, perhaps due to blind spots for certain chemicals.  I know the phenomenon exists; I just don't know if that's what's at play here, or if it's a simple concentration of chemical issue.

I like tangerines; I would use a hop that had that character.  Sweaty socks?  Not so much.

9

All Grain Brewing / Re: Step Mashing a Hefe...Why?

« on: July 26, 2012, 05:22:53 AM »

What I meant to be asking, though, is if you intentionally underpitched specifically for Weizens.

No, I don't.  A normal pitch has always worked fine for me.  But this thread has taught me to be cautious of overpitching, whether by repitching from a previous batch or by getting yeast from a brewpub (both things I do often).

10

Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: Samuel Adams Cinder Bock

« on: July 25, 2012, 09:13:31 AM »

Deschuttes still make Cinder Cone Red?

11

The Pub / Re: song title game

« on: July 25, 2012, 06:09:45 AM »

Killing in the Name - Rage Against the Machine

12

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Stuck Fermentation - Best Course?

« on: July 25, 2012, 06:06:08 AM »

You could do a forced fermentation test to see if you've reached the limit of your wort's fermentability.  But warming and rousing is likely much easier.

I agree with the comment about carbonation.  If you think it's too sweet, you can try carbonating it higher.  If it's too sweet, you could also blend in a little bit of a more bitter beer to help balance that sweetness.  You could also add other ingredients like hot peppers or oak that would balance sweetness.  Just don't pick all these things at once.  It may turn out fine on its own.

RDWHAHB, wait a week, and then decide if it needs tuning up.

13

Beer Recipes / Re: Amber/ESB Recipe- please critque

« on: July 25, 2012, 05:59:58 AM »

Half MO and half Munich as a base is worth trying.  I often use half MO and half Vienna as a base for malty beers.  Basically, think about the flavor contributions of each.  If you don't want the big bready, biscuity character of MO, then cut it with something.  If you want something neutral, go 2-row or pils.  If you want to add malty/toasty, go Vienna.  If you want malty/rich, go Munich.  Just try to understand the flavors each provides and visualize them mixed.  If you make some single malt beers, you can blend them post-fermentation to get an idea of what kind of ratios you might like to use.

14

Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: Samuel Adams Cinder Bock

« on: July 25, 2012, 05:55:20 AM »

The article says they are making whiskey from SA Boston Lager and Cinder Bock.  I'm guessing that the Boston Larger is the same, but the Cinder Bock is a new recipe that is lightly hopped or not hopped at all.

Boston Larger?  I think that would be a great name for an imperial version of their beer.

15

All Things Food / Re: curing meat

« on: July 25, 2012, 05:53:33 AM »

Did you see Ruhlman is coming out with another charcuterie book?  Salumi, I think it's called.