Topics

1

Equipment and Software / Canner

« on: May 09, 2013, 03:14:28 PM »

I found a guy selling a two head canner for $6k.  It's over $20K new.  I know I don't need it, I know I can't afford it but I know I want it.  The idea of canning my own homebrew is really, really appealing.  I just wish that there were enough other homebrewers around here to make it worthwhile.
So, talk me out of spending too much on this thing. 

2

Ingredients / Ginger and Belgian Style Yeast

« on: May 06, 2013, 06:37:40 AM »

I want to make a ginger beer with a pronounced ginger flavour. I've read the threads on when to add and how much and I think I've settled on adding the juice sqeezed from 4 ounces in the last 10 mins of the boil as I want flavour but not heat.
But, I'm not sure of what yeast to use. I have a large pitch of the Wyeast Belgian Canadian (Unibroue) yeast. Do you think the ginger would clash with the phenols in this yeast?

3

Ingredients / Cloudy Maris Otter - how to clear my EIPA

« on: April 18, 2013, 12:44:07 PM »

A couple years ago someone (Bluesman???) made a comments about Munton's MO giving him cloudy beers.  I've got 10 gals of English IPA made with WLP007 and Muntin MO (and a bit of C40) that just will not clear up.  I make a lot of APA's with this yeast and they usually drop pretty clear pretty fast but this one just won't clear even with gelatin.  It's been cold crashed for 2 weeks now. 

So, short of filtering or waiting since I can't do one and am too thirsty to do the other, any idea what would help this drop clear?

4

Yeast and Fermentation / Can you over pitch a lager?

« on: March 28, 2013, 07:57:26 PM »

I've got a 5 gal amber lager with WLP833 sitting out for a D-rest right now. 
I'm going to do another lager right away, probably a 1.060ish bock of some sort.  Should I just re-pitch the entire yeast cake?  Mr. Malty says I should pitch about 230 ml of yeast from a re-pitch but I have no idea how to factor in how "clean" my re-pitch is.  I wasn't planning on trying to wash it or anything.  I would expect that there are maybe 2 cups of slurry in the bottom of the bucket, depending on how much liquid I have to use to get it re-suspended to pour.

So, long way to get to my question.  Is there any downside to just re-pitching the entire yeast cake?  I was going to chill to about 45 or so and then pitch.
Thanks

5

General Homebrew Discussion / AHA GC Election

« on: March 25, 2013, 09:16:57 AM »

Anyone else having problems getting in to vote?  I know I have an account but it's not working, I've requested a user name and password change and that's not working.  So, screw it. 

6

Beer Recipes / British Summer Ale

« on: March 25, 2013, 08:36:57 AM »

I'm thinking of trying something that falls into this somewhat unofficial style.  Anyone have any suggestions?  A friend asked me to make them some beer and I said that they had to make it and I'd help them.  They want something "lighter" in colour so I thought about a blond ale or maybe this style. 
Is there a difference?  If so, what is it?

First thought at a recipe (and this hasn't run through Beersmith yet).

9 lbs Maris Otter
1 lb wheat - just cause
1 oz EKG @ 60
1/2 oz EKG @10
1/2 oz Fruity hop of some sort (Mosaic, citra, amarillo, cascade???) @ 10
10 mins could become whirlpool hops
WLP007

Want to keep it pretty simple for the first attempt.
No idea how this would work but what I've read seems to mention some fruity hop character and not all classic English hops.  Sort of a hybrid US/English hopping regime.
Thanks

7

Hop Growing / Just ordered my rhizomes

« on: March 24, 2013, 09:07:36 AM »

You've all inspired me to order some rhizomes.  I ordered 4 Centennial, 4 Fuggle and 4 Magnum from Left Fields Hop Farms out in BC.  We shall have to see how things go but after reading Denny's comment about 1 plant, I'm thinking perhaps I was a bit ambitious. 

Can't wait to start harvesting my non-dry, non-stale hop cones ('cause I don't want to get caught up in the wet/fresh debate).

8

The Pub / Bitter Brew

« on: March 08, 2013, 10:05:21 AM »

Anyone read this?  I've been listening to the audiobook.  Interesting.  Not as much about beer, more about how dysfunctional the Busch family was. 

9

Beer Recipes / Munich Dunkel Help Needed

« on: March 05, 2013, 08:38:39 AM »

Having almost no access to this style locally, I'm thinking of taking a shot at one.  Based on the amount of grain I have available, would this get me anywhere close?

5 gals.
4 lbs Weyerman Munich 1
4 lbs Weyerman Pils Malt
2 oz Weyerman Midnight Wheat - added at sparge
1 oz Hallertau 5% at 60
1 oz Hallertau 5% at 10

WLP 833 with large starter.
Ferment at 50F

Thanks

10

Yeast and Fermentation / a10t2 - Sean, why don't you like Chico?

« on: February 27, 2013, 09:05:02 PM »

Sorry, had to ask.

11

Yeast and Fermentation / wlp001 for Scottish 60/ or 70/

« on: February 24, 2013, 11:13:48 AM »

We've all seen this in a particular book but is the California Ale yeast really a good choice for a scottish 60/ or 70/? 
I've got some beer coming off this yeast this week and I want to make at least 10 gals of something easy drinking and lighter in ABV.  I've never done the Scottish ales so before I commit the MO, I wanted to ask if this works for you.
Thanks

12

Beer Recipes / Pilsner with WLP833?

« on: February 24, 2013, 10:00:29 AM »

I found a vial of WLP833 that had just reached it's expiration date.  I put it in a 1 L starter and then decanted that and added 2 more L of starter wort  to build it back up and it's going along nicely.
But, I'm not 100% sure what to make with it.  I was originally thinking Maibock for spring but I was wondering if a lower alcohol pilsner would be alright.  I'm not that big on higher abv beers.  What do you think this yeast would do if I used it in a 4.5% pils style?  I normally would use the Mexican Lager strain for this but since I have this yeast ready maybe I'll use it instead.  This should also give me a decent pitch of healthier yeast if I wanted to make a batch or two of O'fest like everyone else is doing...

13

Wood/Casks / How full should a barrel be?

« on: January 18, 2013, 12:15:34 PM »

I'm assuming pretty much completely full.  I added 5 gals of sweet stout to a small barrel and there was probably 3/4 of a gallon more space.  I filled the remainder with some Irish Red that I had ready to keg but that wasn't my original plan. 

Is it better to have a barrel right full or is air space ok?  I expect more oxidation if I leave it less full.
Thanks.

14

Yeast and Fermentation / Cold Wort - Warm Yeast

« on: January 18, 2013, 11:36:24 AM »

Any danger pitching room temperature yeast starters into cold wort?  At this time of year, it's probably 1 to 2 degrees above freezing in my garage and I sometimes make beer at the end of the day, chill it down to 70 or so with an immersion chiller and let it sit overnight in the cold to allow the hot break and hops to settle out before transferring to a bucket or carboy.  I've had good luck with this but now it's really cold and I'm wondering if there is any detriment to pitching room temp yeast into this cold wort.  Ideally, I would remember to put the yeast starter in the garage at the same time and let it get cold but sometimes I forget.

After pitching I move them to the basement that is a nice even 66 degrees.  I could let the beer warm up before pitching but I'd prefer to have yeast in there in order to compete if there are any bacteria etc that the star-san missed.

Thanks

15

Wood/Casks / Bought my first barrel

« on: January 16, 2013, 11:40:10 AM »

I just picked up a used 5 gal Hungarian oak barrel from the local wine shop.  They've been using it since about Oct 2011 for oaking wine so I'm not sure how much oak character is left in it.  I was thinking about using it for sours but I have an Imperial sweet stout that I was going to bottle off.  The wine shop had it full of water so it's swelled and tight and I'm thinking of putting the beer in it right away.

But, what do I need to do in order to sanitize it?  I read some of the other threads but I wasn't really sure exactly what the best option was (because I sure don't have any sulphur sitting around to burn).  I have star-san and I have potassium metabisulphite. 

Any suggestions what to do with it today so that I can put beer in it tomorrow?  I'm thinking that I'd leave the stout in it for a few weeks in order to try to get some character out of the wood.  Then I think a Belgian strong will go in after the stout and before I commit it to sours.  I'm in no rush so if it takes a month to get character out of it, that's fine.

Thanks