Messages

31

Beer Recipes / Amber/ESB Recipe- please critque

« on: July 23, 2012, 07:25:44 PM »

Trying to formulate a recipe for an amber/ESB.  My goal was for a medium-full bodied, malt-dominant, smooth drinking amber ale with supporting bitterness and more subtle hop aroma/flavor.  Not really sure where all this fits in stylistically speaking but here is what I came up with.

10 gal batch
Mash 154 x 60
OG 1.060
IBU ~30

MALT:
7lb Marris Otter
7lb American 2 row
3lb Munich
2lb Crystal 40
1lb Victory
1lb Carapils
0.5lb Aromatic Malt
0.25lb Chocolate Malt

HOPS:
1oz Magnum 14% AA at 60min
0.5oz Willamette 6% AA 15min
0.5oz Mt Hood 5% AA 15min
0.5oz Willamette 5min
0.5oz Mt Hood 5min

Yeast- I am still up in the air on this.  I was thinking an English strain- WLP002, 005, or maybe Burton Ale Strain.  I wanted to avoid WLP001 and the like to not put too much emphasis on hops.

I toyed with the idea of adding some flaked oats for more body/smoothness but feel like the malt bill is getting somewhat complex.  The victory malt I don't have a whole lot of experience with- looking for some toasted/biscuit flavor.

I'm all ears on suggestions.  Thanks

32

Ingredients / Honey malt

« on: July 20, 2012, 10:51:51 AM »

I was thinking of adding some honey malt to a developing raspberry wheat recipe in hopes of a touch of sweetness and honey notes.  Not looking for anything prominent or overpowering.  Has anyone used this malt before and have any recs on amount?  Does a little go a long way?  The recipe is 50:50 wheat and 2 row malt and 0.5lb Munich.  Thoughts?

33

Ingredients / Re: Carawheat malt

« on: July 19, 2012, 02:34:42 PM »

Thanks for the advice.  The base beer, uncarbonated and at 70F, tasted okay- definitely no excessive tart flavors there.  The fruit came in the form of a puree in which I believe the seeds have been removed. 
In terms of adding chalk- where can this be purchased?  I may bump up the mash temp to 153 next batch ad see where things go.  Thanks again.

34

Ingredients / Carawheat malt

« on: July 19, 2012, 11:05:25 AM »

Tuning up a raspberry wheat recipe and while I like the raspberry flavor it seems a bit unbalanced towards the tartness mostly contributed by the raspberries.  The malt right now is 6lb white wheat, 4lb 2 row, 0.5 lb Munich.  I've never used carawheat before but was curious if it could add just a touch of sweetness and body to balance out the raspberries.  If so any suggestions on amount? .33 lb ?  Not sure if upping the mash temp a bit would provide the same effect- currently at 151F x 60min

35

Yeast and Fermentation / San fran lager strain

« on: June 30, 2012, 09:26:59 AM »

I have my baltic porter with san fran lager yeast that has been at about 58-60F for 15 days now.  I checked the gravity last night and it has dropped from 1.085 to 1.030.  Fermentation has slowed a bit but still showing active signs.  My question is regarding when I can begin to drop the temp a bit with this strain as this is the first time I have used it.  The carboy is sitting in my keezer with the rest of my beer and I am hoping to be able to start to chill it down a bit.  Can I expect fermentation to continue safely if I drop down towards 48-50F (likely a few degrees a day)?  My goal is a gravity around 1.018-1.020. 

36

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Unplanned open fermentation

« on: June 21, 2012, 03:40:00 PM »

3 piece airlock and the cap was missing leaving a direct communication between beer and ambient air.  The fluid surrounds the tube in the center of the airlock and was filled with water and subsequently beer when I found it.

37

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Unplanned open fermentation

« on: June 21, 2012, 01:01:24 PM »

Thanks for the tips.  I'll hang with it and see where things go.  Come September we will know I guess.

38

Yeast and Fermentation / Unplanned open fermentation

« on: June 21, 2012, 10:43:49 AM »

So I brewed up my long planned Baltic porter, dropped it in the keezer to ferment at 58F and promptly left town the next day for Florida for five days.  Came home and found the airlock top sitting on the floor of the keezer- I suspect the fermentation activity and foam blew it off but there was no significant mess to suggest all that much of an overflow of fermentation activity.  Anyways, the carboy sat open to the air of the keezer x 5 days at the most.  There is an internal small fan in the keezer circulating air.  The SG has dropped from 1.085 to 1.050, it tastes fine, and no horrendous odor.  I replaced the airlock and fermentation continues, albeit, slowly.  What are the chances this is infected?  How do I tell?  Is this worth following thru to the end of my planned 3-6 months aging.  I was really excited on this beer and pretty pissed this happened especially since I genuinely considered a blow off tube but then decided against it.

39

All Grain Brewing / 1st wheat brew

« on: June 13, 2012, 06:13:57 PM »

Going to brew up a raspberry wheat for the first time tomorrow- really my first effort at a beer with a good amount of wheat (50% grist).  I have heard these mashes can prove tricky so I was hoping to elicit any advice others may have. 
I plan on using a good amount of rice hulls. 
I've heard wheat beers can foam up pretty good in the carboy- any use for silicone anti-foam agents and if so how do you use these?
Any suggestions on mashing?  I have initial plans for a single infusion mash at 150F x 60 min.  Any role for protein rests or other steps?
Sparge as normal or additional cautions?

I'm all ears.

40

Beer Recipes / Peaches anyone?

« on: June 05, 2012, 07:16:05 PM »

Any ideas for a good style to brew with peaches.  Just brainstorming a bit here to try and get some ideas going down the line.  Was down at LHBS  and someone mentioned an APA  which caught my attention.  A light Belgian blonde was another idea.  I'm not sure how an IPA recipe would match up with the fruit. I don't know of many commercial examples.

41

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Altitude and beer transport

« on: June 04, 2012, 06:18:32 AM »

Thank you all for the reassurance.  Its been awhile since high school physics and I didn't want explosions on my way up to Breckenridge.

42

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: WLP670

« on: June 03, 2012, 07:47:11 AM »

I used this strain in my rosemary rye saison and the results were interesting.  I contacted white labs regarding ferment temps and they told me the strain loves higher temps 80+F.  I got a little carried away with this and due to some equipment malfunction ended up @ 92F.  Not sure what this did to the yeast but it is pretty funky stuff, more than I was going for.  Overall I was less than pleased but I think I may try again at more reasonable temps.  The beer is getting better after about four months though, smoother. 
I used star San and a long PBW soak to clean the equipment and haven't had problems with infection of subsequent batches.  I'd still dedicate some cheap pieces of equipment (tubes and such) to Brett beers if you pursue this.  Good luck

43

Kegging and Bottling / Altitude and beer transport

« on: June 03, 2012, 06:23:16 AM »

What can be expected from beer brewed and bottled at 2000 ft and then transported to say 8000 ft?  Can I expect exploding bottles or excessively carbonated/foamy beer due to the lower pressure or is this not an issue?  I figure breweries in Colorado (which is where I'm headed) have the same reverse problem shipping their beer to lower states.  Does anyone have any ideas about this?

44

Yeast and Fermentation / Storing Yeast Starters?

« on: May 22, 2012, 11:45:53 AM »

I've got a big two weeks of brewing coming up with a laid back work schedule and my wife and kids leaving town for 2 weeks thus leaving me to attend my hobby.  I am going to try and cram in 5 batches so I'll be set for months.  I've been planning this for awhile.
In preparation I was hoping to get my yeast starters ready a week or two ahead of time.  2 batches will require sizable starters (big baltic porter and dunkel).  The other 3 will be smaller beers.  Is there a way to store starters for a week or two?  Perhaps placing them in cleaned and sanitized bottles and capping them?  I could then crack them open as needed.  I only have two starter flasks.  Suggestions welcome.

45

Yeast and Fermentation / Accounting for fruit contribution to alcohol level

« on: May 12, 2012, 02:41:56 PM »

For my upcoming raspberry wheat recipe I plan to secondary the beer on top of a raspberry puree for 2-3 weeks.  Likely going to use 3lbs.  Is there a way (or a reason) to account for the fermentation of raspberry sugars contribution to the alcohol level or is it negligible?