Messages

16

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Double Boiling, Double Fermentation

« on: November 29, 2012, 11:21:11 AM »

I find that collecting first runnings followed by putting in more water into the mash, mixing well, letting sit for another 30 or so minutes and collecting second runnings (mixing first and second, obviously) extracts way more out of the grain than fly sparging.

Let me understand.  You mash in and mash out.  Collect all of your first wort runnings and then you add water back to your mashed grains, let sit for another 30 minutes and then collect enough 2nd runnings to combine with first runnings for you boil.  I assume the water you add is +/- 170 to 175ish and you would collect around 6.25 to 6.50 gallons for a 5 gallons batch.

Is this batch sparging?

17

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Double Boiling, Double Fermentation

« on: November 29, 2012, 06:44:28 AM »

I typically shoot for around a 1.070-1.075 range

If you're trying to get to 9% ABV, that's your problem right there. You need about 70 "points" of apparent attenuation for 9% ABV. So the OG would need to be at least 1.080, more likely 1.090.

My wheelhouse is generally the 1.070-1.075 range, but I sometimes try to go higher.  I think I have some efficiency issues, that I haven't been able to overcome.  For example, I attempted to make and Old Rasputin RIS clone and it didn't hit anywhere near the OG numbers I thought I should hit.

Recipe:
15lbs 4oz Rahr PAle Ale
1 lbs American Crystal 40
1 lbs American Crystal  120
8 oz brown malt
8 oz choc malt
4 oz black barley

Correct me if I'm wrong, but for a 5 gal batch I should have been around 1.092-1.094.  I had an OG of 1.084.  I mashed in at 153, mashed out at 167, fly sparged for 55 minutes using 172 degree water.

I made a 1.5 liter starter using Wyeast 1028 (London Ale) and then added a Safale 05.  It finished out at 1.026 and I was expecting that if I hit my target OG.  My thought is if I was 6-10 points off my target OG I should have finished out at 3-5 points below my estimated FG which was 1.022-1.025.

It began fermenting at 67 and then raised up to 72 due to lack of temp control.

Don't get me wrong, it tastes good (broke into it two days ago), but I feel it could have been better if my numbers hit closer.

Back to the original thread:  I will have to ask if he boiled the sugar separately the second time then added it to the original beer or if he boiled the beer after first fermentation with the new added sugars.

18

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Double Boiling, Double Fermentation

« on: November 29, 2012, 06:30:28 AM »

Depending on the yeast, even 2 packs may be underpitching.  What size starters do you make, when you make them?

Typically when I do make a starter I make a 1 to 1.5 liter starter.

19

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Double Boiling, Double Fermentation

« on: November 28, 2012, 06:52:21 PM »

What kind of "struggles" are you having? As long as you pitch a sufficient amount of yeast, fermenting a 9% beer should be relatively routine. It's when you get to about 14% or so that things get tricky.

I have just struggled getting my beers to finish where "I" think they should be.  I have calibrated my equipment (hydrometer and thermometers) to make sure they are correct.  I typically mash in between 150 and 156, mash out at 168 and then fly sparge with 170-175 water for 45-60 minutes.

I always try to use a high attenuating yeast, but I seem to have a problem with not hitting my OG (always a little on the low end) and missing my target FG too.  I don't miss it by being low, I miss it by finishing out where it should have finished using my target OG or even a little higher than that.

I typically shoot for around a 1.070-1.075 range and usually don't make a starter (sometimes I do though), but if I don't I always double pitch.

20

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Double Boiling, Double Fermentation

« on: November 28, 2012, 06:37:34 PM »

He said it tasted smooth and cleared up nicely.  That is about all I got from him.

21

Yeast and Fermentation / Double Boiling, Double Fermentation

« on: November 28, 2012, 06:24:46 PM »

I have a home brewing buddy who did a double boil and a double fermentation and achieved (what he said) 11.4%ABV.  I was unfamiliar with this technique and was trying to figure out his math behind it to see if it made sense.

Here is what he said.  He had an OG of 1.083 and finished off at .0995.

That part makes sense, but the metjod to how he got to it is where I got lost.

He let it ferment then reboiled it with 3lbs of dark LME and 7 lbs of cane sugar.  He repitched it the same yeast.  IT was for a 10 gallon batch.

It was a Double IPA and had a lot of hop additions, but that is irrelevant to the information I am inquiring about.

I have struggled with achieving high ABV (above 9%) and is this metjod a common practice to achieve higher ABV?  Is there advantages / disadvantages to this method?  Does the math add up?

22

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Phenolic Contamination??? Not sure

« on: August 31, 2012, 05:55:29 PM »

So I started cold crashing this beer today, but I have a few questions.
1.  Will cold crashing reduce / eliminate the nail polish remover smell from the assumed fusels?
2. I don't think dryhopping an Iced Oatmeal Dunkel would be the norm, but if I did, would that reduce the odor?  If so what hops would I use?  I used Tettnang in the boil

Any other insight would be great?

23

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Phenolic Contamination??? Not sure

« on: August 31, 2012, 06:10:06 AM »

How many cookies are we talking about? It could be fusels I suppose. Are these store bought cookies? If so, take a look at the ingredients. They put a lot of crap in them that could be making off-flavors too.

It was 3/4 of a package and were store bought.  If I recall the weight was 12 oz.  I no longer have the package as they have been used in the process or eaten.

They have been on the cookies since early Monday August 20 so it has been 12 days.  I had told myself I was going to let it ride for two weeks, but I think I will go ahead and begin the cold crashing for a few days then bottle.

24

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Phenolic Contamination??? Not sure

« on: August 29, 2012, 04:58:17 PM »

It was racked onto the cookies after primary fermentation was complete (14 days), but it has been around 73 degrees since it has been on the cookies.

Is this bad?  How do I reduce / eliminate the smell or can I?

25

Yeast and Fermentation / Phenolic Contamination??? Not sure

« on: August 29, 2012, 04:47:06 PM »

Alright so I brewed a dunkelweizen and I took about a gallon and a half of it and racked it onto some iced oatmeal cookies (it is for my homebrew club competition - everybody has to use these cookies).  My dunkelweizen by itself is fine, but I'm concerned about the iced cookie portion.  It has been on the iced cookies for about 9 days and when I went to check on it today it has a very strong smell, like nail polish remover.  I took a taste sample and the taste was nothing like the smell.  The taste was pleasant with a slight oatmeal cookie taste.

I know they say phenolic contamination will smell like adhesive bandages, and it is expected in certain styles of beers.  I just want some thought on if it is bacterially contaminated.

26

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Slow Yeast and / or no evidence any fermentation

« on: August 28, 2012, 07:32:15 AM »

I typically don't pull a sample.  JUst drop my sanitized hydrometer into the fermenter and take a reading.

27

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Slow Yeast and / or no evidence any fermentation

« on: August 28, 2012, 07:18:03 AM »

Hydrometer

28

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Slow Yeast and / or no evidence any fermentation

« on: August 27, 2012, 06:59:13 PM »

I have a swamp cooler set up.  I pitched the yeast at 69 and it has hovered the entire time between 71 and 73.

I have an IPA right next to it in another carboy with the same swamp cooler setup and its temps have remained just like the Belgian Wheat IPA

29

Yeast and Fermentation / Slow Yeast and / or no evidence any fermentation

« on: August 27, 2012, 04:46:45 PM »

I brewed a Belgian Wheat IPA on Friday (8-24-12) from the kit the Austin Home Brew.  My OG was 1.070 which was on target and I pitched 2 WYEAST Belgian Strong Ale 1388.  Fermentation started within 12 hours and was kicking until this morning.  I opened up the carboy and there was no evidence of any real noticeable fermentation as the top fermenting yeast cake I guess had begun settling to the bottom.  I took a gravity reading and it was at 1.028.  It has only been 3 to 3/12 days since I brewed this batch.  Is there reason to be concerned?

Here is the recipe:
7lb Belgian Pilsen Malt
6 LBS White Wheat
1/2 lb Aromatic Malt
1/2 lb Flaked Wheat.

Mashed for 1 hour at 154 then mashout for 15 minutes at 168.  Fly Sparged for 1 hour using 170 degree water.  60 minute boil.

Thank you in advance!

30

Ingredients / Re: Cookies?????

« on: August 20, 2012, 07:50:50 AM »

Normally I carb of a keg, but since I am only going to rack over about 1 1/2 - 2 gallons of the dunkel onto the cookies I am going to bottle carb.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I don't want to have a lot of this stuff just in case it is horrendous, but want just enough so if it is good I can pull it out on special occassions. 

I'll probably shoot for mid 2's on the carb level.

Thanks for the help!