Messages

31

Ingredients / Re: Cookies?????

« on: August 20, 2012, 06:31:06 AM »

One idea I have is to use them in a dunkelweizen recipe that has a lot of spicy phenolic yeast character (I like WY3638 fermented in the low 60's and slightly underpitched - gives some nice cinnamon and vanilla notes to go with the typical weizen clove and banana). I'd crush the cookies and rack over them in secondary (sort of like using fruit). I have no clue how much to use, so I'd only rack over half the batch so you can then taste and blend back. With this style you don't really have to worry about cloudiness in the beer, so it should be safe to use the cookies in secondary.

Other ideas:

Oatmeal stout (but this seems a little obvious)

Sub them in for pumpkin/spice in a pumpkin ale recipe

This is an interesting idea.  Primarily because I just racked a dunkelweizen into a keg last Tuesday.  The keg is sealed, but have not started chilling or force carbing it yet.  Would it be okay to siphon a portion of this onto the cookies and let sit for a ferw weeks (1-2, 2-3 weeks).  It didn't ferment in the lows 60's but it was high 60's (68-69 consistently) and I used your suggested WYEAST 3638.  Let me know if you think this will work.

The recipe is below. 
5lbs: Weyerman Dark Wheat
3 1/2 lbs. German 2 row pilsner
1 lb German Dark Munich
8 oz Weyermann Caramunich II
4 oz Belgian Special B

1oz Tettnang hops for 60 minutes

I think it will work. I find that I lose a lot of the spicy phenolics that I like with this yeast if I ferment at higher temps, but you still get a lot of nice banana/bubblegum esters. I think it would still pair nicely with the cookies.

What would be your recommendation for the length of time this sits on the cookies?  It will not be presented until our October meeting which will be near the end of October.

Would you carbonate at a normal dunkelweizen level when it is bottled?

32

Ingredients / Re: Cookies?????

« on: August 20, 2012, 05:33:12 AM »

One idea I have is to use them in a dunkelweizen recipe that has a lot of spicy phenolic yeast character (I like WY3638 fermented in the low 60's and slightly underpitched - gives some nice cinnamon and vanilla notes to go with the typical weizen clove and banana). I'd crush the cookies and rack over them in secondary (sort of like using fruit). I have no clue how much to use, so I'd only rack over half the batch so you can then taste and blend back. With this style you don't really have to worry about cloudiness in the beer, so it should be safe to use the cookies in secondary.

Other ideas:

Oatmeal stout (but this seems a little obvious)

Sub them in for pumpkin/spice in a pumpkin ale recipe

This is an interesting idea.  Primarily because I just racked a dunkelweizen into a keg last Tuesday.  The keg is sealed, but have not started chilling or force carbing it yet.  Would it be okay to siphon a portion of this onto the cookies and let sit for a ferw weeks (1-2, 2-3 weeks).  It didn't ferment in the lows 60's but it was high 60's (68-69 consistently) and I used your suggested WYEAST 3638.  Let me know if you think this will work.

The recipe is below. 
5lbs: Weyerman Dark Wheat
3 1/2 lbs. German 2 row pilsner
1 lb German Dark Munich
8 oz Weyermann Caramunich II
4 oz Belgian Special B

1oz Tettnang hops for 60 minutes

33

Ingredients / Re: Cookies?????

« on: August 20, 2012, 05:23:58 AM »

Are you limited on amount? If not, I'd probably incorporate a nice amount in the mash and a nice amount in secondary.

The suggestions on malt bill have been good. Just stay away from excess gravity, roasted malts, and too much hops.

Spices may play a role, but I'd suggest tasting the finished product after spending a good time on the "dry cookies" before making that call.

I am limited to one 14 oz package which is plenty.  I don't think I will even make a 5 gal batch probably 2-3 gallons at most.  If it is horrible then I don't have too much to worry about.  If it is great then I have a very limited production, high demand, collectors item that I will sell and make millions off of

34

Ingredients / Re: Cookies?????

« on: August 19, 2012, 04:40:09 PM »

Thanks for the input.

Would you crush the cookies, slightly break them, or keep them whole?  Either way I would keep them in a grain bag.

35

Ingredients / Cookies?????

« on: August 19, 2012, 01:02:09 PM »

So my local homebrew is having a member brew competition where everybody has to use the same uncommon ingredient.  This ingredient is iced oatmeal cookies.

My thought is to crush them and put them in a grain bag during the boil, but I don't know how that will work.  I don't typically mess with a lot of nontraditional ingredients so I am at a loss on potentially the best way to incorporate.  The ingredients contain sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose and rolled oats.  I am assuming I would get some fermentables out of it if I incorporate it at the right time, but what is the right time?  Do I necessarily want any fermentables from it?  My thought is to incorporate into a stout or porter, but I don't know.

Any suggestions, thoughts, comments, suggested style, etc. would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks!

36

Kegging and Bottling / Naturally Keg Priming

« on: July 30, 2012, 07:48:36 PM »

I looked back about 3-4 pages on the forum to see what good threads I could find before starting this post.  I found some good info, but wanted to throw it out there anyway to get some more current feedback.

I have always gone with the set it and forget method when it comes to carbing my kegs.  Very happy with that, but I just tapped two new kegs and have two more batches which will be ready to be kegged within the next 2-3 days.  Without extra CO2 tanks I can't go with the set ti and forget it method right now so I wanted to get some info on priming my keg with corn sugar (like bottles).

I know I will get a little more sediment, but that is no big concern for me.  I can deal with that.  DO I use less corn sugar because of increased head space?  Use the same amount I would use for bottles?

Are there any other pros and / or cons to doing this based on my setup?  I could always bottle the next batch or two, but wanted to have at least 1 or 2 backup kegs for when the two I have tapped run out which will be in a few weeks.

As always thanks for the feedback!

37

Kegging and Bottling / Re: NO FLOW

« on: July 30, 2012, 07:30:14 PM »

When I went back and looked at my notes I did a substantial amount of dryhopping and for some f&*kin reason I didn't use a bag.  I just threw them all in there for 10 days.  Everytime I have pulled the dip tube there were hop remnants.   Thanks for all the feedback guys!

38

Kegging and Bottling / Re: NO FLOW

« on: July 28, 2012, 09:21:58 PM »

It is not the faucet because when I switched the in and out lines on the two kegs I got beer from the "good" keg to flow just fine from the faucet I had a trickle with.

The keg is pressurized, pushed on the poppet and got sprayed in the face (quite ok it tasted good) 

Some of the terminology you are using I am unsure of.  Is the post the spring or is the post in the connector or something different?  I am sure I have the liquid connector (black) on the out and the gas (grey) on the in.

I have disconnected the connector and reattached it several times and it appears to be fully seated.

What will happen if I transfer the beer in this keg into another keg I have so I can trouble shoot this keg with no beer in it?  If I can do this I will make sure the keg I transfer in to will be cold.

Never had any issues with this keg before and have used it 4/5 times.  Never had any issues with any kegs before and have used them all 4/5 times or more.

39

Kegging and Bottling / Re: NO FLOW

« on: July 28, 2012, 07:47:16 PM »

I removed the dip tube and the cleared the line.  I saw nothing in the line but cleared it anyway.  Hooked everything back up gave it a burst of CO2 and still nothing.  Just a trickle, a slow trickle at that.

Any other ideas?

40

Kegging and Bottling / Re: NO FLOW

« on: July 28, 2012, 01:26:24 PM »

If it is a clogged flow tube am I able to remove the flow tube, clear any possible debris, and reattach with no issues?  Will I lose any carbonation?  Will I need to recarbonate the batch?

DO I bleed off all pressure before removing?  Never encountered this before so I am making sure I go about it the right way.

41

Kegging and Bottling / NO FLOW

« on: July 28, 2012, 12:06:47 PM »

I have a new dual tap kegerator with a single gauge regulator split into two lines.  This is my first run with this set up and today I went to try it out as I had two corny kegs that are ready to go.  I am having problems with getting beer to flow from one of the kegs, all I get is a small trickle for a few seconds.  It may not fully be carbonated but has been at 12 psi for the last 7 days.  I have switched gas lines between the two kegs and have also flow lines to see if that works, and still nothing.  The keg is pressurized, hearing major release of gas when I press the relief valve and I hear it refilling with gas.  I am not hearing any leaks, but my assumption is there may be a small leak.  Is this a logical and correct assumption?

If it is a small leak can I replace the seals without ruining the batch?

42

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Carbing and Quitting

« on: March 21, 2012, 07:02:13 PM »

Probably not 100% sure, but like I said it has been about 3 weeks.  I began carbing on March 2.  I haven't tasted it, but the keg temp is 38 degrees and I set it at approximately 12 lbs CO2.

43

Kegging and Bottling / Carbing and Quitting

« on: March 21, 2012, 06:35:23 PM »

I have a keg which I began force carbing about 3 weeks ago.  I thought that by the time it was ready, 7-10 days, I would have finished the keg I was currently drinking on.  Well that is not the case.  I still have about 1-2 gallons left of the keg I am drinking on.

Here is my question:  Can I remove the CO2 line from the untapped keg and it keep it carbonation until I am ready to tap it?  It is currently sitting in my outside fridge.  If I can remove the Co2 do I need to keep it chilled or can I let it get back to room temperature.  I ask because I have two other kegs that have been aging and was wondering if I can go ahead and be carbing them.

44

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Stuck fermentation

« on: October 30, 2011, 07:45:31 PM »

This is the exact same recipe I used back in the summer.  The only difference is the yeast, which then I used Wyeast 1056 American Ale.   That one finished out at 1.016.

45

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Stuck fermentation

« on: October 30, 2011, 07:28:37 PM »

3 days ago it was at 1.032 and today it was at 1.030.  Three days ago was the first reading I took after pitching.