Messages

16

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: No lager activity

« on: January 15, 2013, 11:19:48 AM »

I think you forgot to switch from ale to lager in Mr Malty and looked at the "# of packs needed with starter" line.  It's 5 packs if you switch it to lager and 14.8 packs if you look at "# of packs needed without starter". 

I think at this point you just need to wait out the lag phase for another day or two and then lager it for a while......

Dave

I figured I'd wait at least another week or two before lagering.  I'm afraid if I drop the temp down into the thirties, there will be even less yeast activity.  I'll probably get a hydrometer reading in a few days as well. 

17

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: No lager activity

« on: January 14, 2013, 06:33:56 PM »

Did you aerate/oxygenate? It sounds like you did everything else right, so all you can do is wait it out.

I aerated with an aquarium pump for about 30minutes. 

18

Yeast and Fermentation / No lager activity

« on: January 14, 2013, 05:55:59 PM »

It's been 72 hours and no bubbling or krausen yet.  It's a 1.04 light lager based on the recipe in Brewing Classic Styles.  I pitched the recommend 3 Wyeast packages at 44 degrees, and slowly brought the temp up to 50, where it is now.  NO activity at all.  The smack packs did not swell very much initially.  I wonder if the yeast were inactive.  The package said Sep of 2012, so they had been stored in a cold fridge for 4 months.  Any help?  Not sure what to do.....

19

Ingredients / Pumpkin

« on: September 11, 2012, 03:26:37 PM »

I brewed the Papazian pumpkin ale (curcurbito pepo) last weekend.  I roasted the pumpkin for an hour.  I wondered if the pumpkin was soft enough?  SHould it be soft like a microwaved sweet potato?  ALso, do you expect much gravity contribution from the pumpkin?  Much flavor?  Mouthfeel? 

20

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Krausen

« on: July 16, 2012, 05:32:35 PM »

yeah, that Krausen is not going anywhere.  I'm guessing that the fermentation is done.  I was wondering if dry hopping on all that krausen would effect the ability of the hop oils to dissolve/do their thing.

You using cones or pellets? Pellets should drop right in. Cones may sit on top for a bit, but eventually they'll sink through/absorb the krausen.

Pellets.  I'll just go ahead and take everyones' advice that it's ok to just add the dry hops to the primary.  My gravity was perfect.  I am a little disappointed that I didn't taste more hop bitterness. 

21

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Krausen

« on: July 16, 2012, 04:21:56 PM »

I recently switched from dry hopping in a secondary to a primary and a little difference. In fact I think primary is a bit better. It doesn't allow as much oxygen into the beer which can "stale' the hop aroma a bit. Ive noticed a bit fresher less "vegetal" hop aroma.

Also to the OP, some yeast strains take forever to drop krausen, I had a batch made with 1469 hold kruasen for nearly a month! Take a gravity reading, swirl the krausen down a bit. If the gravity is close to where it needs to be you should be ok to dry hop.

yeah, that Krausen is not going anywhere.  I'm guessing that the fermentation is done.  I was wondering if dry hopping on all that krausen would effect the ability of the hop oils to dissolve/do their thing. 

22

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Krausen

« on: July 15, 2012, 02:53:18 PM »

Any reason why you're racking to secondary? I'd just dry hop in the primary unless you're planning on reusing the yeast. If you're absolutely set on a timetable, you can add the dry hops in the primary before the krausen falls. I've done this and the beer has been fine. I wouldn't rack to secondary if the primary fermentation is still chugging along, though.

If you're not on a strict timetable, I'd just be patient and let the yeast tell you when they're done.

I was gonna rack to the secondary because I read in the latest zymurgy that the yeast and trub extract a fair bit of the hop oils.  Any comment?

23

General Homebrew Discussion / Krausen

« on: July 14, 2012, 08:10:14 AM »

I brewed a Bell's Two Hearted Ale clone 6 days ago.  The Krausen is still high and mighty.  The airlock has definately slowed down, but I'm wondering when that Krausen will fall.  I wanted to transfer to the secondary and dry hop on day 7, but I'm wondering if I should wait for the krausen to fall? 

24

Ingredients / Re: Carbon filtered water

« on: July 09, 2012, 05:51:47 PM »

That seems to be a large dose of Epsom Salt

One teaspoon should equal 4.5g MagSulfate.  This was put into 7 gallon of water.  Overally, my Mg was supposed to be around 22ppm, which (I believe), is ok.  I should have specified how much water it was added to.

25

Ingredients / Re: Carbon filtered water

« on: July 08, 2012, 08:31:32 PM »

I appreciate everyones' help.  I brewed the beer today, which is supposed to be a Bell's Two Hearted Ale Clone, as from the 2011 summer Zymurgy.  I ended up using my Fort Worth water, adding campden tablet, and putting a teaspon of Epsom salt and a half teaspoon of Gypsum to get the sulfate up.  Not sure what the pH was, as my pH test strips are difficult to interpret.  Overall, the brew day was one of the better days I've had.  Seemed to hit all the right numbers, which is strange for me.  I learned a lot with this batch and dealing a little with water chemistry.  Everyone who posted on this subject was very helpful, so THANKS!

26

Ingredients / Re: Carbon filtered water

« on: July 07, 2012, 09:06:10 AM »

When weighing the brew salts, do you need a scale?  Or can you, say, convert grams into ounces, and then ounces into teaspoons?  I guess each salt has a different weight, but I wonder if being that precise would matter?

27

Ingredients / Re: Carbon filtered water

« on: July 06, 2012, 12:04:06 PM »

you guys know where you buy epsom salts and chalk?  Is there food grade chalk? 

28

Ingredients / Re: Carbon filtered water

« on: July 05, 2012, 09:59:14 AM »

If I were to just buy distilled water, which basically has no ions in it, and add salts to it would that work as well?  I have BeerSmith and it basically tells you how much salts to put in to get a desired water profile.  I've never done this before, so I don't know if it really works.  When do you add the salts----when your heating up your mash water?, when you add the water to the crushed grains?

29

Ingredients / Re: Carbon filtered water

« on: July 05, 2012, 09:21:37 AM »

When you say carbon filter, do you mean a brita filter?  Also, do you know the water profile of RO water? IS it basically without ions?

30

Ingredients / Re: Carbon filtered water

« on: July 05, 2012, 09:04:16 AM »

How do you go about filtering the water to remove chlorine?  Someone mentioned Campden tablets?  How does that work?  Are there other ways to remove the chlorine?