Messages

16

Ingredients / Re: Minty hop taste?

« on: March 16, 2012, 08:24:12 PM »

as can Northern Brewer.

+1

17

All Grain Brewing / Re: Hochkurz double decoction AND a really long boil for an impy stout?

« on: March 15, 2012, 08:52:49 PM »

I've heard people smarter than me say that there is little to no change in the molecular weight of proteins in the mash. Don't know if I believe it.

Not sure I understand that, you are aparently changing the protein enough that it no longer functions as a foam-promoting protein.  But I haven't researched this.

Check out Charlie Bamforth on the BeerSmith podcast: http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2011/04/20/mashing-with-dr-charlie-bamforth-beersmith-podcast-14/

At ~31:25 Bamforth talks about a study done by Michael Lewis that argues that there is actually no protein breakdown in mashing – only in malting.

18

All Grain Brewing / Re: Hochkurz double decoction AND a really long boil for an impy stout?

« on: March 15, 2012, 12:42:37 PM »

I've heard people smarter than me say that there is little to no change in the molecular weight of proteins in the mash. Don't know if I believe it.

Do winemakers use a formol assay or use a spectrophotometer typically?

Another point is that excess FAN can result in the formation of diacytel.

Fermaid K has something like 17ppm YAN as does Wyeast's BCN – not sure about servo.

Pitching rate, to some extent, determine if you have excess of FAN (i.e. if you pitch 15e6/mL you have too much FAN – the yeast won't use it, you'll have a diacytel problem).

19

All Grain Brewing / Re: Mike McDole...Brew System...Recipes?

« on: March 15, 2012, 12:22:18 PM »

Can't find it now, but I know I saw some pics of his brewing setup on TBN forums. I think it had something to do with Big Brew Day a couple of years back.

IIRC, it was 2 keggles, 3 pumps, 3 bayou burners and 1 Italian kettle. Could be wrong – can't find the pics about which I was thinking. 

The pics were probably from ~'08.

EDIT: found - http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=16888&p=171831&hilit=brew+system#p171831

20

Other Fermentables / Re: Calcium hydroxide instead of potassium hydroxide?

« on: March 12, 2012, 09:21:23 PM »

If you're looking for KOH check out essentials depot – they have food grade they'll ship you.

Be sure to add the KOH to water and not the other way around. You'll do 112.22g in 1L distilled water for a 2N solution.

I did it in a PP nalgene – you'll want something heat-safe it's an exothermal reaction. I think I remember reading you want to avoid storage in glass, too. Goggle and glove up!

21

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Crazy pH drop during fermentation

« on: March 12, 2012, 09:38:21 AM »

I'll do a more detailed write-up later, but the initial results were shocking.

I'm very interested in your write up. I've been using Steve Piatz's water recommendation from a recent zymurgy (200ppm hardness as CaCO3) but I don't actually add any carbonates to the water.

I adjust the must to pH >4 pre-ferment with 2N KOH and throughout fermentation (as per the 2008ish Kristen England NHC mead presentation). Never seen that dramatic of a drop in pH though.

Good stuff!

22

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Determining yeast numbers?

« on: March 06, 2012, 07:14:41 AM »

The question of acquiring a scope and hemocytometer is a decision that's still up in the air for me.

I think everyone ought to own a scope given how cheap they are. You can get a cell count with 400x.
I use this scope and it's been great for years:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380248813512

WRT eye-strain, I know you can buy adapters for your dslr or other cameras that'll replace the eyepiece.

23

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Determining yeast numbers?

« on: March 03, 2012, 08:18:12 AM »

The other application that I think would be really awesome is determining FAN content for meads.

Looks like you could also do IBU: http://beersensoryscience.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/the-ibu-assay/

Also, looks like, could be used for carbon-filtered water chlorine, diacetyl, etc http://www.probrewer.com/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-18167.html

I have to say that the lab part is one of my favorite parts of the process – almost as addictive as the brewing   

24

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Determining yeast numbers?

« on: March 02, 2012, 10:55:26 PM »

Any good links to resources for using a spec in brewing?

25

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Banana and Clove. Best yeast to bring out those flavors

« on: February 14, 2012, 09:56:17 PM »

I use the White Labs nutrient for all my batches. Good thought though. Also, the first batch I brewed I fermented around 64. The second I did at 58. The 58 degree one actually had less of the sulphur character. I am totally stumped what the problem was. Definitely open to any suggestions.

What was your pitching rate and O2 rate? I recently pitched a hefe with 3068 at 12E6/mL, O2 to 13 mg/L – really sulfury.

I recently read an abstract on the MBAA site about how beers with pitching rates of 3, 6, 9 and 12E6/mL finished with an even cell count. Higher pitching rates lead to older cell populations. My theory is that a low vitality (resulting from an older cell population) yeast is either more likely to produce sulfur OR is less able to clean sulfur out after creating it.

Tried to brew the same hefe recently with identical process, but pitched at 6E9/mL (and 8.5mg/L O2) and it tastes great.

Grasping at straws, more data points would be helpful.

26

All Grain Brewing / Re: Decoction Boil Time

« on: January 15, 2012, 12:09:29 AM »

What I'd like to see (what everyone wants) is a definitive experiment. I'm talking controlled, double-blind, triangle-tested, standard-deviation-recorded, ACTUAL experiment. An experiment upon which one, at a homebrew level, could draw a definitive conclusion. My constant rant about homebrewing is that so called experiments don't stand up to scrutiny (i.e. I brewed two beers and one tasted better - really?). Let's go after this like we'd go after FDA approval -- where's Mashweasel? Who knows how to structure and experiment? Who knows statistics? I know that my data points are insufficient. I'll help in any way I can if someone can tell me how to factor out randomness and bias. Let's actually produce something.

27

Ingredients / Re: pumpkin blossom honey

« on: January 14, 2012, 11:53:35 PM »

I think expensive is the name of the game with pumpkin blossom honey. In fact, I clicked on this post hoping to justify purchasing pumpkin blossom vis-à-vis a glowing review of the mead it produces. Please let me know if you make mead with this honey! My advice? If you don't have access to (or haven't had the horrifying experience of making) 2M KOH refrain from making mead with super expensive honey -- cut your teeth on inexpensive orange blossom.

28

All Grain Brewing / Re: Decoction Boil Time

« on: January 14, 2012, 07:58:01 AM »

I think that this question, this discussion, presupposes that decoctions deliver a flavor impact. I think that while there is a large impact as a result of decoction mashing the portion of that impact that relates directly to flavor is small.

I think you get some carmelization and fuller flavor.  Not a huge amount of flavor per se, but definitely noticeable.

When I do decoction mashes the beers they produce, to me, taste the same as stepped mash beers where I hit the same steps. I do think there is an impact of decoction. I like Eric Warner's reasoning in German Wheat Beer:

A single or double decoction mash is used when brewing a Weissbier wort for three main reasons. First, it supplies the yeast with an adequate amount of amino acids. Second, it breaks down the higher-molecular-weight proteins [...] Third, [...] it reduces chill haze in the final product.

That's it, those are the only reasons mentioned. I would add two reasons - 1. Further breakdown of starches than with a traditional mash, ensuring full and complete conversion and, potentially, a higher extract yield and 2. The residual body benefits of a stepped mash procedure (really dry and yet really malty).

I actually heard Charlie Bamforth of the brewing with beersmith podcast say (paraphrasing) that the only reasons large breweries step-mash is to improve runoff and on a homebrew scale it makes no difference. Of course, he then went on to say that he has never homebrewed and tries to avoid drinking homebrew, so what does he know about it?

29

All Grain Brewing / Re: Decoction Boil Time

« on: January 14, 2012, 12:37:32 AM »

I think that this question, this discussion, presupposes that decoctions deliver a flavor impact. I think that while there is a large impact as a result of decoction mashing the portion of that impact that relates directly to flavor is small.

30

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Yeast Nutrient

« on: December 10, 2011, 01:17:43 PM »

To answer the yeast suppliment question, I use 1/2 of a 15 mg tab for a 10 gallon batch.

As to research/data on Zinc and yeast health, I remember this one.
http://www.ahaconference.org/wp-content/uploads/presentations/2009/Tobias-Fischborn-NHC2009-Yeast%20nutrition.pdf

That's interesting, slide 16 mentions the ideal is between .4 and 1ppm zinc in your wort. A while back I had an email exchange with Wyeast about their nutrient (actually about zinc toxicity and starter volume) and they stated, "Adding the nutrient [bc nutrient] at recommended levels will add 0.45 ppm zinc to your wort (that assumes 100% makes it into your fermenter).  I read a journal article that reported toxic effects at 50ppm (a lot)."

Doubling recommended rate (i.e. 1 tsp) may be the best way to ensure that you're getting the minimum without exceeding the maximum 1ppm.