Messages

136

All Grain Brewing / Re: Using a grain bag for the mash......in the boil kettle.

« on: September 05, 2011, 02:43:53 PM »

There are a lot of people who use the BIAB method.  I hear you can make good beer with it, but to me the logisitics of dealing with a bag of grain that weighs 10-15 dry and a lot more wet, kinda outweigh the supposed simplicity.  Give it a try and see what you think, but I'll bet you'll be switching to a cooler after a few batches.

I went ahead and gave this a try over the weekend. Denny wasn't kidding about the weight of that bag! 10 pounds of grain sure gets heavy when it's wet and you have to hold it out of the kettle to avoid the bag scorching to the bottom. The whole process was fairly simple, my brew pot just didn't hold it's temperature as well as I thought it would. I had to fire up my burner half way through the mash to get the temp back up a little. It only took a few minutes, but it felt like a long time holding that bag up.
The biggest pain of this brew day was the grain bag itself. It is a reusable nylon bag and it didn't want to come clean. It took nearly a half hour to get all the grain particles out of it when I was done. If I wasn't so cheap, I'd have thrown it away.
So after the BIAB experience I can say it will be my last. I went out and bought a cooler that I can turn into a mash tun, similar to the setup Denny has on his site.

137

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Sterling 514 English Ale Yeast

« on: August 31, 2011, 04:44:28 PM »

Thanks for the info. I am surprised nobody else chimed in on this. Must be fairly new to the U.S.

138

Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: Sam Adams Octoberfest 2011

« on: August 30, 2011, 03:27:31 PM »

I consider it a "safe" buy for Octoberfest. Its not my favorite, but it did turn me on to the style. I usually buy a 12 pack of it per year.

139

Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: Lucky Bucket Lager

« on: August 30, 2011, 03:23:28 PM »

I agree this is not the best lager out there. That little brewery does produce one of the best beers I've ever had though. Certified Evil. That is one strong concoction. Its amazing on tap. A little more easy for me to get since I live less than an hour from the brewery.

140

Yeast and Fermentation / Sterling 514 English Ale Yeast

« on: August 29, 2011, 10:45:06 AM »

I noticed that Austin Homebrew Supply started selling this dry yeast. Does anyone have any experience using it? What were some pros & cons?

141

Ingredients / Re: Rookie looking for guidance...

« on: August 13, 2011, 07:37:08 AM »

I live in Nebraska and have great luck ordering from Midwest Supplies, Northern Brewer, and Austin Homebrew Supply. I'd recommend sticking with kits for your first few brews. It lets you focus on the process and not with what you're using.

142

Ingredients / Re: Honey into fermenter of IIPA

« on: August 11, 2011, 10:32:27 AM »

May I ask, what type of honey did you use? Also, let us know your results. I've had better flavor from unusual honey like buckwheat honey, but I've never added it to an IPA.

143

All Grain Brewing / Re: Fermentation taking LOOOONG time

« on: August 11, 2011, 10:23:37 AM »

I have gone from very little airlock activity to feverish after racking to the secondary while dry hopping. It could just be a reaction from adding hops. I've also had this happen with the addition of coffee beans in the secondary.
I agree with Tom's response.

144

The Pub / Re: Which sport do you enjoy drinking beer to the most?(Poll)

« on: August 11, 2011, 10:06:13 AM »

Football is my pick. Fall weather, football and homebrew...are a great match.

This is also my favorite time to brew. Nothing quite like brewing the morning before a big college game. Its usually a bit chilly to start. My wife grilling brats about the time I'm cleaning up. The Colorado buffalos winning a night game. Alright, that last part is just a wish of mine.

145

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Goin' Mobile

« on: August 08, 2011, 06:18:44 PM »

That is awesome! It looks like it would be great for tailgating.

146

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Lemons is Hefenweizen... What do you think?

« on: August 04, 2011, 03:04:22 PM »

I agree with the statement that it is like chocolate on spaghetti. To me, lemon should never make it into my beer. An orange slice on the other hand, goes great in some wheat beers like Blue Moon.

147

Equipment and Software / Re: Best propane burner for the money?

« on: July 28, 2011, 10:29:15 AM »

I have a Bayou Classic SQ14 and like it, but wish it had a wind baffle. It heats 5 gallons with no problem. I would think with its wide top it would work with a 10 gallon with no issues.

148

Equipment and Software / Re: BeerSmith 2.0 - First Recipe

« on: July 24, 2011, 05:49:13 PM »

I don't know much about Beersmith, but I have done several Midwest kits and their data sheets are very accurate.

149

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Fermentation is occurring w/o Krausen formation.

« on: July 13, 2011, 10:39:56 AM »

I agree with Denny. To me a hydrometer is one of the most important brewing tools I have. It can be the difference between blowing up bottles or having fully fermented beer in bottles.
As far as krausen, I generally pay no attention to it.

150

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: Coopers Stout kit w/ coffee?

« on: June 30, 2011, 10:54:34 AM »

I did a Northern Brewer coffee stout kit that called for adding coarsely ground beans to the secondary. If adding beans, I strongly caution you not to over grind or use too much. My beer turned out too acidic,  plugged my auto-siphon, and was more work than it was worth. That being said, I've aged it 3 months and it has greatly improved. If it keeps improving like this, it would still take a year to be decent.