Topics

16

Ingredients / challenger hops

« on: July 19, 2012, 07:33:51 pm »

i just found 8oz of challenger in my freezer and can't remember why I bought them. I am now taking suggestions/thoughts/comments on how to best use these hops.

cheers!

ryan

17

General Homebrew Discussion / bu:gu help

« on: July 14, 2012, 09:56:08 pm »

i don't really understand what this number is but understand how to determine it. 

i am just plugging an iipa into beersmith trying to figure out the first brewing recipe. 
it's got a projected og of 1.081, 60.4 ibu and is a 4 gallon batch.  the bitterness ratio, according to beersmith, is .748.  is this good or bad?

i don't know how to interpret this number.  i'm just barely into the green bar on the ibu slider, if that makes sense.  i'm not looking for palate wrecking numbers.  am i on the right track?

cheers.

ryan

18

General Homebrew Discussion / optimal dry hop temperature?

« on: July 08, 2012, 11:39:12 am »

is there one?  I'm reading the interesting article by Mitch Steele in the new zymurgy. I started thinking about temp.  I like to ferment my ales right around 61 degrees and have had great success on various ale styles. I'm working on a pale ale recipe now and am dry hopping at 61.  is warmer better? the previous dry hopping I've done has never been above 70 and I've always been happy with the results. mainly curious as I begin to fill my newly acquired chest freezer with several batches at different times.

any and all thoughts welcome!

cheers and thanks.

ryan

19

General Homebrew Discussion / citra help

« on: July 04, 2012, 07:36:36 am »

it's time to dry hop my pale ale.  i've been using amarillo, centennial and simcoe for the dry hopping.  i have some citra and was wondering if it would work well with these other hops?

cheers.

happy and safe 4th.

ryan

20

General Homebrew Discussion / how are you using maris otter?

« on: July 02, 2012, 12:24:35 am »

I've been working on a pale ale recipe with half american two row and half maris otter.

i like this combination so far.  the hops shine through but not without a very nice malty taste.  everything seems to balance out.  though i'm still working on the recipe.  using amarillo and centennial and dry hopping with those two and simcoe. 

how do you like maris otter and how are you using it?  anyone using it entirely for an american pale?

cheers.

ryan

21

All Grain Brewing / completed my first all grain

« on: May 22, 2012, 04:21:42 pm »

i did a 3 gallon brew/mash in a bag brew session today.  it was awesome.  it was a simple pale ale with amarillo and centennial.  i had a lot of fun and all my numbers were right on target.  i actually was a point over on OG and hit 69% efficiency.  i feel pretty good about the brew day as a whole.  very simple.  very easy.

i picked small b/miab for a couple of reasons.  1, i really like the idea of brewing more often and refining/experimenting.  2, i wanted a little quicker brew day.  3, i wanted to keep things easy and fun. 

not saying i won't build a mash tun at some point, but for me right now, this type of brewing is amazing!

i can't thank you all enough for the answers, insight and information you have provided here.  it is invaluable for any brewer!

cheers!

ryan

22

Yeast and Fermentation / yeast bummer

« on: May 14, 2012, 06:46:23 pm »

my LHBS raised prices on liquid yeast.

now $8 a pack/tube.

not cool man.

23

General Homebrew Discussion / bottleworks 13 anniversary ale

« on: May 10, 2012, 05:07:46 pm »

anyone else try this beer?

it's brewed by stone.  it has 13 grains and 13 hops.  it tastes okay.  i sorta feel like it's got too many things making a flavor that is just meh.  it's bitter but without definition.  at least to my palate.  it's an imperial porter and i have to say i'm just not crazy about it.  stone is one of my favorite commercial brewers but i feel like 26 ingredients plus yeast may be just too much not going on.

at what point does too many ingredients become just because we could? 

"keep it simple, stupid."  right?  it's worked for me.

also i am certainly not calling mitch steele or the fellas stupid.  just a saying i know. 

cheers.

ryan
 

24

Ingredients / ahtanum hops

« on: April 25, 2012, 03:27:49 pm »

who has used them?  how/style?  thoughts?

cheers and thanks!

25

All Grain Brewing / on a whim

« on: April 07, 2012, 10:36:21 pm »

i bought a brooklynbrewshops.com kit at whole foods yesterday.  i saw it and though it might be fun to try a mini batch of all grain.  i figured at the least, it'll be a great way to ramp up some yeast for another batch.

i got it home and discovered there were no instructions, though having been brewing partial and full boil extract batches for a few years, i felt very comfortable knowing how to jump in.  i've also been reading tremendous amounts of info for my jump to all grain as soon as my tv work season wraps up in the next few weeks.

anyway, to my question.  i went online to discover the directions instruct one to make a very thick mash. the "consistency of oatmeal." this is for a simple 1 gallon batch of brown ale.  i'm pretty sure oatmeal thickness isn't ideal. i have run numbers for both miab and batch sparging and am determined that either is a better route. 

so my question: when would one ever need or want an oatmeal consistency for a mash?

i'm pretty sure it's a mass marketed kit, but still picked it up on a whimsical note.

cheers and happy almost zombie day everyone! 

26

Commercial Beer Reviews / belgian ales

« on: March 30, 2012, 09:46:05 pm »

i love ales. 

hell, i love american ales to the end.  i live on the west coast and drink maybe too many west coast delights, of all varieties.

i usually don't care for the yeasty or fruity flavors/notes of their beers.  however, in an effort to expand my palate, i tried the chimays recently.  i really love the blue/grande reserve best.

can you please point me in the direction of more of the malty/sweetish belgians out there?

also, just in case i get bold, maybe point me in the direction of the yeast(s) used for this style of malty goodness. 

what can i say? i like what i like; but i love learning more about beers. 

isn't that part of why we are all here?  to learn?

thanks in advance.

27

Yeast and Fermentation / st patrick's day

« on: March 16, 2012, 06:21:03 pm »

i wasn't quite sure where to put this but the article mentions Saccharomyces cerevisiae so i thought i'd try it here.  please move it where ever it should be, if need be...

anyway, enjoy a good day of merriment(safely) and may your sunday morning irish flu be but a touch.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/03/16/148745383/drunk-on-biology-for-st-patricks-day

cheers!

ryan patrick lynch

28

Yeast and Fermentation / my brew day pushed question

« on: March 07, 2012, 08:07:55 pm »

i put my starter on the stir plate yesterday for what i thought was going to be brew day tomorrow but i picked up another couple of work days.

i am going to have to brew saturday.

my starter will be okay for two days in the fridge without having to re-pitch, right?  i just wanted to double check.  i feel like i read i had closer to a week before needed to re-pitch a starter.

cheers.

thanks.

29

All Things Food / anybody have a weber?

« on: March 07, 2012, 12:01:49 am »

i'm pretty sure i'm gonna pull the trigger on the genesis e310.

it's pricey(but mostly assembled in indiana, which i like), apparently a very good propane burning grill and should last a long time.  first grill for me, but I've grilled many a meals.

thoughts?  feelings?

cheers!

ryan p lynch

30

General Homebrew Discussion / centennial hops

« on: February 14, 2012, 03:24:52 pm »

it's my new favorite hop.  i've always loved stone ruination ipa and i finally got around to brewing with some.  i just bottled an apa sunday that is tasty as all-get-out and can't wait for it to carbonate.

anyway, what hops are people blending with centennial for amazingness in any style?  i was thinking about maybe mixing with some amarillo...

cheers and thanks.