Messages

31

Equipment and Software / Re: Philmill

« on: January 08, 2013, 04:47:48 PM »

I've read enough about the corona to know what I'd be getting in to.  Fine crush is no problem, as I'll be doing BIAB anyway.

I kind of like the thought of a Philmill from a nostalgia perspective.  And the price is right (under $40).

I'm typically doing a partial mash with <10 lbs of grain so milling time is no big deal, either.

If no one has horror stories about the Philmill, I think I'll pull the trigger today.

Definitely do it!  The PhilMill is a great piece of equipment.  It produces a terrific, even crush.  This all assumes that it's in good shape if it's used.  If new, you're getting a bargain.

32

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Off taste in new keg system - cleaning?

« on: January 06, 2013, 07:15:57 PM »

All of the standard-issue beer line I have ever bought from homebrew supply shops has been odorless and tasteless, even brand new.  Did it come from a homebrew supply shop or commercial beverage source?  Or from another source  like a hardware store?  You should not be able to taste the hose.

33

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Tap a Keg system???

« on: January 05, 2013, 07:47:42 PM »

Do you mean a Tap-A-Draft system?

If so, I've not used one but it seems to get OK reviews at online vendors like Northern Brewer, Williams, homebrewtalk,
 and even here:

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=6269.msg75485#msg75485

If this is not what you mean, more details and a link would help.

34

All Grain Brewing / Re: Base malt recommendation for Belgian brews

« on: January 04, 2013, 10:25:00 PM »

I also like MFB for my Belgians.

+1

I've been brewing Biere de Garde, Saison, and Belgian you-name-its with MFB Pale malt for years, sometimes along with Dingemans Pilsen and sometimes not, but either way with great results.

35

Events / Re: Need suggestions for improving County Fair booth

« on: January 03, 2013, 07:47:40 AM »

For something like $20 you can have Office Depot or Staples make you a large (e.g. 2'x3') laminated copy of the beer scoresheet.  Hang it conspicuously.  It works really well for us as a point of discussion for passers-by at the annual beer festival.

Registering the competition with the BJCP well in advance will possibly get you more entries, as well as access to the BJCP judges' email list.  Even with one or two BJCP judges heading up a couple of flights could help your comp's credibility with brewers and increase participation.

Another big way to help increase entries is to use a registration web site.  If you don't have someone in-house who can do that, consider using the hosting services for $25 a year http://www.brewcompetition.com/hosting.  We used Geoff's hosting service for the first time this past year, and though there are some quirks, he is very responsive.  You enter your competitions rules, drop-off locations, sponsors (if you have any), etc.  The site lets people register and pay online, and also lets judges sign up.

36

Events / Clear plastic tasting cups - cheap!

« on: January 02, 2013, 09:37:07 PM »

Just received a carton of these clear plastic tasting cups, for use at an upcoming beer tasting class.  They are 5 oz. Dixie brand cups, crystal clear, no odor, perfect for tasting and competition-sized pours, and they cost only $45 for 1,000 cups.  I can only say, I'll be buying these for my competition and beer classes for as long as they sell them.

http://www.amazon.com/Dixie-CC5-Plastic-Capacity-Clear/dp/B004NG8DI8/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Here's the actual cup with a sample (contents are Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale)...



Cheers!

37

Events / Re: NHC Hospitality suite & Club Night -- How much beer????

« on: January 02, 2013, 06:39:12 PM »

Everyone who attends Club Night will have to buy a ticket.  The "social" ticket includes everything except the seminars.  You'll also have the option to buy your ticket (either full conference or social ticket) with or without the awards banquet.

They used to sell individual (ala carte) event tickets, but only if the entire event did not sell out.  I don't remember seeing ala carte event sales for a few years.

38

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Christmas Presents

« on: December 25, 2012, 11:09:37 AM »

Samuel Adams Utopias 10th Anniversary.

39

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: BJCP Tasting Exam

« on: December 23, 2012, 04:12:51 PM »

I would suggest that you volunteer to judge as many competitions as you can find, to get live judging experience while paired with a ranked judge.  Go to the BJCP competition page and find registered comps that are in driving distance, and contact the organizer or go to the comp web site to sign up as a judge.  Definitely practice writing score sheets on your own, but there is nothing like the experience of judging with some different judges.

Brew as many different styles as you can.  I feel that I write much better score sheets on styles which I have studied and actually brewed at least once.  Short of that, study the style guidelines, and taste as many of the commercial examples as you can.

The styles tested for are pretty diverse...the last exam I took earlier this year included:

1. Weizenbock
2. Oktoberfest
3. Best Bitter
4. Foreign Extra Stout
5. Biere de Garde
6. American Barleywine

(Not an IPA in the bunch!)

Also be as familiar as you can get with common flaws and what causes them.  You can study the Troubleshooting section of the BJCP Exam Study Guide, but that doesn't substitute for tasting them in a beer.

40

Kegging and Bottling / Re: oxygen absorbing caps

« on: December 11, 2012, 08:48:01 PM »

Reading previous fora on the topic indicates there are many diverse opinions on the oxygen-absorbing caps.  Some people advocate sterilizing them; others recommend against it.  Some people recommend turning the bottles upside down once immediately after bottling to "activate" the caps.  Some people claim their beers are undercarbonated when they use the caps; others swear by the caps, especially when it comes to preserving hop aroma/flavor.

I would be interested in hearing from people who have experience (both good and bad) with these caps.

You are about to get a reprise of what you have already read  .

I mostly keg, but when I bottle I use oxygen-absorbing caps exclusively (except for corked Belgian styles).  I use them right out of the bag and do not sanitize 'em...the alcohol in the beer will take care of any bugs.  I also try to cap on foam using a Beer Gun.

I have no empirical evidence that the same beer would have been better or worse with a regular crown after a year or two or three, but I haven't used standard caps in many years.  There are lots of bottles of aged beers in my basement and if the beer was good going in, the oxy crown caps have kept them that way IMHO.

You're going to put the beer up for a year or more, so you know going in that it will be at risk of oxidizing.  Why not give it the  best chance possible of being great a year from now?  Is it worth saving a measley couple of bucks? 

Careful handling at bottling, and cold storage for the next year will probably do more for your beer than your choice of crown.  But at the end of the day, if you want to maximize the beer's potential, spring for the extra pennies per bottle and use oxygen-absorbing crowns.

41

Classifieds / Re: 5 Gallon Whiskey Soaked Barrels now available!

« on: December 04, 2012, 04:50:31 PM »

Shipping to Maryland looks like $30.

Our club is doing a group buy from Woodinville Whiskey Co. for their 8-gallon bourbon and rye barrels.  Their volume price (11 or more barrels) is $95 plus shipping (about $35 per barrel from Seattle to Maryland).

42

All Grain Brewing / Re: Kettle Mashing Question

« on: November 29, 2012, 09:32:42 PM »

With my Blichmann gear (15 and 20-gal kettles and false bottoms), it took me a good 6-8-10 batches (I'm a slow learner!) before I figgered out what others here recommend, i.e. use a constant and fairly healthy flow rate, and constant but very low heat.  Blichmann button-louvered false bottoms seem to take a good bit of flow without getting stuck.

I was constantly messing with the pump flow, thinking slower was better, and actually created stuck sparges because (I theorize) if there is heat underneath the FB but little to no wort movement, that wort will boil, bubble up, let grain under the FB, and air/grain will get trapped in the pump.  When you see the pump sputtering and seizing with trapped air and grain (as I have through numerous frustrating batches), it leads to a stressful afternoon debating whether you need to get all that mash out of there and start over...ugh.

Now, I mash in a little low, turn on the pump, stir thoroughly at the beginning while the mash temp is rising, and then leave it alone.  Make sure there are a couple inches of wort above the grain bed during constant recirc.  Very low flame on a Blichmann burner.  My return is a silicone tube that rests just below the liquid surface with the help of a couple of floats (from the Blichmann Autosparge without the Auto  ).  When I make temp adjustments, I also tend to open the pump a scooch as well just to bump up the flow rate across the heat source.  The hotter wort comes from underneath the false bottom and is deposited onto the top of the mash.  It takes a little time to make its way through the bed, and then I back off the burner (or shut it off) when I'm actually a few degrees short of target...the heat at the top will make its way through the bed to even out.  I would rather under-shoot and come up gradually.  If it starts to drop a degree or two, turn the heat back on, but leave the pump run continuously.

A pair of Blichmann control modules on a Tower of Power is a couple of Christmases away, it seems.  Until then, I think I've got my stuff dialed in fairly well.

43

Homebrew Clubs / Re: Thoughts on handling longterm guests

« on: November 29, 2012, 08:38:43 PM »

First meeting is free, then you join. It has been stated that it is a homebrew club, not a drinking club,

Can you shed some light on how you go about enforcing this?  That's what I'm looking for.

Cheers,
Tom

Our treasurer is a dear lady, but she is also not shy.  We had a new guy attend a few meetings/events to check us out...we have 80+ members, but there is no missing a newcomer.  The new guy started making member-like comments and suggestions at the third or so meeting, and during a break Madam Treasurer politely but matter-of-factly asked if had paid dues, knowing that he hadn't.  He paid that night and has been an active member ever since.

44

Homebrew Clubs / Re: NHC Logistics

« on: November 12, 2012, 06:18:43 PM »

We've driven people and kegs/gear to Florida, Ohio and Minnesota, and shipped kegs and gear to Denver and Oakland, from Maryland.  Next year's trip to Philadelphia will be so easy in comparison, I don't think we'll know what to do.

If you are doing Club Night or hospitality room shifts, once you sign up you will receive instructions on labeling your beers.  Cold storage will be provided, so all you need to do is deliver your properly labeled beers and then go have fun.  Your beers will be delivered by the cellar folks to the proper venue for whatever event(s) you sign up for.  You will be responsible for your own hardware, including CO2.  So bring tools...and if you don't think you'll need something, definitely bring it.  You will be provided with ice and maybe tubs for your kegs or bottles.  We have a 4-line jockey box and half-fill it with ice, and serve other kegs we bring out of tubs or buckets with a little ice.  The beers are brought out cold, but they'll also sit for a good hour or two while setup is happening.

Our club has done Club Night every year for the past 7 or 8 NHCs with the exception of this year in Seattle (which we attended individually rather than as a club).  Our booth tends to be simple, with either a jockey box or our portable bar.  Other clubs do very ornate, themed booths, but I guess we're just not that clever.  We also bring a food item or two representing our local cuisine.  The more complicated your booth, the longer it takes to set up and break down.  Our banner mounts to a PVC frame about six feel up in the air above the fray so that it is visible across the room.  Make sure you also make a fairly large menu of your beers that is easily read by people walking up or waiting in line.  We use a white board on an easel.  That's about it.  By the time the evening is done and we've been drinking a room full of beers, the last thing we want to do is kill ourselves dismantling a complicated booth and hauling it out to our cars or up to our rooms.

How much beer you bring is up to you, but if you do Club Night you'll want to have at least 6 or 8 different beers.  We have killed whole kegs, and we've brought half-full kegs back home with us, so it's hard to know.  The more unusual (and good) your beers, the more traffic you'll see.  If you have something really special, word will get around the room.  OTOH, a keg of IPA will probably be one of several dozen IPAs in the room, so you will probably not go through a whole keg of it.

Serving at a Club Night table is a ton of fun.  There's nothing more rewarding than having someone from across the country come up to you after a couple of hours, and tell you that one of your beers was the best one he/she had all night.  That said, you will only have a 6 or 8-foot table to stand behind, and if you have more than a few members in attendance it is worthwhile to plan on taking turns behind your booth serving.  More than 4 people and you'll get in each other's way.  Plus you'll miss out on all the other beers, food, and fun displays.

Don't forget to eat.  And don't forget to drink lots 'o water.  It's very easy to forget both.

45

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Passed my bjcp online entrance!

« on: October 31, 2012, 10:14:33 PM »

Congrats!  And kudos to being able to find a tasting close to you!  I have been having an awful time trying to locate one close to me.

I plan/hope to re-take the tasting exam at the NHC in Philly in June once it opens for sign-ups.  They usually have 20 slots rather than 12.

I recently spent a couple days in Fayetteville for work, and spent some quality time (before all the lawyers showed up), at a brewpub/pizzeria that's on a "square" near the hotel and the courthouse.  I enjoyed all of their sampler beers, and had what I would rate as one of the top 3 or 4 pizzas I've had in a long time.  If you know the place, they made a darn good impression.