Topics

1

Yeast and Fermentation / Cleaning Corny and dispense tubing after Berliner Weisse

« on: May 09, 2013, 04:43:14 PM »

I'm planning on just doing a PBW soak and then rinse with hot water and Star San... But I'm leery of reusing the QDC, dispense line and cobra tap on regular beers now.  Am I being nutty or would you suggest these all be dedicated for only sours from this point on?

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General Homebrew Discussion / Storing an oak barrel

« on: May 08, 2013, 01:06:02 PM »

So a buddy bought one too many 5 gallon oak barrels and has talked me into buying one from him - I will have to brew something to put into it, but how does one store the thing in the interim?  Do I need to buy a handle of bourbon for storage purposes?  It is a once used bourbon barrel from some commercial distillery I am being told....any thoughts?

3

Yeast and Fermentation / Making a small batch rather than a starter

« on: April 05, 2013, 04:39:25 AM »

I have some Wyeast 2206 Bavarian lager yeast that I will be using in a dunked eventually.  I was thinking of making about a 12.5 gallon batch of Oktoberfest and using about 2 gallons of it with the smack pack as a small batch, rather than making a starter (I have 34/70 yeast for the rest of it as a regular beer).  Any thoughts on that yeasts performance under those circumstances?  I'll check against Mr. Malty as to precise size to avoid under pitching...that way I can put this into my lager strain rotation without making a starter.

4

Yeast and Fermentation / US-05 at 56F - results?

« on: April 03, 2013, 11:44:45 AM »

With moderate temperatures coming, I am thinking of making some ales for summer fare.  I have a blonde going right now at about 52F in my garage.  It is in a tub with insulation and a wool blanket and the garage heater set very low, so it kicks on late at night and early morning.  The fermenting wort is at about 56F.  I'm hoping for a lagerish result.  Normally I have used my lager chest for these ales, but I have lagers in there right now...how many others of you have tried US-05 at its lower range (54.6F per the package)? 

I am thinking that I will move it to warmer temperatures inside the house when it is closer to the finishing gravity. 

5

All Grain Brewing / Hard packed grain bed - efficiency spike

« on: March 23, 2013, 08:51:54 AM »

So following advice of the last few days' posts, I mashed at  a little higher temperature than usual (152F instead of 148) and with a higher end ratio of 1.8 quarts per pound.  My end runnings were 1.017 and my grain bed was rock solid (so I knifed it with my mash paddle as it was draining to get the last half gallon of the wort).  11 gallon batch - the highest efficiency I have ever experienced.

6

General Homebrew Discussion / Contact time for Potassium Metabisulfite

« on: March 18, 2013, 03:08:42 PM »

I racked over my Berliner Weisse and mixed a gallon of water with an ounce of potassium metabisulfite to sanitize the tubing and autosiphon, bung and airlock.  Any idea how long the soak would need to be at that concentration (I used a wallpaper tray to hold the tubing, canes, bung and airlock).  That will tell me whether I need to soak the 6 gallon fermenter with 6 gallons of the same concentration or just swirl up a gallon in it.

7

General Homebrew Discussion / Raisins in a Dubbel

« on: March 16, 2013, 10:20:39 AM »

Following Tomme Arthur's Dubbel recipe from Stan Hieronymus' book Brew Like A Monk - anything special to watch for with adding raisins?  I added them slowly and kept stirring for a minute or so, but they seem to have sunk to the bottom and I hate to think that they will scorch on the bottom...any insight?  Meanwhile stirring, stirring, stirring!

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Zymurgy / mit schuss - thanks!

« on: February 26, 2013, 05:53:30 AM »

I have a Berliner Weisse aging in the basement.  With the syrup recipes in the March/April edition, you have made my day.  I expect quite a few more neophytes will try it when there is something unique like this to add!

9

General Homebrew Discussion / Watch where you leave your buckets

« on: February 14, 2013, 02:02:18 PM »

I found this humorous, until I thought about how often I brew in plain sight.  Who knows what some people think when they drive by!  And I surely don't want to have to give away homebrew to be exonerated!

http://www.pjstar.com/free/x1522323311/Illinois-familys-syrup-making-mistaken-for-meth-lab

10

Commercial Beer Reviews / Augustijn Brune

« on: January 28, 2013, 07:29:34 PM »

Enjoyed a nice glass of this selection from a six pack Belgian Sampler I received for Christmas.  Relatively light to the palate, but balanced and belying the 8% ABV.  It may not be Westy 12, but a nice Belgian to enjoy after dinner.

11

Yeast and Fermentation / Berliner Weisse Question

« on: December 16, 2012, 05:57:33 AM »

So it's my first (intentional) sour and I was just wondering, as I am at a little over a month in the primary on WLP630 - should I rack to secondary? Or just let it go the full time on the lees before racking to keg?  I was planning on 6-8 months for this beer.  Since it is so low in gravity, I didn't want to assume that it was to be treated like the bigger Belgians.

 

12

General Homebrew Discussion / Schwarzbier - love it - how did I miss this style for this long?

« on: August 27, 2012, 07:11:21 PM »

Just tapped my first Schwarzbier - really liking that!  Can't believe it took me this long to find this style...it probably will not last very long once my tasters check it out.

Cheers and here's to trying something new!

13

General Homebrew Discussion / Went to Canada on vacation

« on: July 03, 2012, 06:07:50 PM »

So, can you bring home brew into Canada?  What about shipping some up there to share with others while up there?  It was a long week without my beer - I brought a case of Warsteiner to have some beer thre.

14

All Grain Brewing / Dry Lagers

« on: April 06, 2012, 11:11:21 AM »

I just tapped a lager that turned out a bit dry. I take that to mean astringency and that I will need to get a Ph meter and use it going forward (I have resisted water chemistry issues in the past by simply using a home delivered spring water that had great numbers per a long ago prior post confirmed by those in the know -- I still use the same bottled water, but I have long since lost the water analysis data from the company). What is the preferred method of raising acidity to counter the astringency?

The lager isn't so dry as to be undrinkable, but it isn't where it needs to be, either.

15

Equipment and Software / Changing Propane Tanks mid-boil

« on: August 30, 2011, 02:57:57 PM »

Have any of you had problems re-firing the flame on your burner if you had to switch propane tanks in mid-boil?  Last weekend my first tank run dry about thirty minutes into a 90 minute boil and it didn't want to re-fire (it was burning inside the chamber leading to the ring, but wouldn't fire in the ring for some reason - although it eventually did after a few tries).  I have the Banjo Burner (KA 4B set up, IIRC), permanently mounted to my brew stand.  It runs the boil with the air vent dial open pretty wide.  Maybe I should get a pair of gloves and close it next time?  Then just readjust after lighting?