Messages

61

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: My best attenuation so far

« on: March 23, 2013, 12:18:22 pm »

Just racked a pilsner that finished 1.006.  That is exceptionally low, but it was from 34/70 slurry repitched, so it might have been a bit heavy handed on the repitch.  Tastes great as a flat beer, so I'm carbing it right up.

62

All Grain Brewing / Re: Hard packed grain bed - efficiency spike

« on: March 23, 2013, 12:13:05 pm »

New mill setting, higher temp, and looser mash were all factors.  Hard to say which was mainly responsible.

Probably a combination of all of the above, so now. To replicate those results consistently ... That will be the key!

63

All Grain Brewing / Re: Hard packed grain bed - efficiency spike

« on: March 23, 2013, 09:28:06 am »

Maybe a little slower, but not substantially.  It seemed to be the thinner mash that made a difference in how the bed set so solid on the second run after the batch sparge water was added.  And I stirred it well after adding the sparge water....but now that I think about it, my neighbor borrowed my mill recently and he took it apart and reset the gap - that was likely part of it, too.  I don't have anything to measure the gap, so I trusted him when he said he set it at 39 thousandths!

64

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Favorite beer you've ever brewed?

« on: March 23, 2013, 09:09:47 am »

So far - in terms of drinking, it's been some of the simple beers that surprise me at how good they taste.  I guess if I had to pick one it would be a Bo Pils that had a really nice malty backbone and finished wonderfully crisp.  Simple batch sparge and grain bill, too. "Did you really make that?" - I was asked.

Now, I have enjoyed brewing the Denny beers, Jamil's beers, Stan Hieronymus' beers, Ken Lenard's beers, Fred Bonjour's beers, ....(too many to name and thank!)

65

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.

66

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Using my Homebrew to raise money for charity

« on: March 23, 2013, 05:02:16 am »

In Illinois the law has been enforced:

http://www.pjstar.com/entertainment/x643675111/Illinois-Liquor-Control-Commission-enforces-law-no-home-brews-at-festival

67

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Using my Homebrew to raise money for charity

« on: March 22, 2013, 12:30:03 pm »

Can't do any of that in IL....only allowed to be possessed by the "maker, his family and guests", so we need some reforms, badly.  They don't hassle the competitions, but they have prevented homebrew at festivals where taxed beer is served.  As to Wisconsin, I attend an annual brew fest that is a charitable event and they have a small area devoted to homebrew, after the law was changed there (they suspended it a couple years back due to uncertainty but then brought it back).  It's a big deal in Racine at a public venue, so I am pretty sure that they comply with WI law....

68

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Contact time for Potassium Metabisulfite

« on: March 20, 2013, 03:40:48 pm »

I've done many sours/lambics, and cleaning with PBW plus sanitizing with Starsan has always worked for me.  I do keep a separate autosiphon for them but thats about it.  I've successfully sanitized plastic buckets, Better Bottles and certainly glass carboys.

Thank you Sir!  I will follow your direction.

69

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Contact time for Potassium Metabisulfite

« on: March 20, 2013, 11:24:31 am »

I've always used Star San, but I just thought maybe it was too dilute at 1oz /5gal to kill the bugs that are in a sour beer.  My first sour, so that is why I asked.  I'm not adding it to beer or wine.  Thanks for the insight - sounds like I will soak it in some Star San next just to be sure and probably use the tubing for only sours - tubing is cheap!

70

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Contact time for Potassium Metabisulfite

« on: March 18, 2013, 05:17:50 pm »

Typical that my LHBS said to use it to sanitize after doing a sour - he has led me astray before...anyway, maybe the better question for me to ask is "what sanitizer do you sour brewers use on your equipment?"  I would hate to have to dedicate a second set of equipment to just sour beer handling.

71

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.

72

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 3/15 Edition

« on: March 17, 2013, 06:07:58 pm »

The Dubbel  of Tomme Arthur per recipe from Stan Hieronymus Brew Like a Monk

73

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Raisins in a Dubbel

« on: March 17, 2013, 06:03:57 pm »

+ 1.060

74

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Raisins in a Dubbel

« on: March 16, 2013, 11:14:49 am »

Cool. Thanks, Denny.  I'm chilling down the Dubbel right now and it looks pretty nice, but I know looks can be deceiving!  Here's hoping no scorch tastes are in there...

75

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Diacetyl and Krausening Success Story

« on: March 16, 2013, 10:57:13 am »

That's good to know.  Do you suppose that you could get by with a little less yeast than that, say with some US-05?  In any event - congratulations on a nice cleanup.