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1082
All Grain Brewing / Re: First All grain batch
« on: November 29, 2011, 02:25:09 PM »+1 to both of these comments. Make something relatively simple for your first AG beer. Use 9-10# of 2 row, 1# crystal and make a Pale Ale or Steam Beer. Get the process down, know your equipment and then ramp it up. You want your first brew to be as good as possible not only for yourself but so you can brag about making it!I would suggest something more common for first batch. Convert one of your extract recipes. That way, you'll know more about your process, than trying to figure on a new style.
Sound advice and what I was thinking as well, but I was thinking a basic recipe. Nothing fancy- just something to familiarize oneself with the process. Not an expensive beer that could be ruined by coming in too low or too high.
Look into your water profile. Martin's spreadsheet would be a good place to start. Would suck to have everything go right process-wise and have a lackluster beer because the bill didn't fit the water-type.
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All Grain Brewing / Re: ESB high gravity help
« on: November 29, 2011, 02:19:55 PM »
That is very close to my ESB recipe which I really like this time of year. I use 9# MO, 1#Crystal 60, .5# carapils. No Amber Malt. I also use Wyest 1968 which rounds it out very nicely....
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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 11/25 Edition
« on: November 29, 2011, 02:11:14 PM »
Made an APA-1.064 and a Winter Lager-1.072.
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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Should I Rack to Secondary
« on: November 22, 2011, 03:18:02 PM »
Yes, if it is in the airlock you could potentially have an issue, or it could happen again! I would pop it off now that fermentation is highly active, clean it out, sanitize and pop it back on. If you can rig up a blow off tube, even better. But I would definitely not transfer the beer at this point. We've all been there and it's a mess, but you are probably fine. You just need to ride it out at this point. RDWAHAHB!
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All Grain Brewing / Re: FLOW RATE INTO BOIL KETTLE
« on: November 21, 2011, 12:17:25 PM »
I fly sparge and have not had any problems with stuck sparges. What are you using as a manifold? I use a stainless toilet connector which has served me quite well.
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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: how to re use yeast
« on: November 21, 2011, 09:31:17 AM »or do you just put the next beer right on top of the last beer old hop debris and all.
Sometimes, yes. You can do this and the typical approach is to go from lighter/weaker to darker/stronger beers (e.g. brew a light lager, use the yeast cake for a dopplebock).
Or, you can pour the yeast cake into a sanitized container and wash the yeast as mentioned above.
Or, you can pour it out and use only a portion of the total cake for your next batch which minimizes concerns about over-pitching.
There are several ways to go about it. Find out which works best for you and go with that.
+1. If you are really worried about the amount of trub, then the wash is the best way. I have found that it really doesn't make a difference. I typically fill 2 1L containers half-way and just pitch one entire slurry in my next brew. If you want to pitch on top of the cake, that's fine, but like Joe said, make sure it's to a much higher gravity beer.
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All Grain Brewing / Re: decoction mash
« on: November 21, 2011, 06:29:04 AM »It seems, based on the discussion here, that doing a decoction at all is somewhat controversial. I have never done one. I generally do single infusions and batch sparge. It was recommended in this discussion to check out the YouTube decoction video, which I did. He, the German guy, said that decoctions were better when you have "less modified" malts such as munich. Do you all agree? Does it really make a difference?
Agree 100%.
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All Grain Brewing / Re: Help! I've brewed a watery mess
« on: November 21, 2011, 06:27:44 AM »thanks for all the advice. I buy my grain from my LHBS; I'll check the grind next time I buy some. I'll also pay closer attention to my volume levels. Always seem to forget to measure, somewhere along the line.
+1 to checking the thermometer. Is it a digital or dial? That could make all the difference right there.
If you keep breaking hydrometers, look in to a refractometer. Sounds like you are 60% at the cost already.....
Lastly for me is to check your mash PH. The strips are cheap and will let you know if you are far off or not.
Dave
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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: When is a starter done?
« on: November 21, 2011, 06:21:48 AM »You don't have to pitch it today.
I alyways let mine sit over night in the converted freezer because I can't get my wort down to temp with my well water. It won't hurt anything as long as its covered.
+1, I'm generally a "next day pitcher" myself
I ended up taking the starter out at 10:00PM, decanted, warmed and pitched at around 11:00PM. Activity was present Sunday morning and it's now percolating away and about to come through the blow off tube! Got a good 2 inches of foam on top with a nice Krausen forming. WIll remember to give big starters more time in the future.......but RDWAHAHB worked again!
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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: how to re use yeast
« on: November 21, 2011, 06:17:25 AM »How do you re use yeast that has a lot of O.T.Y......other than yeast....I have a lager still in the primary but it has all kinds of hop debris on the bottom of the 15 gal fermentor. ......How do you separate the yeast from the trash or do you just put the next beer right on top of the last beer old hop debris and all.
There's a lot of info about yeast washing on the internet. You need a few mason jars or the equivalent (I use 1L Powerade bottles) sterilized. After racking leave a layer of beer on top. Pour in 1-2 cups of boiled and cooled water, swirl it up to a nice slurry and pour in to your sterilized jars. I usually take an alcohol swab and clean around the top of the fermenter where it will be poured. Place the jars in the fridge and wait 20-30 minutes. You will see the slurry separate to trub on the bottom, yeast in the middle and the water on top. Pour the water and yeast in to another jar and you have your first wash.
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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: When is a starter done?
« on: November 19, 2011, 11:33:32 AM »
Also plan to steep covered after boil for 30 minutes and then let settle after aeration for 30 minutes. Buys me another hour. Good plan?
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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: When is a starter done?
« on: November 19, 2011, 11:24:40 AM »You could try to cold crash it right now and get some S-33 as a backup, if it doesn't go.
I haven't tried that yeast, but I try to have some US-05 and S-04 on hand for those occasions when my planning didn't allow for a good yeast crash and decant. I agree with Denny that if the yeast isn't ready, then you are really not ready to brew, but with the dry yeasts that are out there, I never have a problem anymore with yeast planning. And FWIW, I prefer some of the dry yeasts to the liquid counterparts.
Made the executive decicion about 30 minutes ago to crash it. It may be an hour or two after I place in to primary before I can pitch it, but I think it will be OK. Next big beer I give it a couple more days......Thanks for the advice all!
Nex
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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: When is a starter done?
« on: November 19, 2011, 09:44:39 AM »
Meant boil the wort down another gallon and pitch the entire starter. Will raise the OG from 1.073 to 1.080, but it is a Chimay....
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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: When is a starter done?
« on: November 19, 2011, 09:37:09 AM »Dumb question, but back to the title. If there are CO2 bubbles still coming up, is it safe to assume the starter is not fermented out yet?
Not necessarily...it only shows you have CO2 coming out of solution for some reason. But given the size of your starter and the short time it's been working, it could very well still be fermenting. FWIW, I would have given that starter at least 5 days.
Wow. Yeah, I do not make a lot of high gravity beers. In that case, I should definitely boil it down and pitch it all, no?