Messages

931

All Grain Brewing / Re: Oh no!

« on: April 16, 2012, 12:10:04 pm »

+1.  If you have a 'warm syrup' setting on your microwave, I would do that before pouring in.  Otherwise 10-20 seconds should warm it up enough to get a good pour.  If you have a StarSan spray handy, sanitize a spoon and scoop the rest out.  You should get most all of it that way and not water down the beer by boiling.  Good luck!

932

All Grain Brewing / Re: Recipe Help!

« on: April 16, 2012, 12:02:24 pm »

I use beertools as well.  But I've found that while brewing I use a handy little app on my iPhone called Sparge Pal.  Cost me $.99 and saves me a ton of time.

933

All Grain Brewing / Re: Oh no!

« on: April 16, 2012, 11:36:30 am »

One question though.  The recipe calls for 75% efficiency and 1.069.  By my calcs, adding the syrup you will bring it up to 1.054.  Did you hit your numbers?

Dave

934

All Grain Brewing / Re: Oh no!

« on: April 16, 2012, 11:14:30 am »

I would not worry too much about it.  Boil, cool to fermenting temp and add.  If it is just starting to ferment, any Oxygen that sneaks in there will not hurt you.  RDWHAHB.....

Dave

935

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Near-perfect Brew Day

« on: April 16, 2012, 09:30:33 am »

Like most, I typically brew alone.  However I started a tradition last year called "Man Day".  Several people expressed interest in making a brew so I figured I would have them all at once.  So on the 23rd of December I invited everyone to take a half day and come over to brew.  We made a Steam Beer, smoked cigars, drank some beer and a whiskey tasting even broke out.  There is something about a dozen guys standing around a brew kettle in 30F weather talking smack, drinking and smoking cigars.  They made me promise to do it again this year as everyone had a blast and everyone took turns performing a task like with Tony.  I really enjoyed it as well even though I typically like the solitude.  It was a cool change of pace and it makes you realize just how much you know about homebrewing as you answer the mulitiudes of questions everyone has.

936

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Boiling in an erlenmeyer flask

« on: April 16, 2012, 08:53:11 am »

Boiling in the flask works great for me and then no need to sanitize the flask or transfer to it after cooling.  Less steps.  Then again I use fermcap in every starter.

+1 here.  You do have to pay a little extra attention but if you reduce the heat just before it starts a rapid boil you should be fine.  No mess and less steps.

937

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Boiling in an erlenmeyer flask

« on: April 14, 2012, 05:56:05 am »

Spend the extra $ and buy Pyrex or Bomex.  You can take them straight from the burner to the ice bath without a worry.  If you plan to make lagers, I would purchase a 4L or 5L too.

938

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Thought it was stuck, but maybe it was over pitched? Help with whether to dump o

« on: April 11, 2012, 04:07:48 pm »

Not too fast, but probably too warm.  If it was 65 ambient and you pitched a good starter, the beer could have been as high as 72-73F during high fermentation although that is not overly high for that yeast.  You probably had a leak in your airlock, the seal or the seal on the fermenter if there was no activity at all.

Let it sit at 65F for a week or two to let the yeast clean up and then rack to secondary for a few weeks.  If you keg, that can be your secondary.  It should be fine.  RDWHAHB.... 

If there is a lot of sulphur and you keg, purge it with CO2 every couple of days as that will help clear out the sulphur.  If not, a gentle swirl of the primary will help as well.  Even if it's fermented out, the trapped CO2 will release and push the sulphur out.

Dave

939

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Decant starter with a stir plate? Timing a starter

« on: April 05, 2012, 10:08:36 am »

After emailing with Wyeast a few years ago the only time I decant is if I am doing a delicate style or a volume that is approaching the limits of my fermenter.  For 20 gallon batches I generally make a two step, two gallon starter, beginning 48 hours before brew day, on a stir plate with constant O2 feed.

The Wyeast pitch calculator is a great tool:

http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_pitchrate.cfm

I have to agree that this has to effect the final beer.  Do you account for this in your recipe?  A two gallon starter has to be about 1.75# of DME? 

I definitely pitch some of the beer but decant as much as I can.

Dave

940

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Congratulations to the newly elected AHA GC members, and thank's to all that ran

« on: April 05, 2012, 09:55:27 am »

And congrats to the other new officers as well!

Dave

941

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Congratulations to the newly elected AHA GC members, and thank's to all that ran

« on: April 05, 2012, 09:54:27 am »

Gongrats Ron!!!! now you just need to bring the conference to delaware....lol

Thanks again!

Well... it will be right in Delaware's backyard next year.  I'm excited to see NHC come to Philly.

Congrats Ron.  Didn't know it was in Philly next year.  I'm in Valley Forge. Can't wait!  Just missed making it this year.....

Dave

942

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Decant starter with a stir plate? Timing a starter

« on: April 05, 2012, 07:49:02 am »

+1 to above.  Pretty much sums it up.  Good luck!

943

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Okay Princess Bride fans...

« on: April 03, 2012, 07:49:30 am »

Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
 
Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

"Stop saying that!"

944

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Yeast suggestion for 4 different styles

« on: March 30, 2012, 06:07:54 am »

I'd use 1056.

+1.  Although I'm going to give Denny's Favorite a shot on some of these styles as well!

945

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Supplier...Stir plate...Erlenmeyer flask

« on: March 30, 2012, 06:06:10 am »

I would like to know where I can get a flat bottom Erlenmeyer flask. Not the cheap ones that have a domed bottom like the ones Morebeer& NorthernBrewer sell. I have a hard time getting the stir bar to work with my stir starter.  It works great with the flat bottom open flasks I have. But they are to small for starters.But they work good for re hydrating dry yeast.

I had 2-5000ml erlenmeyers from Midwest that basically broke in my hands with hot water in them.  I then asked my LHBS-Keystone Homebrew if they could get me a Pyrex flask.  It took a few weeks but he located a Bomex (same thing) 5000ml that has a flat bottom and I can use on my electric stove.  Man, it made making starters a breeze now that I can boil and place directly in an ice bath with no worries.  It was expensive ($80) but so worth it.  Have a good look around the web.

Dave