586
Ingredients / Re: Dry hop in primary
« on: June 14, 2011, 06:49:28 AM »
I think "grassiness" with dry hopping comes from leaving the beer on the dry hops to long, IMHO
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587
Ingredients / Re: Dry hop in primary
« on: June 14, 2011, 06:30:03 AM »
You can certainly do it, although as Martin mentioned above, you missed the ideal window of opportunity in your primary. It sounds like Martin and I have the same setup and philosophy on dry-hopping and fermentation vessesl. The other important thing to remember in addition to adding the dry hops right before terminal gravity is to rouse the vessel with either CO2 or swirling the bucket/carboy every day or every other day to keep the hops in suspension. Just throw them in loose, they will saturate and fall into suspension.
588
Yeast and Fermentation / Re: French Saison yeast quirky?
« on: June 14, 2011, 06:25:35 AM »
The only way to know for sure is to check the gravity. I used the same strain a couple of months back and it took at 1.064 saison down to 1.002 in about 2 weeks. As the others have said, it is a workhorse!
589
Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: Widmer X-114 Rotator IPA
« on: June 13, 2011, 07:30:44 PM »
The experimental hop at the time was x-114, it has now been renamed the hop we all know and love as Citra! Hence the name 
590
Ingredients / Re: American Amber Ale advice
« on: June 13, 2011, 12:40:48 PM »
If this local contest is in Lincoln, NE (which I think it is 
), you are not confined to what is on the list. You are free to use your own ingredients. This is just what they would "like" you to use because it is already in stock. Be creative, it is an experimental ale contest by the way!
), you are not confined to what is on the list. You are free to use your own ingredients. This is just what they would "like" you to use because it is already in stock. Be creative, it is an experimental ale contest by the way!
591
General Homebrew Discussion / Re: San Diego Session Ale
« on: June 07, 2011, 07:52:56 PM »
Supposedly Kelsey McNair of QUAFF won the Stone Pro-Am with a West Coast Bitter. I can't find the recipe online, but the description of the beer sounds like what you are looking for Skyler?
592
Ingredients / Re: Galaxy hops
« on: June 06, 2011, 06:21:59 AM »
Gordon,
What do you think about subbing in Galaxy in place of Delta in Nathan Smith's Citrus Bomb IPA?
What do you think about subbing in Galaxy in place of Delta in Nathan Smith's Citrus Bomb IPA?
593
General Homebrew Discussion / Re: San Diego Session Ale
« on: June 06, 2011, 06:21:06 AM »
Nice recipe! I love the hop bursting at the end! Let us know how it turns out.
594
Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Stuck old ale?
« on: June 05, 2011, 02:56:10 PM »
Brett works very slowly. Be patient. According to Vinnie at Russian River. A 100% Brett fermentation will ferment to 1.020 in about 10 days. It will take a beer 8 weeks for the beer to drop to 1.010. So I would expect it to take months, not weeks for the beer to reach terminal gravity.
595
Ingredients / Re: RO water
« on: June 05, 2011, 02:48:34 PM »
We all just want you to brew the best beer possible Hope it turns out great. As with brewing there are very few absolutes and lots of ways to arrive at the same destination. Unfortunately there are lots of different opinions to go with homebrewing, some more polarizing than others, but the goal is all the same: To brew great beer! Good luck with the brew, let us know how it goes.
Hope it turns out great. As with brewing there are very few absolutes and lots of ways to arrive at the same destination. Unfortunately there are lots of different opinions to go with homebrewing, some more polarizing than others, but the goal is all the same: To brew great beer! Good luck with the brew, let us know how it goes.
596
General Homebrew Discussion / Re: San Diego Session Ale
« on: June 05, 2011, 02:45:26 PM »
Skyler,
So what recipe did you come up with for your SD Session Ale? Curious to see your interpretation...
So what recipe did you come up with for your SD Session Ale? Curious to see your interpretation...
597
Ingredients / Re: RO water
« on: June 05, 2011, 01:39:24 PM »
Quote from: hoser on Today at 10:31:48 AM
Are we talking 5.3 at mash temps or room temps? Two completely different things. If it is at room temp than that is well within the range and nothing to worry about, in fact it is ideal.
I think you may have that backwards. A room temp pH of 5.3-5.8 is generally considered optimal, corresponding to a mash temp range of about 5.0-5.5. Unless otherwise specified, pH values are almost always given at room temperature.
You are correct, I realized I had it backwards after I posted it. Sorry, about that
At any rate a pH of 5.3-5.35 would be just fine hot or at mash temp.
I guess my point is that we all know water chemistry fairly well, but the person looking for answers may not. I think we may be making this too complicated for the average brewer or the brewer who doesn't understand water chemistry. More harm can come from adjusting your water than not adjusting your water. I guess my point kind of got lost in this good discussion. Dilution is the easiest method to add or reduce alkalinity. Plus, we are giving advice on water when we don't know the chemistry of morticaixavier's water. Which is what I would like to know. Exactly why is it so bad for brewing that RO water is needed in the first place?
Are we talking 5.3 at mash temps or room temps? Two completely different things. If it is at room temp than that is well within the range and nothing to worry about, in fact it is ideal.
I think you may have that backwards. A room temp pH of 5.3-5.8 is generally considered optimal, corresponding to a mash temp range of about 5.0-5.5. Unless otherwise specified, pH values are almost always given at room temperature.
You are correct, I realized I had it backwards after I posted it. Sorry, about that
At any rate a pH of 5.3-5.35 would be just fine hot or at mash temp.I guess my point is that we all know water chemistry fairly well, but the person looking for answers may not. I think we may be making this too complicated for the average brewer or the brewer who doesn't understand water chemistry. More harm can come from adjusting your water than not adjusting your water. I guess my point kind of got lost in this good discussion. Dilution is the easiest method to add or reduce alkalinity. Plus, we are giving advice on water when we don't know the chemistry of morticaixavier's water. Which is what I would like to know. Exactly why is it so bad for brewing that RO water is needed in the first place?
598
Ingredients / Re: RO water
« on: June 05, 2011, 10:31:48 AM »
Are we talking 5.3 at mash temps or room temps? Two completely different things. If it is at room temp than that is well within the range and nothing to worry about, in fact it is ideal.
RO water has a very small buffering capacity as all of the alkalinity is generally not removed. But, yes there is less than 10ppm. You are also forgeting that malt has a natural buffering capacity as well, hence Kai's experiment showing that DI water and 2-Row lock in at approx. 5.6. Color/SRM is a poor predictor of mash pH adjustments (there has been a lot of discussion about this lately) unless one is using dark roasted malts like black patent, roasted barley, carafa, etc. in the case of a stout or porter. You can also get around this issue by cold-steeping the roasted/crystal grains or adding them at sparging to avoid conflicts with mash pH. Crystal 60L will have little effect on mash pH regardless of the water and its alkalinity used. Yes, Martin, I agree with your example of a dark mild, but in your case you are using 25% crystal/chocolate vs. 12.5% crystal 60L in the above recipe. And as I have mentioned above more than once, for a stout or porter I WOULD use water with alkalinity. I am not anti-alkalinity. But for an IPA, it is not needed, look at Firestone Walker's Union Jack. A simple blend of a known percentage of water and its profile is way easier to conrol than adding chalk since it is simple dilution. Especially if he does not have access to any salts at the moment. Plus, chalk must me added in an acidic environment for it to dissolve otherwise it just precipitates out (a mistake a lot of people make by adding it to the brewing liquor). Even with adding a known amount to the acidic mash it will not completeley dissolve. Yes, lime is better choice and probably easier for him to obtain at the moment You can do more harm than good to your beer by playing around with water if you don't know what you are doing. I would just blend 10-20% of his de-chlorinated tap water with his RO water and call it a day. Adjust salts according to desired flavor profile and to provide calcium for the yeast. Besides, Anchor is the bench mark for Cali Commons and I believe San Francisco water is fairly soft, if my memory serves. Hence, the great beers. Now, I don't know if they adjust their alkalinity. But, I bet not.
**EDIT** Yup, just checked. SF water has an alkalinity of 50ppm. Just blend a small percentage of filtered, de-chlorinated water and save yourself the headache of possible messing up your beer.
RO water has a very small buffering capacity as all of the alkalinity is generally not removed. But, yes there is less than 10ppm. You are also forgeting that malt has a natural buffering capacity as well, hence Kai's experiment showing that DI water and 2-Row lock in at approx. 5.6. Color/SRM is a poor predictor of mash pH adjustments (there has been a lot of discussion about this lately) unless one is using dark roasted malts like black patent, roasted barley, carafa, etc. in the case of a stout or porter. You can also get around this issue by cold-steeping the roasted/crystal grains or adding them at sparging to avoid conflicts with mash pH. Crystal 60L will have little effect on mash pH regardless of the water and its alkalinity used. Yes, Martin, I agree with your example of a dark mild, but in your case you are using 25% crystal/chocolate vs. 12.5% crystal 60L in the above recipe. And as I have mentioned above more than once, for a stout or porter I WOULD use water with alkalinity. I am not anti-alkalinity
. But for an IPA, it is not needed, look at Firestone Walker's Union Jack. A simple blend of a known percentage of water and its profile is way easier to conrol than adding chalk since it is simple dilution. Especially if he does not have access to any salts at the moment. Plus, chalk must me added in an acidic environment for it to dissolve otherwise it just precipitates out (a mistake a lot of people make by adding it to the brewing liquor). Even with adding a known amount to the acidic mash it will not completeley dissolve. Yes, lime is better choice and probably easier for him to obtain at the moment You can do more harm than good to your beer by playing around with water if you don't know what you are doing. I would just blend 10-20% of his de-chlorinated tap water with his RO water and call it a day. Adjust salts according to desired flavor profile and to provide calcium for the yeast. Besides, Anchor is the bench mark for Cali Commons and I believe San Francisco water is fairly soft, if my memory serves. Hence, the great beers. Now, I don't know if they adjust their alkalinity. But, I bet not.**EDIT** Yup, just checked. SF water has an alkalinity of 50ppm. Just blend a small percentage of filtered, de-chlorinated water and save yourself the headache of possible messing up your beer.
599
Ingredients / Re: Unusual Wood Alternatives to Oak
« on: June 05, 2011, 07:33:41 AM »Something to note, Spanish Cedar is not a cedar (like red cedar, white cedar, etc.) While Spanish Cedar might work in a beer, I can't see the cedars of US working. And forget pine, you can "distill" pine lumber and one of the products you get is turpentine.Thanks, I knew there was a reason I was not wanting use pine. I just couldn't remember. Spanish cedar does work in beer, and is not a true cedar tree. Cigar City has been using untoasted Spanish cedar in their humidor series. I have an all-Brett beer aging on Spanish cedar as we speak. Spanish cedar is the wood used in humidors, which is where Cigar City got the idea from. They said they preferred the toasted over the un-toasted Spanish cedar after using both. I do not plan on using red cedar or similar.
http://tapirtantrum.com/2009/04/12/testing-exotic-woods-whiskey/
The dude didn't post a follow-up, but the taste test was interesting. I probably would've used a more neutral spirit like vodka.
Interesting read, I will probably just make a tea using RO water. Testing this many woods may get me drunk which is not the objective...yet
Poplar?
http://beerinbaltimore.com/?p=5445
Another interesting read. I don't see these beers listed on their website, however? I wonder if they were not successful? I will see if I can contatct the brewer to find out any info on "roasting" yellow poplar.
Thanks again guys!
600
Ingredients / Re: RO water
« on: June 04, 2011, 06:33:51 PM »
It seems rather counter-productive to me to add alkalinity in the form of chark or baking soda when we as brewers are trying to reduce alkalinity and thus reduce our mash pH. Why complicate things by adding back a base when all of the alkalinity has already been removed? Kai has already proven that with DI water and 2-row malt that the mash naturally locks in at about 5.6 and now you want to raise that up by adding alkalinity? The godfather of water, AJ Delange, also agrees that adding alkalinity is rarely needed. The most important things for your mash and yeast are a low pH and calcium. That can be achieved with calcium chloride or gypsum and RO water. By adding chalk or baking soda you would now have to add an acid to undo you base salt addition. If adding alkalinity is truly that important I say just blend 10-20% of you brewing liquor with de-chlorinated tap water. That recipe is fairly pale beer and would turn out just fine with RO water and CaCl or CaSO4 depending on your preference to accentuate the malt or the hops