Topics

1

Equipment and Software / Monitoring Keg Levels

« on: April 29, 2013, 11:36:52 am »

I'm on a tangent today - I have my brewing calendar all planned out for the next few months, so I need a side project.

How does everyone keep track of or know the level of beer in ones kegs? Or does anyone even do that?

I'm tired of blowing a keg before I think I'm going to. I get all excited about a good beer on tap, and it's gone in 3 weeks without something new to put on at the ready. My fiance has been trying to kick a keg of APA for like two weeks now. He's been drinking about 3 glasses a night every other night and can't kick it. While it's kind of funny, I would really like to just know how much is left.

Does anyone have any solutions? I'll go for cheap 'n' easy or super nerdy and complicated.

2

Homebrew Competitions / Joel's Ride - Homebrew Competition for Charity - June 2, 2013

« on: April 11, 2013, 06:39:11 pm »

Hey oh everybody!

I would like to invite you all to enter a competition I am organizing in Kansas City. This competition is being sponsored by the Kansas City Bier Meisters and the BJCP. It is being run in conjunction with a local charity, Joel's Ride.

Joel's Ride is an annual bike ride in honor of Joel Winston, a craft beer enthusiast who lost his battle with cancer in 2006. This ride attracted 120 bikers last year and was featured on the local news.

All proceeds from this competition will go to the charity and competition awards will be presented June 2, the day of the ride.

I encourage all of you to enter here: http://www.kcbiermeisters.org/joelsride/ More details on entry deadlines are at that site. The KC area has very good judges, so if you are looking for good feedback on your beers, this is a great place to get it and support a good cause!

More information about Joel's Ride can be found here: http://www.kansascyclist.com/events/JoelsRideForJustice.html

So get over there and enter your beers! Cheers!

3

Ingredients / To Hop Stand or not to Hop Stand?

« on: January 07, 2013, 11:39:39 am »

Here's a recipe I'm developing for a 'lower' alcohol, huge flavor IPA.

5 lb Crisp MO
4 lb Rahr 2-row
6oz C20
---------
15 minute additions:
1/3 oz each Citra, Galaxy, Centennial & Mosaic
1/2 oz Simcoe

Possible Hop Stand (or I'll wuss out and do a 5 minute addition):
2/3 oz each Citra, Galaxy, Centennial & Mosaic

Dry Hop:
1 oz each Citra, Galaxy, Centennial, Mosaic & Simcoe
---------
US-05 or equivalent


My question is about the hop stand - if I did it for 30 minutes, wouldn't my 15 minute addition be more like a 45 minute addition? And the hop stand be like a 30 minute addition? Or is this just a bad idea in the first place?

I'd like to get this right since I'm using some pretty awesome hops and don't want to waste them on a mediocre batch.

Cheers!

4

Yeast and Fermentation / Stone Cali-Belgique OR Belgian IPA Yeast Selection

« on: November 25, 2012, 03:31:31 pm »

Hey guys, I'm aiming for a beer similar to Stone's Cali-Belgique, their Belgian IPA offering.

Yes, I'm reading Steele's IPA. That being said, he mentions in passing that Cali-Belgique is the Stone IPA wort fermented with Belgian yeast. Given that the recipe is somewhat given for Stone IPA in the back of the book, I've worked this out for my system:

11 lb Pale Malt (which should be around 4L based on the SRM he states - maybe Maris Otter or another base malt?)
14 oz Crystal 15
-----
0.75oz Chinook @ 90
0.75oz Columbus @ 90
1.5oz Centennial @ Flame Out
-----
WLP500??

My two questions are this:
1) What do you think he meant by "Pale Malt"?
2) Will WLP500 work well with American 'c' hops or is there a better alternative?

Cheers!