Messages

1

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Is it just me?

« on: May 09, 2013, 05:06:22 pm »

I enjoy watching the airlock for awhile but I wish someone would make a screensaver that is a carboy during fermentation. Watching everything moving around is very interesting to me.

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 4/28 Edition

« on: April 26, 2013, 04:55:31 am »

Brewing up two batches of hefeweizen, one of which I will leave as hefeweizen the other will have blackberries added. Ready to go by the time my parents arrive in town.

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Ingredients / Re: Blackberry Wheat. How many pounds

« on: April 25, 2013, 05:20:11 am »

Yeah I figured it would be about 2 pounds a gallon. Reason I am doing blackberries is because they are on sale at the store for a decent price.

Thanks for the replies guys.

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Observation

« on: April 25, 2013, 05:17:26 am »

I would agree with what you said. Around the area I live there are a lot of breweries popping up and a lot of breweries that have been in business for a while. I haven't tried them all and the newer ones I have been to have been hit or miss. One day they have really tasty beer, the next day it's just, meh. Granted this is on the local side of things and I am not a pro brewer or have been brewing all that long (2 years) but my point it is seems like people make beer at home, their friends say it's good, because in all honesty, what friend wouldn't want free beer. And they jump into opening up a brewery. I have heard stories of people opening up small breweries, really small with no brewing experience because they feel that is where the money is at. People in my homebrew club keep saying that in the next few years they will be able to upgrade their systems for cheap. Which has me excited because then I will be able to buy their system for cheap.

As for non local beers I have had most have been good. I don't buy as much professionally brewed beer anymore since I make most of what I drink but I do go out and buy a six pack or two and a couple of bombers a month. Mainly to try out different styles or see something I have previously had and enjoyed.

While I do feel that most places make good beer. It's normally only one or two beers that are good while the rest are just decent. If it were up to me I would try to have all the beers I served recipes that I know I can repeat and that have up to par. Because I wouldn't want to serve someone something I didn't find enjoyable.

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Ingredients / Blackberry Wheat. How many pounds

« on: April 24, 2013, 06:31:31 pm »

I will be making 10 gallons of hefeweizen this weekend. 5 will be clean and the other 5 will be with blackberries (my girlfriend has been bugging me to do a fruity wheat beer). How many pounds do you think I need to get a good blackberry flavor? Also, I was planning on using wyeast 3068 yeast for both. But as I type this I am thinking that I would get more flavor using wyeast 1010 yeast for the blackberries.

Any ideas and thoughts are great.

6

Beer Travel / Re: Belgium 2010 52 beers, 7 days

« on: March 29, 2013, 09:34:57 pm »

That trip sounds wonderful. I have thought about going to belgium/germany for the last couple years. probably won't happen for many years down the road but when it does happen, and it will, I want to spend a few weeks out there. Belgium just sounds like an awesome place. Besides the beer, how is the overall atmosphere/people of the country or places you visited?

By the way, those beers looked so damn good.

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: recommended homebrew shops in CO.

« on: March 28, 2013, 07:07:12 pm »

Do your brew is really close to Wheat Ridge in Westminster. Its near 88th and Wadsworth. it's a nice little shop that has everything you need.

My favorite place is The Brew Hut. it's out in Aurora, kinda far from Wheat Ridge. It's connected to Dry Dock Brewery, some really good beer. It also has everything and while you are shopping and getting your supplies you can drink beer.

Both of those are ones I frequent.

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Yeast and Fermentation / New to Lagering

« on: March 27, 2013, 06:26:28 pm »

I am looking to try my first lager in a few weeks. Not sure which style yet. I have just tested my fridges temps for the last few days and it is sitting right at 45 degrees every time I have checked the temp. I was on the white labs site and most lager yeasts have an optimal temp of 50-55. I'm sure 45 is fine for a lager yeast, I have a few questions.

1.) Would fermenting at 45 create off flavors?
2.) Any styles that like a colder fermenting temp?
3.) I was listening to the Jamil Show and he said that lagers fermented at lower temps don't need diacetyl rests. Is that something to go by? If so, whats a low temp?

Sorry if some of those questions seem a little common sense but I have never looked into lagers until a few days ago.

9

Beer Recipes / Re: Pale Ale Recipe

« on: March 27, 2013, 05:32:06 am »

Thanks for the replies everyone. I checked my recipe the last time I made it and I had added columbus at 60 minutes. I'll try magnum next time i brew this. Would fwh or 60 minute be better for more bittering?

My water is just Denver water and it's what I use in all my beers.

Thanks again for the ideas for the next batch. I'll try this again in a month or two but with some of the ideas thrown around in here.

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Beer Recipes / Pale Ale Recipe

« on: March 26, 2013, 07:34:44 pm »

I am posting this recipe here because it doesn't have the hop flavor that I am looking for. It's just seems to lack the hop punch I am looking for. Any ideas as to how to improve this recipe.

9# 2 row
12 oz. carapils
8 oz. torrified wheat
8 oz crystal 30
mashed at 152 for 60 minutes

1 oz cascade fwh
.5 oz cascade 15 min
.5 oz amarillo 15 min
.25 cascade 10 min
.25 amarillo 10 min
.5 oz cascade 0 min
.5 oz amarillo 0 min
fermented at 68 with WLP001

dry hopped for 7 days with
.5 oz cascade
.5 oz amarillo

Should I have added some hops in the 30 minute range? Added a high alpha acid hop in the fwh? any ideas would be helpful.

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: any suggestions for a nice IPA on St Pattys Day

« on: March 16, 2013, 07:12:31 pm »

Just had some Palate Wrecker last week. Very good stuff. If you want really, really hoppy then 120 minute IPA is the way to go.

I have never had it, and I've only seen it available once. It was at a distributer in Pennsylvania. If you know anything about PA, you can only get cases there. Which works well in many instances at this place I go to....$37 for Nugget Nectar, $52 for Hop Slam, and $52 for Breakfast stout....But I had to pass on a case of 120 minute for $150....I just couldn't do it.

So really, is it that good?

.....One of my St. Patty's days beers was a Palate Wrecker

Not in my mind. It's way too sweet and drowns out the hops. 90 minute is my favorite from DogFishHead. I bought a bottle last year and it's over hyped.

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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Sour Golden Strong ECY 001

« on: March 12, 2013, 05:16:23 am »

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll just let it be. This is my first time using ECY001 and was curious. I'll try the roeselare blend next sour batch.

How is the roeselare blend? How sour does it get?

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Yeast and Fermentation / Sour Golden Strong ECY 001

« on: March 11, 2013, 05:59:30 pm »

I pitched bugs on my Sour Golden Strong after the the clean yeast ate it down to 1.040 from 1.078. This was about two months ago. I haven't seen a pellicle yet and I know that sometimes it takes a while to get one and sometimes you won't. I'm not too worried about it because the beer smells sour.

My question is when pitching bugs on an already partially fermented beer do you shake up the carboy or just pitch the bugs and let them be? I didn't really shake the fermenter because I was told the bugs don't like oxygen.

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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: WLP 001 in a Pale Ale

« on: March 08, 2013, 11:32:28 am »

thanks for the replies.

It's an all grain batch and me seeing that got me curious to see if fermentation stalled or something else I took a gravity reading and it was at 1.010. So it seems like it is finished or very close to finishing.

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Yeast and Fermentation / WLP 001 in a Pale Ale

« on: March 07, 2013, 07:37:38 pm »

So I just brewed a pale ale on saturday. OG was 1.054 and pitched two vials at 70 degrees. It is sitting my basement bathroom that is unused and it fermenting at 68 degrees. It's been 5 days and went to throw in my dry hops. By this time the yeast has fallen out but to my suprise I still have a good amount of krausen sitting on top of my beer. Is this normal for the yeast? The other times I've used this yeast it has fallen out by now. I haven't taken a gravity reading yet so I guess it could still be going.