Messages

166

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: yeast for Shock Top Wheat clone

« on: November 27, 2012, 12:17:54 pm »

I cannot speak to what yeast AnBev uses.

I assumed this beer was created to compete with Molson/Coors' Blue Moon. From what I remember they are very similar but have no real authentic belgian character which is why the masses enjoy it. I think Wyeast American Wheat may be a good idea even though that is not what is used. Also throw in some coriander and orange zest at the end of the boil.

I do an American Wehat with US05, coriander, orange zest and it works great. It is somewhat similar to Blue Moon and Shock Top but a little more crisp 

167

Equipment and Software / Re: Boil kettle

« on: November 21, 2012, 05:26:13 pm »

I use a 30 qt kettle for 5.5 gallon batches but it is pretty tight. I get a preboil volume of 6.5 gallons but need to watch as it comes up to a boil to ensure it doesn't boil over. You may want to go for a 60 qt kettle though in case you decide to step it up to 10 gallon batches at any point.

168

Equipment and Software / Re: Boil kettle

« on: November 21, 2012, 03:36:57 pm »

Right now, I used a 30 qt aluminum kettle. I put a sanitized paint strainer bag into my sanitized fermenting bucket. When the wort has cooled to pitching temps in my kettle I dump everything into the bucket. I then pull the bag out letting the wort drain and filter. When I use a lot of hops it can take a bit to get the full batch filtered but has worked great so far.

Sorry...I know this doesn't really apply if you plan to modify the kettle.

169

All Grain Brewing / Re: bitterness ratio question

« on: November 20, 2012, 12:49:10 pm »

Thanks for your insight.

I am pretty sure it won't end up drier because I have recently moved operation back to my house. When using US05 at my friends we would average about 87% attenuation and at my house I get about 78%. The last time I brewed the beer it finished at 1.009 and I suspecting this one will finish at 1.010/1.011 even with the lower OG.

I understand this will most likely be a different beer but that was to be expected from the beginning. I was purposely trying to drop the ABV but not as much as will probably occur. That was the main reason I was trying to match the bitterness ratio. I was assuming OG and FG would be different from the start so was trying to keep one thing consistent.

170

All Grain Brewing / Re: bitterness ratio question

« on: November 18, 2012, 11:32:41 am »

Update: Brewed this yesterday and had my lowest efficiency ever but I don't know why. My IBUs were very close to the original estimate but my bitterness ratio was about .780 compared to .700 due to a lower than desired OG. This one should end up about 5% ABV compared to 5.7% of the original both had about 37 calculated IBUs

171

Beer Recipes / Re: basic amber ale recipe help

« on: November 16, 2012, 04:33:12 pm »

I thought I would update this as I am making my first tasting notes. It has only been in the bottle a week so it will contine to develop. The basic malt bill is in a post above and keep in mind that this was actually an amber ale with pumpkin, spices, and orange zest. Sorry not very good at making tasting notes...

ONE WEEK IN BOTTLE (11/16)
Appearance: light golden amber. Considered "deep amber" by BJCP. Darker than I originally thought and color is about perfect. Poured aggressively at beginning to get a good head but it dissipated within a couple of minutes leaving thin white remnants. Carbonation seems to be decent for 1 week in bottle.

Aroma: Very subtle spice and interesting caramel notes. Aroma is much more subdued than I was hoping.

Taste: Wow this is an interesting one at this point! Initially very smooth with butterscotch like flavor that quickly transforms to a slight bitter tartness. I wonder if the combo of the orange and the spices somehow gives the perception of butterscotch because the orange seems to be missing although it was very present previously. After a few drinks, the palate adjusts and it's a very tasty yet interesting beer. Although the pumpkin and spices notes don't seem to be immediately perceptible, the impact is undoubtedly there. Starting to get some spiciness perhaps from the cloves/nutmeg. A spicy tingling lingers on the tongue when not tasting for a few minutes.

Mouthfeel: The oats give it a creamy smooth beginning that transforms to almost a biting sensation from the carbonation. I assume this will become tempered with time and not as noticeable. 

172

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: West Coast Ale dry yeast

« on: November 16, 2012, 10:05:57 am »

I would be very interested to hear from those who have used this yeast. I use US05 for pretty much everything and love it. The only downside for me is lower than desired flocculaion since I bottle. The Danstar shows medium-high flocculation which would be a good thing. I would also be interested about attenutation. I get right around 78% with US05 normally which is just about perfect for most of the beers I brew.

173

Beer Recipes / Re: What do you think of this Coffeehouse Porter?

« on: November 15, 2012, 11:50:16 am »

I agree with using US05 and Magnum over Warrior as your bittering addition.

I think the honey malt and coffee malt are not necessary but that is obviously up to you. I have trouble keeping my porter recipes simple for some reason so I can relate.

174

Beer Recipes / Re: American Saison

« on: November 14, 2012, 07:11:05 pm »

Thanks for all of the input guys. I think I will stick with the 3711 for my first try. I don't think I have the ability to get the fermenter up to 90 during the winter.

175

Beer Recipes / Re: American Saison

« on: November 14, 2012, 04:18:16 pm »

I don't have any experience with any Saison yeasts so anything will be a good starting point I suppose. Is 565 the one that takes a while to finish and seems to stop after a couple of days?

176

Kegging and Bottling / using gelatin when bottling

« on: November 14, 2012, 09:57:17 am »

Hey guys. In the past I was advised not to use gelatin when bottling due to possble carbing issues. I am sure this topic is posted up here somewhere but I was too lazy to look around.

Honestly, I have more issues keeping the settled yeast out of the glass but I was just curious as to what the consensus is with this. When I was kegging, I would use whirlfloc at the end of the boil and gelatin when racking to the keg. This gave great results. Now that I am back to bottling, I just use whirlfloc. My clarity is actually pretty good but always looking to improve...

Any input or advice?

177

All Grain Brewing / Re: bitterness ratio question

« on: November 09, 2012, 04:08:30 pm »

Thanks guys...yeah I was just adjusting from the difference in AA%. I didn't think about taking my preboil gravity as a way around it even though I try to do that regularly. That is the perfect solution!

178

All Grain Brewing / bitterness ratio question

« on: November 09, 2012, 11:58:58 am »

I am trying to duplicate a pale ale that I brewed a few months back. It had a bitterness ratio of .700. When brewing this I am pretty sure my efficiency will be lower than it was that time due to location changes. I would actually prefer a lower OG so I am okay with that.

My question is should I adapt the recipe to matching the bitterness ratio or just try to match the IBUs? With my estimate efficiency the new attempt would be .745. I am kind of afraid to drop the IBUs in case my efficiency is higher than I expected.

Should I even worry about it? Will a change in .050 even be noticeable? Trying to be able to duplicate recipes to the tee which is the only reason I am even worried about it....

179

Beer Recipes / Re: American Saison

« on: November 09, 2012, 10:54:07 am »

Thanks for the advice. I will be doing a starter for the first time in a while. I would like to start one the morning of brewday from the second runnings but not sure if that will be enough time to be worth it.

My normal go to yeast is US05

180

Beer Recipes / Re: American Saison

« on: November 08, 2012, 08:52:41 pm »

I will try to remember to update when I brew this. It will either be my next batch or the one after I think. I may do an old reliable recipe so I don't disappoint over the holidays... I have been experimenting a bit more lately and not hitting much.

At this point, I am considering dropping the sugar and upping the Munich to make up for the gravity and stay within the color restraints. I am not sure what to expect from 3711 since it is shown to average 80% attenuation. I am hoping to get at least 85% to really dry it out hence the sugar.