Messages

46

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: First time Homebrewer

« on: March 12, 2013, 10:19:20 PM »

One bit of advice I can give: never stop trying to better your beer.  I don't know how many times I hear homebrewers (myself included) say, "I don't do that (insert established brewing practice here) and my beer tastes fine".  Truth is, give it a year, and you won't want to make "fine" beer, you want to make great beer.  Good luck!

I agree with this, but caution that when you are trying to better your beer, pay attention to what actually betters your beer and what just sounds like it will better your beer. We talk about how your system may vary because it is true. I also think this is more of a problem for advanced homebrewers as opposed to those on their first 1-10 batches...

47

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Best Way To Dry Hop in Secondary (Frist Time Dry Hopping)

« on: March 12, 2013, 10:13:27 PM »

Would it be beneficial to dry hop in the primary once fermentation is complete and then rack to a secondary to clarify the beer?  I should be ready to dry hop this weekend, thanks to all for the advice.

IMO, no
Hop aroma and flavor is best when fresh so ideally you package the beer immediately after the period of dry hopping is done.

You can either rack to secondary, allow to clear and then dry hop or leave it in primary to clear, dry hop and then package-I prefer the latter as its one less move:)

This.

You will have cloudy beer if it is dry hopped. Don't worry about it. Go get a really nice dry hopped IPA that has been in the bottle for a couple weeks, and compare it to a freshly dry hopped and kegged IPA that you made at home. The cloudy Homebrew IPA is going to be better, because the beer is fresher. Don't worry about the clarity of dry hopped beers, it's only beer.

48

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: First time Homebrewer

« on: March 12, 2013, 10:09:37 PM »

I agree with Tom.

Especially on making sure you make your second batch quickly. You will be so ready to drink your first batch that making a second will distract you for long enough to get your first batch ready to drink.

Also, relax. You will make beer. It will not be the best beer you have ever tasted, but it will be beer. Your next batch will be better. Relax.

Good Luck, and welcome to the obsession.

49

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: fermentation issues

« on: March 08, 2013, 12:06:38 AM »

Recipe information would be important too. Are you an Extract Brewer? Mash Temps?

50

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: Another noob question

« on: March 07, 2013, 04:29:59 PM »

I agree with the "wait 3 days" Method. IMO, it is a waste of beer to check gravity more than twice at the end, and you need at least a couple days to make sure you have a stable gravity.

Also, the consensus is not that it is especially bad to transfer to secondary. The consensus is that transferring to secondary is only useful in certain circumstances (Usually fruit), and in other instances just doesn't provide much benefit for the hassle and chance of oxidation.

I know when I started brewing, I didn't have a blow off, so I was transferring to secondary so I could clean out my 6g carboy and put fresh wort in. I did 1 week primary (6g Carboy), 1 week secondary (5g Carboy), and then into bottles. Since I was brewing every week, and had only 2 carboys, I had to transfer just to clear space.

51

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 3/8 Edition

« on: March 07, 2013, 08:41:10 AM »

No Brewing this week, but I did just keg my ESB.

52

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Funky Cider Smell

« on: March 06, 2013, 11:14:57 PM »

Do NOT serve this to your friend.  You made the starter with DME, you can not help but carry gluten over into the finished product.  Next time you need to make the starter with a gluten free sugar source.  Even better if you just buy gluten free yeast.

Also, I think it will have better flavor if you do not boil your cider or honey.  You could have just stirred the honey in and then pitched your yeast and been good to go.

Good catch, Tom. I scanned through that part and missed the reference to DME.

I also agree that you will get better flavor if you don't boil your cider. It should already be pasteurized, and therefore sanitary.

53

Ingredients / Re: Local Maltster

« on: March 06, 2013, 08:56:31 PM »

Speaking of which, I am looking forward to trying to get some malt from Skagit Valley Malting whenever they start up. They don't have too much on their website, but I love buying from local small businesses.

54

Ingredients / Re: Local Maltster

« on: March 06, 2013, 08:54:06 PM »

I'd say if they made it into Zymurgy, they are legit. 

55

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Funky Cider Smell

« on: March 06, 2013, 07:54:04 PM »

I agree, my cider was bonkers with H2S. It dissipates after some aging.

56

All Grain Brewing / Re: Distilled Water and Salt Addition for Hoppy IPA

« on: March 06, 2013, 09:46:31 AM »

Ca that gypsum adds reacts with phosphorus compounds in the mash, resulting in the production of  H⁺ ions. The H⁺ ions are what drops the pH, by definition. Maybe Kai or Martin can say if gypsum in the sparge will help. I could get up off my rear, get the pH meter out and try it, but that is some work that I can avoid. 

Thanks for your service. Never been to Korea, but some I used to work with were there often. Hear the food can be good, the local beer and strong drink, not so much.

Korean food is awesome. Korean mass market beer is like every other mass market beer. And Soju really isn't that bad, but it can be down right scary if you don't know what you are doing.

And if you want to lower the pH of your sparge water, I would recommend adding a bit of acid to the sparge water. I sometimes add a bit of lactic to my sparge water just to be sure.

57

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Does fermentation ever totally cease?

« on: March 06, 2013, 09:41:05 AM »

Hope I'm doing this reply thing right.  OK, my bubble vigil will end immediately.  It's time for the trusty hydrometer.  Thanks all for the help and advice.  I will also try DWHAHB.

Don't forget the R in front of DWHAHB for 'Relax!'. 

Dave

+1

Relaxing is the most important part. Remember, it's a hobby, not a business. If you make a mistake or two, you will still have beer.

58

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Mississippi homebrew bill clears house and is sent to Governor's desk to sign

« on: March 06, 2013, 09:27:49 AM »

Congrats Mississippi! Looks like y'all can join the rest of the country in brewing great homemade beer without the threat of legal action.

59

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Souring a Berliner Weisse

« on: March 05, 2013, 09:03:04 AM »

I have not tried this with a Berliner Weisse, but I did do it with a Flanders red, and it worked very well. I was rereading Raj Apte's treatise on Flanders red and brown ales, and he noted in there that brett and lacto produce more souring components when they are forced to work on starches rather than dextrins.

I took about 1/2 cup of flour, and boiled it in a couple cups of water to sanitize, and then added it to the fermenter. I gave it another couple months, and now the acidity is right up there. You could also see the starch haze disappear over 1-2 months.

I also agree that a sour mash may be your best bet.

60

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Back in the saddle

« on: March 05, 2013, 08:57:58 AM »

Thinking for now.

I am only going to use 2 of my converted Kegs. One for my HLT and the other for my Boil kettle. I am going to go ahead and convert a kooler into a Mash tun for ease.

This is what I would do.

Eventually, you can move up to some sort of HERMS or RIMS system, which IMO is one of the best ways to maintain temperature in a uninsulated pot. Cooler mash tuns work really well (If I don't remove the lid <2 degree drop over an hour).

Oh, but make sure it's blue