Messages

1

Ingredients / Re: flaked oats

« on: October 11, 2012, 09:30:43 AM »

Cool.  When I toast malted barley, I spread on a cookie sheet and go with 350F for 10 minutes.  I'll stick with that.

Dave

Dave, oats usually take me around 75 minutes to achieve the nuttiness and color I want. THis is doing 2 lbs at a time on a cookie sheet turning every 15 minutes or so @ 325-350

Jason,

No kidding!  Thanks Jason.  What do you use to turn them?  Spatula?  How critical do you think this is?

Dave

Yes just a spatula. I think its critical to turn them for even browning. Your house should smell like nuts when you do this and the oats should turn golden brown. I also recommend doing it the day before brewday and storing them in a paperbag until you're ready to mash. Keep a watchful eye though, they can go from golden brown to black in a matter of minutes.

2

Beer Recipes / Re: First Barleywine

« on: October 11, 2012, 09:27:44 AM »

Just assume that your efficiency will be lower and compensate accordingly.  That'll keep you from having to use DME to bump it up, but having some on hand is a good idea, as suggested.

I'd mash lower than 154.  This beer will have a good amount of residual sugar left in it even at a lower mash temp.  Or add some sugar per the Professor's suggestions to help dry it out.

+1.

Id throw in a pound or so of sugar or even honey at the end of the boil to help with attenuation. Also mash lower and mash long. IMO the key to a great barleywine is keeping it dry and drinkable as a beer that big can be. I mash mine at 147 for about 90 minutes.

3

Ingredients / Re: flaked oats

« on: October 11, 2012, 09:23:37 AM »

Cool.  When I toast malted barley, I spread on a cookie sheet and go with 350F for 10 minutes.  I'll stick with that.

Dave

Dave, oats usually take me around 75 minutes to achieve the nuttiness and color I want. THis is doing 2 lbs at a time on a cookie sheet turning every 15 minutes or so @ 325-350

4

All Grain Brewing / Re: Jumping back into the game

« on: October 11, 2012, 09:10:28 AM »

What I recommend is getting a burner with as much surface area( or close too) as the pot you're using as the MT. I would then recommend drilling out the orifice with a 5/32 bit and using a Low Pressure regulator on the propane tank to convert the burner down to put out about 45,000 BTU if the burner is HP. THis gives a nice gentle flame that covers the entire bottom of the pot for consistent heating. You will want a constant re-circulation back to the top of the tun. A piece of silicon tubing connected to a ball valve on top works great, just layed on top of the mash bed.

Also make sure you put a ball valve on the out side of your pump and turn the pump head to be vertical not horizontal, with the outflow UP and the inflow down. I also recommend silicon tubing that you can see through(not the manilla cream stuff) that way you can tell where your clog is if you have one. Also make sure you start re-circing water through everything before dumping your grain in. This gets everything going easily and prevents clogging.

5

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: stir plate overflow - start again?

« on: October 03, 2012, 09:17:51 AM »

After resting in the fridge overnight, a solid 1/4" of cake has settled on the bottom, so I suppose I'm all set.  Thanks for the reassurance.

If you really want to be assured you're pitching properly, take a liter or so of wort from your brew day and put it on the yeast for 4-6 hours on the stir plate prior to pitching in the full batch.

6

Beer Recipes / Re: Critique my Wit

« on: September 27, 2012, 12:23:55 PM »

I second the flaked wheat instead of raw wheat. No need for a cereal mash with the flaked pre gelatinized stuff.  I use oats in mine as well, mash at 154. I also recommend MORE acid malt. You want your pH around 5.1-5.2 to get that classic Wit tartness imo.

7

Ingredients / Re: Pumpkin

« on: September 27, 2012, 12:22:00 PM »

No, I'll be making an all grain batch. Sounds like a good plan, I'll modify the recipe to throw the pumpkin in with the mash.

Thank you for your reply!!!
Brian

Brian, a couple tips. 1 Add some strike water to the pumpkin and make a thin slurry. Mash in your grains normally first. Then slowly work the slurry into the mash. Also rice hulls are your friend, at least a half pound, I use a full 2 pounds in my 10 gallon batch of 1.075 SG pumpkin ale.

8

Ingredients / Re: Pellets or whole for dry hopping?

« on: September 27, 2012, 12:19:57 PM »

Pellets are much easier to work with imo. Especially in carboys. Its hard stuffing leaf hops in.  They also drop out nicely without need for a hopsack.  I toss mine straight into primary for 5-7 days. 3 oz per 5 gallons Id say is the max before things get a little grassy/vegetal.

9

Ingredients / Re: Pumpkin

« on: September 27, 2012, 06:22:57 AM »

I cant say anything good comes from boiling pumpkin. You get a haze that will never go away and a little astringency in the taste. I really dont recommend it. If you are an extract brewer, I would throw a couple pounds of 2 row in with you rpumpkin and do a mini mash. I boiled once before, and I did not like the results at all.  Definitely roast the pumpkin in the oven before, even if its canned, it adds a nice carmelized flavor.

10

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 9/28 Edition

« on: September 27, 2012, 06:19:22 AM »

Doing my house English IPA with all UK Fuggle hops.
Kegging my Hopness Monster Triple IPA as well, and dry hopping for the second time!

11

Beer Recipes / Re: Midnight Wheat

« on: September 19, 2012, 08:44:55 AM »

I have a lb so I'm gonna ask, how much for a nice red colour?  I haven't used it yet but I bought it cause I wanted to make a red wheat beer (there's a type of wheat called hard red winter wheat so I thought it would be a neat play on words to make a spiced "hard red winter wheat" (I work with too many farmers).

Just wondering how many ounces would make a nice red colour in a 5 gal batch.
Thanks

as a very generic answer Id say 4-6 oz will get you the color you want.

12

All Grain Brewing / Re: your experiences in moving to 10g?

« on: September 19, 2012, 08:15:19 AM »

split batches are great for understanding yeast in a brew. Also can lend itself to dry hopping or fruiting or something like that.

13

Ingredients / Re: Pumpkin

« on: September 18, 2012, 09:37:13 AM »

Question on pumpkin ale: what type of pumpkin is best to use in brewing?

Sugar pumpkin or
Regular pumpkin or
Canned pumpkin

And how much do you need for a 5 gal recipe.

Thx!

-Eldon

Sugar pumpkins are ideal. They have tons of flavor and sugars. I recommend cutting them into 1 inch cubes, placing on a sheet pan in 325 oven until they become soft and caramellized. I then like to mash that up and mix with boiling water to make a pumpkin "slurry" I then add this slurry slowly to mash. THis helps to reduce stuck mashes. I recommend using about 4 lbs.

Regular pumpkins have almost no flavor, as a general rule of thumb...the bigger the vegetable the less flavor it has. Dont recommend using these.

Canned pumpkin is consistent and convenient and is what I use in most cases since I can get it around July which is when I like to do my pumpkin beers so they are ready to drink come september/october. I follow the same regimen as I would sugar pumpkins. Just stir the pumpkin around on the sheet pan every 15 minutes or so to encourage even browning. I use 2 of the larger cans, I think they are 22 oz or something( not the bulk cans.)

14

Beer Recipes / Re: Midnight Wheat

« on: September 17, 2012, 10:10:03 AM »

it being wheat will probably impart some body and head retention. I plan on using it for the first time in a sweet stout in a few weeks.

15

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 9/14 Edition

« on: September 13, 2012, 12:18:25 PM »

bottling a pale ale and a porter.

brewing an imperial dunkelweizen.

cheers!

ryan

Thats called a WeizenBock.... Which is what I am brewing this weekend as well!