Messages

271

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Why I brew

« on: March 03, 2012, 05:59:53 am »

Here's another reason why I brew:



I get to say "I made this, and it's really good!"

 

272

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Why I brew

« on: March 02, 2012, 04:47:57 am »

My own second batch really did come out great, and it feels wonderful to know I brewed it.  I'd happily pay eight or nine bucks for a commercial brew like this.  I doubt every batch I brew will be this good, but I certainly intend to keep trying anyway!

273

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: homebrew shelf life

« on: March 02, 2012, 04:40:12 am »

You can always ship them a bottle and they can try it now, while it's fresh.  Use fedex, not USPS.  Use tons of bubble wrap and a strong plastic bag around the bubble wrap.  Make sure there's no contact anywhere of the bottle to the outsides of the box.  Use TONS of bubble wrap!!!  Make it bomb proof.  There's a thread on these forums about shipping beer.

274

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: Mango Saison

« on: February 29, 2012, 06:01:06 pm »

I can't comment on the exact recipe since I'm too new, but I'd LOVE to find a similar mango saison extract recipe that comes out good.  WITH PROCEDURE, need the procedures used (or at least the critical steps that aren't totally obvious).  Looks tasty to me, but I'll leave the experts to comment!

275

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: Coffee Stout - no carbonation

« on: February 29, 2012, 05:56:51 pm »

I've been bottling out of a carboy, and have added a little bit of wort (maybe a half gallon) before adding the sugar.  I make sure to do this as gently as possible with a sanitized funnel, running down the side of the carboy, to keep oxygenation to a minimum. 

Caveat: sample size is small, but so far, no problems.  Stout bottling in a day or two, plan to follow the same procedure again unless someone points out why this is bad.

Comments on this idea welcome.  I hadn't seen it mentioned before.

276

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: Questions on my first batch, 5 gallon kit

« on: February 29, 2012, 05:50:52 pm »

Also I've had good results with cascade hops.  Very tasty.  I bought a pound of them and intend to use them again on my next batch, a hoppy red ale.

277

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: Questions on my first batch, 5 gallon kit

« on: February 29, 2012, 05:46:22 pm »

So the recipe specifically calls for:
-3.75 lb Cooper "Bitter" Brewing Kit--I purchased their English Bitter kit (hopped), my local brew shop did not have unhopped bitter extract
-2 lb light dry malt extract
-1 oz Cascade hops--added last 15 mintues of the boil

I'm ready to get started, I just wanted to make sure that the hopped bitter kit is appropriate.  Thanks for the help...

A few things you should definitely do...

1. Before you brew, get all your ingredients, equipment, instructions, sanitizer etc together and make yourself a checklist of steps.  I've done this every time so far (I'm coming up on batch 4) and it really helps.  You will probably forget something or have a brain fart of some kind if you don't make a checklist.  I use large lined post-it notes and stick them to the cabinet and check off each step as I do it.  You may need to revise your list a couple times before it's perfect.

2. Keep good notes on everything you do, every ingredient, every calculation, everything that deviates from your plan, every worry, every concern, everything!  Write it down, talk about it with friends, post on forums (I'm on a bunch of forums, some beer, some non-beer), get conversations going and get yourself thinking about brewing.

3. Realize that despite the above two steps being highly recommended by myself, there is one step that is much more important.  Don't over-think think it.  RDWHAHB (relax, don't worry, have a homebrew).  Have a good commercial brew if you don't have any homebrew ready yet.  Your beer will probably come out good!  The first batch is the killer when it comes to suspense though. 

4. Cooling takes a lot of ice.  The first two solo batches I brewed I used twenty pounds of ice (5.5 gallon batches, about 3 gallons of boiled wort, topped to 5.5 with chilled spring water).  Get some ice before you've had four or five beers and realize it'll take hours to cool without it.  Sooner or later (probably sooner) after you've got the bug, you'll want a wort chiller.  I just got one.

5. Water.  If you're at all uncertain about your water, use bottled spring water.  My water wasn't good for beer (discovered when I was messing with Mr Beer).  I had a couple of meh batches of Mr Beer.  When I got my 5 gallon kit I switched to spring water and the difference is night and day.

Again, the biggest thing is relax, don't worry, have a homebrew.  I sense a great tasting bitter in your near future! 

278

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Shipping Homebrew

« on: February 26, 2012, 06:37:10 am »

Here is another site with pictures and guidelines for shipping beer.  Just scroll past the trading stuff, the pictures are about half way down, with great explanations.

http://alewatcher.blogspot.com/2010/11/new-trader-tips.html

i ship a lot of beer, and my advice is to make your packages bomb-proof.  You need a lot of bubble wrap, or you can put each bottle into a fedex padded pack (they work great).  I also put each padded bottle into a grocery bag or two for extra insurance if there's a break.  Then put all of it into a large trash bag too.  Use lots of bubble wrap padding the bottles!  You need to be able to drop your box from a height of six feet and know that it will be just fine, otherwise it's not packed well enough.  Putting "fragile" on your box will not save you from fedex workers tossing them around in the processing centers. 

If you have a fedex account you can print your own label and just drop it off, they generally don't ask any questions that way.

279

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: cold fermentation

« on: February 23, 2012, 03:44:50 pm »

Honestly if there are several of you in on the deal, invest in some insulation and temperature control.  I'm super envious of your situation right now.  I'm still trying to ferment in my closet in an upstairs barracks room.  Although to be fair, I'm having pretty good success!!

Seriously though, you got the setup, roll with it man. 

280

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Finally did a yeast starter

« on: February 21, 2012, 05:37:18 pm »

My tiny little barracks room is already looking like a brew lab some days 

281

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: Questions on my first batch, 5 gallon kit

« on: February 21, 2012, 04:32:37 pm »

The "English IPA" I made with the 2oz dry hops...

WOW!!  Just popped a 12oz of this one, ten days after bottling.  It's freaking GOOD!  Very hoppy, not too bitter, has a nice light sweetness and a touch of fruitiness despite being pretty dry overall, and has tons of hops, both in the nose and on your taste buds!!

This recipe turned out great and I would certainly recommend that any homebrewer who wanted an easy recipe for a hoppy beer should try it!  Make sure to note the dry hops, 2oz cascade after a week in the fermenter (not shown on original recipe). 

I am so friggin' pleased right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

282

Ingredients / Re: Article on Hops in the Willamette Valley

« on: February 17, 2012, 12:41:31 pm »

Bud with twice as much hops sounds like Budvar to me ;-)

A friend of mine makes a great budvar clone.  I'm going to try it sometime in the future when I'm set up to do lagers.

283

Ingredients / Re: Article on Hops in the Willamette Valley

« on: February 17, 2012, 11:09:13 am »

Part of the reason hop acreage has declined is that American macrobrews have been getting less hoppy over time, Shellhammer says. Tests show Budweiser was twice as bitter in the 1970s as it is today. Hops are the most expensive ingredient in beer, so cutting them helps the bottom line. “They take it out slowly and no one really recognizes it’s changing,” Shellhammer says.

I'll have something with more than a few ounces per barrel of hops, please.  And no, I don't want to be weaned off of them over time.   

284

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: Milk stout recipe

« on: February 17, 2012, 10:26:30 am »

Looks tasty.  My wort was pretty darn tasty when I tasted the gravity sample.  Quite bitter (normal for wort, so I read), quite sweet, and definitely promising!  Make sure to let us know how it comes out, I will too!

I just got my wort chiller.  Need to get a different fitting for the sink, it came with one for an outdoor hose, but that's no big deal.  I won't be brewing for at least another week or two anyway.  I don't even have any ingredients for my next brew yet!

285

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: Tweaking a red recipe

« on: February 14, 2012, 03:02:04 pm »

OK!  Taking input from three sources here, this is my latest edition, still subject to change!  I simplified the grain bill, changed the hops around a little bit, and changed the extracts too. 

Briess Pilsen Extra Light Liquid Extract 4 lbs, 8 oz
Briess Golden Light Dry Extract  3 lbs
Weyermann Cara Munich II ®  1 lbs
Briess 2 Row Caramel 120  8 oz
Briess 2 Row Carapils  8 oz
Magnum Pellets, GR  1 oz @ 60 mins
Cascade Pellets  1 oz @ 10 mins
Amarillo Pellets  1 oz @ 0 mins
Cascade Pellets  2 oz  Dry hopped
Whirlfloc Tablets 1 ea
SAFALE US-05 American Ale  1 ea

IBU: 45.5
SRM: 12.92
ABV: 6.03