Messages

61

Ingredients / Re: Rahr Base Malts and Bru'n Water

« on: January 20, 2013, 02:47:34 PM »

Wow, talk about a coincidence. I was just getting ready to buy a sack of Rahr Pale Ale Malt. Does it apply for the darker stuff as well (kinda like Denny asked)? Should I bump it up to around 6.5 L?

62

Beer Recipes / Re: IPA recipe thoughts plz!

« on: January 16, 2013, 08:54:47 AM »

absolutely - was only giving one opinion - to each their own.  I personally don't like it as it gives a candy like malt sweetness to the flavor that I find intrudes on hop forward. american styles.  on my IPAs, I usually use something like the following: Rahr 2 row at around 85%, Munich or Vienna at 10% and British extra light crystal at 5% and find the malt flavor is perfect for my tastes.  YMMV.

Definitely not knocking you at all. It is a valid point. It does impart a little more of that malt character. I try to keep my use around 80% and let the other malt flavors round it out. All about the taste and what you like best

63

Beer Recipes / Re: IPA recipe thoughts plz!

« on: January 16, 2013, 08:18:27 AM »

I would use regular 2 row (the 1.8L stuff) as opposed to Pale Ale malt.  Any particular reason for all the wheat?  Carapils will be great here - lots of pro IPA brewers use it.

I tend to like the slightly darker Pale Ale Malt. Has a little more 'oomph' to it.

64

Ingredients / Re: To Hop Stand or not to Hop Stand?

« on: January 11, 2013, 07:17:37 AM »

So now the real question becomes, to dry hop in the primary after fermentation is done OR to dry hop in the keg?

I'm leaning towards dry hop in the keg.

Dry hop in the primary at the very tail end of fermentation. Sweet yeast/hop oil magical flavor potion is created.

65

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 1/11 Edition

« on: January 10, 2013, 06:41:06 AM »

No brewing. Taking the BJCP Tasting Exam in Charlotte, NC. Fingers crossed...

66

Ingredients / Re: To Hop Stand or not to Hop Stand?

« on: January 09, 2013, 06:39:03 AM »

You can also reduce the temp to 80 C (~180F) for the hop stand. That will limit isomerization and DMS production.

That's what I do.

Kai

IME this is particularly useful if you get your bitterness dialed in with your boil additions. Below 180F really lets you concentrate on aroma and flavor contribution.

67

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Boiling starters in a flask

« on: December 31, 2012, 10:03:05 AM »

I cracked a 2L flask on the range top once. So lucky it didn't shatter everywhere. I boil in a pot now.

68

Ingredients / Re: Combination of hops to create an "orange" flavor

« on: December 31, 2012, 07:03:46 AM »

Maybe this can be achieved with aroma rather than flavor. Aroma is very influential on taste...

69

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Cold Steeping Dark Grains

« on: December 21, 2012, 07:18:57 AM »

Makes sense to me. Relying on the diastatic power which is in an abundance from your base malt to convert the tiny bit of starch in the roasted stuff.

70

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Process check

« on: December 20, 2012, 07:32:08 PM »

Racking off the trub really helps a few things down the road. When you decide to keg it you won't have to worry about any of that stuff getting racked over. A really awesome thing that I have found is that if you want to wash your yeast, racking off the trub before pitching makes harvesting and washing a billion times easier.

Your process looks really good though. If you adhere to that you should have a fine lager in a couple of months. Cheers!

71

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: An alternative to starters

« on: December 20, 2012, 06:32:04 AM »

I don't see how this is better than taking some of the wort and making a starter with it, then pitching that into the batch the next day.  I think the smaller initial volume of the starter would be easier to manage.  But whatever works for you.

This. Tom makes a good point. If it works into your schedule, right on. I am of the thinking that if I can expose the entire batch to a healthy pitch of yeast right off the bat, then I am leaving the batch less exposed to infection. Sanitation should be spot on even to attempt this sort of fermentation.

At the end of Kai's article he talks about continuous fermentation using this method. I think that is where you would see the biggest benefit in this practice. Brewing the same beer and always being able to supply a fresh pitch. The consistency achieved by doing this seems worth it alone, not to mention the money saved.

72

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: An alternative to starters

« on: December 19, 2012, 10:07:35 AM »

I think you are right. The practice might be great for a very fresh, viable ale fermentation. But in my opinion it seems like it would be a bad practice in lagers. At best in a lager, it would reduce the starter size...

73

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: An alternative to starters

« on: December 19, 2012, 09:57:03 AM »

Kai's article says he uses it for lagers.  Unless I've mis-read badly.

Seems like it would be good practice for any type as long as you are pitching enough yeast into the initial volume of wort and are well enough into growth phase...

74

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: An alternative to starters

« on: December 19, 2012, 09:54:35 AM »

Something else that makes it a less practical is that you are either extending your brewday in terms of things you have to clean. If you are keeping it in the kettle, you have to clean it 24 hours later. If you are transferring to another carboy, you are cleaning that. At any rate, you are extending the commitment of your brewday.
I find it a lot easier to manage a starter leading up to brewday than adding new wort to a vessel of already fermenting wort and managing the risks involved there. If I screw up a starter, all I have to do is start a new one. If I mess that up, I just flushed a batch down the drain.

75

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 12/21 Edition

« on: December 19, 2012, 09:31:27 AM »

End of Days Doppelbock on 12/21/12