Topics

91

Events / Need a ride from the SAN?

« on: May 05, 2011, 08:51:53 am »

I'll be getting to SAN about 9:30 Wednesday morning, and am renting a car.  Should have room for two folks going to the Town & Country.  Anyway, if timing works out, let me know, and I'll give you a ride. 

92

General Homebrew Discussion / Anybody know this homebrewer?

« on: April 22, 2011, 09:28:20 am »

Man in Iowa Drinks Beer for Lent


People tend to give up fairly easy things for Lent. Swearing. Desserts. Going to church. But in Corning, Iowa a man named J. Wilson is giving up food... so he can drink four pints of home-brewed Dopplebock along with the occasional glass or two of water. Wilson, who is attempting to observe lent like a Franciscan monk from the 1600s, is blogging about his experiences at diaryofaparttimemonk.wordpress.com. Two days in, Wilson says he's a bit hungry and has a headache but is feeling good. The first thing he's going to eat when Lent's over? A bacon sandwich. Good man.

Read more: http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/man-gives-up-beer-for-lent-4586923#ixzz1KGoEZBIb

93

General Homebrew Discussion / Now why didn't I think of this?

« on: April 19, 2011, 12:36:47 pm »

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/04/19/new-british-beer-laced-viagra/?test=faces

Viagra laced beer.

94

All Grain Brewing / Sometimes, unplanned events help us brew

« on: April 12, 2011, 12:46:56 pm »

In mid February, I brewed 10 gallons each of my standard Amber and a RIS.  I was just about to get both into a keg, and ended up in the hospital for three weeks.  (eeeek!, I'm all better now)

Anyway, I got my girlfriend to keg it for me, but as she didn't know how to carbonate, we just left it at about 40 degrees in the keg for a month.  Finally carbonated and low and behold, the Amber is terrific.  I brewed the RIS for a friend, and they really raved about it.  (not my style, so I don't know) 

Anyway, hopefully this will teach me some patience.  (probably not) 

95

General Homebrew Discussion / mash or steep?

« on: February 02, 2011, 11:14:43 am »

I heard on one of the Brewstrong episodes that there is a significant difference between mashing and steeping grains, and not all grains can be steeped.  But in reviewing my archives I can't find the exact episode.  Does anyone have a link or can speak to this issue.  I was discussing at my last HBC meeting, but couldn't explain myself very well......

96

Beer Recipes / need help to clone a "strange brew"

« on: January 31, 2011, 08:38:25 am »

This past weekend, in a town close to mine, was the "Strange brewfest."  One fo the strange brews was a red beer with the following:

British Pale
Tomato sauce
Syracha (Rooster Sauce)
Worcechester Sauce
Celery Salt
Horshradish

I brew ten gallon bataches.  Anyone want to take a shot and the amounts of the above ingrideients?

97

Equipment and Software / Blichmann Therminator wort chiller

« on: January 20, 2011, 11:54:34 am »

Well, I have made the move from immersion to plate chiller.  UPS.com says my new therminator will be here tomorrow.  Gonna brew this weekend, and try this thing out. 

Any advice from any of you that may have one?

98

General Homebrew Discussion / hop tea

« on: January 20, 2011, 08:59:00 am »

Hi folks -

Well, as I'm in charge of the "educational portion" of our club meeting this saturday, I figured I would make a bunch of hop tea for tasting.  I have 10 varieities, so it may work out well to compare them. 

I planned on just using my coffee maker, puting about a cup of whole leaf hops in the brew basket, and go for it.  Then just bottle into some 22 ouncers, cap, label, and "bob's your uncle."

Any thoughts?

99

General Homebrew Discussion / High Nitrate levels

« on: January 19, 2011, 09:20:11 am »

My Ward Labs water report, lists Nitrates as ppm as 10.1 (unsafe)

When I look at the EPA website their max is 10 mg/L or 10 ppm.  But some have said these numbers are not directly comparable.  But both Ward labs and the EPA list "ppm."  and if I'm only 0.1 over, I can handle that.  But if these numbers are not directly comparable, RO may be in future......

Any thoughts? 

100

Commercial Beer Reviews / Widmer W11 Russian Imperial Stout

« on: January 18, 2011, 09:17:06 am »

Well, it was the W10 that got me going on the black IPA's (or whatever you wish to call them).  So, I had to pick up a couple six packs of this years series, even though I'm no fan of stouts.

Anyway, I think is a very smooth, nice tasting beer.  And at 9.3%, it doesn't take a whole six pack to start having an effect.......

101

General Homebrew Discussion / Best way to determine consistancy

« on: December 08, 2010, 08:50:12 am »

It's me again......

Anyway, after recieving some guidance on next steps in improving my brewing, I've decided to go for repeatable beers.  I have an Amber that everyone loves, and I get many requests for....   I did a triangle (I think) tasting which proved useful, but when I described on this board, some say it's not a real good way to determine consistancy.

What is the best way to know if you've got the same beer you brewed last time?

Thanks as always. 

102

General Homebrew Discussion / Help a veteran

« on: December 07, 2010, 08:57:35 am »

Well, a veteran brewer that is.....

I posted on another thread that I think I have done all I can to improve my processes over the last couple years, here's a rundown:

10 gallon, Blichmann Top Teir, with keggles. 
I have two stir plates, and always start with two smack packs.
I do a batch sparge
Cool with standard copper coil wort chiller.
Ferment in plastic buckets, that I replace every ten brews or so. 
Huge chest freezer with dual temp control for fermenting. 
Smaller chest freezer with single temp control for long term storage/lagering.

And I just sent my water to Wardlabs, to see if there is anything there I can do.

Can anyone think of other things I could do?  I always like improving the system, but unsure where to go from here.  (other than a brew-magic) 

103

General Homebrew Discussion / Double blind taste testing (I think)

« on: December 01, 2010, 08:34:07 am »

Last night I took out a bottle of my standard American Amber that had been in the fridge about 6 months.  And one of the same recipe that was only a month old.  We did a test with three glasses, with folks trying to figure out which of the three was "different", and then if they got that right, which was the more aged beer.

Out of four of us, only one identified the different beer, and he got the aged vs fresh wrong. 

I was happy with those results.  Plus, it was fun to do.

104

General Homebrew Discussion / I feel guilty

« on: November 18, 2010, 09:51:35 am »

A friend of a friend of a friend is starting to brew, and wanted a corny keg.  As I just picked up a bunch of single handed ones (Thanks Tom) and he wanted one to trade for "an old keg he had laying around" I decided to do so, as it would be good to have an extra if ever needed. 

When he stopped by to do the trade, he pulls this virtually brand new sankey keg out of his trunk.  I mean, brand fr eaking new.  And, from a brewery I have much respect for.  I certainly cannot keep this.  But, don't know what to do, or how to return it. 

Any ideas?

105

General Homebrew Discussion / filtered water and R/O stuff

« on: November 16, 2010, 09:40:54 am »

I use a standard and simple under the counter type water filter from home depot, nothing special.  My neighbor just bought an R/O system, cause his wife is concerned about the quality of the well water in the area. 

Everyone seems to like my beer now, and I am always very happy with the results.  I'm thinking of using some R/O to see if I can even tell a difference.  (he gets enough of beer, I'm sure he'll give me some water)

Anything I need to be aware of?  Or just as per normal?