Messages

1

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Help, please - secondary fermentor size for Brett / bacteria

« on: March 11, 2013, 07:19:37 AM »

Thanks once again for your help, RAM.  I have a few gallon jugs, so that is an option.  However, at this point, I think I'm leaning toward increasing my batch volume so that I can end up with ~4.5 gallons in my 5 gallon secondary.

In addition to my two 5 gallon glass carboys, I also have a 5.5 gallon carboy.  I didn't mention it before because as I understood my dilemma, it was to figure our how to step DOWN in volume for secondary fermentation.  I didn't see where the bigger carboy fit in the picture.

I haven't used my 5.5 gallon carboy since I went AG and stopped doing partial boil extract batches.  But I think it's time to dust it off.  It probably doesn't make sense for me to buy a 3 gallon better bottle when, apart from this sour, I *never* use a secondary.  I already have the 5.5 gallon carboy and two 5 gallon carboys for primary / secondary, and $4 for a pound of DME completes the picture.

Plus, going up in volume means more beer!

2

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Help, please - secondary fermentor size for Brett / bacteria

« on: March 10, 2013, 04:04:42 PM »

I'm thinking about this a bit more, and the panic is subsiding.  I think the answer to my problem may be a lb. of DME, which would help me to maintain gravity while bumping up volume by 1 gallon in my 5 gallon glass secondary.

I'm inclined to add that gallon when racking my sour to secondary.  Is there a compelling reason to add it to primary--i.e., put the DME in the boil on brew day, and dilute to my intended OG in the fermenter?  It seems like there might be considerations to take into account when feeding a mixed fermentation, that wouldn't apply in a clean fermentation.

Any thoughts on any and all of the above questions?  If I just need to RDWHAHB, please let me know.

3

Yeast and Fermentation / Help, please - secondary fermentor size for Brett / bacteria

« on: March 10, 2013, 01:55:53 PM »

This question is driving me crazy, and although there's a fair amount of general discussion out there on brett/bacteria and head space, I'd really appreciate some input that applies to my situation.

Based on my kettle size and stovetop heat source, all of my brews result in 4 gallons in a 5 gallon fermentor.  I typically lose 1/2 gallon to trub, and net 3.5 gallons in bottles.  Right now, I'm planning to brew a sour brown ale with ECY01.  Based on my experience, I'll have 3.5 gallons eligible to go into secondary for a year's aging.

I only have two fermentors, both glass, both 5 gallons.  If I rack my 3.5 gallons of sour to a 5 gallon carboy, that's a full 1.5 gallons of head space.  Is that too much?  Am I risking vinegar, even if I behave myself and keep the airlock topped off and never take samples?

The alternative doesn't sound very attractive--obtaining a 3 gallon better bottle for secondary, and either having NO head space, or else racking only 2.5 gallons over and losing some precious sour beer.

I'm willing to explore topping off with water or wort, but for the moment, let's discount that option.  If you had to choose between the above two options (5 gallon glass secondary or 3 gallon better bottle) which would you choose, and how much or how little head space would you tolerate?

Thanks 1,000,000.

4

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Tips please: first sour beer with ECY01

« on: March 07, 2013, 11:50:01 AM »

Thanks very much for your guidance.  That sounds like a plan.

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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Tips please: first sour beer with ECY01

« on: March 06, 2013, 01:42:34 PM »

Thanks, RAM.  How long do you let your sours sit in secondary?  I understand that I shouldn't bottle until gravity has been stable for over a month, and not above 1.010.  I'm just curious what is typical.

I would be inclined to leave this sour alone for almost a year, and only start drawing samples when I felt that bottling day might be 60 days or so away.  Is there a downside to letting it sour undisturbed for so long?  Would it be better to taste more frequently?

EDIT: I know you said not to over think this.  I'll stop soon.

6

Yeast and Fermentation / Tips please: first sour beer with ECY01

« on: March 05, 2013, 10:44:56 PM »

I have some ECY01 (BugFarm) en route from New Jersey, and I'm in the process of putting together a recipe for my first sour ale.  I'd appreciate any tips you folks can offer.

I envision this as something like a sour Southern English Brown.  When it's ready, I plan to use a few bottles to inoculate the next sour beer, etc. etc.

My thinking in this has been influenced by Michael Tonsmire's "Brewing Sour Beers at Home" post:

http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2009/11/brewing-sour-beer-at-home.html

Here's what I'm planning:

1.045 OG

60% Maris Otter
15% Munich
10% Wheat
10% Crystal 80
3% Flaked Barley
2% Carafa Special II

16 IBU from EKGs at 60 minutes.

I know I'll need to mash high.  Is 156F high enough?  Does the OG and the proportions of wheat, crystal, etc. look right?  Do you have any recommendations for fermentation temperature?  Anything else I should think about?

Thanks in advance!

7

All Grain Brewing / Re: Critique this Pale Mild Recipe?

« on: January 27, 2013, 05:54:52 PM »

Upon reflection, and with the suggestions offered by Martin above, I'm taking this recipe in a different direction.  I am now planning it as follows:

3 lbs Maris Otter (50%)
2 lbs Munich 10 (33%)
0.5 lb Victory (8%)
0.5 lb Crystal 40 (8%)
2 oz Chocolate 350 (2%)

With 78% efficiency, the above grist will give me 1.035 at 5 gallons and will enter the low end of the color scale for an English mild (12 SRM).

I used the Mild Ale profile in Bru'n Water and was able to engineer my calculated additions to hit the numbers almost exactly by reserving the 2 ounces of chocolate malt and adding it at the end of the mash.  (This is all theoretical, of course; I'm not brewing this until next Saturday.)

Bru'n Water tells me that the mash pH raises a tenth or two during the duration of the mash, so hopefully it won't be a problem if my mash begins at 5.2.

Thanks to everyone for your input.

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All Grain Brewing / Re: Critique this Pale Mild Recipe?

« on: January 27, 2013, 10:08:25 AM »

As you might gather, Mild is a style I've focused on and enjoy.  Packing flavor into a little beer like that is tough, but its worth it.  Enjoy!

PS: This is why there is a Mild water profile in Bru'n Water...I like Milds!

Martin, I'm embarrassed to say that I forgot about the Mild Ale profile.  Am I right in supposing that it's built for a traditional dark mild, in the 12 - 25 SRM range?  I am going for about 9 SRM, but I'll play around with mineral additions to see what fits.

Separate but related: in my initial attempt at constructing a water profile for this mild, I was having trouble getting my calculated mash pH up to 5.4 without adding too much bicarbonate.  I fear I may be putting too much effort into nailing the center of the optimum pH range.  Would you be satisfied with 5.2 or 5.3?

9

All Grain Brewing / Critique this Pale Mild Recipe?

« on: January 26, 2013, 11:04:35 PM »

It's pretty basic.  Let me know if anything seems amiss.  Thanks!

1.035 OG
16 IBU
9 SRM

I'm using the "amber malty" profile in Bru'n Water, with a .7 sulfate/chloride ratio (i.e., slanted a bit more toward chloride than the default).

5 lbs Maris Otter
0.5 lb Victory
0.5 lb Crystal 40
1 ounce Chocolate 350

Mash at 156 F.  BIAB.

~0.7ounces UK Goldings (5.8%aa) at 45 minutes.

Wyeast 1968.  No starter.

10

Ingredients / Re: Anyone ever try Nasturtium

« on: August 06, 2012, 07:22:49 AM »

Peppery Flavored Flowers in a Saison ?

Well?

I used nasturtium flowers in a Saison just a week ago.  I used about 50 flowers in the boil at about 3 minutes.  By weight, it was slightly more than an ounce.  "The Homebrewer's Garden" recommends 5 to 10 cups of flowers late in the boil, and I'm sure I was at the low end of that scale.  My Saison is a small beer, less than 1.040, and I didn't want the spicy vegetal flavor of the flowers to dominate, in case my final gravity is low (my first saison, which I'm drinking right now--not now, as in 7:00 am, you understand--ended up at 1.003).  For the same reason, I kept the IBUs low, ~20.  I did add .75 oz of Willamette while chilling.

Before attempting this brew, I read about using nasturtiums here:

http://s222793857.onlinehome.us/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14646&sid=fd695b3829bd55235884bc4d861c0017#_thread

The gentleman posting there recommended as much as four ounces of flowers, if you want the flavor to be noticeable.

My Saison has weeks to go (I'm fermenting low and slow), but I'll post back with results.

11

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: High temp with 1968 / 002?

« on: March 27, 2012, 02:52:51 PM »

I agree, it may not be ideal but 72 is not too high and pitching and starting your fermentation off cool will alleviate most problems from high fermentation temps. I wouldn't recommend going much higher though.

+1.  Yeah, don't take it to 75!

Dave

Thank you, gentlemen.  I took a gravity sample yesterday and it wasn't massively fruity at all.  I didn't note any fusels, either.  I think this beer holds great promise.

12

Yeast and Fermentation / High temp with 1968 / 002?

« on: March 26, 2012, 02:59:46 PM »

I'm using Wyeast 1968 for the first time, in a 1.048 English Summer Ale (Randy Mosher's recipe). I pitched at 66F as planned, and seven hours later, the temp had risen to 68F and the beer was clearly fermenting. After this, I let the temp get away from me, and by the end of day 1 the temp had reached 72F before I cooled it down a bit. (It hovered at 68-70 overnight.)

At 72F, in the first day of primary fermentation, did I produce fruity esters, fusel alcohols, or both? I confess that the metabolic processes of yeast confuse me sometimes--I thought that esters were produced only during the adaptive and growth phase (when my beer was at 66-68), but I realize I could be wrong.

For those with experience with Wyeast 1968/ WLP002: given the fermentation regimen I described above, how crazy do you expect my ale to taste? I'll definitely try again with 1968 and monitor temps more carefully, but what flavors would you expect to result from a 72F ferment?

Thanks in advance for your input.

13

All Grain Brewing / Re: CaraAroma vs Aromatic?

« on: March 18, 2012, 09:35:22 AM »

That sounds like Special B, which gives a nice red, especially combined with a 120L crystal malt like CaraAroma.  Maybe about 1/2 pound each per 5 gallons, a'la Ken Lenard's Home Run Red.

Try about 15-20% carared.

Thanks again, Denny!  And would that be in place of, or in addition to, other Crystal malts?

I'd use it in place of an equal amount of base malt.  Carared doesn't seem to act like a crystal malt.  It's closer to a base malt in terms of fermentability.

Thanks for the suggestions.  I just bottled a red last night, but the next couple of times I brew it I'll try these approaches.  I'll report back with results, even if that's a year from now.

14

All Grain Brewing / Re: CaraAroma vs Aromatic?

« on: March 17, 2012, 03:33:38 PM »

Try about 15-20% carared.

Thanks again, Denny!  And would that be in place of, or in addition to, other Crystal malts?

15

All Grain Brewing / Re: CaraAroma vs Aromatic?

« on: March 17, 2012, 08:45:40 AM »

I'm trying to identify the malt that would give my red ale the deep red color and rich, dark dried fruit / burnt sugar flavor that I see in Mad River Brewing's Jamaica Red Ale:

http://www.beerclubguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Jamaica-Red-Ale.jpg

I've tried 7% Crystal 120 and 3% Crystal 40, and that didn't get me there.  Do you think CaraAroma is the ticket?  If so, what percentage would you use?