Messages

16

Beer Recipes / Solid Gold

« on: November 13, 2012, 02:04:49 PM »

So I had this tasty brew at Founders the other day called Solid Gold.
Rather my WIFE had a pint of it and I just tasted it because there was no way I was going to drink that when they had their Harvest Ale on tap - wet hopped goodness! Drank what I could and let somebody else drive home.

Anyway, I want to brew something like it but didn't get a chance to chat with any knowledgeable folks at Founders at the time because the place was bombed with people.

So far here's my ideas.

• OG in the low to mid 50's
• Pale malt 2 row or Pils base
• A small amount of Munich like maybe 5% or possibly Vienna
• IBU around 25 maybe 30 using noble hops or perhaps Willamette or NB or Mt Hood
• Neutral ale yeast or lager?
• Water......was thinking of blending my super hard tap with Distilled 1 to 4 ratio respectively
• Mash around 148 to 150 or so

Anyone else care to share their thoughts on a good Gold recipe? What is "Gold" anyway, like a Dortmunder maybe with Ale yeast or a Blonde Ale typically? There is no BJCP description I can find.

TIA!

17

All Grain Brewing / Re: composting spent grain

« on: November 13, 2012, 11:33:48 AM »

I thought about starting a earthworm colony for composting purposes. I wonder what spent grain would do to them?

I compost mine in my garden and when turning over the soil under the grains, it is LOADED with worms. Others here mentioned the septic issue of piles of grains and I just ignore it because it's not an issue for me. Flies lay eggs in it and they hatch. Deer have been munching on the pile this fall for the first time too. It's great stuff for the soil, bugs, and animals and it makes great compost too.

18

Ingredients / Re: Rhizomes?

« on: October 15, 2012, 10:43:27 AM »

Don't let it get you down. You frankly chose a tricky strain for your first attempt and I'd put a lot of the blame on that, not you.

Try planting Cascade ( no brainer to grow and great output ) or Centennial, Chinook, Nugget, or Magnum next year. These are all easier to grow and have generally higher yields than Hallertau, Willamette, or almost any noble hop or noble hop hybrid aroma variety.

Base your choice on what you like to brew and how you will use them too.

I harvested about 2lbs this year dried. I should have had a lot more but lack of rain and really hot, dry air this summer beat them up pretty bad. The bugs ate them up a bit too. I also blame this on lack of rain. It was ridiculously bad weather for hops growing in SW lower Michigan this summer!

I'm using a blend of the Cascade and Centennial to dry hop an IPA in a couple days. It's in primary now and I'm just letting it finish before stuffing them in the carboy.

19

Beer Recipes / Re: IPA late hops additions combos advice

« on: September 22, 2012, 11:42:40 AM »

Found something different, or new you could say for late hops.
Not going to use Willamette after all for this beer.

Here's my recipe for 10 gallons. Please feel free to share your opinions.
Oh and we're going to use a hop extract for final bittering and I have not listed the dry hops in this recipe either. That will be a couple oz of home grown Cascade and Centennial blend.

My thoughts are the WLP002 with it's reduced attenuation will leave a bit more sweetness.
Anybody care to share their opinion on this, please feel free.

American IPA

Type: All Grain Date: 9/19/2012
Batch Size (fermenter): 11.00 gal Brewer: Steve
Boil Size: 14.26 gal Asst Brewer:

Equipment: Keggle 15.5 gal and Igloo Cube Cooler

Temperature

Boil Time: 90 min
(10 Gal)
End of Boil Volume 12.48 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 11.00 gal Est Mash Efficiency 81.8 %
Fermentation: Ale, Single Stage Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
12 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) Weyermann (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 44.4 %
10 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US Brewers Malt (1.8 SRM) Grain 2 37.0 %
3 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 3 11.1 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt -20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.7 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt -40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.7 %
0.25 oz Warrior [15.00 %] -Boil 90.0 min Hop 6 6.0 IBUs
2.00 oz Chinook [11.10 %] -Boil 20.0 min Hop 7 20.0 IBUs
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 8 -
2.00 oz Centennial [9.70 %] -Boil 15.0 min Hop 9 14.4 IBUs
2.00 oz Galaxy [14.00 %] -Boil 10.0 min Hop 10 15.1 IBUs
2.00 oz Zythos [10.90 %] -Boil 0.0 min Hop 11 0.0 IBUs
2.0 pkg English Ale (White Labs #WLP002) [35.49 ml] Yeast 12 -
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.067 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.022 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.9 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.6 %
Bitterness: 55.5 IBUs Calories: 32.0 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 7.4 SRM
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium
Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 27 lbs
Sparge Water: 9.86 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Steps
Name Description
Step
Step Time

Mash In Add 33.75 qt of water at 165.9 F 154.0 F 60 min
Sparge Step: Fly sparge with 9.86 gal water at 168.0 F

Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about

20

Beer Recipes / Re: IPA late hops additions combos advice

« on: September 19, 2012, 01:26:06 PM »

I'll post my final recipe out of beersmith later and get some more feedback from you guys. Thanks so far for the replies.
I currently going with Warrior, Chinook, Simcoe, Centennial, and Amarillo right now. The Willamette are still up in the air. I am considering dry hopping with them along with my home grown Cascades of which I have plenty.

21

Beer Recipes / Re: IPA late hops additions combos advice

« on: September 14, 2012, 07:19:11 AM »

That's a healthy quantity of late additions! Are you adding all of them at flame-out or from 5 minutes on, or during whirlpool or when exactly?

22

Beer Recipes / IPA late hops additions combos advice

« on: September 13, 2012, 07:09:46 PM »

So I'm interested in experimenting with something different for late hop additions that gives me a more unique IPA. I'm very accustomed to Centennial, Cascade, Chinook, Columbus and the "C" hops. I've used them and my last IPA used them and was also dry hopped with Citra in excess to some extent.

Anyway, my goals are a much more floral and somewhat citrus combo. I have loads of home grown Cascade and Centennial hops. I'd like to blend them with something else in my next brew. Willamette? Anybody use these combined with "C" hops? What about Mt.Hood or Liberty or another hop?

I will be using the home grown hops for dry hop. I'm looking for late kettle, flameout, whirlpool addition advice to get a strong floral flavor and aroma.

TIA!

23

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: WLP002 VS Fermentis Safale S04

« on: August 24, 2012, 05:46:26 PM »

Wow....that's a lot of detractors for a yeast strain! Mr Conn's opinion along with the rest seals the deal for me. No offense to my other fellow brewers who gave their 2 cents by the way.

Nasty bready.....guess I'll just make some bread with it and forget about it.

The 002 is making a nice starter right now.

24

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: WLP002 VS Fermentis Safale S04

« on: August 24, 2012, 10:18:57 AM »

OK upon further review of multiple and various internet sources it would appear:

• As was mentioned above by Joe, S-04 is considered a Whitbread strain
• There are two Whitbread strains out there and one is considered "dry" as in higher attenuation
• Since the description from Fermentis indicated medium attenuation, I'm leaning toward the not so dry  strain
• In either case it is not the same strain as WLP-002 which is the Fullers strain. Even if attenuation is similar, these yeasts have different flavor profiles
• Seems as though S-04 is great for big, dark beers so it would definitely work for what I'm doing

So I'm going to pitch both vials of WLP-002 into a starter in my flask tonight and put them on the stir plate.

Saving the S04 for another day.

Thanks everyone

25

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: WLP002 VS Fermentis Safale S04

« on: August 24, 2012, 09:59:34 AM »

Everything I've read says S04 is the Whitbread strain, not the Fullers strain.

I really like the Wyeast 1968 (same as WLP002) yeast for English ales.  I don't think I've every used Whitbread, so I can't compare.

There we go...good information - thanks.

You know..... I still think they are probably pretty similar considering their pedigree but this is good information with which to start.

Since I bought two packets and vials of both respectively, I'm debating mixing them!
I thought of rehydrateing the S04 and pitching it with one vial of WLP002.

I will investigate the Whitbread and Fullers info available on the interwebs and decide.

26

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: WLP002 VS Fermentis Safale S04

« on: August 24, 2012, 05:19:42 AM »

Yeah S05 is Chico yeast - that's pretty well known. It's essentially same yeast as WLP001 or Wyeast 1056.
I've been using that regularly for years. Intimately familiar with it's flavor and behavior.

As for S04 being the same strain as WLP002 - that I do not know and THAT is really my question.

Seems as though it's highly likely. Both ferment quickly, have medium attenuation, and flocculate very well. Both are described as a widely used and/or popular English style Ale yeast. Both are recommended for same English beer styles, ESB, Milds, Bitters, Porters, Stouts etc.

I've brewed a few beers with S04 and WLP002 in the past and I recall being happy with the results but it's been probably 6 years! Guess I've been in a bit if a rut with American ales for awhile.

I'm running to my LHBS today to pickup ingredients for my Obsidian stout clone. Unless somebody can convince me they are the same, I think I'm going to get both yeasts and brew another batch of something else with the S04 another day. I'll make a starter with the WLP002 tonight so it's ready to rock Saturday morning. The Obsidian is pretty healthy clocking in at around 1.070 according to my Beersmith. I followed Jamil's podcast on formulating a clone and had some other information on a recipe from the web too. It was recommended by the brewer at Deschutes to overpitch a bit.

Thanks

27

Yeast and Fermentation / WLP002 VS Fermentis Safale S04

« on: August 23, 2012, 08:34:59 PM »

Ok so I know there are detractors of dried yeasts here, but I have good luck with most of Fermentis products and use them a lot with very good results. I'm going to brew a stout that calls for using the WLP002 and wondered about the similarities if any between the two strains for these brands. How interchangeable might they be?

Anyone have first hand knowledge of what the S04 strain is and how it might work or be similar to the White Labs 002 strain? Both are English strains. Both suitable for similar English styles according to the descriptions.

Brewing Saturday and making a starter tomorrow if necessary with the liquid yeast unless somebody can confirm they are the same strain in which case I'll just pickup some S04 and rock that.

Thanks!

28

Beer Recipes / Re: types of hops?

« on: August 17, 2012, 06:16:13 AM »

I would give that recipe on the posted link a shot and simply bitter it with something clean like Magnum or Galena and shoot for 35 to 45 IBU or whatever BU/GU ratio you prefer in your pale ales. Unless you happen to have a feel for the IBU after tasting it anyway. You would have to take a WAG based on your perception of actual bitterness and that might be tricky because of the rather heavy load of dry hopping in that posted recipe.

FYI I brewed a rather large APA sort of like that recently using different hops ( Citra, Columbus, and Centennial ) and let the dry hop sit for 2 weeks. This was not a good idea and left harsh, astringent flavors in the finish. Three days should be adequate so make sure you follow that recommendation. I was out of town on vacation and couldn't rack it.

Looks like a tasty recipe to me.

29

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: White Labs San Diego Superyeast!

« on: June 29, 2012, 08:18:48 AM »

The head brewer from Union Station Brewery in Providence just told me that they use this yeast for their house ale strain. I noticed a distinct yeasty note in their ales - definitely not as clean as I assumed this strain would be. In fact, I was expecting him to say that they used a British strain. It could be from his fermentation schedule, though. He starts at 70 for the first day, then drops to 65 to finish out. I generally go the other direction with Cal Ale strains. I liked the character it gave to their brown ale and porter, but not so much for their APA's.

He said they repitch for about 10 generations, by the way.

Gee 10 seems like more than I've heard most brewers go for....I recall 5 is a safer number but I'm sure they've sorted that out. I think you get mutations and other problems past a certain point. Might explain your yeasty tasting experience but so would over pitching.

I have yet to taste my IPA made with this yeast. It's been kegged for over a week now. Sat on dry hops for two weeks. The S05 version tastes great.

I can see how this would make a good house yeast since it's so damn fast fermenting. So long as it's clean, this would be a helpful aspect in some situations. It also cleared a lot better / faster than S05 but S05 isn't exactly known for it's floc performance! Happens eventually but takes weeks in the keg.

My brother in law is opening a new brewery. I'm going to have him try it and see what he thinks for a few pilot beers early in the game. He's brewing almost exclusively American ales using WLP001 or 1056 and I convinced him to try S05 which he uses mostly now. If my IPA turns out, he might be interested in switching to the 090.

30

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: White Labs San Diego Superyeast!

« on: June 10, 2012, 02:47:02 PM »

I threw 5oz of pellets into each carboy last week Sunday. 2oz Centennial, 1oz Citra, 1oz Chinook, 1oz Columbus. Letting them sit two weeks or so. Three weeks total on the yeast and hopefully plenty of time to let them clear. S05 was quite turbid compared to WLP090 last week when I added pellets to primary. I'm away on vacation out of state. When I get home I will rack to kegs. I wonder if the fast fermenting 090 would be more predisposed to autolysis sooner than S05, WLP001, or Wyeast 1056? Looking forward to taste testing!