Topics

16

Beer Recipes / Check my recipe please

« on: February 21, 2013, 11:08:41 AM »

Coffee & Cream Stout
Sweet Stout
Type: All Grain
Batch Size (fermenter): 6.00 gal Brewer: Steve Harrison
Boil Size: 7.50 gal Asst Brewer: 
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: My 5 gallon
End of Boil Volume 6.50 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 5.75 gal Est Mash Efficiency 73.3 %

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
8.0 oz Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM) Adjunct 1 3.7 %
8 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 63.0 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 3 11.1 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.7 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.7 %
8.0 oz Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 6 3.7 %
8.0 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 7 3.7 %
0.30 oz Millenium [14.25 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 8 14.7 IBUs
1 lbs Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 9 7.4 %
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 10 -
0.50 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 mins) Other 11 -
1.00 oz Millenium [14.25 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 12 8.9 IBUs
2.50 oz Millenium [14.25 %] - Aroma Steep 0.0 min Hop 13 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg Irish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1084) [124.21 ml] Yeast 14 -
3.00 Items Vanilla Bean (Secondary 1.0 weeks) Spice 15 -
4.00 oz Coffee (Secondary 0.0 mins) Spice 16 -
 
Beer Profile
 
Est Original Gravity: 1.056 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.046 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.6 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.7 %
Bitterness: 23.6 IBUs Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 39.5 SRM 
Mash Profile
 
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge Total Grain Weight: 13 lbs 8.0 oz
Sparge Water: 4.31 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F Tun Temperature: 150.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.20

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 4.94 gal of water at 165.9 F 156.0 F 45 min
 
 
Carbonation Type: Keg Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Pressure/Weight: 12.54 PSI Carbonation Used: Keg with 12.54 PSI
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 45.0 F Age for: 7.00 days
Fermentation: My Standard Fermentation Storage Temperature: 42.0 F
Notes
 
 
Created with BeerSmith
 

17

Beer Recipes / Coffee & Cream Milk Stout

« on: February 10, 2013, 09:11:40 AM »

In the last couple of weeks I have tried a few commercial examples of the Milk Stout style.  Which has led me to want to brew one with some coffee added to it.  I looked for a recipe, but did not find one.  Can someone here post one that they recommend?

18

Kegging and Bottling / keg lube

« on: February 04, 2013, 10:16:47 AM »

I am currently lagering a Baltic Porter.  I hooked CO2 to it while it was in the fridge just to do two things at one time.  I went out to the garage last night to enjoy a cigar and checked on it - no pressure.  I had a leak.  I had done a leak test using star-san spray on the posts and center opening.  But not a thorough test after connecting the tank.  And now with no CO2 to pressurize the system I may not know what the problem was, but in thinking about it, I came to wonder about the application of keg lube.

How often should I lubricate the rubber O rings?  I have never done it, but I only have one or two brews on each of my 3 corny kegs.

19

Ingredients / Amounts

« on: January 19, 2013, 09:52:32 PM »

As a class project I am brewing a beer for a competition.  The winner will have the beer produced by a regional brewery.

My entry will be a Saison featuring Belma hops.  I referenced a book called the Flavor Bible to see what spices complemented the dominant flavors of Belma (Strawberry. melon, orange), and came up with Lemon and Ginger as complimenting all three.

So my question is, how much lemon zest and ginger root should I use for a 5 gallon batch.  I'm not looking for a spice beer, just something that adds complexity and interest.  As a side note black or white pepper were also complimentary!

I'm also looking for input in any other way, so here is the basic recipe.The following amounts are for a ten gallon batch.  Five gallons for me, five for my project partner who will do different things on the cold side.

7 lbs Belgian 2 row
7 lbs Belgian Wheat malt
1 lb. crystal 10
8 oz. Caramunich (56 SRM)
1.5 lbs. Honey
2 oz. Belma in the mash
1 oz. Styrian Goldings 60 min.
4 oz. Belma 5 min.
6 oz. Belma hopstand for ~30 min.
4 oz. Belma Dry hop for 7 days
Wyeast 3711 French Saison yeast

This will result, according to BeerSmith, in:
5.5% ABV
33 IBU
5.6 SRM

Thank you for your help.

20

Zymurgy / Printing a page

« on: January 19, 2013, 02:59:54 PM »

I'm intending to brew off of a recipe in Zymurgy.  I can't find how to print a page or copy a portion of text to paste in another program.  What am I missing?

21

Yeast and Fermentation / Aging a big Baltic Porter

« on: January 18, 2013, 11:52:44 AM »

I've recently had some input that is causing me to rethink my original strategy .  So, after 6-7 weeks of lagering a 10.6% ABV Baltic Porter at ~34* should I keep it at that temperature for aging, or move it to my wine cellar which is at 55*?    My target for drinking is July and beyond.  Thanks!

Steve

22

Going Pro / Business Plan

« on: January 09, 2013, 11:17:59 AM »

So this quarter's class in the certificate in the Craft beer Trade program, is on marketing/business.  In partial fulfillment of the requirements thereof, I am drafting a business plan.  I also intend to enter the plan in a competition.  At best I'll win a couple of grand, at worst I'll get some great feedback on the plan.

The thumbnail sketch: contracting with an existing brewery to provide the majority of the beer, and using a small pilot system for new brews/slower selling brews.

My question is about normal or typical practices vis. the agreement between the two breweries, but there are too many variations to ask.  So how does it typically work?

Steve

23

Equipment and Software / best bottling equipment

« on: January 03, 2013, 06:21:10 PM »

Well, I thought when I got into this that I would just keg my beer.  But I'm running into obvious limitations (giving beer away, taking beer to someone else's house, etc.).  So now I am looking into getting going on bottling. 

I value doing it right the first time, so what equipment is the best, easiest, most efficient and leads to the most sanitary process?  I'm pretty settled on the Blichmann beer gun, but what else?

Steve

24

Yeast and Fermentation / Process check

« on: December 20, 2012, 11:50:40 AM »

I'm brewing my first lager on Sunday, and I am determined to get it right.  As many of you have noticed I've been asking questions about this brew for some time...   I'm assuming the brewing process is the same as with an ale.  It is the recipe out of Zymurgy an issue or so ago.  The only thing I've changed is subsituting most of the Saaz hops with Millenium.  I'll post a scanned page in a moment that will explain why.  Anyway, here are the specific plans for the fermentation process.  How does it look?

 *A Baltic Porter, OG 1.089, 5.25 gallon batch
 *Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager, with two 1.5 liter starters from two smack packs, decanted.
 *proper amount of yeast nutrient blend and a full minute of pure O2
 *Pitch at 45*, ferment at 48*
 *I'll wait till the day after I brew it to pitch so I can rack to another carboy leaving the trub behind.
 
Steve

25

Yeast and Fermentation / Noob question #29

« on: December 15, 2012, 12:17:46 PM »

I'm going to make a starter today.  I have done ale starters at room temperature (70*), but since this will be a lager I'm wondering if I should ferment the starter in a cooler environment.  Obviously I'm not worried about the 'beer' quality, but yeast health.  Is 70* OK for a lager starter?

Steve

26

Yeast and Fermentation / yeast starter

« on: December 11, 2012, 10:35:34 AM »

For my first batches, I have made a starter the night before, kept it going on the stir plate until time to pitch and then dump the whole thing in.  I assume the starter is sitting at 70* as that is the temperature in the house 24/7.

Is this acceptable practice?  What would be better?  I've read about putting the yeast starter in the fridge and then decanting the 'beer' off of the yeast cake before pitching.  What is gained by doing this-anything?

If the fridge/decant method is best, how long does it need to be in the fridge?

Steve

27

General Homebrew Discussion / The latest thing I am curious about

« on: December 07, 2012, 09:50:25 AM »

One of the surprises for me getting into home brewing is the amount of time from the brewday to the drinkday.  I have read that one of the common noob mistakes is to get impatient and rush the process.  I have a beer (a Belgian Imperial IPA) sitting on the yeast, a week after hitting FG--two weeks after fermentation began, waiting for it to drop clear.

So we have weeks in the fermentation vessel, and weeks to months in lagering / cold conditioning to make a good beer.

How in the world to pro brewers get the quick turn-around that they do.  Is it possible for the homebrewer, and if so, what would it take?  Is the only down side money for the equipment, or does a quick turn-around also effect quality?

Steve

28

Yeast and Fermentation / Dry hopping noob

« on: November 30, 2012, 12:17:30 PM »

So this is my 3rd batch.  It is a Belgian Imperial IPA.  I'm just looking for 'best practices' info on dry hopping.  I have the beer in a 6 gallon better bottle and it has reached final gravity.  It is currently sitting on the yeast cake and it is 9 days since I pitched the yeast.

I'm thinking about just popping the top off of the carboy and dumping the loose pellets in (3-4 oz), because getting a bag back out may be a problem, sanitizing the bag, the extra oxygen that would go in with the bag, etc.

Any problems associated with this method?  I will not reuse the yeast.

Steve

29

Yeast and Fermentation / Does longer fermentation = longer diacetyl rest?

« on: November 28, 2012, 12:17:16 PM »

One week ago today I brewed a Belgian Imperial IPA.  My target was a 1.080 OG, but overshot that and it turned out to be 1.088. The high krausen was volcanic.  There is still co2 activity in the airlock.

My plan was to do 2 weeks in the primary, then keg and let it sit at 70* for another week before cold crashing it.  But since the fermentation is taking so long, I am wondering if I need more time in the primary or warm keg before cold conditioning.

Steve

30

Yeast and Fermentation / Wort turned black within 5 minutes

« on: November 21, 2012, 07:21:27 PM »

I am writing to ask what made this happen.  Admittedly I am new to brewing, as this is my 4th batch, but I have never heard of this happening.

I brewed an Belgian Imperial IPA.  The temperature in the carboy was a little warmer than I wanted at 74*, so I thought I would wait to pitch the yeast till it dropped.  In the meantime I went ahead and aerated with pure O2 for 60 seconds.  About 5 minutes later I looked at the carboy and the wort was almost totally black! 

I assumed it was because of the O2, so I immediately pitched the yeast (since it is OK up to 76*).  It has since cleared back up to it's approximately 9 SRM.

But this is a puzzle.  What happened?

Steve