Messages

61

All Grain Brewing / Re: Water Chemistry

« on: March 02, 2013, 10:34:57 AM »

High calcium is generally not a detriment to beer flavor.  It has little flavor impact.  However, the high calcium can drive the RA of the water down.  If you start with RO or distilled water, it could be possible to need some alkalinity in the water to help avoid an excessive mash pH drop.

Martin, How is this best accomplished?  It has been a while since I even considered RA, as I found myself chasing my tail: add salts to increase RA, add salts to decrease pH, repeat.

I use 100% RO water, and frequently my RA is very low.  For example I brewed a Baltic Porter where the RA was -71.  Pretty low for a very dark beer (fortunately it tastes great!).  I have been just targeting Palmer's recommended ranges while maintaining a good mash pH, but would love to get my head around the concept of RA as it relates to RO water.

BTW, thanks for your comments on this thread.  I have copied and pasted them to a Word Doc so I can reference them later.

62

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What is your favorite music to listen to while homebrewing?

« on: March 01, 2013, 08:18:31 PM »

Contemporary jazz, or classic rock.  I can't listen to books or podcasts while focusing on getting my brewday right

63

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 3/2 Edition

« on: February 28, 2013, 03:39:57 PM »

If I have time after bottling five gallons of Baltic Porter, and maybe five of a Milk Stout, I'll brew a Cream Ale.  I have all day, so...

64

Ingredients / Today's question...

« on: February 28, 2013, 03:29:16 PM »

Boy it seems the questions never end.  Everyday I have more.  So I am glad you all are here!

Tomorrow I am going to do two things I haven't done before.  Add cold-extracted coffee to my milk stout, and bottle a Baltic Porter.

For adding coffee:  The primary fermentation is done including a diacetyl rest.  I intend to put the coffee in the keg, and then transfer from the carboy onto the coffee.  Should I put it in the house at 70* so the yeast can handle the oxygen introduced via the coffee, or go straight to cold conditioning at ~34*?  OR, should I just go straight to cold conditioning, and wait til I'm ready to bottle it and add the coffee and priming sugar at the same time?  OR, add the coffee and priming sugar tomorrow, bring the bottles inside to 70*, then after a couple of weeks cold condition then in the bottle?

On bottling the  Baltic Porter (fermented with lager yeast):  I have never bottled, I have only kegged.  This beer has been lagering at ~34* for 6+ weeks in the keg.  Do I need to add yeast with the priming sugar?  If so, how much and what kind?

Whew!

65

Ingredients / Re: Grain for just color

« on: February 26, 2013, 08:50:55 PM »

If you are only steeping  a few ounces a coffee press would work if you have one.  They work well for hop tea and bacon extract.

Yep, I need to buy one to infuse some coffee in a cream stout that is just finishing fermentation, so that is a great idea.

66

Ingredients / Re: Grain for just color

« on: February 26, 2013, 06:51:47 PM »

Thank you!

67

Ingredients / Re: Grain for just color

« on: February 26, 2013, 04:28:34 PM »

A dark huskless malt (Midnight wheat, Carafa special) is probably the best choice. I just gave cold-steeping a try for my recent Alt and I'm impressed by how much smoother it is than even just capping the mash. I can barely detect any flavor from the Carafa in this Alt, but I got noticible roastiness in a recent amber from capping the mash with an ounce of Carafa III.

Is there an online resource that describes this process?

68

Ingredients / Re: Grain for just color

« on: February 26, 2013, 03:49:47 PM »

Thanks guys.  I'm headed to the LHBS, I'll see if they have some. 

The dilemma is caused by me being, at this level of experience, a recipe brewer.  So I hesitate to change a proven recipe.  The recipe does have 1/4 lb. of chocolate malt, that I thought about bumping up in order to get the color that I think would be appropriate.  Right now, according to BeerSmith it is at 14.3 SRM.  That just seems too much on the light side IMO.

69

Ingredients / Grain for just color

« on: February 26, 2013, 10:50:02 AM »

I am working on a Nut Brown ale recipe, and would like to adjust the color a little darker/more brown without changing the flavor or gravity.  I seem to recall a grain that is made for this purpose, but my grain cheat sheet doesn't list it.

What do you suggest?

70

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Lactic Acid Impact on flavour

« on: February 26, 2013, 10:33:45 AM »

Somewhere in my studies I came across this info and wrote it on my cheatsheet:

"1 ml lactic acid per gal max: 400 ppm flavor threshold (6.5 Ml in 5 galllons of BEER is the flavor threshold) so preboiled wort must be less"

FWIW

Is that the taste threshold in water or beer and what kind of beer?  I've used 5 ml / 5 gal in mashes in the past without noticing a taste impact.  FWIW, I generally do not need to use any acids to adjust my mash pH.  I have also not discerned any taste change when adding 5 ml to 5 gal of finished wit in an attempt to get a little sourness, but did notice a change when adding 10 ml.

When I wrote the note to myself it was to provide a boundary for me - just knowing where I'd be safe.  Your experience bears out what I understand.  And yes it was in beer (the finished product) not water, but I don't know that there would be a difference.  I also don't know that the type of beer makes any difference, though it seems intuitive that a very light beer would show it more quickly than a more full-flavored beer.

I also would think that when using lactic acid in a mash some of it will be left behind with the grain, and not end up in the boil kettle.  But I don't have the ability nor inclination to do the calculation.  It is enough for me to know that for a 5 gallon batch I can use up to 5 ml of lactic acid in the mash to drop the pH without negative impact.

71

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: maintaining temps in freezer

« on: February 26, 2013, 09:31:07 AM »

Regardless of the heating solution you come up with, it would be best to get a dual stage temperature controller if you can afford it.  Then you can just set it and forget it, and you won't be working against yourself with the strategy of leaving the heat source on all the time.

72

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Lactic Acid Impact on flavour

« on: February 26, 2013, 09:27:47 AM »

Somewhere in my studies I came across this info and wrote it on my cheatsheet:

"1 ml lactic acid per gal max: 400 ppm flavor threshold (6.5 Ml in 5 galllons of BEER is the flavor threshold) so preboiled wort must be less"

FWIW

73

Ingredients / Re: Salt calculation

« on: February 25, 2013, 09:29:13 PM »

So having said that, I have a copy of Bru'n Water on my computer which I open periodically.  It is just too complex and intimidating for me at this stage of my understanding.  The reason I use EZ Water is because it is easy.

Steve,

You may want to look at this: http://www.brewersfriend.com/mash-chemistry-and-brewing-water-calculator/

It is designed for easy entry but can do as little or as much as you expect from a water calculator.

as for getting 100 ppm, it depends on what you want to be at 100 ppm.

Kai

Yes, I've been looking at that.  It looks very intuitive.  I also enjoyed your podcast on the new water calculator on Basic Brewing Radio.  You have been very informative there.  I have listened to your two podcasts from 2011 with him on mash pH at least twice.  Thank you!

74

Ingredients / Maris Otter

« on: February 25, 2013, 09:23:08 AM »

One of the things I need to get a better grasp of is brewing grains.  Right now I just start with a recipe that is well reviewed or from a trusted source, tweak it a bit and go.

Anyway, I've been noticing lately that several good homebrewers automatically substitute Maris Otter when the recipe calls for 2-row.  I assume this is because they percieve Maris Otter as better.

What are the specific differences between Maris Otter and regular 2-row base malt?  What is gained by using it?   Is anything lost by subbing it?  And finally Maris Otter seems a weird name to me.  Does anyone know what it means or know the origin?

Thanks!

75

Going Pro / Re: Starting a brewery

« on: February 25, 2013, 09:07:03 AM »

I know of at least one current pro brewer who got a combo of investors and bank funding for 100% of the startup cost. He had a fantastic business plan, and he knew exactly how to run a brewery.

Our bank called us last week to ask us to borrow $150k to make capital improvements, and offered to refinance our whole business loan amount to 3.5% if we did. So I don't think you can really blame the lending market for being tough.

Bottom line: Banks and investors are good judges of risk. If they don't want to loan you money, you must look like a huge risk.

If you want to send me a copy of your business plan, I'd be happy to give notes on it.

I just heard essentially the same thing in beer class last week.  We had guest speakers from a new 30 bbl brewery here in Yakima.  So new they have not yet sold a drop - but they are getting close.   Anyway, they said, because the craft beer industry sales are growing by ~10%/year, coupled with the fact that few other segments in the economy are, that it is fairly easy to get venture capital.

I wish them a lot of success.  They are three young adults that are about as nice, friendly and helpful as I have encountered.  Plus they make great beer.  http://www.facebook.com/#!/balebreaker?fref=ts
They'll be distributing in Washington and Northern Idaho soon.