Messages

2836

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: 5 gallon sanitizing bucket

« on: October 24, 2010, 04:33:30 pm »

reading through the Equipment forum and the new mashtun thread someone posted a link that led me to
this:
http://brewing.lustreking.com/gear/sanitube.html

I love the simplicity...Next project for me that is for sure.

A friend has one with a big enough diameter for his racking cane.  Maybe 4 inches in diameter.

2837

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 10/22 Edition

« on: October 24, 2010, 04:04:56 pm »

Went to the cider mill yeasterday, and helped with the club pressing.  We did about 190 gallons.  I bought 5.

Heck yeah!

This is the second year we did this.  The cider mill is a small family operation.  They have some heirloom varieties that are good for hard cider.  It is a win-win for them and the club.  Most of the apples used for the pressing are not "pretty", so they can't be sold by the bag to customers.  Those make good cider, and we are willing to help work and buy the juice.  It was a good day, and there were 3 pressings: Tart, Sweet (which had a tart finish), and Super Sweet (many were looking to make apfelwein from this).

2838

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 10/22 Edition

« on: October 24, 2010, 01:08:43 pm »

Went to the cider mill yeasterday, and helped with the club pressing.  We did about 190 gallons.  I bought 5.

2839

The Pub / Re: Babalu

« on: October 23, 2010, 06:25:25 pm »

This is very good news. 

2840

Ingredients / Re: Water Profile help for FW Union Jack-extract

« on: October 23, 2010, 04:37:21 am »

Thanks for that Tom.  Reading "Brewing with Wheat" and last night ran across the statement that Widmer adds hardness to the water.  Stan did not say how much.

2841

Wood/Casks / Re: Ballantine IPA and oak

« on: October 23, 2010, 04:33:12 am »

Professor, I have always wondered how they did not end up with wild beer if it was in unlined oak.  If they were doing lab work on the beer, and found one going off, they could take some action. 

I was a young when I first started drinking this beer, and had never had anything like it.

What do you think of some of the recipes that try to recreate it?  BYO had an article by Bill Pierce in the May-June 2010 edition.  I have seen some others on line.   Jeff Renner has made some brews that were to be close to the Ballantines IPA, but I can't rememeber if I have had one of his (we are in the same club).  I am thinking of making a batch, any hints would be put to use.

2842

Wood/Casks / Re: Ballantine IPA and oak

« on: October 22, 2010, 11:32:20 am »

I was introduced to IPA with Ballantines IPA about 1974 or 75ish.  I don't think my palate was sophisticated enough to pick out the wood from the massive amount of hops (for those days), and strength of the beer (for those days).  I have also read that the tanks were lined with pitch.  What is the truth? 

2843

Ingredients / Re: Water Profile help for FW Union Jack-extract

« on: October 22, 2010, 04:58:29 am »

Water reports from the PNW are almost Pilsen like.  Any information as to what the Pros are doing in the brewhouse to treat the water would be of interest, Tom.

2844

Ingredients / Re: Water Profile help for FW Union Jack-extract

« on: October 21, 2010, 04:37:00 pm »

My tap water has 36 ppm calcium, I've brewed beers with as low as 10 ppm. Commercially, several Bohemian beers are brewed successfully with low calcium as well as beers in, say, Portland Oregon.
http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15177&start=0

I have come to the understanding that what the mineral content of the local water is, you really want to know what the brewers are doing to adjust that water.  This is based on many brewery tours.  The RO systems and/or the pallets full of bags of CaCL2 and/or Gypsum are a clue.

Tom might know what they do in the PNW.

2845

Other Fermentables / Re: Kvas

« on: October 21, 2010, 08:21:25 am »

Thanks for posting that.  More would be welcome.

2846

All Grain Brewing / Re: Mash efficiency

« on: October 19, 2010, 06:16:10 am »

I think you're missing the most obvious solution.  Why are you sticking your volume measuring device into the wort?  Why not measure from a fixed point on the top of the tun?  You still calibrate it the same way, but you don't have to immerse anything.

That's they way I do it.  Seemed obvious the first time.

2847

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Westmalle my Balle

« on: October 19, 2010, 06:13:56 am »

Surely, you brewmeisters have tried Lagunitas "Lil Sumpin Ale" which they graciously proclaim the use of Westmalle yeast.  I'm in love.  I could die an alcoholic now, with a clear conscience, saying "I have attained". 
But to practical matters, I want to steal it.  Is it Wyeast 3787, High Gravity Trappist Ale yeast?  Does White Labs have an equivalent?  Wow, talk about head over heels!  That is some good beer!

This yeast is used by Westmalle, Westvleteren, and Achel.  The last 2 get the yeast from Westmalle on the day before they brew.  Read "Brew Like a Monk" by Stan Hieronymous to get the temperature profiles they use to produce the beers they make.  As Gordon says, this is one of the ways to make this yeast really work.  One  of my favorites.

2848

Ingredients / Re: Post your water report

« on: October 18, 2010, 12:57:24 pm »

That looks like water I would like coming out of my faucet, except that the Nitrates look higher than what I am used to seeing.  If you look at my post on the first page of this thread, you will see what hard water with high alkalinity looks like.

Maybe some of the water experts who post here can give more wisdom.

2849

Ingredients / Re: 100% Dark Munich Bock

« on: October 18, 2010, 12:47:12 pm »

Last year Jeff Renner had a Dunkel made with 100% (I think) Wyermann Munich II.  Really good stuff.

2850

Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: Midnight Sun Brewing .....wow!

« on: October 17, 2010, 07:51:51 am »

The house beer at Humpy's in Anchorage is one that I drank in large amounts.  Turned out it was made by Midnight Sun.
Midnight Sun Humpy’s Sockeye Red.  The limited amount of their other beer that I had was very good.

You got a special treat there in Florida!