Messages

2926

Other Fermentables / Re: Where does wine flavor come from?

« on: September 09, 2010, 05:10:13 am »

In  wines, most flavor comes from the grapes, that is why they have different wine regions, terroir, and vintages.  Some good wines never touch oak. 

2927

Beer Recipes / Re: AHA recipe Wiki needs a boost!

« on: September 08, 2010, 07:18:55 pm »

Those are there for 2006 through 2009.  Grunt work like this may be an interns job, so be patient on the 2010. 

http://wiki.homebrewersassociation.org/AHA

2928

All Grain Brewing / Re: Controlling pH

« on: September 08, 2010, 06:23:08 am »

I am no AJ deLange, but I will add a couple things.

You can lower the pH by adding Calcium, as stated.   
You can raise pH pH by adding CaCO3, as stated.

Minerals common in homebrewing:
CaSO4 (gypsum) lowers pH, and adds SO4 which adds to the hop perception.  Use for hop focused beer like IPA.
CaCl2 (Calcium Chloride) lowers the pH and adds Chloride which enhances malt perception.  Use for malt focused beers like Bock.
CaCO3 (Calcium Carbonate, or chalk) raises the pH.  Note that adding the carbonate also adds calcium, so you are taking the pH higher, but the Ca addition impeeds how much it goes up.
NaHCO3 (Sodium bicarbonate), or baking soda) will raise the pH, without adding Ca.
MgSO4 (Epsom Salt) do not change the pH of the mash, adds to SO4 total.  Mg is beneficial for yeast at 10-20 ppm.
NaCl (Salt) does not change pH.  Adds to Cl total.
Some people pay attention to the ratio of SO4 to Cl.  >1 for hoppy, <1 for Malty.

Acids can also be used to lower the pH.  Lactic acid and Phosphoric acid are the ones most homebrewers use.

If the pH in the mash gets over 5.8, the mash efficiency suffers and falls off quickly with higher pH.  I saw this in at graph at a presentaion about mashing.

One last thing, you need to know your base water mineral content before you start to really adjust your water for different styles.

2929

The Pub / Re: Boulder wildfire

« on: September 07, 2010, 01:28:20 pm »

The caption at your link says it's Paul and Jean Gatza.

Doh!  Too busy looking at the picture.

2930

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Should the AHA Keep TechTalk?

« on: September 07, 2010, 01:02:24 pm »

There are instructions above on how to make it like techtalk.  Here goes.
1. Find "unread" in the upper right.  Click it.
2. Look at topics that you might be interested in, just like TT.  Hit the blue "new" button to see the latest post, or click on the title to see all.
3. When done hit 'Mark all as read".
4. Repeat the next time.

This makes it pretty darned quick, and you only sift through what you want.

All the people who don't like the forum might want to give it a chance.  It is a little dynamic, but even an old guy like me has gotten used to it.

I realized this weekend that I don't like texting on the phone, but some people like my sister-inlaw think that is the best way to communicate.  To each their own.


 


 

2931

The Pub / Re: Boulder wildfire

« on: September 07, 2010, 12:53:55 pm »

So I had to look at Yahoo.  Sure looks like Paul.  Hope all is good with their home.

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Colo-Wildfire/ss/events/us/090710coloradofire#photoViewer=/100907/480/urn_publicid_ap_org_c52b686803c54e0a911dc8dd067edd73

2932

Ingredients / Re: Willamette hops as flavor/aroma additions in English-style brews

« on: September 07, 2010, 11:07:23 am »

Last year I went through a Lb of Willamette.  They are pretty good for British style beers.

Willamette is a Fuglles triploid, meaning that it has three sets of chromosones vs. two.  This results in a more hardy plant, but the plant is sterile.

2933

Equipment and Software / Re: Cleaning immersion chillers

« on: September 06, 2010, 06:40:04 pm »

spray it off with the hose after every use, put in boiling wort with 15 left to go, never been an issue 

This works for me, too.

The only time I used PBW is when it was new, and and the copper coil straight from the box still a little oily after I formed/made it into a chiller. 

Other than that, rinse, boil, repeat.

2934

The Pub / Re: Babalu

« on: September 06, 2010, 12:42:58 pm »

Frank, thanks for the update.  Looks like it is possitve news, and I am hoping for better news in the future.  Keeping the fingers crossed.

2935

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Pouring a Pint, Brit-style

« on: September 06, 2010, 12:40:37 pm »

In Germany there is a fill line for beer, the  "Plimsoll line", for a full fill of beer and room for the head (I just found that the Plimsoll is from the max legal load line on the side a cargo ship).  The Germans have strict weights and measures codes, that are followed.

There is this in the US.
http://honestpintproject.org/index.htm

2936

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: How Common Are Infected Batches?

« on: September 05, 2010, 05:33:16 pm »

I definitely think you can make good beer without any tools, but I haven't done a 10 year apprenticeship to figure out when the water is the right temp for mashing  

I was teaching a guy who had just finished cullinary school how to brew.  When I said I wanted the sparge water to be at 170F, he looked at it for a while then said it wa, at 170F.  I was on the side with the bulkhead thermometer, and it was 170F.  WTF?  I asked him how he knew.  He said if you pay attention, water as it is heated will have some different character. with temp.  At 170F the surface becomes very still and even.  Look sometime, I was convinced that the brewers before instuments had some clues as to what to do.

To add to this a little more, he said that as a professional chef, you can't wait around taking temps, you look and do, as there is no time to waste.

2937

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: How Common Are Infected Batches?

« on: September 05, 2010, 10:07:26 am »

I have been brewing for almost 18 years, maybe 280 batches counting todays, and have had maybe 6 or a little more.  Some don't show signs for a long time.  Most of these were back in the mid 90's before Star San.

There was one last year that had some bret in one carboy, but not the other.  It was a Saison, so the infected one was a happy mistake, as it was tasty.   This beer was fermented in a conical then, split to carboys at the same time for aging, so it was the carboy.

The first part of sanitizing is cleaning to get rid of soils.  You can't sanitize dirt.  I am making sure to do a PBW soak on thigns to get ride of any deposits.

2938

Other Fermentables / Re: Favorite Commercial Meads

« on: September 03, 2010, 07:19:17 am »

You should go meet Michael Fairbrother in New Hampshire. He knows a thing or two about mead, and can probably help you determine quickly whether you don't like mead or just don't like crappy mead. 

+100 on this...and he is always doing tastings somewhere...great stuff.

Michael would be a good guy to get to know.  Contact information:
 https://www.moonlightmeadery.com/

2939

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: English malt extracts versus domestic extracts

« on: September 02, 2010, 04:38:09 pm »

I had a friend who liked to buy the generic "Beer" back in the day.

Repo Man is a classic.

2940

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 9/3 Edition

« on: September 02, 2010, 04:34:21 pm »

Yesterday was hot and humid as I picked the last of the hops.  Saturday will have a high of 61F.  Cool enough to fire up the burners and do a fresh hop APA.  Or maybe an IPA, as it was a good crop this year (for me at least).