Messages

3016

Ingredients / Re: Anyone Else's 1st Year Hops Not Up to Snuff

« on: August 09, 2010, 08:58:43 am »

The first year they are putting the energy into the root system.  Your list of things done are all good.  As Denny said, next year and after you will get plenty.

You did not say much aobut your soil, but they like nitrogen a lot, especially when the cones are on.  My soil is a beach sand gravel type, and I need to add some potassium and phosphorus too.  Sierra Nevada says that 3-1-1 fertilizer is what they use.

3017

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Cloudy Beers with Bitter Bite

« on: August 07, 2010, 03:29:48 pm »

It can be the yeast and the hops.  The bittering compounds and resins are attracted to the yeast and stick there.  Some yeasts are known for doing this more than others. 

3018

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 8/6 Edition

« on: August 07, 2010, 01:52:10 pm »

Just finished a Tupelo mead.  Had not made a mead for a while.

3019

Equipment and Software / Re: Stir Plate

« on: August 07, 2010, 01:37:29 pm »

http://www.stirstarters.com/

I have two of these, as I brew ten gallons, but still use five gallon fermenters.  They work great.  I step up to 2000ml, with no problem.

Dan is also an AHA member and a member of our club.  A really good guy, who's hobby project got really big quickly.  I have heard good things about his product online.  I do not own one of those.

A friend gifted me a 9 position lab grade stir plate when he moved to the west coast.  Thing must weigh 35 pounds!

3020

The Pub / Re: "The Denny Level"

« on: August 07, 2010, 01:31:33 pm »

Glad to see Gordon on the forum, regardless.

3021

The Pub / Re: "The Denny Level"

« on: August 07, 2010, 11:48:22 am »

If anyone has seen Gordon Strong and "1st kit", and has not chuckled due to the incongruety of those being together, let me know.  Or maybe this has all been a conspiracy by Denny, Drew, and Fred?  Hmmmm.

3022

Wood/Casks / Re: New to Casks

« on: August 06, 2010, 06:47:56 pm »

Cantillon is an inspiration for many, myself included.  I am not a barrel expert, though I have 2 small barrels (7.5 gallons and 5 gallons).

French oak (or European Oak) has a finer grain structure due to a more moderate climate.  It is said to let less O2 diffuse into the beer.  American Oak can have a stronger flavor, but we don't want oak flavor for lambics.

My barrels were new, unused, cognac barrels.  These had to prepared with a sequence of washes with barokleen and water rinses.  You can read about doing this on wine forums, and Jeff Sparrow does have a section on barrels in "WIld Brews" that is a good read on the subject.  At first, the water rinse was yellow from the oak tannins, then less so.  A final rinse with citric acid added (a small %) is recommended to neutralize the caustics in the barokleen.  Due to this product having caustics, wear safety gear, including something for your eyes.

Some put a beer into the barrel to finish the preperation.  A friend used an IPA, in the barrel for a week  When your lambic is ready, take out the Beer and put the lambic in the barrel.  Once bugs and critters  are in there, that barrel is only for lambics.  The bugs and critters will take up residence deep in the wood pores, and can not be cleaned out.  This is what gives the barrels at Cantillon their magic.

The barokleen as shown at midwestsupplies (4 lb) and NorthernBrewer ( 1 lb) NAYY.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/barolkleen-4-lbs.html
http://www.northernbrewer.com/winemaking/wine-equipment/oak-products/wine-oak-barrels/barolkleen-1.html

3023

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Make your homebrewing buddies drool--Share your Road Trip

« on: August 06, 2010, 11:06:00 am »

Thanks for posting the link.  Now I don't have to do it.   Susan is the author, I was the proof reader.

It was a wonderful trip, and a seriously great brewing experience. 

3024

CO / Re: Leadville

« on: August 06, 2010, 09:18:25 am »

Maybe I should make that Tupelo mead that I have been putting off.

Have fun in Leadville, Mike.

3025

Ingredients / Re: Hops - how old is too old?

« on: August 05, 2010, 12:02:36 pm »

What about the food saver bags?

That's what I use.

The guy from Gorst Valley said those are O2 Barrier bags. 

3026

Ingredients / Re: I'm thinking about a tobacco RIS... any thoughts?

« on: August 05, 2010, 11:51:08 am »

Nicotine is toxic when ingested.

So is nutmeg at the right dose..

Have you ever had a beer brewed with tobacco?  I have, and was woozy for a while.  No thanks to this idea.

3027

Ingredients / Re: Hops - how old is too old?

« on: August 05, 2010, 11:44:38 am »

Vacuum packed hops in an O2 barrier bag will last 2 years with not much degradation.  The AA is going down, but in a freezer you are keeping this to a minimum.

If the hops are not vacuum packed, and in a ZipLoc, they might only last a month according to the guys at Gorst Valley hops.  ZipLocs are not barrier bags, O2 difusses through.

3028

The Pub / Re: "The Denny Level"

« on: August 03, 2010, 10:34:32 am »

I view the cellerman as a skilled job.  At least in England it is.  Enough so that there was an excellent talk on it at the NHC.
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/attachments/0000/4957/Cellarmanship-Steve_Hamburg.pdf

Kegwasher would be the entry level position.

3029

Ingredients / Re: I'm thinking about a tobacco RIS... any thoughts?

« on: August 03, 2010, 09:18:07 am »

Nicotine is toxic when ingested.  Bad idea.

3030

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Texas Microbreweries

« on: July 28, 2010, 11:48:52 am »

Alaska has the advantage of being cold and having long stretches of it.

They also have long streches of "dark" that goes with the cold in Alaska.  

Back to Texas.  Some states with less population density would include Vermont, Colorado, and Oregon.  To me it is more about the beer culture than the population density, or lack of.

I have spent a lot of time in Texas, as the BIL lives there.  He lives in the Rio Grand Valley.  Talk about a craft beer wasteland.  Austin is not so bad, and we love the Gingerman.  The Texas craft scene reminds me of Michigan 10 or 12 years ago.