Messages

16

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 1/11 Edition

« on: February 04, 2013, 03:29:33 PM »

Brewed up an IPA on Saturday.  Really happy with the process and the numbers.  1.060 OG and it is bubbling like crazy.  I actually had to get up every hour during the middle of the night to refill the airlock with solution because it kept blowing it all out. finally I just put a blowoff tube on after I got up this morning. 

Smells awesome.

Extract - 5 gallons - Pale extract with 30L, warrior bittering hops with late additions of centennial, amarillo and falconers flight. 

17

Beer Recipes / Re: Double Brew Day - IPA and Pale Ale recipe feedback

« on: February 02, 2013, 06:45:36 PM »

Thanks for the reply.  Brew went really well.  I hit 1.060 OG which I was really happy about.  I decided to forgo the cane sugar because I just pitched dry and not a starter.  I ended up having to add a little more water at the end than I was hoping to add....but overall went well. Smelled hoppy which I was excited about.  2nd batch under my belt so all smiles here. 

Thank you all for the feedback. 

18

Beer Recipes / Re: Double Brew Day - IPA and Pale Ale recipe feedback

« on: February 01, 2013, 07:43:34 PM »

Alright.  One more question. 

So I decided to just brew one beer and am focused on the IPA.  I picked 9.25 pounds of light golden for the IPA recipe.

My question is...due to the amount of extract, how much water should I start with?  2.5 gallons for steeping and then pour in extract?  Then bring to full boil and top off to 5 gallons after boil?

Thanks.  I am not following a set of of instructions so your help is much appreciated.

19

Beer Recipes / Re: Double Brew Day - IPA and Pale Ale recipe feedback

« on: February 01, 2013, 03:51:04 PM »

So I just realized that I have a bag of Centennial hops and not Cascade.  A little more AAs in the Centennial but just going to sub those out.  Yeah for hops!

20

Beer Recipes / Double Brew Day - IPA and Pale Ale recipe feedback

« on: February 01, 2013, 09:05:52 AM »

Hello All,

Well that time has come and I am planning a double brew day.  I am rather new to brewing so I was hoping I could get some feedback on the following recipes.  The IPA was drafted with some help of this forum!

IPA
Extract - 5 gallons
60 minute boil
org. grav. 1060
final grav. 1.017
ABV 5.63
IBU 54.35

7.5 lb dry light malt extract
.5 lb sugar
1 lb crystal 20L (steeping grains)

1 oz Armarillo (first wort hop)
1 oz Cascade (first wort hop)
1 oz Warrior (60 minutes)
.33 oz falconer's (15 mins, 10 mins, 5 mins)
.33 oz cascade (15 mins, 10 mins, 5 mins)
.33 oz armarillo (15 mins, 10 mins, 5 mins)
1 oz falconer's (flame out)
1 oz Armarillo (7 days dry hop)
1 oz Falconer's (7 day dry hop)
Yeast: US-05

Pale Ale
Extract
5 gallon - 60 minute boil
Org. Gravity: 1.044
Final Gravity 1.012
ABV: 4.19
IBU: 43.47
6 lb Light Liquid Extract
1 lb Belgian Carmel Pils (steeping grains)
2 oz Cascade (60 mins)
1 oz Cascade (flame out)
1 oz Cascade (7 day dry hop)


Any suggestions would help. It would be great if I could get the ABV in both of these beers up a little.  Roughly 5.5-6.5 ABV.

Thanks a lot.

21

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: travelling with lots of beer

« on: January 17, 2013, 09:40:52 AM »

If you are bringing any 750ml or bombers I have used Jet Bags in my checked luggage.  They will absorb 750ml of liquid if it breaks.  Really great product and rather cheap.  I found them at a wine store.

http://www.thejetbag.com/

22

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What were your gateway beers?

« on: January 14, 2013, 11:51:21 AM »

Growing up in Michigan it was Bell's Oberon but I drank that not because it was an awesome beer but because that is what people in Michigan do in the spring and summer.  I would have to say my gateway was during my graduate degree years in Buffalo being introduced to Flying Bison Oatmeal Stout and Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald.  Two beers that changed my life...for the better. 

I have come a long way since my years of drinking red dog and budwiser select. 

23

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: Will the carbonation perk up?

« on: January 10, 2013, 04:04:40 PM »

+1 on give it another week...actually 2.  I brewed a NB kit and used the recommended 2/3 cup and find it to be slightly under carbed still but its still there and not bad.  Give it some more time. 

24

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: 2013 Brew Year's Resolutions/Goals

« on: January 04, 2013, 11:37:26 AM »

1. Brew one beer a month
2. Move to all-grain
3. Nail down a solid IPA and porter
4. Have fun

25

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: IPA time

« on: December 12, 2012, 02:28:26 PM »

Awesome.  Thanks for the suggestions.  I will be piecing together the recipe based on everyone's feedback and suggestions.

Thanks again.

26

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: IPA time

« on: December 11, 2012, 03:16:19 PM »

Awesome!  Thanks so much for all of the suggestions.

Two quick questions.

Sugar (table sugar) sub.  If I am using 8 lbs of dry extract...how much should I sub with sugar?

In regards to first wort hopping with extract.  Would I just steep the hops while I steep the crystal?  Or do I hop it until roughly 160 degrees? All I know about first wort hopping is done with all grain.  Sorry for the noob question. 

hmmmm...never used gypsum.  I will be using regular old tap water (it is actually really good based on the report), so I will do some research on gypsum and figure out how to utilize it in this recipe.

Thanks.

27

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: IPA time

« on: December 11, 2012, 01:01:39 PM »

well the crystal is a specialty grain not extract.  I should have noted that.  I was wondering about the amber extract.  Maybe I will just go with 8 lbs of pale with the English crystal for some color. 

Maybe for bittering going with some warrior hops.

28

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / IPA time

« on: December 11, 2012, 12:25:40 PM »

Alright...second brew day is in the works.  This time I am going for one of my favorite styles, IPA.  I am huge hop head and love a good bitter and hoppy IPA. Obviously...I am too much of a noob but want to try my best to put out a good IPA.

I recently was able to score a couple pounds of hop pellets (thanks New Belgium!).  I got some falconers flight, Amarillo and cascade that I would love to use.

This one again will be an extract so I am looking for a few suggestions on the following recipe is a tweaked recipe from my local homebrew shop.


6 lbs pale malt extract
2 lbs amber malt extract
1 lbs medium crystal I
.5 lbs Dextrine
1 oz Amarillo
1 oz Cascade
1 oz Cascade
1 oz Falconers Flight - Maybe to brighten it up?
2 oz Amarillo (dry hop)
American Ale yeast ...maybe 1056?

Thoughts on this combination of hops?  Would Armarillo suffice as a bittering hop or is it better to go with something else?  Falconers Flight from what I have read on various sites, brings a citrus flavor and thought it might be good to brighten this one up to avoid a dank and resin taste.

Thanks for the feedback. 

29

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: Well...I drank my first homebrew

« on: December 11, 2012, 12:10:32 PM »

Thanks for the replies and feedback.  Much appreciated.

30

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: Well...I drank my first homebrew

« on: December 07, 2012, 09:47:02 AM »

hahaha...no hallucinations but after each one there is a desire for a better beer. 

I attended my homebrew club meeting last night and brought a few bottles trying to get an idea of what may be wrong with the brew.  Here is some of the feedback I received...

1. Grains.  Someone asked if it was extract or all grain.  Extract.  Right away they asked if it had specialty grains.  I said yes.  The following question was...Did you wait 3 weeks to brew this kit?  With a surprised but ashamed look on my face, I said...yes.  They indicated they could tell that it was missing something and that if I would have brewed upon receiving the kit, I would have had a totally different beer.

2.  Oxidation.  This was split.  Some indicated a slight taste of oxidation and some didn't say anything. 

3. Boil.  A few people asked about the boil and I said I couldn't get a good vigorous boil.  They said that would have also changed things significantly.  I am working on getting a real burner. 

Just wanted to share some of the feedback I received. 

Thanks for all of your suggestions and feedback.  You provided a lot of the same feedback that people who actually tasted the beer did.   Which means....you can virtually drink beer which is rather impressive and cool.