Messages

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing this Weekend - 5/18 edition?

« on: May 17, 2013, 12:48:15 PM »

I'm brewing an all Amarillo IPA. I'm looking forward to it since I haven't brewed in over a month. I'll also be re-using harvested yeast for the first time. I was worried it wouldn't be alive, but the Chico yeast is burning up the second stage of the starter. Everything looks a go for tomorrow morning!

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: When did you switch to all grain?

« on: May 15, 2013, 12:21:39 PM »

I started extract brewing in March of 2012. After about 7 or 8 batches, I switched to all grain in June of 2012. The first two all grain batches I brewed, I made from scratch. Then second of which was a cherry stout, and to my surprise, it took first place in the region of the NHC this year. I ordered a handful of all grain kits after that, but I do all my own at this point. I got my membership for the AHA for Christmas and have learned so much since then. You are at the benefit of having infinite brewing education at your finger tips. If you're asking this question, you must think you are or close to being ready for the transition. So I say go for it! I feel that brewing a beer from scratch is much more rewarding than using extracts and kits. Good luck!

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Beer Recipes / Re: Amarillo IPA

« on: May 15, 2013, 11:18:43 AM »

This is great stuff, and this thread hasn't been hi-jacked, so don't worry about that. What I wanted to do is taste amarillo alone. So, I'm doing that and going to experiment with FWH. The last brew I did was a Citra APA. I used 5 ounces of Citra in that beer (3 dry hop). I missed my gravity with that, but I changed some of my process up prior to brewing that one. I love the beer. I wish I had more Citra, but I'm not buying anymore hops this year. I'm using the same grain bill (to see if my gravity is consistent and then adjust my efficiency accordingly) with this beer as that and just dousing it with hops. I have a bunch of Amarillo and need to start using them.

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Beer Recipes / Re: Amarillo IPA

« on: May 15, 2013, 08:57:35 AM »

I'd move the 15 min. addition to FWH.

I might try this....I've never done FWH before..

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Beer Recipes / Amarillo IPA

« on: May 15, 2013, 07:23:50 AM »

I have almost 3 pounds of Amarillo hops, and I haven't made or drank an all Amarillo beer before. So, I'm going to do one. What do you think about this hop schedule?

60 minute = 1 oz Amarillo
30 minute = 1 oz Amarillo
15 minute = 1 oz Amarillo
0 minute = 3 oz Amarillo
Dry hop = 3 oz Amarillo

This is for a 5 gallon batch. I've calculated about 85 IBUs.....Too much? Add some more? Or just go with it?

Thanks!

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Beer Recipes / Re: Red IPA

« on: May 15, 2013, 07:20:41 AM »

Sorry. Yes it turned out well. I did take note to changes that I may do when I brew it again for the fall. The color wasn't red, which wasn't a surprise nor did I care. It was closer to brown. I was just looking for the "red" taste. It didn't have the malt taste that I was desiring. I will do away with the chocolate malt altogether. I may get rid of the 60L and 80L caramels and just up the 120L. I felt that the simcoe over shadowed the amarillo, so I may change it to 2 parts amarillo and 1 part simcoe. Or I might just switch the dry hop additions to centennial. All in all, the beer turned out very well. I will brew it again with these types of adjustments.

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Drinking while brewing

« on: May 09, 2013, 06:28:44 PM »

seems like a few of you are not very well functioning drunks. Just sayin'.

Yeah, I'm trying to figure this out myself. Brew day is usually 5 to 6 hours....A beer an hour can't hurt you... well at least it doesn't affect me too much. The only thing that I ever forget on a regular basis is whirlfloc. I have started to add a 10-15 minute hop addition, so I add my tab to that baggie.

If I drink 5-6 beers, I've had it for the day.  Especially since I begin brewing between 7-9 Am usually.

Haha... I usually have a stout with breakfast, which happens during the mash. By the time the boil is over, I MIGHT have two more beers in me. Most do get drank after the boil. I don't know. If I'm doing something productive outside of work, I'm usually doing it while having a beer.

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Drinking while brewing

« on: May 09, 2013, 06:23:10 PM »

seems like a few of you are not very well functioning drunks. Just sayin'.

Yeah, I'm trying to figure this out myself. Brew day is usually 5 to 6 hours....A beer an hour can't hurt you... well at least it doesn't affect me too much. The only thing that I ever forget on a regular basis is whirlfloc. I have started to add a 10-15 minute hop addition, so I add my tab to that baggie.

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Hop Growing / Re: Second Year Hops

« on: April 28, 2013, 07:17:44 PM »

These second year Cents are starting to take off. This pic was taken 17 days after the original posted pic on this thread. I have pruned them back to 5 or 6 main bines, and ran the twine up the side of the barn yesterday. Hopping is looking positive!

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Hop Growing / Re: Rhizomes planted on 3/9/13

« on: April 28, 2013, 07:11:34 PM »

2013 Hop yard is complete.....Next step = Harvest!

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Ingredients / Re: combo hops for rye pale ale

« on: April 26, 2013, 05:57:07 PM »

Great Lakes recently released the "Rye of the Tiger"... I don't have much experience with drinking any Rye PA's but I was more than happy with this beer. They use Columbus, Warrior, and Simcoe.

http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/uploads/Beer/2013%20Beer%20Profile%20-%20Rye%20of%20the%20Tiger.pdf

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Ingredients / Re: Online stores

« on: April 26, 2013, 05:46:26 PM »

I started with Northern Brewer for my first extract kits. They are packed very well with very nice instructions. I have ordered some all grain IPA kits from NB, but wasn't as pleased with them. I feel that Austin Homebrew has the superior all grain kits...The flat rate shipping is nice too. As previously posted, they have a ton of commercial clones. I ordered a handful of them late last summer. I think I got the Sam Adams Octoberfest, Breckenridge Christmas, Anchor Christmas (I think it was vintage 1998), and the two White House beers....the two White House beers were, meh. I live in Ohio, so I wouldn't recommend ordering liquid yeast from the heart of Texas now that the weather is heating up.

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Competition results - Bad addition on one of my sheets - what to do?

« on: April 26, 2013, 05:36:24 PM »

 
I wouldn't worry about getting the site in trouble.  I think a majority of them have sent out their scoresheets (except NY  ) and believe they were instructed to do so.
[/quote]

I have not gotten mine yet. Anybody get theirs from Milwaukee yet? And do they come in the mail or via email?

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Second thoughts on brewing

« on: April 22, 2013, 10:33:30 AM »

No apologies needed! Good point on the equipment not making the beer better. That being said, after weighing all my options, I took the plunge and bought a Blichmann burner and a 10 gallon SS pot.

Looks like the forum (and thirst) reeled him in!

Welcome to the obsession!

About that...I'll need about $20 from each person that has commented on my numerous threads to offset the cost.

.....and he fits right in 

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Hop Growing / Re: Second Year Hops

« on: April 11, 2013, 02:25:46 PM »

Those look great.  Frank, how deep did you plant them?  Horizontal or vertical?

Thanks!

Those were planted last year and were started indoors in pots....which I think was a mistake. We actually lost a centennial after the transplant. They were planted horizontally in the pots. There were no signs of roots or shoots on those rhizomes, so they were just thrown in the pots. They were probably moved outside into mounds of top soil in late April or Early May (Ohio). This plant produced a little bit of cones its first year. The other centennial and golding didn't, but the were noticeably smaller than this one. They are just now sprouting a couple shoots. This one pictured now has leaves on some of the shoots just a few days later. We got 3 days of nice sunshine and 75 degrees, then it rained like hell yesterday, they should grow rapidly now. These plants were covered in mulch all year and topped off with it for the winter. Then new wood mulch was added after I planted eight more this year. I added manure to this years. This years rhizomes were planted directly outside. I think you saw those pics on a different hop growing thread. They were planted semi-horizontally. They were very nicely rooted and had a few starter shoots exposed on one end. So, I dug the whole deeper on one side. I laid them in horizontally with the end roots slightly deeper than the shooter end. They were probably 4"-5" deep on the high side and tapering down to 6"-8" deep on the low side. They were very large rhizomes, so the holes were rather long. Then packed the mounds pretty tight to ride the soil of excess oxygen in the dirt. These hops get about 80% of the day's sunlight too. They miss out on the evening sun but that's about it.