Messages

61

All Things Food / Re: Beer Can Chicken

« on: November 11, 2009, 08:24:49 pm »

I periodically do a beer can chicken on the grill. Got a nifty twin bird stand, but have only two birds at once a couple of times.

I typically have to rummage for a can, or just put some beer in an empty coke can from one of my taps. While I have heard that it makes the chicken more moist inside, by the time I am done cooking (about an hour), almost all of the beer is still in the can.

What I think does make this an epicurian delight is the prep and method, not the beer. I typically will oil the bird, crush some sea salt, and sage, or do a french herb blend and carefully rub it in, under and all around the bird. The stand makes for a perfect tool to hold the bird in a good postion, and with a little aluminum foil dircectly under the ass of the bird, I avoid scorching the skin.

Honestly, without a spit, I doubt I would have ever ventured to try to roast a whole chicken in my little grill. But in the end, you couldn't tell me if I used a Scotch or a Pale Ale with the bird. Maybe an ounce is gone, and likely some of that ounce is lost jostling to impale the bird onto the stand and then taking it off the grill and off the stand.

62

The Pub / Re: Hey Guys

« on: November 11, 2009, 06:14:46 pm »

I went to Hop Cat last month for the first time and I really liked it. The $1 samples were an excellent way for me to sample 8-10 very interesting (commercial) brews.

I loved Firesign theatre!

63

Beer Recipes / Unusual Session Beers

« on: November 11, 2009, 10:07:26 am »

We all know that a good session beer is lower in alcohol, yet still satifies the palate. Alts, Kolsch, Mild, smaller Brown's, Dry Irish Stout, Classic American Pilsners, and small ales come to mind.

However i am looking for interesting session beers that are not to style. Beers that start at or below 1.040.

I have been thinking around doing a Belgian Single. But rather than just cutting the grain and hop bill by half and risking an inspid and watery brew, I was wondering if anyone else has ever had success with either this "quasi-style", or other brews that may not be stylistically accurate, but light, refreshing, with lots of good, balanced flavors, but not much alcohol. Recipes would be great, but even just some tips and tricks.

I keep thinking of Belgian style adaptations, because of the wonderful flavor profiles of so many of the Belgian yeast, but I am sure there must be some others out there who may have already either perfected, or are well down the road to creating such satisfying brews.

Additionally, are there particular hops that people find more delightful in a light beer, and others to avoid? I mean, beyond the obvious, such as not using Summit hops. What very low alpha hops shine in the smallest beers?

And finally, what malt additions have you used in a small beer that really gives that brew a satisfying nudge toward this goal?

64

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Yeast and Zip Lock baggies

« on: November 10, 2009, 06:53:33 pm »

I try to use the yeast within a month. I have, on occassion, dumped it into a flask and stired it with some fresh DME and water to get it going, but only rarely.

Just two weeks ago I used a baggie of 1056 that was from July (Late October when used, so 14-15 weeks, and it did fine. Slower than usual signs of activity (a little at 36 hours, good robust krausen at 4 days). However, I have also thrown out baggies as they got older and just said hell with it, I am going to get some fresh.

65

Questions about the forum? / Re: bigger images

« on: November 09, 2009, 02:03:50 pm »

On the other hand, I represent the Luddite sub-section of society. I got my first pc (a Dell laptop rugidized 286) in 1989, and I have been somewhat annoyed with them ever since (computers - not Dell).

From tossing my cell phone onto I-94 over 5 years ago and going back to a land line, to making due with Windows 98 until it became so shahky and vunerable that I figured it would just be better to get a new machine, I do not represent the majority here.

And now Denny has authorized me to be a Moderator. Ha!

A computer does 3 things for me.
Connects me to the Internet and email.
Has Word and Excel.
I can use ProMash on it.

That is it. And I do a lot with those three things. Oh, and occassionally I play Solitare as well.

66

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Questions for a class at Indiana University

« on: November 09, 2009, 08:10:09 am »

-How much home brewing do you do in an average year?
I make exactly 20 ten gallon batches - another drop and I would be breaking the law 

-What is your current cost to make a batch, and how much does that make?
I make 10 gallon batches, and the style of beer greatly effects my cost. I will be brewing a 10 gallon English Mild next week, and the ingredients for this was $20. And also about $5 - $8 worth of propane, cost for 50-75 gallons of water to chill the wort, a buck or two for the PBW to clean and the Iodophor to sanitize. And let's not forget the $1,000+ for the 3 half barrel system and grain mill...
When I make a ten gallon batch of my Russian Imperial Stout, it costs close to $100. A typical 10 gallon batch of a hoppy American Pale Ale is closer to $40 - $50.

-If properly licensed, how would you go about distributing your beer?
As Gail points out, I would have to follow the draconian 3 tier distribution laws here in Michigan. I once contemplated brewing for a local resturant, but in the end I was discouraged by the fact that I would have to use a distributor, even if I lugged the kegs to the resturant myself.

-If you could, would you be willing to take your hobby to the next level and try to start a business?
Yes.

-If yes, what is holding you back?
Can't afford the pay cut today.

My "dream" is to retire succesfully from my current career and then move somewhere near the coast and open up a homebrew supply shop with an attached mini-brewery - say a 3 barrel system. Then, make boutique 750ml bottle of beers and sell them locally. This would allow me to be immersed into my hobby and passion, while paying for it and making a little coin as well. Not the grandest of dreams, but it is where my mind takes me when I think of the future...

67

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: How many carboys do you own?

« on: November 09, 2009, 07:50:58 am »

OK, this is a little over the top, but I have an excuse...which is I love this hobby!

In 2005 when the FORD and Ann Arbor Brewers Guild clubs helped me put together a presentation for Baltimore that required 18 carboys to ferment out 18 different yeast strains, Pat Babcock came to me and said that he could "loan" me 8 of his carboys and 9 of his kegs. He said I would be doing him a favor if I could hold on to them for a little while, as their house was having some renovations being done.

Four years later, I guess i have "adopted" these vessels, and they do come in handy during the peak of my brewing season (coming up shortly). So, I have

5     6.5 gallon  (2 with Flanders Red in them)
23   5 gallon     (2 with a cider and a cyser going right now)
6     3 gallon     (5 filled with various meads aging, and 1 with a Flanders Red aging - damn, I need more of these size ones!))
30+  one gallon and half gallon cider jugs and growlers
17 Kegs
Oh, and did I mention the 53 gallon barrel filled with Flanders Red for the last year?

I have a closet in the basement that I converted to house 24 of these carboys. I try to keep my long suffering ale wife from realizing the sheer quantity by making sure at least a half dozen or so are fermenting something at any given time. This past spring I didn't have much ferementing and she began to notice all of these empty carboys laying around in the basement. She started asking me to put these away and didn't I have a closet for these? I sort of "hide" them until I started up the kettles again, but she is now aware of the sheer quantity of glass ware in my fermenting area.

Did I mention that I have broken 5 carboys in my life? Fortunatly, only one small cut and only one had beer in it, the other 4 were during the cleaning process. Slippery little bugers, aren't they?  

68

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Sour Beer and yeast - pitching before or after the barrel

« on: November 08, 2009, 02:06:20 pm »

Thanks Jeff. After giving this some more thought, I think we will go ahead and take this members contribution and see what happens. And hopefully the next time they can follow the recipe.

69

The Pub / Re: Please raise your glass...

« on: November 06, 2009, 02:29:16 pm »

It seems with today's news on the Orlando shoting spree, we will continue to see senseless violence around the country.

I heard an interesting quote from an Afganistan citizen to Mrs. Clinton last week on NPR. He said something to the effect that "you American's had your 9/11 - we have our own 9/11 practically every day!". It was a sobering reminder that while we, as a country, do suffer periodic outbreaks of violence, we certainly do not experience the constant car and suicide bombing that some others societies do.

As I said, a sobering thought. Not looking to make this political or anything. I will raise a glass to those lost to senseless violence everywhere.

70

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Bottling after extended secondary fermentation

« on: November 06, 2009, 07:53:03 am »

I agree with Fred. I recently bottled some Imp. Stout after letting it age on some vanilla beans and Bourboun soaked oak chips for 7 weeks (10 gallons). After bottling 100 bottles, I realized that I forgot to add a little fresh yeast in my bottling bucket. I usually do these for extended aged larger beers, as I am concerned that the yeast could be popped out.

Well, I am happy to report that three weeks in the bottle, they are now correctly carbonated. Still, for insurance sake, I would typically add a little fresh yeast into the bottling bucket for aged beers with graviities exceeding 1.065 - 1.075. I usually add 1056 (tablespoon) to each 5 gallon batch that I am bottling and swirl it together with the priming sugars. However, you can use virtually any yeast, as the wort is effectively fully fermented. The only caveat I have to that is that I would avoid adding a significantly higher attenuating yeast to a bottling bucket full of a brew that had a lower attenuating yeast, for obvious reasons.

71

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Yeast and Zip Lock baggies

« on: November 04, 2009, 05:35:59 pm »

I have had an occassional baggie of really active yeast puff up a bit, but I just "burp" it out. I typically keep the baggies in my beer fridge, in the shelf on the door, propped up a bit between some bottles. I prefer to keep the top of the baggie up and off any surface.

I did have one leak once, not bad after 50-60 times. It was more than likely just me not sealing it correctly and all the way.

72

General Homebrew Discussion / Seeking nominations for the AHA Governing Committee!

« on: November 04, 2009, 05:25:37 pm »

The AHA Governing Committee elections are coming up and we are looking for candidates for new Governing Committee members.  Four of the 15 seats are available this year, and three of our current Governing Committee members have reached the end of their term limits.

The AHA Governing Committee plays a significant role in shaping the present and future direction of the AHA.  Thanks to your help, along with the efforts of staff, the generosity of the pro brewing community and guidance from our Governing Committee, we have once again exceeded our membership and revenue targets in advance of the year-end deadlines.

The AHA continues to have challenges and opportunities, but the future is really what we make it.  We need to continue our efforts to push ourselves forward and expand the community of membership, manage the conference and competition, improve Zymurgy, and many more tasks, all of which will result in our being a strong, effective, independent organization.  This is your AHA.  We need you to take charge of it and get involved.

Governing Committee members are required to be available for monthly teleconferences (currently scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month) and attend our one face-to-face meeting at the National Homebrewers Conference each year (next year in Minneapolis, June 17-19, 2010).  Members are also connected via the Internet, both as the GC and as part of various committees on specific topics.  It's a three-year term.

Besides great ideas and boundless enthusiasm, candidates should have had some experience in organizations at the local or regional level.  Initiative, perseverance, and creativity are welcome.  The AHA Governing Committee acts both as a sounding board and a management consultant team for the AHA.  Additionally, committee work provides structure, content and feet on the ground support in the case of National Homebrewers Conferences.

You may nominate yourself or someone else (please check first to see if he/she is available and interested).  Candidates should submit a short written statement of no more than 500 words, which should explain your qualifications for the job (experience, abilities, constituency, etc) and what your vision is for the future of the AHA.  Please include your contact information and send it all to Susan Ruud  (susan.ruud@ndsu.edu) no later than December 1st, 2009.

Thanks, and we look forward to the elections.

73

The Pub / Re: Howdy everybody!

« on: November 04, 2009, 11:20:47 am »

I personally have bounced from forum to forum over the years. Originally in the early 90's I got a tremendous amount of knowledge from the Home Brew Digest. Cats Meow helped me design some recipes early on. Then, of course, choices became numerous and I skipped from one to another.

Perhaps it is because of my volunteer work for the AHA, or perhaps because I need to focus (ha - that's an understatement!), I likely will kick around here a little longer, see who I meet, what I learn, see what sort of entertainement and educational value I get from these forums. Actually, I have pretty high hopes, as we are a collections of homebrewers from around the country who are all members of the AHA thing.

As likely the case for everyone here, I am a member some really good clubs. I can send emails to the collective of either club, and likely get a fairly downtown set of replies. I hope that my inquiries here will cast a wider net and garner additional data points and insights. Wow, that sounded so official 

74

Beer Recipes / Re: Cocnut Porter

« on: November 04, 2009, 11:03:59 am »

A friend of mine, and one of the top local homebrewers in Michigan (don't worry Tyler Barber - I won't give you up ;-) brews an amazing coconut raspberry porter recipe. He uses both true coconut that has been roasted, as well as coconut oils for aroma at the end. If you just want it to be a coconut porter, delete the raspberries.

For 5 gallons:
2 row 6.5 lbs.
Black 8 oz.
60 L 12 oz.
chocolate 8 oz.
flaked barley 12 oz.
roasted 6 oz.
E.K.G.  6.9% 1.125 oz. 90 min.
E.K.G. .25 oz. 10 min.
E.K.G..375 oz. 5 min.
E.K.G. .375 oz. 1 min.

chalk 1.25 tsp.
gypsum .375 tsp.
kosher salt .125 tsp.

Water salts are added to the mash and sparge water
Mash 122 degrees 30 min / 152 degrees until conversion
1968 Wyeast 68 degrees fermentation temp.

Add a can of the Oregon raspberry's and a bag of coconut that I toasted in the oven to the secondary. ( need lots of room ) and let it set for 1 month.I only used the coconut flavoring at bottling to bring up the aroma.In the baking section there are two size bags of coconut, small one, and big one.Get the big one. Put some parchment paper on your baking sheet and toast until brown not burnt, turning on occation. About 1/2 dram of the Lorann cake oil coconut flavoring (I think they are about $2.00).The Oregon raspberry's are about double what you would pay for frozen but well worth. Just wipe the can with sanitizer and pour into your fermenter.

75

Yeast and Fermentation / Sour Beer and yeast - pitching before or after the barrel

« on: November 03, 2009, 02:47:02 pm »

A club that I am a member of has been using a standard American Burboun barrel for a couple of years to age beers in, and we now make an annual 53 gallon Flanders Red. We utilize the Wyeast 3278 Belgian Lambic Blend. It contains Belgian-style wheat beer yeast, sherry yeast, two Brettanomyces strains and lactic acid bacteria. David Logsdon suggested that since we will not be able to tear the barrel apart and clean it every few years that this would be a better blend to use.

It is time for the 9 brewers involved to make a new batch, age it for two months, then do the transfer.

One member has elected to use a neutral yeat (WLP001) for various reasons. He believes it should be fine because the beer will sit on the bugs and yeast for a year and pick up all the flavors.

I am concerned that the American yeast is a very attenuative and neutral yeast, and by the time the beer gets to the barrel, the sugars available to a yeast will be eaten, and the neutral character of the WLP001 will prevail. While there will be an opportunity for the Brett strains to impart their particular characteristics to the beer, the Belgian strains will be absent. It is the first two yeasts (wheat and sherry)  that will likely not provide any contribution to the barrel.
 
Now, a couple of other members of this group have chimed in and suggested that the ultimate blending of everyone's contribution is likely to dissipate any loss of character. I can't say with any certainty that I can refute this. I just have a concern that it potentially can have a dilutative effect.

What do others think? The beer was brewed mid-late October, and my offer of a slurry of the WYeast blend may be moot at this point, but I am looking for feedback as to whether I should relax and not worry, or break into said brewers basement and innoculate his batch