Messages

16

Ingredients / Re: Dry Hopping research - Interesting

« on: December 04, 2012, 11:52:12 AM »

Oh sweet! Thanks for posting this. Gonna read it Thursday or Friday.
I only just glanced through this and it's some really good information. Would be nice if we started gathering a library of homebrew literature that's based on solid science and experimentation and make it available for everyone.

17

The Pub / Re: Absente

« on: December 02, 2012, 05:52:53 PM »

I don't think alcohol has any effect on how vivid your dreams are. I get the most vivid and just stunningly beautiful dreams when I haven't had a drink in days. It's probably something in the herbs used to make it, but who knows...
Speaking of dreams, I just had an amazing one where I fell in love with an undead cat whom I took to my diabolical b**** ex-girlfriend (who was a necromancer) to bring back to life... Talk about complex!

18

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Dryhopping in bags: Am I Oxidizing?

« on: December 02, 2012, 02:16:39 PM »

I notice grassyness from dry-hopping with Centennial, but otherwise it seems to be fine.
I also just throw a bag into the keg and let it stay there until the keg kicks.

19

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Double Boiling, Double Fermentation

« on: December 02, 2012, 12:56:40 PM »

I see 60-65% eff all the time in my brewing and that's why I ask the homebrew store to crush my grains twice (they're nice enough to do it since we're all living in apartments here and almost none can afford such luxury as to have grain crushers or store sacks of grain at home) after which it goes up to 90 sometimes, but generally hangs around 75-80 for mid-grav brews. I'd love to get an even finer crush, but there is only so much that can be done in these conditions. Perhaps I misspoke... It generally takes me about 30 minutes to get the first runnings to the stove and do the rest of the mumbo-jumbo before I get to collect second runnings, so that's why my magical number is 30 minutes. Indeed I cannot see any possible boots in conversion with a mashout+second water since it denatures the enzymes, but I think it does boost up the solubilization and results in my observations. Anyway, I'm not saying "convert or die", just stating my observation and what works for me because it seems to be somewhat tangent to the topic of this thread.

20

The Pub / Re: Erlenmeyer flask wine decanter - $60

« on: November 30, 2012, 09:08:35 PM »

I can't think of a rationale for such a steep price...

21

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Double Boiling, Double Fermentation

« on: November 30, 2012, 09:02:36 PM »

Beats me why you don't see efficiency increase. I can get up to 90% that way with a low grain brew like a bitter, while the regular way gives me ~65-70. 75-80% with bigger grain bills. Don't think it's conversion because I did a 2 hour mash once and it ran off at around 65%, while 60+30 min gives me considerably higher yield. Seems pretty logical to me...

22

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Double Boiling, Double Fermentation

« on: November 29, 2012, 07:19:51 PM »

I find that collecting first runnings followed by putting in more water into the mash, mixing well, letting sit for another 30 or so minutes and collecting second runnings (mixing first and second, obviously) extracts way more out of the grain than fly sparging.

Let me understand.  You mash in and mash out.  Collect all of your first wort runnings and then you add water back to your mashed grains, let sit for another 30 minutes and then collect enough 2nd runnings to combine with first runnings for you boil.  I assume the water you add is +/- 170 to 175ish and you would collect around 6.25 to 6.50 gallons for a 5 gallons batch.

Is this batch sparging?

Nope.  Batch sparging would be adding the second water addition and running off immediately.  I don't really see the point of letting the second water addition sit for 30 min.

The point is to let more sugars dissolve out of the grain into the water. May not seem like it would help, but it really does.

23

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Double Boiling, Double Fermentation

« on: November 29, 2012, 08:14:20 AM »

I find that collecting first runnings followed by putting in more water into the mash, mixing well, letting sit for another 30 or so minutes and collecting second runnings (mixing first and second, obviously) extracts way more out of the grain than fly sparging.

24

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Double Boiling, Double Fermentation

« on: November 28, 2012, 10:30:26 PM »

Sounds shady to me... I agree with Tom on hoping it was the sugar that he boiled and not the beer.
Getting that low FG in a not so high abv hints at an infection to me.

25

The Pub / Re: Air filters and mold spores

« on: November 27, 2012, 10:06:47 PM »

Oh dude I know EXACTLY how you feel. I had the same thing happen to me for YEARS since our family was forced to live in a damp and moldy basement in upstate NY. It would happen as soon as I got even a little bit warm and the only thing that helped was the cold. It would be so bad that I'd just pretty much jump naked into the snow and lie there until it goes away. Always a choice between that horror and being cold...
My advice would be to move before it escalates into leaving subcutaneous scars. Find some mold free place and live there. This problem disappeared once we moved to a different house, but you can still see traces of this crap appear on my arms and hands when it gets hot...
Real sorry for you, man.

26

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Measuring for Repitching

« on: November 26, 2012, 09:53:50 PM »

One more question regarding the yeast harvested from your primary. Does the viability decrease in the same manner as it would for a vial bought at my LHBS?

As far as I know, yes. I've seen data showing that viability levels off at something like 60% after a couple months and then goes down slower, but I can't remember where...

27

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Yeast advice for a Belgian Blond (18A)

« on: November 25, 2012, 02:13:22 PM »

I've used all but Chimay from your list and I like Unibroue the best.
I made a blond with that yeast and sent it to a competition and got remarks like "perfect example of the style" "no flaws in flavor or aroma" "all the flavor of golden strong but without the high alcohol"
It's a very nice strain and I'm actually reviving it right now to make a blond again

28

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Pitching Rates and Ester Formation

« on: November 22, 2012, 03:30:07 PM »

Nice writeups.

As for Sigma products, as far as I know they don't sell to individuals.

29

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Wort turned black within 5 minutes

« on: November 21, 2012, 09:18:42 PM »

Hmmm... I thought maybe if you used iodine-based sanitizer you were just getting a starch rxn.
Could me just the trub settling and reflecting more less light, thus making it seem darker.
Let it sit and see what happens perhaps?

30

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Wort turned black within 5 minutes

« on: November 21, 2012, 08:35:39 PM »

What do you use as a sanitizer?