Messages

31

Questions about the forum? / Re: Can't post or reply

« on: February 22, 2013, 07:58:11 PM »

Testing.... If this works, it's like the 15th try in the past 36 hours.  And who knows how many other people have been trying to post error messages to you but they couldn't!  Probably tons.

32

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Diacetyl

« on: February 21, 2013, 05:36:34 AM »

You need to warm things up, like into the 60s, for about 3 weeks, so that the yeast can eat it.  Yeast works better at warm temps than in the cold (of course).  If you still have diacetyl after 3-4 weeks, then it becomes permanent and there's not much else you can do except maybe to add a TON more actively fermenting yeast.

33

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: What to do with a slow fermenting beer

« on: February 17, 2013, 09:30:39 AM »

Don't rack it!  Just add some yeast energizer, swirl the yeast cake into the beer every couple of days, and everything should be fine.  By this time you have plenty of yeast in there, so adding more yeast is pretty much a waste of money and effort.  But swirling up the yeast that has already settled out can help, especially if you also feed them some nutrition.

34

Ingredients / Re: Natural Spring water vs Distilled water

« on: February 16, 2013, 12:12:46 PM »

I agree with euge.  I always recommend 100% distilled water for extract brewing, because the process of manufacturing extract already concentrates salts in the extract, so by using anything other than distilled water in an extract beer you are in effect doubling the amount of salts compared to the average all-grain batch.  This *might* even be a contributor to the infamous "extract twang" flavor -- just a theory and I have not tested this.  But anyway... I always recommend all distilled, not spring water, for extract beers.

35

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: New to All Grain Brewing, Beers tasting really grainy

« on: February 15, 2013, 06:04:46 AM »

I wonder if you're just not used to drinking good beer yet.  After brewing with extract for many years, I remember how blown away I was about the good grainy character imparted from my first all-grain beer.  It was awesome.  Might be as simple as that!

Otherwise I would blame 6-row malt if you have been using that at all, or a possible pH problem, or you could be picking up asringency if you do not vorlauf well enough and boil too many chunks of unstrained grain material.  You might want to look into vorlauf or recirculation to ensure you are doing everything by the book there.  It's happened to me early on in my all-grain experience.

36

All Grain Brewing / Re: help classify this beer

« on: February 14, 2013, 05:40:19 AM »

This falls squarely into American IPA territory per the BJCP guidelines.  On the other hand, if you were to enter it into competition, it will not score well because judges are expecting something of lighter color and less color.  But they're wrong.  This is a friggin American IPA, no doubt about it.

37

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Calling all Chemists ~ Using old Pot Meta for Chloramine Removal

« on: February 13, 2013, 09:00:29 PM »

I am a chemical engineer, not that I think this qualifies me to answer your question any more than anyone else.  But...

Yeah, the old stuff will work just fine for chloramine removal.  Perfect use for it.  I don't know how many grams are in a tablet, but based on things I have read, you need roughly 1/8 tablet per 5-6 gallons of water.

Shoot... I bought my Campden tablets roughly 7 years ago, and I still have almost a full bottle and still use them today.  I haven't had one single Band-Aid flavored beer since the day I started using them.  It works like magic.  And I swear the tablets will probably last like 50 years.  I don't see what a little age is going to hurt.

My 2 cents.

38

All Grain Brewing / Re: Does mashing for a light or full body beer affect the efficiency?

« on: February 09, 2013, 11:39:15 PM »

Others might beg to differ, but in my experience...

Mash temperature has negligible effect on efficiency.  Ditto for mash time.  Ditto for water to grain ratio (i.e., qts/lb).  If you mash in some water at 148 to 154 F for 40+ minutes, you're going to make beer at an efficiency that is mostly affected only by the extent of the crush.  Beyond the crush, very little matters.

My experience.  YMMV... but I doubt it.

39

All Grain Brewing / Re: 2 beers, 2 yeasts, same nasty sulfur smell and taste

« on: February 06, 2013, 09:44:25 PM »

Wheat beers are indeed best young.  Figure about 6 months before the flavors start to fade.  But your sulfur will probably be gone long before then.  I guess I can't say for sure, but probably about a 90% chance the sulfur will be gone or almost gone in one month to where you can enjoy the beer without issues.

40

All Grain Brewing / Re: 2 beers, 2 yeasts, same nasty sulfur smell and taste

« on: February 06, 2013, 06:46:00 PM »

What is the age of these beers?  Sulfur always disappears with age, even if it is really strong.  Normally this takes 3 to 4 weeks, but it can sometimes require several months.  If it is still fairly young, then relax, it will surely age out.  Just needs some time.

41

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: Add Extract DURING a Mini-Mash to use the Enzymes?

« on: February 05, 2013, 09:12:38 PM »

I don't brew much with extract anymore -- my experience with extract is from about 10 years ago.  It's possible that extracts are made more fermentable these days.  It is also possible that you have been lucky with your selections and I was not so lucky with mine.  I know I used to use a lot of John Bull, and that stuff wouldn't ferment for nothing.  Maybe get down to 1.020 if I was lucky.  Maybe these days it's not such an issue.  I guess I really don't know.

42

Extract/Partial Mash Brewing / Re: Add Extract DURING a Mini-Mash to use the Enzymes?

« on: February 05, 2013, 04:32:18 PM »

Ugh... the Beano idea just won't die.

Don't ever use Beano.  NEVER.  You will be sorry if you do.  You have been warned.

43

Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: Red's Apple Ale

« on: February 04, 2013, 08:27:14 AM »

After reading the above reviews, all I can say is thank heavens I did NOT pick up a 6-pack for $6 yesterday when I was tempted at the grocery store.  I actually looked at the bottles and packaging trying to figure out what this stuff was, and who made it.  Nothing - no information.  So I figured it must be a bad idea.  Wise decision apparently.  I hate artificial apple alco-pops.  No better than Woodchuck.

44

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Fermenting Temperature

« on: January 28, 2013, 05:26:34 AM »

Coolness around 60 F is actually a good thing for most ales IMHO.  I would have let both batches go at 60 F.  They will turn out great.  Just takes an extra day or three to ferment on average, that's all.

45

All Grain Brewing / Re: Big beer efficiency and fermentation question

« on: January 23, 2013, 09:31:24 AM »

Thanks, Kai.  I see what you are saying.  You, and many brewers, may desire a gain of 5% efficiency.  Perhaps what I don't realize is that for me, efficiency doesn't matter at all since I already see brewhouse efficiencies in the mid-80s or even 90s for my small batches mashed for 40 minutes, to where there is truly not much left to be gained by mashing any longer.  Plus, for me, with a wife and 3 small kids to attend to, I like my brew day to be as short as humanly possible.  I can knock out a small batch in 3.5 to 4 hours, versus the 5 or 6 hours it might take to do 5 or 6 gallons.  So it does seem the answers are different for each brewer, depending on their batch size and system.  Interesting.  I guess I never really thought about this.