Messages

3991

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: No evidence of activity in secondary

« on: May 18, 2010, 05:10:38 AM »

What the others said. A secondary is usually not even needed for most low gravity book. I highly recommend you pick up a good homebrewing book if you haven't already. most people recommend John Palmer's "How to Brew".

Welcome to the forum and the hobby!

3992

The Pub / Re: RIP Ronnie James Dio

« on: May 17, 2010, 01:01:23 PM »

Denny - perhaps you've heard of a little band named Black Sabbath? 

3993

Ingredients / Re: Elderberries

« on: May 17, 2010, 09:52:55 AM »

I consulted the best resource I have on using fruits and odd ingredients - Mosher's Radical Brewing - and the only thing he has to say about them is that some belgian brewers use them to "intensify color without adding any detectable flavor."

3994

The Pub / Re: RIP Ronnie James Dio

« on: May 17, 2010, 08:56:07 AM »

I guess he's not the Last in Line no mo.  I enjoyed his music in my youth. RIP.

3995

Equipment and Software / Re: where can I get a decent 5 Liter cask

« on: May 17, 2010, 06:06:03 AM »

FTR I am sure your beer is great, I'm not saying that your IPA is over oaky. Just stating the fact that if you get a new bbl, in my experience (and that of many others), the oak comes through extremely fast. In my case I had to pull the RIS out after only 2 weeks. this was back in 2006. I still have this beer in the keg. It's a very nice beer and still has a solid oak character. I can't imagine how much faster the oak will come through in a 5L bbl.

Its really cool you were able to get a used 5 gallon whiskey bbl. I had no idea there was such a thing. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one of those as well. 

3996

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Secondary "bubbling" at bottling, 1 mo after brewing?

« on: May 17, 2010, 04:07:01 AM »

Like I said, take 2 cosecuteive readings 1 or 2 days apart. If the reading is the same, your done. These bubbles you speak on the beer can happen after fermentation has stopped as well. Just not something to worry about. Letting it sit a week won;t hurt at all. But if you take two readings and they are the same and you are ready to bottle now - go for it.

3997

Beer Recipes / Re: Looking for feedback on Belgian Dark Strong malt bill

« on: May 16, 2010, 06:20:37 PM »

I'd back off on the Special B. 5% is an awful lot.l Then again, I don't really like Special B.

3998

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Three questions about yeasts and honey and stuff...

« on: May 16, 2010, 06:09:29 PM »

Here's the thing about honey: it doesn't leave much character in the beer. Mostly it is just an expensive way of adding sugar. The exception to the rule is if you a) use a good, raw, local honey (never use the grocery store stuff) and b) add it AFTER fermentation. The very delicate honey characteritics will simply get blown out druing the boil or during the fermentation.

cough,cough  I have to disagree with that blanket statement

I make a honey wheat (panty dropper) that can be a tad over-powering with honey aroma/taste.

Honey of choice >
http://www.leightonshoney.com/

Uhhm - I wouldn't call it a "blanket statement". Its my experience and it is corroborated by many others. If you disagree, that's fine. I certainly respect your opinion and your experience. The "cough, cough" question mark BS is unnecessary. You can disagree politely and informatively without the drama.

3999

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Secondary "bubbling" at bottling, 1 mo after brewing?

« on: May 16, 2010, 06:04:46 PM »

Don't count airlock bubbles - it only means Co2 is coming out of solution which can happen for weeks after fermentation is finished, and especially if you move or warm the fermenter. Airlock bubbles are not necessarily an indication that fermentation is taking place! Take two consecutive hydrometer readings 2 days apart. If they stay the same - you are finished fermenting. For a saison, personally, 1.015 sound too high (as does the kit recommendations). Though, that could simply be because of the recipe (a saison should be DRY).

4000

Equipment and Software / Re: where can I get a decent 5 Liter cask

« on: May 16, 2010, 06:01:07 PM »

"wet" from the corn whiskey obviously implies "rinsed" (even if the whiskey was what rinsed it). Do you have any idea how many times the bbl was used before? Not trying to be a PITA here, it's just that my experience - and that of at least a dozen others I have read or talked to - has corroborated with mine.

Just trying to give the OP an idea what to expect with a new bbl, because I have a feeling he won;t be finding a used one that small. As always, YMMV. If the OP decides to invest in a new bbl - be sure to rinse and soak it several times. But, as was said, you would be better off getting your oak flavor from cubes - if that is really what you are going for.

4001

Ingredients / Elderberries

« on: May 16, 2010, 06:38:09 AM »

Anyone ever used them? What do they taste like?

4002

Equipment and Software / Re: where can I get a decent 5 Liter cask

« on: May 16, 2010, 06:00:22 AM »

It must have been a well rinsed bbl. If you rinse it enough it will not release any tannins (but then, what's the point of the bbl in the first place, except to oxidate the beer/meed/whatever?)

As always, try it for yourself but a 5 gallon bbl rinsed 3 times for me was still very oaky. And the beer to wood ration on a bbl only around a quarter of the size of a 5 gallon is going to have an even higher ratio of wood to beer.

4003

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Pickup Tube: Less Cold Break Please

« on: May 15, 2010, 06:38:39 AM »

Along these lines if you are really that worried about it try a diverter plate and just expect about 2 gallons of loss. I only pick up break material in the first and last gallon on my kettle, give or take a half gallon or so.

Of course if you are really worried about cold break you need to chill down to about 45 degrees or so to get much of it to form and drop out

4004

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Pickup Tube: Less Cold Break Please

« on: May 14, 2010, 03:15:46 PM »

The hop back acts like a filter. Of course, yeah, you wouldn't want a hop back on a helles. Suggestion #2) RDWHAHB. Leave as much behind as possible. I regularly collect break free beer and the slurry is smaller (cleaner) on that one but i haven't really noticed any performance issues. (FWIW what I do is collect the first gallon runnings in one carboy, and the second 5.5 gallons in a second - it runs perfectly clear - then the rest goes into the first collection. I also have a diverter plate which helps a lot.)

Course, I guess that won't work with your conical.

4005

Equipment and Software / Re: where can I get a decent 5 Liter cask

« on: May 14, 2010, 03:04:18 PM »

What size bbl was it? Was anything in it before? I soaked mine in water three or four times and still only could age my RIS in it for about 2 weeks before it became significantly oaky. Common sense tells you that the wood to beer ratio is going to be much, much, much higher on a smaller bbl. The only way you can age beer for a long time on wood is if a) the ratio wood to beer is lower (more beer less wood) or b) the bbl has had most of its tannins rinsed out by previous applications.