Messages

1

All Grain Brewing / Re: Collecting Cooling Water for Future Brews

« on: May 20, 2013, 01:15:07 PM »

It's never a bad idea to have 10-15 gallons of drinking water available.

Are you prepping, Mort?

 

Nah, Really it's just because I live in earthquake country. Not to say the apocalypse isn't coming, I'm just not specifically preparing for THAT.

You've put my mind at ease.  But seriously, I agree that it's not a bad idea.

I've thought about it when we've had some particularly bad winter storms, but we never really lose power where I'm at.  And, if I'm snowed in there's plenty of water outside and plenty of beer inside.

2

All Grain Brewing / Re: Collecting Cooling Water for Future Brews

« on: May 20, 2013, 12:58:12 PM »

It's never a bad idea to have 10-15 gallons of drinking water available.

Are you prepping, Mort?

3

The Pub / Re: Oh what a tangled web we weave...

« on: May 20, 2013, 07:57:38 AM »

"Pretty sneaky sis!"

You've dated yourself.

4

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: First beer taste

« on: May 20, 2013, 07:34:29 AM »

All of my hydrometer samples go into a cup for tasting.  I think you can get a very good sense of how the beer will turn out.  There are definitely some changes in flavor from carbonation, chilling, and aging but after enough sampling you can get a sense of what those might be.

At the least, tasting it before bottling will let you know if you've got any major problems.

5

Beer Recipes / Re: Oaked Rye Imerpial Stout

« on: May 20, 2013, 06:59:54 AM »

I don't think that a beer that big with that much going on is realistically going to be ready in that short of a time span. Will it be beer? Yes. Will it be the best it could be? No.

For a beer like that I would age it at least 3-6 months.

My imperial stout is very similar, without the rye though.  It's good when fresh, but it really does get better as it ages.  Brew 10 gallons and age half.  Crack the second half open for the 31st birthday.

The biggest regret I have ever had with big beers is not having enough to age.

6

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: dry yeast temp shock

« on: May 20, 2013, 06:54:02 AM »

I have honestly never considered this issue with dry yeast.  I've never had a problem with dry yeast fermenting just fine, either.

I suppose it sits for an hour or so after I rehydrate it.  But I've never given it much thought at all.

7

Equipment and Software / Re: Those little red cans of Oxygen

« on: May 20, 2013, 06:51:11 AM »

I just need to figure out what to do with the red canisters. Seems so wasteful to just throw them away.

I toss them in with the recycling.  I'm not sure that's proper disposal, though.

As for head retention, there may be valid science there but I haven't had any issues and I shake my kegs to carbonate them.  I'll fill a one-liter PET bottle when I fill the kegs and I shake that thing like mad.  Throw it in the freezer and in 30 minutes I've got fresh beer with a big rocky head.

8

Homebrew Clubs / Re: Newbie Here

« on: May 17, 2013, 02:42:53 PM »

If you want to brew something close to MGD, you should try a cream ale or other light ale.

You'll have a hard time doing lagers without a dedicated fridge to ferment in.

I'm not sure they make a kit to get you what you want.  Good luck.

9

Ingredients / Re: How to Sanitize Sugar Addition

« on: May 17, 2013, 10:11:15 AM »

Dump it in.  I've done it many times with no worries.

I don't think a pound is too much to add all at once, but you could break it up into staged additions if you want to.

I'd make sure you get the break up the brown sugar so it's not too clumpy.

10

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: 1968 in No-Crystal AIPA (Mash Temp Help)

« on: May 16, 2013, 12:53:41 PM »

1968 is weird.  its a great yeast, but i guess you have to learn its fickle nature.  I've not used it in a few years, but I've had it attenuate only 70% and then on repitch pushed 80%.

Cigar City uses it as their house and gets 75-80% attenuation. 

I would make your beer without sugar, but mash lower first time around and see how it turns out.

I get attenuation in the 80s using it for my old ale.  It get's repitched from a bitter and I use sugar to boost the gravity of the old ale so maybe those two things are helping my attenuation.

Looking at the notes I have here, one of the batches has gone from 1.082 down to 1.012.  My recollection is that batch may not have been 1968, but the 1968 only finished a few points higher.  Maybe 1.016 or so.

11

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: British Yeast Recommendation

« on: May 16, 2013, 12:11:44 PM »

My beers sit in primary usually for three weeks.  Sometimes longer depending on my schedule.

I've never experienced a problem from giving them extra time and I've never tasted diacetyl in my beer, although it's possible I've missed it.

I've had other off flavors from time to time, but none that I would attribute to time on the yeast.

12

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Beers for the non-craft drinker

« on: May 16, 2013, 07:52:27 AM »

I find that my tripels tend to be popular with people who don't usually drink a lot of craft beer.  For parties, I'll typically make a tripel and maybe a wheat beer of some sort.  I find that non-craft drinkers seem more likely to try it if it looks similar to BMC.

I also keep some Miller Lite on hand for those hard core folks.  I've been known to have one now and then after working outside all day.  If their IFC they go down like water.

13

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Goose Island beer

« on: May 15, 2013, 09:06:36 AM »

This is a little off-topic, but a couple of former brewers for Goose Island are starting their own 40-bbl brewery in Geneva, IL, shortly.  http://www.penrosebrewing.com/

I've heard that they are bringing a few other Goose Island employees with them.

I think there's been a bit of a diaspora since the ownership change, though I think to some degree there were always people leaking out to other local breweries.  This is good for the local craft beer scene. I'm not sure if the rate has increased, but I bet it has.

14

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

« on: May 15, 2013, 09:03:01 AM »

I have not yet after ~20 years of brewing.

However, the percentage/volume of grain in my partial mash has been increasing incrementally over the years.

I've thought about it and put together a mash tun, but I'm almost too comfortable with my current process to go through the effort of switching.  Someday when I have more free time, perhaps.

15

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Goose Island beer

« on: May 14, 2013, 03:59:20 PM »

I'm in their Wrigleyville pub having a Dublin stout.

You can keep the Nero. Nasty stuff.