Messages

46

The Pub / Re: A bomber is rarely a good deal

« on: May 09, 2013, 10:00:36 AM »

So without going back and reading over the whole article...why is there a big jump in price for the bomber.

IME, it's almost entirely due to labor costs. The packaging (per unit volume) costs about the same, but it takes us about four times as many man-hours per unit volume. That's because we have a four-head semi-automated bottling line for 12s, but have to fill 22s manually, four at a time. The margins are the same for a $9 six-pack and a $5 bomber at this scale.

If you're a company the size of New Belgium, on the other hand, I think the answer is that you're pricing the bombers in line with what the smaller breweries *have* to charge, and making better margins on them. Or even undercutting them a little, because $5 is the bottom of the range for a bomber around here.

A serious question: In reality...who does this pricing strategy really benefit? The brewery...or the consumer?

It must be the consumer, because it sure doesn't benefit the (small) brewer. People like to try things in smaller quantities, and apparently they're willing to pay a premium for that. We get a *lot* of flack over not offering our flagship beers in 22s, but the reality is that we'd have to cut production in order to do that much low-volume packaging. There just aren't enough hours in the day.

47

Beer Recipes / Re: Ellie's brown clone, IBUS? and that flavor of green beer questions!

« on: May 08, 2013, 06:36:52 PM »

You're using Rager's formula, so the (large) whirlpool addition isn't being factored into the IBU estimate. In reality, the hops are in contact with the hot wort and being isomerized the entire time. The 28 IBU they give is probably a measured value.

48

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: When to start checking OG

« on: May 08, 2013, 08:27:52 AM »

Assuming normal pitching rate (one pack/vial in 5 gal doesn't count)

Can you elaborate on this?

The (debatable) standard pitching rate for ales is 0.75 million cells per milliliter, per degree Plato. Higher for high-gravity ales and for lagers. For a 5.5 gal (~21 L) batch at 1.048 (~12°P) that works out to:

21 L * 12°P * 0.75 billion/L-°P = 189 billion cells.

Since a fresh pack/vial contains around 100 billion cells, you'd need to pitch two (or make a starter) in order to get a "normal" fermentation. When under-pitching, it would be expected that fermentation would take longer.

49

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: When to start checking OG

« on: May 08, 2013, 08:14:27 AM »

Good advice all around, but I wanted to add one thing: it's fermentation that drives the schedule, not vice versa. Two weeks is probably a good, conservative guideline, but if fermentation was otherwise healthy there's probably no benefit to waiting that long. Assuming normal pitching rate (one pack/vial in 5 gal doesn't count) and temperature control, an average-gravity ale should ferment out in about 3-6 days. 3-4 days of warm conditioning afterward will probably be beneficial, but after that it should be ready to be crashed and/or racked.

Bottom line, get in the habit of taking gravities every few days throughout fermentation, and you'll have a far better handle on how your chosen yeast strains perform in your brewery. And definitely get one of these: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/fermtech-wine-thief.html

50

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: A simple way to organize boil additions

« on: May 07, 2013, 11:58:45 AM »

I do the same, but instead of labeling the lids I just stack them in reverse order during my prep work. That way when the timer goes off all I have to do is grab the top container and dump it in the kettle, no thinking required.

51

All Grain Brewing / Re: Recreating the Past

« on: May 07, 2013, 10:03:22 AM »

I haven't had the beer, so take this with a grain of salt, but I can't imagine that recipe would taste anything like a hefeweizen, or even an American wheat a la Widmer. I'd try a weizen strain for the primary yeast first and go from there. Maybe start with a hybrid like Wyeast 1010 if you think the weizen strain is going to be too much.

Logically, I just can't imagine a brewer keeping a highly specialized strain like that and using it just for bottling. Was the beer bottle-conditioned, or force-carbonated?

Edit: I misread "Bavarian yeast strain" as "Bavarian wheat strain". It could be a lager yeast. That would help to explain a little diacetyl too.

52

All Grain Brewing / Re: Batch sparging: what % efficiency drop due to too hot sparge temp

« on: May 07, 2013, 09:41:08 AM »

I'd at least take a gravity measurement of your first runnings

+1. If you're getting an efficiency boost from acidifying the sparge liquor, then it's almost certainly because conversion wasn't complete at the end of the mash rest. How long do you take to sparge, beginning to end?

That being the case, increasing the sparge temperature could make a difference, but 170°F still shouldn't be hot enough to pull the mash out of the conversion range.

53

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Fermentation chamber too cold?

« on: May 07, 2013, 09:33:20 AM »

Due to evaporation, the water will be a couple degrees cooler than the air. So 70-76°F ambient plus a water bath may be just right. Obviously you can supplement that with ice if the beer starts to get too warm.

54

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Drinking while brewing

« on: May 06, 2013, 02:08:12 PM »

did i ruin my beer? is it going to taste bad?

Ruined is probably a stretch, but based on the fermentations I've done with bread yeast, I wouldn't get your hopes up as far as flavor. Another potential concern would be contamination, since standards for microbial levels in baker's yeast are relatively high. I'd give it at least a full month in the fermenter, assuming you're bottling. Having a bacterial fermentation kick off in the bottles would be a Bad Thing.

55

Beer Recipes / Re: Vienna Lager Recipe Input

« on: May 05, 2013, 11:34:53 AM »

If you cut the crystal back to 3-5%, you'll end up at something like 7-9 SRM using Daniels' model. If you want to get darker you'll need to add some debittered black malt. Philosophically, I'm not wild about adjusting color for color's sake, but if you decide to go that route, 1% Carafa Special III would add about 3-4 SRM.

56

Beer Recipes / Re: Vienna Lager Recipe Input

« on: May 05, 2013, 11:15:36 AM »

BJCP-wise, I don't think it would do well. It's going to be pretty dark and very caramel-forward, more like a really rich Americanized Oktoberfest than a Vienna. Even if that's what you're going for I would reduce the crystal. 14% is just way too much for any lager IMHO.

57

Going Pro / Re: Guide to Starting Your Own Brewery (2nd Edition)

« on: May 04, 2013, 09:21:43 AM »

I've pre-ordered my copy. BA/AHA members can get 25% off until it actually starts shipping. I only wish the new edition had come out a year ago.

58

Going Pro / Re: Cleaning chemicals

« on: May 02, 2013, 07:30:23 AM »

For fermenters, non-chlorinated caustic for cleaning and chlorine dioxide (activated with phosphoric acid) for sanitizing. Parts and pieces get soaked in CMC, then either Star San or iodophor, switched weekly just to keep the critters guessing. For brights/kegs (once we start kegging), Acid #6 and then ClO2, under pressure*. Once a quarter I'll do an acid cycle/passivation on the fermenters, as well as blow down the brights for a caustic cycle. I also keep a spray bottle of 99% isopropanol around for flaming ports prior to yeast harvesting, trub drops, etc.


*Can't we give ourselves one more cha-ance?

59

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: starter volume

« on: April 30, 2013, 08:14:42 AM »

My understanding is that higher sugar content actually starts the yeast on an anaerobic cycle (like you want in beer) while the lower sugars can still encourage aerobic yeast growth

If you're thinking of the Crabtree Effect, there is a gravity below which the yeast won't ferment, but it's about 0.5°P (1.002), so it isn't really a practical way to grow yeast unless you have a method for continuously feeding the culture, like the yeast labs do. But as long as there's some oxygen available, the yeast will continue to reproduce as well as ferment the sugars anaerobically. Which is why increasing access to oxygen results in more growth.

60

Classifieds / Re: Selling 2.5 lb CO2 Cylinder - $35

« on: April 29, 2013, 01:39:19 PM »

Good timing! It is still available but I was just about to list it on eBay.