Messages

16

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Headache City

« on: July 25, 2012, 05:52:00 AM »

I've found the headaches from fusels come on quickly, within 10 minutes typically, of drinking. And they seem to hit me mostly in the temples.  Is that the kind of headache you get?  I've stopped judging Belgian homebrew flights because too many people seem to think this is a desirable character 

If you aren't sure of the cause, you can try to preempt them by drinking lots of water and taking ibuprofin and mega vitamin B complex before you go to bed.  Many times headaches are simple dehydration.  Ibuprofin helps with the headaches and vitamin B helps your liver break down the alcohol.  This is basically my NHC Survival Guide.

17

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Fermentation Temps

« on: July 25, 2012, 05:44:09 AM »

I think I heard at the NHC this year (or someplace else around the same time) that the Saison yeast has a higher oxygen requirement than other yeasts.  Perhaps that could be one constraining factor in reaching the highest attenuation.

I was likely drinking at the time, so it would be great if someone had a real reference to cite.  But it's something I think I'll try next time.  Maybe hit the wort with pure O2 for 2 min and see how the yeast like that.  Or just make it now when the ambient temps are favorable...

18

Beer Recipes / Re: ESB recipe

« on: July 25, 2012, 05:39:45 AM »

Taste it when it's done and decide what to call it.  Unless you're entering it in a competition, it's really not a big deal as long as you enjoy it.  It's just nice to be able to easily describe it to someone, that's all.  So if it's an "ESB with American hops" then someone should be able to figure it out.

If you still have your training wheels on, focus on making solid beer before you worry about making solid to-style beer.  It's a skill you'll always need.

19

All Grain Brewing / Re: Step Mashing a Hefe...Why?

« on: July 25, 2012, 05:31:09 AM »

Yes, when I make starters I normally do 1L.

Does anyone actually see growth from a smack pack in a 1 liter starter?  I wouldn't expect much growth at that pitching rate.  Maybe half a doubling of the cell number, if you use a stir plate or starter, but probably little-to-none with a static starter.  So does that mean intentional underpitching?

I think Neva Parker said a 1L starter will give you something like 20% growth and a 2L starter might give you up to 100%.  And, yes, I use a stir plate.  Why is a large growth rate an objective?  It's not like I'm building up yeast from a small culture.  White Labs and Wyeast advertise that they supply sufficient yeast in their packages for a normal batch of average strength beer.  I'm just interested in getting the yeast ready to go so as to minimize lag time.  If I'm making a bigger beer, I'll use more yeast or repitch from a previous batch.  I guess I'd turn the question around.  If you're making a larger starter, does that mean intentional overpitching?

20

The Pub / Re: song title game

« on: July 25, 2012, 05:19:18 AM »

Killing Yourself to Live - Black Sabbath

21

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Bottling From Keg Carbonation/Temperature

« on: July 24, 2012, 11:53:57 AM »

Yes, but that's what I'd do with any system.  It's the nature of putting a carbonated liquid into an open container.  As well as venting the keg before filling.  Chilling the beer and bottles before bottling time minimizes those losses, though.

Normally, I have the beer at a good carb level at serving temp.  Then I chill it down to near freezing and hit it some more with gas.  Let it sit a day or two, then fill.

22

The Pub / Re: song title game

« on: July 24, 2012, 08:56:14 AM »

All Moving Parts Stand Still - Black Sabbath

23

The Pub / Re: song title game

« on: July 24, 2012, 08:25:47 AM »

Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and many others...

24

All Grain Brewing / Re: Skimming foam

« on: July 23, 2012, 09:05:38 PM »

If you're skimming it, it isn't hot break (yet).  The "break" is when the proteins and tannins coagulate sufficiently to precipitate.  It's kind of a dramatic collapse in the foam on top of the boil.

I tend to skim.  On my system, it's easier to get anything that shouldn't be in the final beer out of the kettle before I run off.  This stuff is destined to become break, so I remove it before instead of after.  Either way, it's coming out.

If you skim beforehand, you're less likely to get boilovers since you are (1) watching the pot coming to a boil and (2) removing what is in effect a lid from the boil.  So that's a beneficial side-effect.

I agree with Denny that it's harder with FWH.  I don't do it then, but it seems like the hops help the break form quicker, probably because of the extra tannins present at that point.  In any event, you don't want to yank those hops out early so it's best to avoid skimming with FWH, unless you bag them hops but even then it's likely to be messy.

FWH adds a lot of hop flavor and smoother bitterness, in my experience.  I'm a fan.  I use it in most styles that have a large hop flavor.

25

All Things Food / Re: BBQ Style

« on: July 23, 2012, 01:50:06 PM »

I blame Drew.

26

All Grain Brewing / Re: Pitching temperature hefe

« on: July 23, 2012, 01:34:30 PM »

At the NHC in San Diego, we tried several hefes that were fermented differently.  The cooler one tasted best.

The 30C pitch + ferment rule is a German notion, and is mentioned in Warner's book (not surprising, that's where he trained).

I usually go 58-62F, depending on ambient conditions.  The beers have a cleaner character (clean relative to hefe yeast expections) than warmer ferments.  You might get more banana warmer (then again, you may not), but you definitely get more other things that tend to detract from the finished flavor profile.

27

Other Fermentables / Re: Bottled when I should have racked again??

« on: July 23, 2012, 01:29:04 PM »

If you just plan on drinking it at home, then no problem doing nothing.  Just be careful pouring (pour slowly, don't tip the bottle excessively, watch closely for sediment) and you should get clear glasses.

If you are going to ship it someplace, you'll likely get cloudy mead, which people tend to not like as much.

Consider a final fining before packaging using something like Super-Kleer or Sparkolloid.  Those both tend to brighten up a mead considerably. 

28

Ingredients / Re: 100% Wheat Malt

« on: July 23, 2012, 01:20:41 PM »

According to Briess' web site, their wheat malt (white or red) has a DP of 160-180.  You can get full conversion with a DP of around 40 (typical of Munich malts).  So wheat malt can definitely self-convert, and it can also take care of some of those unmalted grains as well.

29

All Things Food / Re: BBQ Style

« on: July 23, 2012, 01:12:47 PM »

When did we switch to binary?

30

Other Fermentables / Re: How'd mead and cider get to be part of a beer organization.

« on: July 23, 2012, 01:11:32 PM »

Rule for judges: If it's on the BOS table, it should be eligible for BOS.

Rule for organizers: If you don't intend to pass it to the BOS table, it better say so in the competition rules.

If more judges and organizers followed these rules, then there would be fewer problems.  Anything else is unethical.  If you don't have a problem with accepting money for a mead and cider entry, then you shouldn't have a problem with giving them an equal shot at an award.  If BOS judges aren't giving every style an equal opportunity, then you picked the wrong BOS judges.  That's true whether it's mead, American Lite Lager, a specialty beer, or anything else someone at the table might not personally approve of.