Messages

2266

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Whatcha brewin' this week? - 2009 Dec 31 - 2010 Jan 6

« on: January 03, 2010, 12:16:02 PM »

I am mashed in at 151*f on a 5 gallon batch of Pilsner/Lager...with
handful of wheat
handful of Aromatic
handful of Carafoam
handful of Canadian Honey Malt
Handfuls totaled 1/2 # of grain
Interesting will be the water I put together
using 10 gals of the "Glacier Machine" water from Albertsons and then adding 2 gallons of my
well water with a gram of Epsom Salts.
Will pitch Safale S-189 (2 packets) when I get down to lager pitching temps....

Here tiz goin in the fermenter...bit heavy...but I tend to like .060ish  beers
It's Lager Season...

2267

Wood/Casks / Re: Anybody purchased from this guy?

« on: December 30, 2009, 10:54:42 PM »

Thanks karlh,
I was headed toward sour beers if  I can ever manage to get my act together...

2268

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Whatcha brewin' this week? - 2009 Dec 23 - Dec 30

« on: December 30, 2009, 09:10:30 AM »

Well, If my lager yeast arrives, I may brew that this weekend. Since my s-23 is tutti fruity and I gotta re-do something.
If I do, It will be my 1st journey down the water chemistry path.  I was gonna get some water from the Glacier machine
at Albertsons, and add 3 gallons or so of my well water for the mineral profile....and then see what I wind up with...
http://www.glacierwater.com/

2269

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: S-189 Dry Lager Yeast from Fermentis

« on: December 29, 2009, 08:10:08 AM »

Thanks guys this is the stuff that is great to know.  I plan on pitching 22 gms and my fridge get a pretty even 48*f at
the warmest setting....so I was going to try that for the ferment.

2270

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Canning Wort for Starters in Pressure Canner

« on: December 28, 2009, 10:33:04 PM »

MDixon, true true. I guess I use both and am just now realizing the ease of Dry Yeasts. I do so like the
variety of liquids that are out there...and have made so many great beers with that vector.  When using
liquid, it is not a bad thing to wash the cake with some sterile water and use the yeast again...and again...
etc....( I am some what retentive when it comes to sterile/sanitary methodolgy)

2271

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Dry hopping and contamination

« on: December 28, 2009, 12:36:20 PM »

Denny, the hot microwave would work as well since we only need to sanitize and not steralize.
just for the record Ethanol (Vodka / Everclear) is a great sanitization media.
A quote from Wikipedia
"Antiseptic use
Ethanol is used in medical wipes and in most common antibacterial hand sanitizer gels at a concentration of about 62% (percentage by volume, not weight) as an antiseptic. Ethanol kills organisms by denaturing their proteins and dissolving their lipids and is effective against most bacteria and fungi, and many viruses (including SARS [1]), but is ineffective against bacterial spores.[76]"

I just keep a spritzer bottle of ETOH around the house out of habit.

2272

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Dry hopping and contamination

« on: December 28, 2009, 08:27:54 AM »

I see a good use for some cheep Vodka here.

2273

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Canning Wort for Starters in Pressure Canner

« on: December 28, 2009, 08:24:47 AM »

I don't really see the benefit of sterile water, but you may.

To quote from the Fermentis data sheets "Pitching instructions: Re-hydrate the dry yeast into yeast cream in a stirred vessel prior to pitching. Sprinkle the dry yeast in 10 times its own weight of sterile water or wort at 23C ± 3C."

and to clarify why,  I clearly see benefit from using Sterile Water, It is to prevent  
the contamination vector that is present in non steralized water.  I believe that
 non sterile water Is probably fairly high in contaminants that could be very
detrimental to brewing.

Also, in washing yeast as from a yeast cake, it just offers a media for washing that is devoid of worries.

2274

Ingredients / Re: dissolving chalk in brewing water

« on: December 27, 2009, 10:56:57 PM »

Kaiser,
That is a good method thank you again...I still have not messed with my water
chemistry, but I am nearing a pilsner brew day and might consider doing so...

2275

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Canning Wort for Starters in Pressure Canner

« on: December 27, 2009, 04:39:41 PM »

I have an Old National #7 I think it holds like 16 qts of liquid...but it will hold 7 quart jars...and that is several
batches of starter...

2276

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Canning Wort for Starters in Pressure Canner

« on: December 27, 2009, 02:05:48 PM »

Tygo, it is so good to be able to decide that you wanna make a starter ahead of time....and to go
get a jar of prepared wert.... put it into your starter vessel and innoculate it on the stirplate...
and have your starter ready in 24 hrs or so....

The thing of concern is botulism spores that need to be killed.... this is done by pressure canning
where the spores are rendered impotent and do not propogate. The spores are killed by keeping
the media at certain parameters for a length of time....the parameters are dependant upon your
physical altitude...which is the determining factor of the boiling point of water where YOU are.

2277

All Things Food / Samuel Adams Boston Lager GLASSES

« on: December 27, 2009, 01:13:00 PM »

I just recieved a gift of these glasses, a 4 set. " Take Pride in your Beer" copy right mark on the silkscreened back of the
glass and "Samuel Adams Boston Lager " screened on the front.
The booklet says " The bead inside the rim creates turbulence to release flavor and aroma as beer enters the mouth."
"Narrowing the glass at the top retains the hop aroma and sustains the head."
"Rounded shape collects aromas"
The laser etching on bottom creates bubbles for constant aroma release."
"The outward lip delivers beer to the front of the tongue where the sweetness (malt) is tasted."
" Thinner walls and rounded shape maintain proper beer temperature longer."
Endorsed by ...
Paul Pagult
Randy Mosher

I got a set for christmas and I must say, my beer never tasted or smelled better!

They are the Shiz to clean...bottom is so narrow ya cannot reach in to the bottom.

2278

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: S-189 Dry Lager Yeast from Fermentis

« on: December 27, 2009, 12:25:20 PM »

Is there any different handling that one should use....
Different from the Data sheet? Or is the MFG info good for this yeast?

I just like the fact that you can pitch a couple sachets of dry yeast in and no
need for building up a starter....so much easier.

2279

General Homebrew Discussion / Canning Wort for Starters in Pressure Canner

« on: December 27, 2009, 12:14:43 PM »

I am cooking a bunch of quart jars of 1.030 wort on the stove as I type this.
I also put some water into pint jars and process them as well. That way,
I can have both starter wort, and sterile water on hand for yeast processes.

I use the sterile water for re-hydrating dry yeast.
I use the sterile wort for propagation of liquid and or other yeast cultures.

Anyone else use this method?

Disclaimer:  I do not endorse trying the above mentioned methods until you
fully understand the risks and methods involved in PROPER home canning.
For proper methods, see your food canner instruction sheets AND visit your
local university extension office.  Also your extension office is a great place
to physically take your canner/cooker and have it pressure checked for accuracy,
and safety.

2280

Yeast and Fermentation / S-189 Dry Lager Yeast from Fermentis

« on: December 27, 2009, 12:05:42 PM »

OK, after a negative experience with this company's S-23 lager yeast, I wanted to know about the
fermentis S-189 yeast...especially since I ordered some sachets of S-189.  I thought to myself, self,
what better place to discuss this critter than on AHA....

I am amazed at the similiarity of the Data Spec sheets PDF from the 2 different varieties

http://www.fermentis.com/FO/pdf/IB/EN/Saflager_S_189_IB.pdf
http://www.fermentis.com/FO/pdf/CB/EN/Saflager_S-23_CB.pdf

Scratches head, waits for discussion.....