Messages

3271

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: mash tun false bottom question

« on: June 10, 2011, 01:01:59 pm »

I forced the plastic tube through the drain hole and made sure it had a snug fit. this involved a lot of sqeezeing of the hose and to get it through and then heating the hose up with hot water and streching it until it came back into shape.

Yes, this is what I was trying to describe but not having done it I didn't have the description.

you did an good job describing it, i was more refering to the valve. I have not found the need for one, Although I did lose about a quart of strike water this last brew cause it fell down. That's when I instituted the clothes pin.

3272

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: mash tun false bottom question

« on: June 10, 2011, 09:49:48 am »

I took it one step further (or less far perhaps)

I forced the plastic tube through the drain hole and made sure it had a snug fit. this involved a lot of sqeezeing of the hose and to get it through and then heating the hose up with hot water and streching it until it came back into shape. I attached the braid to the inside end fo the hose and was done.

I don't have a valve so I just fold the outside end over and clip it with a clothes pin and/or put it in the handle of the cooler so it's above the liquid level. 

3273

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Dryhopping in keg

« on: June 09, 2011, 12:07:04 pm »

I do the same as Ham, except I tie a length of dental floss to the bag and the other end to the handle of my corny keg. If I taste it getting 'grassy' or 'vegetal', I pop open the keg, fish out the bag o' hops, reseal, purge, etc.  Dental floss is cheap and already sanitized.  Plus, it supports farmers who are bringing up their dental floss crops!

it pays for the feed for their little horses this big

3274

The Pub / Re: Tell Us About Your Pets

« on: June 09, 2011, 09:52:55 am »

My next pet is going to be a tortoise, I can't deal with the loss anymore. I want one that will outlive me.

3275

All Grain Brewing / Re: Hops Quiz

« on: June 09, 2011, 08:40:13 am »

dons,

on the AG v Extract and infection front, do you grind your own grain? if so do you do it in an area that might allow a small amount of grain dust to then settle in a way that would potentially get in your finished wort or beer? grain is a great carrier of infectious microbiota.

additionally the difference between extract and AG in terms of gushing could have to do with mash temps producing a more fermentable wort than expected. whereas with an extract recipe you can pretty easily say that and OG of x will result in an FG of y as the fermentability is fairly constant. while with AG a couple of degrees difference in mash temp could produce significantly different expected FGs. just a thought.

3276

The Pub / Re: Scotland Beer Stampede

« on: June 09, 2011, 08:22:28 am »

[Michelob Dark tasted the same as regular Michelob.  We used to joke that it was the same, with dark food coloring added.

I think it more or less is, except it's caramel coloring. same thing that gives coke it's color

3277

The Pub / Re: Tell Us About Your Pets

« on: June 09, 2011, 08:16:25 am »

Sorry to hear of your loss as well. having just gone through that a week ago I feel for you

3278

Beer Recipes / Re: Cherry Beer HELP?

« on: June 08, 2011, 06:33:33 pm »

Question on the cherries as I have read this thread closely and am going to make a Berliner Weisse soured with White Labs WLP630 yeast and racking on the cherries in secondary. Taking fresh whole cherries is cleaning them simply by rinsing with water adequate?? Or is there another way to rid the pesticides???

not really any way to get rid of all the pesticide residue except to use organic cherries.

3279

Ingredients / Re: RO water

« on: June 08, 2011, 03:52:29 pm »

For CA Common, you want fairly soft water, as this is a style that developed from using snow-melt water.
IMHO, R/O with a touch of spring water should get you where you need to go.
I've done versions with hard & soft water & liked both results.
The harder water had a little more hop bite, but all have turned out nicely.
Seems this style is hard to kill.

Yeah, that's one of the reasons I like it. and it's a 'local' style. The test batch I brewed with water that has so much calcium that after boiling two kettles full in my tea kettle there was a noticable white flaky buildup.

The the next batch was with filtered sacremento water.

and this one was with RO + 2 gallons spring water.

we will see.

3280

The Pub / Re: Bartender.....

« on: June 08, 2011, 11:05:43 am »

II also really like the HP but for whatever reason I just don't get the Macallan hype. I have two bottles of it because they were gifts and I rarely drink them.  It helps when your BIL is (was) a spirits distributor.

Maybe I'll use it in airlocks.

I actually very rarely drink whisky as all. Havn't had a bottle in three or four years. I wasn't aware there was alot of hype around the macallen. Just know I liked it when I tried it.

3281

The Pub / Re: Bartender.....

« on: June 08, 2011, 10:04:30 am »

macallen cask strength, neat or with an ice cube

3282

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Undercarbonated bottles

« on: June 08, 2011, 10:02:37 am »

hooray!

3283

Beer Recipes / Re: Candi syrup recipes

« on: June 08, 2011, 09:54:12 am »

"Denny's 400th - Belgian Quad
This Belgian Quad was provided to us by Denny Conn who graciously shared this exceptional recipe after using our D-180 Candi Syrup in his celebratory 400th brew. We have just brewed it and it appears to be an amazing and carefully considered recipe from one of the industries finest Brewmasters."

what denny no brag warning? they already brewed your recipe? didn't you just brew it yourself? they are quick!

3284

Beer Recipes / Re: Cherry Beer HELP?

« on: June 08, 2011, 08:58:04 am »

[Re: pits.  I recall hearing/reading somewhere that cherry pits can be a source of cyanide.  You might want to remove the pits.

http://chemistry.about.com/b/2007/09/12/yes-apple-seeds-and-cherry-pits-are-poisonous.htm

I don't wish to encourage anyone to poisen themselves but I can't imagine that it's that much of a problem. Many cherry lambics are aged on whole cherries for months and years! and mahreb is ground up cherry pits and that is eaten. where as these pits are just gonna sit in the beer for a coupel of weeks probably.

I know I saw somewhere that in order to get a toxic dose of cyanide from apple seeds one would have to eat liek a cupfull a day for several weeks. (don't quote me on that)

3285

Beer Recipes / Re: Cherry Beer HELP?

« on: June 08, 2011, 08:11:41 am »

I would guess 5 pounds would be enough.

leave the pits in.

don't cook them but do freeze them first to knock back the wild cirtters that might be present, you can pasturize them if you are worried but make sure not to get so hot you set the pectin.

you could do a belgian beer, something with brett if you are patient. or a stout would be good. Secondary is the right time to add them