Messages

3301

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Longer fermenation v longer aging

« on: June 06, 2011, 01:09:03 PM »

okay, the overwhelming consensus seem to be to go with the longer ferm. That's kind of what I was thinking anyway. The guests will just have to deal with cloudy beer if it doesn't clear though cause I am a vegetarian and don't use geletin or isinglass. Thanks for the advise everyone!

oh and by the way I am fermenting at 55-60 or as close as I can manage with my ghetto temp control of a timer on my ferm fridge turing it on for 30 minutes out of every 2 or 3 hours. it was at 62 this morning when I left. If it hasn't dropped by the time I get home I will up the 'on' time and try to get it down.

I don't mind cloudy beer most of the time as I feel it makes it seem more 'homemade'

3302

General Homebrew Discussion / Longer fermenation v longer aging

« on: June 06, 2011, 10:43:55 AM »

I have 10 gallons of cali common I brewed yesterday, Pitched onto the yeast cakes from another 10 gallons of the same recipe. It is destined for a wedding on June 25th so here is my questions

WOuld it be better, assuming fermentation completes in a week or so, to leave it on the yeast for two weeks and then keg and carb and cold condition for 1 week or keg after 1 week and cold condition for 2 weeks. I will not rush the fermentation so if it takes two weeks to complete so it goes but I suspect with that much yeast it will not be suprising to see it 'done' after one week. it's only 1.051 OG and I mashed at 156 so I am expecting around 1.014 FG

which is better?

two week ferm 1 week cold condition

OR

one week ferm 2 week cold condition?

3303

The Pub / Re: Tell Us About Your Pets

« on: June 06, 2011, 10:00:18 AM »

When we got our current pup we crate trained and it worked really well. We didn't have to keep it up much past 6 months or so, but when we had to leave him alone for a while it gave us a sense of safety it that we knew he wasn't gonna chew up an elictrical cord or whatever. At first we tried to keep the crate downstairs but he would howl until someone when down to visit him so we brought it into the bedroom and he was fine.

3304

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: 6-Pack Brewing

« on: June 06, 2011, 09:45:20 AM »

I do the latter, I'm not a huge worrier when it comes to my beer.

I figure if you have purged the keg and you are careful when opening the lid and don't move the keg around to much it stays pretty much full of CO2 anyway

3305

Ingredients / Re: RO water

« on: June 05, 2011, 02:38:24 PM »

Hoser, You are spot on about me not knowing enough about water chemistry. So what I ended up doing is buying a coupel of gallons of plain old spring water which I will add to my brewing water and hope that will work well enough.

Thanks for all the info, as I get into this water stuff more I am sure to have more questions.

3306

Ingredients / Re: RO water

« on: June 04, 2011, 03:10:35 PM »

Okay given it's a two hour drive from the brew site to a HBS Here are a couple of possibly stupid questions

is the chalk used by climbers the same kind of chalk I want for this? **EDIT** never mind on this one, go go google!
How about the stick of chalk I use on my blackboard?

If those are my options for chalk should I use baking soda? or just not worry about it?

3307

Beer Recipes / Re: Red Witbier?

« on: June 04, 2011, 02:54:42 PM »

Cool!

Sorry I am going to miss the beer fest.

3308

Ingredients / RO water

« on: June 04, 2011, 02:49:19 PM »

Hey all,

I just moved to a town with terrible water for brewing and I have to brew 10 gallons of cali common tomorrow.

So I just bought 15 gallons of RO water but I realize now that I don't have anything to add to that water to adjust it. What is the bare minimum that I can get away with adding? recipe is as follows

for 11 gallons (All orgainic)
17.5 lbs gambrinus pale ale
2.5 lbs great western crystal 60L

1.5 oz cascade at 9.2%  60 min
2.0 oz cascade at 15
3.0 oz cascade at 0

Thanks in advance!

3309

The Pub / Re: Public Domain Beer/Wine/Brewing Books

« on: June 03, 2011, 01:45:47 PM »

One to avoid, or to take with enough salt to flavor gose, is "Curiosities of Ale and Beer" by John Bickerdyke. There's lots of bad beer history there.

Also, some historical brewing books are better than others. Some of the English books intended for "house brewers" have weird recipes which can include ingredients guaranteed to give off-flavors at best or poison you at worst. (In the 18th and 19th centuries, the UK had laws which basically enforced a sort of Reinheitsgebot on commercial brewers. On the other hand, people brewing for private consumption - which included rich families who privately brewed beer to provision their servants - could put whatever they wanted to into their beer.)

such as a whole chicken?

3310

Beer Recipes / Re: Oatmeal stout to commemerate my kitty

« on: June 03, 2011, 12:19:39 PM »

Funny, you and i think alike.

Mark wasn't black, but he was silver grey - don't know how to do that in a beer, so instead I'm going to make a "Fat Cat Imperial Sweet Stout" in his honor.

I saw the picture you posted. He was beutifull kitty, but yeah hard to match in a beer. My mothers old cat who passed away 10 years ago at the age of 23 was the same color as your Mark. My kitty actually looked like a smaller version of the picture of his cat that beersk posted in the tell us about your pets post.

3311

The Pub / Re: Finally

« on: June 03, 2011, 10:36:49 AM »

Not as a cold dip.

I thin it's often served warm and gooey

3312

Ingredients / Re: Rye, Malted v. flaked

« on: June 03, 2011, 10:34:11 AM »

The organic flaked rye I got at the natural foods store are very pungent. At 18% it's quite noticeable. It's very high in protein and yields low extract. The beer wont clear very easy and it adds a lot of body.

No worries about clearing this is going into a stout. Perhaps I will just try it with the flaked rye for now and see what happens.

3313

Ingredients / Re: Rye, Malted v. flaked

« on: June 03, 2011, 09:52:52 AM »

Well maybe I will have to fall off the organic wagon just a bit then. Maybe I can call 7 bridges and see if malted rye is something they could get ahold of

3314

Ingredients / Rye, Malted v. flaked

« on: June 03, 2011, 09:19:39 AM »

Hey all, I posted this question as part of another thread but I would love more in depth info on it.

What's the difference? Flavour wise, body, fermentability etc.?

3315

Beer Recipes / Re: Oatmeal stout to commemerate my kitty

« on: June 03, 2011, 09:17:59 AM »

Okay so here goes a first draft.

Two little things... 

1. I've never used flaked rye but, from what I've heard, it's a completely different animal than malted rye.  That's what I was wondering about. Any insight is welcome. I am kind of attached to doing this organic if at all possible

2. I usually put 1 lb 2 oz of oats in my recipes because that happens to be the container size you can usually find them in at the grocery store.  If I used just 1 lb, I'd always have 2 oz leftovers laying around Good call, I will probably buy mine in bulk so I can get whatever amount I need though.