Messages

3466

All Grain Brewing / Re: Spent grain

« on: May 21, 2011, 08:41:46 pm »

I always fill a gallon zip lock which goes in the freezer for using in bread, the rest I either feed to the neighborhood chickens (well my friends neighborhood chickens) or compost. and Yes stir that compost

3467

Other Fermentables / Re: Maple "Mead?"

« on: May 20, 2011, 12:55:29 pm »

I have a BW in bottles for about a month now that was brewed with about 2 lbs of maple syrup and bottle primed with another 6 or so ounces (not enough by the way). There is a VERY subtle maple character, however like with honey, alot of what we think about as maple flavour is so closely associated with the sweetness than when the sweetness is removed by fermentation it's hard to pin down the 'maple' or 'honey' as the same thing you taste on your waffles.

and +1 on the 'lower' grade syrup. Lowest grade, darkest amber you can find. The grading system arose when maple was used as a sugar substitute and those using it didnt' want that backwoods flavour in their cakes.

3468

Beer Recipes / Re: Pre-planning a Harvest Ale... Please help.

« on: May 20, 2011, 12:51:31 pm »

Tom - if you go to their website and look at the NORTHERN Hemisphere Harvest it clearly says Wet Hop.  It would be impossible logistically to have a Wet Hop Southern Hemisphere unless they brewed it on the spot.

They could flash freeze them and fly them up packed in dry ice. 

I personally like the terminology though - to me it is very distinct - the 'wet' hop beer is made with hops that are not kilned/dried. the 'fresh' hop beer is one made with hops that are just harvested and processed.

Their terminology sucks.  Their wet hops are not wet, they are fresh.  Their fresh hops are not fresh, they are dried.  Sorry you like it.   If they want to say "freshly harvested and processed" then they'll get no argument from me.  I wouldn't even object to calling it a fresh harvest ale.  But they're wrong to call them wet or fresh.

how about 'vine ripe'?
'Fresh dried'?
or my favourite marketing BS 'Most Unique'

3469

Other Fermentables / Re: Maple "Mead?"

« on: May 20, 2011, 12:43:58 pm »

Have not made it. have wanted to for quite a while. expensive. More expensive than honey, Organic honey can be had for about 3-5 bucks a pound and good maple syrup runs more like 10-12. and you need more of it. but if you are so inclined and do it, send me a bottle.

I have read that it has a very nice sherry like character.

3470

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Finishing a beer with Brett & Oak keg or secondary?

« on: May 20, 2011, 10:31:51 am »

well that shows what I know!

3471

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Finishing a beer with Brett & Oak keg or secondary?

« on: May 20, 2011, 07:44:16 am »

I would say you would want it to finish in secondary, it's hard to say how much of those remaining 20 points the brett would ferment and 20 points is way more than a reasonable amount of carbonation. If you use beetsmith to calculate the points in 4 or 5 oz of sugar to 5 gallons it's a lot lower than 20. granted if it starts to get over carbed you can release presure from the keg but...

3472

The Pub / Re: How annoying are you?

« on: May 20, 2011, 12:22:01 am »

Well apparently I am not so much picky or irritating as arrogant. I get 3.12

I prefer to think I am just better, smarter and more handsome than everyone else. It's not arrogant if it's true right?

3473

Equipment and Software / Re: Cracked Carboy

« on: May 19, 2011, 12:47:18 pm »

gillyweed porter hmmm.

I was thinking the swirl and settle so that the initial FERMENTATION doesn't overflow as easily. after krausen has dropped you should be left with an extra couple of inches of bucket to work with in terms of tipping. But the concern about the spigot failing and dumping beer all over the ground kind of takes the air out of my sails I must say.

3474

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Help me decide

« on: May 19, 2011, 12:41:54 pm »

how about a ubber traditional Pls with no hops just a variety of psycogenic and stimulant herbs. Probably not all that easy to come by wormwood and valerian root on short notice though.

I am obsessed with steam beer at the moment as I am brewing a big batch for a wedding this summer and I started thinking about a sour cherry steam beer. like an anchor steam but when primary is over or almost over add brett and cherries. Up it WA you could probably find sour pie cherries easier than I can here in NorCal. Or rainier cherries might be good too with that loevely vanilla hint they have. mmmm. rainier cherries

3475

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Help me decide

« on: May 19, 2011, 10:33:16 am »

hows that disertation coming along there tom?

3476

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Do you give your beers a name?

« on: May 19, 2011, 10:31:48 am »

you could add some grains of paradise.

Brilliant!  I have some in the cabinet.  I'm not sure I want that flavor in this beer though.

Hmmm . . . time to start a new thread. 

how about angelica?


**EDIT** I am just thinking about the names of these herbs not the flavours. They might well be disgusting.

Fair enough   Grains of Paradise are nice in some beers, but I want the pale to be about the hops since it's my first time using the Falconers.  I've never specifically had angelica, but from what I just read about it I think it might be good in a wit or other light wheat beer.

Final highjack...

apparently it tastes sort of like sweet celery. hmm.  it also can cause disgust for liqour. that's no good! http://www.altnature.com/gallery/angelica.htm

3477

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Do you give your beers a name?

« on: May 19, 2011, 10:12:46 am »

you could add some grains of paradise.

Brilliant!  I have some in the cabinet.  I'm not sure I want that flavor in this beer though.

Hmmm . . . time to start a new thread.  

how about angelica?


**EDIT** I am just thinking about the names of these herbs not the flavours. They might well be disgusting.

3478

Equipment and Software / Re: Cracked Carboy

« on: May 19, 2011, 10:11:56 am »

Yet another reason to just go with plastic brew buckets (with or without spigots--I personally like the spigots, even on my primary fermentors--makes racking ridiculously easy).  Safety, ease and convenience of cleaning, transfering, lifting and storing fermentors, and low cost are all good reasons for considering plastic buckets.

So I just bought a couple of plastic bucket fermenters and although I asked for without spigots I got with. it made me wonder if, after the initial vigourous mernetation was done, If I gave it a little swirl just to kick the yeast up again and then let it settle at a 45 degree angle with the spigot down if I could not just open it for a bit to dump my yeast. I would have to build a little cradle for it so it could set at that angle but...

3479

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Do you give your beers a name?

« on: May 19, 2011, 10:07:15 am »

you could add some grains of paradise.

3480

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Excessive krausen

« on: May 19, 2011, 10:03:54 am »

I wouldn't worry to much. If it stalls you can raise the temp later and even rouse the yeast if need be. sounds like you've got a good healthy fermentation going.