Messages

3556

All Grain Brewing / Re: Using whole kernel corn

« on: April 28, 2011, 12:32:57 pm »

you can get hominy in cans which is field corn, basically grits that have not been ground. I think they are cooked as well so you wouldn't need to geletenize. Don't know what it wouild taste like though. It has been trated with something (Lime i think, it that calcium carbonate? I think it's called cal in the prodcution of masa) to remove the husks and alter the protien.

3557

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Can you get rid of fusels?

« on: April 28, 2011, 12:23:36 pm »

i have certainly noticed a reduction in the hot solventy flavour in some beers I have fermented to warm after a few months. and I have noticed with a belgian I brewed that gave be a headache when I first sampled that after a couple of months that stopped happening. I bottle continditioned those beers though so it is possible that the yeast in the bottle had something to do with it.

3558

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Great Beer Blog - So what IS the difference between porter and stout?

« on: April 28, 2011, 12:21:20 pm »

... So even a monkey could flip a coin and do just as well.  My point exactly.

I don't think a monkey could flip a coin without yeasr of exhaustive training and a thumb. Now an ape maybe

3559

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 4/29 Edition

« on: April 28, 2011, 09:57:11 am »

Brewing  a cali common. First attempt at converting an extract recipe to all grain. Going to be first brew I keg as well.

3560

The Pub / Re: Springtime Mushrooms anyone finding them?

« on: April 28, 2011, 07:53:13 am »

And just where might a cvertai Weaze look for said morels?

Weaze, where you are, I would look along waterways, under cottonwood trees, kind of open airy
areas, these would be for the yellow morels.  If you goto the mountains, look under the quaking
aspen trees in the boggy areas, these will most likely be black morel. Tho I have not experienced
the pleasure, in the mountains the year after a big fire, look for them in the burnt areas.

But where ever you look, be aware that these guys HIDE real well.

they do indeed hide well, but once you find one you will find others. It's like a switch in your brain goes click. Also you will need to clean them VERY well particularly if you find them in a burnt over area. all those little crevices hide so much grit.

3561

Ingredients / Re: Great Western or Gambrinus for IPA's?

« on: April 27, 2011, 09:45:22 pm »

I have gotten gambrinus that last couple of times I brewed and it seems fine. I don't have enough experience with other grains to compare but I did get about 83% efficiency (total) on a partygyle batch of barley wine/small beer with the gambrinus pale.

3562

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Metallic taste in bottles

« on: April 27, 2011, 09:40:20 pm »

if it's just one bottle than it could be infected or is it possible that you accidentally dropped two carb drops in that one?

3563

The Pub / Re: Springtime Mushrooms anyone finding them?

« on: April 27, 2011, 12:57:36 pm »

Morels here and delicious.  Made a classic creamed mushrooms on toast with them.  Sweat some finely minced shallot and garlic in some butter, toss in the mushrooms and saute for a bit, add some flour to make a roux, some cream to make a sauce, season with salt and pepper, serve over toasted brioche (I used challah since it was near passover and easier to find). Sprinkle a little minced parsley on it if a white dish offends you.

yum! you could use a little fresh taragon as well. Man does that play well with the shrooms. My wife used to find shaggy manes on a fairly regular basis on her morning run and we would often have creamed mushrooms on toast for breakfast when she got back.

3564

The Pub / Re: These boots are made for Walken!

« on: April 27, 2011, 12:56:01 pm »

tee hee

3565

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Metallic taste in bottles

« on: April 27, 2011, 12:55:25 pm »

could it be infected? was the foam really rocky and firm?

3566

Other Fermentables / Re: 'Best' method for adding herbs/spices to mead

« on: April 27, 2011, 12:54:17 pm »

Does the potassium sorbate and Campden cocktail kill yeast 'forever'? If I wanted to keep some of the mead dry, could I add new yeast and priming sugar after the yeast massacre?

'Forever' has been my experience.  If you want to keep some of it dry just split some off & don't back sweeten it. 1.001 is pretty dry in my book.  Cheers!!!

but do add more yeast anyway. I use champange yeast for carbing mead but I am sure just about any thing would work. I like a very dry mead also. My last batch finish @ .98 and it is just the right amount of dry for me. a little too herbal (apparently a couple of handfuls each of rosemary and sage is too much)

3567

The Pub / Re: Springtime Mushrooms anyone finding them?

« on: April 27, 2011, 10:03:59 am »

a few years ago I was living in Boston and my wife foudn about 20# of maitake in the neighborhood park. That's another hard to mistake one. and yummy! the y freeze well to. we ate mushroom ravioli all winter

3568

Other Fermentables / Re: 'Best' method for adding herbs/spices to mead

« on: April 27, 2011, 10:01:05 am »

I've also seen discussion about using UV light to kill the yeast. don't know how effective or expensive that proposition is though.

3569

Kegging and Bottling / Re: priming with Fruit

« on: April 27, 2011, 09:56:09 am »

Do you have a hydrometer? if so you can scale down 1 lb per gallon to a sample size (1 oz fruit to 8 oz water) and mix it up really well then take a hydrometer reading. it won't be completely accurate because the pulp will affect the reading though. if you have a refractometer that is ideal. it's kind of what they are meant for. then I think you just crush a blueberry and and put a little juice on the refractometer and robert is your mothers brother!

what he said

3570

All Grain Brewing / Re: Mashing for high gravity

« on: April 27, 2011, 09:52:07 am »

You might want to use DME instead of LME and the lightest you can get as well. when doing a high gravity the LME can add a lot of unfermentables that can result in an overly sweet beer IMO.

I think that in general LME would be more fermentable, actually. I don't have any personal experience, but that was Ray Daniels' conclusion in Designing Great Beers. He found only one manufacturer's (M&F) syrup was less fermentable than their DME.

okay then I will remember that! I guess it makes sense as the DME has been processed longer