Messages

31

Ingredients / Re: All Zythos APA or IPA

« on: January 05, 2013, 09:10:12 AM »

At risk of being overly pedantic, A beer with Zythos is not a SMaSH. Zythos is a blend of hops.

but an all munich pale ale is lovely.

I don't think it's being pedantic, just principled!  I agree with you Mort!

I've got ten pounds of Munich, as I've never done an all Munich beer, I think I'm going to do an all Munich/Zythos.  Thanks for the inspiration, Mort!

Awesome, I was also going to do Munich/Zythos beer here soon as well. What yeast are you planning to use? I was thinking either 1450 or 1469 myself, but then, those have become my go to yeasts for pretty much everything.

32

Ingredients / Re: Styrian Goldings substitution

« on: January 03, 2013, 07:08:35 PM »

Wow, haters are going to hate. 

I sort of enjoy the "earthyness" of Fuggles in real ales in the UK. Some of that is in Target and Challenger. Maybe the high sulfate levels balance that?

Though Styrian Goldings is just Fuggles grown in Slovenia, I do like the flavor and aroma they give to a beer, and I find it spicy. This is the signature hop used in Timothy Taylor Landlord bitter.

Now I like Simcoe, but my wife just says "cat pee!" or should I say "feline urine". I think she is a Simcoe hater. We are have our likes and dislikes.

I'll second what Jeff says here. While I like UK Fuggles, I really like Styrian Goldings. I know that they are genetically the same, but they taste quite different to me. Styrian has more of the floral, lightly fruity, and spicy qualities. Substitutes that i use: Styrian Celeia, EKG, and Glacier are all good ones.

33

All Grain Brewing / Re: Pale barley brand and price

« on: January 03, 2013, 06:59:04 PM »

I have yet to make a clear beer with Maris Otter malt w/o the need for fining. I have tried 2 different brands so far (Bairds and Fawcett)

I haven't used Bairds but I've used Fawcett and Crisp.  I've found more yeast driven distinction in the clarity of beer than I have from the malt.  Burton ale yeast for example I can never get to clear properly.  1469 on the other hand will drop bright for me with no problems.

Well that explains my confusion when I read people stating how Maris Otter also produces hazy beers. I only ever use 1469. Such a great yeast.

Otherwise, to answer the OP. I've used Munton's Maris Otter, and Fawcett's Maris Otter. I don't know which brand your Maris Otter is, but I think having 50lbs of it around is usually a good idea. I liked Fawcett more than the Muntons. Muntons was fine, but Fawcett had more of that gram crackery goodness that I like. However, that is a pretty hefty price for a 50lb sack of it.

34

Beer Recipes / Re: Recipe for extract+grain Belgian Golden

« on: December 31, 2012, 10:05:08 PM »

I will second what erockph said, and also say to make sure you are getting the freshest extract possible. Buy from someone who has a lot of turnover, or ask you LHBS when their shipment came in. Old extract usually won't ferment down as well. I've made very good Belgians this way.

35

Beer Recipes / Re: What to brew next

« on: December 31, 2012, 12:10:25 PM »

Thanks for sharing your opinions everyone! I decided to go with the Alt, and the Helles Bock will be next in line after that. I have to make the best use of the cooler temps while I have them.

They all look good though, so I hope the plan is to brew all of them!

Got no choice, really. The wife nearly had a frozen turkey land on her head since my hop stash is literally pushing food out of our freezer at the moment. I've got to start using up some hops before she kicks me out of the freezer. These four brews, plus a Brett Trois IPA using Belma, Meridian, Mosaic & Caliente is pretty much my entire winter/spring brewing schedule.

I hear ya. Lately, I've been hunting craigslist for a refrigerator, so that I can put the kegs in the fridge, and hops in the freezer. I've actually put off buying hops in bulk this year because of space concerns in the freezer, as it turns out that the wife and I need to use that freezer for other things.

Looks like a good schedule for the winter though. Keep us updated on these! When the space frees up in my freezer, I am really hoping to buy some Polaris and Herkules.

36

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 12/28 Edition

« on: December 31, 2012, 11:41:21 AM »

Bought a sack of Best Pils last week, and some Vanguard hops. So, I am making a nice light brew with the two. Here's what I just mashed in on:

4 Gallons

6 lbs Best Pils
2 lbs Best Munich
.25 oz Melanoidin
Bitter with Perle, and flavor and aroma with Vanguard.
US-05 to ferment at about 60F

Have a great New Year's Eve everybody!

37

Beer Recipes / Re: What to brew next

« on: December 29, 2012, 08:03:09 AM »

I voted for the Alt because I'd love to hear more abut the hops you are using in it. I've also just been having a craving for good German hoppiness lately. They all look good though, so I hope the plan is to brew all of them!

38

Beer Recipes / Re: What is your best session beer recipe?

« on: December 28, 2012, 09:02:39 AM »

I make a rye ale that is basically 80% Base 20% Rye, with a healthy amount of Crystal and Pacific Jade, and a touch of Perle hops, that is spicy, herbal, and delicious, and is about 4.5 abv. My English Mild is quite good as well starting at 1.036. Otherwise, I love a good dry stout at about 1.040, with the roast malts being 5% Pale Chocolate and 5% Roasted Barley. Love me some session beers.

39

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Christmas Presents

« on: December 25, 2012, 10:01:06 PM »

My awesome wife gave me grain mill! I also gave some BVIP as gifts. Really looking forward to my new mill, that corona one was exhausting. Will have to brew something special for her.

40

Ingredients / UK Pilgrim Hops

« on: December 20, 2012, 08:01:16 PM »

Was looking at Hops Direct, trying to think through what kind on varieties I would like to brew with this coming year, and thought the UK Pilgrim hops sounded quite good:

"dual purpose hop with a spicy, cedar, honey aroma."

 I was wondering if others on the forum have used this variety, and if so, what your thoughts are on them. Does this description ring true for you?

41

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 12/21 Edition

« on: December 20, 2012, 07:46:59 PM »

Got some fresh Columbus and Mt. Hood from Fresh Hops, so I am going to finally brew Denny's Rye IPA. I will hopefully brew a Baltic Porter as well, but that may be put on hold for a week or two. Looking to bottle my Mosiac Pale Ale, and keg the latest landlord clone.

42

Ingredients / Re: Making Invert Sugar: table sugar vs. raw sugar

« on: December 19, 2012, 08:19:24 PM »

I have never made invert sugar, but I remembered seeing this post at Shut Up About Barclay Perkins saying that you should only use raw sugar to make invert:

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2009/06/refined-sugar-vs-invert-sugar.html

Let us know how it turns out! I would really like to do this soon.

43

Beer Recipes / Re: Baltic Porter Recipe Critique

« on: December 19, 2012, 06:53:48 AM »

maaswinhester, that looks like a good beer, but it's not a Baltic Porter.  It looks to me more like a Foreign Extra Stout, but without any roasted barley.  If you want more of a Baltic Porter per the BJCP guidelines (http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style12.php#1c), then you need to knock your dark malts down quite a bit, and delete the 5-minute addition of hops.  Bitterness is also way high -- my calculator says 51 IBU, which is way too much for this style.  Baltic Porter is sweeter than this, at more like 30 IBUs.  I'm using Tinseth, which I find the most accurate, not sure what you've used.  And this style does not have a whole lot of roasted flavors, not like a porter typically would.  It is more caramelly, raisiny, etc.  Consider trading in some of your dark malts for just a tad of Special B malt instead, for instance.  Thoughts to ponder.  But hey..... if you're not a style nazi, then by all means, go for it.  Call it what you will, but IMHO it's really not a Baltic Porter.

Whatever you do, make sure it's the beer YOU want it to be, and enjoy it. 

Thanks for the comments!

I am going to cut the chocolate malt to 4 oz, and may consider dropping the brown malt. I am trying to go for something that is close to style this time around, and then change in future recipes, if I so choose. I was thinking perhaps some Caramunich 80 in here (perhaps 4 oz?), instead of the Special B.
Now with the brown malt, I am thinking perhaps 4oz, but at the rate, and with the other ingredients, it looks like it might just muddy up the other flavors?
As for the hops, I will take your advice and drop the 5 minute addition, and cut back on the bittering. I can't really do a big boil on my equipment, and had the boil size set at 5 gallons. My beersmith has been acting weird lately for some reason, and noticed on another recipe that the IBUs were way off, which may account for why you got 51, and I got 38. Low to mid 30s in the IBUs is what I will shoot for now, as that seems to be my sweet spot for beers I taste as balanced.

44

Beer Recipes / Baltic Porter Recipe Critique

« on: December 18, 2012, 08:21:44 PM »

Hi All,

I have never brewed this style, and found myself mashing together some recipes I have seen in various places. I was looking at a recipe that the Candi Syrup inc. people posted on their website, and like the idea of using a combination of D-90 and D-180. However, I also want a goodly amount of roasty/toasty flavor, and think perhaps the syrups might dominate the flavors. I'm thinking of a pound of Brown Malt in this, however none of the recipes I looked at had Brown Malt in them, so I was curious as to what you all think of it in this recipe.


For 5 Gallons:

Ingredients
Amt    Name    Type    #    %/IBU
6 lbs 8.0 oz    Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)    Grain     49.1 %
4 lbs 4.0 oz    Munich Malt 20 EBC (9.0 SRM)    Grain     32.1 %
1 lbs                     Brown Malt (Crisp) (65.0 SRM)    Grain     7.5 %
12.0 oz           Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM)    Grain     5.7 %
8.0 oz          Candi Sugar, Dark (180.0 SRM)    Sugar     3.8 %
4.0 oz          Candi Sugar, Amber (90.0 SRM)    Sugar     1.9 %
1.50 oz    Perle [8.60 %] - Boil 90.0 min    Hop        34.7 IBUs
0.50 oz    Mt. Hood [4.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min    Hop     2.5 IBUs
0.50 oz    Mt. Hood [4.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min    Hop     1.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg    California Lager (Wyeast Labs #2112) [125.00 ml]

Est Original Gravity: 1.070 SG    
Est Final Gravity: 1.017 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.0 %    
Bitterness: 38.2 IBUs    
Est Color: 34.8 SRM

45

Ingredients / Cinnamon

« on: December 08, 2012, 09:45:59 AM »

Hi All,

I went to my grocery store to buy a cinnamon stick to place in my Saison D'Hiver, but they were sold out. I have some very good Saigon cinnamon here at home, but it is in powdered form. So, I have a couple of questions. Is it a good idea to use powdered cinnamon? Also, how much should I use? I was thinking of just using one gram in the five gallons.