Messages

16

All Grain Brewing / Re: Mash Out?

« on: December 11, 2010, 08:27:00 AM »

In a single step infusion mash what is the value of mashing out at a higher temp before sparging?  How do you know if you need to do this?

I know this doesn't chime in on the cold sparging, but I thought I'd add something from a fly sparger.  For a while I added hot water to bring up the mash to 165F before I started sparging. I stopped doing that, and now just sparge with water at 165-170.  I did not notice any change in efficiency or fermentabilty by removing the mash out step.

17

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Bottling after lagering

« on: December 08, 2010, 07:56:32 AM »

After reading this again...... A Kölsch is an ale, isn't it? What lagering?

Kölsch and Altbiers are ales, but they do usually benefit from lagering- meaning to store/condition at cold temperatures, not the yeast variety.

18

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Midnight brewing...

« on: November 28, 2010, 08:28:33 AM »

I usually brew starting a 5 or 6 in the morning and then take the family out to lunch while all the cleaned equipment is drying in the kitchen.

19

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Dextrose (Corn Sugar) vs. Malt (DME) for Priming

« on: November 03, 2010, 07:17:07 AM »

Cons for DME: takes a little longer to carbonate, costs more, and leaves more sediment in the bottle.

20

All Grain Brewing / Re: Why mash for 60 minutes?

« on: October 30, 2010, 04:18:26 PM »

One thing that's often overlooked when commercial brewers talk about shorter mash times is their lautering time.  It can take an hour or more to sparge and lauter a commercial batch and all that time you're still at mash temp.  So, what would seem to be a 20-30 min. mash actually might go for 90 min. or more.

For the last couple of years, I've mashed for about a half hour and fly sparge and lauter for about 45 minutes.  Since I don't mash out, just sparge with 170 water,  I assume the wort is still converting in the brew kettle. So I guess my mahing time would be 75 minutes.  And I've never had problems with a high FG.

21

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: So I;m coverting an old fridge into a kegerator....

« on: October 07, 2010, 05:58:43 AM »

Is there any safety issues with a CO2 tank on the outside in a garage during the summer in the South?  I've recently moved to Louisiana and was thinking of building a kegerator and in might be in the garage.

22

All Grain Brewing / Re: what do you do with all that grain?

« on: September 29, 2010, 09:39:30 AM »

Aren't those the ones that produce larva that look like huge maggots? If so, I have a gazillion of them.

Those are the ones-  The adult black soldier fly looks like a cross between a fly and a wasp (no stinger).  And apparently since the adult doesn't eat anything it won't spread pathogens like a housefly might.

23

All Grain Brewing / Re: what do you do with all that grain?

« on: September 28, 2010, 05:21:47 AM »

If you live in the warmer parts of America during the summer your compost pile might be visited by Black Soldier flies (not houseflies) and their larva can make quick work of spent grain.  When they're really active I've seen them eat 10lbs of spent grain in less than a week.  But now in the fall they aren't very active.

24

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Curious...part 2

« on: June 08, 2010, 04:55:07 AM »

3. cons: santiation takes just as long for a 3 gallon batch versus 5 gallons.
pro: experiment with recipes (as stated earlier),  more variety available for guests, don't need to bother with starters, don't need as much space,  easier to clean up if you have a small kitchen (I often bonk the cabinets when cleaning my ten gallon pot.)

25

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Leaving Break Material/Hops Behind

« on: May 03, 2010, 11:15:31 AM »

when pulling my trub/yeast cake from the primary, I definitely notice a lot more hop matter, in fact it looks positively green. 

Is my yeast going to be OK?  I guess I can play around with the Mr Malty calculator's settings for non-yeast percentage; up til now I've just left it at the defaults and gotten good results.

-red

The yeast should be fine, but if there is a lot of hop material mixed in, you can get some of that hop flavor in the next batch.

I usually use a fine strainer between kettle and fermenter, so there's often some/lots of green hop matter in the bottom of the carboy.  I have no problems with that beer.  But, if I reuse yeast from a highly hopped to a low hopped beer some hop flavor does transfer.

26

Equipment and Software / Re: Glass or plastic?

« on: April 30, 2010, 11:37:47 AM »

I've used Better Bottles for a few years and like them.  Soaking in Oxyclean or PBW cleans it, only once have I put a wash cloth in it to swirl off some extra gunk, probably could have soaked longer.  The suck back on the airlock when moving the bottle is the only major problem- fixed with using the milk crate, loosening the airlock or they also make a dry airlock which works well, albeit it is expensive.

27

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Hop Trellis 2.0 is up

« on: April 15, 2010, 07:23:07 AM »

If you have a lot of twine you could always wrap two strands together while setting it up, sort of making your own rope.

That is what I meant by two strands for mound.  Sorry, I did not explain clearly.  Yes, I had a HUGE bail of sisal twine so I doubled it up as 4swan suggests.  That was not strong enough.  I do not think even quadrupling it would have work unless you braid it together or something which in the scheme of things...  Who has the time.  No, as long as there were individual strands they wore out together.

It worked for me one year, but the hops were not vigorous, so it didn't hold much weight. So, I would take enso's advice.

28

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Party Pig

« on: April 15, 2010, 05:55:32 AM »

Make sure to follow the Party Pigs priming method, not the recipe.  If I remember right the Pig uses less priming sugar.  I don't know if this is the problem, but it would be the easiest to fix for the next batch.

29

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Hop Trellis 2.0 is up

« on: April 15, 2010, 05:40:49 AM »

If you have a lot of twine you could always wrap two strands together while setting it up, sort of making your own rope.  I agree with enso one single twine tended to deteriorate by the end to the season, but it all depends on your local conditions.  Also, the twine will probably stretch after some weight is applied.  (You could could put a weight on it for a couple of days and then retie it if you want.)

30

Homebrew Clubs / Re: clubs in Monroe, LA

« on: March 30, 2010, 04:55:14 PM »

I'll have to try the brewpub in Ruston and when I'm settled in maybe I could come to one of your brew days. 
From my google mapping all the clubs in the AHA listings are at least an hour away.

Thanks for the help.
Forrest