Messages

1

All Things Food / Re: Homemade Soap!

« on: November 20, 2014, 11:31:50 AM »

Ha!  I just did a google search for soap making using spent grains and this comes up.  I should have know to check here first!  Great thread, thanks for all the info.  My wife wants to make soap to give away for Christmas, so I guess I better get to it!

2

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: How and when did you get started with homebrew

« on: November 04, 2014, 08:14:46 PM »

I too spent time in Europe in '89-90 playing music and fell in love with the beer.  When I came back to the states I visited one of my cousins in St. Louis who was into home brewing and he got me started.  Old geezer alert... "Back in my day we only had dry yeast and Cooper's malt extract and we liked it!!"

3

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Keggarator

« on: October 06, 2014, 06:07:30 PM »

My wife got a hold of the chalk and this is the message she left me. For those that don't get the reference it is an adaptation of a line from her favorite Loudon Wainwright song "White Winos".

4

General Homebrew Discussion / Keggarator

« on: October 05, 2014, 06:04:16 PM »

I painted the top of my keggarator in chalk board paint. 

Now I can post what is available on each tap.

5

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Suggestions for wild yeast

« on: September 23, 2014, 08:29:23 AM »

Here it is in the starter wort. Seems to be quite happy. Smells like a Hefe a bit.

6

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Suggestions for wild yeast

« on: September 22, 2014, 12:02:57 PM »

Good suggestions all.  Looks like I need to do some small batch tests.

7

Yeast and Fermentation / Suggestions for wild yeast

« on: September 22, 2014, 07:13:04 AM »

I captured some wild yeast and am currently "growing it up" with a starter.  Anyone have any suggestions for a beer?  I have not tasted what it has fermented but it does smell tart.

8

Beer Recipes / Red IPA

« on: September 02, 2014, 08:04:29 PM »

Comments, suggestions on this recipe?

10 Gallons
16# 2 row
1# Wheat
1# cyrstal 40
3/4# Carared
4 oz. 2 row black malt

Hops
1.5 oz. summit 60min
1.25 Horizon 15 min
1.00 horizon 10
1.00 cascade 2 min
1.00 mosaic 2 min
2.00 cascade dry hop 7 days
2.00 mosaic dry hop 7 days

mash @ 150
60 minute boil
Yeast Gigayeast Vermont IPA

RO water treated with 1 tsp CaCl2 and 1 tsp gypsum

9

Yeast and Fermentation / Gigayeast

« on: August 19, 2014, 09:02:15 AM »

I just received the Gigayeast I ordered last week.  It spent a couple of extra days in shipping thanks to UPS and the cold packs are no longer good.  My question is, the hefe yeast packs are actually swollen while the IPA yeast and the Saison yeast are not.  Does this seem normal?  My understanding was these are not "smack" packs. 

10

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: CO2 question with kegerator

« on: July 23, 2014, 07:26:17 PM »

Thanks.  That makes me feel better that there must be a leak some where.  Stinks to have company come over only to find out you are out of CO2 and you just hooked it back up over the weekend!  Guess I need to look for leaks.

11

General Homebrew Discussion / CO2 question with kegerator

« on: July 23, 2014, 07:10:48 PM »

I built a kegerator out of a chest freezer that has 4 taps.  I currently have 3 beers on tap and I have been going through CO2 like crazy.  Should I be shutting off the valves when not in use?  I have, at best between me and my wife, 3 beers a night but I leave the gas on all the time.  Is it normal to go through a 10lb CO2 tank in a couple of days?

12

General Homebrew Discussion / Fruit flies

« on: July 05, 2014, 06:19:19 PM »

So I just finished my kegerator last weekend in the garage and now there are fruit flies all over the place!  I've seen the plugs for the taps, which I plan on getting, but is there anything you recommend for eradicating the population?

13

Beer Recipes / Re: Brewing a Wit today

« on: April 17, 2014, 10:59:48 AM »

I make a Hefe like that using a double decoction.  Pain in the rear but it makes a great beer.  Only do it once a year as well.

14

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Kids and Homebrew

« on: April 14, 2014, 09:31:15 AM »

We had three very close together, our oldest turned 3 a month before we brought our third home, so they put my brewing on hiatus for several years.  It's awfully hard to tell the wife that you are going to spend 6 hours in the garage brewing with 3 little ones running around!

Now they are teenagers and just think dad is weird for spending all that time in the garage.

15

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Giga Yeast

« on: March 24, 2014, 06:14:28 PM »

There is a new brewery in our area, Ozark Beer Company, that uses their yeast exclusively.  The head brewer is very keen on this brand and they make the best beer, by far, in our area.

any idea of what strains he uses?

I like that the yeast is packaged with more cells.

I think the norcal 1 is his base yeast, but I'm not positive.  I do know that he loves the saison blend.