Messages

1

Ingredients / Re: Loral Hops

« on: September 28, 2016, 09:58:00 AM »

I found this and not much else:

http://www.johnihaas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Haas_HBC_291_experimental_hop_2016.pdf

Kinda seems like a Mt. Hood, Cascade, Willamette blend but with a higher alpha and oil content.

YVH mentions mango, citrus, lemon, pine and blueberry. That combo sounds really nice.

http://www.yakimavalleyhops.com/product_p/hopsloral1-2015crop.htm

I don't think this is accurate. I thought that this description looked similar to mosaic. So I looked up mosaic on YVH, it's exactly the same down to the alpha acids. So, I think this is the mosaic description.

2

Ingredients / Re: Loral Hops

« on: September 28, 2016, 09:29:25 AM »

I found this and not much else:

http://www.johnihaas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Haas_HBC_291_experimental_hop_2016.pdf

Kinda seems like a Mt. Hood, Cascade, Willamette blend but with a higher alpha and oil content.

3

Ingredients / Loral Hops

« on: September 28, 2016, 07:51:58 AM »

I was just browsing Yakima Valley's website. Loral hops (HBC 291) are new this year. Does anybody have any experience with them?

4

Ingredients / Re: Too much caramel malt

« on: September 28, 2016, 07:50:42 AM »

Boarder line chocolate milk?

5

All Grain Brewing / Re: Beligan Quadruple Recipe opinions

« on: September 28, 2016, 04:52:29 AM »

Yeah, I just noticed that you are using kg's as your measurement. I think 1 kg is enough D180. Is the new D240 released yet to the public? If so, I'd look into that. I agree with Eric, there's a lot of crystal there. I think that I would cut the 120L and carapils altogether. Maybe consider adding some Munich to the grist. Special B is good stuff. However, I do think that your recipe will make a fine beer.

6

Ingredients / Re: Wet Hop IPA Additions

« on: September 26, 2016, 09:54:11 AM »

I think Frank was referring to hops harvested, but not used in the boil or whirlpool, not saving those already used for dry hopping later. Those will be a mess and you wont know what they will bring to the table. If you harvest 3#, you could then use your 1.5#( that you dried while the beer was fermenting) during whirlpool and the other 1.5# to dry hop, at least if I understand his post correctly

Right, duh....Only had 1.5# of wet this year so they are all gone.  I was kinda wondering about that....

Yeah, definitely don't ring out the hops you used in the boil for dry hops lol. I was referring to if you had more hops that you didn't use to just dry them and dry hop.

I'm not sure where you are at, but my crop was pretty much non-existent this year. We had no rain in NE Ohio from about mid June through July. The crazy thing is, my first season for my hops was my best season. It's not supposed to work that way. I'm sure there are several factors. Weather, of course, but I think I took care of them a little better that year too. Chinook is probably my best producer here.

7

Ingredients / Re: Wet Hop IPA Additions

« on: September 26, 2016, 06:14:22 AM »

I've done a few of these. The first one, I used wet hops throughout. I tasted like a chlorophyll beer to me lol. Others loved it. My recommendation is to bitter with pellets. Toss your wet hops in at the end of the boil and whirlpool. In two to three weeks, your left over wet hops will be dried leaf hops. Dry hop with the freshly dried hops.

I think with the wet hops, 5-7 times the weight of dried hops is realistic. It's really just a crap shoot since you don't know your alpha units either. Just make sure you can easily filter them out whether you put them in a muslin bag or hop spider or something.


I might add. Another time I did one, I had a few friends over. As we harvested them off the bine, we just tossed them in the kettle. That was fun. I find that wet-hopped beers are more for the novelty, so fun is good.

8

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: How long is your brew day?

« on: September 26, 2016, 06:07:18 AM »

I do 11 gallon batches. Brew days range from 5 to 6 hours.... Depends on how long my whirlpool is 

9

All Grain Brewing / Re: Bru'nWater Pale Ale Profile?

« on: September 22, 2016, 11:39:50 AM »

FWIW, I'm in the "slow down with the sulfate" crowd. I'm liking the 170ish range. And yes, part of that is from epsom salts.

10

All Grain Brewing / Re: Where to buy RO Water?

« on: September 22, 2016, 11:34:48 AM »

I add my salts to the empty pot. Then I add my mash water to it. Allows it to dissolve over the course of time it takes to heat to strike temperature.

If you do not have Bru'n Water, I certainly suggest investigating it. It makes things stupid easy.

^^

Ill have to check it out. Little bit worried about figuring out water chemistry, but from what it seems, Bru'n water makes it easier. Does it help with mash PH or is that something you just have to monitor yourself during the mash?

I was the same way. I was totally ignorant. Donate a handful of money and get the contributor version of Bru'n Water. Once you get it, you'll probably be overwhelmed, because it is probably the most elaborate speadsheet you'll ever encounter. Don't be. The cool thing is that it has instructions. Secondly, anybody on this thread that has experience with it, will help you out. It truly makes water chemistry simple. And by building your water profile to fit whatever beer style you want, your beer will be much better. Well worth the effort to learn.

I really don't find it to add much more time to the whole brew cycle either. I way my salts out with my hops while I'm making my yeast starter.

11

All Grain Brewing / Re: Where to buy RO Water?

« on: September 22, 2016, 09:08:09 AM »

When adjusting all of this, the salts for the water profile are added before the mash, after, during? And the PH adjustment occurs once your mash has been going a few minutes right?

I add my salts to the empty pot. Then I add my mash water to it. Allows it to dissolve over the course of time it takes to heat to strike temperature.

If you do not have Bru'n Water, I certainly suggest investigating it. It makes things stupid easy.

12

All Grain Brewing / Re: Where to buy RO Water?

« on: September 22, 2016, 09:06:02 AM »

I use calcium chloride, gypsum, epsom salts, and baking soda. I also have lactic acid on hand just in case, but I don't use it hardly ever since I started using RO water.

I use lactic most often with lighter beers, sub 5 SRM. I've been using it less lately as I discovered the "add sparge to mash" option in the supports Bru'n Water. New fav feature.

Very good point. But yes. I typically brew hoppy beers or stouts soooo.... yeah, no real use for it lol

13

All Grain Brewing / Re: Where to buy RO Water?

« on: September 22, 2016, 09:00:27 AM »

Along with this, what are the common salts/ acids to use to change water PH and water profile? I see several different products available, some that automatically set the mash at 5.2 (somehow???) and others that are just containers of different salts and such. Where do you guys purchase those? LHBS? I haven't used Bru'n water before either so the info im looking for may just be on that program. I just don't know if I would understand what to do.

I use calcium chloride, gypsum, epsom salts, and baking soda. I also have lactic acid on hand just in case, but I don't use it hardly ever since I started using RO water.

14

All Grain Brewing / Re: Where to buy RO Water?

« on: September 22, 2016, 05:57:11 AM »

Yeah. I get mine at my local Wal-Mart. I think it's $1.65 for a five gallon fill. They also do a relatively good job of changing and cleaning the filter. I bought a TDS meter that HoosierBrew recommended. I've gotten it where it's as low as 3 ppm. It probably averages around 8 or 9 though. My beer has improved immensely.

15

All Grain Brewing / Re: Dry hopping

« on: September 22, 2016, 04:41:39 AM »

I agree with skipping bagging them. Like also mentioned, it varies when they are going to drop out. Could be a few days or could be a couple weeks. Instead of waiting around for them to drop out, I zip tie a knee high stocking to the end of my siphon hose and just filter them out that way.

Are you bottling or kegging? If your kegging, skip the secondary and just dry hop in the keg. If you do dry hop in the keg, use a muslin bag. Actually, I use the knee highs for this too.