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Author Topic: Batch 500  (Read 11120 times)

Offline beersk

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Re: Batch 500
« Reply #30 on: March 14, 2012, 10:52:06 am »
I really love wheat beers, but I hate brewing with wheat. Milling it is a PITA, and stuck sparges are a PITA. I'm thinking about going back to extract for my wheats just so I don't have to deal with it. Before I switched to AG, though, I made some great wheats with wheat LME.
That's a good call.  I've been wanting to brew with wheat, but have had issues with stuck sparges using rye, so I've been reluctant to brew with much wheat.  I think I'll use wheat LME when I want to brew one.
Jesse

Offline jmcamerlengo

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Re: Batch 500
« Reply #31 on: March 14, 2012, 10:58:47 am »
Lots of rice hulls! I typically use a pound of them in a wheat beer for a 5 gallon batch.
Jason
-Head Brewer, Brewtus Brewers in the Shenango Valley. Hopefully opening a brewpub/nano brewery in the next couple years.

Offline beersk

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Re: Batch 500
« Reply #32 on: March 14, 2012, 12:11:52 pm »
What's the point?  Why not use wheat LME?  Now that Nateo has mentioned it, it makes a lot of sense...
Jesse

Offline nateo

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Re: Batch 500
« Reply #33 on: March 14, 2012, 12:25:56 pm »
Lots of rice hulls! I typically use a pound of them in a wheat beer for a 5 gallon batch.

Stuck sparges aren't as big of a deal as getting a decent crush on my wheat malt. I usually take extra care to condition the barley malt portion, and crush a little coarser than usual to leave the husks as intact as possible. I then have to run the wheat malt through my mill 3 times to get a decent crush. I get about 10% lower efficiency when using a large amount of wheat. If I crush finer to get better efficiency, then I run into slow/stuck sparge issues.

The wheat malt I have is also pretty high in protein and glucans, and is undermodified, so I need to at least do step mashes, and sometimes decoction mashes to get the wort flowing well. It's not a big deal, but it adds a couple hours to the brew day, and leaves me wondering why I don't just buy some malt extract.
In der Kürze liegt die Würze.

Online hopfenundmalz

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Re: Batch 500
« Reply #34 on: March 14, 2012, 02:19:03 pm »
Did a 100% wheat malt beer this fall.  One hour protein rest and 2 lbs of rice hulls for 10 gallons.  Did not stick!

Some day if I am feeling adventuresome, maybe a 100 rye mash.  A small test batch would be done first to see if it would work.  Would do a long Beta Glucan rest first.
Jeff Rankert
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Offline tomsawyer

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Re: Batch 500
« Reply #35 on: March 14, 2012, 02:27:41 pm »
Why the need for a glucan rest?  After all isn't one of the signature features of rye or wheat the silky mouthfeel and big body?  I only ask because I recently heard an experience judge say a rye beer needed a glucan rest.
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline nateo

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Re: Batch 500
« Reply #36 on: March 14, 2012, 02:29:00 pm »
Why the need for a glucan rest?  After all isn't one of the signature features of rye or wheat the silky mouthfeel and big body?  I only ask because I recently heard an experience judge say a rye beer needed a glucan rest.

The glucan rest doesn't get rid of all the glucans, just enough to turn it from glue into wort.
In der Kürze liegt die Würze.

Offline weithman5

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Re: Batch 500
« Reply #37 on: March 14, 2012, 03:27:48 pm »


cool. I have that book. Guess it's time to dig it out again. I forgot it had time/temp tables.

it doesn't have everything in the table but does have the basics and the general idea of how to play with it, make crystal. i love that book. i had some strawberry - rhubarb jelly on a rye bread once and thought hmm, rhubarb beer - yup there is a recipe in there.  mine was different and it got contaminated. next time i am brave enough.

also thinking of the dandelions

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Offline weithman5

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Re: Batch 500
« Reply #38 on: March 15, 2012, 06:15:07 am »
morti - know you said you have that book, but for those of you who don't it was 350 (that's treefitty for the loch ness monster) for 20 minutes. it is not really a table though, more of a listing with instructions.
Don AHA member

Offline beersk

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Re: Batch 500
« Reply #39 on: March 15, 2012, 07:19:42 am »
morti - know you said you have that book, but for those of you who don't it was 350 (that's treefitty for the loch ness monster) for 20 minutes. it is not really a table though, more of a listing with instructions.
I need about tree fitty...
Jesse

Offline weithman5

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Re: Batch 500
« Reply #40 on: March 15, 2012, 10:32:55 am »
dammit woman, that was not a girl scout at the door
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Offline MDixon

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Offline DrewG

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Re: Batch 500
« Reply #42 on: June 06, 2012, 12:31:23 pm »
Quote
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Offline punatic

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Re: Batch 500
« Reply #43 on: June 06, 2012, 12:40:30 pm »
Minimalist Brewing, a new direction for 21st century brewing?  hmmmm... 
There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way.


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Offline gsandel

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Re: Batch 500
« Reply #44 on: June 06, 2012, 01:05:44 pm »
I just last week regressed to an extract batch after many years strictly all-grain.

Our purpose (my brother and I) was to play with a 6 gallon batch of Barley Wine (we usually brew 2 12 gallon batches at a time).  We never made a beer at 1.100 OG, and we felt we were never going to get to this "experiment" unless we made it a light day (we coupled it with kegging our last two beers).

While the experience was "nice", I figure we will opt to go all grain if our experiment was successful.  I remember being very satisfied with extract brewing for a very long time, but the hobby was flagging for me, and the challenges of all grain made my hobby new and fun again.  I can't discount extract for another future experiment, but for me, I never felt much like a brewer with extract...kinda like making soup from a can, I couldn't call myself much of a chef, no matter what ingredients I added and how good it tasted.

I understand the arguement about malt and barley, but I don't call myself a maltster or farmer, either.  If hops didn't grow like a weed (and I recieved a few free rhizomes) I wouldn't be doing that. 

The ease of extract brewing got me drinking good beer easily (and more cheaply), but long ago it stopped being about just drinking good beer cheaply....I can afford to buy good beer, and I already brew far more beer than I know what to do with.

I don't begrudge someone who sticks with extract brewing.  It is just that for me, all grain was the real epiphany and extract was the gateway drug that I held onto for far too long....so I can't help but offer my experience and encouragement to try new things in this wonderful hobby of ours (you never know)....and if you want to malt or grow or mash or just brew in a bucket and pot....rock on fellow Homebrewer...ROCK ON!!!  Although I have been brewing for almost 20 years, I doubt I will get to 500 batches as a hobbyist.  I am more likely to increase my barellege if I need more beer.
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