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Author Topic: Some General Homebrew Questions...  (Read 3387 times)

Offline leejoreilly

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Re: Some General Homebrew Questions...
« Reply #15 on: October 20, 2014, 08:17:09 am »

1. Straight to kettle.

2. Whirlfloc, 15 min.

3. Depends: if it's not showing activity/krausen at the start of brew day, I'll turn off the stir plate and decant without chilling; if there's activity, I'll leave the stir plate on and dump it all in.

4. Just dump through a strainer bag.

5. Usually no less than 3 weeks, more for bigger/slower beers. Partially a function of "longer is better" and partially laziness...

6. Yeast nutrient in starter and boil.

7. Both yeast wranglers are high quality; I go with the available yeast strain.

8. I get all my grain from my LHBS and they grind it; no storage at all (aside from a day or two on the kitchen counter awaiting brew day).

Offline reverseapachemaster

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Re: Some General Homebrew Questions...
« Reply #16 on: October 20, 2014, 08:41:09 am »
1. Straight to kettle.

2. Irish moss at 10 or 15. It is not a meaningful difference. I just add it with whatever additions might be going in around that time.

3. Decant.

4. Dump.

5. Typically 14-21 days depending on ale/lager and gravity.

6. Typically yes with lagers and high gravity beers. I should use it all the time but I frequently forget.

7. I have access to both but I usually buy Wyeast. I like the smack packs.

8. Some refrigerated, some not. It's pretty humid here during most of the year so the fridge can be a less humid location than the ambient environment in my house.
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Offline fmader

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Re: Some General Homebrew Questions...
« Reply #17 on: October 20, 2014, 10:16:31 am »
1. Pellets go straight into the kettle. I don't use leaf hops much, but when I do, I bag them in leg stockings.

2. Whirlfloc at 10 minutes.... When I add yeast nutrient

3. Always decant. Why would I want to make the beer that I worked hard to craft be cut with 10% crummy starter beer?

4. I don't whirlpool but I will hopstand with 0 minute hop additions. I filter through a let stocking that is ziptied to the hose into a bucket. This catches 95% of a debris. Then I dump from bucket into a carboy. This is how I oxygenate the wort.

5. I leave my beers in the primary until they are done fermenting.... However long that takes.

6. I use Wyeast yeast nutrient in my starters and brews.... It's cheap.

7. I use White Labs. It's what is available around me. They also have more strains. I've used WYeast, but I have to get it through the mail, and I just don't like doing that. I have no complaint with it. With White Labs, you can send in 10 labels and get a coupon for a free vial.

8. I only buy bulk grain unless it's a specialty that I usually don't use. I have industrial sized 5 gallon ziplock bags that will hold 30 lbs of grain. I store my base malts in these. I also have industrial 3 gallon ziplocks that I store my specialties in. I store these bags in large plastic storage bins in the basement. I buy about 200 lb of grain when I find sales probably semi-annually... I've had no problems with grain stored this way over a year.
Frank

Offline a10t2

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Re: Some General Homebrew Questions...
« Reply #18 on: October 20, 2014, 10:51:59 am »
  • In the kettle. I only use pellets, so no worries about clogging the pump.
  • Whirlfloc T according to the package instructions (15 min, 1 tablet per bbl per 5°P).
  • Decant, always.
  • 10 min whirlpool, 20 min rest. I have a side port with an elbow on it that pulls right off the bottom of the kettle.
  • Fermentation, 4-6 days at average gravity. Usually 12-14 days in the fermenter. 3-4 day warm rest, 3-4 day cold crash.
  • Generic DAP/urea blend, 1 g in 6 gal of average-gravity wort.
  • Given the "same" strain, I would choose Wyeast for the built-in viability test.
  • In the original sack, folded over to get most of the air out. Store in a cool, dry place. I really have no idea how best to store grain in a place with humidity.
« Last Edit: October 20, 2014, 10:54:54 am by a10t2 »
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Offline duboman

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Re: Some General Homebrew Questions...
« Reply #19 on: October 20, 2014, 03:29:58 pm »
I've been brewing for about 8 years, all-grain for about 4, and though my results are consistent and to my liking, I've always been curious on how others approach or conduct their brew day. if you have any experience or opinions on the following questions, please respond, any help would be much appreciated!

1. Hop bag during boil, or add hops straight to kettle?

2. Whirlfloc or Irish Moss? 15 min, 10 min, or 5 min?

3. Decant yeast starter or just pitch everything?

4. Whirlpool or just dump into primary fermenter?

5. Length of primary fermentation? Someone told me recently no less than 3 weeks.

6. Use of yeast nutrient?

7. White Labs or Wyeast?

8. Storing grain? In the refrigerator?

1. I use a hop spider for pellets or whole leaf, works best on my set up
2. Irish moss and nutrient at 10 minutes
3. Decant prior to pitch
4. Whirlpool, counter flow chiller into primary
5. 7-10 days usually with another couple to drop bright, then package
6. yes at 10 minutes
7. Wyeast primarily or rehydrated dry yeast
8. Usually in big dog food bins or small tupperware for specialty grains in a cool, dry dark space.
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Offline riceral

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Re: Some General Homebrew Questions...
« Reply #20 on: October 20, 2014, 03:43:36 pm »
3. Always decant. Why would I want to make the beer that I worked hard to craft be cut with 10% crummy starter beer?

Thank you. As a someone relatively new to yeast starters, I was wondering why the need to decant. This makes sense.

Ralph R.