Beer Feeds

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I’m making plans to get all grain equipment. At least for a while I’m still only going to be making 5 gallon batches. Currently I’m using a 5.5 gallon SS brew kettle to make extract brew. My wort volumes are around 3.5 gallons and I haven’t come close to a boil over. Do you think that I could use my 5.5 gal kettle for 5 gallons boil?

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Brewed up a second round of my Moktoberfest. As my strike water heated, I went to grab a glass of my first Moktoberfest, set it out on my deck, went to dough in, spent about 5 minutes getting the temp where I wanted it, and went to grab a drink when I was finished. It had become noticeably light struck in that time. Pretty amazing how much it changed - tasted like someone dumped a heineken in my glass.

Never had that happen before, and I have brewed/drank outside many times….

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I need a bit of help….I use a an auto siphon to pull wort through my shirron plate wort chiller…as you can imagine if I do it unfiltered it clogs with hops etc.
I’m hesitant to use a filter or strain the wort for fear of contamination. Any suggestions?

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Posted: by PhiloPsych (22 hours ago)

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So, I was bottling last night and I had filled all the bottles with about an inch or so of O2 Power Cleanse. I was pouring it out before filling the bottles and I zoned out and may have filled a couple of bottles without pouring the sanitizer out first. I figured this will funk up the taste quite a bit but is it dangerous? Any ideas? Thanks

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So, I used the smack packs for the first time yesterday, and think I’m pretty sure I have an issue. I just hope it’s not a major one. I made a Weizen and an IPA, both from kits. I bought the smack packs to use instead of the dry yeast in the kits. I bought them on Friday afternoon for a Saturday brew. The guy at the store explained to me how to smack it, and my first concern was would I puncture the outside of the pack if I smack too hard. The guy assured me that wouldn’t happen. So, fast forward to yesterday (Saturday). First I go to smack the yeast for the Weisen. Sure enough, I puncture the outside of the pack and it’s leaking, but only very slightly. It does appear though that I got the inside part. On the IPA yeast, I was obviously much more delicate in my smacking, and thought I’d gotten the inside pack punctured as I was supposed to. I then put them back in the fridge for 3 hours. I knew they were supposed to expand, but being my first time using these I wasn’t sure how much. So, 3 hours later, I went to get them and they hadn’t visibly expanded but I thought maybe it was only supposed to be a slight difference. Not to mention, the Weisen yeast was punctured on the outside so it wouldn’t even have been able to expand at all. So I go to pitch each of them, first the weisen and I just poured it in as normal. On the IPA, I’m pouring it in, and I see that the little inside packet never punctured. So I just pressed it with my fingers to puncture it and poured it all in. I then called my friend who confirmed everything I probably did wrong, but he couldn’t tell me for sure what the repurcussions might be or what I could do to fix it. Today, no fermentation seems to be taking place. I’m wondering if my batches are ruined, should I just go ahead and use the dry yeast I have, should I get 2 new smack packs? Looking for help. Thanks in advance.

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so when cleaning out a cornie keg, i found a layer of some brown stuff on the inside. not covering the whole surface, just some areas. looks like it may be ‘beer stone’ or some other kind of mineral build up. i was suprised when a soak in pbw didn’t take care of it so i tried something different. sprinkled some baking soda on a kitchen sponge and rubbed the inside. took that brown build up right off and now the keg is sparkling clean and ready for some star san.

thought i’d share…….

J

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Does anyone know of a program that would allow me to input the brew session variables and then beep/flash at the idiot brewer who is forever forgetting something (like whirlfloc, a hop addition, whatever.)

I have Promash and BeerSmith; but, I’m looking for basically a timer sort of thing.

Thanks

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Yea, I was into brewing more once upon a time, but had enough money for a time to buy whatever I wanted and fell out of brewing. I had the grain, hops, and yeast, so I made a starter today. It’s been in the refrigerator for months, so I’m hoping that if I can successfully make a starter from a bottle of belgian beer, that a tube of whitelabs yeast will last me.

Also, in looking through the ber archives, I’ve found that in a year of aging, a Rye PA is still awesome… but the hoppiness seems better integrated into the final beer.

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I think it went pretty well, I made HBA’s recipe extract kit for Canadian Ale

The only thing I did wrong (at least that I am aware of) was not taking the gravity reading when transferring to the primary.

___Click for___

__Brew Pic’s__

Any other problems? I will add ice to the cooler to keep it between 65-68

Next brew bigger kettle, I have a big pressure cooker but it is aluminum and not polished on the inside so I used this smaller one and boiled 2 gallons for this batch.

Thanks for all the help.

Rich

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How’s this look for a Rye IPA?

Shooting for about 1.060 and 60 IBUs for a 22 gallon batch

32 lbs US 2R
17lbs Rye Malt
4lbs German Vienna Malt
2lbs Honey Malt

1.5 oz Columbus 60 min
3oz each Columbus and Mt. Hood 20 min
4oz each Columbus and Mt. Hood 5 min
2.5oz each Columbus and Mt. Hood and 2oz Simcoe at flameout.

Yea…its another hop monster…but what can I say? I like hops…

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Posted: by mathias (23 minutes ago)

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how do you make them? I’m tired of just 1 beer on tap and instead having to buy a bigger frige or freezer, I would rather put my 3 mini kegs to use… anybody have any plans or ideas for this? lets hear them. TIA

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OK, I added a little foam control to my starter when I was boiling it (so I could leave the room for a bit). Will the addition to the starter be sufficient to control the krauesen during fermentation? (it was a couple drops). If I wanted to add some to the boil on brew day (today), will that addition and the addition to the starter have any effect on the brew?

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I’m back on Brewing scene after a long break….

OMG, SWMBO Wont be happy!!!
Hehehe

Here’s my plan for the week-end.

Back to school Pale Ale. :
12lb Pale 2 row (3L)
0.5lb Carapils (2L)
0.02lb Chocolate Malt (450L)
1oz Hallertauer 5% 60min (Plugs)
1oz Hallertauer 5% 30min (Plugs)
1oz Simcoe 13% 5min (First try with this hop.) (Plugs)
WLP005 British Ale Yeast (500ml Starter)
Single step infusion 60min

Est. IBU : 29
Color : 4.9
Original G : 1.050
Final G : 1.013
Est ABV : 4.8%/Vol

So, what will be in your brewpot this week-end?

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I boiled some bottle caps, and accidentally put them away in a plastic bag still wet. Some of them are really rusty, and some of them are only slightly rusty. I’m wondering if using the slightly rusty ones to cap my bottles is still feasible.

Kent

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Im about to do my next brewery upgrade and it has to be a chiller. Which is best? My water in the summer is 90 degrees. Chillzilla looks pretty good to me.

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Back when I was having some efficiency issues I brewed up a BIG Scottish ale. Projected SG was 1.137, 120 minute boil…. well I got lousy extraction from my base malt but all the specialty malts did just fine. SG ended up around 1.090. I can’t find my note that has my FG reading but I recall it around 1.014. I do have written on the keg that it’s 10% ABV so that math matches too

The balance is way on the sweet side so I think I am going to toss in one of the extra Roeselare smack packs I have around. Any thoughts on if this will work out well? I have very little experience with this blend aside from the Flanders red I’ve got turning funky in the basement now. I know I’m looking at 12 months before I can drink it and I’m fine with that. I am thinking a little sour would do this beer wonders and the Roeselare bugs should be able to munch on all the sugars left over that the Wyeast Scottish ale yeast couldn’t.

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Ive got a local Indian restaurant who has a “special porter” made for him by a local brewery. If anyone lives in the western mass area and has tried BBC’s Drayman’s Porter it is phenomenal. The restaurant owner says that BBC makes this beer but infuses cilantro and rosemary with it. Anyone ever use these? And does anyone have a good porter recipe to start with? I tried finding a ss taddy porter clone on the web, but cannot find anything. Looking for a dark sweet porter that I can try lots of variations off of, TIA

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Not that I want to, but does anyone on the board ever make it? I assume it has alot of suger to boost the alchohol content? Just wondering?

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Posted: by OutlawJoseyWales (22 hours ago)

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This show we have our first tele-tasting. Julia Herz from the Brewers Association sits in on the show all the way from Denver. Since Julia is from the Denver area we decided that it was time to try some of the New Belgium beers that we had in the fridge. An Interview and a normal show wrapped up into one, will wonders never cease?

• Blue Paddle Pilsner
• Skinny Dip
• Sunshine Wheat

Ranking

• Jeff - 1. Sunshine Wheat, 2. Blue Paddle, 3. Skinny Dip
• Greg - 1. Blue Paddle, 2. Sunshine Wheat, 3. Skinny Dip
• Julia - 1. Sunshine Wheat, 2. Skinny Dip, 3. Blue Paddle

• Postshow New Belgium 2 Below

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If you live anywhere near where Hebert and I do, then you might want to pay attention. Immaculate Conception Parish is hosting their 1st Annual Microbrew Beerfest & Silent Auction in Elkton, MD.
Join Us…

Saturday, September 15, 2007
1:00 - 5:00 pm
Immaculate Conception School
454 Bow Street
Elkton, Maryland 21921
Ticket Price Includes Food, Tasting Glass, Music & Door Prizes!

View […]

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Heading to Munich 9/1… and after looking at websites I can’t find / decide on a brew pub to visit. It seems like Hofbrauhaus is a must do, but I also read it’s packed and loud (not really my liking)
Most of the places I checked out, the websites don’t have an english option.

Any other ideas?

Gonna miss oktoberfest by like 12 days, bummer.

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Posted: by juzy (29 minutes ago)

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I need a few posters to dress up my brew room. I am wondering what is available that might suit. For example, I have a poster from White Labs on their various yeast strains and applications that’s very nice. I wonder if something might be available for different grains…different beer styles, etc. These could be very useful and serve as art as well.
Got a favorite? (that’s still available…and, I don’t mind paying for this stuff.)
Thanks

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The People’s Republic of Flying Dog is now in session. It’s happy hour at Flying Dog Brewery, so here is your latest dose of irreverence.
The People’s Republic Celebrates Dogtoberfest As Fall approaches, the People’s Republic of Flying Dog is once again poised to celebrate Dogtoberfest. Dogtoberfest is one of those holidays that holds a […]

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Hello. Well I have harvested half of my Cascade hops and they are dry now but they smell like grass. When I rub one between my fingers I get the awesome hop smell. My Centennials smell like hops even before I crush one up. So what is going on here? Did I pick them too early? Will this grass smell carry over to a brew? Or are they fine? I got a very good crop this year.

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Hi all,

Last night I put together a starter of this for my brewday on Sunday. This will be the first time using this strain and I am wondering what to expect. Does anyone have experience with this strain? I am brewing a pumpkin ale that I want to be fruity, yet still pretty crisp. I had considered using a London ale strain, but this seemed to be a compromise between that and 1056. The specs say that the average attenuation is 67-71%. Since I want this beer fairly crisp, I’m thinking of mashing at 149df to make it as fermentable as possible. Does that sound right?

Thanks!

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