Fresh, quality beer feeds from selected sources for easy, centralized reading saving you from having to chase around the web finding it all for yourself...
i got a bunch of 2row pilsner. i want to build an IPA, but i dont want to go buy pale malt or marris otter.
would this beer turn out ok, or is the pilsner malt too light and neutral in flavor for an IPA? i’m gonna toss in two lbs of munich and a lb and a half or so of crystal 60*L, and i have a bunch of cascades and simcoe hops that’ll make their way in.
I’m sure this has been discussed, but I’m finally going to be kegging my first beer this weekend.
It would be a lot easier (due to space, looks, etc) if I could keep my CO2 tank on the hump inside my
freezer, but will it have any adverse effects on my regulator, tank, or other?
Pros and cons of both approaches are appreciated.
thanks in advance!
After much snorting and pawing at the ground, I made this Altbier in September 2009. I went back and found a recipe of Andy’s (Blktre) that I made years ago but messed up by either fermenting too warm or using yeast that was sub-par healthwise. I reformulated the recipe based on that recipe and everything else I could find online regarding Altbiers. It sat in the keg at 35° for about 3 months and I just bottled some over the weekend for a local beer gathering.
Otto’s Altbier
6 lbs Pilsner Malt
3 lbs Munich
8 oz Crystal 80°L
8 oz Wheat
4 oz Melanoidin Malt (mash temp ~148°)
½ oz Magnum 14.4% for 60 minutes (7.2 AAU)
½ oz Hallertau 3.7% for 20 minutes
Wyeast 1007 German Ale yeast
OG: 1.054, FG: 1.012, IBU: 35, SRM: 11, ABV: 5.2%
After some discussion about the Yakima Magnums, I decided to try it here. Some of the local brewers tried to talk me out of the wheat, but I LOVE to add some wheat for head stability so I used a half pound. Remember that there is N. German Alt (maltier), Münster Alt (lighter in color and gravity), Dusseldorf Alt (hoppier) and Sticke Alt (higher in ABV)… this one is N. German.
Posted: by PTD (15 hours ago)
Posted: by WILLIAMCALVERT (23 hours ago)
I have corny of apa that’s already carbed. It lacks the hop aroma I would like. My plan is to put some dry hops in another keg and transfer the apa to the dry hop keg. Should I moisten the hops first with sterile water or vodka to stop foaming? What is the best thing to put the dry hops in? Like a tea ball or a nylon? Pellets or whole hops?
Thanks!
I’m noticing very similar characteristics from these two strains. Are they the same, or am I stupid?
Or both. i.e. is this something that has already been established, and I’m just now figuring it out for myself…?
I am shopping for a new kegerator. Does anyone have any advice for buying a setup? Brands to stay away from?
I should have gone with my experience but I took the guy’s advice at the LHBS and only pitched one smackpack of Wyeast 1388 in my 12% ABV Scaldis Noel clone. Last year it got stuck and I pitched three times before I got it to ferment out. This time it seems to be stuck at 1.050 after 24 days. I even added a vial of WLP550 and shook it a little but it hasn;t moved. Any suggestions how I can get this to restart and ferment out?
Thanks
So we are in the process of putting together a best of the east, brewery tour.
So far we have decided to visit www.weepingradish.com/ and www.shenandoahbrewing.com/
We are gong to need a lot of recommendations! Time and budget are limited so we hope to visit the best of the best.
There is a purpose behind this trip so our stops should serve certain priorities. First, we are going for education. Second, we hope to write a review of the establishment that includes a critique on what we can apply to our own business plan. Third, we do want to have a good time.
thanks!
Doing 12gal batches and in the neighborhood of 28lb grain bill plus or minus some for recipes!
So I’ve brewed 3 batches with my new tun and the first two were about 4 points lower than expected. The last one was 12 points lower than expected. Now I think this last one was a combination of the grain being a touch on the old side and changing mash tuns ( ingredients for the last batch was delivered on Jan. 4 and brewed on the 23rd plus they were crushed and sitting for that whole time at 62F in dark).
So the question is can going from a 10gal cylindrical mash tun with a false bottom change that much going to a 17.5 gal square tun with a bazooka tube for 12gal batches? Should I compensate for being 4 points under every time or is there a different method I can use to up my efficiency? The only thing I’ve changed so far is the mash tun for doing larger batches; I would think it should be better than before since I couldn’t get enough water in the smaller tun. I was doing the same amount in the 10gal but my water to grist ratio was about .80 qt/lb and had no room for any thing else so I upped my tun size and lost efficiency! 
Any input is appreciated!
Thanks in advance.
I’m in the Marin area for the week. Just wondering if there are any good places to grab a tasty pint. TIA
Hey All,
I was looking around today for conclusive evidence on wort aeration. If found this study quite interesting, it states that best method is to shake the fermenter for times between 10-20 min. Take a read for yourself and tell me what you think? Based on this study and what it says about the oxygen setup (that the inject is the best method BUT if you don’t have the tools to measure O2 concentration, it can be harmful to the yeast), i don’t think ill be buying an oxygen setup for my homebrew just yet.
http://cdn2.libsyn.com/basicbrewing/Aerati…17b433a080046a7
Cheers!
Bill Bensing
Posted: by blatherbeard (20 hours ago)
Posted: by tag0519 (22 hours ago)
Posted: by eporter66 (24 minutes ago)
I’ve been going most of the day. I’m heating sparge water for a german pilsner and have brewed a nut brown and an amber beer that almost qualifies as a vienna.
Posted: by translucent (11 hours ago)
Posted: by errantnight (15 hours ago)
Posted: by spry (19 hours ago)
I’ve begun harvesting yeast and for most recipes it seems that 1056 or 1099 or 1272 can pretty much handle anything except for special needs recipes.
Question is: Do most of you have a favorite yeast that you predominantly use for several different recipes?
Ideally, I’d like to start keeping 3-4 strains harvested and on hand and use them for everything except for special recipes.
Well I almost had a disaster today. Fortunately it was averted. I was having a great day… hit my temps and volumes. boiling away down to 20 min left go to put my immersion chiller in and…..
I looked at it ….
and it was riddled with holes. Apparently it had froze in my garage.
I took the remnant of the 50ft coil I had from when I made it, coiled it, swapped the fittings and 20 min later I am back in business.
Conveniently my tank of propane also ran out at the same time 
It is now cooling.
Anyone else out there care to share?
Posted: by moulefrite (10 hours ago)
Posted: by Pigwings6 (21 hours ago)
OK, I’m in the market for a Grain mill, and having trouble deciding.
Never considered one before, but the wife bought me 4 AG kits with cushed grain for Christmas, and I was told I need to brew quickly as the grain oxidises. - so to stop this dilema in the future I figuered I’d buy a mill and only order whole grain in future, as I only brew once to twice a month. (I know, its a terrible problem to have.)
I’ve read as many board discussions as I can and from a list that started with Grain Gobbler, Malt Mill, Corona Mill, CnS, BC, Monster Mill, I think I’ve boiled it down to two options;
Barley Crusher with 7lb hopper $133 delivered
Crankandstein 2A with base and hopper option. $141 Delivered.
There is a lot of love out there for the Barley Crusher, and whilst being thrifty and saving myself a few $, and as it comes with a hand crank, and lifetime warranty I start leaning that way……
But there has been some issues with the 2nd roller being driven by a washer.
From what I can tell the CnS is the only mill that appears to come with gear drive as standard.
Being an engineer I therefore lean back the other way, and the cycle starts again…..
Either will probably end up drill driven.
Opinions on Mills please, and whilist you are at it, how quick do I need to use up crushed grain???
Thanks
Andy
Posted: by Aphelion (11 hours ago)
Posted: by raymilora (15 hours ago)
I’m learning about apparent vs real with regard to attenuation and final gravity.
Final gravity based on hydrometer readings and FG based on real extract (RE) can be quite different.
1) Are the BJCP final gravities listed for use with a hydrometer, or the ethanol-corrected “real final gravity” ?
2) When people write recipes, which are they based on?
Cheers,
-ME
Hi All, New to the boards… first post 
I have only been brewing all grain for a couple months and the last batch came out with an OG of 1.101 Not having much experience with high gravity beer, I made the mistake of not being prepared with my yeast. I only had a smack pack of WLP001 which I didnt make a starter for, I just pitched it in.
I got a little action from that, then it died down quickly, I think it only bubbled for a few hours. I let it sit for about 24 hours after that to see if it would pick back up but it never did. I figured at that point that the yeast was overwhelmed by the gravity since I expected a big beer like this to have active fermenting for a couple weeks. I pitched 1 cup of harvested yeast from a previous stout I made with the same yeast strain. I waited another 24 hours, this did nothing. I used some more of the harvested yeast to create a starter which took right off, so I pitched that in (about 4 cups), still nothing happened …another 24 hours. I thought that maybe it didnt get aerated enough, so I had a buddy bring over his O2 stone and we aerated the wort for about 30 seconds, another 24 hours…still nothing. I added 1 tsp of yeast nutrient.. another 24 hours, still nothing. I added a second tsp of yeast nutrient.. 24 hours… still nothing.
A week has gone by at this point and I decide to check the gravity.. to my surprise it had fallen to 1.040. Still a long way to go, but there is movement.
I dont know what else to do at this point. I would like to get comments from you on what I SHOULD have done with a 1.101 beer the right way, the first time… as well as what I should do now.
Thanks.
Posted: by tendrilx (22 hours ago)
