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I’ve watched a lot of AG videos on You Tube and read How to Brew AG section, but is there anything I should know to boost my efficiency in my efforts with AG. I want to get a refractometer, but I’ll have to see how much $ I have left after my tattoo. I buy from my LHBS so I don’t need a grain mill. Just wondering if people have suggestions.
I will be batch sparging BTW. Also what are peoples opinions on the different brewing software out there for AG formulation?

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Posted: by Birdox (23 hours ago)

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I have been playing with Palmer’s spreadsheet and looking at the range of SRMs based on my water & then how small salt additions adjust the ideal range of SRMs. I entered my water numbers into the spreadsheet as they were given to me by Ward Labs…

pH: 6.6
Total dissolved solids (TDS): 264
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm: 0.44
Cations/Anions, me/L: 3.3 / 3.4

Sodium: 13
Potassium: 2
Calcium: 34
Magnesium: 12
Total Hardness: 135
Nitrate, No3-N: 0.4
Sulfate, SO4-S: 9
Chloride: 21
Carbonate, CO3: <1
Bicarbonate, HCO3: 138
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3: 113

If I plug those numbers in and make no salt additions, the ideal SRM range is 7 to 12. If I add calcium chloride, the SRM range goes down. If I dilute with distilled and add back calcium, I can make lower SRM beers and all seems fine. But my chloride-to-sulfate ratio is always “very malty” (this value ranges from very malty to very bitter). If I make small additions of gypsum, the ratio changes to “balanced” and will go to “very bitter” if I increase the additions. My problem is when I make something like an Oktober or a pilsner and the ratio shows “very malty”. The recipe itself may already have “very malty” profile based on the malt-to-hop ratio so my guess is that my water profile is compounding the maltiness. I made a “Prague Pilsner” that had a good amount of Saaz hops and a number of other brewers commented that it was “very malty”. So how to adjust this ratio for something like a pilsner to make it “crisper” and get the ratio back to “balanced”? Some brewers have told me that gypsum has no place in lagers, especially pilsners, so what’s the magic here? Use more bittering hops? Thanks guys.

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So what’s brewing this weekend? I just put a swartzbier to bed on the yeast. Hit all my numbers. I also tried out my new HLT and love it. Gotta get working on the 3 tier stand.

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I brewed in the snow yesterday, which changed up my cleanup routine.

Normally, I put my Immersion Chiller in for the last 15 min of the boil and then after flameout, I collect the really hot water in my emptied out mash tun/cooler. Typically the exit water cools down quickly, so I only end up collecting just under half a cooler’s worth of water. But that’s enough to cover the IC after I hit fermentation temps. I give it a good couple of shakes up and down to mix things up and I’m done. The IC drip-dries in a large, disused stockpot that I use for storage and transport.

HOWEVER, this time I didn’t collect the hot water in the cooler. So I put the IC in it’s stock-pot carrier and filled it with hot as I can get tap water. Because I had some handy, I dumped in about an ounce of PBW and let that sit while I did other clean up. I was shocked and disgusted by what came off my clean-looking IC. Ewww. Thin ribbons of murky colored bio-film.

This may change my cleaning routine from here on out. But I wanted to check with people to see if normal “Hot Water Rinse then call it done, because it’ll be boiled for 15 minutes and sterilized anyway” is what other people do. I’ve never suffered an infection so the 15 minutes of boil is apparently working. Still, now it feels like I’ve dodged a bullet to this point.

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Check it out, I’m gonna be on this new podcast radio show this week with a bunch of guys that own beer bars and gastropubs in the city.

http://dieseldrafts.com/journal/2010/02/di…our-headphones/

I’ll be going on as their brewing expert. Should be lots of fun.

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Check it out, I’m gonna be on this new podcast radio show this week with a bunch of guys that own beer bars and gastropubs in the city.

http://dieseldrafts.com/journal/2010/02/di…our-headphones/

I’ll be going on as their brewing expert. Should be lots of fun.

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Looking at getting a grain mill to take the step to all grain.

was looking at this one
http://www.beer-wine.com/products/barley-c…ll-w-7lb-hopper

would like to know what you guys think of the buy or have a better one you could suggest to me.

Thanks
Tom

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Posted: by Pigwings6 (23 hours ago)

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At Christmas SWMBO bought me several All grain kits, 2 of which were lagers.

One of which has been lagering for a couple of weeks.

I need to get the next one brewed, as the grains came crushed, but I only have space to ferment or lager one at a time, and if I wait another 10 weeks to brew the next, the grain will be in a very sorry state.

Can I add the cabonating sugar to the carboy, bottle immediately, and leave the bottles in the fridge to lager, freeing up the space to start the next one?

-Oh, if it helps, the one lagering is a German Bock, it was almost 8%.

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i kegged a hefe a while ago and added 3/4 cup of dme to carbonate the beer. So I was wondering, when I put this in the fridge and tap it. all of the yeast on the bottom will be drawn out in the first tapping, which will ultimately leave me with a clarified beer. That is not the way hefes should be as the suspended yeast imparts some of the unique flavors of the style.

Any comments?

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Is this yeast? If so, this is supposed to be American Lager yeast… wth?

this beer has been going for just over two weeks now.

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Posted: by SpenceJonas (6 minutes ago)

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From the point I started brewing all-grain, I add amylase enzyme to the mash. I’ve been doing this just to make sure I have thorough conversions. I make sure my recipes are balanced to have adequate conversion without the enzyme addition, but I’m just wondering if there are any thoughts out there about the need or benefit to add amylase. I’ve never mashed without it, so I am reluctant to stop. The enzyme is cheap, so it’s not a question of budget. I’m just curious about the pros and cons of using the addition.

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I’m trying to collect slants of the old BrewTek yeast that I don’t have in my yeast library. The list of what I have already is here. Just trying to collect every yeast that has ever been used for brewing (long way to go, I know).

Cheers

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Posted: by diamondc (6 hours ago)

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Posted: by jhoban19 (11 hours ago)

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Posted: by zito (13 hours ago)

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Posted: by christoj1969 (16 hours ago)

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Posted: by earthboundagain (22 hours ago)

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I’m lookin to brew a nice smooth, yummy belgian double next week. Any suggestions/comments? this is what I’m thinkin of doin.

24lbs Maris Otter Pale
1lb CaraWheat
1lb Biscuit
2lbs Amber Belgian Candy Sugar
2oz Tett (60)
1oz Centennial (15)
3787 Trappist or WLP530

thanks in advance as always.

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Hey all, so I was trying to replicate an English Brown Ale, but wanted to get a second opinion as to what you might categorize this beer as. I have it in primary right now with an OG of 1.052, I’ll get the FG to you guys in a few days.

I am unable to access Brewsmith right now, so if anyone could plug these numbers in and give me an idea as well, I’d be forever greatful!

45 min boil…

6.6 lbs Coopers English Amber Extract

8 oz English crystal

8 oz Dextrine malt

4 oz Chocolate malt

1 oz Fuggles

1 oz Kent Goldings

1 tsp Irish moss

1968 London ESB Ale yeast

Cheers,

Mike

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OK, so the weather didn’t cooperate with me, and instead of a brew day, I’ve had a day where it’s been pissing a rain just hard enough to prevent brewing! I’ve got a starter of 1056 bubbling away in a 22 oz bottle that won’t get to be used, and I want to try and keep it around to use (hopefully in a week or two) when I actually brew.
My current plan is to just wait for all the activity to stop, then wait a little bit longer, cap off the bottle, and put it in the fridge, but I had a few questions about what the exact best way to do this is.

Should I wait for the starter to drop and decant of the liquid before putting it in the fridge?
When I go to wake this yeast up, should I make another starter and get the yeast active again, or can I just pitch the slurry.
If I pitch slurry without a new starter, should I warm it up to room temp before pitching?

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I just installed a second tap handle on my kegerator and I was thinking:

Just what is it that makes a black and tan work?

Is it the ABV? Does it have to do with the final gravity or even the SRM/Lovibond number?

Any insight into this will be appreciated and incorporated into future brewing plans.

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I have been reading that some people that have made a kolsch style like WLP029 and some like wyeast 2565. I thought I would make a double batch 12 gal and split it and pitch one of each. I generally make a starter of about a pint with no stir plate, just shake it when ever I walk by it and a gravity of about 1.040. Should I alter the size of the starter since I will be fermenting them at about 58-60 degrees?

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I have my kegerator set at 40 degrees, CO2 at 11psi, with 8 ft of 3/16 line running into the taps, which should give me the right set up of 2.4 vol. of CO2, according to the charts that I’ve found. My problem is I can’t get the beer to stay in the line for any extended period of time. This is resulting in a pour that’s about 1/4 beer and 3/4 head… not fun at all. I did force carb this batch and maybe I over carbonated it and that’s why I’m getting the pull back into the keg…

Anyone else had this problem or can think of another reason why this could be the happening?

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Posted: by emmasdad (10 hours ago)

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Hi. My name is Ryan and I like to brew beer. Glad we could get the formalities out of the way. We’ve had two successful partigyle brew days, but we love feedback….
Aiming for a strong, dark ale of no particular distinction. Heavy and thick, the first runnings will produce a dark ale. The second ale will be a hoppy version of a Dubbel.
Should we add extra grains to the second runnings?

5.5 gallons
90 minute boil
Poor efficiency…yes.

22# Maris Otter
2# Munich
12 oz. Caramunich
12 oz. Honey Malt
8 oz. Roasted Barley
6 oz. Carafa II Malt
6 oz. Crystal 120L
1.5# Brown Sugar at 15 minutes

1.5 oz. Magnum 90 min.
2 oz. Columbus 10 min.
1 oz. Centennial Dry Hop

Yeast: WLP007 Dry English Ale

Second Runnings….

Add 1# Maris Otter, 8 oz. Special B, 8 oz. Wheat
1# Amber or Dark Candy Syrup at 15 min.
60 minute boil

1 oz. Mt. Hood 60 minutes
1 oz. Mt. Hood 15 minutes
1 oz. Crystal 5 minutes

Yeast: WLP575

What do you guys think? What would you do to accomplish what I’ve described. My partigyles have come out well so far, but I’m still unsure of going with two big beers….

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Posted: by Lunatic768 (19 hours ago)

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Posted: by mjn5036 (1 hour ago)

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