Quote :

"doing an imperial IPA tomorrow night based on the Avery Maharaja. LOTS and LOTS of hops..."

are you using the actual avery recipe or making up your own? extract or AG?



[Edited on July 12, 2011 at 8:43 AM. Reason : if the pic doesn't show: http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=13157]

7/12/2011 8:42:02 AM

using the actual recipe, however i am having to substitute for Simcoe as this is very hard to get right now and my homebrew store doesn't have it in stock...

doing all grain

7/12/2011 2:03:58 PM

You can still find simcoe here: http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/Simcoe-Hops-%28US%29-%252d-1oz.-Pellets.html

[Edited on July 12, 2011 at 3:23 PM. Reason : .]

7/12/2011 3:23:06 PM

thanks...im brewing tonight so o well...i'm subbing in Chinook. im not very picky and it should still have a piney aromatic to it.

7/12/2011 3:43:03 PM

question: i spilled some yeast when i was dumping it into the carboy last night. i shook up the vial and it kinda spewed (it was late, i was drowsy)....anyways, it is fermenting right now and has a nice head on it, bubbling 1-2 times a second. i am worried though that it will poop out early because i dont have a solid cell count...

should i pitch another vial of yeast? i have one....

7/13/2011 6:23:46 PM

depends... if your O.G. > 1.060, then I would definitely pitch another vial. if you spilled 1/8th or less of it I wouldn't waste another vial, but if you spilled like 1/4 or more of it, it may be worth it. also depends on the style. DIPA right? I would pitch another vial...

yea, just saw the recipe you were using, at 1.090, you should be using a starter or two vials anyhow.

[Edited on July 13, 2011 at 8:26 PM. Reason : .]

7/13/2011 8:25:32 PM

i didn't hit my target OG...i screwed up a number of things...however the thing is rocking in fermentation so i may not even pitch the 2nd vial. but i suppose adding another vial tonight for good measure would do no harm.

7/14/2011 11:09:10 AM

doesn't matter how well it's doing right now, the only thing that matters is what your FG will be. you can't judge attenuation based on appearance, the only method is by gravity readings. if you used California Ale, it has good attenuation and can probably bring down a 1.090 OG down to 1.012 with one vial, but again depends on how much you spilled. i would pitch a second vial. else you'll have to wait to take the FG reading and if it's too high you'll have to repitch then with a starter to reduce oxidation at that point...

the point is, you have a high gravity beer, of course the yeast is going to rock, there's a ton of sugar... but yeast will drop out early if there's not enough yeast cells, meaning while it might rock at 1.090, it may crap out at 1.030 and not get you down to 1.012... this is why the science behind making starters and calculating number of cells needed is important.

rough estimate method for an Ale:
(0.75 million) X (milliliters of wort) X (degrees Plato of the wort)
(750,000) X (18,925) X (22.5) = ~320 billion cells needed.

considering the WLP001 is between 70-140 billion cells, two vials should have been used to start with anyhow, again, the rule of thumb anything over 1.060 should require a starter or two vials.

[Edited on July 14, 2011 at 1:44 PM. Reason : .]

7/14/2011 1:34:11 PM

good info. thanks. i'll put the other vial in when i get home

7/14/2011 2:52:28 PM

dry hopped yesterday. beer seems to also be clearing rather nicely. good flocculation from the yeast at the end of fermentation.

7/18/2011 3:38:32 PM

good sign! transferring my belgian wit to secondary tonight or tomorrow

7/18/2011 4:29:57 PM

back from vacation, the all grain equipment has been eying me down for a few weeks without being able to have time to give it a whirl.

going to try a left hand milk stout clone with a cocoa nib addition in secondary tomorrow.

chocolate milk stout...

7/29/2011 10:07:30 AM

post the recipe! sounds good!

7/29/2011 10:47:42 AM

here's the one i found

Mash Ingredients
7 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain
1 lbs Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain
12.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain
12.0 oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain
10.1 oz Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain
8.0 oz Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain

Mash In: Add 14.23 qt of water at 166.1 F
75 min - Hold mash at 151.0 F for 75 min
-- Batch Sparge Round 1: Sparge with 3.94 gal of 168.0 F water.
-- Add water to achieve boil volume of 6.13 gal
-- Estimated Pre-boil Gravity is: 1.054 SG with all grains/extracts added
Boil for 60 min
Boil Ingredients
Boil Amount Item Type
60 min 0.35 oz Magnum [12.50 %] (60 min) Hops
60 min 1 lbs Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar
10 min 1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (10 min) Hops


4oz cocoa nibs in secondary for 2 weeks


but i have zero confidence in my ability to get my temperatures and volumes that precise. so, we're going to use that as a guideline.

this will be my first all grain attempt.

thoughts?

7/29/2011 10:56:59 AM

they just need to be within 1' or so to be close, if you're exact, more power to you but the only impact will be efficiency of the mash and how much sugar conversion happens. you probably won't notice it much.

also what yeast?

[Edited on July 29, 2011 at 11:46 AM. Reason : .]

7/29/2011 11:45:03 AM

oh yeah, durr

California Ale (White Labs #WLP001)

7/29/2011 12:44:47 PM

ended up going with this:

Quote :

"% LB OZ Malt or Fermentable ppg °L 61% 7 0 American Two-row Pale info 37 1 ~ 9% 1 0 Roasted Barley info 25 300 ~ 7% 0 12 Chocolate Malt info 34 475 ~ 7% 0 12 Munich Malt info 37 9 ~ 5% 0 10 Barley, Flaked info 32 1 ~ 5% 0 10 Oats, Flaked info 37 1 ~ 3% 0 6 Crystal 40L info 34 40 ~ 3% 0 6 Crystal 80L info 33 80 ~ 11 8 Batch size: 5.0 gallons Original Gravity 1.056 measured (1.060 estimated) Final Gravity 1.016 / 4.1° Plato (1.014 to 1.017) Color 45° SRM / 89° EBC (Black) Mash Efficiency 71% measured (75% used for O.G. estimate) hops use time oz variety form aa boil 60 mins 0.3 Magnum info pellet 15.0 boil 10 mins 1.0 East Kent Goldings info pellet 5.0 Boil: 4.0 avg gallons for 60 minutes Bitterness 19.1 IBU / 5 HBU ƒ: Tinseth BU:GU 0.32 yeast Safale US-05 Dry Yeast info ale yeast in dry form with low to medium flocculation and 73% attenuation Alcohol 5.9% ABV / 5% ABW Calories 198 per 12 oz. misc use time amount ingredient boil 10 min .5 tspn Irish Moss info boil 10 min 8 pounds Lactose info"

noticed some mistakes. t'was fun. got it on a blowoff tube now, rolling away pretty good.

nice and daaarrrrkkkkkkk... tasted great, smells great fermenting. so far, a success for the first AG batch.

i do realize now thought that my spigot water is insufficiently cool for my single stage immersion wort chiller i made. going to make another coil for a primary stage with it stuck into an ice bath, before i brew again.

[Edited on August 1, 2011 at 2:38 PM. Reason : water's not so cool in the summer in south texas.]

8/1/2011 2:36:10 PM

Quote :

" 8 pounds Lactose"

Should be 1 lb. or 8oz. (which doesn't seem like enough), let's hope it's not 8lbs!

[Edited on August 1, 2011 at 3:14 PM. Reason : .]

8/1/2011 3:13:05 PM

what the hell

i didnt proof read it. i swear i put in 1 lb though.

but yes, 16oz lactose.

8lbs of lactose would be

8/1/2011 3:32:46 PM

Bottling the Belgian Wit tomorrow

8/3/2011 12:05:10 AM

Not bad for year 1, I wasn't even expecting cones!

8/3/2011 10:48:55 AM

Belgian Wit came out pretty clear... after doing some research it sounds like if you do a protein rest at 122'F and use a tablespoon or so of white flour it will keep the haze. Next time....

Or something like this:
http://www.wyeastlab.com/com_b_productdetail.cfm?ProductID=12

But I just bottled last night

8/4/2011 12:09:20 PM

i fear that my Horny Monster IPA smells better than it tastes. It smells phenomenal in dry hopping. I tasted it and it is a solid IPA, very very hoppy which is what i was going for...but i fear that i really didnt get the full body i wanted. I mashed at 152F though and thought it would be pretty close...maintained that temp to within a degree.

I also just don't think i got the efficiency i wanted out of it. However, pitching the 2nd vial was a great idea and allowed fermentation to really finish off nicely.

My measured OG: 1.065
My final gravity: 1.010

Give me about a 7.3% beer, which is all well and good...but i think im just missing that malty backbone i wanted. Maybe next time i'll mash at a higher temperature....mash in at 158F or so to get some more of those dextrines.

O well, RDWHAHB.

either way its going to be a solid IPA, just not exactly what i was going for.

[Edited on August 4, 2011 at 5:44 PM. Reason : ps: cheers to everyone on IPA day!]

8/4/2011 5:44:09 PM

Or if you just can't obtain the higher efficiency you can accommodate it by just using more grain.

8/5/2011 9:35:41 AM

Yeah, use more grain or throw some DME in there.

8/5/2011 11:10:50 AM

i am going to bottle tonight and my fridge that i was going to cold crash it in broke...so im SOL. any tips on getting as clear a beer as possible at this point from secondary dry hopping?

8/9/2011 3:37:58 PM

You could always use gelatin to clear your beer...although I've never used it and have heard mixed results.

But I wouldnt worry about it man. I'd put a hop bag over the end of your siphon to keep the hop particles from getting into your bottling bucket. Other than that, there's not a whole lot else you really can do without a crazy filtering setup.

It's going to taste the same regardless.

8/9/2011 3:41:11 PM

Maharaja isn't all that clear of a beer anyhow, not sure why you'd care all that much.

8/9/2011 5:17:40 PM

For those of you who keg, where did you get your corny kegs? Do the kegs usually come with all the connectors (beer/gas connector)?

Amazon doesn't have much, and they are listed for $50 used and $90 new. American Brewmasters has some listed for $50, but say "they come as they are", which is a little vague. I'll call American Brewmasters when I'm out of the office later today, but wanted to get some advice from you guys.

8/22/2011 11:19:59 AM

Well, I usually pick mine up when I find a deal on Craigslist or something...or buy from brewing buddies.

$50 is "normal" price i'd say for purchasing from a store. There is absolutely no reason to buy a new keg unless you just want it to be nice and shiny..but nobody will ever seem them in a kegerator.

I bought one from AB and it was "as-is". No problems at all. They hold pressure, and that's really about all that matters. You might want to pick up some new o-rings from McMaster-Carr to keep on hand if you ever have a leak.

But i've bought all of my kegs used and they are all working just fine. I'd take them completely apart and clean them once you get them home.

[Edited on August 22, 2011 at 1:09 PM. Reason : .]

8/22/2011 1:08:54 PM

so my first AG batch is going on sitting in primary over four weeks. whoops. been super busy.

it was a milk stout.

should i worry with racking? just straight to bottle?

fermentation seemed pretty standard, haven't taken a gravity reading.

8/23/2011 10:39:26 AM

i'd go straight to bottle

8/23/2011 10:43:22 AM

ty.

that's what i was leaning towards too.

8/23/2011 11:09:36 AM

here's a pic of my Horny Monster IPA (modeled after the Maharaja)

8/25/2011 12:13:36 PM

nice! color is pretty close to the Maharaja, a tad darker than most IPAs

8/25/2011 6:19:29 PM

i bottled the austin homebrew supply 20th anni ipa

and while working through other bottles, forgot about it

it mellowed A LOT and makes me

still good, but it had so much potential

[Edited on August 26, 2011 at 10:21 AM. Reason : lesson learned]

8/26/2011 10:20:58 AM

^^thanks! yeah i think i got the color pretty damn close

8/29/2011 12:24:46 PM

My Belgian Wit (turned out ok, i'd give it a 6/10, lacks head and abit of alcohol present, decent color for extract/partial though)


-

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And my first harvest of Centennial hops, more hops to be harvested, but not all are mature yet.

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[Edited on September 4, 2011 at 4:56 PM. Reason : .]

9/4/2011 4:55:31 PM

so getting ready to order this kit through groupbuy and finally get started on homebrew. Any thoughts or suggestions?

http://www.groupon.com/deals/midwest-hydroponic-montgomery-1

9/8/2011 4:54:48 PM

Sanitization is key in learning how to brew.

I'd get the Autumn Amber for a first batch, although all 3 options look delicious.

[Edited on September 8, 2011 at 7:59 PM. Reason : .]

9/8/2011 7:56:28 PM

Those hops looks amazing. I've just decided I'm growing some next year.

I don't have any pics (sorry), but I've currently got:

-Apfelwein and AHS 20th Pilsner on tap
-Vanilla Porter conditioning in keg
-AHS Summer Crisp IPA and Coffee Stout in primary

I'm going to brew up a batch of Apfelwein this weekend using Champagne yeast instead of the red wine yeast I usually use. The batch that's currently in the keg is my first attempt... that stuff is straight up dangerous.

9/9/2011 2:22:02 PM

Champagne yeast is what I use in hard apple cider every year, makes some good cider... dries it out a bit, so if you like it sweeter you may need some concentrate.

9/9/2011 3:55:48 PM

the drier the better

9/10/2011 8:53:13 AM

.

[Edited on September 20, 2011 at 12:27 PM. Reason : .]

9/20/2011 12:23:44 PM

hey everyone...time to start thinking about a new brew!!! any suggestions for the fall season?

9/27/2011 4:21:09 PM

if anyone has brewed a Founders KBS clone before, would you please share your thoughts/recipes.

I'm looking at tweaking http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f76/founders-breakfast-stout-clone-2011-hbt-competition-category-21-winner-239212/ a bit and doing a clone

9/28/2011 11:04:15 AM

saison, brown, pumpkin if you're looking for something to drink in October/November

oatmeal or milk stout, porter, quad, bsda, asa, doppelbock stuff like that are all great winter brews.

i'm brewing again mid-October, most likely a quad or barleywine

9/28/2011 6:21:52 PM

Anyone got a good link to a kit for the equipment to get started brewing?

After that, a good link for the supplies?

I haven't started my education on brewing yet. It begins now.

10/2/2011 10:25:24 AM

http://www.northernbrewer.com/
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/
http://www.midwestsupplies.com

Best books to have in your library:

How to Brew - by John Palmer
http://www.amazon.com/How-Brew-Everything-Right-First/dp/0937381888/

Brewing Classic Styles - by Jamil Zainasheff & John Palmer
http://www.amazon.com/Brewing-Classic-Styles-Winning-Recipes/dp/0937381926/

I have this kit and love it:
http://store.brewhut.com/thebrewhutdeluxebrewingkit.aspx

Quote :

"1- 5 GALLON BETTER BOTTLE PLASTIC CARBOY (SECONDARY FERMENTER) 1- 6.5 GALLON PLASTIC PRIMARY FERMENTER 1- 6.5 GALLON BOTTLING BUCKET (DRILLED FOR SPIGOT) 1- BUCKET LID WITH AIRLOCK GROMMET 1- SPIGOT - FOR BOTTLING 1- AIRLOCK 1- UNIVERSAL STOPPER FOR CARBOY 1- AUTO SIPHON 5- FEET 3/8 INCH TUBING (FOR SIPHONING & BOTTLING) 1- SPRING-TIP BOTTLE FILLER 1- TRIPLE SCALE HYDROMETER 1- ADHESIVE THERMOMETER STRIP (FOR PRIMARY FERMENTER) 1- RED BARON BOTTLE CAPPER 1- HOMEBREW CLEANING KIT 1- EXTRACT & PARTIAL MASH DVD"

This looks like a decent kit as well:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/starter-kits/deluxe-beer-starter-kit.html

[Edited on October 2, 2011 at 12:15 PM. Reason : ;]

10/2/2011 12:10:10 PM

^Aw yeah, thanks for that knowledge-bomb. I've got a ton of space and a roommate that also wants to home brew, so we're probably going to jump on this ASAP. Plus we have a close friend that just took a brewing class at Durham Tech and is going to toy around with it as well.

Plus my roommate is a Philosophy student, and there seems a real tradition in Raleigh of philosophy students saying "fuck it" and opening a brewery, so I think he needs the training.

10/2/2011 12:41:21 PM