What's brewing??

[wartyOne]

eh?


my brew day goes like this...

after getting equipment and ingredients ready-
heat the mash water, pour mash water into mash tun, slowly stir in grains, assuming i hit my target temp, close lid, and let sit.

during the last 10 or so minutes of the mash, i start heating my sparge water

when the mash is done, vorlauft, then take my first runnings. then pour in the sparge water (i just batch sparge, works for me)...let sit for 10 or so minutes, vorlauft, take second runnings.

then boil

Vorlaufing is recirculation. But if the suction on the outlet of the mash tun is too hard, you'll compact the grain bed and you'll result in a stuck mash.

Basically, with your grain bills and mash temps, the only other variable is how hard you're pulling on the bottom of the grain bed. Try slowing down your recirc, because with all your current parameters, you shouldn't be regularly sticking the mash.

 

[757Hokie83]

ahh gotcha...i just open the ball valve, slightly and slowly, and run it into a a pot, or measuring up or whatever, then gently return it to the mash tun...i always try to do it nice and slow, but i suppose i may be the culprit, ill try going even slower this weekend.

i've done probably 7 or 8 AG batches, and only on these last two have encountered a stuck mash...maybe i just got impatient

 

[wartyOne]

ahh gotcha...i just open the ball valve, slightly and slowly, and run it into a a pot, or measuring up or whatever, then gently return it to the mash tun...i always try to do it nice and slow, but i suppose i may be the culprit, ill try going even slower this weekend.

i've done probably 7 or 8 AG batches, and only on these last two have encountered a stuck mash...maybe i just got impatient

With wheat, you'll have to slow down your recirc. But it may be the specific grain. What maltster are you using?

 

[757Hokie83]

typically whatever northernbrewer has, this one i used Briess and Weyermann

 

[wartyOne]

typically whatever northernbrewer has, this one i used Briess and Weyermann

Familiar with these, but I have more experience with Great Western White Wheat. I know MoreBeer carries it, and I've only seen it stick on a hefeweizen once (due to brewer error).

 

[thecrow124]

Well I think my IIPA is finally winding down on its ferment. Was down to one bubble per minute when I left for work. If it has stopped when I get home I am going to take a gravity reading, and possibly rack to a secondary. Reason being I have no idea when I am going to have time to get this thing bottled and I don't want it sitting on yeast for the next month until I have the time.

I have also been thinking, the kit caame with 4oz of Cascade for dryhopping for 5-7 days. I think I am going to go with 3oz for 7 days and then use the last ounce to dryhop my Porter for 7 days. Either that or I am going to buy an ounce of Centennial to dryhop the Porter, just figured I could save a couple dollars using what I already have on hand.

 

[Sleepy T]

Well I think my IIPA is finally winding down on its ferment. Was down to one bubble per minute when I left for work. If it has stopped when I get home I am going to take a gravity reading, and possibly rack to a secondary. Reason being I have no idea when I am going to have time to get this thing bottled and I don't want it sitting on yeast for the next month until I have the time.

I have also been thinking, the kit caame with 4oz of Cascade for dryhopping for 5-7 days. I think I am going to go with 3oz for 7 days and then use the last ounce to dryhop my Porter for 7 days. Either that or I am going to buy an ounce of Centennial to dryhop the Porter, just figured I could save a couple dollars using what I already have on hand.

Don't think that Porter's are typically dry hopped, but hey..that is the great thing about making your beer, you can do what you like. An ounce of centennial does sound like it would be a good hop for that style IMO. Don't know how much aroma you would get with the dark malts you used and only an ounce. Actually..now that I think about it, might be a perfect hop and amount for the style as not to turn it into an IPAish beer, but give it a little aroma.

Go for it!!

 

[thecrow124]

Don't think that Porter's are typically dry hopped, but hey..that is the great thing about making your beer, you can do what you like. An ounce of centennial does sound like it would be a good hop for that style IMO. Don't know how much aroma you would get with the dark malts you used and only an ounce. Actually..now that I think about it, might be a perfect hop and amount for the style as not to turn it into an IPAish beer, but give it a little aroma.

Go for it!!

Got the idea from 3 Floyds, it is what they do to Alpha Klaus, I thought that would be a good amount to give a hint of hop character. The brew itself calls for an ounce of cascade and an ounce of centennial. I think I am going to substitute the ounce of cascade I kept today for the centennial in the boil and then dryhop with the centennial from the kit.

 

[Gatorchip]

The wheat porter in my carboy isn't dryhopped, but I added the hops at flameout... so it's pretty close. Isn't homebrewing grand? No rules.

 

[Sleepy T]

Got the idea from 3 Floyds, it is what they do to Alpha Klaus, I thought that would be a good amount to give a hint of hop character. The brew itself calls for an ounce of cascade and an ounce of centennial. I think I am going to substitute the ounce of cascade I kept today for the centennial in the boil and then dryhop with the centennial from the kit.

Sounds delish. Let us know how it turns out!

 

[757Hokie83]

kegged my "India Wit Ale" last night...gave it a little taste from what i pulled for my gravity reading, great flavor, cant wait til its carbonated!

 

[thecrow124]

Bottled the IIPA yesterday ended up with just under 9% ABV. Bottled with 3/4 cup of corn sugar and 1/2 sachet of US05. This morning the bottles are already carbonated and the beer is clearing nicely. Probably gonna crack one open in a week and give it a try.

 

[wartyOne]

Bottled the IIPA yesterday ended up with just under 9% ABV. Bottled with 3/4 cup of corn sugar and 1/2 sachet of US05. This morning the bottles are already carbonated and the beer is clearing nicely. Probably gonna crack one open in a week and give it a try.

Damn. 9%. Jesus.

Pushing barleywine there.

OT, but I had about four different meads last night that would turn me into an alcoholic if I had regular access to them.

Mead is my next voyage.

 

[thecrow124]

Damn. 9%. Jesus.

Pushing barleywine there.

OT, but I had about four different meads last night that would turn me into an alcoholic if I had regular access to them.

Mead is my next voyage.

Wanted to pull it off the yeast when it was at 8.3% but life got in the way and it sat there for an extra 4 days which drove the ABV up. Tasted the FG sample and it was not as bitter as I expected. The recipe said it should be between 97 and 103, but I would no have guessed near that high. Maybe upper 70's to low 80's. Possibly the alcohol covering it up?

I am interrested in making mead, but I am not sure I would want to tie up my fermenter for that long. Maybe in the future I can get the equipment to make a 1 gallon batch. Biggest problem is that I am not the most patient person in the world and would want to continually sample it.

 

[Sleepy T]

Cracked my 1st DFH60 clone brews last night.

Man, It is good! The aroma is dead ass on. The flavor is very, very close. I am pretty proud of this one.

It is weird how this turned out. It was about a 9 gallon batch split into two primary buckets. One of the batches is very, very, very close to the DFH, It was a little bit lower in OG for some reason. The other is very similar, but a little bit stronger (a bit higher OG) and is more APAish. Still very good. I ended up with 5 gallons of IPA and 4 gallons of APA.

Nonetheless, Turned out really good for my 1st controlled fermentation.

I am also really realizing how the cold temp. of your beer can really affect the flavor. Brought a few up to the food fridge (which is on the lowest setting, prolly 33-35F) and when it is that cold..really muddled flavors. Then tried a few that I left in the downstairs fridge (highest setting, prolly 40-45F) and it was much clearer and better.

 

[Cobrabit]

Grabbed a Roanoke Railhouse IPA the other day at Kroger and was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. I normally stay away from IPAs because I don't like extremely bitter beers, but this one had more aroma and flavor from the hops than only used for bittering. Therefore, I'm intrigued about making one for myself as one of my next brews. I'm finding myself liking a wider range of beers than I did before starting to homebrew, so I'm certainly willing to try something different.

I'm still an extract/specialty grain brewer and typically buy kits from Northern Brewer or Midwest Supplies. I'm reading up on NB's clone kit of Surly Furious IPA and think it may be something to try out: Surly Furious Pro Series Extract Kit : Northern Brewer

Any suggestions for an IPA that is more on the aroma/flavor side versus extremely bitter?

 

[Sleepy T]

Grabbed a Roanoke Railhouse IPA the other day at Kroger and was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. I normally stay away from IPAs because I don't like extremely bitter beers, but this one had more aroma and flavor from the hops than only used for bittering. Therefore, I'm intrigued about making one for myself as one of my next brews. I'm finding myself liking a wider range of beers than I did before starting to homebrew, so I'm certainly willing to try something different.

I'm still an extract/specialty grain brewer and typically buy kits from Northern Brewer or Midwest Supplies. I'm reading up on NB's clone kit of Surly Furious IPA and think it may be something to try out: Surly Furious Pro Series Extract Kit : Northern Brewer

Any suggestions for an IPA that is more on the aroma/flavor side versus extremely bitter?

That looks like a good choice to suit your taste buds Cobra. Not sure it listed the IBUs but with only 2 ounces @ 60 minutes shouldn't be too overpowering. 8 ounces in dry hop!!. Better get a muslin bag for that. That would be a total bitch trying to transfer for bottling. I bet that stuff would smell great.

 

[thecrow124]

That looks like a good choice to suit your taste buds Cobra. Not sure it listed the IBUs but with only 2 ounces @ 60 minutes shouldn't be too overpowering. 8 ounces in dry hop!!. Better get a muslin bag for that. That would be a total bitch trying to transfer for bottling. I bet that stuff would smell great.

My last batch I dry hopped with 3oz of cascade. I didn't put the hop pellets in a muslin bag, but when I was transferring to the bottling bucket, I put a muslin bag over the end of the autosiphon to keep the hops from being siphoned out. It worked perfectly. I don't think I ever would have gotten that hop bag out of my better bottle if I had tied the hops in one. However if you use a bucket as your fermenter either way will work.

 

[Cobrabit]

That looks like a good choice to suit your taste buds Cobra. Not sure it listed the IBUs but with only 2 ounces @ 60 minutes shouldn't be too overpowering. 8 ounces in dry hop!!. Better get a muslin bag for that. That would be a total bitch trying to transfer for bottling. I bet that stuff would smell great.

Just threw the ingredient list into Hopville's Beer Calculus and got the following:

SG: 1.066
FG: 1.017
ABV: 6.5%
SRM: 9
IBUs: 118.3


That's about 30 more IBUs than the Roanoke Railhouse IPA, but looks like it will have a good malt profile to balance it out a little. Just sounds tasty.

 

[Cobrabit]

My last batch I dry hopped with 3oz of cascade. I didn't put the hop pellets in a muslin bag, but when I was transferring to the bottling bucket, I put a muslin bag over the end of the autosiphon to keep the hops from being siphoned out. It worked perfectly. I don't think I ever would have gotten that hop bag out of my better bottle if I had tied the hops in one. However if you use a bucket as your fermenter either way will work.

Think using a muslin bag over the end of the racking cane would work? Don't have an autosiphon.