brewing

[jheu02]

After the above Stout, I've made a Scottish 80/, Antwerp style Pale Ale, and a double batch of IPA, split and fermented with the two yeasts above.

Today, I start the lagers. A Helles single batch to build up the yeast for future Pils and Maerzens. I use a pressure cooker to do the decoction portion, so here's a couple pics of what happens to that mash portion. Can you say yum! In order, pre cook, cooker, adding back into the other portion of the mash.

 

[whoaru99]

A decoction to try for a true German-style doppelbock (I like Ayinger Celebrator) is a goal of mine.
One day...

 

[jheu02]

Brewing a double batch of Maerzenbier tomorrow.

New odd keg question: I just got 8 pin-lock kegs (Coke) thru CL. 2 of them have fittings that don't seat and I don't want to strip the threads trying to force them on. Weird part is, that ball-lock fittings screw right on (like the threads were the right pitch), yet can't thread far enough for the poppets to seat because the base of the fitting contacts the metal of the keg body before the poppet legs contact the top of the dip tube. Coke keg threads are much closer to the keg body than pepsi ones are. Any ideas?

 

[jheu02]

Atom Heart Marzen is boiling away...

 

[whoaru99]

Thinking about tossing a batch in the mash tun.

A NE-style hazy IPA. Low bitterness, no hops in the boil, hops at the end of the boil then two rounds of dry-hopping.

They are saying ferment 75-80 degrees. Wow, I've never done that high, but I guess that's part of the flavor profile on this one.

 

[rickl]

just brewed 12 gallons of Belgian golden (wyeremann pilsner malt, a bit a wheat, ...) WL530, a tiny amount of Belgian rock candy, and a few spices.

this is the second brew in the new brewery (son's house) so a lot of work to do. I started brewing in the 70s and slowly improved the beers and brewery. it is kind of fun sharing the experience with the boys.

 

[Champco]

just brewed 12 gallons of Belgian golden (wyeremann pilsner malt, a bit a wheat, ...) WL530 and a few spices.

this is the second brew in the new brewery (son's house) so a lot of work to do. I started brewing in the 70s and slowly improved the beers and brewery. it is kind of fun sharing the experience with the boys.

SCRVHBA
Have not had a meet since last February. Your beer sounds great. Bring some to the next meet.

 

[whoaru99]

A Westvleteren 12 copycat caught my eye. Brewed in the next month or so it'll be about ready for fall/winter drinking.

 

[whoaru99]

The good news is the new (to me) tools are in. Ready to make the big starters now mostly without any more concern for multiple stages. The 6000mL flask positively dwarfs the 2000mL I used before, LOL. And, the big Corning stir plate for the big flask.

Bad news is I left the 16lbs of crushed grains for the Northy 12 (the Westvleteren 12 copycat) in the trunk of my car from last weekend. Apparently a mouse found them. So, I've scrapped all that and ordered new. Boo hoo...was going to brew this weekend, guess it will be next after.

 

[rickl]

keep feeding the starter. i use a growler and quarts of starter i make from 1030 runnings. really nice to have starter available for building up yeast.

or, befriend a local brewery and ask them for yeast. most of the time they just pull it off and dump it. the trick is finding a brewery with yeast you want.

 

[Champco]

How many gallons and what Gravity are you working with to make big starters necessary?

 

[Music2Myear]

I usually brew three or more batches two weeks apart and use the same yeast pour half out and put new batch on that. Its off to the races within hours. A couple of Irish reds then a couple Guinness clones, I purchase their liquid yeast. I have 5 x18 litre kegs so no bottling anymore. There is two in the kegerator on tap and the rest can condition in my wine cellar till a keg is kicked, its getting to be brewing weather....cheers

 

[Champco]

keep feeding the starter. i use a growler and quarts of starter i make from 1030 runnings. really nice to have starter available for building up yeast.

or, befriend a local brewery and ask them for yeast. most of the time they just pull it off and dump it. the trick is finding a brewery with yeast you want.

Or find yeast you like and learn to wash it, propagate it. it is really not that hard but getting the results you want. if you find a yeast where drinking to excess does not cause hangovers that is a good yeast.
I stopped trying after a few attempts. having a good microscope is necessary.

 

[Champco]

I usually brew three or more batches two weeks apart and use the same yeast pour half out and put new batch on that. Its off to the races within hours. A couple of Irish reds then a couple Guinness clones, I purchase their liquid yeast. I have 5 x18 litre kegs so no bottling anymore. There is two in the kegerator on tap and the rest can condition in my wine cellar till a keg is kicked, its getting to be brewing weather....cheers

That is a type of Krausening that most home brewers know nothing about.. https://beercreation.com/what-is-krausen/
Wrong link
https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/oqdYkx8Usd/

 

[Champco]

I have 5 x18 litre kegs so no bottling anymore

Makes much more enjoyable beer and to me tearing the things apart for cleaning is much easier then cleaning bottles. Beside that the bottles really never do stop fermenting. I told that to a friend who i brewed a batch for and bottled it. I had no idea he was going to keep it in a closet.

 

[whoaru99]

How many gallons and what Gravity are you working with to make big starters necessary?

5.5 gal. 1.090-1.100 is the current plan, but practically every beer benefits by a starter (the Northy 12 is looking like a 3-3.5L starter is about right).

The only ones I don't do starter for is fairly low gravity cream ale type stuff where I just toss in a pack of dry yeast like S-05 (or maybe rehydrate it if feeling froggy).

 

[Champco]

I have been brewing for about 10 years now. When I started it was two three times a week and as the fermenters were drained I would refill after saving some yeast to pitch. What fun. Went way beyond trying to wash yeast and propagate my own with results both good and bad but my methods were not right.
Saving dollars was the charge and it worked for a time. More then 100 5Gallon batches I only poured one away because of a yeast infection. It was a beer that tasted fine but wasted you big time. Had to dump it. Since then it has been mostly just pour in the smacpack and let it do it's thing... Unless. The beer was "special". High gravity Stout or Belgium style.
Lately I just make a batch to drink but i miss the days of experimenting and creating. The last couple years I have been growing Hops and brewing them into the beer, just to say I grew the hops. Bottom line with all this is the water. No matter what you are brewing. it starts with the water. Critical.I use Osmosis and build the salts. Zero Chlorine or chloramines.
You are getting me started again. Thank you.

 

[whoaru99]

I used to brew more but now that there is a microbrewery in practically any direction I can drive, it's a lot easier to get growler of decent beer.

For water, here in town is very, very, hard, so I just buy RO water and add the salts or whatever to that. I actually traded some stuff to a guy for a 12gal/day distiller and used that for a while but it it's less hassle to just buy the RO water so the distiller isn't even connected anymore.

 

[Champco]

I used to brew more but now that there is a microbrewery in practically any direction I can drive, it's a lot easier to get growler of decent beer.

For water, here in town is very, very, hard, so I just buy RO water and add the salts or whatever to that. I actually traded some stuff to a guy for a 12gal/day distiller and used that for a while but it it's less hassle to just buy the RO water so the distiller isn't even connected anymore.

Not a dumb Idea to just keep it going for whatever. I bought a new RO system at Lowes last fall. It was only $179 and is a nice improvement over the older one i paid over $200.
My water system cost me over 6 grand retail. i had some trade equipment but still it was $4000. I am grabbing the RO after all that.
At the very least everyone should be using a whole house charcoal filter because the shit that comes into the house has all kinds of stuff in it. Like I said beer is 70% water at the very least. As for the microbreweries their water should be heavily filtered.
My cousin had a brewery in Iowa which had a well dug in the late 1800's. It went down I think 1000 feet or more to a aquifer which was estimated to have very ancient filtered water. It was well known for it's clean mineral properties. But. Locally there was a rumor the Brewery brewed with Mississippii river water.
Well you can guess what it did to the business and it went out of business. Not just that but the early eighties recession.
Here is the sad part. The city ended up with the property and guess what they did???? Yup the idiots capped the wells. There were two of them. Just because they were unused.
https://www.stonecliffwinery.com/historic-star-brewery/

 

[rickl]

@Champco, not sure where you are but Minneapolis tap water is great brewing water (using appropriate filtering). We brew out west but *always* haul 30+ gallons of filtered Mississippi water. While kind of a pain to haul water, We will not brew with Minnetonka/Plymouth/Hopkins/Wayzata water.