517 replies to this topic

[denny]

3.) it ain't this because I did none of those things

[neddles]

Add it before other finings is what Joe told me.  I use Brewtan at 15 min. to flameout and Whirlfloc at 5 to flameout.

Thanks for that. I wondered if it might matter.

 

Whoops, I did that backwards

 

Doh! Did you still get clear wort after chilling?

[Big Nake]

3.) it ain't this because I did none of those things

Yes but you're not willing to confirm that the brewtan is making a difference.

[EnkAMania]

Doh! Did you still get clear wort after chilling?

It was pretty clear,  I noticed a ton of break at the beginning of the boil.  Also, the wort is a lot darker than non Brewtan.

[HVB]

It was pretty clear,  I noticed a ton of break at the beginning of the boil.  Also, the wort is a lot darker than non Brewtan.

This is a good point.  I have noticed more break material at the beginning of boil on my brewtan beers as well.

[denny]

Yes but you're not willing to confirm that the brewtan is making a difference.

 

I can confirm that it seems to be making a difference.  I can't state that categorically until I do more testing.

[Big Nake]

I can confirm that it seems to be making a difference.  I can't state that categorically until I do more testing.

That's encouraging. I know you want to step carefully and I understand why. It seemed like Chils could detect a difference and now he cannot. Any results from testing would be interesting for sure but if the results are inconclusive but I still think the brewtan is doing something, I'll be a little discouraged because then it's either confirmation bias or "something we don't know". It would still be very interesting to hear from Joe and understand exactly what brewtan will and will not do and if it might do more for some than for others based on water, how much O2 pickup someone is getting in their brewday, etc.

[Steve Urquell]

Yeah Ken, I go straight to keg from primary rack slowly thru small tubing and fill to the gas tube leaving very little headspace. No changes in process on these 2 batches.

[Big Nake]

Yeah Ken, I go straight to keg from primary rack slowly thru small tubing and fill to the gas tube leaving very little headspace. No changes in process on these 2 batches.

Maybe it's the placebo effect. I think the brewtan is doing something and therefore it's doing something. Maybe that's just another way to describe bias confirmation too. Not sure about any of this... it's all stabbing in the dark especially for me because I have no clue what the stuff is doing. What I do know is that I think it's improved my beers and I'm also more excited to brew more now than ever. I feel like the beers I've been making have been some of the best beers of the last 17 years of doing this and I'm completely amped up to brew new recipes and rebrew beers I've made many times before. I'm like a born-again brewer or something!

[Steve Urquell]

So I just racked my light lager from it's overnight chill and pitched my drauflassen starter. Usually the main volume with no yeast is crystal clear with all the trub on the bottom. This was like cloudy cider.

I forgot about adding the brewtan before fining and mixed irish moss in the slurry with the brewtan and added it at 15 mins. Makes me wonder if the brewtan messes up the finings action.

Edited by chils, 10 August 2016 - 04:52 PM.

[Big Nake]

So I just racked my light lager from it's overnight chill and pitched my drauflassen starter. Usually the main volume with no yeast is crystal clear with all the trub on the bottom. This was like cloudy cider.

I forgot about adding the brewtan before fining and mixed irish moss in the slurry with the brewtan and added it at 15 mins. Makes me wonder if the brewtan messes up the finings action.

I actually never gave any of that a thought. I do the brewtan (mixed with water) around 15 and whirfloc at 7 and never strayed too much from that. Your comment will remind me to keep the two separated with brewtan first, whirfloc second. Do you normally use irish moss? I haven't used it in years because whirfloc has done such a nice job for me. I have a can of this Supermoss which is trickier to use and doesn't seem to be as efficient.

[Steve Urquell]

I actually never gave any of that a thought. I do the brewtan (mixed with water) around 15 and whirfloc at 7 and never strayed too much from that. Your comment will remind me to keep the two separated with brewtan first, whirfloc second. Do you normally use irish moss? I haven't used it in years because whirfloc has done such a nice job for me. I have a can of this Supermoss which is trickier to use and doesn't seem to be as efficient.

Yeah never had a problem with moss. When I chilled the wort it had great cold break but when I stirred it back in to help it chill faster, the break never resettled. BTW I also use a SS immersion chiller.

[denny]

I'll be interviewing Joe Formanek about Brewtan at the end of the month.  If you have a question you'd like us to ask, email it to podcast@experimentalbrew.com.  Put JOE in the subject line.

[positiveContact]

I'll be interviewing Joe Formanek about Brewtan at the end of the month.  If you have a question you'd like us to ask, email it to podcast@experimentalbrew.com.  Put JOE in the subject line.

 

I'll just put it here:

 

how does it work?

benefits?

confirmation of the right way to use it.

[denny]

I'll just put it here:

 

how does it work?

benefits?

confirmation of the right way to use it.

 

OK, OK...I'll do it for you! 

[positiveContact]

I'm about to mash in with 1/2 tsp of brewtan (10 gal batch).

 

Can I make the 1 tsp slurry for the boil ahead of time (an hour or so) or should I make it soon before it goes in?  I just like to have stuff for the boil ready well ahead of time so I don't have to think too much.

[HVB]

Denny - have you ever posted or commented on your perceived thoughts on Brewtan and if the final beers are different?  I know you did a few batches with and without it.

Edited by drez77, 13 September 2016 - 05:41 AM.

[positiveContact]

I'm seeing the pink foam!

[EnkAMania]

I'm seeing the pink foam!

I had some break that had veins

[positiveContact]

I had some break that had veins

 

I took some shots of the pink foam.  there is a lot of scrambled egg in my hydro sample.