683 replies to this topic

[positiveContact]

phew - forgot how hot it is brewing in the summer.  could only get the wort down to 72F with my IC.  I'm letting the chest freezer get me down to 68F so I can pitch some S-09.  or is it S-04.5? 

[HVB]

phew - forgot how hot it is brewing in the summer.  could only get the wort down to 72F with my IC.  I'm letting the chest freezer get me down to 68F so I can pitch some S-09.  or is it S-04.5? 

 

I call it  S-09.  I would pitch it at 72 and then let it come down to 68 and let it ride there for a bit.

[Bklmt2000]

Making a wakeup starter of 34/70 on Wednesday for a light lager on deck for next week.

[zymot]

It has been over 6 years since my last home brew. Yes. SIX Years.

 

Last week, I declared I was going to brew 4th of July weekend. What ever it takes. I will make it happen. My brewery is a disorganized mess, going through and get what I need. Running the brewing process in my mind, checking off what I need.

 

Looks like Saturday is the day. I got my grains milled and hops. The beer? An Alt. The starter is in the kitchen on the stirplate. The wife is belly aching about me taking over the kitchen. Come on, we are talking two stir plates.

[Bklmt2000]

It has been over 6 years since my last home brew. Yes. SIX Years.

 

Last week, I declared I was going to brew 4th of July weekend. What ever it takes. I will make it happen. My brewery is a disorganized mess, going through and get what I need. Running the brewing process in my mind, checking off what I need.

 

Looks like Saturday is the day. I got my grains milled and hops. The beer? An Alt. The starter is in the kitchen on the stirplate. The wife is belly aching about me taking over the kitchen. Come on, we are talking two stir plates.

 

Stand strong and make it happen.

 

Welcome back to the hobby obsession. And lastly, good call on the stirplates.

[zymot]

Stand strong and make it happen.

 

Welcome back to the hobby obsession. And lastly, good call on the stirplates.

 

 

The wife and I have a Felix and Oscar relationship. Anything that has the potential for me making a mess is resisted. It got me moving to full boils. "Can't you do this outside!?" "I could but I would need to buy more equipment . . . . ." "I do not care. Just do not make beer in the house."

 

Yesterday, after I got things all sorted out I came across the the Vitality starter and Denny's SNS starter ideas. Looks like I got some researching to do. I went with what I know for now.

 

I made the two stirplates from scratch. Muffin fans with neodymium magnets glued to the fan and a homemade speed control.

 

 

 

Funny, back in the days when I first "started" the hobby, it was liquid yeast = starter were absolutely required. If you did not use a starter, your beer was going to suck. There were calculators and and formulas that homebrewers used to conclude that you had to make monster starters.

About once a month, there would be a thread on a forum about White Labs and Wyeast were crooks because their yeast count was too low. "Why do they lie to us?!?!"

 

I recall, one time I proposed something akin to the vitality and SNS starter methods. I told I was crazy and sent links to Mr Malty and other webstites to calculate cells per per volume per degree plato.

[Bklmt2000]

The wife and I have a Felix and Oscar relationship. Anything that has the potential for me making a mess is resisted. It got me moving to full boils. "Can't you do this outside!?" "I could but I would need to buy more equipment . . . . ." "I do not care. Just do not make beer in the house."

 

Yesterday, after I got things all sorted out I came across the the Vitality starter and Denny's SNS starter ideas. Looks like I got some researching to do. I went with what I know for now.

 

I made the two stirplates from scratch. Muffin fans with neodymium magnets glued to the fan and a homemade speed control.

 

 

 

Funny, back in the days when I first "started" the hobby, it was liquid yeast = starter were absolutely required. If you did not use a starter, your beer was going to suck. There were calculators and and formulas that homebrewers used to conclude that you had to make monster starters.

About once a month, there would be a thread on a forum about White Labs and Wyeast were crooks because their yeast count was too low. "Why do they lie to us?!?!"

 

I recall, one time I proposed something akin to the vitality and SNS starter methods. I told I was crazy and sent links to Mr Malty and other webstites to calculate cells per per volume per degree plato.

 

Good looking stirplates.  I got mine ~10 years back from NB, before they got bought out by InBev.  Still works.

 

I'm glad to see that in recent years, the trend of gigantic starters seems like it's died down a bit.  Even for lagers, when I make starters from liquid yeast, I don't go above 1.5L, and I've never had any problems getting full/complete attenuation in a timely manner.  I'm a firm believer that a large starter wort volume isn't nearly as important as proper oxygenation (whether shaken or stirred), plus some yeast nutrient and a viable yeast culture to start with.

 

If I'm making a big lager (like a doppelbock), I'll re-use the yeast cake from a smaller lager (like a pils), but making a gallon-sized starter?  Nope.  IMO, not necessary, and a waste of DME.

 

On a related note, are you back in to brewing on any kind of regular basis, or just once in a while?  Just curious.

[positiveContact]

If I'm making a big lager (like a doppelbock), I'll re-use the yeast cake from a smaller lager (like a pils), but making a gallon-sized starter?  Nope.  IMO, not necessary, and a waste of DME.

 

that's my preferred method for all starters

[Poptop]

At 6am this morning, I mashed in 8.5# Pils, 1# Barke Munich and 2# Quick Grits.  I'll be home in a couple hours to drain the bag and boil what I anticipate will be a very pleasing yellow American Lager.  All Hallertau Mitt and a very healthy slurry of S-189 / 34/70 combo.

 

I can't wait to compare it to the same recipe I made several weeks ago but used flaked maize and Tett.

[Bklmt2000]

Making a starter tomorrow for a saison/farmhouse ale for a midweek brewday next week, using WY3711 French Saison.

 

Still musing over the grain bill; looking at mainly Pils, with a little bit of C-40, wheat, flaked oats, and maybe some Munich, to an OG of somewhere b/w 1.060 and 1.070.

 

Magnum to bitter, and some light late First Gold additions, to ~30 IBUs.

 

I understand 3711 is a monster attenuator, so I'm thinking a smaller grain bill might be in order; an 8% saison that drinks like a light lager might be dangerous.

[Big Nake]

Had a bunch of people over yesterday.  Kegs that were put into the draft fridges last Saturday were drained yesterday (5 days) because of the week's festivities.  I have A LOT of empty kegs at the moment.  Two of my kids are going back to Austin early Sunday morning so I think that will be my next brewday.  

[Poptop]

^^ what up next?

[Big Nake]

^^ what up next?

A stab at something like Paulaner Original Munich Lager.  Wish me luck.   

[Big Nake]

So water is filtered and grains are weighed out.  I'm going to try some new things on this next batch to see if I can dry out the finish a little bit because this Paulaner beer has such a nice, crisp finish.  With some direction, I know the beer is made with 90% pilsner malt and 10% Munich 1.  I'm using Barke for the Pils malt and standard Weyermann Munich 1.  One hop addition at the start of the boil for 20 IBUs and I'm fermenting with 2124.  I'm also going to mash a little lower (149°) and mash for 90 minutes to see if it makes any difference.  A beer with 90% pilsner malt may already be a bit drier than normal so I don't want to go overboard.  Plus, I don't know if Barke Pils is one of these malts that require more mashing finesse than something like Best Malz, Avangard, etc.  Brewday is tomorrow.  Cheers peeps.  

[Bklmt2000]

Last week's brewday got nixed, so this week is shaping up to be a 2-brewday week.

 

Instead of last week's planned light lager, I'm leaning towards a helles, something along the line of Hofbrau Original Lager.

 

Still not certain if I want to make a saison, or some kind of American pale ale or IPA (got a fresh slurry of US-05 in need of a good home). 

[MyaCullen]

I've got to get my lazy 4 day weekend enjoying ass off of the couch and put my brewery together to brew, it'll be the first one since last July.

 

Not entirely sure what I'll brew, but it'll have S-04 Yeast and Geat Western 2-row

[Bklmt2000]

I've got to get my lazy 4 day weekend enjoying ass off of the couch and put my brewery together to brew, it'll be the first one since last July.

 

Not entirely sure what I'll brew, but it'll have S-04 Yeast and Geat Western 2-row

 

What hops do you have on hand?

[MyaCullen]

What hops do you have on hand?

In addition I just located a still good pack of US-05.

 

I have 1 oz German Magnum, 14 oz US Goldings, 8oz Cascade, 1 lbs Centennial, 1 lbs Mt Hood, 8 oz Legacy,  2 oz Chinook, 1 oz Polaris, 4 oz Sterling, 24oz CTZ.

 

I am thinking of doing an APA, light colored, low crystal malt, about 1.055 gravity, low mash temp 148-150, 30 minute vigorous boil.

 

FWH with 1/2 oz Chinook, 1/2 oz Cascade, 10 minutes of 1/2 oz Chinook 1/2 oz Cascade, whirlpool with 1/2 oz Chinook 1/2 oz Cascade, then dry hop with, you guessed it ... 1 oz Goldings, 1/2 oz Chinook, 1/2 oz Cascade.

 

Fermented in the mid 60s, dry hopped after high krausen 

[Bklmt2000]

In addition I just located a still good pack of US-05.

 

I have 1 oz German Magnum, 14 oz US Goldings, 8oz Cascade, 1 lbs Centennial, 1 lbs Mt Hood, 8 oz Legacy,  2 oz Chinook, 1 oz Polaris, 4 oz Sterling, 24oz CTZ.

 

I am thinking of doing an APA, light colored, low crystal malt, about 1.055 gravity, low mash temp 148-150, 30 minute vigorous boil.

 

FWH with 1/2 oz Chinook, 1/2 oz Cascade, 10 minutes of 1/2 oz Chinook 1/2 oz Cascade, whirlpool with 1/2 oz Chinook 1/2 oz Cascade, then dry hop with, you guessed it ... 1 oz Goldings, 1/2 oz Chinook, 1/2 oz Cascade.

 

Fermented in the mid 60s, dry hopped after high krausen 

 

Sounds pretty damned solid.

[MyaCullen]

Sounds pretty damned solid.

it'll make beer

 

 

I wish I had some Citra left, but I can't justify firing up the truck to go to the brew shop with so many hops in the freezer.