20 replies to this topic

[Deerslyr]

I just got my May issue of BYO. I know we have been lamenting the lack of activity here in the Beer Forum, so I'm hoping that as each issue is released that we can have a thread get started to discuss the recipes and techniques. That way, non-subscribers would have an opportunity to get a feel for what's inside the magazine and learn as well. I like the magazine a lot, but I'm realizing I would get more out of it if I weren't reading it in a "vacuum" so to speak. I'll let the mods decide, but is this something that could be "pinned" until each issue comes out? Just a thought. I've done my "initial scan" and plan to read more in depth. A couple of things caught my eye...First, their is a recipe for a Bacon Beer. Yeah, you read that right... Bacon Beer. I figured I'd mention it here because many of you also participate in the PH and it seems like we always say "bacon makes everything better"... but beer? I'm wondering if the cured bacon provides a quality not unlike smoked malt for a Rauchbier. I'm not planning on brewing this, but would be interested to know the results if someone here actually DID brew the Bacon Beer.Second, on the page opposite the Bacon Beer, there is a writeup on the use of pure Maple Syrup in beer. Given that we discussed this recently on the board, I thought I would raise it. The recipe was fairly straightforward and uncomplicated. Base Malt (either 6 Row or Maris Otter... can't remember which right now), toasted malt, crystal malt (20L). Don't recall the hops schedule. An addition of maple syrup in the boil. Here's the kicker. The priming was a combination of corn sugare and maple. I had been planning on another Denny RyeIPA, but may put this ahead of the schedule.

[MakeMeHoppy]

* hopes my May issue gets here soon so I can join in *I always seem to get my BYO issues after all discussion on a topic is completed.

[strangebrewer]

I got mine in the mail the other day too. I was going to save reading it for some upcoming air travel but I might dive in sooner. I did see the bacon beer headline. It could be something interesting but I don't know if I could handle 5 gallons of bacon beer and I do love me some bacon.

[Thirsty]

but I don't know if I could handle 5 gallons of bacon beer and I do love me some bacon.

Shlenkerla marzen rauchbier is divine. Perfect to split a bottle with someone- that is it. As delicious as it is, it can get overbearing quickly. I could not imagine having a keg of it in rotation. I am assuming this bacon beer will share many of the same qualities. MAy be an interesting experiment, and would be great to bring to a party of HBers, knowing the keg will get kicked the same day.

[ANUSTART]

I got mine in the mail the other day too. I was going to save reading it for some upcoming air travel but I might dive in sooner. I did see the bacon beer headline. It could be something interesting but I don't know if I could handle 5 gallons of bacon beer and I do love me some bacon.

You could always do a 1.18 gallon batch and bottle it in a case of these these, 6.3 oz each.

[RommelMagic]

* hopes my May issue gets here soon so I can join in *I always seem to get my BYO issues after all discussion on a topic is completed.

You should get it very soon - mine came today

[djinkc]

There was an interesting article on cereal mashing grits/polenta. But why? I've forgotten to boil it before and judging by my efficiency it converted. Corn will gelatinize at mash temps and at my place converts when it's ~20% of the mash.

[strangebrewer]

There was an interesting article on cereal mashing grits/polenta. But why? I've forgotten to boil it before and judging by my efficiency it converted. Corn will gelatinize at mash temps and at my place converts when it's ~20% of the mash.

But I like cereal mashing

[DaBearSox]

they basically "dry hog" with bacon...

[Deerslyr]

But I like cereal mashing

They had a good amount of ideas (and fun at that) in this issue. I never really liked the flavor of Cap'n Crunch, so I don't think I'll be doing that one. I think I will hit the maple beer though (as stated previously).

[djinkc]

They had a good amount of ideas (and fun at that) in this issue. I never really liked the flavor of Cap'n Crunch, so I don't think I'll be doing that one. I think I will hit the maple beer though (as stated previously).

The breakfast cereals they chose, well......... It's obvious Jim Yeager has some young kids. I really liked the idea though. Brew with something we give you and try to make it good. I don't think that would fly with the KCBM, but who knows. I'd be up for it.Anyway, Cheers to the O'Fallon Garage brewers for trying it.

[mach5]

I was recently at a local brewpub and I ordered a Rauchbock and the waitress said, "Oh, you want a bacon beer." and I never thought of it in that regard, but that is basically how it tastes. So, I think an addition of the smoked malt to the bacon beer would compliment the bacon nicely, also, the maple syrup in the bacon beer might be nice to compliment the smoki-/salti-ness of the bacon.

[MakeMeHoppy]

I agree the smoked malt already give you that bacony flavor. Actually more like pork rinds than bacon but in the family. I think as much as you try to degrease the real bacon the fat will kill all of the foam and will leave a coating on your tongue.

[Jimvy]

The breakfast cereals they chose, well......... It's obvious Jim Yeager has some young kids. I really liked the idea though. Brew with something we give you and try to make it good. I don't think that would fly with the KCBM, but who knows. I'd be up for it.Anyway, Cheers to the O'Fallon Garage brewers for trying it.

For the record, I didn't choose my ingredient...it was completely random. I would have preferred to get syrup....or really, anything else We're starting our second event next week!

[Nick Bates]

What caught my eye this issue is the Q and A about high evaporation rate, seeing as I had this problem with my first all grain. I just bought the grains to brew the Dunkelweizen from the Jan-Feb issue. Now to avoid having to add water at the end of the boil like last time can I bring 6.5 or so gallons of water to a boil for an hour and see how much will evaporate or does water evaporate at a diffrent rate then wort?

[ncbeerbrewer]

What caught my eye this issue is the Q and A about high evaporation rate, seeing as I had this problem with my first all grain. I just bought the grains to brew the Dunkelweizen from the Jan-Feb issue. Now to avoid having to add water at the end of the boil like last time can I bring 6.5 or so gallons of water to a boil for an hour and see how much will evaporate or does water evaporate at a diffrent rate then wort?

Nick,To answer your question your idea should work fine to get an idea of what sorta of evaporation you get when you brew. Of course make sure that you are using your brew pot which I figure you are going to use anyways. I don't believe that there would be any difference between straight water evap% vs wort evap%. Since you are collecting more than your final volume and doing a full work boil I have this suggestion for you as well. If your desired final volume after your boil was say 5.25-5.5 gallons what I have done for myself is measure out that volume and put it in your brewpot. Then take a yardstick or wooden dowl (whatever you wanna use) and mark and measure the depth of that measured liquid in your boil pot. Write it down or mark it on the stick then that way when you are brewing you will know what level to not let your wort get below so that you can't miss your 5 gallon brew volume. I have been doing that for a couple years and has worked everytime. I shoot for 5.5 gallon final so that I can account for hop trub and still transfer 5-5.25 to my fermenter for each beer. Just a suggestion but you will nail it down this next go around I am sure. Cheers!!Mike

[Nick Bates]

Mike, thanks for the suggestion ive seen a few people do the wooden dowel I just might do it. Now when you say "when you are brewing you will know what level to not let your wort get below " do you suggest stop the boil when it gets to my 5-5.25 gallon mark?I would think that might produce some off flavors if my 60-90min boil has not been reached. Also another question is when im collecting my runnings how long do you collect once it starts running clear? my first all grain was running clear so I stopped it and I did not collect enough wort to make up for evaporation? thanks again for the help.NIck

[ncbeerbrewer]

Mike, thanks for the suggestion ive seen a few people do the wooden dowel I just might do it. Now when you say "when you are brewing you will know what level to not let your wort get below " do you suggest stop the boil when it gets to my 5-5.25 gallon mark?I would think that might produce some off flavors if my 60-90min boil has not been reached. Also another question is when im collecting my runnings how long do you collect once it starts running clear? my first all grain was running clear so I stopped it and I did not collect enough wort to make up for evaporation? thanks again for the help.NIck

I use Beersmith to calculate out all my recipes and set them at 5.25 gallon final volume when I plan to use a normal level of hops (not imperial IPA's) For that final volume and my brew pot I collect 7 gallons from my mash and then boil down to 5.5 gallons that I mentioned to you and marked for my boil kettle. Thats how I brew my beers and it gets me my SG each time. I follow the Beersmith strike water and sparge water volume additions but collect till I hit my intended preboil volume. It gets me my target SG everytime. When I started all grain a couple of years ago I would collect till the runnings got to 1.010 and stopped, it seemed to have messed me up so I go about how I describe above and been sailing straight since then. I don't think you need to stop your boil when you reach that mark but just know in your mind that going below that mark you might put your 5 gallon into the fermenter in jeopardy or a bit below that as well. Use it as a gauge to know how much liquid you have left in the boil pot and what you will transfer over.

[Thirsty]

I don't think you need to stop your boil when you reach that mark but just know in your mind that going below that mark you might put your 5 gallon into the fermenter in jeopardy or a bit below that as well. Use it as a gauge to know how much liquid you have left in the boil pot and what you will transfer over.

I'll second that, using it as a guage, so next time you can adjust preboil for the volume necessary. If you cannot collect enough wort to reach your intended gravity and volume, then you will also need to adjust yuor grain bill as well in the future batch to make up for this. Eventually you will have a "dialed in" system, know your efficiency and volumes every time. It helps to brew often, or take extremely good notes, so these adjustments can be made next time. You also mentioned 60 and 90 minute boils. If you have the kettle room to handle collecting enough for a 90 minute boil, why not just do that everytime? Most recipes (probably 90% anyway) use a standard 60 minute bittering addition. You really shouldnt add hops until a hot break is established, allowing for full isomerization for the addition duration. So if it takes 10-20 minutes to get a full hot break, then you really should be boiling for 60+10 to 20 minutes or 70-80 minutes anyhow. If you just do a 90 minute boil everytime, you are guaranteeing full hop utilization, and if there is any pilsner malt in the recipe, driving off DMS which is always recommended to do a 90(+) minute boil. The added benefit to this is you will have a standard boiloff rate to be consistant and measure from, after a couple of batches you will not even have to measure. Just hit your preboil volume and let it go.

[MakeMeHoppy]

I just got my BYO yesterday. I don't think I'll be trying any of those breakfast beer ideas, but I am surprised the bacon dry hogged beer didn't have at least a pound or two of smoked malt. I didn't read the article on boil off, but I'll just add a thought here. I started using a refractometer about 6 months ago and I have a spoon marked so I can judge kettle volume. At start of boil I know how many points I have and if I'm on target for my starting gravity. If I'm under I can decide to make a smaller volume beer or add some DME. If I'm over (usually doesn't happen) I can add some water to the boil and have a larger volume beer (adjusting hoping rates) or I can have some starter wort. Either way I'm not surprised at the end of the boil.