Homebrewers - Whats in the fermenter?

[kenstogie]

How do you "wash" yeast. Isn't it just mixed up with the trub?

[WyGuy]

Just bottled my first home brew last weekend, it was from the Brewer's Best kit, German Oktoberfest, cracked open a bottle last night to test it out....not bad at all! Not sure what I plan on brewing next, any recommendations? I'll probably just stick with the Brewer's Best kits for now though.

[BlackDog]

FWIW, the Midwest Supply kits are excellent, and right here in the Twin Cities. I've done several of their extract kits with good success. I'm drinking their Ferocious - a Surly Furious clone - right now. The clone was made with the help of Todd Haug, the head brewer at Surly.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/

[WyGuy]

I'll have to stop by the next time I'm up there, looks like they have some good stuff! Thanks for the link.

[BeerAdvocate]

I kegged a BlondeHefe and Bells Two Hearted Ale clone today. And also brewed a Pale Ale.
Im getting a nice pipeline going!

[St. Lou Stu]

Completed the new setup today!
http://picasaweb.google.com/timlael/...eat=directlink

Next Sunday is the first brewday with it.

Originally Posted by St. Lou Stu

Completed the new setup today!
http://picasaweb.google.com/timlael/...eat=directlink

Next Sunday is the first brewday with it.

Wow, talk about jumping in with both feet. What are you using for a MLT?

[St. Lou Stu]

Originally Posted by Scimmia

Wow, talk about jumping in with both feet. What are you using for a MLT?

Thanks Travis and Doug!

I have a 54qt Igloo that I'm planning on converting soon.
For now, I'm sticking with extract/kits until I get that done.

Do you think the 54qt would be suitable for a MLT?

How about that 7.5 gallon pony for the HLT? Should I keep that or convert another 1/2 barrel? I have one sitting around.

[BeerAdvocate]

Very nice setup! Congrats!

Sorry, I guess when I see a setup like that, I just assume all grain. Not many people go that far for extract setups.

The 54 qt should be fine for 5 gallon batches, and even 10 gallon batches of most beers. I run a 52 qt Coleman Xtreme.

7.5 gallons at 1.25 qt/lb is enough strike water for 24 lb of grain, which is quite a bit. I usually mash thinner than that, but 7.5 gallons should cover you in most cases. A 1/2 barrel would simplify things, as you could just heat everything at once, though. I just use a 5 gallon pot and heat my strike water in two batches if I need to, and heat the sparge water during the mash rest.

[St. Lou Stu]

Originally Posted by Scimmia

Sorry, I guess when I see a setup like that, I just assume all grain. Not many people go that far for extract setups.

Oh, All grain is coming, but I'm taking baby steps (big fat babies) and didn't want to make an extract setup only to have to make the AG setup later.

Originally Posted by Scimmia

The 54 qt should be fine for 5 gallon batches, and even 10 gallon batches of most beers. I run a 52 qt Coleman Xtreme.

Good to know! Thanks.

Originally Posted by Scimmia

7.5 gallons at 1.25 qt/lb is enough strike water for 24 lb of grain, which is quite a bit. I usually mash thinner than that, but 7.5 gallons should cover you in most cases. A 1/2 barrel would simplify things, as you could just heat everything at once, though. I just use a 5 gallon pot and heat my strike water in two batches if I need to, and heat the sparge water during the mash rest.

I'll just plan on making the 1/2bbl when I convert the cooler. I also want to make a nice stand and pump setup for when I do go all grain... for simplicity, ya know?


Thanks Doug... I knew I could count on you for a few cents of know how!

Originally Posted by St. Lou Stu

Good to know! Thanks.

I should probably specify, it's fine if you're batch sparging. For fly sparging, it could cause some issues with grain bed depth, and is tougher to deal with the shape.

Baby steps my ass. I've been brewing all grain for a while now and your setup is already fancier than mine.

[St. Lou Stu]

Finally!!!!!!
I got a batch of Honey Wheat (1.0545 OG) in the primary, where it will finish.
I gotta have this done for shack... wish me luck!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...4&id=656354560

[kaisersozei]

Brewed up an Imperial IPA yesterday at the inaugural CohiBrew!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...4&l=c52e59eb96

With more than 12 lbs of malt (specialty + extract,) I was surprised to hit the target OG perfectly = 1.082. IBUs calculated at 93. Pitched it with about a quart of British ale starter last night, and this morning had the most vigorous fermentation I've had in a long time. Had to replace the airlock with a blowoff tube all day. Finally settled down. Hopefully this will be a good one!

[kenstogie]

Thought this would be of interest here.....

Aged 9,000 Years, Ancient Beer Finally Hits Stores


Dogfish Head brewery is known for making exotic beer with ingredients like crystallized ginger or water from Antarctica, so it might not sound surprising that one of its recent creations is a brew flavored simply by grapes and flowers. It's not the recipe that makes this beer so special; it's where that recipe was found: a Neolithic burial site in China.

Chateau Jiahu is a time capsule from 7,000 B.C., but to hear Dogfish Head owner Sam Calagione talk about what beer was actually like back then, it's not the kind of thing that makes you say "Hey, pass me another ice-cold ancient ale!"

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...587208&ps=cprs

[landhoney]

Thinking of brewing a Mojito IPA.

Basic IPA with lime zest, mint, and citrusy hops (Citra, Simcoe, Amarillo, Cascade,etc.) added to the boil. Then maybe some dark rum soaked oak cubes added to secondary.

All the additions would be minor, so just a hint of mint and lime, and oak and rum. I bascially want a great IPA that suggests Mojito in the flavor.

Thoughts?

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by landhoney

Thinking of brewing a Mojito IPA.

Basic IPA with lime zest, mint, and citrusy hops (Citra, Simcoe, Amarillo, Cascade,etc.) added to the boil. Then maybe some dark rum soaked oak cubes added to secondary.

All the additions would be minor, so just a hint of mint and lime, and oak and rum. I bascially want a great IPA that suggests Mojito in the flavor.

Thoughts?

Interesting idea...!

I'm wondering if the lime zest would get overpowered by the hops? I'd probably stick to the citrusy hops for the boil, but go light on the aroma additions. I'd think you'd want some of the lime flavor to come through the beer--have you thought about maybe adding some Rose's lime juice to the secondary? It would ferment down and still preserve the flavor, maybe also "dry hop" with the lime zest & mint, too? For that matter, you could probably just add some lime extract to the bottling bucket.

I like the idea of rum soaked wood chips.

I'm just throwing out ideas, not sure how to make it work--very intriguing, though

[landhoney]

Originally Posted by kaisersozei

maybe also "dry hop" with the lime zest & mint,

I think this is a great idea, and will likely do this. Thanks for the input.

[JHinc]

Perhaps take a look into yeast cultures. There are many different types that can add some sort of flavour to your beer. Adding syrups can affect your foam stability.

Adding cestes with the boiling is more likely to have a lesser affect on the foam stability. Might give a bitter taste to the beer. Dont know during the yeasting, you might want to be carefull not to lower the ph during the fermantation to much cause this will have a negative effect on the yeast...

Sounds like an intresting plan tho keep us informed on what you did and how it turns out!

What post are you referring to, JHinc? I haven't seen any reference to syrup, and I'm not sure what cestes is. Either way, it would take quite a bit to lower the pH too much, brewers yeast likes an acidic environment; the yeast itself will lower the pH into the low 4s, or even high 3s.

Edit, to stay on topic, I have a Belgian Dark Strong in the fermenter. First shot at this style.