Homebrewers - Whats in the fermenter?

[bigswol2]

I've made a blackbery cabernet but I haven't tried beer.

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by kaisersozei

I'm pumped! Last year I planted some hops rhizomes--a pair of Cascades & a pair of Nugget. They had decent growth, nothing spectacular, although I wasn't expecting much since it was their first year and they had to establish a root system.

Was just walking around the "herb" garden and noticed substantial growth already from the Cascades mound--easily 4", and these things hadn't even broken the surface last weekend!



Hop vines can grow 12"/day thru the middle of summer. I'm hoping for a good harvest this year

So it's 2 1/2 months later, and this is how my Cascades look:





I believe the vine system is supposed to stop growing ~ mid-July, when the plant goes into flower to produce the hops cones. I did have a support system attached further up the side of the house, but we just finished residing so that had to go. Gonna have to set up a sturdier trellis system next year!

[kenstogie]

in the past month I've brewed a American Style Pale Ale, a Hefe and a Dunkelweizen. Not sure but What do you think should be next??

[SeanGAR]

Kegged an American Brown and APA today.

Waiting to empty a keg so I can free up a fermenter. Any DFW people up for drinking a IIPA, Double Stout, or (not mine) fruit flavored ale?

[BeerAdvocate]

I put an American Wheat in the fermenter last night. Im going to transfer to Secondary in a few weeks and add a can of Oregon Raspberry puree, to make a Raspberry Wheat.

[kenstogie]

Originally Posted by BeerAdvocate

I put an American Wheat in the fermenter last night. Im going to transfer to Secondary in a few weeks and add a can of Oregon Raspberry puree, to make a Raspberry Wheat.

Good Choice with the Hefe. Not sure as I am no expert, but aren't the "extras" added in the initial boil?

[SeanGAR]

Originally Posted by kenstogie

Good Choice with the Hefe. Not sure as I am no expert, but aren't the "extras" added in the initial boil?

No, you want to have the flavor remain as intact as possible so you add the fruit after the main fermentation is completed. The canned fruit doesn't need to be boiled as it is already hot filled.

[kenstogie]

Originally Posted by SeanGAR

No, you want to have the flavor remain as intact as possible so you add the fruit after the main fermentation is completed. The canned fruit doesn't need to be boiled as it is already hot filled.

Again I am no expert but am trying to understand. So the canned fruit wouldn't add germs or bacteria and ruin the beer?

[SeanGAR]

Originally Posted by kenstogie

Again I am no expert but am trying to understand. So the canned fruit wouldn't add germs or bacteria and ruin the beer?

Canned fruit is thermally processed in the can to kill anything that could spoil it. It is not as clean as commercially processed green beans, say, because you don't need as long/hot a process because the fruits has low pH, but you still don't need to worry about bacteria or wild yeast in the canned fruit products.

I just clean off the top with soap and water, rinse, open, and pour in.

The processing of the canned fruit can be done 2 ways. One would be to heat up the fruit to 83C or so, can it, seal it, then invert the cans. We call this hot fill. The heat from the hot fruit will kill microorganisms in the can.

The second would be to fill the cans cold, then after heat them so the internal temperature reaches 83 or so. This is similar to the Pasteurization process that they use for beer.

In either case, the fruit is clean enough to use directly even though it has not received a 12D commercial sterilization process.

[Shaerza]

My American brown is finally tasting good after 4 weeks in the bottles.

I hope to get a porter of some sort brewed tomorrow night.

[kenstogie]

Originally Posted by SeanGAR

Canned fruit is thermally processed in the can to kill anything that could spoil it. It is not as clean as commercially processed green beans, say, because you don't need as long/hot a process because the fruits has low pH, but you still don't need to worry about bacteria or wild yeast in the canned fruit products.

I just clean off the top with soap and water, rinse, open, and pour in.

The processing of the canned fruit can be done 2 ways. One would be to heat up the fruit to 83C or so, can it, seal it, then invert the cans. We call this hot fill. The heat from the hot fruit will kill microorganisms in the can.

The second would be to fill the cans cold, then after heat them so the internal temperature reaches 83 or so. This is similar to the Pasteurization process that they use for beer.

In either case, the fruit is clean enough to use directly even though it has not received a 12D commercial sterilization process.

I think I got it. THANKS! Would it add any dicernable amount of ABV boost with the added sugars?

[SeanGAR]

Originally Posted by kenstogie

I think I got it. THANKS! Would it add any dicernable amount of ABV boost with the added sugars?

It will increase the alcohol, depending of course on how much you add. Adding a 3# can of non sweetened fruit puree to a 5 gallon batch won't increase the alcohol that much. The other reason you don't boil that I forgot to mention is that you can set the pectins present in fruit and create a permanent haze. OK in a wit or hefe but in that light blueberry lager not so much.

Bottled a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone last weekend, and now trying my first attempt at culturing yeast from this batch and some real deal Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Kitchen looks like a lab at this point. Was going to just "wash the yeast" in the ferminter but decided to just try and go all out. And since I decided to do that, figured I would try to culture from the real thing too.

Will brew again next weekend if I can get the yeast up and going . Should be interesting to see how the yeast has adapted to my brewing environment and how far it might stray.

[BeerAdvocate]

I started my HopHead IPA this weekend. Its bubbling away in the fermenter and smelling great, I cant wait to dry hop this sucker and bottle it!!

Got an American Bock, conditioning in bottle for one more week.
And a German Celabrator on deck.
Cant wait to start developing my own recipes.

[BeerAdvocate]

I dryhopped my IPA today with 2oz of Cascade Leaf Hops!!
I cant wait to drink this sucker in another month!

[okieRob]

Originally Posted by BeerAdvocate

I dryhopped my IPA today with 2oz of Cascade Leaf Hops!!
I cant wait to drink this sucker in another month!

That is some good looking stuff there man

I've only dry hopped with Cascade once but I was really happy with the result. Let us know how it turns out.

- Rob

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by BeerAdvocate

I dryhopped my IPA today with 2oz of Cascade Leaf Hops!!
I cant wait to drink this sucker in another month!

Can't wait to hear how this turns out!

FYI, I've found that dry-hopping with pellets works better than whole hops. The outcome of the beer is about the same, but it's a lot easier to get them in & out of the carboy, and to siphon off the beer.

[kenstogie]

Havn't seen much love for the Homebrewer thread soooo
Bought all the stuff for a Chocolate Porter. It's a recipe not a kit as I am getting board with off the shelf kits soooo bought all the stuff.

After purchasing I noticed the biggest expense in the brew was the DME and the LME.
Any suggestions on the best place (ie cheapest) place for such things?