Homebrewers - Whats in the fermenter?

Originally Posted by steve

Way to go Gerard! Congrats man!

Congrats Steve

just noticed this thread started in 2009 lol

[BeerAdvocate]

Today I am brewing an IPA with a new hop variety called "Zythos"

[Salvelinus]

I put together an amarillo and citra hopped pale yesterday. Pitched it onto a pair of S05 yeast cakes. At the rate of overpitching it should be done in about a day...

[icantbejon]

I brewed up a Scotch Export yesterday...high hopes for it. Had a heavy malty character to it, which is my happiness.

[cricky101]

Brewed a simple extract hefeweizen this afternoon. It's my first extract batch in a while and the shortened brew day was a welcome change.

Hoping for a quick ferment and then into the keg (and then into muh belly).

[rack04]

I'm seriously thinking about building an 120v electric boil kettle so that I can brew indoors during the summer. I just can't get motivated to brew in 110 degree heat.

[Salvelinus]

Funny, I've been thinking about doing the same because I'm not looking forward to brewing in freezing cold in a few months...

[icantbejon]

Originally Posted by rack04

I'm seriously thinking about building an 120v electric boil kettle so that I can brew indoors during the summer. I just can't get motivated to brew in 110 degree heat.

Originally Posted by Salvelinus

Funny, I've been thinking about doing the same because I'm not looking forward to brewing in freezing cold in a few months...

I am in the exact same boat...I'm so tired of brewing in the extreme conditions. It would be nice to sit in my temp controlled smoking lounge, plug in a box and brew the day away. I've actually started a bit down this path, with the intent of going 10 gls. I need to get one more keg, to cut into a keggle, then it's on.

[BeerAdvocate]

Sometimes its nice to just do 5gl Extract brews on the stove top when weather is bad and you "need" to brew

[icantbejon]

My cherry wheat and honey wheat placed poorly in the Dominion Cup. I had low expectations on my CW, but felt pretty confident with the HW. Apparently my HW would have done better in a different category...judges recommended the Belgian Wheat versus the Amer Wheat I put it in. Got 24s on both of them....boo. I guess next year I'll have to submit something I actually want them to try as opposed to just submitting what I had in the keg.

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by icantbejon

I've actually started a bit down this path, with the intent of going 10 gls. I need to get one more keg, to cut into a keggle, then it's on.

I have that half-barrel AB keg sitting in my brewhouse, not sure if I'm ever going down the 10 gallon path. Maybe we can work out a deal. Do you know anyone with a plasma cutter?

Don't beat yourself up over your Dominion Cup results. It was your first comp, and this year's event was huge. 520+ entries, that's almost as big as one of the regional qualifiers for Nationals. Lots of high quality entries, too, I think everyone was vying for the Best of Show award: having their recipe brewed by Hardywood for entry in the GABF Pro-Am. Pretty sweet deal.

I'm pleased with my results, had 5 entries that I thought were strong contenders and 2 "experimental" brews that the judges didn't like at all. The maibock (which won a silver in Delaware) and a rauchbier both scored in the high 30s, but didn’t place; a Cream Ale (41) and my Bell's Two-Hearted IPA clone (40) both took Honorable Mention. I'm really pumped about my rosemary honey saison--Bronze medal in the Fruit/Spice category with 41 points. I got the recipe from a guy in the club, and he entered his version as a Belgian Specialty and also scored a Bronze.

When beers scoring 40 points don't even place, you know it's a tough competition.

[icantbejon]

I'm not to upset about my scores....clearly I would like to have done better, but who wouldn't? My two submissions were "fly by the seat of my pants" submissions. I had no plans to submit anything until you and Matt bullied me into it. Jerks.

[icantbejon]

Did we all stop brewing? So quiet in here! I got a kolsch fermenting currently, but I feel like it's "off" somehow. I haven't gotten one bubble from my airlock over the course of a week. Pressure has built up in the bucket, so I know something is happening...but probably not as aggressively as I'm used to. Gonna take a gravity reading tonight and see where it is as I'm supposed to rack it tomorrow.

[363]

Me and a buddy are going to try our hands at brewing some Oktoberfest in a week or so

[icantbejon]

I'm still hoping my Oktoberfest turns out ok....so many problems happened with that brew that I'm worried. Been lagering at Gerard's place for nearly a 6 wks now. I'm hoping the long lagering process will fix any potential problems.

[363]

this will be our second attempt at home brewing so I am hoping things turn out ok

[icantbejon]

My lagering cooler broke down when I put it in....so the beer was supposed to be sitting at roughly 60 degree and when I poked my head in to check on progress I found it at nearly 80. Stupid VA heat! The likelihood of off flavors seems pretty high to me at this point.

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by icantbejon

My lagering cooler broke down when I put it in....so the beer was supposed to be sitting at roughly 60 degree and when I poked my head in to check on progress I found it at nearly 80. Stupid VA heat! The likelihood of off flavors seems pretty high to me at this point.

You want me to draw a sample & take a reading?

[Mikes]

Over the past 50 days I have brewed:

AHS Belgian White
AHS Demeter Fall Ale
AHS X2 chocolate Stout
Abita Purple Haze
AHS Texas Blonde w/ simco dryhop (10g)

Up next:

AHS Pumpkin
60 min IPA