Nevermind, RebelBrewer.com does some specialty grains (including the de-husked Carafa malts) by the ounce. They're sold out on Hallertau, though, so I'm using Tettnanger instead. Lower AA (3.8%), so going with 1.5oz at each 60 and 30.
Homebrew Board - Recipes
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Last: 3 mo ago by Chipotlemonger
quote:Looks like you just got it figured out, but Midnight Wheat for the win. It's my go-to for smooth tasting color adjustments. It also has a really nice roastiness at higher quantities without giving off any astringency (say 5-7%).
What's a good substitute that will add the darker color without the astringency that you'd get with most darker malts? Maybe a couple of ounces of chocolate malt?
Blackprinz is also supposed to be good for this. Or Sinamar if you're ok with extract products. The one good thing about Sinamar is you can make color adjustments to finished beer even, so we'll probably be keeping some around just for those "oh ****" moments that are inevitable in brewing!
Yeah, I thought about Midnight Wheat, but they don't carry that, either! RebelBrewer.com seems to have good prices, and they even list the actual AA% of the hops they have in stock, so I can fine-tune my recipe based on their stock.
Here's the final recipe (5.5 gallons):
7lbs Weyermann Vienna (3L)
3lbs Weyermann Dark Munich (9L)
4oz Weyermann De-husked Carafa II (425L)
Going to mash at 152, I think, for just 60 minutes this time.
Hops:
1.5oz Tettnang at each 60 and 10 (typo earlier).
OG: 1.049
IBU: 24
SRM: 15
Saflager W-34/70, 2 packs rehydrated and pitched around 50F, following the fermentation schedule from the last couple of pages. Hopefully it will be drinkable by Memorial Day weekend!
Here's the final recipe (5.5 gallons):
7lbs Weyermann Vienna (3L)
3lbs Weyermann Dark Munich (9L)
4oz Weyermann De-husked Carafa II (425L)
Going to mash at 152, I think, for just 60 minutes this time.
Hops:
1.5oz Tettnang at each 60 and 10 (typo earlier).
OG: 1.049
IBU: 24
SRM: 15
Saflager W-34/70, 2 packs rehydrated and pitched around 50F, following the fermentation schedule from the last couple of pages. Hopefully it will be drinkable by Memorial Day weekend!
Where do you live?
Highland Village (just north of Flower Mound, and west of Lewisville)
Looks really good Kyle. Looks amazingly similar to our Festbier, so hopefully you can save a few for the fall so we can compare. 
(assuming my brewer's ADD doesn't kick in and I decide to completely change up the recipe of course)
(assuming my brewer's ADD doesn't kick in and I decide to completely change up the recipe of course)
quote:I'll see what I can do about saving some! :-)
Looks really good Kyle. Looks amazingly similar to our Festbier, so hopefully you can save a few for the fall so we can compare.
(assuming my brewer's ADD doesn't kick in and I decide to completely change up the recipe of course)
And I know what you mean with the brewer's ADD, as can be seen by the number of times I've changed my mind on what I'm brewing next!
Jock, we're going to be in League City July 24th-26th for my wife's family reunion, and I think we're going to drive from Dallas. If we leave Friday, I'll try to make sure we're driving through Conroe while your tap room is open so we can stop in for a beer.
Sounds great. Just in case, we're open 4-8pm (for now).
Ok, thanks, that should work. It's still a ways off, so I'll touch base again when it gets closer.
Anyone else brewing this weekend? Got my red Vienna lager all ready to go. Got some friends coming over to learn about brewing, too (and drink my beer, of course).
I think I may finally brew the batch of blonde ale I ordered all of my upgraded equipment for this weekend.
I brewed my pale ale last weekend. I changed up my normal routine by brewing on the deck in my backyard, and it could not have gone better. I need to get an RIS brewed and beginning to age so that it will be ready by winter, and I also need to get a couple kegs of my summer standards brewed before too long: Rosemary Sage Wit and Goze. Once I have a good pipeline set up, I'd like to try Jock's Wheat IPA recipe. I won't be heading to Houston any time soon, so I need something to tide me over!
My RIS is getting close to empty, I think, so I'll probably need to brew up another batch here soon to start aging it as well. I would like to have a saison for the July and August heat, too.
So, random question.....what do you guys listen to music-wise on your brew days? I'm working on a Spotify playlist for tomorrow. I started with the stuff from the Northgate Noise CDs, getting rid of the songs I didn't like, then added a bunch of Jimmy Buffett, Zac Brown Band, more Willie, more Jerry Jeff, etc. Basically, I want to turn my garage into the Chicken, music-wise, for when I'm brewing, with some newer stuff as well.
I have a rather eclectic taste in music. My family has a solid background in classical music, so I have a wide appreciation for instrumental music. That said, I am a huge Tool fan, so there's usually something along those lines playing in the garage. I would recommend hitting up some Stevie Ray Vaughan in honor of his inductance into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this weekend. Can't go wrong with a little SRV.
Yeah, I've got some SRV on there.
Looks like a decent chance for thunderstorms tomorrow, so I'll be in the garage instead of out on the driveway, but oh well, I'll be closer to my kegs.
Looks like a decent chance for thunderstorms tomorrow, so I'll be in the garage instead of out on the driveway, but oh well, I'll be closer to my kegs.
So, undershot my boil volume by a bit, so my SG was a little over target, but other than that, it was a good brewday. Just pitched two packs of Saflager W-34/70, rehydrated, at about 53*F. Temp controller is set to 50*F. I'll let it go for a couple of weeks at least before I do a gravity check, then when it's getting close to FG, I'l bump it up to the mid-60 for a d-rest for a few days, then I'll keg it and drop it to mid-30s to carb up and lager.
Lager fermentation question...
Is active fermentation as noticeable for lagers as it is for ales? I pitched Saturday night at 50*F, and I'm still not seeing any activity this morning. Is it just a slow starter?
Is active fermentation as noticeable for lagers as it is for ales? I pitched Saturday night at 50*F, and I'm still not seeing any activity this morning. Is it just a slow starter?
I've always noticed lag time being heavily correlated w/ pitch temp, so don't be surprised by lagers taking a little longer to really get going. The only difference is we usually pitch colder than fermentation temp and let rise to our set point....usually 48-50F and let rise to 55F. Sometimes cooling the yeast a bit can slow them down, but I'm still 95% sure you're fine. Also just remember, pitch rate should be adjusted based on pitch temperature, not always just fermentation temp.
And on a side note, do you use a yeast nutrient? I never thought they were really necessary but we've been trying some Yeastex and there's a noticeable decrease in lag time and it seems to be taking one less day on average to hit final gravity. Considering how cheap it is, definitely worth the extra "insurance" IMO.
And on a side note, do you use a yeast nutrient? I never thought they were really necessary but we've been trying some Yeastex and there's a noticeable decrease in lag time and it seems to be taking one less day on average to hit final gravity. Considering how cheap it is, definitely worth the extra "insurance" IMO.
Stuck Fermentation Question - I have a tripel that is stalled out at 1.030 using Wyeast 3787. Freakiest thing as everything else brewed that day, kept in the same pace the tripel was, finished just fine...some using the same yeast.
I've already moved it to secondary but it won't budge. I've tried heating it, gently agitating it, etc but no dice. Can I just grab a new smack pack to restart it or do I need to do a full starter?
I've already moved it to secondary but it won't budge. I've tried heating it, gently agitating it, etc but no dice. Can I just grab a new smack pack to restart it or do I need to do a full starter?
quote:Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's fine, too, but since I have 0 experience with lagers, I figured I'd ask the group.
I've always noticed lag time being heavily correlated w/ pitch temp, so don't be surprised by lagers taking a little longer to really get going. The only difference is we usually pitch colder than fermentation temp and let rise to our set point....usually 48-50F and let rise to 55F. Sometimes cooling the yeast a bit can slow them down, but I'm still 95% sure you're fine. Also just remember, pitch rate should be adjusted based on pitch temperature, not always just fermentation temp.
And on a side note, do you use a yeast nutrient? I never thought they were really necessary but we've been trying some Yeastex and there's a noticeable decrease in lag time and it seems to be taking one less day on average to hit final gravity. Considering how cheap it is, definitely worth the extra "insurance" IMO.
I have not used yeast nutrient before, but I've been looking into it some.
quote:That is bizarre...was it the same wort even? You can try adding more yeast, but it's no guarantee it will get going again. I would do a full starter for sure.
Stuck Fermentation Question - I have a tripel that is stalled out at 1.030 using Wyeast 3787. Freakiest thing as everything else brewed that day, kept in the same pace the tripel was, finished just fine...some using the same yeast.
I've already moved it to secondary but it won't budge. I've tried heating it, gently agitating it, etc but no dice. Can I just grab a new smack pack to restart it or do I need to do a full starter?
Also on the topic of stuck fermentations, there's a simple test every brewer should be doing called a Fast Ferment Test:
Preferably about 24 hours after pitching when the growth phase is ending and cell count is highest, pull off just enough beer to take a gravity reading into a flask or other sanitary vessel, place some foil on top and swirl/rouse whenever you get a chance just like you would with a starter. After a day or two of this, the beer should have fermented out completely and you will be able to see what your expected final gravity should be.
If the fast ferment sample finishes higher than expected, the likely cause is a wort issue (i.e. mash temp/time, mash PH, water chemistry, etc). If you're happy w/ the fast ferment gravity, but the full batch stalls out earlier, you have a yeast/fermentation issue (pitch rate, inadequate O2, improper temp, nutrient deficiency, etc).
And I should have mentioned since we've been on the topic of them, the Fast Ferment Test is incredibly useful for brewing lagers since you'll know your expected final gravity ahead of time and don't have to guess when to start your diacetyl rest.
That's some good info there, jock! I guess the volume is so small that it ferments quicker than a normal batch?
I learned a lesson this week when cold crashing for the first time. Don't set the temp too low and it's a good idea to raise the carboy off of the bottom of the freezer. Completely had a beer popsicle that wasn't recoverable.
I learned a lesson this week when cold crashing for the first time. Don't set the temp too low and it's a good idea to raise the carboy off of the bottom of the freezer. Completely had a beer popsicle that wasn't recoverable.
Whoops!!
What temp did you set to cold crash at?
What temp did you set to cold crash at?
Around 1.5C, which I think should be fine. I think the issue is the temp sensor is higher up in freezer and it was just colder at the bottom. Elevating the carboy a bit off the bottom should help. Plus I'll probably keep the temp a bit higher next time.
This batch was pretty fubar anyway due to a stuck fermentation, so I wasn't too saddened. It was a comedy of errors too. I have two freezers and somehow switched the controllers for them. Luckily it didn't ruin the IPA I just kegged.
This batch was pretty fubar anyway due to a stuck fermentation, so I wasn't too saddened. It was a comedy of errors too. I have two freezers and somehow switched the controllers for them. Luckily it didn't ruin the IPA I just kegged.
quote:Ah, gotcha. I tape my temp probe the side of the carboy, then tape a towel over it to insulate it, so it's as close as it can be to measuring the beer temp without getting a thermowell.
Around 1.5C, which I think should be fine. I think the issue is the temp sensor is higher up in freezer and it was just colder at the bottom. Elevating the carboy a bit off the bottom should help. Plus I'll probably keep the temp a bit higher next time.
This batch was pretty fubar anyway due to a stuck fermentation, so I wasn't too saddened. It was a comedy of errors too. I have two freezers and somehow switched the controllers for them. Luckily it didn't ruin the IPA I just kegged.
Mine is wrapped in bubble wrap, but I probably need to tape it to the carboy too.
I probably should check the delta on the STC-1000 to make sure it's not swinging too much either.
I'm busy working on the plumbing of my eBIAB system, so fermentation chamber tweaks will have to wait.
I probably should check the delta on the STC-1000 to make sure it's not swinging too much either.
I'm busy working on the plumbing of my eBIAB system, so fermentation chamber tweaks will have to wait.
quote:Too bad you couldn't make an Eisbock-type beer with it!
Mine is wrapped in bubble wrap, but I probably need to tape it to the carboy too.
I probably should check the delta on the STC-1000 to make sure it's not swinging too much either.
I'm busy working on the plumbing of my eBIAB system, so fermentation chamber tweaks will have to wait.
quote:Well more that you're aerating the crap out of it and keeping it warmer than fermentation temp. The resulting beer tastes like ass naturally!
That's some good info there, jock! I guess the volume is so small that it ferments quicker than a normal batch?
quote:So, got home yesterday and checked on it, and it's bubbling away nicely now. Just took a few days. I'm going to leave it completely alone for another week, then see where it's at on gravity.
I've always noticed lag time being heavily correlated w/ pitch temp, so don't be surprised by lagers taking a little longer to really get going. The only difference is we usually pitch colder than fermentation temp and let rise to our set point....usually 48-50F and let rise to 55F. Sometimes cooling the yeast a bit can slow them down, but I'm still 95% sure you're fine. Also just remember, pitch rate should be adjusted based on pitch temperature, not always just fermentation temp.
And on a side note, do you use a yeast nutrient? I never thought they were really necessary but we've been trying some Yeastex and there's a noticeable decrease in lag time and it seems to be taking one less day on average to hit final gravity. Considering how cheap it is, definitely worth the extra "insurance" IMO.
quote:Good to hear. If it makes you feel any better, we had somewhat of a slow start as well on our new IPL we brewed Tuesday. I don't have a ton of experience doing cell counts, so I'm assuming we slightly under-pitched. Can't wait until we can afford more fun QC toys.
So, got home yesterday and checked on it, and it's bubbling away nicely now. just too a few days. I'm going to leave it completely alone for another week, then see where it's at on gravity.
We're wandering over on Saturday, so I hope you have something good for me to sample.
I think we have 8 or 9 beers on tap right now. I did mention my brewer's ADD before right?
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