Brown Ale Question
 

I'm going to the HBS tonight to get my ingredients for an American Brown Ale...quick question, I saw one recipe that added 1/4 cup of lactose to the secondary....any thoughts one this, style-wise?

Also, kind of a generic question, but I've yet to brew up a beer that is as clear as commercial brews. Even after using Irish Moss in one of them. Do the commercial guys just filter the hell out of it, or dump a lot of finings into it, or it there a step I'm missing? (I always rack to a secondary, BTW)....

many of them (if not all) use DE to filter the beer. but, i've never used irish moss and my brews are clear. i use a plastic bucket primary, carboy secondary, use good racking techniques, GOOD CLEANING AND SANITATION. plus, i force carbonate in a keg, so i basically have sediment free beer to drink. also, a good, full rolling boil helps for clear wort.

DeRoux's Broux

I've heard the term "rolling boil" several times in the past, can you explain that one to me?

i should have used "vigorous". i try to boil my wort on as high a temp i can, w/out it boiling over, for the full duration of the boil. this helps w/ hot break. also, try whirlpooling your wort (w/ your stainless spoon, laddle, etc) while it's cooling, but avoid splashing to introduce unwanted nasty's from the air. this helps to settle the cold break. :)

Forgot to ask before...but what exactly is "DE"?

DE stands for diatomaceous earth. it's a non-toxic substance made up from crushed fossils of freshwater organisms and marine life. sounds yummy hu?

DeRoux's Broux

Actually, I don't think DE is crushed. It's the skeletons of diatoms, which are tiny to begin with.

In my expereince, the most common clarity issue homebrewers have is chill haze. I know it's my most common flaw and always has been. So, try to avoid the chill-haze causing mistakes like hot side aeration.

Hot side aeration??????? Please, enlighten..... :p

I just put my first batch of brown ale into secondary.....Its actually a recipe i found for Nut brown ale, and then i added a lb of honey to hopefully give it a bit more kick. Tasted it to day and its gonna be good!

HSA was explained to me by Janx, and as i understand it , it is when you are introducing air into the wort while its hot still. ex. pouring your hot wort into your fermenter through a strainer will cause HSA. To avoid it, cool your wort before you do anything to it after the boil.....correct me if im wrong anybody. Im pretty new to this myself.

Yep that's right...hot side aeration is any aeration of the mash or wort before it's chilled. So if you pour your hot wort into a fermenter or something, you're gonna get a lot of HSA. HSA can cause chill haze and some off flavors, but I don't want to stress anyone. It's not all that big a deal. Avoid it the best you can, but you kind of have to go out of your way to make it a major problem.