Newest Threads

thanantos · 01-22-2013, 04:16 AM

It's VERY cold in MI right now (10 degrees or so) and I live in a 100 year old house so its not much warmer inside!

That being said, I got a few days of GOOD airlock activity out of my primary (a bucket) with the external, stick on, thermometer reading between 61 and 63 degrees.

I racked to secondary tonight with a gravity of 1.02. I HOPE the gravity doesn't drop too much lower, but I suspect this one is not done fermenting yet as my calculated gravity was 1.015. I placed the carboy (covered in a towel) on the upper floor of my house to try and get fermentation to finish completely.

The hydrometer sample tasted GREAT with a nicely balanced, hoppy finish. The burnt notes are still coming through but are much reduced.

I'll give this one two more weeks in secondary, dry hop and keg up.

Paniller · 01-22-2013, 06:04 PM

Sorry for the off topic noob question, but how did you you get from the 30 minute steep picture to the final product wort? My all grain mashes always stay like that first picture, they never get thick and sweet. I must be missing something, but I followed all the instructions.

thanantos · 01-23-2013, 11:12 PM

Well, I used extract syrup, but I have no clue about all grain brewing.

Araknaphob1c · 01-23-2013, 11:17 PM

Subscribed! Ill be doing this one soon, let me know how it turns out.

thanantos · 01-31-2013, 05:20 PM

I took a hydrometer reading last night and it was still at 1.02 and the flavors have mellowed and melded dramatically so I racked it into a keg.

I hope to have some tasting notes within the next couple days.

thanantos · 02-11-2013, 02:10 AM

Probably too soon update time:

But, I kegged this one up recently with a FG of 1.020 so the gravity stayed steady after the rack to secondary.

It's good. Already perfectly drinkable, buuuuut it could and will be MUCH better.

As time goes on and I drink more I realize it needs more time.

However, even though it is still very young, and it WILL get better I can already see how to make it better.

#1. Increase IBU's. Both on the the bitterness end (late addition fermantables? Calvinist recommended adding the D-180 at flame out and this might accomplish this) and on the aroma end. I did not dry hop this and that was clearly a mistake.

Mid-stream P.S. here: At this point in my brewing career I have come to the realization that ALL beers needs dry hops....at least the ones I like to drink anyway.

#2. It needs a couple months to sit in secondary and condition. I had nothing on tap and rushed this through too quickly. 2 weeks in primary and 2 months in secondary (with a week of dry hops at the end) would have been much better.

I probably won't do this again until next winter, but I WILL do it again and will follow these guidelines. Check back next winter

thanantos · 02-11-2013, 02:22 AM

P.S. I think a whiskey/bourbon note would go REALLY well with this.

I may make two batches next fall. One with my current recommendations and one with those as well as adding some Jack Daniels soaked oak chips in secondary.

**igliashon** · 02-11-2013, 05:07 PM

When it comes to hop scheduling for hoppy beers, the scheduling I've been most satisfied with is that used by Stone brewing in most of their beers: a bittering charge at 60-90 minutes with something strong, like columbus, chinook, magnum, or millenium, followed by a flavor charge at 10 minutes, and then a huge load at flame-out, which you let steep in the wort as it cools. For a more assertive bitterness, a large charge of medium-to-low AA hops (like Northern Brewer, Perle, or Cascade) seems to do better than a small dose of super-high-alpha hops. But the real key is skipping additions between 60 and 10 minutes, and doing a big load at flame-out.

thanantos · 02-11-2013, 05:10 PM

Thanks igliashon. I will try that in my next beer.

**igliashon** · 02-11-2013, 05:14 PM

With that in mind, the way I would have hopped this beer is like this:

1 oz Chinook at 90
2 oz Hallertau at 10
2-4 oz Hallertau at flame-out

Then condition for several months. I've found that adding a #$%@-ton of hops at flame-out can reduce the need for a dry-hopping in any style but an IPA (which pretty much always needs dry-hopping).