Recent content by dingleberg

Fermenting at 75 for two weeks should clear all diacetyl. If it's a sweet off-flavor your detecting, it's more than likely the crystal malts. Also, HSA should not be present if the only splashing was caused by hot liquid dripping into the hot wort. You would need a more violent splashing where...

Wash and a starter and I think you'll be fine. Next time I would wash earlier.

Due to the long cool down, that smell of cooked broccoli (yum!) is DMS. If your wort temp, during cooling, stays between 160 and 110 (I know that's not exact but close) for a prolonged period DMS will appear.

If you taste butter it is most likely diacetyl. It fermented for 2 weeks. What was the temperature of the ferment? Did you move it to a secondary too soon or did you do a secondary at all? Usually no need to do a secondary unless storing for an extended period. If you have continued problems...

Yeast viability after a month has decreased quite a bit, depending on the type of yeast you have. Wheat beer yeasts degrade rapidly where something like a Cal ale yeast lasts longer. If you don't smell any autolysis (burnt rubber) or off flavors it should be OK. If you wash the yeast, make a...

Pitching the culture is the safest way. You should have great results. All grain contains lacto on the outside of the husk (among other things which are more than likely not good). I have never had a "bad" beer doing the sour mash, but they have each varied slightly in taste. It would be a good...

10 g Lambic 5 g Sour Red (roeslaere blend) 5 g Sour Red (Starter from Rodenbach Gran Cru) 5 g Belgian Pale (finishing w/ B. Bruxellensis) 3 g Belgian Pale (finishing with La Folie dregs)

You have peeked my interest. Last night I made a 500ml starter (DME) cooled to 95 degrees and added 1oz of uncrushed pale malt. I'll let you know how the lacto is going.

What that looks like is a Hoff-Stevens keg (7.75 or 15.5 gallon). You can find the fitting for the top of the keg of the keg at your neighborhood HB shop. You could take samples by hand pump (oxygen) or CO2. I have found the bungs (plastic) at Welcome To The Grape and Granary (not sure if that's...

I have made a few Berliners a few different ways. If you are using the Lacto from White Labs, pitch the lacto into your primary 24 hours prior to your yeast pitch. Hold the lacto at 90-120 degrees (I've found 100' to be the best for me) and then drop to your fermentation temp and ferment as...

Geneseo, IL resident (NW IL). I've been brewing approximately 20 years (99% all grain). I am also new to the whole forum thing. In the last year or so I've been screwing around with sour/wild beers (Cantillon is the shizznizzle). I did happen to hear of the website through the rantings on the BN...