Recent content by masscarriers

Among the cheapest we can find around here, either Balantine's finest or Canadian Club on the weekdays. For the occasions though, can't beat Laphroaig :P +1

Looks good! If you really want a chocolate flavor though, don't count too much on the chocolate malt to achieve it but rather with some cocoa powder.

Yeah this looks good, although I personally rarely (never) add more salt/acid to the sparge water. Aside from pH issues, the salt taste contribution will show up in the final product no matter where you put them in.

If you're careful while racking afterwards you can also do so without a hop bag, in that case nothing needs to be sanitized. Not only it's a lot easier to just toss them in but you'll have more surface area with the wort if your hops are not together in a bunch. Even with a bag it leave some hop...

It does not always results in bad beer, but it might stress the yeast enough to produce some off-flavors that you wouldn't want in a given style. It also depends at the temperature you're fermenting at, if you keep it on the low side it might come out clean in the end. Yeast pitching rate, (if...

One could argue that after tasting lots of good beers in competitions and from people around you, you could find that your homebrewing skills aren't following fast enough for your taste and end up not liking to homebrew anymore.

There is the MontreAlers, though they're more centered around Montreal than Quebec city.

Well vienna is a base malt, you can use it up to 100% if you want without ill effects. I've just finished listening the latest Dr.homebrew on TBN and some guys used vienna as a base malt to give a higher body in a supposedly very tasty Session IPA (which tend to be very watery if not brewed...

This is a classic, you won't be disappointed.

It's definately coming from the yeast, most english yeast strains will produce very pleasant fruity notes when fermented in the upper temperature range. I've only used S-04 so I can't recommend a particular strain but I very good results with my ESB. My latest ESB recipe was something like this...

To be honest adding between 5-10% of rauchmalt isn't by all means aggressive, lots of people myself included have used a low amount to give just a slight smoked note, but if you still want to use oak smoked wheat instead by all means go ahead. I prefer to use smoked malts in maltier beer most...

Funny take on the Pens latest meltdown yesterday : http://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/739777

I really don't know about Florida tej so I can't help you there, but Basic Brewing Radio had a show on using such ingredients in homebrewing, the 10/23/2014 one.

You could but you'll dilute the flavors/aroma as well, however if you dilute it before pitching it could help the yeast follow with a healthier fermentation.

Yeah actually I think pilsner would be quite good in an IPA, it's a got that crispness that could match very well a hop forward profile. I wasn't saying interesting in a bad way honestly, I'd be very intrigued in using it in my next IPA.