Recent content by mcduhamel

I like the 3711. It's predictable and makes a very dry saison. My favorite saisons are not spiced, and I don't spice mine. That said, I see no reason one couldn't add some spice, but I'd be very cautious not to over do it. To me, the spice notes should come from the yeast, working in...

I can now report that I have eliminated this flavor, and that therefore I suspect it was either excess carbonic acid or simply "greenness." Here's what I did: I detached the gas supply and purged the head space, and then let it sit for 4 days in the fridge. Then I reattached the gas and...

rhern053 (and others): I wonder if it is, after all, carbonic acid? The thing is, I don't know what that tastes like, but it does seem that this flavor tends to dissipate (a bit) over time. Yet, most people who force carbonate don't seem to report this flavor, and I don't think I'm doing...

It does seem like my best option is to split a batch, keg half and bottle half, and record carefully everything I do with the kegged beer. Although I can't rule out oxidation, I do try to purge the head space, although perhaps not sufficiently.

Thanks everyone. These are interesting thoughts. I wish I could better describe this flavor. If I knew a BJCP certified judge in the area I'd have it evaluated.

The ladder seems like a brilliant idea. Wish I had thought of that; kind of seems obvious.

I brew outside, on a camp stove. I use BIAB. I end up holding the back over the kettle for quite a while to let it drain, and I'd like to come up with some kind of pulley system. But, being outside, I don't have a roof above me to attach it to. Has anyone made something that a person who is...

I'm usually buying spring water and making no adjustments. That, though, is an interesting point.

I started BIAB very recently, after using a partial mash for years. I think the principal reason more people don't use BIAB is because it gets almost no coverage in publications like Zymurgy, and when it does, it is presented as a half measure for people who can't brew "for real." I find that...

I've been brewing for 15 years, and during that entire time, I've almost always detected a certain flavor in beer I keg that I don't see in the same beer if I bottle it. The flavor is very hard to describe: it's almost reminiscent of keg lube (which I know is supposed to be flavorless)...

Thanks. Makes sense, although generally I don't sparge with my BIAB method.

My thermometer or my hydrometer?

Correct; my process was as per my usual. My grains were crushed by the same local store from which I always get them. Ph, however, I must say I don't know about. That's not a measurement I usually take.

I use the BIAB method. Typically I get around 65% efficiency. Yesterday, though, I brewed a batch and measured about 45%; got an OG of 1.050 when I was expecting 1.060. I'll lay out the recipe below. So, here's my question: my mash temp was a bit warmer than I wanted; it was about 154...