Recent content by redkj

Anyone ever have any trouble souring due the the buffering capacity of their water? I brew using tap water (I know, I know) and it comes out at about 8.5PH and +20KH. I know that the mash should lower my PH some, but I've never measure. The BW I just brewed was identical in recipe to one I did...

What's your recipe ja09? It looks quite a bit darker than most BWs. Just curious.

BTW: Don't waste your time watching the whole video, you get the idea after a couple of steps, so just skip around until you get the big picture.

I chickened out on the whey/milk route. The reason being, when I tasted the "starter", it was no longer sour, with really no flavor at all until the most vile of aftertastes sent me running to the mouth wash. Apparently, as I have now learned, in addition to multiple L.A. producing bacteria...

I pitched a bunch of slurry from a vienna lager into a sour-mashed (and then pasteurized) BW yesterday. There were concerns on here, as well as my own, about the PH, but today it's bubbling away, so hopefully everything goes as planned. I'm looking forward to comparing it to the last couple of...

I wouldn't worry too much about infection if fermentation takes off one way or another. Any kind of infection wouldn't stop the fermentation or kill yeast (except maybe some wine yeasts), so I would guess you got a bum packet of yeast. I'd suggest going ahead with the 05 asap. If there is any...

How have the BMCesque Breckenridge commercials not made this thread yet: There's a handful of these all directed and various ad campaigns.

I would start by learning as much as you can about it. Try mixing a measured amount of it in a measured amount of water and take a gravity reading. That should give you basis on how much it will affect your OG/ABV. Maybe do a small batch (1g) or even just a starter and taste it. See what flavors...

How about a hop tea for all of the water? I've heard that boiling hops in only water will result in hop flavor but little to no bitterness. It might be a way to bring an interesting new dimension to APAs or IPAs. And I agree with fuelish on cucumber in particular, but fermentation may do more...

I just made a Vienna-ish lager with s-23. I fermented right around 60 and it is super clean. I was a little nervous to use this yeast after doing some reading, but most who reported super fruitiness fermented <55. I plan on using the slurry for my next batch or two and would recommend it for...

Not quite the same, but similar in a lot of ways: I remembered seeing this video a while back:

PH could definitely be a problem, but I wouldn't think it would be for lagers any more than ales, would it? I've only used lager yeast once (so far), so I'm no expert.

I actually moved a ways outside of Cinci. I'm within about an hour of what you could call Cincinnati, so I could probably find some time to get to one of the brew shops you mentioned. I just rarely want use that much of my free time not relaxing at home. Also, for any Cincinnati folks, a new...

In the interest of the original thread subject (many ways), has anyone used or considered using a lager yeast for a BW? It seems to me that the clean crispness of a lager strain would suite this style well.

Last year I did a sour mashed berliner weisse heating the mash to kill of anything "bad" and then throwing in some uncrushed 2-row for lacto. I covered the surface with saran wrap then put the lid on the mash tun (kettle) and kept it in a warm oven for 48 or so hours. I'm still hanging onto a...