Recent content by robcj

I’m following up to report that the NZ Pilsner stayed true—no chlorophenol flavours. Even better, I did brew an ale as promised two weeks ago—specifically a Mosaic NEPA—and I’m very pleased to say that it looks like it might be my best beer yet. None of the off flavours I experienced with the...

Remember when people said you had to take 4 weeks to make an ale and months before you could drink a lager? I love that I can turn a pretty good Pilsner around in two weeks with warm fermentation, gelatin and burst-carbonation.

Thanks for your input, IslandLizard. I agree that the water used for my StarSan solution is unlikely to be the problem but I went ahead and bought some RO water, primarily for the StarSan I transfer between kegs when purging them. I sampled my latest beer, a NZ Pilsner (Pilsner, Vienna, Wheat...

Thanks for your reply, Yooper. You are right—they used the same fermenter. I have another SMaSH lager in the other fermenter right now. If it doesn't exhibit the aftertaste—I'll know within a week—then it will be further evidence that it is a low-level contamination with the specific fermenter...

I’ve been brewing for nine years. I’ve brewed four beers this year and two of them have exhibited a distinct medicinal or Aspirin-like aftertaste that I associate with chlorophenols. I'm confident that it isn't excessive hop bitterness or astrigency--I unfortunately know those characteristics...

I just tapped a Pilsner and Hallertau Mittelfrueh SMaSH fermented with Saflager 34/70 at 19C (66F). Brewed this one 10 days ago--thanks to gelatin and burst carbonation it's totally ready to drink. This is a good beer--in fact this is the second time I've made it and it's becoming a house...

I brewed this recently and although I knew others have had success with SMaSH beers, this was my first and I’m pretty surprised how well it turned out. I added the Hallertau Mittelfrueh at 60 minutes, 15 minutes and then a 15 minute hopstand. I’m really pleased with the Hallertau. I was...

I’ve gone through two mills like this (different names but identical designs) and this happened to both. The first lasted a couple of years before it stopped working and the second barely made it a year. I completely disassembled and cleaned them many times but the free roller would just stop...

I'm don't know. When a recipe calls for multiple charges of the same hop during dry hopping, typically it's because you will pull the first charge when you add the second to avoid grassy or vegetal flavours from prolonged exposure. 14 days is a long time for a single charge. I'd be inclined to...

Please note that people may have other reasons than clarity for filtering their beer. For example, I am aware that some people have medical reasons for filtering yeast from beer.

In my opinion, yeast is more resilient than it might sometimes appear in forums or in advice from others. I suspect your issue is more likely to be either one of measurement (your OG or FG are not what you think) or how you made your wort (grain bill or mash temperature) rather than yeast. When...

Someone at Brulosophy refers to gelatin as "powdered time." I've come to learn it forgives many brewing sins. Seriously, once you start using it, you'll never go back. Usually I cold crash my fermenter, add gelatin and wait 24 hours before kegging. I'll pour a pint of gunk or so after force...

My experience is different. I keg and drink these beers--and almost all beers but especially hop-forward styles--as soon as possible. I've gone grain to glass for styles like this in as quickly 10 days. (Cold crashing and burst carbing helps!) When I spend this much money on large amounts of...

Crush could certainly affect your recirculation. As others have mentioned, rice hulls could help. What does your return look like? Do you return the wort to the top of your kettle? Does the return splash down onto the mash or is it somehow inserted into the mash? When I used to recirculate...

Love it. After years of overcomplicating my process, I recently went back to basics too--just a bag in a kettle on a propane burner. I rarely mash more than 30 minutes and I only boil for 30 minutes too. (Heresy, I know. I won't even get into all the other rules I'm breaking on the cold side of...