Recent content by sha0056

thanks gratus! If he has any batches that will be transferred soon, will have him pitch on the cake

a friend recently made a mead and noticed that it was not fermenting like prior batches. It turns out that instead of adding yeast nutrient, he added yeast stabilizer. Is there a way to neutralize the stabilizer so fermentation can occur? possibly heat to 170 F or so, cool and repitch...

I think it is safe to say that anything we do in brewing is at our own risk. the only bottle I had explode was actually 2-3 months after bottling - no temperature change or movement. I put all other bottles of that batch in the fridge just for safety

I think it is safe to say that anything we do in brewing is at our own risk. the only bottle I had explode was actually 2-3 months after bottling - no temperature change or movement. I put all other bottles of that batch in the fridge just for safety

+1. let us know if there is any difference

+1 to mashing in a preheated oven. I preheat to 170 and turn the oven off when the pot goes in. That way when mash is done, no insulation / wrapping needs to be removed prior to the boil. I also use the elastic paint strainer bags which I replace every 10 batches or so. Just remember to...

You could even just use your 5 gal brewpot - I use paint strainer bags from Home Depot, sparge (if desired) by lifting the grain bag into a colander placed over the brewpot, then top off to 5 gal after you chill. I get my full boil by just splitting the boil (I have two 5 gal pots). For...

Just brewed my first pumpkin beer, a lager with an oktoberfest base. Just added 2 pounds of canned pumpkin (unspiced) to the mash and added pumpkin pie spice in secondary (used the spice combination from Brewing Classic Styles). Just over a week in the bottle and it tastes fantastic. IMO, the...

came across this thread while researching for a cherry chili pepper imperial stout. how did you add the pepper - whole, pureed, diced, seeds or not, etc. did you end up doing both the boil and later additions? I was thinking of using a chocolate habanero pepper and 6 pounds of cherry puree in...

Is there any noticeable difference? I would think that adding the grounds in secondary would be essentially cold steeping (in beer instead of water). I have not tried cold steeping coffee but just added coarse ground coffee in secondary to a Surly Bender (oatmeal brown ale) clone

very different than my original batch (without black eyed peas). has a smoother mouthfeel, fuller body, and an earthy sweetness (if there is such a thing) with a hint of chocolate. bitterness doesn't hit until the finish. a unique brew!

Finally brewed this tonight - used northern brewer black IPA kit with 1 lb black eyed peas added to the mash. OG slightly increased (1.080 vs 1.075). Had a hint of a black eyed pea aroma prior to the boil but not after adding the hops. I expect this to be similar in flavor to the base recipe...

have a double IPA with Centennial at 60 and 20 minutes, cascade at 15 and 5. used 1 oz Citra and Cascade dry hop - has a nice tropical fruit character (pineapple and citrus). I haven't tried Citra for anything else though

have 2 bombers of my 2010 version and 12 of the 2011 version that are sitting tight in my closet right now. They are calling my name, but so far I am resisting...

in the future I may cut the raspberry back a bit (to 3 pounds) and/or add some lactose as the body is a bit light - likely due to the fermentation of the fruit. overall a very good tasting beer to be sipped on a cold night after a great dinner