dumb mistake cost me a brewday

So I had a two brew weekend planned. Yesterday was haus pale ale. Day went great, hit my temps and og dead on. couldn't have gone much better.

This morning was SUPPOSED to be cream of three crops day. I re read the recipe, dbl checked beer smith, and then it hit me. I need 2 lbs of flaked maize. I know I only bought one bag at LHBS. OH crap, I hope it was a 2 lb bag. One mad dash to the basement later, and I hang my head in forgetful shame. I only bought one lb.

I know I COULD still make it, but I haven't brewed this recipe before, and want the 1st time to be as expected. LHBS is open, but I can't justify a 45 minute drive each way to buy just some corn.

Oh well, at least I had one great brew day this weekend.

WAAAAAT?
This isn't 45 mintes JUST for corn. It's an hour and a half to build 5 gallons of scrumptious beer....and if you're worried about that little purchase...make today a double brew day...get more ingredients! maybe a new bucket. You can pull this out yet!

Modify the recipe to fit the ingredients you have. I always make up the recipes for my beers, and they never disappoint.

I'd just brew it..using an extra pound of 2-row or rice.

but I get what you're saying.

I'd run the numbers in brewing software, you will probably notice that the lack of a pound of flaked maze would not alter the beer all that much, since it's relatively small part of the grain bill....



Or you could go to the grocery store and get some instant grits to use instead. If you don't get the instant kind you'd have to do a cereal mash beforehand. But even Palmer says that grits are a usable substitute for brewer's flaked maize...

Revvy said:

But even Palmer says that grits are a usable substitute for brewer's flaked maize...

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That I did not know. Grocery store is MUCH closer than LHBS. I changed the recipe to 1 lb maize, 1 lb grits, and the gravity and srm stayed the same.

This is one more reason why I love this site. My brew day may just be saved after all. Thanks to all for the responses.

stevea1210 said:

That I did not know. Grocery store is MUCH closer than LHBS. I changed the recipe to 1 lb maize, 1 lb grits, and the gravity and srm stayed the same.

This is one more reason why I love this site. My brew day may just be saved after all. Thanks to all for the responses.

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After you get back, or before hand, do a search on here to make sure what the ratio for the substitution is, if it's pound for pound or not, and any other tips before you get started....I've never done it before, I just remembered discussions about it awhile back.

Good to know we saved your brewday.

You can also use popcorn (popped) as I understand it. I don't actually brew much with corn, but the question came up on rec.crafts.brewing recently. <edit> - yes, of course, as mentioned below dry, plain popcorn - use a hot-air popper so that it does not have oil involved with it.

Ecnerwal said:

You can also use popcorn (popped) as I understand it. I don't actually brew much with corn, but the question came up on rec.crafts.brewing recently.

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Unflavoured and sans oil of course.

Man, I love a happy ending! This site has provided more happy endings than That woman who works at the gas station three blocks away from me!

I'm sooooo proud of you guys!

I didn't know you could get grits north of the Mason-Dixon line. People have always looked at me like I had two heads when I asked for grits while traveling up north.

And you can get them as far north as I am in our local grocery superstore.

Well I searched and didn't see anything to suggest it was anything but a 1 to 1 substitution. So I went with 1 lb of quick grits.

I ran to the store to pick me up some grits, and doughed in 15 minutes ago. So the brew day got a late start, but thanks to revvy and the great group that makes up HBT, the brew day is happening

thank you!!

Maybe I should add grits to all of my beers. ended up with a 6% increase in efficiency. I am almost locked into 71% no matter where my grain comes from. Today I hit 77%, which is my highest yet.

ended up being a pretty good brew day. hit my temps, higher than avg efficiancy. that did cause my OG to be slightly higher than recipe (1.044), but that's ok with me.

thanks one more time, I was bummed at missing a brew day, and thanks to HBT, I didn't miss it.

stevea1210 said:

Maybe I should add grits to all of my beers. ended up with a 6% increase in efficiency. I am almost locked into 71% no matter where my grain comes from. Today I hit 77%, which is my highest yet.

ended up being a pretty good brew day. hit my temps, higher than avg efficiancy. that did cause my OG to be slightly higher than recipe (1.044), but that's ok with me.

thanks one more time, I was bummed at missing a brew day, and thanks to HBT, I didn't miss it.

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Good to know it worked out. I starting brewing shortly after I posted my last post to you, and I just finished cleaning up and sat down for a beer....It's a good feeling, eh?

Revvy said:

Good to know it worked out. I starting brewing shortly after I posted my last post to you, and I just finished cleaning up and sat down for a beer....It's a good feeling, eh?

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not to kiss too much butt, but it wouldn't have without your post, so thanks again. It was a great feeling to be able to brew after thinking it wasn't going to happen.

I'm 98% done with cleanup. I always seem to hit a brick wall after taking my hydro reading, and sitting down to plug it into beersmith. somehow I go on an hour long break before finishing up the last little bit

I hope your brew day went well also.

stevea1210 said:

not to kiss too much butt, but it wouldn't have without your post, so thanks again. It was a great feeling to be able to brew after thinking it wasn't going to happen.

I'm 98% done with cleanup. I always seem to hit a brick wall after taking my hydro reading, and sitting down to plug it into beersmith. somehow I go on an hour long break before finishing up the last little bit

I hope your brew day went well also.

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Anytime I can help....

I just pretty much rinsed everything thoroughly and put it all in the brewpot...I'll throroughly clean it tomorrow...I'm beat.

It went well, I did a modification of my brown ale recipe in the pulldown, except I added a half pound of carapils for head and a pound of rauchmalt for smokiness...I don't want a highly smoked beer...but it is so complex already with the various malts in it I thought it would be interesting to see if I could get some smoke buried in the flavor profile...I'm also thinking of racking half the batch over to some burbon soaked oak chips as well.

My only issue/concern, is yeast viability. I forgot to get some US-05 yesterday, and Nothing in my yeastbank turned me on (pacman, Washed Windsor, and 1338 Euro Ale) I was meeting my brew buddy for a few beers last night and I called to see what he had, and he brought me a tube of bottle Harvested Bell's yeast a friend of ours had given him...I didn't get home til 2 last night and made up a druken starter...but even having it on my stirplate for 10 hours is no gaurentee it was okay....GUess I'll know in 72 hours...

*yawn*