SYRACUSE NY - ROUND 4 Group Grain Buy

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Very cool. I think I will be picking some of the hops this week or maybe next... I am watching them closely!

Wanted to tel you, the sam summer you made was very different than mine was. I thought it was me so I let the wife try it too. Some differences we noticed was that it didn't have a strong malt backbone like mine did. It nose was sweet and lemony. I could really taste the lemon in yours on the front end, and then it was sort of sweet in the middle, then spicey from the grains of paradise on the finish. What recipe did you use for this one? I know this was a rebrew for you but I think your hop schedule was might be what was different.

My version seemed to have a better balance with three prominent flavors, wheat malty flavor, lemon and grains of paradise. There was a prominent malty backbone I didn't get from yours, like a nice wheat flavor that would make you think... yup this is a wheat beer haha. Sounds dumb but true. I tasted the malty backbone up front, with a citrus and spicy finish. The nose wasn't sweet, it was wheaty and citrus.

So a couple questions:
1. What was your mash temp?
2. What was your hops schedule? - I think our grain bills were very similar, if not the same.
3. What yeast did you use.
4. did you do a 90 minute boil?

I assume you used fresh lemon peel. I didn't crush my grains of paradise in the boil (they went in whole).

Here is the recipe I created from the stuff I read out there:

11G batch @ 75% efficiency; 1.051 OG

10lbs pils
7 lbs wheat malt
2lbs flaked wheat
1lbs carapils

tett 89g 4.7% aa (60min)
2oz lemon zest (15min)
hallertau hers 40g 3% (5min)
tett 60g 4.7% (5min)
4g grains of paradise (5min)

WLP 051 California V Ale Yeast (wyeast 1272 American Ale YeastII)
152F mash


So many questions jsut because they really do taste quite different. Guess it really shows that the hops, etc. really impact the brew :)
 
ok, i understand what your saying (forgive me right now im kinda buzzed from brew day that i put off since yesterday was crappy)

5.5G batch at 83% efficiency

OG 1.052
FG 1.011

4.71 lb 2row
3.30 lb wheat
0.94 lb flaked wheat
0.48 lb Cara-pils

1.50 oz Tettnang 4.1%aa (60)
0.50 oz Tettnang 4.1%aa (10)
1.00 oz Fresh Lemon zest at (5 or 10) i cant remember if i changed it or not if not at (5)
2.00g grains of paradise (5 or 10) i cant remember if i changed it or not if not at (5)

questions
1. I mashed mine at 154
2. see above
3. Wyeast 1272 american ale II
4. 60 minute boil

my grains of paradise were crushed, almost as if you put them in a coffee grinder with a couple pulses.

i like the way mine tastes as it stands, the only thing i want to do next time is to lower the mash temp, make it more dry. and to just bring the lemon and grains down just a tad.

hmm its intresting to see what you thought of mine, now i would like to compare mine to yours on my aspect haha!
 
So basically the main difference is the hop schedule and the mash. The mash definitely is a big game changer (the sweet up front I was getting). That sweet reminded me of like an IPA almost. Maybe the higher instance of malt I was getting was because I was using the pilsner instead of the 2row. Also I would guess that the pilsner probably help create the notable malty wheat flavor a bit more. It is crazy though how different they taste.

When I carb up the rebrew I will let you try some of it for sure.
 
sounds good... well i am thinking my thermometer has been off too a tad...

yesterday i broke my digital so i have to go buy a new one today... Off to target i go later...

plus im bottling the arrogant bastard today and oaking 2.5 gallons of that.

so i guess next time ill switch out the 2row for pilz, and lower the mash temp to 152 or even 150
 
sounds good... well i am thinking my thermometer has been off too a tad...

yesterday i broke my digital so i have to go buy a new one today... Off to target i go later...

plus im bottling the arrogant bastard today and oaking 2.5 gallons of that.

so i guess next time ill switch out the 2row for pilz, and lower the mash temp to 152 or even 150

Well try mine first and see of you agree ;)

btw I love this thermometer. Very fast to get to temp... VERY accurate. Not bad on the price
 
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Hey all, a heads up on that bayou pot for any who were considering it. I cannot recommend this pot

I received my pot which seemed to be ok, just rather larger in diameter. Sure enough I measured it and bam, 19 1/8 inches wide vs. the 18 1/4 inches wide (inner diameter) as listed by the manufacturer. That is nearly an inch larger than spec. I know I am possibly splitting hairs here, but I am debating returning it. Machining steel is usually done with pretty darn fair precision.

I called the seller (great guy, really doing the right thing and he said bayou classic measured a bunch of pots I.D. and they ranged from 18.75''- 19.5''. So none of the pots meet the spec posted.. ON THE MANUFACTURER'S WEBSITE.

I called to double check myself and they are getting back to me.

Point is, If they can't be bothered to turn out a solid product within spec, how can I trust that the rest of the pot is made well? Is it really 304 stainless and an even 18g steel? If all the pot heights are the same and the diameters vary, does the pot actually hold 102qts?!

I know, I know... I am a pain in the ___ with this. Just thought I would let you guys know.


All that said my megapot WAS to a precise measure. I think I might go back to the megapot instead.
 
put a magnet on it.. if it sticks (not SS)

I would say to measure out 102 qts put it in there and see if it really is

lastly if it does not have a rolled lip measure the thickness of the material with calipers..

if it was me and all that did not pass, then the damn thing would be going back otherwise i would keep it.


I had the SS issue with my drip pan.. It was the one from lowes for a mud pan. the freakin thing was said to be SS, but went to weld it, would not flow like SS, after a while of thinking why we stuck a magnet on it and the damn thing stuck.. either its the cheapest SS in the world or its plated/galvanized.
 
Yeah I decided that I am going to return it. I think I just am a pain in the arse and want something as high quality as the megapot I have. You can see a couple tack weld marks where they joined the sheet, the handles are hard to get my mits on, maybe because I have a bit bigger hands. The rivets in the handles that hold it on are tiny and they aren't reinforced by a plate like my megapot is. I am wondering if they would work themselves out if you lifted in up frequently with any liquid in it. All that plus the dimensions are grossly over what they report, which makes me annoyed because that was the main reason I broke down and bought it, seemed great on paper. I will return it and get a megapot instead. $239 free shipping from Austin Home Brew for a pot that is grade A... well worth the extra $30. At least now I will have two shields in the event of an apocalypse (lids for the megapots could really brain somebody!) ;)

The people selling it actually have it drop shipped from the manufacturer, so they are good people, just a bad product (or let's say an inferior product to the megapots IMO). Oh well!

So rust you can weld stainless?!! that is pretty cool

You sure about the magnetic thing? I have read 304 stainless can have magnetic properties
 
yeah, my buddy has a tig, so if i need to use it he lets me.. SS is pretty easy to weld comparable to aluminum...

here is a little factoid i found

Many cold drawn and/or polished bars have a noticeable amount of magnetism as a result of the previous cold work. This is particularly the case with grades 304 and 303, and much less so for the higher nickel grades such as 310 and 316. Even within the chemical limitations of a single standard analysis range there can be a pronounced variation in the rate of inducement of magnetic response from cold work.

rolling or even centreless grinding, shot blasting or heavy polishing. After substantial cold working Grade 304 may exhibit quite strong response to a magnet, whereas Grades 310 and 316 will in most instances still be almost totally non-responsive.

btw, midwest supplies sucks as shipping stuff out.. (ordered the stuff on monday.. thinking i would get it by friday) the stuff still has not shipped... (apparently shipping today) so now my brew weekend is f'ed if it does not get delivered friday or saturday( fedex) and my yeast will be sitting over the long weekend. Just had to get that one off my chest haha...
 
btw, midwest supplies sucks as shipping stuff out.. (ordered the stuff on monday.. thinking i would get it by friday) the stuff still has not shipped... (apparently shipping today)

They used to ship it out super fast but I noticed a huge lag lately (several months).

I concur on this, be prepared to hear me complain when i don't get the megapot until late next week or earlier the week after that. I don't know why Austin Home Brew supply takes so long to ship, but they do...
 
By the way, is there any interest in another grain order before the snow flies?

Let me know what you guys are thinking about that and I can set up a do or die round 5. i.e. if we don't close it by a certain date then we scrap it.

If there is anyone who might want to host the buy, let me know. It will be very hard for me to support it unless it were to close and ship prior to September 27 (probably not going to happen). I don't mind doing the organization, but someone would have to accept the pallet of grain at their house.


Also - I wasn't able to find cheap kegs, so I am giving up for now. If anybody turns some up - please keep me in mind! ;)
 
So psyched there is a syracuse group buy. Not quite into all grain yet, but hope to be soon.

Join the AG crowd! ;) We have lots of converts since the start of the grain buy. Many folks bit the bullet and tried BIAB AG brewing once they saw how great the prices were per lb. Far cheaper than extract!

I have said before that if you are interested and have questions post them. The guys on this thread will do their best to help you out. Lots of new guys, and quite a few experienced brewers alike.

I believe that extract is out of the group buys at this point, but I can double check as we have been able to buy it in the past (if you are interested).
 
Thanks! I think I'm going to try getting a few more extract batched under my belt (to improve my technique). Also, still need to buy some all grain equipment (mash tun, larger boil kettle, wort chiller). Once I get those three things (Christmas is coming up), I'll be ready for all grain. I'm definitely interested in joining the grain group buys, and hops too if you all do that as well. Is there a local homebrew club that any of you are in? I'd also love to get some insight from some more experienced brewers. I plan on driving a few hours to Albany in a few weeks to join a buddy who does all grain so I can shadow him on a brew day. Definitely looking forward to that!
 
BTW CidahMastah, love the pic of the Big Bone Lick sign. I drove through Kentucky a few years ago, saw the sign, and HAD to snap a pic. Some funny stuff...
 
Just so you are aware, not to rush you into the fray either ;), you only need a sparge bag and a larger brew pot to brew all grain well. You will probably graduate up from there, but that is a place to start. Search BIAB here and you will see what method I am talking about.

Shadowing a brew day will be a great way to get some perspective. If you are steeping specialty grains with your extract, time wise, AG isn't that much more.

A big key to consistent brew is fermentation temp.

Good luck!
 
Last Grain Buy Before Winter

The new link for the next grain buy is listed below. There were enough people asking to give this a shot. However there are a few caveats to this buy. I will keep track of ordering, but ordering might be delayed/postponed if I am unable to receive and process the order. If someone offers to accept the pallet load at their house or at a business address for distribution the order will not be delayed.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f174/syracuse-ny-round-5-group-grain-buy-266248/#post3221462
 
CidahMastah said:
Just so you are aware, not to rush you into the fray either ;), you only need a sparge bag and a larger brew pot to brew all grain well. You will probably graduate up from there, but that is a place to start. Search BIAB here and you will see what method I am talking about.

Shadowing a brew day will be a great way to get some perspective. If you are steeping specialty grains with your extract, time wise, AG isn't that much more.

A big key to consistent brew is fermentation temp.

Good luck!

Thanks. I have heard about the BIAB method but will probably just go straight to the mash with a tun. I might as well go all our since I am hooked!
 
I did three BIAB batches to demystify AG. Once I saw how easy it was.... I was all about upgrading. Right now I have a blichmann MT and my brew partner and I are upgrading our BK. I have an electric system that rocks. I say, jump in up to your neck!

I would recc a BK and MT no smaller than 15G so you have the ability to brew upt to 10G batches and high gravity barley wines, belgians etc. I am sure your friend will tell you the same.


FYI I believe that DME and LME are available in the group buys. Hops are also for sale, subject to availability. See the new link I posted if you are interested.
 
yeah it was picked up - I assumed that you arranged the rest of the details for pick up on your end
 
Anyone here know about the water quality in the Syracuse area? I am in Van Buren and my water comes from Otisco and Ontario lakes. I want to start all grain soon and am wondering if I should be adding anything to the water before I mash. Anyone around here get their water from these lakes?
 
it is about $25 I think, but the best way to know what is in your specific water for brewing:

I did the w-5 but I think you could get away with the w-6

http://www.wardlab.com/FeeSchedule/WaterAnalysis.aspx

the results look like this for me:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/ne...taste-taste-multiple-hefes-264201/index4.html

see post 39 for my water results (I am on a well).


Also, this thread is sort of dead - you may want to repost on the Syracuse grain buy #5 to see if anyone in your area has done this yet. I would say you are fine to mash unless you can't drink you water without plugging your nose ;) If you have a water softener you would won't to address the chorine, etc., with cambden. Some other guys on here have done that, but I ahven't since I don't have that issue.

My water is clsoest to the dublin style.
 
Thanks. I know my water is hard and we have a softener but we have never used it. I'll definitely check it out. Thanks!
 
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