brew day yesterday, brewed a Belgian and a kolsch, fun, needed a little more organization than with one batch to keep track. Also, first mini-mash. That was inside, wife didn’t dig it. But she likes the beer, so...
Ok, some questions
Kolsch turned out to be pretty dark, more like a light stout. Was an extract batch with 2 adds. Expected light yellow, got medium brown. Anything I could have done to make this color? There was some dark residue on bottom of kettle - maybe burned some wort? I’m using a direct flame propane burner, should I get a metal plate to more evenly distribute the heat?
For grains, both mash and steeping - there’s a lot of ‘dust’ left from milling. Should this go in the wort, or should I beat the socks until no more dust? I noticed a lot of filter clogging, especially from the mini mash. I have a mesh colander, and then a fine screen that’s in the funnel. Colander gets most of the hops and screen just clogs, assume its from the fines and not hops mostly.
I read the beer bible (got two, read them both) - remember something about when to add things and why, can’t find it. Understand with hops how different adds give different flavors, smells, but with extracts and other things, is there a method? For the kolsch I put DME in later on the boil, but the Belgian, all the fermentables went in at the beginning.
I’m kegging these batches. Is there a difference between putting priming sugar in the kegs and just howling up CO2? Both methods are talked about here and elsewhere - but I’d the final result the same? Or should I just try both and see which I like better?
My keggerator is empty and I am going to not buy more beer - going completely home brew - but it only fits two corny kegs (never thought I’d be doing this so didn’t find one with room for 3) - can I keep the standby kegs carb’d and room temp or will that impact the beer (other than making it not available)?
Thanks
Dave
Ok, some questions
Kolsch turned out to be pretty dark, more like a light stout. Was an extract batch with 2 adds. Expected light yellow, got medium brown. Anything I could have done to make this color? There was some dark residue on bottom of kettle - maybe burned some wort? I’m using a direct flame propane burner, should I get a metal plate to more evenly distribute the heat?
For grains, both mash and steeping - there’s a lot of ‘dust’ left from milling. Should this go in the wort, or should I beat the socks until no more dust? I noticed a lot of filter clogging, especially from the mini mash. I have a mesh colander, and then a fine screen that’s in the funnel. Colander gets most of the hops and screen just clogs, assume its from the fines and not hops mostly.
I read the beer bible (got two, read them both) - remember something about when to add things and why, can’t find it. Understand with hops how different adds give different flavors, smells, but with extracts and other things, is there a method? For the kolsch I put DME in later on the boil, but the Belgian, all the fermentables went in at the beginning.
I’m kegging these batches. Is there a difference between putting priming sugar in the kegs and just howling up CO2? Both methods are talked about here and elsewhere - but I’d the final result the same? Or should I just try both and see which I like better?
My keggerator is empty and I am going to not buy more beer - going completely home brew - but it only fits two corny kegs (never thought I’d be doing this so didn’t find one with room for 3) - can I keep the standby kegs carb’d and room temp or will that impact the beer (other than making it not available)?
Thanks
Dave
