Recent content by escalante88

Also take into consideration that rigorous fermentation will raise your temp. So if you start a bit lower you should be all good.

There are much less expensive options. I did the following: 1. Craigslist fridge - rebuilt inside 2. Inkbird itc-308 (amazon) for $35 3. Fermentation temp control is critical

hey guys, i was looking at an old thread for la houblon chouffe ipa and was intrigued that the recipe called for 2wks of lagering at 32f after it had already fermentated at ale temps. this was done in concert with dry hopping. what are the benefits/effects of lagering an ipa after it has...

congrats on the mash tun man! great to hear..

apollomc what was your mash temp? if it was lower, your wort contained more fermentable sugars and fermented on the drier side ("malt" = more alcohol = lower temp). if higher, the opposite applies. my most recent batch ended up with an fg similar to yours. it happens. try and mash higher next...

give it a couple more weeks. i tasted mine a few weeks in and was a little disappointed when the pumpkin and spice didn't come through - it tasted harsh and hoppy and green. two weeks later, it's like it was a different beer. just kegged it yesterday and it's like previous batches.

i don't see why it wouldn't work. it might not be as scaleable as doing a tincture, but you are essentially repeating what you did during the boil, except you're using only water w/o converted starches. let me know how it works man!

i typically do 1.5 tbsp of mccormick pumpkin spice with a few minutes left in the boil. it's possible you didn't add enough spice. one option is to make a tincture: 1 tbsp spice w/ 3oz vodka, let sit for a week, strain through coffee filter. when you decide to keg or bottle, take a measured...

anybody ever consider racking from the primary to a fresh bourbon barrel for a few days to a week? i know reno was hesitant about previous suggestions for bourbon and vanilla additions as he didn't want to overpower the more subtle pumpkin notes. i think it has potential to be super tasty...

when you say skunky just plain bad, what exactly do you mean? hopefully it's just green, but it sounds like an altogether different process could be taking place. how else would you describe the taste - like rancid, acidic, bitter, etc? also, did you taste it before you bottled it?

and i am buying beersmith for myself!

thanks guys! i definitely think the 7gal sparge was an overcalculation, but i think setting aside the last 2+ gallons of the sparge was a good idea. hopefully my gravity will end up ok - beersmith calculated an sg of 1.044, so will we see. I will definitely make calculations of my own next time...

hey guys, i'm just getting back into brewing, and am doing an all grain blonde ale. i calculated the numbers at my LHBS using beersmith, and came up with a 3.8 gal mash, and a 7 gal sparge, with 9 lbs grain. to make a long story short, the sparge volume was way too much to end up with preboil...

I think the Saaz would be appropriate for what you are trying to create - Saaz is also used in Pilsner Urquell and many other lagers. I recently brewed a simple batch as well - a kind of blonde ale/lager hybrid (the recipe of which I will be posting soon) and Saaz were perfect for it. I think...

Hi all, I've been away awhile but it's good to be back. I'm doing my first all-grain batch soon, an oatmeal stout using Jamil's recipe with minor alterations due to ingredient availability. Here is what I have: 10 # 2-row (US) 2 oz Kent Goldings @ 60 1 # Flaked oats...