Recent content by HotbreakHotel

MattTim, I recently made an American wheat style with 15% wheat berries and 8% corn grits. I did a cereal mash with 6-row to convert it, then added to the main mash. I got a pronounced wheaty grainy flavor. I used my well water which has a lot of alkalinity so I also added some acidulated...

Yes, I find it's ok to adjust 15 minutes into the mash. That's usually when I do it. Some people dough in at 104*F (40C), adjust the mash pH, then raise the mash temp. This method will only work if your mash is direct fired because if you have to add more water to raise the mash temp that...

I usually use 2 x 14 oz packs of coconut for a 5 gallon batch, but I think I could use more! Next time maybe I'll do 3 or 4 packs. I use the regular sweetened kind from the supermarket and it still comes out good. I agree it's a big mess racking if you don't put it in a bag or something.

You said you usually make IPA's...do you dry hop? Dry hopping causes chill haze...

Way to go with the chemistry stuff!! :rockin: Thanks for clarifying. I know water chemistry like I know electricity -- do this and that happens, but I don't always know why... so thanks for clarifying! :)

You can either put CaCO3 in the mash directly or dissolve it first in carbonated water. As I understand dissolving it first makes it more effective at raising pH. I don't know anything more about it because I've never done it, and I doubt if I ever will. I just wanted to clarify...not confuse :o

I would add the planned amount of baking soda, based on the flavor you want. Then if your mash is still acidic you can add some CaC03. Here's my experience with CaCO3 -- you can't really add too much, because no matter how much you put in it will only raise the pH a little, but it will raise...

I've been thinking about one at my house. I need a few days to work out a date.

You can get the samples tested by Ward Labs if you want. It's about $16 or so for a test. www.wardlab.com

My water at home has lots of calcium, but if I had to build from distilled I could put in 1g/gal CaCl and get 72 calcium and 127 Cl. The Cl would be at my high limit but still acceptable to me for this style. Then for this style I would expect about an acidic mash so also add a little baking...

IMO for this big malt bill the IBU's are good, but I'm a hophead! The FWH will be awesome -- I would just make some of it centennial. Also, adding a splitting the late hops with some good character hops like simcoe, amarillo, and/or a smidgen of citra and/or sorachi makes the hop character...

If it were me doing a Wee Heavy I would go for zero sulfate and 80-90 ppm chloride (but no higher than 125). Maybe 50 or so sodium too. Of course you may want to vary to suit your tastes but if I were brewing this beer tomorrow that's what I would do.

My experience and opinion is also that for a malty beer keep sulfates very low but have a good level of chloride and maybe some sodium. For me the opposite is true for hoppy beers -- I like high sulfates but also a good level of chloride (but no sodium) to balance.

Rhino farts is an understatement I think. Lagers stink really really bad when they are in active fermentation!

If you transfer the beer to secondary first without purging the secondary with CO2 you will certainly get oxygen. I'd seal up the primary and transport it there because there shouldn't be any oxygen left in there.