Recent content by iowarider

Any updates on how this brew turned out?

This is the meter I went with. http://www.milwaukeeinstruments.com/site/component/content/article/38-martini-pocket-testers/103-products-g-martini-pocket-testers-g-ph55 I paid $49 for it. It has a resolution of 0.1 pH and a claimed accuracy of plus or minus the same. From what I've read, the...

Thanks so much for the input! I'm in southern Wisconsin for a few days, going to try to grab another lacto blend while I'm up here (or wait and culture my own, haven't decided yet.) Also some lactic acid to pre-sour with and hopefully a pH meter so I can do it right this time. I haven't been...

Ok, so 36 hours in, I pulled out the foam stopper and placed a rubber stopper and airlock. It's been another 72 hours since then. I just tasted the starter, and its all funk, no sourness at all, but also no acetic acid taste or smell. Thoughts?

Thanks! I'm assuming acetic acid would give a vinegar taste?

Newbie to sour beer brewing here. I purchased Omega Yeast Labs 605 Lacto Blend and made a 1.035 starter. It seems that I didn't do enough research prior to making it however, as I put in on my stirplate with a foam stopper instead of an airlock. It's been there now around 36 hours. This may...

For the benefit of anyone finding this thread later if trying to craft a similar brew, here's what I ended up doing. 6.5# German Wheat 4# German Pils 0.5# Honey Malt 0.75oz Hallertau @ 45min 0.25oz Hallertau @ 15 min 1/2 oz dried ginger @ 10 min 1 tsp Irish Moss @ 10 min Zest of 3 lemons @ 5...

Hmm come to think of it I remember reading that somewhere as well...

Anybody know how much of the crystallized ginger to use? Not sure if I can get fresh.

What type of beer are you brewing, and with what yeast?

Thanks! I'll do the starter then. Doesn't take much time and I've got the homemade stir plate and flask, so might as well. I'll do a straight-styled batch for my next one, but I really want something interesting at the moment. Plus I'll be entering it in my homebrew club's Wheat Beers...

I'm looking for suggestions for my first biab recipe. I've done 5 batches of extract beers with steeping grains and have had great results. The beer I'd like to brew is a Hefe base with an herbal/ginger/lemon kick to it. Here's my recipe so far for a 5.5ish gallon batch, mashing in a 10...

Thanks for the input everybody! I ended up adding the extra pound of DME and ounce of hops and skipping the lactose. Couldn't have turned out better! Its got a great balance, slight sweetness, and slight blueberry flavor that's not overpowering. The color is a deep purple. It's not my usual cup...

Thanks everybody. At this point, I'm thinking I'll brew it with the extra pound of malt, then add the lactose if needed for back sweetening at bottling. Lactose isn't fermentable at all, correct?

So use the extra pound of DME and skip the lactose?