Recent content by jmhart

Old thread, but looking for an update: OP...how'd it work out for you? I'm bottling a sour and would like to carb it pretty high.

I'll be driving up to the Lexington/Lousiville area doing the Kentucky Bourbon Trail with some buddies at the end of March. Anybody have any suggestions on where I could pick up a 15-30 gallon used bourbon barrel?

IME a combination is best, but that really intense hop aroma you're looking for won't be achieved without dry hopping. Maybe find some whole hops and use a hop bag. That'd help with that clouding issue, at least a little.

Maillard reactions are different than caramelization. This is an interesting read on the subject (not specifically brewing related, but food related): http://www.dartagnan.com/t54/60323/a3637/Food-How--Tos--Guides/Page-1.html The OP would have experienced some Maillard reactions from his...

It's in How To Brew, which is most people's "first" brewing book.

Thanks for the clarification. I was definitely reading it the other way.

Interesting. I made the opposite assumption. I read a lot of Old Sock's stuff, and (I could be remembering wrong) I recall reading that his best sours are when he includes the bugs along with the primary. Therefore, I assumed the same about Brett. However, after your post I did some more...

This was a 10 gal batch that I split. Half with 100% Ringwood and the other half with Ringwood/Brett B. I made a very large starter of the Ringwood and split that between the fermenters. I also made a Brett B starter, but I may not have done it correctly/the best way. I treated it just like...

Interesting. My first Brett was an Old Ale fermented with Ringwood Ale and Brett B. Pitched both for primary fermentation. Brewed it Labor Day 2011. Checked gravity this weekend and it was 1.012. Got me a bit worried. I've been going over in my head brewing another funky beer up and...

I've only recently started brewing with Brett, so I'm only speaking from my research. 1.020 definitely seems way too high. From what I've read, general consensus is that Brett *can* take up to 3 months to really finish. I think after fermentation on the yeast cake settles down, I'd rack...

So, as you've already discovered, the fresh ginger root won't restart fermentation. How much of the fresh ginger did you add? I added 3 rounded tablespoons of fresh shredded ginger to my winter warmer this year. Ended up being a very ginger beer. My brewing partner and I loved it, but we're...

Currently they are pasteurized. From what I understand, the corked and caged bottles were all done by hand in order to prevent contamination of their bottling line. In order to ramp up production of La Folie for national distribution (necessitating bottling via the bottling line) they had to...

I rinse and put them into stray spots in the dishwasher. I then store them until use, when I run all of my bottles through the diswasher for rinsing/sanitizing.

I brewed this up on Labor Day. One half was 100% Ringwood Ale. The other half was 50/50 Ringwood/Brett L. I agree with you on the Brett C. When I purchased the Brett L. my LHBS was out of Brett C. I think that would been a better choice, but the Brett L. will make a tasty brew just the...

That's what the package says, sure, but there's no need to rehydrate. KISS: sprinkle on top.