Recent content by MagicRat

I have used the same 10G Igloo mash tun for every batch I've ever brewed. I preheat it with a couple gallons of 170F water. I typically lose about 12F from strike water to get to the desired mash temp. I always mash for 60 minutes and stir at 15 minute intervals. I find that I typically only...

I do this exactly. My wife has greatly appreciated the reduced stickiness on the kitchen floor after bottling.

I experimented with using the dishwasher (without soap) to wash and sanitize my bottles on bottling day and it has made bottling day so much less stressful. I used to take a bottling brush and PBW solution to every individual bottle and soak in StarSan. I've never had any problems with...

Bottling is all I know and I don’t mind it that much. The only thing that causes me to consider the move to kegging is that I still have trouble achieving a consistent level of carbonation. It would be nice to be able to dial that in.

A 10.5% tripel.

I dumped my third batch, an all-grain hefe. It was also the last batch for which I did not take OG/FG readings. I don’t know what went wrong to this day. My process has changed very little except obviously I can tell that fermentation has actually occurred without relying on simply the...

An APA. About 5.5% ABV, dry hopped with Centennial. 11 two row 1 C-40 1 flaked wheat WLP001

Except an IPA long ago ceased to be one particular thing. The version of the IPA that developed in the US bears only the most superficial resemblance to the English beer from which it got its name. And now we’ve recognized black IPAs, white IPAs, red IPAs. The NE is just another variety that...

What is a NEIPA “pretending” to be?

Why is Hefeweizen not subject to the same criticism? Because it’s such an old and accepted style?

I enjoy the style. I don’t care for most of the terribly bitter IPAs that were dominant a few years ago so the hop aromas without the bitterness offered by NEIPAs was something I welcomed. Haze doesn’t bother me. I love Bavarian hefes. I rarely brew IPAs but the one time I made a NEIPA, the...

Making a simple Vienna lager - 10 Vienna, .5 Caramunich II, .1 Carafa II

After about 35 batches, I was finally able to ferment with temperature control and this is my first true lager, a German pilsner. Not quite fully carbed, but nice and clear, looks, smells, and tastes just right!

A simple International Pale Lager - 8 Briess pilsen, 2 flaked corn, hopped with Saaz, WLP840.

My best so far out of 30+ batches. I was shooting for an easy drinking, lightly hopped, Florida summer beer. This is everything I wanted and more. Spectacular to look at and drink! 10# Weyermann Pils 2# Briess Goldpils Vienna 1# Briess Bonlander Munich 1 Hallertau Blanc at 60 1 HB at 10 2...