Recent content by pgrebus

BYO

Best resource for homebrewers. Welcome. Primary: Cafe de la Olla style stout Secondary: Mole style stout, Belgian quad aging on bourbon oak. On tap: nuttin!

It's possible that you have a yeast infection. You'll see references to rinsing the fruit in star-san to clean off yeast from the fruit, but most likely, you woke up the existing yeast with a boatload of fermentable sugars. You won't know until you taste it. Pete

Yuppies? ;)

There's a brewpub near me that has distinctly terrible beers. They started with the intent to do a brew-your-own place, but after buying the equipment, they realized the economics are tough (derp). They brewed on 9 15-gallon kettles, doing mini-mashes with DME. They've since upgraded to a...

Generally, use the correct yeast for the style. Within that, variations are fascinating. Brewed 25 gallons of brown ale with my club and pitched different English yeasts separated into 5 fermenters. Taste test revealed 5 drastically different beers. Differences in esters and floculation were...

I have a DIPA that I dry hopped with 1/4 oz chinook (among others), and the chinook dominates to the extent that the beer is acrid. I was thinking of de-carbonating it (I dry hopped in keg), and aging it with a sour yeast. Otherwise, something I'll dump. Thoughts?

cider flavoring? Is this a kit? Share the recipe.

Difficult to answer such a broad question. Style dictates a lot. But, roughly 12-25 lbs of grain, 1-16 oz hops, 9 gallons of water, 1 yeast starter.

Yes, the most active fermentation is within a few days, with a few weeks (or more) to finish up. Take gravity readings a few days apart, and when they stabilize, it's done. IMHO, not worth the effort to try and fix.

No good way to "fix" this one. You could try blending with another beer. You may see efficiency fall with high gravity beers, though.

Interesting stuff - thanks for the info. I had no idea there was a yeast-washing conspiracy. I wonder where this advice originated. I'll have to consult a Yeast Lord

BYO magazine's last issue doesn't agree. Got any facts?

I suppose it's an acquired taste, but Tart of Darkness is a great beer. You might need to train your palette for sours. Maybe start with a fruit lambic, which balances the sour with the sweet.

The reason to wash the yeast is to get rid of trub, which will cause off flavors, and get rid of dead yeast cells. Pitching onto these can cause off flavors. Best to have the new beer ready to go and to pitch the yeast immediately.