Recent content by RyanT

A couple years back, i made myself a clone of Orval, and used the corresponding beir de mars wild yeast, and I was warned at the homebrew store that this yeast could get stuck in my equipment even after the cleaning process, and all future beers would have slight orval flavors. Sure enough...

thanks! I do plan on bottle conditioning. I also really like banana flavors in belgians, so hopefully those fusels will turn over into esthers. I brewed a tripel over the winter, and wow, it took maybe 3 months in the bottles to erode the harsh bite of the fusels. now they taste real...

I realized last night that my wife had been turning off the AC in our condo to save costs while we were at work during the day. I have been fermenting a Wit beer during these past 2 days of high temperatures in Chicago, and she remembered that it was 85 degrees in the condo when she got home...

I have been fermenting my grand cru in primary for 3 weeks, and I now have a stuck fermentation. OG was at 1.084, now I am stuck at 1.024. Attenuation at 69% thus far. Fermentation temp is around 68-74 degrees. Here's what I have done: I went and bought some more Wyeast 1214 (same as...

I just popped open my first beer out of a batch of tripel I made. The taste was right on the money. However, the carbonation was very very weak. I think it was due to the fact that I did a 40* secondary which dropped most of my yeast and I probably didn't re-incorporate enough of it at bottling...

I actually just finished reading the chapter on Yeast in Brew Like a Monk. There is a lot of discussion on the starting primary fermentation temp, and raising it, just like you said. That makes sense though - keep the secondary cool, because the yeast will fall to the bottom at lower temps...

So, I've been reading "Brew like a Monk," and coincidentally, I am also finishing up a 4 week primary fermentation on a Tripel. This weekend, I am planning on transferring to secondary, and leaving it in my guest bathroom bathtub (in a carboy!) for a couple months (temp stays at +/- 70*)...

Great thread! I just made my first yeast starter about 8 hrs ago. Its about 1 AM, and I was a little nervous, because I haven't seen any bubbling or krausen yet. So I went online, found your pics, and see that mine is starting to lighten in color like your "17 hour photo." Peeeerrrrfect. I...

very good point! I assume this means that you let your starters go for 2-3 days before pitching?

I agree on the yeast starter. No offense taken. I need all the help and advice I can get, since this is only my third beer. I used the web app: Mr Malty Pitching Rate Calculator to determine that i need to make a starter with 4.2 quarts of wort. I am planning on creating the yeast starter...

I am going to be doing a belgian Tripel on a partial mash. here's the recipe i'm going to use: estimated OG: 1.079 estimated IBU's: 26.9 estimated partial mash to water ratio: 1 quart per lb of grain 6 lb pilsner liquid extract (late addition) 3.5 lb pilsner malt 1 lb wheat malt 1 oz styrian...

thanks for all the helpful thoughts. I will do a 3-4 week primary and then a 2 month secondary. After those two things have happened, do I still need an extended bottle-conditioning period? Or just do the normal 3-4 weeks to build up the carbonation?

Thanks. I understand.

just looked at Midwest and Austin brew online. Don't see any Pilsner extracts. Do you mean "extra light dry malt extract" is the same sort of thing as "pilsner extract?" keep in mind- my plan is to use 6 lb of extract and partial-mash 3 lb of pilsner malt on the stovetop.

Got a lot of similar comments from others, so the peel is gone!