Recent content by staggerlee

I just split a batch of scrumpy into 3 carboys & fermented with different yeasts at ambient temperature of 13ºC. Wyeast 2565 - fermented quickly, tastes "rough" when crashed at 1.010. Will probably have to bulk age or blend to make it palatable. Safale S-04 - solid ferment, tastes quite nice...

Currently having a beyotch of a time trying to get this one to floc out. Cold crashing got it to stratify a bit, but the only "clear" part of the beer after more than a week at 4ºC is the top 2 inches. Not sure what happened here...

A different perspective: the water I brew with is highly alkaline and crushing looser seems to have helped me avoid excess tannic character in my beers. If the OP is in a high-pH area I'd say stay where you are (his crush looks a lot like mine and although efficiency is lower flavor is good) but...

I love Special B and I love cider - I'll be trying this when the neighbourhood apples are ready! Thanks for the idea.

OK, brewing this on Saturday. SWMBO and I are both excited about it. Planning to use Wyeast 2565 (for flavour it blows 1056 away in my books and I have a full pipeline so I don't mind the extra waiting for it to finish & clear). One question, though: I have a bunch of Sorachi Ace hops that I'm...

Total of 1769 now.

V. funny thread title. Time heals most beers.

There goes your Reinheitsgebot rating.

I can't get honey malt locally at the moment. Is there anything I can substitute?

I've recently taken to splitting my batches in half and fermenting with two different yeasts under identical conditions. When I get home on Monday night the first such batch (a porter split between 1028 and 1084) should be carbonated & ready for tasting. Costs more for the yeast but negates...

A "resinous grassy flavour" after "a week or two" of dry-hopping sounds like you've just got too much contact time. Try more hops for three or so days instead of fewer hops for longer. That said, I like the Randall idea.

Jolly Pumpkin makes a fairly robust sour stout called Madrugada Obscura. To my palate the sour didn't work so well with the bitterness, but YMMV.

Does she have a sister?

Title says it all. I'll order from the US in a pinch (Hops Direct won't ship outside the Lower 48, drat!) but would prefer a domestic supplier. Anyone know one?

OK, thanks for the responses. Two other things I'd forgotten: 1) The yeast I used was old-ish and sluggish: the last of a batch of Wyeast 1099 my LHBS had lying around while they were waiting on a fresh order. Smack pack didn't inflate the morning of brew day, did a starter mid-day which...