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I like your 5% rule. Do you use any software to develop your recipes (like BeerSmith)? If so, do you adjust the alpha content of the hop for current time? I suppose you could just match the alpha with whatever is on the pouch and then add 5% per year of whatever you are using off of the software...

Thanks for the good info. When you say 5% do you mean 5% loss of total AA? Like 5 percent loss a year for 12% alpha would be 0.6% lost per year right?

Cool your PH samples down to room temperature (per the water book I am reading that is 68 degrees) and use that as the PH that you will record. All PH recordings in brewing are recorded at room temperature. The ATC does not account for the actual temperature you are checking the PH. PH values...

Hello all, I just bought 32 ounces of hops harvested in 2014 for 25 dollars from Yakima Valley Hops, a hop distribution center that sells online http://www.yakimavalleyhops.com/aboutus.asp. I emailed them in concern that the hops are old and may be pretty much expired and useless. The company...

You just answered the question I was looking for. Your water profiles seem to use less minerals than beersmith seems to think is reccomended for a certain SRM or even a sulfate/chloride ratio considered to bring off malt or bitterness. I DO NOT consider this a problem. Your "less is more theory"...

Hello all, I am trying my best to hop onto the Bru'n Water train. I have been using Beersmith's water adjustment tool for quite some time. I am used to it and would like to keep using it. I have Bru'n Water's excel sheet and I am now going to use Bru'n Water's mineral profiles inside...

Come to think of it, I have rarely even had to make adjustments after doughing in. I put the estimated amount of lactic acid that Beersmith tells me to put in based upon the grains and the water profile in the strike water before I pour it in my mash tun. This method usually gets me in range...

That chart above works for me, so I am going to continue to use it and be non-commital until I have the time to sit around and read about water chemistry, and experiment with different salts to develop my own profiles that satisfy my own taste. I am only a year into this brewing venture that I...

When I adjust within the first 5 minutes, like many do, I don't think this is a practice that is erroneous. I measure my sparge PH and its in range (5.2-5.4) from the adjustment at dough in, and then measure my kettle PH before boiling and it is still in range (5.2-5.4). Both the of the PH...

I have attached what I use to build my mineral contents from distilled water for a certain style or SRM. Are you guys saying that I should not concentrate on the ratio of the sulfate to chloride used on this chart, but the exact concentration, as different concentrations are suitable for...

Here is another question: Beersmith reccomends the range of sulfate to be 50-250 ppm and chloride to be 0-250. As long as you stay in those ranges to establish your "concentration values" to make a certain malt forward or hop forward beer, it should be fine with any style correct?

I see what your saying. I suppose the term "ratio" is not the correct term to use because the ratio can be the same at different concentrations. I suppose it is better to just look at your concentration of each. You would want more chloride than sulfate in a malt forward beer, and you would want...

Hello all, I am looking to learn about the fine details of hops including the varieties that give different characteristics, optimal storage methods, and the fine details such as the other components within each type of hop that makes it characteristic. Maybe I should go back to How to Brew...

Saying that "the ratio is meaningless" is invalid. Of course you would want to stay in the appropriate range of how much chloride and sulfate you would use to establish a certain ratio. Why would you use more if you can get the same ratio with less? This especially does not make sense if you are...

Even if your water is alkaline (or lack there of), could you not adjust the mash PH after doughing in to your target 5.2-5.6 range? I assumed this was already being done. After balancing your PH, id say the next important thing would be your sulfate:chloride ratio. I use a guide to make my...

you can step it up by keeping on your stir plate for 24-48 hours throwing it in the fridge, decanting it and then making another starter to make more yeast. I just used an 8 month old pack of wyeast kolsch yeast. I did what I just said, and even though no krausen on top of the liquid in the...

Maybe adding some honey malt and some flaked corn will spice up your recipe some. This would turn your recipe into a Vanilla cream ale which I just made. You don't really need any flavoring component from the hops. I would add most at 60 minutes, then maybe a little towards the 10 minute mark to...

Why not just adjust the PH in the first 5 minutes of pouring in your strike water with lactic acid? I just take a shot glass sample from the mash after I dough in and get that sample down to 77 degrees by putting the shot glass in a bowl full of ice and stirring with my thermometer. Takes about...

Never tried that. I would be worried about the possibility of one of the containers not being completely sanitized but then again, if you drop them in your wort when it has just finished boiling, that is hot enough to sanitize anything. Are the containers you use to freeze the ice food safe and...

the buckets have to be a different volumetric size. time to measure out some water and pour into each of those buckets to see if your measurement lines are correct.