Search results

The % of grist is a bit deceiving since it is an extract w/specialty grains recipe. The .5# in a RP works - that's what I put in mine along with 1# chocolate and it scored over 40 at NHC. Also at that high a SG, it can stand to have IBUs in the low to mid 50s. I like c.n.'s hop suggestions...

I have used them in a Scottish ale as a bittering hop - only 0.25 ounces in 5 gallons - and another 0.25 ounces at 20 minutes to go. The blackberry really comes through and it fits the style well. I have heard that many brewers in the UK are using these hops because with their natural disease...

I get plum/raisin notes from adding Special B (seems to give the raisiny notes better than Crystal 120) in my Scottish Ale which to uses 1728. It doesn't ferment out as much as some and that may accentuate these flavors. I also have been locking in a Fuller's 1845 clone (which uses WLP002/1968...

No choice here either. Being local, I really wanted to pitch in and help our online community out, but with a new job I thought I should wait and see what my workload is before I commit time I may not have. It turns out I have been assigned my first project, it was transfered me already behind...

I am going out to California for my brother's birthday in September and I was thinking of brewing up batch for the festivities and send it out there. I have sent a few bottles of beer by FedEx/UPS in the past, but never a full corny. Anyone ever do this and did you have issues? How about...

Congrats! From someone who was previously out of work and looking for a job this year, the feeling of finding something in a weak economy that you actually love to do and know you can excel in is awesome. Don't forget, though - keep a good work/life balance. Although many people that take a...

I was just at Hofbrau last Monday and they had a nice Maibock.

I wouldn't go as far as say never do it, but it is not really recommended. The issue is that you will have oxygen dissolved in solution in the water and addiding O2 to your beer once fermentation has started to slow is a bad idea. If you really want to go forwards with this, boil it to drive...

Exactly. Sparge until runnings are down to 1.008 or so at which point you have about as much sugar as you are going to get without tannin extraction. Then top off with water to get your pre-boil volume. I would have to check a lot of history of my recipes, but I don't think I ever made a beer...

UPDATE: I tried the gelatin and it worked well. I think it would have worked better had I gently stirred it in and had the beer not been carbonated. I read after I added it that stiring it in helps it bond electronically to the negatively charged particles before settling out (I assume the...

I just got an email back from our region coordinator and indeed, my beer that scored highest among the East Region porters (40.5) did go into a mini-Best In Category with the top five porters but failed to make the top three. He sent out a sheet showing all of the beers that made a mini-Best in...

Hop Shortage = "Not enough hops. Seems to be a common thread here." I know my American Amber was low on hops as well. On the issue of "over flavoring" beers, I think this is a common practice in large competitions, especially in the APAs and IPAs. Jamil's technique of getting most of...

Great experiment. I was wondering what volume of grain you are using and the thickness of your mash? I am curious what would happen if you repeated this triple experiment three times at three different grain bills, say a 5 gallon batch with 6 gallons of wort collected for 8 pounds, 12 pounds...

It shouldn't be infected - the layer of CO2 that formed above your wort will protect it. If you have a 5 to 5.5 gallon batch in an almost 8 gallon fermenter, the question is why is a fermentation on a 1.042 beer so vigorous? Is your temperature low enough for the yeast you are using...

Correct. Since this appears to be an extract kit, I would attempt a thin partial mash and steep the steel cut oats with the specialty grains in a small pot with enough water to cover the bag at 155F for 30 minutes. Not sure how much conversion the OP will get with only black patent and...

Thanks for the kind words. I was really hoping to advance this year since nationals are in my hometown. By the looks of the results from my region, it looks like Cincy will be well represented.

Makes sense, but it is a tough pill to swallow. The highest scoring porter in the country gets a 41, but my 40.5 doesn't make the cut. What's worse though is that I have made that beer in the past and I know I can do it better than what I submitted.

So you got the bone double. Eesh.:( That explanation makes some sense. I would have thought that they may have done that if there were different judges doing each subcategory and they moved the top 2 or 3 from each to a mini best in category. We had 25 porters, so they probabaly had...

Can someone explain this one - In my region, the high score for a porter was 40.5. I am looking at my score sheets and I received a 40.5 for my porter yet didn't advance. WTF???

You are dead on. They are awesome together. I am also quite conflicted - check out the 5 minute and dry hop additions in my posted APA and IPA recipes.