Search results

Or use some potassium metabisulfite to sanitize fruit. I prefer it over pasteurizing because IME it retains the bright fresh fruit character much better.

I definitely wouldn't use regular canned fruit; it's usually packed in heavy syrup and has a cooked character to me. The Vintner's Choice ones are supposed to be the homebrew brand for Oregon Fruit's Aseptic Purees...

Assuming it really is isovaleric acid, I don't think sach can metabolize it. Brett can reportedly break it down into more appealing compounds (e.g. see http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Isovaleric_Acid). Brett can also produce isovaleric acid. How did the hops smell before you added them to the...

Ha, yeah these things aren't cheap. It's kind of crazy how expensive the fittings can be. So those little bulkheads would only be big enough for a single layer. I made a larger hole on the inside of mine so just the exterior metal of the cooler is sandwiched between the nut and the bulkhead...

Both mine use red ones and I believe they are color coded by size. I think those are actually 5/16" even though they list them as 1/2" (the pic shows them as being sized in between the white 1/4" and the black 3/8"). I ordered a bunch from these these guys...

I built a four tap using a 7 circuit cold plate a while back (http://www.microbusbrewery.org/2015/11/steel-belted-jockey-box-build.html) and I'm getting ready to start on another one soon. I'd replace the bushings; they may not be leaking now, but they're cheap and you don't want to have to...

Usually 30A, Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer. If you have other dominant characteristics, it could go in a different category. For example if it was aged in a bourbon barrel, 33B could work. But if it's just the base beer plus coffee, I'd go with 30A.

I know of few that are recirculating their dry hops. Sierra Nevada with their torpedo was probably the first one that I heard of, but I know there are quite a few commercial breweries doing it now (bierhaus15 mentions it in post 45). As long as you have the ability to purge oxygen and...

So you went from 3.68 in 2.75 days then to 3.49 after four days, correct? And you're not seeing any additional change in pH since reaching 3.49, correct? That's pretty consistent with my experience with that strain using GoodBelly SuperShots pitched directly from the container at 100F then...

Most likely chlorophenol. I got it once with a Rauchbier a long time ago and IME it does not age out (after 1+ year, mine still tasted like crap). I've used that yeast a bunch of times without any issues. The first thing I'd look at is your water. If the water is the problem, distilled...

Nice. It's fairly easy. The hardest part is probably drying them and that's not really hard either. Are you planning on air drying? Food dehydrator? I use a food dehydrator myself. I think it was a Walmart purchase originally intended for fruit and beef jerky, but it works well for hops...

Awesome info bierhaus. Kind of on a related note, I bought a Blichmann QuickCarb on a whim about a week ago. I really had no plan to buy one but I was talking with the guys at one of our LHBS about it and they were commenting about how nice it was to be able to carb and drink hop-focused beers...

I got some from a Country Malt Group rep at a festival back at the beginning of June. The sample I got wasn't pelletized, but the subsequent ones I've bought through my LHBS have been pelletized. I imagine the pelletized version would sink just fine, but the rep said the non-pelletized version...

I have a Foodsaver brand one...not sure on the model number but I think it wa about $65. About the only thing I would suggest is make sure replacement gaskets are available and reasonably priced because they do have to be replaced occasionally.

+1, helps things seat properly without binding. I also put a little dab on the post threads. Never had problems myself, but I've heard of a few people having galling problems with some of the newer Italian corny kegs. A little dab ensures the threads are lubed and helps eliminate the risk of...

I take it up to 170F after the mash to pasteurize then chill to 100F and pitch the Lactobacillus. Then I just put it in the warmest room in the house and leave it at room temp until the pH gets down around 3.3 to 3.4. I know people get much faster results if they can maintain temps around...

Buy a GoodBelly SuperShot...no starter needed IME. 50 billion cells per container for $1.50-$2.00.

Yeah, a little bit of acetic acid can add some complexity in sours, but a Berliner should really get its sourness from lactic acid.

It should fully sour within a week at room temp. At warmer temps (~95F), it can sour in significantly less time...reportedly less than 24 hours (see http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Alternative_Bacteria_Sources). I use it at room temp and usually let it go for about 5 days...it just depends on...

I've kind of ranted before about what I consider to be the myth of needing dedicated equipment for sours. I brew quite a few sours, but also lots of clean beers. I really think the idea of dedicated equipment probably originated in order to address the lowest common denominator...the brewer...