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  1. Iowa Brewer

    Favorite Liquors for Vanilla Tinctures?

    I brew a chocolate stout, using a few vanilla beans (split & scraped) soaked in vodka. Been thinking of changing things up, maybe using bourbon or rum. What are your favorite liquors for making vanilla tinctures? Do you use different processes depending on which liquor you’re using?
  2. Iowa Brewer

    Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Mash Conversion

    RO-water was heated Grist at the ready Went to pour in my obsessively-measured salts (spot on to the .00th of a gram), when I slipped, spilling most of them in the kettle... but some on the brew-room floor. With most of the salts already in the water, there was no way out but through. I wet my...
  3. Iowa Brewer

    Timing my Dry Hopping & Cold Crashing

    Hey all, About to dry-hop a NEIPA. I've read that dry hopping for 3-4days produces the wanted benefits while avoiding grassy off-flavors from dry hopping for too long. How does cold crashing factor into this? If I dry hop for 4days and then cold crash for 2days, do I risk unwanted flavors...
  4. Iowa Brewer

    Do You Have a Go-To Yeast Brand?

    Curious if folks a particular brand to be superior or if they find yeast quality to be more style-specific.
  5. Iowa Brewer

    Original Gravity: How Off Is Too Off?

    Hey all, Brewing an NEIPA with an estimated 1.074 that came in at 1.068. Always wondered if there's a rule of thumb as to how low is too low? At what point to folks start intervening to raise their OG? Many thanks, and happy brewing!
  6. Iowa Brewer

    Okay to Pitch Cold Yeast into Room-Temp Wort?

    Hey all, Today's brew-day SNAFU: forgot to take my 2-liter yeast starter out of the fridge for a NEIPA. Now I'm in the boil phase & hope to pitch after a 20min whirlpool and cool-down (90min from now?). Is it better to fill my fermenter and wait until my yeast gets to room temp to pitch...
  7. Iowa Brewer

    Impressions of Omega's DKO Series?

    Hey all, Looking at making my first Kölsch and caught sight of Omega's DKO (Diacetyl Knock Out) series. How are these being received? Any noticeable flavor or behavioral differences that a homebrewer should be aware of? Thanks!
  8. Iowa Brewer

    Nitrogen: Where & What to Buy

    Hey all, Thinking of setting my keg system up for nitro. I'm finding plenty of tanks & regulators online, but where does one go to to get the gas and is there a specific type needed (food save vs. industrial, or something like that)? Thanks!
  9. Iowa Brewer

    Cacao Nibs in Conical: Even Flavor Distribution?

    Hi all, I'm using chocolate nibs for the 1st time in an 11gal batch of chocolate stout that I'm brewing for a charity auction, and I have a question about flavor consistency when bottling (I normally keg, which I'll do with the rest that isn't going to auction). I'm adding 1 pound (0.45kb) of...
  10. Iowa Brewer

    Prioritize Calcium or Chloride for Stouts?

    I'm brewing a chocolate stout and having a heck of a time getting my water profile right. I'm using the Black Dry profile in Bru'n and it seems like I can either hit the calcium target of 50ppm (by adding CaCl2) and overshoot the chloride by 7ppm, or leave it as is in the attached image and...
  11. Iowa Brewer

    Yeast Starter Blew Its Top

    Hey all, Made a 1.75 liter starter for a 10.75gal Chocolate Oatmeal Stout last night, which used 2 packs Omega-004 and 5.92oz DME. Done similar several times, but, unlike those times, I woke this morning to the foil top laying next to the my 2k ml flask, completely uncovered. My hopeful side...
  12. Iowa Brewer

    El Dorado Pale Ale

    Created a Pale Ale recipe to get to know El Dorado hops. Not quite a SMaSH, but want it to be all El Dorado and I'd love to get any insights on how I have it set up. I'll brew this on an eBIAB rig that Bobby at BrewHardware built for me. Aiming for 45.8 IBUs, and mostly aroma, as my wife has a...
  13. Iowa Brewer

    Glycol Chiller Doesn't Cool Below 43F/6C

    Hi all, My BrewBuilt Max 2 & Spike CF10 combo never cool my beer below 43F when cold crashing. Thinking ice build-up might be the issue, I've already tried the following. Cooling the glycol to no less than 28F Cooling in stages to prevent ice build-up, 10°F at a time Being between brews, I...
  14. Iowa Brewer

    Pitching High Krausen with Older Ale-Yeast?

    Hey all, About to make a porter with OYL-006 (British Ale 1) that was produced four months ago. Do you think I'll be okay pitching the 1L starter at high krausen after 12-14hrs or should I plan to keep it on the stir plate for a few days? The porter is estimated to be 1.045 OG with a 4.6%...
  15. Iowa Brewer

    Check My Porter Recipe?

    Hey all, Trying my hand at creating a simple English Porter recipe. Decided to use American Pale malt as I read a number of posts saying it works well and I have it on hand. Anyone see any issues I might be missing? Thanks! Pale Malt – 9# (80%) Crystal 120 – 1# (9%) Black – 8oz (4.4%) Brown –...
  16. Iowa Brewer

    Scorched Element: How Clean Is Clean Enough

    Hey all, Cleaning up a scorched element and got all the char off, but the steel, itself, is still a bit blackened. Will that affect flavor going forward? Does the thing need to look shiny and brand new? Thanks!
  17. Iowa Brewer

    When to Add Spunding Valve

    Hi all, I'm going to use my new Spike PRV for carbonating an English Pale Ale and want to know when I should add it Spike states that pressurization for carbonation should be started at about 5pts above estimated FG, but I'm a stingy bastard and don't want to keep pulling/dumping samples. I...
  18. Iowa Brewer

    AI Brewing?

    Hi all, I just asked the OpenAI chatbot to create an all-grain IPA recipe (see screenshots). Not at all perfect, but I’m impressed with what it instantly generated, and at a beta stage. Someday I’m sure AI will produce better recipes, but I’m interested in engaging AI as an assistant with an...
  19. Iowa Brewer

    Steeping Temps for Non-Hops/Grain Additions?

    Hey all, This weekend I’m brewing a witbier I’ve made a million times. I always steep the orange peel and coriander seed at 170F, but just realized that’s out of habit from whirlpooling hops. Does temp matter much when steeping non-hops/grain additions? Are there ideal temps? Cheers!
  20. Iowa Brewer

    How much grist outside ebiab-bag is dangerous?

    Hey all! BIAB bag slipped during mash-in and some grist got into my 16.5gal of mash water, and will come into contact with element. Will a small amount (like, 1-2 TBS of grist I think) pose a danger to my element? I'm hoping it'll get sucked through the pump and make it into the bag via the...
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