08-08-08

[shunoshi]

Well, I just emailed AHB to see if there is some way we can do a DME substitution for the PM recipe kit. I'll let you all know when I hear something back.

EDIT - Here's the response I got back from Nick. Looks like we can do it for the Mini-Mash kit, but it's going to cost a bit extra is all.

All of our recipes use LME. We will not be able to change the recipe
on our website. However, for this particular recipe, we can make an
exception and substitute the 10 lb. of LME for the 8 lb. of DME when
you order online. There will be a cost difference of about $7.02. To
do this, make the regular order and put in the comments section
"please substitute the 10 lb. of Liquid Malt Extract for 8 lb. of
Extra Light Dried Malt Extract for an extra charge of $7.02."

Again this is something we normally do not do. We will only be able
to do this for the Mini-Mash recipe not the extract recipe.

Now I just have to determine whether DME is really worth $7.02 or should I just go with LME.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

How about Carafa III as a substitute for the light chocolate?

 

[BierMuncher]

Why is it when I plug the AG recipe into BeerSMith I get IBU's of only 68 VS 88?

 

[Chriso]

Why is it when I plug the AG recipe into BeerSMith I get IBU's of only 68 VS 88?

Brewpastor PM'd me.....

1.5 ounces of 16 AA Warrior pellets for 60 minutes
2 ounces of 4.75 AA Fuggle pellets for 10 minutes
2 ounces of Fuggle Pellets at flame out

equals 88 IBUs

....when we were hammering out the recipe. In my own calcs at work, I get 76.4 ..... BP and I have different IBUs in our respective software. (I am on BeerSmith) ... My home copy still reads 88.8, but that was using Galena and Willamette instead of Warrior and Fuggles.

If you want, up the Warrior to 1.75 (If you buy the AHB kit, 2.0 is included, as they don't ship partial ounces), and you get 87.4 - again, by my work computer's calculations. My home compy is probably different still.

 

[Brewpastor]

I used (or the software used) Rager as a formula. The beer will be balanced, not overly sweet, but not really bitter either. Adjust to taste!

 

[BierMuncher]

I used (or the software used) Rager as a formula. The beer will be balanced, not overly sweet, but not really bitter either. Adjust to taste!

That's cool. I just want to make sure my BSmith program isn't whacked and I've been brewing overly bitter ber all along.

I'll simply adjust quantity of bittering and mid-addition to get to the magic "88.8".

 

[MikeFlynn74]

Well I will be brewing this soon. I hope I get it right!

 

[MikeFlynn74]

Does the AHS kit come with Hops too?

 

[Drunkensatyr]

Yes it does................

 

[MikeFlynn74]

Great I wasnt sure after I ordered.....

Thanks

 

[TerapinChef]

Here's a fun little tidbit for you guys :

8-8-08 is my birthday!

I'm in for brewing on the first day of the year! I will step up to my first ten gallon batch with this too.

But here's my two questions. I've been doing all grain for my last 3 batches. I have a keggle (yet to be named) and by first of the year if I don't have a chiller I will quit brewing out of shame. My MLT is a 54Q Coleman rectangular with a SS braid. Can this MLT handle a high gravity 10G batch? I'm just not sure, and would rather know ahead of time...
Also, how about water additions? I've never brewed an RIS, not sure I've ever even drank one. I'm sure I'll rectify the second situation shortly, but will the addition of any salts or gypsum or anything come into play?

 

[Chriso]

Here's a fun little tidbit for you guys : 8-8-08 is my birthday!

My MLT is a 54Q Coleman rectangular with a SS braid. Can this MLT handle a high gravity 10G batch? I'm just not sure, and would rather know ahead of time...

Happy early birthday! Now we have both a birthday and Biermann's wedding to celebrate!

I have a 48 qt rectangular Igloo, and it's got TONS of extra room for 5g batches, even fairly thick ones. I could probably fit a sub-1.050 10-gal batch in it, but it would be tight.

54q might be sufficient. You might have to scale back your initial water dough-in slightly, but not much. It would really depend on your mash schedule and if you are stepping at all. Step infusions might max out your cooler volume.

(As far as additions, I dont know, sorry.)

 

[TerapinChef]

Wow...Beersmith just costed out the 10G version of the recipe matching OG and IBU's and I think I might be making the 5G version so my girlfriend doesn't leave me....Although this might be a good reason to buy that 50lb bag of Breiss 2 row I've been eying at my LHBS...and be able to justify it to her...
"Honey, this cut the price of my birthday beer almost in half! And I'll have enough grain left over to make you the Hefe you've been wanting..."

****evil grinning ensues****

 

[TerapinChef]

Also forgot to ask, how big of a starter are we going to have to pitch? This is my first RIS....and if I need to get my yeast going, like now, I need to know about it beforehand...

 

[Chriso]

Also forgot to ask, how big of a starter are we going to have to pitch? This is my first RIS....and if I need to get my yeast going, like now, I need to know about it beforehand...

Presumedly, a starter is good. A big 1.088 beer is gonna stress out your yeasties if you just dump 'em in. I've been discussing a bit on this here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?p=467534#post467534 too.

 

[TerapinChef]

Well....I'm not really sure that I"m going to be brewing again before the New Years, so I don't know if a "starter" 5G batch is going to be feasible, but I don't see any problem with getting a nice big starter going. Can you truly overpitch yeast? I was thinking with an OG the size of a small planet like this one, the more yeast you can get into it the better, no?

 

[Chriso]

Well....I'm not really sure that I"m going to be brewing again before the New Years, so I don't know if a "starter" 5G batch is going to be feasible, but I don't see any problem with getting a nice big starter going. Can you truly overpitch yeast? I was thinking with an OG the size of a small planet like this one, the more yeast you can get into it the better, no?

Consensus so far seems to be 2L - 3L starter. I still like the yeast cake idea, because I am a fan of no-fuss. Rack beer, keep covered, rack cooled wort, seal. So easy, so quick! But then there's the whole "learning experience" thing... If I don't make a starter now, then when?

 

[brewt00l]

Consensus so far seems to be 2L - 3L starter. I still like the yeast cake idea, because I am a fan of no-fuss. Rack beer, keep covered, rack cooled wort, seal. So easy, so quick! But then there's the whole "learning experience" thing... If I don't make a starter now, then when?

You're making starters way more complicated than need be..... Not to mention it's kinda impractical to brew a prep beer for every single new liquid batch you pitch.

Granted, pitching on a yeast cake works fantastic and you get a full bore fermentation.

 

[DeathBrewer]

just make a liter starter and shake it up for 2 days

step it up to 2 L with lots of shaking again for another 2 days.

put that sucker in the fridge for another 1-2 days, remove on brew day and carefully pour off the liquid while it's still cold, leaving you with a nice big pile of yeast!

I've used yeast cakes, too. they work wonders, but it was more laziness than anything...i didn't feel like washing the yeast

 

[Dycokac]

Just got my kit from Austin today!

question now is, should i stick it all in my fridge to keep till new years? I was planning to do just that with the hops, and the yeast(which I'm seriously considering splitting before i brew this, my goodness yeast is expensive hadn't really noticed it before).

for now I'm going to stick it all in the fridge, but if it's not going to do anything for the steeping grains, or the LME, I'll take em out

 

[MikeFlynn74]

Deathbrewer

Really? You dont think oxgenating and using some yeast fuel would work?

 

[Brewiz]

Are we going to co-ordinate a time for brewing so we can post as we go? Or just brew when you recover from the night before....

 

[paulthenurse]

Ya, relax on the starters. You can get a nice starter with absolutley no effort by using a few bottles of Goya Malt Drink. It's in the ethnic (Portugeses) section in your grocery store. It's an unfermented beer in a botle. Pour one bottle and a cup or so of water into a growler, shake like mad. Add yeast, cover with an airlock and walk away. You can add more the next day if you want. For a big beer like the RIS, I'd aim for a pretty full growler, maybe 4 bottles of Goya total. Put in the fridge for a few days before to settle out the yeast, then pour off most of the Goya leaving an inch or so. (It's beer at this point but I've honestly never even tried it. Beer snob.) Shake up to mix and you are good to go. Almost instant starter.

 

[Brewing Clamper]

Ya, relax on the starters. You can get a nice starter with absolutley no effort by using a few bottles of Goya Malt Drink. It's in the ethnic (Portugeses) section in your grocery store. It's an unfermented beer in a botle. Pour one bottle and a cup or so of water into a growler, shake like mad. Add yeast, cover with an airlock and walk away. You can add more the next day if you want. For a big beer like the RIS, I'd aim for a pretty full growler, maybe 4 bottles of Goya total. Put in the fridge for a few days before to settle out the yeast, then pour off most of the Goya leaving an inch or so. (It's beer at this point but I've honestly never even tried it. Beer snob.) Shake up to mix and you are good to go. Almost instant starter.

Yeah, I've heard of this technique before but I've never tried it. I'll have to check it out soon!

 

[shunoshi]

Ya, relax on the starters. You can get a nice starter with absolutley no effort by using a few bottles of Goya Malt Drink. It's in the ethnic (Portugeses) section in your grocery store. It's an unfermented beer in a botle. Pour one bottle and a cup or so of water into a growler, shake like mad. Add yeast, cover with an airlock and walk away. You can add more the next day if you want. For a big beer like the RIS, I'd aim for a pretty full growler, maybe 4 bottles of Goya total. Put in the fridge for a few days before to settle out the yeast, then pour off most of the Goya leaving an inch or so. (It's beer at this point but I've honestly never even tried it. Beer snob.) Shake up to mix and you are good to go. Almost instant starter.

Wow, that sounds like a really simplified way to do a starter...no DME mess. I'm going to have to try that out!

 

[brewt00l]

Wow, that sounds like a really simplified way to do a starter...no DME mess. I'm going to have to try that out!

With DME starters are no-brainers anyway....I don't see what the big fuss is here.

If you can brew extract beer, you have the skills to make a starter.

 

[Chriso]

If you can brew extract beer, you have the skills to make a starter.

That's the problem, at least for me. I've never used extract, nor bought it, nor read much about it. I was taught by another AG brewer, who told me that extract was inferior, therefore that is what I learned. *shrug*

 

[brewt00l]

That's the problem, at least for me. I've never used extract, nor bought it, nor read much about it. I was taught by another AG brewer, who told me that extract was inferior, therefore that is what I learned. *shrug*

Cut open bag
measure desired amount
pour slowly into boiling water
mix well

...it don't get much easier than that 'cept poping the cap on a malta.

You're growing yeast, not making some major flavor component to your beer so don't get all hung up on the fact that you're using extract. Even if you pitched a big a$$ all-extract starter into a RIS, you think you are going to taste any of it?

If you are worried about the extract "tainting" your brew, crash cool the starter and decant the liquid and just pitch the slurry by itself.

 

[MikeFlynn74]

When doing the mash should I put all the malt together? I have 14lbs of pale and 6.25 of specialty. Thats 20+lbs of malt.

I have a 48qt cooler Im using for my tun.

 

[Chriso]

If you are worried about the extract "tainting" your brew, crash cool the starter and decant the liquid and just pitch the slurry by itself.

Nah, I'm not worried about "taint", I'm just explaining the historical cause of my hesitation to embrace the world of extract.