A friendly place for friends who drink

[Psylocide]

All the stouts variants are good, this one was terrible though.



You're crazy.

I disagree.

 

[SupervisingChildren]

Lunch time. Meatball sub getting devoured.

 

[finsfan]

I disagree.

Fair enough. Crazy, but fair.

 

[Ridire]

Fair enough. Crazy, but fair.

I think the only beers I've had from there (and fins, if you can recall sending me others, please chime in) are Tank 7 and the Smokestack Series RIS. Both were outstanding beers, in my opinion.

 

[DisturbdChemist]

Taco Bell. Fat. Taco bell ****s later. Not fun..

 

[Psylocide]

Fair enough. Crazy, but fair.

I really can't speak to the sours, but even dark truth is a bit subdued for my tastes.

I feel like Boulevard plays it safe 99% of the time, I always wish their beers had bolder flavors.

Tank 7 is obviously awesome, their imperial stouts are good, the calling is good, but everything else just comes off kind of blah.

As for their wheat. Well, I don't know why anyone would ever brew a straight wheat beer, but whatever.

 

[TheCADJockey]

 

[finsfan]

I really can't speak to the sours, but even dark truth is a bit subdued for my tastes.

I feel like Boulevard plays it safe 99% of the time, I always wish their beers had bolder flavors.

Tank 7 is obviously awesome, their imperial stouts are good, the calling is good, but everything else just comes off kind of blah.

As for their wheat. Well, I don't know why anyone would ever brew a straight wheat beer, but whatever.

The wheat is the first craft beer I had and I know a lot of people who only drink BMC or that wheat. I think their stubby bottle stuff is craft beer with training wheels. All pretty easy drinking enough to not scare people off. I dont really ever buy the stubby bottle stuff due to that, but some of them are still good for what they are. I think that line of beers plays its role for the company and they obviously sell well enough to keep around.

I agree that they arent going to win an award for the most original or craziest beer ideas, but they do win awards for brewing their beers terrifically.

 

[iijakii]

Coffee. I wonder if @iijakii made it through the night? Probably has a lot of sheets to wash today.

Had a problem free night in that regard. Feeling better but sitll crappy.

 

[Rhetorik]

*********. I haven't had someone sitting in the cube next to me since I started working here in July 2015... now they're setting it up for someone. I like how quiet it is where I work.

It had better be a foxy lady of questionable judgment.

 

[1977Brewer]

*********. I haven't had someone sitting in the cube next to me since I started working here in July 2015... now they're setting it up for someone. I like how quiet it is where I work.

It had better be a foxy lady of questionable judgment.

So you want to work with an insane person, or a unicorn.

 

[Gavin C]

Yes, I do use RO water. I'm upping bicarbonate through chalk mainly, with a little baking soda as well. With taking out the acid malt it puts me at 5.4, and then also taking out the chalk it puts me at 5.2. I am mashing at 1.23 qts/lb right now. I think keeping the chalk and losing the acid malt will help. Should I up it more to get it to 5.5?

Chalk is a bad idea. It does not disolve readily at normal CO2 pressures. It really has no place in homebrewing unless you are dead-set on a lot of work to hit a geographical water profile.

Test this out yourself.

Pinch of chalk added to a glass of water. Result, cloudy water.

Here is how to add chalk if you really want to.

Also check out this useful thread on common water pitfalls.

Point 4 discusses chalk.


Not just brewing but chalk has a habit of not disolving very easily in nature too.

Anyway, just some things to consider prior to brewday.

 

[1977Brewer]

Had a problem free night in that regard. Feeling better but sitll crappy.

Glad you're on the mend.

 

[Rhetorik]

So you want to work with an insane person, or a unicorn.

 

[fuzzy2133]

If you havent had tank 7 and you like saisons, you are missing out.

Add Siason Brett to that sentence.

I really can't speak to the sours, but even dark truth is a bit subdued for my tastes.

I feel like Boulevard plays it safe 99% of the time, I always wish their beers had bolder flavors.

Dark truth comes off a little too alcoholic for my tastes compared to their competition (based on similar attributes). Could be that it does not sit around in the store and age.

 

[1977Brewer]

Even found one in position.

I mean...ummm

 

[Gavin C]

As for their wheat. Well, I don't know why anyone would ever brew a straight wheat beer, but whatever.

Full wheat. Totally agree. Why would anyone do that.

But a Hefe is a great summer beer. I love a nice German Hefe. Haven't made one in a long while. You should make one too. be a nice change of pace after your run of big boozy Russian vanilla soaked Double D IPA's

 

[Ridire]

Had a problem free night in that regard. Feeling better but sitll crappy.

 

[1977Brewer]

Full wheat. Totally agree. Why would anyone do that.



But a Hefe is a great summer beer. I love a nice German Hefe. Haven't made one in a long while. You should make one too. be a nice change of pace after your run of big boozy Russian vanilla soaked Double D IPA's

Blvd. Wheat is as close to an American Style Hefe as I've come across. Love that chit.

 

[Gavin C]

If you havent had tank 7 and you like saisons, you are missing out.

I've liked the one commercial example and two of Psylo's that I've tried but Belgian bottle conditioned beers always give me the squirts something awful the next day. A fee I'm more than willing to pay.

 

[finsfan]

Chalk is a bad idea. It does not disolve readily at normal CO2 pressures. It really has no place in homebrewing unless you are dead-set on a lot of work to hit a geographical water profile.

Test this out yourself.

Pinch of chalk added to a glass of water. Result, cloudy beer.

Here is how to add chalk if you really want to.

Also check out this useful thread on common water pitfalls.

Point 4 discusses chalk.


Not just brewing but chalk has a habit of not disolving very easily in nature too.

Anyway, just some things to consider prior to brewday.

So what is the substitute for chalk then? I've still got a whole gang of it sitting around now, great!

 

[TheCADJockey]

So what is the substitute for chalk then?

Dry erase markers.

 

[Ridire]

Dry erase markers.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CdVTCDdEwI[/ame]

 

[1977Brewer]

I've liked the one commercial example and two of Psylo's that I've tried but Belgian bottle conditioned beers always give me the squirts something awful the next day. A fee I'm more than willing to pay.

It's all that crystal clear lager you brew. Your system kicks back yeast, you manly man.

 

[DisturbdChemist]

So what is the substitute for chalk then? I've still got a whole gang of it sitting around now, great!

I use chalk aka CaCO3, I havent had a cloudy beer. It'll fully dissolve in the boil if it doesnt immediate. Use it.

 

[BeerMeDuffMan]

*********. I haven't had someone sitting in the cube next to me since I started working here in July 2015... now they're setting it up for someone. I like how quiet it is where I work.

It had better be a foxy lady of questionable judgment.

Start tooting and she will want to move. Even better, knock over her pencil holder and not apologize. That should do the trick, I guess...I honestly don't know how to be mean in Canada.

 

[Psylocide]

Full wheat. Totally agree. Why would anyone do that.

But a Hefe is a great summer beer. I love a nice German Hefe. Haven't made one in a long while. You should make one too. be a nice change of pace after your run of big boozy Russian vanilla soaked Double D IPA's

Yeah, I've never liked Hefe yeast either.

I'm kind of small-minded when it comes to drinking. I like bold, boozy craft beers.

Otherwise I'll just drink Busch Light.

 

[finsfan]

Dry erase markers.

Lolz

I use chalk aka CaCO3, I havent had a cloudy beer. It'll fully dissolve in the boil if it doesnt immediate. Use it.

Ive always used that in the past, just never heard any of this info until now. I add it before heating mash water.

 

[Ridire]

Start tooting and she will want to move. Even better, knock over her pencil holder and not apologize. That should do the trick, I guess...I honestly don't know how to be mean in Canada.

If she is a foxy lady with questionable judgment, invite her over to your place to split a two-four and tell her it is dark in there because your hydro is out because you spent your last Loonie on some everything chips.

See, I told you I speak fluent Canadian.

 

[Gavin C]

So what is the substitute for chalk then? I've still got a whole gang of it sitting around now, great!

My understanding of things is that you really don't need to be adding HCO3 in any form unless your mash pH has dropped out of range.

If predicted mash pH does go lower than you want you have two useful options.
1. Add some form of alkali (not chalk). Baking soda (NaHCO3) or slaked lime Ca(OH)2

2. Mash thinner, diluting the acid from the grist and upping the pH that way.

3. Combine option 1 and 2.

I would favor the second option given its simplicity and the added benefits to efficiency mashing thinner brings.

I made a similar mistake on one batch with chalk. A stout. I learned the wrong way. My chalk went in the trash. I'd advise the same for yours.