Getting into a rut, what can I do?

[BierMuncher]

What's with the bolts in the bucket?

On a smaller beers or 5-gallon batches, the bucket can actually suspend inside the tun using those bolts. For bigger batches, I need to hang the bucket higher to avoid dipping into the grain bed.

It's all very sophisticated ya know...

 

[EamusCatuli]

I thought it was your attempt at making your creation look like frankenstein as much as possible. haha

Very cool, but my MLT uses a braid for lautering and I have read you should use a manifold or a false bottom. Looks like it would be more than $5


Unless im wrong....

 

[Filament]

I thought it was your attempt at making your creation look like frankenstein as much as possible. haha

Very cool, but my MLT uses a braid for lautering and I have read you should use a manifold or a false bottom. Looks like it would be more than $5


Unless im wrong....

I've used both, and never had a problem.

 

[zoebisch01]

Like I said before, im in a rut and im trying to get more flavor from my grain in my ales and I just don't think that single-step's are going to cut it anymore.

Ahh, ok. Sorry I misinterpreted the context of your OP and thought you meant "new direction" in general, not in the sense of improving on your already established beers. pjj2ba had some interesting ideas a while back that aren't what people 'normally' think of. I'll see if I can dig up those posts. Tbh, as far as process really all that comes to mind is what people get into, which you mention you have been doing.

Decoction, but that doesn't fit every style or malt really. To make the most of it, you should only be using rests that match the degree of modification of your malt. As you know, most malts today are more fully modified.

Water, you can see what different waters do to your brew. Try to find a spring and make a beer with it.

Sparge, I have been a fly sparger since the get-go so I am not entirely sure how different it will make it. I will tell you that the single most important thing is the rate. I never worry about mash-out and have always been very happy with the results.

What exactly is it that you are looking for? More "grainy" flavor? Malt? Clean? There is really only so much you can get from a malted grain. It has limited potential in itself.

 

[EamusCatuli]

Ahh, ok. Sorry I misinterpreted the context of your OP and thought you meant "new direction" in general, not in the sense of improving on your already established beers. pjj2ba had some interesting ideas a while back that aren't what people 'normally' think of. I'll see if I can dig up those posts. Tbh, as far as process really all that comes to mind is what people get into, which you mention you have been doing.

Decoction, but that doesn't fit every style or malt really. To make the most of it, you should only be using rests that match the degree of modification of your malt. As you know, most malts today are more fully modified.

Water, you can see what different waters do to your brew. Try to find a spring and make a beer with it.

Sparge, I have been a fly sparger since the get-go so I am not entirely sure how different it will make it. I will tell you that the single most important thing is the rate. I never worry about mash-out and have always been very happy with the results.

What exactly is it that you are looking for? More "grainy" flavor? Malt? Clean? There is really only so much you can get from a malted grain. It has limited potential in itself.

Im mostly looking for a cleaner beer, while being able to get more malty tastes out of my brews. Maybe im over-carbing, maybe my ferm. temps are too high (I do keep my fermentors in a closet ). I really just want to get more distinction from my brews, as far as being able to taste the variety from my grain bills. I have only been brewing for a year but I think I can safely say im ready for some experimentation, ya know?

 

[TexLaw]

I have been a single-step, batch sparge AG'er for a while now, but im not very impressed with the way my grain bill's are coming out in the final product. I feel that I might need to step-up my brewing process and move on to more complex mashing to create better brews. Is there anything I can do that I can use next brew day without spending tons of $$$?

Add another step. Brew a lager or something.

(I apologize if that's already been said, but I've been away for a couple hours, and I've had a couple a couple times or so)


TL

 

[Clayton]

all this talk of "sour mash" has really perked my instrest.
and it will be good info for when my "ambrosia consentrating water removing widget" is done

 

[ChemE]

I have done decoc's before, but those are mostly for belgians only right? My decoc belgian wit was delicious btw.

I just did a Marris Otter / Fuggle SMaSH and used a double decoction to increase the maltiness and it worked fantastically.

 

[Whisler85]

Hey Eamus,

Im a U of I student as well, and was just wondering if you bought your supplies around here (i.e. Friar Tuck and Leisure Time) or if you did internet ordering- the specialty malt and yeast selections they have at both places are WEAK

my homebrew shop in libertyville (perfectbrewingsupply.com) charges you only for what you buy, no buying in pounds and splitting up the bags- they have a great hops selection and ship cheap

idk if you are a sour beer fan, but one of my favorite brews of all time is Monk's Cafe Flemish Red Ale, a very sour, very complex beer

you should consider toying with other cultures, such as Lactobacillus (im not a huge Brettanomyces fan, myself)- berliner weisse is a very interesting, very sour, very light ale that i personally can't get enough of

in any case, i live in Urbana and im in ACES- and i have three empty carboys dying to get filled, so send me a message if you want to brew sometime!

 

[Whisler85]

also, have you tried toying with water chemistry? this can make a huge difference, especially in very hoppy or high gravity brews

ps- friar tuck just got a HUGE shipment of ale yeasts, including tons of belgians

 

[z987k]

Decoction, come over some time if you want to learn how to do it. I do with every style that can benefit from it. It really adds a complexity that you can't get any other way.

Whistler85, I'm brewing a Berliner Weiss Tomorrow! Going to fruit it though. Double Decoction with a 50/50 white wheat/barley grain bill. Simultaneous ferment with lacto and sach.

Also we(friar tuck) just got a massive hop shipment in. Everything is on the shelves to

 

[Lennie]

Swamp cooler is what you need. Get a cooler big enough to hold your fermentor. Freeze some 1L water bottles, maybe 4 of them. Put your fermentor in the cooler, fill it about halfway full of cool water. Add two of the frozen bottles. that ought to get you down around 60F. Then each day replace the bottles with 1 or 2 frozen ones, refreeze the melted ones.

Keeping your fermentation temps down in the low to mid 60F range will do wonders for your beers. Did you know that a wort gets as much as 5-10F hotter than the room temp because of the heat given off during fermentation? So even fermenting at a 68F room temp might put you into a temp range where you'll get a lot more fruity, estery, fusel alcohol flavors.