IOWA Brewers! Echo, Echo, Echo...

[gwapogorilla]

That's the one! !!!

 

[EZCyclone]

Hey boys, been busy out of my gord. I finally got a bunch done to the bar room, posted up a bunch over on the build thread. How the hell is everyone, your weekends?

 

[30Bones]

Been building up my yeast since Saturday with a two step starter for a Bock. I have always underpitched my lagers and that's not going to happen this time. Doing my first double decoction on Thursday after work...and yes I have to work Friday morning. I like living on the edge. haha

 

[gwapogorilla]

Well, I think/hope spring is finally upon us, fellow Iowans. I'm getting ready to do a "Tropical Blonde" this weekend. Something low in ABV, but fruity. Using Kohatu and Simcoe along with a bret strain.

 

[EZCyclone]

Man I hope you are right Gwapo! I'm so tired of being trapped inside. I drug the base cabs outside and sprayed them in the driveway two days ago, and got all of the baseboard de-nailed and ready to sand and spray I will definitely be doing that out in the drive if I can. Going home for spring break to help my folks out with a kitchen remodel.

 

[Braufessor]

Got some kegging and bottling to do this weekend...... got lots of kegs with 1-2 gallons that I want to empty into bottles to make room for some new brews I need to keg and move into the fridge.
Will probably harvest some yeast off of a citra pale ale tomorrow as well, and brew a couple batches of pale ale/ IPA on Sunday I think. Hopefully get some stock rotated and something into my soon-to-be empty fermenters.

 

[gwapogorilla]

When I rotate stock, it usually means that I will be unable to pass a sobriety test. Lol

 

[NickTheGreat]

I plan to brew a couple batches this weekend.

Thinking an English mild and maybe an IPA? Oh the possibilities . . .

 

[EZCyclone]

Well, I'm back. I see how it is, I run off for a while and the thread dies. Lol

How is everyone?

 

[Braufessor]

Ha...... Yep, we are falling down on the job.

I have been busy as hell with work, coaching track, being sick, and trying to brew once in a while. I have only brewed a couple batches in the last 2-3 weeks. Both IPA's.

Hoping to brew a Dortmunder and an Alt this weekend if I am feeling better.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I plan to brew a couple batches this weekend.

Thinking an English mild and maybe an IPA? Oh the possibilities . . .

I did brew these on 3/21.

Had a blowoff on the IPA, and I was sick so I didn't notice when. Sometime between Sunday PM and Tuesday PM.

It was weird, the stopper blew off, but very little 'spillage.' Lucky!

 

[30Bones]

I may brew this weekend and do a double batch brewday starting with a "session" IPA maybe an imperial saison recipe I found from Funkwerks

 

[Braufessor]

Got both my Dortmunder and Alt brewed this weekend. Have a Session IPA that is dry hopping that I hope to keg either tonight or tomorrow. It was delicious in the fermenter...... hopefully even better after 4-5 days of dry hopping.

 

[30Bones]

Brewed a 1.047 session IPA Saturday and used WLP090 San Diesgo Super Yeast. Plan is to come up with something else to brew in a couple weeks to plop onto that cake. Any suggestions? Maybe a red or an amber?

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

Not beer but I made up a big batch of triple berry mead yesterday. It's happily bubble away with an OG of 1.156 stuck at home with a sick little one. So in between cuddle time I managed to throw this together.

 

[Braufessor]

Hoping to sneak in some brew time this weekend. Need to do the mundane chores of brewing on Saturday - cleaning, keg an alt, organize, make a couple starters, etc...... but, hopefully brew 2 on Sunday. One will just be a generic blonde ale/house beer for the BMC crowd. The other will be a Hoppy IPA/APA in the 5-6% range - want to try some new hops in a regular recipe of mine. Comet hops..... added to a normal combo I do - Citra/Centennial/Cascade.

 

[gwapogorilla]

I'm in the middle of a mash right now. Brewing a wheat pale ale...going to whirlpool Sorachi Ace and Citra hops, fermenting with "Vermont Ale" yeast.

 

[Braufessor]

I'm in the middle of a mash right now. Brewing a wheat pale ale...going to whirlpool Sorachi Ace and Citra hops, fermenting with "Vermont Ale" yeast.

Just got my Conan yeast on the stirplate for Citra APA tomorrow. Also got a 1056 going for blonde ale. Great day to be brewing.

 

[Braufessor]

Kegged an Alt, blonde ale in the fermenter, and APA/IPA is finishing up. One last hop addition - 7 ounces of hoppy goodness in a 45 minute hopstand. Time for a shower and pouring a beer while the hops sit and do their thing.

 

[30Bones]

Good lord that's a lot of hops!

 

[Braufessor]

Good lord that's a lot of hops!

Ha- yeah, it is quite a few.
Been playing around with brewing some IPA/APA's without any dry hop. Going with bigger/longer hopstands in an attempt to get the same hop flavor and aroma without messing around with dry hopping. Ends up being the same amount of total hops about in the end.

1ounce bitter
1 ounce 15
3 ounce 5 minutes
5-7 ounces is what I have been using in the hopstand.

 

[gwapogorilla]

OOPS! I set my temp control for my fermenter when I was a little fermented myself. It was at 89* and bubbling away like crazy! Esters are suppose to have a peach flavor from the Vermont Ale strain....I guess we'll find out.

 

[30Bones]

What's a good percentage of Rye in an IPA? Also going to exclusively use Hallertauer Taurus hops :rockin:

 

[Braufessor]

OOPS! I set my temp control for my fermenter when I was a little fermented myself. It was at 89* and bubbling away like crazy! Esters are suppose to have a peach flavor from the Vermont Ale strain....I guess we'll find out.

I would be afraid you are going to get spicy/peppery/belgian flavors from the yeast at that temp, as well as fusel alcohols..... Hopefully you luck out with it though and it turns out ok.

 

[gwapogorilla]

One can only hope. It sure smells good. Lol

 

[gwapogorilla]

I'm thinking it's gonna be alright. It was at that temp for maybe 12 hours, then I got it back down to the desired 80* I was wanting. Not to mention it had a good sized starter. In my past beers, fusel usually comes around due to lack of yeast, rather than temp. So I am crossing my fingers fora very fruity wheat beer.:rockin:

 

[EZCyclone]

There needs more hours in the day. Or maybe less crap to do each day?

 

[Braufessor]

Well, figured I would kick this back up and see what everyone is up to. My school year is done. I have empty fermenters...... what is a guy to do? Luckily, I was able to brew just enough over the past month to keep the stock up. My first brewing priority this summer is I want to test out "Conan/Heady Topper/Vermont Ale" yeast as a "house yeast." I am going to run this yeast through 5 beers to see how it performs across the board - Blonde, APA, Amber, IPA and Porter. I actually just brewed the Blonde and the porter and they are fermenting. Probably attack the amber and APA next...... maybe even tomorrow.

What is new with everyone else?

 

[gwapogorilla]

I like Vermont yeast. I don't get the peach everyone else describes, but it does accentuate the hop flavors.

 

[sloanfamilydsm]

Denny fav. 1450. Works on everything.