Looking for Experienced Homebrewers near 23834 (South of RVA)

[Imburr]

Strange Request: I have been at home Brewer for about a year and my brews always come out with "something not correct". Looking for an experienced home brewer to come over and help me brew a batch on my equipment and maybe give me some tips and pointers. Equipment, materials, and beer are of course all on me and I can accommodate other request if necessary. I live in Southside Virginia, 23834 near Ruffin Mill Rd. I can facilitate rides as well.

I will brew whatever, I currently have the materials for Hop Juice NE IPA by Redbeard. I guess this is it? https://www.themadfermentationist.com/2015/06/hop-juice-north-east-ipa-recipe.html

The recipe was purchased here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077BJF983/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 and then I got grains to turn it into all grain instead of extract.

If you have other recipes you want to brew instead, I am all ears!

PA: Looking to hopefully do this by or shortly after New Years.

 

[Greytop]

Not a strange request. I remember when I was starting out and everything seemed a mystery. I'm in California so it's a long way to my favorite part of the country. Do you have questions I might be able to answer? Otherwise, I hope my fellow brewers on the Eastern Seaboard can help you out.

 

[Imburr]

Not a strange request. I remember when I was starting out and everything seemed a mystery. I'm in California so it's a long way to my favorite part of the country. Do you have questions I might be able to answer? Otherwise, I hope my fellow brewers on the Eastern Seaboard can help you out.

Thanks! After a year of brewing I feel like I should have it down, but every time there is some issue that throws me for a loop and ends up with low ABV or gross beer. No specific questions, just some overview on my specific equipment and process. Doesn't help that I wish to brew complex beers like NE DIPA and Quads.

 

[brewgar]

Recommend to stick with a standard ale recipe. Brew it and keep step-by-step notes. Do this until you can produce and replicate good examples of that beer. Then move on to more complex brews.

 

[Imburr]

Recommend to stick with a standard ale recipe. Brew it and keep step-by-step notes. Do this until you can produce and replicate good examples of that beer. Then move on to more complex brews.

Yeah... Unfortunately I have a problem. I do not enjoy ales, pilsners, or lagers. Like, at all.

I LOVE:

IPA
Imperial IPA
Double IPA
DIPA
Triple IPA
Stout
Porter
Quad
BDSA
Barleywine
Imperial Brown Ales
Anything with epic ingredients (coconut, hazelnut, chocolate, etc)
High ABV brews 9%+

If I brewed a standard ale, it would sit in a keg and eventually be dumped out.

 

[causticboot]

There's a couple ales that you have on that list which would be a great beer to start with.

 

[Imburr]

There's a couple ales that you have on that list which would be a great beer to start with.

So far I have brewed: IPA, IPA, Extra IPA (Torpedo Clone), IPA, NE DIPA, Quad. Shortly I will add NE IPA.

All of my ABV have been off by something. All beer has been drinkable, but not perfect to style except the first which was an extract... Except the NE DIPA, which was poison.

 

[Horseflesh]

Stouts and porters are easy to make, and there are some popular recipes floating around here. Good luck with your quest, I am sure you'll get it figured out.

 

[Sammy86]

Yeah... Unfortunately I have a problem. I do not enjoy ales, pilsners, or lagers. Like, at all.

I LOVE:

IPA
Imperial IPA
Double IPA
DIPA
Triple IPA
Stout
Porter
Quad
BDSA
Barleywine
Imperial Brown Ales
Anything with epic ingredients (coconut, hazelnut, chocolate, etc)
High ABV brews 9%+

If I brewed a standard ale, it would sit in a keg and eventually be dumped out.

You do realize that IPA’s are ales right?Technically, everything on your list is an Ale...all of those brews you listed use ALE yeast...I think you meant to say you don’t like specific ales...either way good luck

 

[Braufessor]

You have the right idea - this is definitely a good way to move your brewing along by leaps and bounds. Hopefully there are some local folks that can help you. You might google and look for a local home-brew club ...... that would likely be the best way to make contact with someone (or local home-brew store).

In case you don't find someone..... 2 things that could be an issue.

#1 - when you say you made a beer that was "poison."....... that makes me think it was infected and could be related to your cleaning and sanitizing process. Could be the cleansers you are using/not using. Could be places like spigots in buckets that you are not taking apart and cleaning well, scratches in fermenters, etc.

#2 - Another very common culprit that can plague beers like IPA's is water. If you are using very hard tap water, water from a water softener, water with chlorine/chloramine...... you are going to be hard put to make a good, pale, hoppy beer. It is going to lean toward harsh, medicinal, plastic/band aid, phenolic type flavors - in particular if you have chlorine/chloramine you are not taking care of.

 

[Imburr]

You do realize that IPA’s are ales right?Technically, everything on your list is an Ale...all of those brews you listed use ALE yeast...I think you meant to say you don’t like specific ales...either way good luck

Yeah, the point I was trying to make is that I do not like "easy to brew" stuff, sorry!

 

[Imburr]

You have the right idea - this is definitely a good way to move your brewing along by leaps and bounds. Hopefully there are some local folks that can help you. You might google and look for a local home-brew club ...... that would likely be the best way to make contact with someone (or local home-brew store).

In case you don't find someone..... 2 things that could be an issue.

#1 - when you say you made a beer that was "poison."....... that makes me think it was infected and could be related to your cleaning and sanitizing process. Could be the cleansers you are using/not using. Could be places like spigots in buckets that you are not taking apart and cleaning well, scratches in fermenters, etc.

#2 - Another very common culprit that can plague beers like IPA's is water. If you are using very hard tap water, water from a water softener, water with chlorine/chloramine...... you are going to be hard put to make a good, pale, hoppy beer. It is going to lean toward harsh, medicinal, plastic/band aid, phenolic type flavors - in particular if you have chlorine/chloramine you are not taking care of.

#1 I believe it was due to adding water chemicals in, the wrong amounts. I sanitize like a crazy person, I do not think it to be that. I have 1 bucket of hot PBW that I wash and soak in. I have 2 buckets of hot star san for rinsing and soaking. I use a spray bottle of star san and I spray everything including outsides of buckets, fermentors, my hands, etc. After brewing I boil kettles and parts in Oxyclean/PBW and run it all through the system, tubes, etc.

#2 Yeah this is a problem. I use distilled water, and the only time I have added chemicals was for the NE DIPA- I believe it was calcium and gypsum. I had a friend measure, and I told him the quantity but didn't double check it. I think we put in a lot more than was called for, which might have been what caused it to be bitter acidic burning poison beer.

 

[Braufessor]

#1 I believe it was due to adding water chemicals in, the wrong amounts. I sanitize like a crazy person, I do not think it to be that. I have 1 bucket of hot PBW that I wash and soak in. I have 2 buckets of hot star san for rinsing and soaking. I use a spray bottle of star san and I spray everything including outsides of buckets, fermentors, my hands, etc. After brewing I boil kettles and parts in Oxyclean/PBW and run it all through the system, tubes, etc.

#2 Yeah this is a problem. I use distilled water, and the only time I have added chemicals was for the NE DIPA- I believe it was calcium and gypsum. I had a friend measure, and I told him the quantity but didn't double check it. I think we put in a lot more than was called for, which might have been what caused it to be bitter acidic burning poison beer.

In regard to your water additions - here is the simple version - for the beer you are planning to brew above - just add 1 level tsp each of Gypsum and Calcium Chloride per 5 gallons of water (Mash and Sparge water) you use. Use 100% RO or Distilled water. That will get you right in the ball park of where you want to be for a beer like you have listed above.

 

[Imburr]

In regard to your water additions - here is the simple version - for the beer you are planning to brew above - just add 1 level tsp each of Gypsum and Calcium Chloride per 5 gallons of water (Mash and Sparge water) you use. Use 100% RO or Distilled water. That will get you right in the ball park of where you want to be for a beer like you have listed above.

Great tip, thanks! I would love to use tap or a filter system as buying 10 gallons of distilled every brew is a pain.

 

[Braufessor]

Great tip, thanks! I would love to use tap or a filter system as buying 10 gallons of distilled every brew is a pain.

I use 6 x 3 gallon reusable jugs and do refills at the Reverse Osmosis water station at Walmart. .37 per gallon and pretty easy and relatively quick.

 

[Imburr]

I use 6 x 3 gallon reusable jugs and do refills at the Reverse Osmosis water station at Walmart. .37 per gallon and pretty easy and relatively quick.

Excellent! Thanks!

Sent from my LG-H872 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[Imburr]

I use 6 x 3 gallon reusable jugs and do refills at the Reverse Osmosis water station at Walmart. .37 per gallon and pretty easy and relatively quick.

Could I also use something like this? https://www.houzz.com/product/58793...osmosis-contemporary-water-filtration-systems

 

[Braufessor]

Could I also use something like this? https://www.houzz.com/product/58793...osmosis-contemporary-water-filtration-systems

Yes - a lot of people on here have home RO systems of that sort that they use for brewing. I would really recommend checking in the Brew Science sub forum on here and searching through some recent threads about buying RO systems before you just go and get one though. Lots of good advice and experience on here from others who have gone that route. I have not done that, so, I don't have much to offer on specific system to buy or what to look for.

 

[Braufessor]

Here is a pretty good thread on RO system recommendations - https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/ro-system-help.635268/

 

[Loyd]

I am in Colonial Heights. Been brewing for a couple years. I enjoy some of the same beer styles as you. I am retired so my schedule is flexible. Have three batches planned for the next couple weeks. Belgian Dark Strong, Red Belgian Dubbel and Belgian Blonde. Currently have a Cream ale and a Best Bitter on tap.