New England Esque IPA

[Snarf1]

Side note on CO2 racking with carboys. **** ain't designed to be pressurized so be careful. I can't remember exactly how, but a friend over pressurized a glass carboy and had it not been in a chest freezer with the door shut, there could have been some serious carnage.

 

[psnydez861]

Yea. I only co2 rack out of Plastic Carboys.

 

[agrippin]

Force carb of batch 3. Honestly forgot what I put in other than simcoe and citra. Probably Amarillo? Color will lighten out once the keg settles. balesfc if you watch GoT, text me. Ispeakforthetrees, same.

 

[ShawDeuce221]

I think I may have gone a little too Hoof Hearted with this one, it'll be on the gas for the next few days...

2row, white wheat, flaked wheat, carapils, magnum, galaxy, mosaic, citra, and Y1318

 

[tehzachatak]

I think I may have gone a little too Hoof Hearted with this one, it'll be on the gas for the next few days...

2row, white wheat, flaked wheat, carapils, magnum, galaxy, mosaic, citra, and Y1318

IMA COME SMASH IT SOON

 

[ShawDeuce221]

I think I may have gone a little too Hoof Hearted with this one, it'll be on the gas for the next few days...

2row, white wheat, flaked wheat, carapils, magnum, galaxy, mosaic, citra, and Y1318

A little premature (story of my life) sample of the NE Pale Ale tastes fuggin great. I'll probably tweak the recipe here and there for clarity's sake but I dig it for my first try.

With the assist from HevvyMetalHippie I'll be calling this "Tub Fart" which is sort of an tip of the hat to the Hoof Hearted haziness this guy has

 

[SirDickButts]

tub fart. LOLOLOLOLOLOL. awesome!

 

[HevvyMetalHippie]

A little premature (story of my life) sample of the NE Pale Ale tastes fuggin great. I'll probably tweak the recipe here and there for clarity's sake but I dig it for my first try.

With the assist from HevvyMetalHippie I'll be calling this "Tub Fart" which is sort of an tip of the hat to the Hoof Hearted haziness this guy has

When you become famous, you have to take me with you so I can be on your marketing and PR team. +1 for watermelon.

 

[JulianB1]

I've been periodically giving thought to what I could do to improve mine in the future. One thing that I didn't like about it is that, after the first few days post-kegging where it had a nice vibrant golden color, it took on a noticeable "brownness". Here's a somewhat more recent pic:

As a point of comparison, the earlier one:

Yeah different glassware, lighting, etc. but this is something that we've all noticed with our own eyes.

One thought I had, and I could be completely out to lunch here, is that I should be putting the hops in a bag (or some other contraption) during the boil and in the dry-hop stages to keep out hop particulate. Is that potentially what's creating that color? I normally just throw my pellets straight into the kettle/fermenter.

 

[coldcrash1]

I've been periodically giving thought to what I could do to improve mine in the future. One thing that I didn't like about it is that, after the first few days post-kegging where it had a nice vibrant golden color, it took on a noticeable "brownness". Here's a somewhat more recent pic:

As a point of comparison, the earlier one:

Yeah different glassware, lighting, etc. but this is something that we've all noticed with our own eyes.

One thought I had, and I could be completely out to lunch here, is that I should be putting the hops in a bag (or some other contraption) during the boil and in the dry-hop stages to keep out hop particulate. Is that potentially what's creating that color? I normally just throw my pellets straight into the kettle/fermenter.

Could be oxidation

Did you transfer under pressure into a purged keg?

 

[JulianB1]

Could be oxidation

Did you transfer under pressure into a purged keg?

No. Getting the equipment to do this is on my list of upgrades to make to my system.

And you're quite likely correct, or at least that's likely part of the problem.

 

[GuzzleMcBrew]

I have two 5.6% APA made with a bunch of great hops going into kegs today. Co brewed by blckout20 and my buddy Dan. I am very excited.

Could be oxidation

Did you transfer under pressure into a purged keg?

^My guess too.

 

[coldcrash1]

No. Getting the equipment to do this is on my list of upgrades to make to my system.

And you're quite likely correct, or at least that's likely part of the problem.

Not sure how you're handling your dry hop additions, but this may help if you're not doing it already:

Add your hops to empty keg (in paint strainer bag or whatever you use), then purge w co2 before transferring beer from fermenter.

When your dry hop period is over, transfer your beer off the hops into a new purged keg using a jumper as in the pic below. Just a small section of beer line with a liquid out disconnect on each end

 

[JulianB1]

Not sure how you're handling your dry hop additions, but this may help if you're not doing it already:

Add your hops to empty keg (in paint strainer bag or whatever you use), then purge w co2 before transferring beer from fermenter.

When your dry hop period is over, transfer your beer off the hops into a new purged keg using a jumper as in the pic below. Just a small section of beer line with a liquid out disconnect on each end

Awesome, thanks for the pic! Was wondering about this. So push CO2 into the keg with the beer/hops, and the beer will be pushed through the out/out connections into the second, empty keg?

 

[coldcrash1]

Awesome, thanks for the pic! Was wondering about this. So push CO2 into the keg with the beer/hops, and the beer will be pushed through the out/out connections into the second, empty keg?

Yup. Open the relief valve on keg 2 once you have gas pushing on keg 1.

 

[andrewdrinks]

This is another really good long read on New England IPA:
http://cremasbeerodyssey.blogspot.ie/2016/05/a-beautiful-cloudiness.html

 

[GuzzleMcBrew]

The new APA came out great- really similar to Tree House this time around. 7.5 - 8 gallons total beer packaged into the kegs- one on Citra and Nelson, the other on Mosaic and Galaxy. Double batching delicious crusher beers is definitely going to be a thing this summer.

 

[lambandtunaphish]

The new APA came out great- really similar to Tree House this time around. 7.5 - 8 gallons total beer packaged into the kegs- one on Citra and Nelson, the other on Mosaic and Galaxy. Double batching delicious crusher beers is definitely going to be a thing this summer.

ISO

 

[GuzzleMcBrew]

I'll make sure it makes it's way to your taste buds, but it will be best served on draft...

 

[GuzzleMcBrew]

JulianB - did you guys purge the keg? I know you said no to prior questions about racking under pressure, but I am just curious. I always purge my keg but no longer move the beer into the keg under pressure. I have not noticed any particular oxidizing effects in my beers, which typically don't make it outside of a month by just racking them under a co2 bed right through the top of the keg and then burping.

Other questions - did you guys thoroughly burp the keg to rid it of oxygen in the headspace after racking?

Tell me about your kegging process. I have heard anecdotally that using the auto-siphon like I do will allow for a lot of dissolved O2 in a beer even if it is under a CO2 layer, but I haven't noticed any ill effects I would chalk up to Oxidation, per se.

 

[psnydez861]

I love racking with c02 and have seen a big improvement in my hoppy beer because of it.



Items needed:
Orange carboy cap
stainless steel racking cane (plastic is an option, but stainless is nice and will last ~forever)
5-7 feet of gas tubing
2- 1/4" nut to 5/16 barb https://www.morebeer.com/products/14-nut-516-barb.html
1- 1/4" male flare to 1/4" barb https://www.morebeer.com/products/flare-fitting-14-male-barb.html
hose clamps to tighten barbs into the gas line and the barb that goes into the one side port of the carboy cap.
Appropriate size tubing for the racking cane(5-8ft), and a ball lock/hose clamp for on the end that will attach to the kegs LO post.

pretty simple process wise.

Sanitize the receiving keg, after keg inside is properly sanitized, hit it with some co2, attach ball lock of racking cane assembly allowing sanitizer to flow from the keg throughout the racking cane into your star san storage bucket. Hit the empty sanitized keg with more Co2 pulling the PRV a few times to purge the keg.

Insert the sanitized racking cane into the beer getting the orange carboy cap to seal on the lid of the carboy (an optional hose camp can be applied here to ensure a tight fit, but can be dangerous if your siphon was to clog...with hops). Pull the PRV again getting all Co2 out of the keg, and leave the PRV open. Apply 2-5psi to your carboy cap, gas goes in, forcing the beer to escape via the stainless steel racking cane to your kegs LO post via the LO ball lock.

Complete transfer, hit with an optional co2 purge to clear the headspace if your a paranoid freak. Keg as normal.


Something I am kinda fooling around with is a 2nd dose of dry hops in a muslin bag in the receiving keg. Dry hop under 20-25lbs of pressure at room temp for 4 or 5 days before putting keg in kegerator. Higher pressure helps to get the essential oils into the beer, rather than into the headspace. Don't do more than 3 oz of hops per muslin bag, and weigh bag down with sterile marbles, or sterile stainless nuts.


Cheers.

Pat

 

[GuzzleMcBrew]

I love racking with c02 and have seen a big improvement in my hoppy beer because of it.



Items needed:
Orange carboy cap
stainless steel racking cane (plastic is an option, but stainless is nice and will last ~forever)
5-7 feet of gas tubing
2- 1/4" nut to 5/16 barb https://www.morebeer.com/products/14-nut-516-barb.html
1- 1/4" male flare to 1/4" barb https://www.morebeer.com/products/flare-fitting-14-male-barb.html
hose clamps to tighten barbs into the gas line and the barb that goes into the one side port of the carboy cap.
Appropriate size tubing for the racking cane(5-8ft), and a ball lock/hose clamp for on the end that will attach to the kegs LO post.

pretty simple process wise.

Sanitize the receiving keg, after keg inside is properly sanitized, hit it with some co2, attach ball lock of racking cane assembly allowing sanitizer to flow from the keg throughout the racking cane into your star san storage bucket. Hit the empty sanitized keg with more Co2 pulling the PRV a few times to purge the keg.

Insert the sanitized racking cane into the beer getting the orange carboy cap to seal on the lid of the carboy (an optional hose camp can be applied here to ensure a tight fit, but can be dangerous if your siphon was to clog...with hops). Pull the PRV again getting all Co2 out of the keg, and leave the PRV open. Apply 2-5psi to your carboy cap, gas goes in, forcing the beer to escape via the stainless steel racking cane to your kegs LO post via the LO ball lock.

Complete transfer, hit with an optional co2 purge to clear the headspace if your a paranoid freak. Keg as normal.


Something I am kinda fooling around with is a 2nd dose of dry hops in a muslin bag in the receiving keg. Dry hop under 20-25lbs of pressure at room temp for 4 or 5 days before putting keg in kegerator. Higher pressure helps to get the essential oils into the beer, rather than into the headspace. Don't do more than 3 oz of hops per muslin bag, and weigh bag down with sterile marbles, or sterile stainless nuts.


Cheers.

Pat

Nice! Yeah I have wanted to do the full on set up like that for some time but do not yet want to sacrifice fermenting in glass. I don't know why, but glass just seems better to me even though I believe the plastic is inert. I think I will need to go there soon though.

I rack into a co2 purged keg and have dry hops in a nylon bag hanging from the inside of the lid. I do a 2 or 3 day dry hop at 20 psi headspace with no gas hookup. Beer takes on some carb and gets a nice dry hop under high (but steadily decreasing) pressure.

 

[psnydez861]

GuzzleMcBrew
I ferment in plastic and glass. I also co2 rack from glass. It certainly isn't ideal and I'll do my hoppy beers in plastic if I have one open, but now a days I just c02 rack everything. Just gotta be sure to keep your psi low with glass, and be sure your PRV is open, and that the beer isn't gonna clog. But with the low pressures, the psi in the carboy won't go above what you have set on your regulator, and without a hose clamp on your carboy cap, you have a little bit of a safety measure.

I certainly don't advocate co2 racking in glass, as it is very dangerous, but I do it often.

 

[TheMitz]

Cool little article on some techniques.

http://cerebralbrewing.com/a-hazy-treatise/

 

[JulianB1]

JulianB - did you guys purge the keg? I know you said no to prior questions about racking under pressure, but I am just curious. I always purge my keg but no longer move the beer into the keg under pressure. I have not noticed any particular oxidizing effects in my beers, which typically don't make it outside of a month by just racking them under a co2 bed right through the top of the keg and then burping.

Other questions - did you guys thoroughly burp the keg to rid it of oxygen in the headspace after racking?

Tell me about your kegging process. I have heard anecdotally that using the auto-siphon like I do will allow for a lot of dissolved O2 in a beer even if it is under a CO2 layer, but I haven't noticed any ill effects I would chalk up to Oxidation, per se.

I don't think so, no (with regards to purging the keg). Which is obviously something I should have been doing, same with "burping" the keg. By this, do you mean opening the PRV with CO2 pumping into the (filled) keg?

I basically just rack using an auto-siphon, but for hoppy beers I'm going to aim for a setup like what psnydez86 has posted. I haven't really noticed any oxidation problems in say, my fruited berliner weisses.

 

[GuzzleMcBrew]

I don't think so, no (with regards to purging the keg). Which is obviously something I should have been doing, same with "burping" the keg. By this, do you mean opening the PRV with CO2 pumping into the (filled) keg?

I basically just rack using an auto-siphon, but for hoppy beers I'm going to aim for a setup like what psnydez86 has posted. I haven't really noticed any oxidation problems in say, my fruited berliner weisses.

Awesome- you can get a lot of benefit out of a couple of really small things. two things that pack a big punch process-wise:
Purge the keg by pumping co2 into it and then releasing pressure and refilling a couple times to ensure co2 is the primary or entire contents. Then when you open the PRV and put in the autosiphon through the lid there will be a co2 layer on top of the beer preventing some o2 interaction. Co2 is heavier than air so some will stay in the keg during a normal racking time.

At the end, burp the keg by pushing in a couple pounds co2, then releasing all headspace pressure with the gas on through the prv. It'll refill, do this again, then push try gas to preferred carbing level. The o2 in the headspace will have been forced out and from here forward only co2 goes in and beer out.

Sure both of these practices waste a little co2, but gas is cheap compared to a whole recipe worth of delicious beer going bad slowly.

 

[bsc]

GuzzleMcBrew
I certainly don't advocate co2 racking in glass, as it is very dangerous, but I do it often.

This can be made quite a bit safer by wrapping the glass carboy in a heavy blanket or leaving it in a (mostly closed) ferm chamber when you have pressure on the glass.

 

[GuzzleMcBrew]

I have racked directly to keg from primary with a liquid out connector on the hose of the autosiphon so that the beer goes right to the bottom of the keg under the co2 layer a bunch of times; might as well push the beer out of primary with co2 next time, too.

 

[GuzzleMcBrew]

More or less finished product now. It's always really interesting for me observing the flavors changing throughout the carbing and conditioning process for hoppy beer. Some of the swings are pretty wild.

 

[mborden1]

Ok, I'll join the fun.

This thread got me to get off my ass and brew a batch of beer for the first time since October 2014. Given my hiatus, I had a few gaffs along the way that were a bit sloppier than my normal brew process. Mash was a few degrees low because I didn't actually measure my grain temp after I left it out on my porch over night. Fermented higher than I should have because I have some Cool Brew bags but I was lazy and used my wife's gel packs instead of the normal frozen water bottles I used to have around. Also had a couple firsts. Played with my water chemistry for the first time. Pushed from my primary into my keg with CO2 for the first time. So lots of variables.

BUT, all that being said, I'm pretty pleased with this one. I had my first draw last night, and I was super unimpressed, but I had already wrecked my palate with a few other IPAs from my fridge. Today, fresh out of work, it's a whole other animal. I look forward to brewing this again to dial it in a bit.