Random Brewing Thoughts

[Gonzoillini1]

White Labs is opening up in Asheville! Pretty excited about that.

On a semi-related note, is making a starter with DME a pain in the ass or am I really lazy?

You are really lazy, its supremely easy as long as you've got fermcaps and an Erlenmeyer flask.

http://www.mrmalty.com/starter_faq.php

 

[Five28 hz]

Your kind of lazy and it's kind of a pain in the ass. I hope this helps.

 

[Snarf1]

Your kind of lazy and it's kind of a pain in the ass. I hope this helps.

I guess it's more that I don't feel like DME is that much easier to do than a 1 lb BIAB that costs 1/4 as much or less.

 

[Five28 hz]

I guess it's that I don't feel like DME is that much easier to do than a 1 lb BIAB that costs 1/4 as much or less.

This is as close to an absolute truth as there is in brewing. It's not any easier other than the fact that you don't have to mill any grain with dme. At the same time, you don't have to clean out tupperware that looks like a candy orgy just took place when you run out of dme either.

 

[quirkzoo1]

I guess it's more that I don't feel like DME is that much easier to do than a 1 lb BIAB that costs 1/4 as much or less.

I started to post that it saves me a trip the the lhbs but then I realized I have to go anyway, it just means I need to make sure to go over one day before I brew. Might try BIAB starter next time.

 

[abawol01]

So these came in. 15 gal stainless.

Hnnnggggg

 

[doobiegoobie]

I really need to start doing more kettle soured beers. Anyone got a decent strain of lacto (i.e., one that will sour relatively quickly) that they would trade?

 

[abawol01]

I really need to start doing more kettle soured beers. Anyone got a decent strain of lacto (i.e., one that will sour relatively quickly) that they would trade?

I have some uncrushed two row if you want it. Just put it in a muslin bag and toss it in the kettle. Works for me and my berliners. Stupid sour in 5-7 days. Just keep the O2 away

 

[Five28 hz]

Is it oxygen exposure during kettle souring that puts off a rancid milk smell?

The only berliner I've done was kettle soured in my HLT to hold temp around 100 with L Brevis and it came out smelling like sour milk even with 3-4 months of aging. It wasn't butric acid but it wasn't palatable either even though it did slowly start to calm down with age. I didn't think sacc would clean it up after so many months so it got dumped.

 

[abawol01]

Is it oxygen exposure during kettle souring that puts off a rancid milk smell?

The only berliner I've done was kettle soured in my HLT to hold temp around 100 with L Brevis and it came out smelling like sour milk even with 3-4 months of aging. It wasn't butric acid but it wasn't palatable either even though it did slowly start to calm down with age. I didn't think sacc would clean it up after so many months so it got dumped.

In my experience, everything bad that can happen with lacto is becuase of O2 exposure.

When I kettle sour I toss in the two row and cover the wort, the actual wort, not the pot, with foil then I put the lid on. I only check it every 3 days with 6-7 days being optimal wait for my berliners.

 

[doobiegoobie]

I have some uncrushed two row if you want it. Just put it in a muslin bag and toss it in the kettle. Works for me and my berliners. Stupid sour in 5-7 days. Just keep the O2 away

That's what I usually do but want a little more control here on out. I've also seen that someone (bootleg bio?) plated what was in a sour mash and didn't find any lacto. But thanks!

Is it oxygen exposure during kettle souring that puts off a rancid milk smell?

The only berliner I've done was kettle soured in my HLT to hold temp around 100 with L Brevis and it came out smelling like sour milk even with 3-4 months of aging. It wasn't butric acid but it wasn't palatable either even though it did slowly start to calm down with age. I didn't think sacc would clean it up after so many months so it got dumped.

Yeah, from what I've read/experienced, keeping O2 out is vital. Also getting the mash down to ~4.5 pH helps keep unwanted bugs out too (source: chad when he was on the session). I tend to be paranoid as **** with it. I mash like normal (but with a low pH), then boil for 15 min to drive off O2, rack to carboy, purge with CO2 and cover with saran wrap, and then add grains/lacto. After it gets to where I want it I'll generally boil again so I can add a **** load of hops and then usually ferment with brett.

 

[axeman91821]

Trying to decide on my next few brews, leaning towards a straightforward saison (pils, saaz, and 3726), a MO/Mosaic SMaSH pale ale, and a wee heavy (boil some first runnings down to a thick syrup). May switch out the wee heavy for another barleywine that I'll put on bourbon soaked oak.

 

[quirkzoo1]

On the Sour Hour the brewer from Green Bench in Florida talked about running CO2 through the wort to make sure that there was no oxygen left over.

http://podbay.fm/show/920652546/e/1416533059?autostart=1

 

[Snarf1]

axeman9182 , I really don't like mosaic for bittering. Sometimes it's ok and sometimes the beer smells and tastes like a sasquatch's armpit.

I've had good luck with sour mash. 5 gallon round cooler holds 10 gallon batch of grain nicely and pour valve makes CO2 flush easy. I tried kettle souring once. Haven't ever found a dead hobo in a dumpster, but I bet it would smell like a kettle sour gone awry. Have been meaning to try a pre-conversion sour mash.

 

[axeman91821]

axeman9182 , I really don't like mosaic for bittering. Sometimes it's ok and sometimes the beer smells and tastes like a sasquatch's armpit.

I've had good luck with sour mash. 5 gallon round cooler holds 10 gallon batch of grain nicely and pour valve makes CO2 flush easy. I tried kettle souring once. Haven't ever found a dead hobo in a dumpster, but I bet it would smell like a kettle sour gone awry. Have been meaning to try a pre-conversion sour mash.

Good to know. I wasn't planning on using much for a traditional bittering addition. Probably .25oz FWH, and then a big 15 minute addition (as well as flameout and dry hopping).

 

[Snarf1]

Last minute, but there is a free webinar on setting up a small brewery lab at noon eastern today.

 

[mixed_master7]

So these came in. 15 gal stainless.

Hnnnggggg

How much were they? Link?

 

[mixed_master7]

On the Sour Hour the brewer from Green Bench in Florida talked about running CO2 through the wort to make sure that there was no oxygen left over.

http://podbay.fm/show/920652546/e/1416533059?autostart=1

Chris is a really cool guy, but his beer sucks.

I do know a few people that use this method and it has worked. No cheesy taste from O2.

 

[abawol01]

How much were they? Link?

$90 per. Stupid cheap and they are nice!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0085ZODVO/?tag=talkbeer-20

Looks like they are $103 now. Still cheap for Stainless.

 

[SirDickButts]

wow. that is very cheap. my 10 gal was $160 when i purchased it.

 

[Snarf1]

Need to make a little cabinet or something to keep starters warm or possibly big enough for carboys. I found a video on how to switch a Johnson a419 from cool to heat. Can I do the same with my older non digital johnson?

 

[Beerontwowheels]

Need to make a little cabinet or something to keep starters warm or possibly big enough for carboys. I found a video on how to switch a Johnson a419 from cool to heat. Can I do the same with my older non digital johnson?

Some can be. Will require pics of your Johnson.

 

[Snarf1]

Some can be. Will require pics of your Johnson.

It's bigger than it looks in the pics.

 

[SirDickButts]

Some can be. Will require pics of your Johnson.

It's bigger than it looks in the pics.

 

[JulianB1]

For anyone with Facebook, check this out:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2204648847/permalink/10152629518148848/

This poor girl has a massive pellicle on her homebrew elderberry wine and has no idea what it means. On one hand I feel sorry for her and simply contributed what I thought was some useful information (namely, that it's likely infected with brett - am I wrong here and is there some other mechanism to get a huge pellicle like that in a wine?), but at the same time there's something amusing about the whole thing. Might be her random use of caps and sentences like

"So this pellicle..maybe has something to do with the wild yeast? BTW I have no idea what I AM DOING! I followed directions of a site and like I said experiment."

 

[ncaudle]

For anyone with Facebook, check this out:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2204648847/permalink/10152629518148848/

This poor girl has a massive pellicle on her homebrew elderberry wine and has no idea what it means. On one hand I feel sorry for her and simply contributed what I thought was some useful information (namely, that it's likely infected with brett - am I wrong here and is there some other mechanism to get a huge pellicle like that in a wine?), but at the same time there's something amusing about the whole thing. Might be her random use of caps and sentences like

"So this pellicle..maybe has something to do with the wild yeast? BTW I have no idea what I AM DOING! I followed directions of a site and like I said experiment."

not necessarily infected with brett. mainly evidence of a acid producing organism in the presence of oxygen

 

[Snarf1]

For anyone with Facebook, check this out:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2204648847/permalink/10152629518148848/

This poor girl has a massive pellicle on her homebrew elderberry wine and has no idea what it means. On one hand I feel sorry for her and simply contributed what I thought was some useful information (namely, that it's likely infected with brett - am I wrong here and is there some other mechanism to get a huge pellicle like that in a wine?), but at the same time there's something amusing about the whole thing. Might be her random use of caps and sentences like

"So this pellicle..maybe has something to do with the wild yeast? BTW I have no idea what I AM DOING! I followed directions of a site and like I said experiment."

Brett isnt only pellicle forming microbe, not that it really matters.

 

[Snarf1]

Anyone played with herbal tea? All my gallon jugs are occupied, but if I can free some up, I might try some next time I do a berliner.

 

[BadJustin]

rook question, bought some cheap 3 gal better bottles. Have a batch of sour saison ready to bottle, FG at 1.010. I want to bottle half and put the other half on fruit. A.) am I dumb and B.) fruit preperation question. Buy it wash it, cut it and let it rip?

Also, should I be priming? This was a petit saison with wyeast 3711 and CD/ RR dregs added.

 

[Snarf1]

rook question, bought some cheap 3 gal better bottles. Have a batch of sour saison ready to bottle, FG at 1.010. I want to bottle half and put the other half on fruit. A.) am I dumb and B.) fruit preperation question. Buy it wash it, cut it and let it rip?

Also, should I be priming? This was a petit saison with wyeast 3711 and CD/ RR dregs added.

1.010 is really high for 3711 alone, much less with dregs. How long has it been stable there? If it's been over 4 weeks, it's probably not going to drop anymore and you should be okay to bottle prime normally. If it hasn't been that long, it's probably not ready to bottle.

What fruit are you planning on using? I like to try and buy stuff locally that I know hasn't been sprayed with anything. That way I don't have to bother with washing it. Not sure what you have in mind, but with the time of year and you being in NY, I'm guessing that's not an option right now. Unless you're wanting to use citrus, I'd suggest going with frozen fruit. Leave more headspace than you think you'll need. Some fruits will trap more CO2 than others and can make a huge mess. I usually end up having to punch the fruit down, sometimes twice a day which is a PITA. Bent end of a plastic racking cane works well for this. I worry about it introducing unwanted O2 and possible acetic or oxidation flavors, but haven't tasted either from doing this.