Random Brewing Thoughts

[Beerontwowheels]

Anyone here have any experience with BIAB? Seems like a logical and economical step towards AG for someone who is currently doing extract batches.

I did a quick search, and didn't see anything on this topic. Not sure if it's worthy of it's own thread.

I did ten or twelve batches using BIAB. It can produce great beers, no doubt. Looking back, I'd probably just skip to a true mash tun.

What size kettle do you have? That will play a role in whether BIAB will work for you. The smaller your kettle, the more inclined I'd be to just buy a rectangular cooler and make a mash tun (super easy and not expensive).

 

[FTowne1]

I did ten or twelve batches using BIAB. It can produce great beers, no doubt. Looking back, I'd probably just skip to a true mash tun.

What size kettle do you have? That will play a role in whether BIAB will work for you. The smaller your kettle, the more inclined I'd be to just buy a rectangular cooler and make a mash tun (super easy and not expensive).

Right now I'm making 2.5 gallon full boil extract batches on the kitchen stove. My wife ******* hates brew day. I'll probably graduate to a turkey fryer and slightly bigger batches sometime in the near future. I don't really have much at all as far as equipment goes at this time. I'm really just getting started.

 

[Snarf1]

I've done BIAB a few times for starters because I'm cheap and hate DME. Nothing wrong with it, but I also think it's easier to use a cooler mash tun. I made my first one out of a cooler I'd probably had for ten years. No valve, just a bigger piece of tubing the smaller tubing fit through and that was water tight. 79 cent clip for on/off and a stainess braid and voila - under ten bucks for a mash tun and you're not lifting a bag of hot grain dripping wort all over the place.

 

[Snarf1]

Any thoughts on accuracy of standard vs alternate abv formulas for high grav stuff? The alternate formula is telling me my beer actually hit over 16% with 34/70 and that's a little surprising.

 

[Beerontwowheels]

Right now I'm making 2.5 gallon full boil extract batches on the kitchen stove. My wife ******* hates brew day. I'll probably graduate to a turkey fryer and slightly bigger batches sometime in the near future. I don't really have much at all as far as equipment goes at this time. I'm really just getting started.

ncaudle - got any advice for FTowne ? I can't remember if you BIAB. Thought you might given your 2.5 gallon batch size.

 

[ncaudle]

ncaudle - got any advice for FTowne ? I can't remember if you BIAB. Thought you might given your 2.5 gallon batch size.

I've never BIABd.
I did a DIY 10gal cooler mashtun with turkey fryer but have since upgraded the turkey fryer with a 7.5gal Blichmann

 

[PurityControl88]

Any one here ever pour sour dregs into barleywine wort? I'm thinking of doing it 'cause no *****, but I don't know if it'd actually do anything.

 

[Snarf1]

Any one here ever pour sour dregs into barleywine wort? I'm thinking of doing it 'cause no *****, but I don't know if it'd actually do anything.

Are you thinking off adding dregs to the wort with sacc pitch? That might give the dregs a better chance of takin hold. A barleywine is generally going to be too hoppy for lacto. What are you going for flavor wise and what dregs do you have in mind? So stuff isn't very alcohol tolerant either.

 

[PurityControl88]

Are you thinking off adding dregs to the wort with sacc pitch? That might give the dregs a better chance of takin hold. A barleywine is generally going to be too hoppy for lacto. What are you going for flavor wise and what dregs do you have in mind? So stuff isn't very alcohol tolerant either.

Yep! We're using a vial of WLP099 in addition to the dregs. The dregs are a collection of things my friend has been saving from different sours (might throw in some JP/Oud Beersel on brew day). We're mainly just experimenting and I thought it'd be cool if it could come out as some kind of tart/earthy barleywine. Do you think one vial of that yeast would be enough for a 5 gallon batch? Or should we use more yeast than that? I'd hate to end up with wort that does nothing.

 

[Snarf1]

Yep! We're using a vial of WLP099 in addition to the dregs. The dregs are a collection of things my friend has been saving from different sours (might throw in some JP/Oud Beersel on brew day). We're mainly just experimenting and I thought it'd be cool if it could come out as some kind of tart/earthy barleywine. Do you think one vial of that yeast would be enough for a 5 gallon batch? Or should we use more yeast than that? I'd hate to end up with wort that does nothing.

Can't say for sure if that's enough yeast, but it's not enough yeast. Mr Malty is popular for estimating starter size and pitching rate. To me, a regular barleywine recipe (US I'm assuming based on yeast choice) + a bunch of random dregs doesn't sound like a good plan. Not that hoppy mixed ferment beers can't work, but that particular combo doesn't sound good to me.

 

[PurityControl88]

Can't say for sure if that's enough yeast, but it's not enough yeast. Mr Malty is popular for estimating starter size and pitching rate. To me, a regular barleywine recipe (US I'm assuming based on yeast choice) + a bunch of random dregs doesn't sound like a good plan. Not that hoppy mixed ferment beers can't work, but that particular combo doesn't sound good to me.

Yeah, it does sound like a mess, doesn't it?
We have 10 gallons total, so 5 gallons will be regular yeast and the other 5 we're going to throw the dregs in.
I'm for sure going to pick up more yeast tomorrow so it'll ferment better. Can you tell I'm a total noob at this?

 

[Snarf1]

Has anyone else noticed that the amount of time someone has spent on BJCP certifications seems to be inversely proportional to their ability to taste things?

 

[Beerontwowheels]

Yeah, it does sound like a mess, doesn't it?
We have 10 gallons total, so 5 gallons will be regular yeast and the other 5 we're going to throw the dregs in.
I'm for sure going to pick up more yeast tomorrow so it'll ferment better. Can you tell I'm a total noob at this?

Consider making a starter for a healthier fermentation on that barleywine. Starters are not hard, just require a bit more pre-planning.

 

[Snarf1]

Consider making a starter for a healthier fermentation on that barleywine. Starters are not hard, just require a bit more pre-planning.

He's not into practical advice, or I would have extolled the virtues of dry yeast.

 

[PurityControl88]

Consider making a starter for a healthier fermentation on that barleywine. Starters are not hard, just require a bit more pre-planning.

Thanks for the advice! My buddy ended up making a starter to get things rolling a little better before we actually pitch the other yeast we have. It was my first time brewing last night and I had a blast. Hopefully I can do it again soon.

 

[SirDickButts]

pitched some ringwood yeast into my ipa @ 60 degrees without making a starter last weekend.

it was a last minute decision to use that yeast...hope im not screwed.

 

[FTowne1]

It was my first time brewing last night and I had a blast. Hopefully I can do it again soon.

I've only done extract and steep batches so far and I agree, it's really fun. Fighting the urge to start another batch this weekend.

 

[Der Fuchs]

pitched some ringwood yeast into my ipa @ 60 degrees without making a starter last weekend.

it was a last minute decision to use that yeast...hope im not screwed.

You should be fine. Ringwood is a hearty bastard. If you don't get some bubble action by tonight you may want to raise the temp a bit until you see some activity. Once that baby starts moving drop it back down to 60*.

 

[FTowne1]

7.5gal Blichmann

I need one of these. Hhhnnngggg

 

[blue_bleeder]

I need one of these. Hhhnnngggg

One of the guys in my homebrew club has one - I think 30 gallons or some crazy ****. He has it on wheels. It's amazing.

 

[SirDickButts]

You should be fine. Ringwood is a hearty bastard. If you don't get some bubble action by tonight you may want to raise the temp a bit until you see some activity. Once that baby starts moving drop it back down to 60*.

i pitched it last Saturday...and it took off in a few hours. there's still a nice amount of krausen on top.
i went ahead a raised the temp to 67* 3 days after active fermentation. smells like peaches and dank.

 

[SirDickButts]

checked the ipa on ringwood. FG settled @ 1.008. nice and dry. just how i like it!

 

[abawol01]

checked the ipa on ringwood. FG settled @ 1.008. nice and dry. just how i like it!

Any diacetyl? I'm about to do a porter with ringwood for the first time and have read it's notorious for it.

I figure a big pitch and cooler fermentation would inhibit it.

 

[SirDickButts]

Any diacetyl? I'm about to do a porter with ringwood for the first time and have read it's notorious for it.

I figure a big pitch and cooler fermentation would inhibit it.

no diacetyl. i fermented @ 60* the first week. when i hit FG, i ramped it up to 67* for a few days for the diacetyl rest.

 

[SirDickButts]

also...i hit my FG pretty damn early. its a monster yeast strain.
i don't think a diacetyl rest necessarily needed for ales, if you're fermenting 65+ degrees.
raise the temp of fermentation once the krausen falls.
i was worried that i under pitched, since i didn't use a starter.

 

[FTowne1]

Anyone here tried "catching" wild yeast from their yard, local orchard, vineyard, etc. ? I've been reading a lot of success stories and I'm thinking that I might give it a shot sometime soon. Apparently the best time to try this is during the spring and fall because you have a better chance of not grabbing mold spores. It's a low/no cost experiment that could be kinda cool if you could turn out your own genuine "house strain".


Thoughts?

 

[drgarage1]

Anyone here tried "catching" wild yeast from their yard, local orchard, vineyard, etc. ? I've been reading a lot of success stories and I'm thinking that I might give it a shot sometime soon. Apparently the best time to try this is during the spring and fall because you have a better chance of not grabbing mold spores. It's a low/no cost experiment that could be kinda cool if you could turn out your own genuine "house strain".


Thoughts?

degardebrewing

 

[mixed_master7]

Anyone here tried "catching" wild yeast from their yard, local orchard, vineyard, etc. ? I've been reading a lot of success stories and I'm thinking that I might give it a shot sometime soon. Apparently the best time to try this is during the spring and fall because you have a better chance of not grabbing mold spores. It's a low/no cost experiment that could be kinda cool if you could turn out your own genuine "house strain".


Thoughts?

I saw something on FB the other day that gave a few options with steps how to do it. Let me see what I can find.

Edit: found it.

http://bootlegbiology.com/diy/capturing-yeast/

 

[FTowne1]

I saw something on FB the other day that gave a few options with steps how to do it. Let me see what I can find.

Edit: found it.

http://bootlegbiology.com/diy/capturing-yeast/

Yep, I read that site and also skimmed most of a lengthy thread on homebrewtalk. Just wondering if anyone here has had any luck doing this.

 

[ncaudle]

Anyone here tried "catching" wild yeast from their yard, local orchard, vineyard, etc. ? I've been reading a lot of success stories and I'm thinking that I might give it a shot sometime soon. Apparently the best time to try this is during the spring and fall because you have a better chance of not grabbing mold spores. It's a low/no cost experiment that could be kinda cool if you could turn out your own genuine "house strain".


Thoughts?

http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2011/04/ambient-spontaneous-yeast-starters.html