What are you drinking now?

[dscott]

My first brew " Ms. America Pale Ale" , ... not bad, but I'm throwin' in some Lagunitas Maximus just in case. hah

 

[aharri1]

Founders centennial IPA. Good balanced beer

 

[tripplehazzard]

a ghandi bot with some gumbo before i go to sleep for a coupel hours and work another 16 hr day tomorrow

 

[mattmmille]

I had wheat beer from Appalachian Brewing earlier (pretty basic, but drinkable) while I finally bottle my gallon of Pineapple-Mango Melomel. Started April 3rd. I have 10 good 12oz bottles that I'm going to put away until a year from November. So the first good bottle opened would be around a year and a half from the start of fermentation. But, I had an 11th bottle that was just 2 or 3 oz short of full, that I added some Culligan bottled water to...just to top it up a little...and I'll check it sometime in a few months. I'll keep an eye on it. A small taste was a little hot on the alcohol, but definitely getting the pineapple...maybe the mango will come out as it mellows.

 

[dscott]

As a finale, I'm on to my first brew... Ms. America Pale ale, a recipe from www.olybrew.com. I'm pleased with it ... not the end-all-be-all- , but not bad (even after I scorched the extract)

peace,
d

 

[Renoun]

Fremont Brewing Operation Homefront IPA, part of the Hops for Heros charity collaboration brew. Decent beer but I should have had it before the Bale Breaker Brewing Topcutter IPA (IPA's from hop farms kick ass). Perhaps my judgment was affected by all the sampling at a hb club meeting.

 

[banesong]

Coffee. After torturing my liver last week, I need to stop coming here and torturing myself until Friday.

 

[Remmy]

Coff.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Coffee #2.

Last night was fun. I heard what sounded like fighting small dogs outside and when I went to be a nosy neighbor found out my next door neighbors 21 year old son and his friends had rolled out a long strip of plastic sheeting and turned it into an improvised slip n slide. I spent the evening drinking Miller heavies and shooting the sh*t watching them have fun and bruise themselves. Then I had a perfectly grilled ribeye steak out of the freezer and a Apfelwein to cap off the night. Early to bed and no headache this morning. I think I am starting to figure out how to properly drink Apfelwein now.

 

[Hello]

^ how does one grill a steak perfectly from the freezer? serious question.

Water now coffee. Not much sleep, again.

 

[CliffMongoloid]

HEYOOO REMMY....... throw those DIPA's in the fridge and let me know how they are... they are pretty carbed up brotha...

coff yo

 

[aharri1]

Rishii Loose leaf green tea with chai

 

[DrunkleJon]

Steak from the freezer (thawed, seasoned with S&P) then grilled perfectly. I really wish I took a picture. It lookedand tasted that good. That would be an accomplishment if I grilled it either directly from the freezer or in it.

 

[Remmy]

HEYOOO REMMY....... throw those DIPA's in the fridge and let me know how they are... they are pretty carbed up brotha...

coff yo

fo' sho'

 

[BGBC]

I had wheat beer from Appalachian Brewing earlier (pretty basic, but drinkable) while I finally bottle my gallon of Pineapple-Mango Melomel. Started April 3rd. I have 10 good 12oz bottles that I'm going to put away until a year from November. So the first good bottle opened would be around a year and a half from the start of fermentation. But, I had an 11th bottle that was just 2 or 3 oz short of full, that I added some Culligan bottled water to...just to top it up a little...and I'll check it sometime in a few months. I'll keep an eye on it. A small taste was a little hot on the alcohol, but definitely getting the pineapple...maybe the mango will come out as it mellows.

Why not bulk age it longer if it's still hot and you're not planning to drink it for that long anyway?

 

[Ridire]

Coffee.

Getting excited for my brew on Saturday. This will be the biggest beer I've brewed to date at around 1.080 and is the main reason I moved from BIAB to a cooler tun. It's also the first beer in which I will pitch yeast harvested from a commercial beer. I'm hoping that goes well, as this beer is going to sit around for 5-6 months and it would be a bitch to find out it is horrible after all that time.

 

[Hello]

Steak from the freezer (thawed, seasoned with S&P) then grilled perfectly. I really wish I took a picture. It lookedand tasted that good. That would be an accomplishment if I grilled it either directly from the freezer or in it.

Oh haha. I wondered because I never freeze my steaks because I always forget to thaw them. I just buy them and grill them that night or the next day. I did wonder. I was mildly excited to take part in some bulk costco steak buys and freezing them on up.




Water. to stay on topic for once.

 

[Ridire]

OK, as I'm getting more experienced with my cooler tun, what are the group's thoughts on sparging? Single infusion or two stage? If you do two stage, is it important how much sparge water gets into each stage or is the total amount of sparge water the only important thing?

EDIT: and do you stir your sparge or try to leave the grain bed settled?

 

[DrunkleJon]

Oh haha. I wondered because I never freeze my steaks because I always forget to thaw them. I just buy them and grill them that night or the next day. I did wonder. I was mildly excited to take part in some bulk costco steak buys and freezing them on up.




Water. to stay on topic for once.

Thats what I do. Costco has some amazing cuts at great prices. I just vac seal the steaks individually and freeze, transfer to the fridge the night before (or submerge the entire pouch into warm water to thaw). Pat dry, S&P to lightly coat, sit at room temp to form a myoglobin pellicle and then throw on a high heat grill turning every 2 minutes for 2 flips per side. Eat immediately, no resting. People may want to kill me for that, but I have never found the need to rest a steak. Cook less time if you are going to rest it.

 

[Hello]

OK, as I'm getting more experienced with my cooler tun, what are the group's thoughts on sparging? Single infusion or two stage? If you do two stage, is it important how much sparge water gets into each stage or is the total amount of sparge water the only important thing?

EDIT: and do you stir your sparge or try to leave the grain bed settled?

I stir between sparging and I batch sparge in two steps. I have done no sparge once and would/will do it again. That's another story I just rambled on about in another post.

I stir and disturb the grain bed for two reasons, to help rinse all of the grain and also so my grain bed doesn't get too compacted to get stuck. This may not be good information but it has been how I've done it since day 1 of AG brewing.

 

[CliffMongoloid]

Thursdays are so chatty in here

Water

 

[Remmy]

Last day at the office. Going to the gym in a few and then going out to drink. Sounds about right if you're me.

Having my last coff of the morning.

 

[wobrien]

OK, as I'm getting more experienced with my cooler tun, what are the group's thoughts on sparging? Single infusion or two stage? If you do two stage, is it important how much sparge water gets into each stage or is the total amount of sparge water the only important thing?

EDIT: and do you stir your sparge or try to leave the grain bed settled?

Batch sparge in two equal size steps. Stir it all up during each sparge.

 

[Ridire]

Batch sparge in two equal size steps. Stir it all up during each sparge.

But is the "equal size steps" important? What if I calculate the required volume, heat it all in one kettle and just kind of eye-ball half into the first batch and half into the second...does it matter if I inadvertently get about 2/3 into the first batch?

On my two brews thus far with the tun (after changing from BIAB) I have done a single stage sparge without stirring. My efficiency has been poor (I did not bother calculating the efficiency but my OG was well below expected). So I am now thinking of doing a two stage with a vigorous stir during each.

Drinking more coffee...to the point of getting the shakes now.

 

[wobrien]

I use the term 'equal' loosely. Beersmith had me use one gal and 4 gal one time and the one gallon sparge wasn't even enough to rinse all the grain. So instead, I would take the 5 gallons total sparge water and roughly do two even batch sparges

 

[DrunkleJon]

But is the "equal size steps" important? What if I calculate the required volume, heat it all in one kettle and just kind of eye-ball half into the first batch and half into the second...does it matter if I inadvertently get about 2/3 into the first batch?

On my two brews thus far with the tun (after changing from BIAB) I have done a single stage sparge without stirring. My efficiency has been poor (I did not bother calculating the efficiency but my OG was well below expected). So I am now thinking of doing a two stage with a vigorous stir during each.

Drinking more coffee...to the point of getting the shakes now.

You could even split it into 3 batches to potentially get even more out of it. You will notice much better efficiency if you stir. That is part of batch sparging, and really nice because it is a really easy way to unstick your sparge (stir the crap out of it, vorlauf and open the valve more slowly next time).

 

[mattmmille]

Coffee!
I don't know on the mead bulk aging...I've read varying opinions and this is my first. But it's in the bottles now, so I just have to hope now! Going to label and find a nice, out of the way, dark closet for them.

 

[finsfan]

But is the "equal size steps" important? What if I calculate the required volume, heat it all in one kettle and just kind of eye-ball half into the first batch and half into the second...does it matter if I inadvertently get about 2/3 into the first batch?

On my two brews thus far with the tun (after changing from BIAB) I have done a single stage sparge without stirring. My efficiency has been poor (I did not bother calculating the efficiency but my OG was well below expected). So I am now thinking of doing a two stage with a vigorous stir during each.

Drinking more coffee...to the point of getting the shakes now.

I would not change 2 variables in this case. You would not be able to know which one helped improve your efficiency. I think stirring is a big part of getting all the sugars out of the grain. I always stir right before I take my first runnings, then do 1 batch sparge. I let it sit maybe 5 minutes, stir right before I take second runnings, and I normally close the value and stir about half way through taking second runnings since the grain bed is SO compacted at that point. Just make sure to vorlauf enough between each step.

 

[CliffMongoloid]

OK, as I'm getting more experienced with my cooler tun, what are the group's thoughts on sparging? Single infusion or two stage? If you do two stage, is it important how much sparge water gets into each stage or is the total amount of sparge water the only important thing?

EDIT: and do you stir your sparge or try to leave the grain bed settled?

whats your recipe?

 

[Ridire]

whats your recipe?

Grain Bill:

13 lbs Maris Otter
2.0 lbs Flaked Oats
0.75 lbs Crystal 80L
1.0 lbs Chocolate Malt
0.5 lbs Black Patent