What I did for beer today

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Helped prepare boxes of entries to be delivered for virtual judging. 235 entries in the Miami Area Society of Homebrewers Coconut Cup this year.

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Bottled the IPA(centennial, mosaic, Idaho7) I brewed middle of last week. I was afraid the mosaic was going to overpower everything and give me a fruit bowl, but I finally managed some good pineyness and grapefruity citrus with a touch of fruit that I've been seeking. The dry hop was in the fermenter for over a week, so I was a little concerned there, but all is well.
 
@grampamark, Did you add corn or rice to lighten the body or go all barley for your light lager?

I have a 4% all barley German pilsner on tap that is about to kick that is pretty good, I am thinking I might do that one again.

I seen a article where someone brewed a normal strength American lager then added water to make a light version too. Seemed like a good way to get two two beers out of one brew but have not tried it myself.
 
@grampamark, Did you add corn or rice to lighten the body or go all barley for your light lager?

I have a 4% all barley German pilsner on tap that is about to kick that is pretty good, I am thinking I might do that one again.

I seen a article where someone brewed a normal strength American lager then added water to make a light version too. Seemed like a good way to get two two beers out of one brew but have not tried it myself.
See my post in “what are you drinking now” for the long version. I used a pound of flaked corn and a pound of corn sugar.
 
See my post in “what are you drinking now” for the long version. I used a pound of flaked corn and a pound of corn sugar.
A pound of corn sugar should really lighten the body. If it comes out too estery maybe try flaked rice or corn starch instead of corn sugar next time.
 
Brewed this for a Kveik festival they are having in my neck of the woods (Central Florida) where they will have qualified judges give 1st-3rd places and have a people's choice. It's all homebrewers! I decided to be out in left field and do a Kveik smoke ale with Lutra, orange blossom honey, peat smoke whiskey malt, 2 row, and Azacca hops. Going for a sweet smoked pineapple flavor haha.
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Spent the day in Temecula, CA yesterday. SWMBO went wine tasting with the rest of the family matrons for Mother's Day and I hit Stone in Escondido, Aftershock in Temecula, and got to try the DDH Pliny and the Blind Pig from Russian River at the Temecula PUBlic House. Filled up all three coolers in the trunk with beers for the drive home. The 300-mile round trip (14-hour day) was completely worth it.
 
Brewed up another batch of the house Citra/Sabro IPA this morning; went well for a slightly lackadaisical brewday (lots of youtubing interspersed in the day). Also dropped the dry hop in the FW Wookie Jack clone done last weekend; since I have fresh yeast on hand, did this one commando, something I haven't done in a while. Is it bad that I feel so naughty doing something "commando" when I'm a person of the female persuasion? Yeah, I thought not.
 
Trying a new DH technique based on recent books/articles. Wanted to move the fermenter into the keezer to cold crash, but there wasn't enough space with all the beer I bought yesterday (see post above). So, I transferred the NZ Pale Ale to a keg, added 2oz of DH (Motueka & Kohatu) in a bag, moved it into the keezer and put it on gas. I plan to pull the DH after 2 days and let it age for another week or so, while it carbonates.

I was initially going to let it hang, attached to a fishing line tied to the outside of the keg, but I couldn't figure out why my lid wouldn't seal. I was going nuts, because, of course, every other aspect of the transfer was according to plan. Two replacement lids and gaskets later, I thought, "screw it" and put the line inside the keg lid, with the bag on the beer float instead of below it. No leak. Of course, a micron-thin piece of fishing line is enough to keep a lubed-up lid gasket from making a seal. Why would I ever think otherwise?
 
Trying a new DH technique based on recent books/articles. Wanted to move the fermenter into the keezer to cold crash, but there wasn't enough space with all the beer I bought yesterday (see post above). So, I transferred the NZ Pale Ale to a keg, added 2oz of DH (Motueka & Kohatu) in a bag, moved it into the keezer and put it on gas. I plan to pull the DH after 2 days and let it age for another week or so, while it carbonates.

I was initially going to let it hang, attached to a fishing line tied to the outside of the keg, but I couldn't figure out why my lid wouldn't seal. I was going nuts, because, of course, every other aspect of the transfer was according to plan. Two replacement lids and gaskets later, I thought, "screw it" and put the line inside the keg lid, with the bag on the beer float instead of below it. No leak. Of course, a micron-thin piece of fishing line is enough to keep a lubed-up lid gasket from making a seal. Why would I ever think otherwise?
Next time try unwaxed/unflavored dental floss; it should let the lid seal. At least it did the times I've done dry hopping in the keg.
 
Sooooo, minty fresh or cinnamon are right out?
LOL! Have a funny story about using floss for dry hopping in the keg. 4 years ago when we traveled to Boise to see my daughter get married, brought a keg of Orange Coriander Wit that I made for the rehearsal dinner. My husband, being OCD and not really understanding what I do, saw the floss tied to the top of the keg and decided to break it. Sliced the o-ring enough so lost all the co2 (he really did not mean to, it just happened). Fortunately found a LHBS in Boise with extra corny o-rings and keg lube, and the day was saved. I will point out, however, that the floss held all the way from Kent to Boise without any leakage, and this was in the back seat of our car. That beer lasted about 3 hours after we tapped it, and all of my daughter's friends (and my new in-laws) loved it. My son in law has been known to brag about his homebrewing mother in law.
 
I had taken a break but last night brewed 3 gallons of the Machine House Mild clone. Hopefully, this one will be pretty close.

Strung up the leads from my hops to the decorative trellises at the front of the House. I've got Willamette, Northern Brewer, East Seattle Goldings and Tettnang. After 5 or 6 seasons growing hops, I now just let one bine go up from each plant. Whatever I pick from a single plant, then goes into a fresh hop ale. Usually, I'll add maybe an ounce of commercial hops to the boil, and typically have a pound or so of fresh hops to throw in. Usually I've left a handful or three of not ripe cones on the bine, and grab those a week or so later to dry hop. I get 4 fresh hop ales a season, and don't have to bother with drying any hops.
 
Meanwhile, back in the garage, here's the stuff I bought today for an all-grain BIAB batch of Black Pearl Ale, a Belgian Tripppel that I first brewed extract with steeped grains.

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8 lbs of 2-row base, 4 lbs of Munich, and 1.5 lbs each of caramel (20), Carapils, and Goldpils Vienna malts (17.5 total pounds). Boil with just over an ounce of Northern Brewer for bitterness and Hallertau for aroma. Add a pound of clear candi sugar, sweet orange peel and a touch of coriander, and ferment with Wyeast 3787.

I hope this batch turns out as good as that one did... OG was 1.125, FG was 1.016. 3787 forced me to run a blow-off tube for the first time in my life!

ETA: 50 lbs of Briess 2-row Brewer's Malt just about fills the 50# VittlesVault.
 
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Wanted to pull the dry hop out of the NZ Pale, but the bag sank because I thought the clear beer float would hold it up. Apparently wet hops are significantly heavier than dry and, yeah, looks like this one is dry-hopped until it's tapped dry. Oops.
If you have another keg you could transfer it over to that one to control your dry hop time.
 
I'm already stressed about any O2 exposure from opening the keg to remove the bag, so I'm going to call this a learning experience and leave it shut. But I will remember for next time.
If you purge the receiving keg of oxygen you can do a closed transfer with minimal additional exposure. It costs some CO2 to push it over.

Leaving it in there will also tell you if a extended cold dry hop is something you like, so it is not a complete loss.
 
Got my Hulla Norrgård hops today, a really old Swedish, domestic hop variety with lineage back to the middle or possibly even the viking age. Gonna brew a best or strong bitter and use only that as flavor and aroma addition to get a sense of what it contributes.
Also broke my hydrometer while taking the final sample on the brown ale I'm gonna bottle tomorrow, will have to get a new (2) one.
 
Bought a keezer on Craigslist for $800. Five faucets (3 Perlick), 20 lb CO2 tank (~half full), Johnson controller, and four kegs (uncleaned; currently sitting with PBW inside). I've never minded bottling too much, but I'm still excited to join the ranks of keggers! I have a wheat beer that's finished up and sitting in my fermenter. It will be going into a keg tomorrow!

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I “transcribed” a couple of AHA (I’m a new member!!) recipes into Brewer’s Friend earlier today.

And I’m currently taste testing the Star Gazer Hazy DIPA from BBB 2021. Still young, not fully carbonated yet…..but it is hooked up to the kegerator already and I just couldn’t help myself.
 
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