Home brewers CHECK IN please!

[Residentevol]

cant give the link but if you look up BIAB brew in a bag on the brewingnetwork.com forums it's a totally acceptable way for someone to try out all grain w/out buying all of the extra equipment...As long as you dont have 20lb grain bills this method supposedly works really really well!

A basic rundown is that all you need is a large kettle such as the turkey fryer kettles and a large grain bag that is big enough to fill the entire inside of the kettle. You dont need seperate containers for sparge/mash/boil its all done it one...

check it out!

[patrikman]

hmmm. I'll have to check that out.

[magics5rip]

Quote, originally posted by Moe Sizlack »

That's a dope setup. Anybody here grow hops? I've got some cascade to plant this season.

I have to get a hold of some rhizomes before I do this, but a friend of mine planet 5 different varieties about 4 years ago. His cascades generate so many more hop cones over the other he planted.

[Residentevol]

http://www.thebrewingnetwork.c...=4650

There is the link for Brew in a bag...im going to try it out and i'll report back with results..

[graffkng]

sweet i'll try it.

I'm actually (for once) going to brew a nice fall brew next weekend so I can make any final adjustments and brew a new batch for October/November. I always wait too long and this time i'll be able to tweak it a bit if needed. It's a preboil/extract batch.

What is everyone else brewing for harvest time?

[patrikman]

I brewed an Oktoberfest extract batch in Aug. last year. I served the two cases for my bday on Oct. 22

this year, I am still mulling it over.

[Residentevol]

nice man....that sounds like a good idea...

I really really really want to do a Westvleteren12 recipe clone and age it a full year and see how close I can get it to the real deal. Im going to pick up a full rack of them in Belgium in a few weeks!

[patrikman]

what's a full rack?

I am assuiming you are going to use it for yeast?

I have no idea but it is making me thirsty.

[Residentevol]

in Germany the beers usually come in plastic racks that you pay a deposit or as well as the bottles. I end up keeping them to re-use but I will definitely try to keep harvest some yeast from them. Its usually about 24 in a rack. 24 freaking damn near impossible to get beers!

[Matt]

don't expect that to be a piece of cake, even in Belgium.

I don't know if you'll be able to find something like that anywhere but the Abbey

[patrikman]

I love a good trappist style ale, I am very very jealous.

[graffkng]

i've never made any kind of "fruit" beer because I generally don't drink them, but I'm thinking I want to make something with pumpkin, because i've also never done that. Just not gonna make your typical "pumpkin ale"

I'll get a little creative with this one.

[magics5rip]

Anyone interested in kegging equipment, http://www.kegglebrewing.com has great prices. This is essentialy PedalBiker from http://www.homebrewtalk.com storefront.



Modified by magics5rip at 1:43 PM 7-24-2009

[Residentevol]

I've always wanted to make a pumpkin pie spiced ale...

And as far as picking up Westvleteren from the abbey all you do is call them up check on availability and make an appt. You give them your name and the car registration #. They keep track of how much one person buy's because they limit it each month/year. What the car registration has to do w/ anything is beyond me but I'm fine with it! They really have no reason to *not* sell it because it supports their way of life and any excess gets donated to charitable causes. And the Abbey is only 2 1/2 hours from my house so it really is no issue at all to make a day of it!

[patrikman]

I need to go to Belgium.

[Residentevol]

Hey dude if you roll through here I am an excellent tour guide....I live 45 minutes from the nurburgring and would have no issue helping someone get around if they were in town visiting.

[A3VRSIX]

nice to see more home brewers on the tex! Ive been brewing for about a year. Just ventured into full grain, I have got to say its a little bit more labor but I think the beer is going to be alot cleaner. Ive got about 2 weeks left before I pop the first one and I cant wait.

Oh yea here is the local shop where I get my supplies http://www.homebrewmart.com/ its owned and operated by Balast Point some of Socals yummiest beer.

cheers

[magics5rip]

Quote, originally posted by A3VRSIX »

Just ventured into full grain, I have got to say its a little bit more labor but I think the beer is going to be alot cleaner. cheers

Its is a bit more labor, but you get completel control over your beer. The biggest benefit you will find is that there are a lot more variables within your control (mashing temps, water amount, infusion vs decoction, etc.) To get cleaner beers, rack more than once into carboys.

[Residentevol]

I've read a lot of people contesting the importance of secondaries. As long as you rack carefully from your primary into your bottling bucket/keg you should get perfectly clear beer. I tend to leave my beer on the trub as long as possible and let the yeasties clean up after themselves and eat all those residual *unwantables*

[A3VRSIX]

well we send it through about 3 mesh screens at this point in the game and it does filter alot out. but you knw how the squeamish are... people that I tell that a brew are like "oh wow can i have some?" so I share the wealth. when I hand it to them and give them the run down on how to poor it and they look at the bottom of the bottle they get this look on there face like . You know I think they are expecting me to hand them some crap like bud light.

"naw folks this is real beer! no pasturization and micro filters"

either way I dont care what they think but who wouldnt want the beer to beer nice and clear.

[magics5rip]

Eh, after the initial fury of fermenting is done, the beer isn't going to much more fermenting. So there is no reason really to leave the big yeast cake in the bottom of the primary. It is either preference or convenience: I rack to a secondary then dry hop. I should rack a third time just to get most of the sediment out from the dry hopping (really, who doesn't move their fermenters around stirring everything up?)

Secondaries+ just allows people to not be as careful I guess. Plus, it keeps the beer from having a "yeasty" flavor at times.

Oh, and Dale's Pale Ale...best canned beer I have ever had

[magics5rip]

Went purchased ingredients today, nothing smells better than fresh hops and grain!

I do have a question though...with the white labs/wyeast costing about $7 a vial, has anyone saved any yeast from a previous brew for a future brew? I brew about once a month or so and am not sure how long I can hold on to the yeast cake before it isn't worth using anymore.

[Residentevol]

Ive read about 5 cycles and your yeast will start to mutate and produce off flavors.....But you can really stretch those things out if you split that cake up and then use starters off of each section that you saved. Giving you way more then just "5" uses total. I save mine there is a good post over on homebrew talk that describes "yeast washing". You can even get super technical with some glycerin and freeze them for extremely long storage.

[magics5rip]

Quote, originally posted by Residentevol »

Ive read about 5 cycles and your yeast will start to mutate and produce off flavors.....But you can really stretch those things out if you split that cake up and then use starters off of each section that you saved. Giving you way more then just "5" uses total. I save mine there is a good post over on homebrew talk that describes "yeast washing". You can even get super technical with some glycerin and freeze them for extremely long storage.

I found the post that you mentioned. Excellent find It seems that you can cut the cake into about 4 different portions and get about 5 brews before mutations occur. But, if you "yeast wash" each time, you can probably get a years worth of brewing out of one $8 bottle of yeast. 6 months is probably as long as I'll go, but I am looking to drive the cost down a bit.

Here is a pic ramping up to the boil You can see the hot break is going to boil over....and it did

[Residentevol]

Just did a BIAB partial mash today and hit 80% efficiency no joke! Its a Wit bier and i'll post up the recipe after I taste it and approve it

[magics5rip]

Quote, originally posted by Residentevol »

Just did a BIAB partial mash today and hit 80% efficiency no joke! Its a Wit bier and i'll post up the recipe after I taste it and approve it

I did a Bell's Two Hearted with a small tweak. I'll do the same with this if its matures like I want it to. My Efficiency was barely 70% though haha

[true snowboards]

not beer, but:

i just bottled my sangria last night.

next to bottle: cali cab sauv, coconut infused bacardi liqueur.

brewing: kahlua.

next to brew: pinot noir, banana pineapple viognier, grand marnier, irish cream.

[Residentevol]

thats cool if you dont mind sharing some info on how you make that kahlua I'd appreciate it! Sounds good and im sure the wife would enjoy it 'once shes done being preggors that is'

[patrikman]

I would be interested in some Kahlua. I drink alot of white russians during Lebowski season.

[true snowboards]

Quote, originally posted by Residentevol »

thats cool if you dont mind sharing some info on how you make that kahlua I'd appreciate it! Sounds good and im sure the wife would enjoy it 'once shes done being preggors that is'

step one:

buy home brewing kit to make kahlua

step two:

drink a gallon of apple cider so you have an empty jug

step three:

follow instructions in the kahlua kit

it's just like making beer or wine from a kit, just follow the directions. add this at this time, add that at that time, shake/mix, let it sit w/ an airlock on it, do this do that & voila - a month later you have about a gallon of kahlua for about $45. (well, plus the $15 apple juice lol)

the grand marnier, so long as it turns out well, is by far the best value... as to buy the real deal locally would cost $50/750ml bottle, so $250 for what you can make a copy of for $45.

[Residentevol]

tasted my dunkelweizen that I bottled earlier this week *yeah I know its way to early* but I like to see how things progress. This one was a little no not a little a whole LOT young. Kind of watery and the flavors have yet to really come together I got hints of apricot/chocolate/roasted malt but It needs to come forward a lot. Anyone have any beers that went from boring to awesome within a few weeks in the bottle?

[patrikman]

Quote, originally posted by true snowboards »

step one: buy home brewing kit to make kahlua step two: drink a gallon of apple cider so you have an empty jug step three: follow instructions in the kahlua kit it's just like making beer or wine from a kit, just follow the directions. add this at this time, add that at that time, shake/mix, let it sit w/ an airlock on it, do this do that & voila - a month later you have about a gallon of kahlua for about $45. (well, plus the $15 apple juice lol) the grand marnier, so long as it turns out well, is by far the best value... as to buy the real deal locally would cost $50/750ml bottle, so $250 for what you can make a copy of for $45.

I have the kit and all of the equipment already, any links to where I can purchase one of these kits you speak of?

[magics5rip]

Quote, originally posted by Residentevol »

tasted my dunkelweizen that I bottled earlier this week *yeah I know its way to early* but I like to see how things progress. This one was a little no not a little a whole LOT young. Kind of watery and the flavors have yet to really come together I got hints of apricot/chocolate/roasted malt but It needs to come forward a lot. Anyone have any beers that went from boring to awesome within a few weeks in the bottle?

I have had a moderate IPA go from undrinkable to amazing in 1 week. I tested a bottle after conditioning for 1 week and was nervous of its improvement. EXACTLY at 2 weeks (pure coincidence) the flavor smoothed out and it was very drinkable.

The more I read about off flvaors, time is the best healer. If its not tasting right becuase of esters or dacytal, let it sit for a few months and come back. NEVER throw out a batch!

[A3VRSIX]

Heck Yea!! its finally time to try my newest batch! woot woot

Name: Creamy Goodness Golden ale
Receipt: Beersmith.com
Type: Full Grain
Batch: 5 gallons

I will let you guys know how it taste when I get home from work, or monday haha

cheers

[MrTopher]

I'm just about to get into home brewing and I am happy I found this post before I went out and bought a kit. Also happy because I would have bought the wrong book, which I'll be getting the Palmer one this weekend. First I want to read and research then brew, I'll keep watching this post. Its been great already!