RateBeer Forums: Homebrew

Choc Stout and#40;double batch- PB and oak chipsand#41;

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by jbye4334

Got an idea from a magazine I got at GABF. I’ve made chocolate stout in the past, but this time I’m making a larger batch and putting oak chips in one fermenter and peanut butter in the other. 25 lb American 2 row 2.25 lb Chocolate malt 1 lb black patent .5 lb roasted barley 2 oz fuggle 4.8%AA (60 min) 2 oz willamette 5%AA(30 min) 1 oz willamette 5%AA(5 min) Target OG 1.078 Target FG 1.020 Final volume 8.5 gal - splitting between 2 fermenters. I’ve never used oak chips or peanut butter. Any suggestions? The magazine said to rack onto the peanut butter after pouring off the oil and microwaving it. Should I do the primary fermentation on the peanut butter and oak chips? Just wondering if the peanut better will mess w/ the fermentation. It’s organic/preservative free. And would oak chips in the primary give it too much of an oak flavor? I’m debating on adding the oak and PB to the primary or secondary.

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bottle bombs

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by cheapdark

Newbee brewing question: How long after bottling do the bottles explode, if they are going to explode that is. I guess what I’m asking is; do most bottles explode during the first 2-3 weeks or so, or do they actually explode after a few months? Just curious because I just finished bottling my first brew and there is some periodic info that goes rouind here about bottle bombs.

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First Stir Plate Starter Questions

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by lithy

So, I got a stir plate and currently have a starter going, how can I tell it is ’working’. I know starters won’t ever really krausen or if they do I’ll probably miss it while it is going overnight. Plus with a stir plate, no yeast cake is going to form and it will probably knock down any krausen anyway. So, what can I do to make sure it is going properly besides taking a gravity measurement? Can I crash cool it to drop any yeast out of suspension and then safely return it to room temperature and the stir plate without any ill effects? Just paranoid about my first time doing anything and couldn’t find any specific info about this.

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wine and ale yeast

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by cheapdark

Another nwewbee brewing question: Can somebody tell me in a few short sentences the difference between ale and wine yeasts? I’m curious about the use of yeast for ciders. I’ve seen recipes that call for both. I’ve used both and can’t really tell that much difference in fermentation behavior and taste.

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thoughts on peated smoke malt

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by johntreeter

I’m brewing a Scottish 80 and using peated smoke malt. I’ve brewed it before using 2oz with only slight smokey flavor. So now I’m increasing the amount, but I’ve heard of horror stories of over smoked beer that my dog won’t even drink. Any information or advice on this malt should be useful. Yhanks John

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Dropping Acid and#40;In Your Beerand#41;

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by joet

From the Mad Fermentationist http://madfermentationist.blogspot.com/2009/04/brewing-sour-be er-with-acid.html So you wanted to brew a sour beer, you pitched the requisite microbes, waited a year or more for them to do their job, and and when you finally give it a taste it is just mildly tart. Pro-brewers take this opportunity to blend, but what if you don’t have any acid beer to blend. Can you just take some acid and use it to sour up your ale? Wild Brews claims that you get a "harsh and medicinal" flavor if you just add food grade lactic acid (the main acid in sour beers), but it sounds to me like the author is talking about adding acid to a clean base beer (not to a beer that already has some acid and funk). To answer some of these questions for myself I decided I would give acidifying a bottle of the Temptation clone I brewed 18 months ago that never got sour enough... Click through for more on spiking with lactic acid, acetic acid, phosphoric acid and a malic/tartaric/citric acid blend.

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Tap water for brewing

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by MagooinPA

Just wondering what the prevailing opinion is on using municipal tap water without boiling it out. I live in Bucks County, Pa and my water tastes great with no chlorine flavor that I detect. The water is extremely hard as I have to buy a new water heater and fixtures every 5 yrs or so. I have 5.5gal of a late hop RyeIpa (all-grain batch sparge) that has been in the primary for a week now. I used water right out of the tap and did not boil it out ahead of time. Just thought I would try it and I usually brew with spring water from the supermarket. It was a vigorous fermentation using American II from Wyeast (no starter w/ an OG of 1.057) and is ready to be transferred to the secondary for dry hoping. At this point, the beer smells wonderful. It has Simcoe written all over it with some nice malt/yeast in the background. Thanks for your opinions.

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Cleaning a Wort Chiller

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by jmm635

I’ve been pouring through message boards and websites trying to figure out what to do with my wort chiller. I’ve gathered the best way to clean the chiller initially is to boil it or at least soak it in a white vinegar/water mixture. A lot of people suggested putting the clean wort chiller in the boil for the last 15 minutes. I know I’m coming off like a real idiot, but are we talking about the hour long wort boil? It just strikes me as odd that you would put a wort chiller into boiling water. Is it assumed that whatever bacteria you might introduce to the wort with the chiller will be boiled off in the 15 minutes? I’m just confused about using a chiller as I’ve never seen anyone use one and I’m getting lots of mixed opinions on some boards.

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Low Alcohol Brewing

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by CanIHave4Beers

I’m looking to do something tasty at 1-2% alcohol. I want it to be hoppy but some balance is nice. My understanding is that using unfermentables is a way to get some non hop flavor in there, how does this work? What are some unfermentables? Unmalted Barley/wheat? Lactose sugar? Anything else? Does anyone have a recipe for this sort of thing? thanks!

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Bottling and Growlers

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by Beerman6686

So tonight I was bottling my porter and I realized I didnt have enough bottles and I had about half a gallon left. I decided to put the rest in a growler and tape it up. Can the beer carbonate in a growler even if it taped or is it not a good enough seal, or even worse, can growlers withstand carbonating pressure or possibly explode? I’m sure I sound like an idiot here, but any help would be greatfully appreciated.

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Brewing with Nutmeg

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by jmm635

I found a recipe for a Winter Spice Ale that I plan on brewing this weekend. The recipe calls for 2 whole nutmegs. When I picked up my ingredients at the home brew store I was told that this was way too much and I should use about 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated. This is for a 5 gallon batch. Anyone have any advice for me? Should I just throw it in whole or grate it, and how much should I use?

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Help with a recipe

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by nqualls

I recently brewed the following beer using Riwaka Hops: 9 pounds 2 row 0.5 pounds Caramunich 0.5 pounds 10L Crystal 0.5 oz Magnum (60) 1.0 oz Riwaka (5) 1.0 oz Riwaka (KO) 1.0 oz Riwaka (DH 1.5 weeks) It was excellent. My question is that, if I’m using the same malt bill, and using Magnum to bitter, what weight of Nelson Sauvin would I use to make a similar beer. This is mainly a trial run with Nelson Sauvin to test it out. Riwaka AA% is 5-7 and Nelson Sauvin AA% is 11-13.

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Advice on a double IPA recipe

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by bushchr1

I’m getting ready to brew my first double IPA and I was looking for some feedback on my recipe. I want to make this with a lower ABV than many beers of this style, sort of similar to a stone ruination ipa. I bought a ton of hops the other day, all of which are whole leaf, and I figured I would get rid of a bunch of them in this recipe: 5 gallons (75% efficiency): 9 lbs pale malt (2 row) 1 lb carapils 1 lb victory 0.5 lb crystal 20 1 lb light DME 1.25 lb sugar 1 oz. centennial-FWH 2 oz. centennial-30 min 2 oz. centennial-15 min 1 oz. simcoe-15 min 2 oz. centennial-10 min 2 oz. centennial-5 min 2 oz. simcoe-5 min 2 oz. chinook-5 min 2 oz. centennial-0 min 1.5 oz. simcoe-0 min 1 oz. chinook-0 min 1.5 oz. centennial-dry hop (10 days) 1.5 oz. simcoe-dry hop (10 days) I know these whole leaf hops will suck up a lot of my beer, but I’m just going to have to deal with that, I couldn’t buy pellets. Let me know how it looks!

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When is my cider done?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by jtw

When is my cider going be safe to bottle? After about 3 weeks of fermentation at 69 deg F, it’s slowed down but there is still a small steady stream of bubbles and the airlock burps once every couple of minutes. latest reading was 1.001 down from 1.005 a week and a half ago. how low can it go? i read it might ferment down to .996; will WLP775 really get it down that far? It’s just fresh cider from the mill + WLP775, no added sugars. Could I bottle it without priming, and will it carbonate itself? Or do I just have to wait it out and let the yeast do their thing for a while more?

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Cider Secondary?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by nimbleprop

My English Cider has been in primary for three weeks. I got too busy to rack to secondary after 2 weeks once the gravity stabilized (.996). Does my cider need to spend some time in secondary? The gravity can’t get much lower. I have heard that secondary helps remove the harsh aromas from the cider. Will time in the bottle do the same thing? Anyone have some experience?

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Help with an IIPA

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by nqualls

I want to make an IIPA. I plan on using the malt in the recipe for the Pliny Clone on the site (unless someone has a better suggestion): 13 pounds 2 row 1 pound corn sugar 1 pound Carapils 1/3 pound or so of Crystal 40L I have the following hops, and wanted some opinions on amounts and schedules. I’m pretty new to more extreme brewing, and to recipe formulation, so I’m looking for help. Amarillo - 2oz - 9.9% AA Chinook - 2oz - 11.4% AA Centennial - 3oz - 7.5% AA Cascade - 6oz - 7.2% AA Simcoe - 3oz - 12.2% AA Columbus - 6oz - 14.2% AA

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American Barleywine

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by archmik

Next up,and not sure where to start. Obviously american hops,was thinking columbus or magnums? Any help on grains is welcome,or can rely on recipes here. I know high attenuation yeast should be used (starter for sure) is a second yeast addition later needed? Is yeast addition at bottling needed ?

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yeast nutrient / energizer help.

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by zimbigneu

I started a hard cider yesterday, used a dry champagne yeast, hydrated/pitched it. today i realized i didn’t add nutrients. I didnt see any action in the fermenter last night, or this morning. but after about 18 hours after i started fermentation it is now starting to do something. What i am getting at: Is it too late to add nutrient? I read somewhere that adding Thiamine HCL is possible as an energizer. Or should i just let it be?

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Racking with Walmart Siphon Pump?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by LtDan

I just broke my auto siphon. Would it be a bad idea to use a siphon pump with a ruber bulb? The squeeze bulb has that new rubber smell.

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Westvleteren Abt 12 Recipe and#40;How does this look?and#41;

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by bitbucket

Batch size: 5.0 gallons, 9.7% A.B.V. Expected Original Gravity 1.095 Expected Final Gravity 1.022 Expected Color 25� - 30� SRM Expected IBU: 35.0 Expected ABV: 9.7 Malt & Fermentables 7.5 lbs. Belgian Pale Malt 7.0 lbs. Pilsner Malt 1.0 lbs. Aromatic Malt 1.5 lbs. Hand-caramelized White Sugar 0.75 lbs. White Sugar 3.5 grams Gypsum Hops 1.5 oz. Northern Brewer / or Perle 8.5 AA, 60 minutes 1.0 oz. Hallertau / or Vanguard 4.0 AA, 30 minutes 1.0 oz. Styrian Goldings 5.0 AA, 15 minutes Yeast: Wyeast 3787 Trappist High Gravity or White Labs WLP530 Abbey Ale Yeast ? Process Notes: Add 1.5 grams gypsum to mash, add 2 grams gypsum to sparge Add sugar during the final 10 minutes of the boil. With initial grain temp at 68�, heat about 4.33 gallons of strike water @ 169�F to mash at 152� F for 60 minutes. Boil for 90 minutes. Sugar Caramelization Steps: (You�ll need heavy-bottomed pan, a small natural bristle paintbrush or pastry brush and a candy thermometer) 1. Mix 1.5 lbs plain white sugar with 4.5 cups of water in a pan. 2. Heat to 285 degrees then wash down the walls of the pan with the brush dipped in cold water. 3. Adjust the heat until it bubbles nicely everywhere and stays around 285. 4. When the syrup gets above 285, hit the inside of the pan with the brush and water. 5. When the syrup is dark brown mix in 1/2 cup of water and let cool. (This process will take several hours, so get yourself a beer.) The carmelization process is more or less based on what the Mad Fermentationist does. The washing process prevents crystal formation, and the water running off the brush cools the syrup. I’ve done the carmelization, so I know it works.

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Sugar in Belgian Strong Darks and#40;recipe ideasand#41;

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by SamGamgee

I’m planning on brewing a Belgian strong dark ale soon and am considering sugar amounts. The recent thread on candi sugar got me thinking, and also Brew Like A Monk, which I have been closely studying for inspiration. Basically, my recipe outline is as follows: 6# liquid pils extract 3.15# liquid munich extract 14oz. Special B (steeped) 1# of the D2 sugar syrup ?# of cane sugar German saphir hops with a 60 and 30 min additions, probably aiming for 35 IBUs. Westmalle yeast cake form a blond I just brewed to propagate it up to suitable levels. Im my mind, I was going for something resembling westy 8, though I really have no idea how close this is going to be. I really just don’t know how much cane sugar to add. I figure with all that extract, including the munich, I’ll want a decent amount to make sure I get the attenuation that I want, which is high eighties if possible. Thanks for any input!

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How many weeks in the primary?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by LtDan

I’ve been doing my high gravity Pliny clone, and it’s been in the primary for going on it’s 13th day. Should I have pulled it after 7 days? I swear Northern Brewer says 2 weeks primary, 2 weeks secondary and 2 weeks in the bottle. Help!! Thanks, Dan

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5 GALLONS OF BEER - GONEand#033;and#033;and#033;

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by SpudClampDawg

Wow - there truly is a first for everything. Long story short, I kegged 10 gallons of Gumballhead Sunday night. I always put my kegs in the corner of my basement to carbonate. I use the ’set it and forget it’ method, so I hook up the gas and set them aside for a week or so. I try to check the gas every other day just to make sure I don’t have a leak. Now my basement is unfnished and takes on quite a bit of water in the corners during heavy rain. We’ve been blasted lately, so the corner I set the kegs had some standing water nearby. I just came down to check on them and noticed one of the kegs had a thick layer of beer "goo" on the top of the out post. I immediately checked the gas, thinking somehow it developed a leak and I lost 5 pounds of CO2. The gas look a little down, but nothing drastic so I was relieved. I got some wet paper towel to clean off the post, which took a little bit of scrubbing and thumbnail scraping to come off. I thought I was in the clear until I went to pick up the keg and reposition it. I yanked the thing right off the ground, as it was light as a feather. IT IS EMPTY! What, I’ve been robbed! Call the cops! Beer thief! I look around, expecting to see five gallons of beer - well, somewhere! I can find a small trickle of dried beer leading to the trench that is supposed to take the water to the drain on the other side of the basement. No big puddle, no beer smell, nothing. I can only figure that over the last two days, the beer has slowly pushed its way out of the out post, down the backside of the keg and into the standing water in the corner of the basement. As the rain stopped and the water table dropped back down, the standing water, along with five gallons of tasty beer, returned to the earth. Wow - I am in shock. The beer Gods are either really happy with me or really pissed. Please tell me this has happened to someone else?

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cheap ball lock cornies

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by NobleSquirrel

4 for $60 on sale at Kegglebrewing.com. Thought I’d spread the word...

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Advice on a Bourbon Barrel Brown Recipe

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:59:35 EST

Posted by umfskibum

I’m an amateur (extract + steeped grains) stovetop brewer, and am hoping to get some advice on my next beer recipe. I’d like to do a "bourbon barrel" brown ale - which, at this stage in my brewing experience, means chucking some bourbon-soaked oak cubes into the secondary as the beer is aging. The question is a two-parter. 1. What kind of brown ale recipe should I start with for the brew? I usually order from Austin Homebrew, and I was thinking of starting out with either the Northumberland Brown Ale ()" TARGET="new">http://is.gd/4I8qK) or the Evil Brown Ale ()." TARGET="new">http://is.gd/4I8sP). In your opinion, would either of these recipes be complementary to and stand up to the oak and bourbon flavors? Any suggestions on other recipes, either to order as kits online or straight-up original recipes? 2. I’ve dry hopped and racked onto ingredients in the secondary before, but never with oak cubes. How much oak should I use, and how long should they be in the secondary? I’ll now defer to all of you wonderful experts. Thanks for any help you can give this fledgling brewer.

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