So what do you guys got coming up? What have you made recently? Me, I did an old ale two weeks ago and I'm brewing up a Belgian Dark Strong with homemade candi syrup tomorrow. Also made a gallon of cider and a gallon of a huge Cyser (3/4 gallon of apple juice and 3lbs of Mesquite honey) that should be fun.
Sat, Apr 16, 2011 - 8:08pm
#1
What's brewing?
I'm racking my 2 cream ales right now while brewing up a batch of IPA.
Just completed my first all-grain batch... a pretty simple American Pale Ale with Pacifica hops. I really like the added control you can get with all-grain brewing, and it wasn't a lot harder than extract. Very excited to see how this one turns out.
I just broke out my large kettle to do my first outdoor brew of the year. Will be nice to get out of the kitchen. I am brewing 10 gallons of an American style Wheat beer. I decided to do a little experimenting and bought two different yeast strains. An American wheat yeast; and a Kolsch yeast, split into 5 gallons each. I think it will be interesting to see what different flavors are produced from each yeast strain.
I've got the max my mash tun can handle...28 pounds of grain, and about 36 IBU from a mix of citra and cascade.
my technique, if you want to call it that, was quite basic. 15lbs of honey with some h2o (in 5 gallon batch), throw in a few spices, mead yeast...and wait. and wait. and wait. my dumb ass forgot to take an OG reading, but if i remember correctly, my last reading in feb was 1.015
**correction...last reading was on 4.4.11 reading was 1.nothing
Brian Eichhorn said:
...igz...
A plain pale. My brother is visiting so we did 2row with warriors, cascades, and nz hallertau since it was lying around. First batch I ever tried reusing yeast from an old pitch and it's working great so far. We left the apartment after pitching and 2 hrs later when we got back it was rapidly fermenting, still is.
That's interesting...I wonder if a similar technique would help my barelywine ferment better...it is still hovering around the 1.040's. I also will use a better yeast more suited for high gravity. Used US-05 this time...which may be part of the reason why I haven't finished fermentation at the level I was hoping for. But your staggered additions for mead sounds very interesting...I have a blueberry melomel that's been hiding, out-of-sight in the corner of my basement. Almost forgot about it.
What was your technique on the mead? There is a technique called Staggered Nutrient Additions that Ken Schramm's started using after his book first came out that he borrowed from the wine industry. It's been voched for by the likes of Curt Stock and Steve Piatz and makes absolutely wonderful products that are drinkable within two months. The basic theory is to keep the yeast growing over the first 4-5 days of fermentation via multiple small nutrient additions coupled with twice-a-day degassing of the must. It creates a very stress free environment for the yeast and makes it very easy ferment high gravity musts. My Cyser that I made yesterday is around 1.175 OG and is happy as a clam, throwing tons of CO2 with no off aromatics.
ive got a saison waiting to be tapped on easter...effectively called '40 days and 40 nights' saison early sampling during racking to secondary proved yummy. very smooth this time. all my previous saisons had this undescribable yet favorable bite on the pallet. first time using biere de garde yeast.
i also have a mead thats been 'aging' since feb 2010. when i tried it after 1 yr it still had some potnet alcohol burn so i threw in some chamomile and allspice. at one point i threw in some oak chips but i didnt like the direction it was going in.
...igz...