Search results

  1. HighVoltageMan!

    Decline in Hombrewing.

    NHC (National Homebrew Competition) is still on, HBC (Home Brew Con) is off for this year. The number of NHC entries is lower than the past, last year @ 4000 beers were entered, down from a high of 8000-9000 a few years ago. The homebrewing and Craft beer thing was on fire just a few years...
  2. HighVoltageMan!

    Use of refractometer in lieu of time to determine when brew steps are complete

    I find this works very well. My numbers are consistent.
  3. HighVoltageMan!

    Gas to electric kettle conversion

    It’s really hard to say what you should do, but if you’re going control it, the best solution is a PID. You can set your temperature to 99.5C and forget it. If you a stronger boil turn it up .1 C. Adjust as needed for the boil. That being said, it’s not an easy thing to build unless you have...
  4. HighVoltageMan!

    Beer cost per liter on a Brewery

    Well. Rent, insurance, employees, workman's comp, taxes, interest on that loan you took out to open your "dream" brewery, product loss outside of normal brewing, electric bill, gas bill, maintenance on equipment, maintenance on the building if you own it, loss of kegs, etc. I got involved with...
  5. HighVoltageMan!

    Fast fermentation or not

    It's likely done. I'm assuming you used a dry yeast. If so, it's not unusual for the yeast to burn through a beer in 3 days at that temperature. Craig is right, you should check the gravity to make sure.
  6. HighVoltageMan!

    Fast fermentation or not

    Dry hopping a Helles? Okay, a little unusual, but if that's what your going for, then go for it. You can dry hop now and wait for 3 days. I usually never dry hop longer than 3 days (hops can leave a vegetal flavor if left in too long) and it will give the yeast a chance to finish if it hasn't...
  7. HighVoltageMan!

    Hello, my beer tastes like rubber. (Answered)

    Brian is right. $h!+ happens. Once in a blue moon you will loss a beer. It sounds to me like either a sanitization issue or phenols caused by yeast stress (low oxygen, low pitch, old yeast, osmotic shock, etc.). Autolyzed yeast at first tastes metallic and then gets more intense as time goes on...
  8. HighVoltageMan!

    Problems with hop bitterness/aroma, troubleshooting.

    Absolutely. 110 grams of Magnum in 19 liters? Magnum is a potent hop, usually it's @ 14-15% AA. How long did you boil with the hops? What's your gravity? What was you pitch pH if you measured it? All these things play a role in bittering. The best way to estimate bittering is with a calculator...
  9. HighVoltageMan!

    A little bit of a temperature accident...

    I would definitely ferment it. It's likely going to be fine. A mash temperature of 152F is a really good spot for most beers. The problem with coming in too hot is that it has the risk of denaturing the beta amylase enzyme. You kind of need this enzyme for greater fermentability. Beta starts...
  10. HighVoltageMan!

    Nottingham Yeast Cells

    Over the years I have come to learn that yeast pitch rates are a bit like hand grenades. You just need to get close, don't sweat it. 2 packs in 5 gallons of ale is like 2 hand grenades, you're getting close to a lager pitch at 2 packs. S04 likes to come out of the fermenter when it's over...
  11. HighVoltageMan!

    Mash Thickness question.

    This brings up a very good point. Don't worry about boil volume as much as your gravity. There are so many variables involved with mashing that it's hard to tell you what to do. The most common grist ratio is 1.5 quarts per pound. It works on most systems, so it's a safe place to start. Your...
  12. HighVoltageMan!

    Brewtech bucket secondary fermentation to corny Keg Transfer

    I transfer from Sanke kegs and your right about disturbing sediment, as soon as it gets moved even slightly, sediment gets stirred up. I use a floating pickup, which could work for future brews, but not this one. It helps with closed transfers without picking up bottom gunk. Here's a thread...
  13. HighVoltageMan!

    Bent Nail 2.0

    Where did you pick up that element? Looks interesting.
  14. HighVoltageMan!

    Vienna Lager

    That's sounds like a nice beer! I should give it a go.
  15. HighVoltageMan!

    Vienna Lager

    There a are a bunch of ways to make a Vienna lager. I have made Oktoberfest beers that turned out too light, so I entered them as a Vienna lager and won a couple of medals that way. Usually it's a blend of malts, Pils malt, Vienna malt and Munich malt. Typically you won't see chocolate or any...
  16. HighVoltageMan!

    Preventing Oxygen

    Yes, post fermentation oxygen is a problem for everyone, from us amateurs to pros. Do what you can to avoid it. Focus on fermentation and improving your overall brewing. As you gain more experience, you will get better at preventing oxygen from ruining your beer. You can’t solve the more complex...
  17. HighVoltageMan!

    Brewers best in the cold.

    If it has dry yeast, there is really nothing that can go bad from freezing. I store dry yeast in the freezer. Liquid yeast should not freeze. It really raises the number of dead cells. You can freeze liquid yeast, but you need to preserve it in a 15% glycerin solution prior to freezing. Liquid...
  18. HighVoltageMan!

    What should I brew for my 100th batch?

    That’s right. The new session lager is now 6.5%.
  19. HighVoltageMan!

    What should I brew for my 100th batch?

    Yeah, I got it dialed in. Last weekend I brewed an American Lager and ended up with an extraction rate of 95% from the mash. It can be a PITA if it gets too high, the gravity gets out of wack. .
  20. HighVoltageMan!

    What should I brew for my 100th batch?

    If you can get the hops, may I suggest Wayner’s Pale Ale? It’s a bit outrageous in the amount of hops used, but it’s really good and crushable. https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/253526/wayner-039-s-pale-ale It just won a gold at Milwaukee last weekend. I scaled it up to 3...

Back
Top