I brewed today!

Just doughed in on the inaugural batch of a new pale ale. Mostly 6row with a bit of Munich and a handful of smoked malt. Cluster for first wort and bittering, cascade for flavor and aroma. Really looking forward to the black currant flavor of cluster someone mentioned on here (I think it was nosy)

And I'll be racking a pumpkin saison later today. Tastes and smells great, and it finished about 10 pts lower than expected when I measured last night. A bit fun to monitor and adjust things during fermentation, not used to varying the temp
 
got back to brewing today! felt really good, easy brew day.

Hoppy Scottish thing: 75% British pale, 10% Light Munich, 5% Crystal 80, 10% Flaked Wheat, and a pinch of roasted barley for color. Used an oz Chinook, split evenly at first wort, 20, 5, and 0. 1728 Scottish Ale.

Had some weird numbers today though. Expected 1058 at 65%... Gave it a good stir after the boil, took a quick sample and got 1055 on the refractometer. And right before we transferred to the primary i took another sample, read 1062. Calibrated the refractometer both times, not sure what happened. But i'm not complaining about that efficiency, should be a good beer.
 
I brewed a nut brown today. I increased the efficiency from 75% to 80%, because the last 2 times I brewed it, it came in at 84%. Today I was 4 points lower than planned. Oops!
 
jeffpn said:
I brewed a nut brown today. I increased the efficiency from 75% to 80%, because the last 2 times I brewed it, it came in at 84%. Today I was 4 points lower than planned. Oops!
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Efficiency is a moving target: If you're concerned with hitting your numbers exactly, keep some DME and brewing liquor on hand and either dilute or add DME to bring the values to where you want! I find it better to underestimate the efficiency and dilute - more beer that way.
 
Not really concerned. I'm usually over on OG due to a lower stated efficiency. I just found it a bit funny I've been getting 85% on that recipe, so I shot for 80% and came up short!
 
one of the things that can happen is grain is losing its moisture as it sits in a bag and in turn gets harder and sometimes so hard it doesn't give its expected sugar because it never really soaks longs enough, I have some specialty grain thats rock hard, been sitting in my tubs for years unused, I put each grain in my mouth and chew before using it that way I can tell how long to mash, today its a 120 minute mash because I had to presoak my grain for 60 minutes
 
I'm brewing an Amber Bock right now, its going to be a 30 day beer just in time for fall
 
Just mashed in on my Duet APA . Had a last minute hop schedule change :( LHBS was out of chinook ....backed up 10 yards and punted; came up with CTZ as a good sub. I've never used columbus before but no worries.
 
Columbus is good. I did a single hop black (it was sorta brown actually) ipa a bit ago. Kinda citrus but not punch you in the face with it

Good luck
 
jmcnamara said:
Columbus is good. I did a single hop black (it was sorta brown actually) ipa a bit ago. Kinda citrus but not punch you in the face with it

Good luck
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was really looking to bring out the piney floral side of columbus; I'm hoping 30 min and 15 min addition will give me that... reserve the knockout and dry hop addition to glam up the citrus flavor/aromas.
 
Should've added they were in my freezer for 6+ months, plus I'm nowhere near a bjcp judge or anything :D

Anecdotal evidence at best
 
Belgian beer today, 1.054 spot on. i put some water in a storage container and put the fermenter in there to deal with any temp swings,, but the fermenter is floating in there, and since it's the little brown keg, it's tubular shaped and could easily flip over... So i put a couple growlers filled with water in there as makeshift walls to help out, we'll see how this goes...
 
oliver said:
... but the fermenter is floating in there, and since it's the little brown keg, it's tubular shaped and could easily flip over... So i put a couple growlers filled with water in there as makeshift walls to help out, we'll see how this goes...
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the LBK with the spigot? I've wondered about water-bathing those. I'd worry about contamination in the spigot, but I guess I always clean them by injecting a squirt bottle of vodka up into the opening before I do anything with the beer, anyway. I've got several that I used a lot before I got a couple of carboys. I like using them and still use them for small batches.
 
I was on vacation last week and eager to get in a brew day as soon as I got back home.
I have 2 LP cylinders and both were a little light, but I figured I'd have enough to get through. I used the lightest one for the mash process because I's not as critical to have to stop and change. It just made it through heating all the mash and sparge water before running out.
My wife was going to the grocery store, so I sent the empty with her and got started boiling with the more full one. At the end of the boil, I started to crank the heat one last time before flame out and literally just as the timer was beeping the flame started to get smaller.
Totally lucked out on that one. :D
 
J A said:
the LBK with the spigot? I've wondered about water-bathing those. I'd worry about contamination in the spigot, but I guess I always clean them by injecting a squirt bottle of vodka up into the opening before I do anything with the beer, anyway. I've got several that I used a lot before I got a couple of carboys. I like using them and still use them for small batches.
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yah the one with the spigot. I always take the spigot off and run some star san through it before reattaching the spigot and sanitize the whole keg. I'm also a tiny bit worried about leaving it in water, but i added starsan to that water too. And the valve is off, so i'm trying to convince myself water getting back in won't be a problem? Have a look...
14089038_10154401539599299_4974004797760667173_n.jpg


14192724_10154401539534299_6420928554119191467_n.jpg
 
Good one! ;)
 
Going to experiment with something today.

2-row, munich, flaked wheat, touch of roasted barley. Elderflower, Hibiscus, tiny bit of lavender. and about 40 IBUs of Cluster hops.

Already reracked a hopscotch ale today too.
 
oliver said:
Going to experiment with something today.

2-row, munich, flaked wheat, touch of roasted barley. Elderflower, Hibiscus, tiny bit of lavender. and about 40 IBUs of Cluster hops.

Already reracked a hopscotch ale today too.
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You working up a saison ? Going big ? 7-8%? Sounds really awesome either way
 
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