tropical storm coming my way

oliver

oliver

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Invest 99-L, or Hermine, or whatever, looks like it could get into the gulf soon. Hurricane party! We're trying to brew something that we don't have to worry about if the power goes out for a week.

Thinking about doing a SMaSH belgian. 100% Belgian Pale malt, Bitter Gold, and Wy1214 Belgian Ale. Very open to changing the hops, and possibly looking for some suggestions on that.

Also, i want to put the fermenter in some kind of chamber, something so the fermenter is less exposed to air, and also a chamber that isn't temp controlled. Any recommendations? A plastic storage tub maybe?
 
If you're thinking about the electricity going out, I wouldn't brew a really flavorful beer, since you'll be drinking it at 90 degrees plus - the flavors increase as the beer warms! But then, if it's still fermenting, you'll need something that ferments in the heat. I think you're on the right track with Belgians, particularly Saisons. I've fermented Wyeast 3724 at 90 plus degrees with no ill effect....
 
As far as temperature control, I think your best bet might be find some standing water somewhere, easy enough in a tropical storm, and put the fermentor in it, protected from light of course. That'll at least stabilize the fermentation temperature. But with the predictions I saw of the storm this morning - makes me glad I live where our main weather threat is the occasional tornado or blizzard - that puppy could end up anywhere from Houston to the Outer Banks.
 
put the fermenter in a container of water like a big 10 gallon farm bucket, pre freeze some 2 liter bottles or even any drinking water bottles, after the power goes out put those in your cooler, add one as needed using a hand analog temp gage and monitor it every couple of days
 
a big storage container sounds good, draped with a blanket to keep light out, sounds good. Water will definitely keep the temp swings less crazier, also sounds good.

But as for the power going out, i think that's the point. I'm also baking on that. It'll get super hot and go nuts. Sounds fun, right?

Any hop recommendations, also need to find out what the LHBS has in stock when we get there, but looking into some stone fruit hops if that. Bitter Gold, Summer, Rakau? We want to add peaches to the secondary of this one.
 
The 3724, citrusy American hops, hot fermentation.... That's getting close to a Saison DuPont, my friend....
 
questioning whether to SMaSH this or not, if not a SMaSH of Belgian Pale, i'd do Pilsner with 10% Belgian Munich, and 10% flaked wheat, that sounds kinda good.

Nosy, my original plan was Wy1214 (Belgian Ale), unless you can really convince me otherwise on 3724, i'm reading it loves to stall at 1035.. I've brought this up in other threads too, i just have no idea what yeast to go with. I really want to try the Unibrou strain, but it's seasonal apparently. 3711 also sounds good. i'm lost.
 
SMAsH is good for Saisons - just had a yummy one that came in at 5%. Not too much fermentation character, nice flavors - making me rethink how I brew my Saisons.
 
Mashing right now, 80% Belgian Pils, 10% Munich Light, 10% Flaked Wheat... She put her foot down and went with Wy1214, and we were talked into doing Medusa hops. They come in at 3%AA, and i say lets do it. Going to do .5oz at 60 and .5oz at 20, 22ish IBUs.
 
oliver said:
Mashing right now, 80% Belgian Pils, 10% Munich Light, 10% Flaked Wheat... She put her foot down and went with Wy1214, and we were talked into doing Medusa hops. They come in at 3%AA, and i say lets do it. Going to do .5oz at 60 and .5oz at 20, 22ish IBUs.
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Excellent choice. I too have learned to pick my battles.

Sorry your getting so wet. We just brewed a red ale and a red IPA in honor of the forest fire we have been watching from our house.
 
no wetness yet. Heh, new projections show it likely blowing off to the east, and almost nothing in Louisiana. OH well, Belgian Abbey should be a nice end of summer beer.
 
Looks like it's heading up through central Florida. I'll hoist one in your general direction tonight and wait to see how the "Hurricane Hole Saison" came out. The great thing about living so far from the ocean is no sunburn and no hurricanes, although we do get the occasional tornado and hail storm....
 
looks like this thing is finished.. No activity in the fermenter. It's still OK to leave it on the yeast for the full 14 days, right? I think half of this thing is going straight into bottles and the other half is going to secondary with some fresh peaches
 
Should be - you shouldn't be facing any autolysis problems in 14 days! As to the peaches - been there, done that, won't do it again. It took 10 pounds to make any appreciable flavor in a 5-gallon batch. That's a lot of gunk to settle out and it doesn't do it well. Be prepared for LOTS of trub loss. Almost as hard to work with as strawberries.
 
i assumed you smashed up your peaches first? i'm thinking about trying to puree them, and just pour the juice in.
 
Nosybear said:
Should be - you shouldn't be facing any autolysis problems in 14 days! As to the peaches - been there, done that, won't do it again. It took 10 pounds to make any appreciable flavor in a 5-gallon batch. That's a lot of gunk to settle out and it doesn't do it well. Be prepared for LOTS of trub loss. Almost as hard to work with as strawberries.
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thats the main reason I don't work with fruit, I lose enough beer as it is lol
 
DON'T puree! You'll never get that crap out of your carboy (or, after a couple years, it'll finally settle to the bottom of the bottle). Chunk it about a half inch or greater and stuff it in with a canning funnel.
 
Nosybear said:
DON'T puree! You'll never get that crap out of your carboy (or, after a couple years, it'll finally settle to the bottom of the bottle). Chunk it about a half inch or greater and stuff it in with a canning funnel.
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I pureed some canned apricots for a small batch of Hefeweizen. Some bottles cleared okay and some had chunks. Good beer though. I kegged another Hefe and flavored it with grapefruit vodka. Boosted the alcohol about a point, but the flavor is fantastic! I intend to do the same thing with peach vodka when I get a chance to brew another hefe. I like the notion of peach flavor, but I'm not dealing with fruit again.
 
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