Thread: Home Brew Maggots

Originally Posted by BigJay

IIPA ≠ cheap to make but it will be cheaper than buying 5 gallons worth at the store. Go over to homebrewtalk.com and look in their recipes section or just do a search in google. There are tons of recipe databases on the web.

yup, my IIPA was almost $100. hops are not cheap.

HBT has some great recipes though. I've learned alot just based on the discussions around those recipes, why people are using what they are, etc.

Originally Posted by The Kids Are Alright

definitely not sophisticated enough to go all grain, still trying to learn the ropes for sure. Just trying to get to the point where I dont actually have to buy beer anymore and just drink homebrew. So much better IMO. Cant beat the freshness Thanks for the tips

Get some of the many excellent books on homebrewing, Clone Brew is a good one if you want to make copies of production beers that you like, several DIPAS in there. Most books have extract and AG recipes.

I am just getting back into brewing after about 12 years of no brewing., and paying more and more for good beer. I figured if I was going to do it again, might as well jump into full grain brewing. I am currently gathering the additional equipment needed and have the ingredients to make an Arogant Bastard clone. Set to make a wort chiller tomorrow and then should be pretty good to go. Yahoo!

Originally Posted by The Kids Are Alright

any mags have a super hoppy recipe theyd mind sharing? Looking for a double IPA or something of the sort. Preferrably, relatively cheap. Made a hefe and Irish Red and I am totally addicted.

Did you check mine out from a couple pages back? 69/67 bu/gu + 2 oz dry hopped for 3 weeks certainly = super hoppy, and at 6.9% it could probably be considered a double. Oh yea, and it won 2nd place in a Homebrew competition last month... As for the price, I buy hops online by the pound from Puterbaugh Farms which certainly helps when you're using 9.5oz per 5 gallon batch!


Ingredients:
8oz. Dexterine
8oz. Crystal 40
6.6# Light LME
3.25# Light DME
1.5 oz Nugget for 90 min.
2 oz Cascade for 20 min.
2 oz Cascade for 10 min.
2 oz Cascade for 1 min.
2 oz Cascade Dry Hopped
Irish Moss
Wyeast 1292 American Ale II

Vitals
OG: 1.067
FG: 1.015
ABV: 6.9%
IBU: 69

so I did a pretty easy honey brown over the weekend, currently in the carboy. Question, anyone doing lagers? I know the temp has to be cooler for the yeast, any suggestions on how/ where I might be able to store. Do I really need a place that tops out in the mid 50's, or do most of you just throw it in the closet and it comes out fine?

Originally Posted by The Kids Are Alright

so I did a pretty easy honey brown over the weekend, currently in the carboy. Question, anyone doing lagers? I know the temp has to be cooler for the yeast, any suggestions on how/ where I might be able to store. Do I really need a place that tops out in the mid 50's, or do most of you just throw it in the closet and it comes out fine?

lagers need a cool temp in order to ferment properly, ideally anywhere from 32 degrees to 55°F going above 55 i think you may affect certain tastes and the final outcome of your brew. Your alternative is to go with a Steam yeast that would do fine in higher temps (55+)

i've seen a few people use mini fridges and set it to 40 degrees.

I've mostly have done ales, but never brewed a lager yet this is just what i have read.

good luck

Originally Posted by The Kids Are Alright

so I did a pretty easy honey brown over the weekend, currently in the carboy. Question, anyone doing lagers? I know the temp has to be cooler for the yeast, any suggestions on how/ where I might be able to store. Do I really need a place that tops out in the mid 50's, or do most of you just throw it in the closet and it comes out fine?

I have not tried a lager yet because of that very problem. You could probably fill a cooler full of water and stick the carboy in your garage if it gets cold in there. (Or in a shed or something else that is outside without heat) The temps will fluctuate slightly with the air temperature but it won't be too extreme (probably not more than a degree or two). I've been doing this for a week and the temperature of the water dropped from 60 degrees down to 40 degrees in 4 days and has held nicely there.

for lagers I use a friends basement that generally stays right around 55 deg. if you have the space you can generally pick up a dirt cheap/free old fridge off CL and just lager in that.

cool, when it gets a little colder here in Denver, I may have to try the cooler outside method to see if it works.

Just brewed up an english style ipa last night moiself, ala northern brewer and bramling cross (2 oz each), and my other lighter IPA is finally somewhat drinkable (getting better in the bottle now, finished with Willamette). hooray beer!

Honey Brown

5 lbs Crystal Malt

.3 lbs American Chocolate

.5 lbs American Victory

3.3 lbs light extract

2 lbs honey (1/2 15min, other add to fermenter)

1.5 oz fuggle (40min)

1 oz tettnanger (5min)

looks good so far, cant wait to try. Anyone done a Peanut Butter Porter or IPA? I had the Peanut Butter IPA at GABF and was actually pretty good

Originally Posted by The Kids Are Alright

Honey Brown

5 lbs Crystal Malt

.3 lbs American Chocolate

.5 lbs American Victory

3.3 lbs light extract

2 lbs honey (1/2 15min, other add to fermenter)

1.5 oz fuggle (40min)

1 oz tettnanger (5min)

looks good so far, cant wait to try. Anyone done a Peanut Butter Porter or IPA? I had the Peanut Butter IPA at GABF and was actually pretty good

Get the blow off tube ready!!!!

Looks good--seams like a lot of hops late for a brown but let us know how it is!

Originally Posted by BigJay

Get the blow off tube ready!!!!

same thought I had. with that much extract & honey in their I would be ready for a mess! sounds good to me though definitely let us know. tettnanger is one of my favorite hops.

Here's my IPA...basically an extract version of a Pliny clone.

6.00 lb Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 45.28 %
2.00 lb Amber Liquid Extract (12.5 SRM) Extract 15.09 %
1.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 7.55 %
1.00 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 7.55 %
0.75 lb Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 5.66 %
0.75 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.66 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 3.77 %
2.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] (90 min) Hops 75.8 IBU
2.00 oz Nugget [13.00 %] (60 min) Hops 70.9 IBU
2.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
2.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (45 min) Hops 32.5 IBU
2.25 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
4.00 oz Oak Chips (Secondary 7.0 days) Misc
1.00 lb Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 7.55 %
0.25 lb Honey (1.0 SRM) Sugar 1.89 %
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) Yeast-Ale

I jsut made 2 batches this weekend.

First batch is a hard cider.

5 gallons of TreeTop apple Juice (yup)
2.5 tsp of Yeast Nutrient
4 oz wild flower honey (starter)
1/2 cup of Dextrose (starter)
1 package Red Star Grand cuvee Yeast.
1 campden tablet.

Made the yeast starter and pitched the yeast.
The same night I poured the apple juice into a carboy and added teh campden tablet. After 24 hours, I poured the yeast starter into the carboy.

(I made this a few months ago) Let it sit for 3 weeks, and then racked to secondary where I let it sit for a month. After it's cleared, I poured in 1 cup of wine conditioner (contains Postassium sorbate which kills the yeast) and kegged and then force carbonated it.

The outcome is a very dry, somewhat tart and champagne like cider.

^that qualifies more as an apfelwien, doesnt it?

[QUOTE=BigJay;2601688]Get the blow off tube ready!!!!

haha no shit, the first 48 after i pitched my yeast, the sucker was incredibly active. no blow off as of yet and its mellowed out a lot. ill let you know how it goes.

math--I may have to try that IPA.

alright mags, help me out. Bottled my Irish red about 12 days ago and cracked one open tonight. Tastes kind of tart. My hefe had the same flavor. A little research and I found I may have too much acetaldehyde in my beer. My last two brews havent tasted quite normal. So whats my problem. I let it sit in the primary for 7, secondary 7, and then bottle. Not enough time in the primary? I sanitize with bleach, but maybe I have an infection? Whats going on?

Originally Posted by The Kids Are Alright

alright mags, help me out. Bottled my Irish red about 12 days ago and cracked one open tonight. Tastes kind of tart. My hefe had the same flavor. A little research and I found I may have too much acetaldehyde in my beer. My last two brews havent tasted quite normal. So whats my problem. I let it sit in the primary for 7, secondary 7, and then bottle. Not enough time in the primary? I sanitize with bleach, but maybe I have an infection? Whats going on?

12 days after bottling isn't long enough--you shouldn't expect a drinkable beer till after 3 weeks of bottle conditioning. RDWAHAHB

Originally Posted by The Kids Are Alright

alright mags, help me out. Bottled my Irish red about 12 days ago and cracked one open tonight. Tastes kind of tart. My hefe had the same flavor. A little research and I found I may have too much acetaldehyde in my beer. My last two brews havent tasted quite normal. So whats my problem. I let it sit in the primary for 7, secondary 7, and then bottle. Not enough time in the primary? I sanitize with bleach, but maybe I have an infection? Whats going on?

What's the nose like? Too little bottle time just tastes like too much malt characteristics, not sour.
I ask about the nose because I'm thinking infection (some strain of Brettonamyces?).

I'd actually like to try the red.

If you have an infection caused by lax/bad sanitation you may want to try some of the other products available. I started out with one step but now use Star San. http://morebeer.com/view_product/160...ar_San_-_32_oz

Cold side sanitation is more important than hot side.

Allow for a min of two weeks in the bottle to carb at 70F. Conditioning in the bottle will also take time weeks/months. Always use brown bottles.

I traced my last infection back to the yeast itself, four generations and something mutated.

Do not let time dictate when to rack beer, go by the gravity reading. I will often primary for two weeks or longer.

Remember beer gets better with age, as you drink through a batch make note of how it changes from beginning to end.

Does your beer taste like vinegar? That is aceobactar.

Originally Posted by The Kids Are Alright

alright mags, help me out. Bottled my Irish red about 12 days ago and cracked one open tonight. Tastes kind of tart. My hefe had the same flavor. A little research and I found I may have too much acetaldehyde in my beer. My last two brews havent tasted quite normal. So whats my problem. I let it sit in the primary for 7, secondary 7, and then bottle. Not enough time in the primary? I sanitize with bleach, but maybe I have an infection? Whats going on?

How do you know its acetaldeyde? I'd just let it sit in bottles for a month or more and see if it evens out. Might just not have completely fermented out & something kicked up a little yeast again.

And yea the primary/secondary thing...unless you're spot on for your FG I generally leave mine in primary for 2-3 weeks minimum.

Either way I wouldn't worry about it. Maybe re-examine your sanitation routine but until you've given the beer more time to even out you cant conclusively say its one thing or another causing the tartness.

i pretty much googled to find acetaldehyde. Not sure if that is my problem or not, but my guess is that I probably am racking from primary to secondary too soon. I remember when I did my hefe, the bubbler was still active, as was with the red. Would that have a significant impact on the flavors. My guess is that with my last two batches, I'm simply being impatient and end up drinking way too soon. Its definitely not skunk beer, and its hard to really but a label on the taste other than its a bit off and on the tart side. The carbonation is fine, so my guess is just that it hasnt aged enough

I use one step and idiophor mostly. I have used star san but I prefer idiophor--I figure if it is good enough for surgeons it's good enough for my beer. I can also use it to check and see if the starches in the mash have been converted into sugar. The only reason I use one step is because I have a lot left over. Once I'm done with it I'll buy some more idiophor.

bump, so my sister's bday is coming up here in a few and I decided to brew her favorite beer, Abita Restoration Ale. Anyone had it? Here is the clone recipe I came up with

6.6lbs LME
.5 Cara Pils
.5 Crystal 20

.5 cascade (60 min)
.5 cascade (30 min)
1 oz Cascade dry hop

California Ale Yeast

good looking beer. Will try to post some pics later. Also decided to stop sanitizing with bleach and use star san.