Home Brew Maggots

[SB]

That is pretty kewl in TL.

Here is an oldie but a goodie. Crank the classical tunage.

[Peruvian]

I brewed up a 3 gallon, BIAB pale ale last night of my own recipe. OG was 1.050 and hopping was Centennial (bittering) and Cascade (aroma). I'm thinking of dry hopping in a week or two and have CTZ, Simcoe, or the two mentioned above. Any thoughts or recommendations?

[Tutuko]

Simcoe or CTZ will give a bit of pine/ dank to balance the citrusy centennial and cascade. I would go simcoe...or it will be fine with more cascade/ centennial.

Another question. Brewed a (just about) black IPA yesterday, 3% roasted barley 1.5% carafa II, some dark and medium crystal (I like the style with a bit of roast and no chocolate malt available here) Columbus for bittering (60ibu) then a good charge of 50:50 simcoe:chinook through to flameout and planned dry hops.
I was thinking of adding blackberries to the secondary, but... maybe it's going to be too roasty and hoppy to bother unless I go crazy on the berries. Thoughts on the flavour combo?

[bean]

Roasty and hoppy and bitter with blackberry doesn't sound very appealing, but I've been surprised by combinations I didn't think I'd like in the past. If it sounds good to you, give it a try.

Also, I suggest skipping the secondary. Add the berries directly to the primary.

[criscam]

Roasty and hoppy and bitter with blackberry doesn't sound very appealing, but I've been surprised by combinations I didn't think I'd like in the past. If it sounds good to you, give it a try.
Also, I suggest skipping the secondary. Add the berries directly to the primary.

i kinda agree. why don't you transfer a gallon or so to a 2ndry/jug and add the berries there. that way, if no good you still have 4 gallons of a normal bipa.

[Peruvian]

i kinda agree. why don't you transfer a gallon or so to a 2ndry/jug and add the berries there. that way, if no good you still have 4 gallons of a normal bipa.

This is a great idea. I scored 4 - 1 gallon demijohns this fall and really need to remember to use them for experimenting. Actually my Pale Ale might get a few dry hop versions, based on criscam's reminder!

[criscam]

that actually reminds me, i have about a gallon of a french saison that i had to split up from the main batch. main batched was dry hopped and kegged. want to do something to the gallon or so i have left over. any thoughts/suggestions? maybe some oak chips soaked in white wine or something?

[Ksyrium]

that actually reminds me, i have about a gallon of a french saison that i had to split up from the main batch. main batched was dry hopped and kegged. want to do something to the gallon or so i have left over. any thoughts/suggestions? maybe some oak chips soaked in white wine or something?

i like my saisons slightly sour, maybe blend your leftover gallon with a commercial sour beer?

oak chips soaked in wine sounds interesting too

[SailCat]

Still not enough snow to get Dodge open this year,
Might as well make beer
Cheers!

[Tutuko]

i kinda agree. why don't you transfer a gallon or so to a 2ndry/jug and add the berries there. that way, if no good you still have 4 gallons of a normal bipa.

Yep I was planning that. Short of a resounding recommendation I had gone off the idea anyway. I do have a scotch ale in tank 2 that could be fun to do a small fruit version of. Less going on, an the tartness from the berry fermentation would be new than balanced by the caramalised sugars. Will post back depending on what happens.

[criscam]

i like my saisons slightly sour, maybe blend your leftover gallon with a commercial sour beer?

oak chips soaked in wine sounds interesting too

hmmm....i like the blending idea. maybe i'll take a gallon or 2 of my next ipa and combine it w/ the saison for a belgian ipa blend?

[SB]

blending is totally legit

[Peruvian]

Our local beer makers are a 'blendery' as they don't actually brew but instead take wort from brewers and then blend/barrel it for fermentation - Backacre Beermakers.

[~mikey b]

Still not enough snow to get Dodge open this year,
Might as well make beer
Cheers!

Good inspiration. I'm brewing this week. Weather is perfect for outside brewing. (Damn it!)

[Ksyrium]

hmmm....i like the blending idea. maybe i'll take a gallon or 2 of my next ipa and combine it w/ the saison for a belgian ipa blend?

Sounds good to me.

On a different note, has anyone tried doing a lambic or spontaneous fermentation? Any tips?

[supermodel159]

I brewed a smoked porter (all grain, brew in a bag) earlier this winter, thinking it would be nice to enjoy when it gets cold here. Well, it is now the second week of January and supposed to be 85 tomorrow...looks like I won't be tasting it for a while.

No real winter in sight.

[Tutuko]

Sounds good to me.

On a different note, has anyone tried doing a lambic or spontaneous fermentation? Any tips?

From what I've learnt and tasted, but never having done one, I would recommend using a commercial bug mix, or culturing from a few bottles? Spontaneous fermentation is pretty hit and miss And be ready to set aside a carboy for 6 months + and bottle condition for a similar period ( x2+ for decent results).

[criscam]

Ended up blending about a gallon of saison w a gallon of an all simcoe pale in a 2ndry. Dry hopped w simcoe and sterling. We'll see how it turns out.
Also just did a Belgian ipa I'm pretty psyched to try. Cascade, centennial, and saaz w an abbey ale yeast.

[SB]

Bumpin beer stuff, brewed my Potomac Pils the other day.

Interesting article about New Belgium to share.

http://conservationmagazine.org/2014...craft-brewing/

[criscam]

good article.
about to get in some turnaround. kolsch/pils lawnmower type, citra pale ale, rye saison and session ipa all to be kegged/bottled over the next 2 weeks. saison brett on month 6 or so in primary. has some funky looks on the surface but pulled a hydro sample the other day and pretty tasty. will hopefully dry out a touch more.
maybe some kind of summer wheat next...?

[SB]

So I went to Tractor Supply to pick up a roll of sisal twine for the hop yard. Started pulling weeds and getting ready for the season. 2 hours later I still have not got all the dam crab grass that infiltrated last year. I may have to resort to roundup around the perimeter to get it all.

Pulled out some crown runners that were 3-4 feet long. Last years rhizomes seem to have over wintered nicely. Should be a good year.

[Ksyrium]

I've got a blonde that needs to be kegged, a belgian blonde with brett aging, and a dark saison and a gose on tap.

gotta brew up a pale ale and an amber to dial in recipes for my wedding later this year.

[Peruvian]

I think I'm done extract brewing. I can just tell the difference. I thought it would be an easy way to whip up a Cali Common to enjoy during maple sugaring season. While it's tasty, it just has that heavy extract flavor.

I'm sure we will enjoy it in the sugar shack. Steam beer...get it?

Sugar Bob:

[SB]

I think I'm done extract brewing. I can just tell the difference. I thought it would be an easy way to whip up a Cali Common to enjoy during maple sugaring season. While it's tasty, it just has that heavy extract flavor.

I'm sure we will enjoy it in the sugar shack. Steam beer...get it?

Sugar Bob:

Try to get the freshest extract you can find. Another thing to help is partials or grain steeping.

Sent from my Huawei-U8665 using TGR Forums

[Peruvian]

All my extract batches have either steeping grains or partial mash. It just seems that the LME gives a syrupy flavor and don't dry out the same way as AG.

I even usually add part of the extract late as well to ensure it doesn't get that overly cooked flavor.