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  1. #76
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Da burgh
    Posts
    2,664
    so, over the winter we harvested sap from a lot of maple trees on our property here in PA, didn't have time to make syrup out of a lot of it and ended up freezing about 10 gallons of the stuff for later. At the end of spring when I had gotten back home and was bored from mountain withdrawal, I had an idea: Why not use 5 gallons of pure maple sap instead of 5 gallons of water for a batch and see what happens? So I went to the freezer, busted out a few vacuum sealed bags of homegrown hops from last summer, defrosted the sap and went to work. I used my standard recipe for a strong, well hopped porter that has given me good results in the past just to see how the sap would change it. What greeted me from the inside of that bottle the other day was incredible. The beer had such strong woody overtones, that it tasted like it was a vintage, casked masterpiece.

    Bottom line: If you have access to maple trees, you really need to try substituting pure maple sap for all of the water called for in your recipe, its great. Just don't forget the contribution from the maple sugars while concocting a recipe trying to figure out how much malt you should use, the gravity will be a good bit higher than expected if you dont.

  2. #77
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Sandy, Utah
    Posts
    14,410
    Quote Originally Posted by couloirman View Post
    so, over the winter we harvested sap from a lot of maple trees on our property here in PA, didn't have time to make syrup out of a lot of it and ended up freezing about 10 gallons of the stuff for later. At the end of spring when I had gotten back home and was bored from mountain withdrawal, I had an idea: Why not use 5 gallons of pure maple sap instead of 5 gallons of water for a batch and see what happens? So I went to the freezer, busted out a few vacuum sealed bags of homegrown hops from last summer, defrosted the sap and went to work. I used my standard recipe for a strong, well hopped porter that has given me good results in the past just to see how the sap would change it. What greeted me from the inside of that bottle the other day was incredible. The beer had such strong woody overtones, that it tasted like it was a vintage, casked masterpiece.

    Bottom line: If you have access to maple trees, you really need to try substituting pure maple sap for all of the water called for in your recipe, its great. Just don't forget the contribution from the maple sugars while concocting a recipe trying to figure out how much malt you should use, the gravity will be a good bit higher than expected if you dont.
    Very interesting idea...kinda like Meade from Honey.

    Glad it turned out all right.

    How did you decide how much malt to use. Did you use a formula or just "guess"?

  3. #78
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Da burgh
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    2,664
    the sap I used this year from our sugar maples had a specific gravity of 1.008 which is a little higher than what we usually get from them(its more like 1.005 for less productive seasons). I didnt really care enough to change anything about the recipe, but Im sure some people would, I was just too lazy to do the calculations.

  4. #79
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    the Low Sierra
    Posts
    17,818
    Last night kegged and sampled some of the IPA I started in May. YUMMY! Hadn't brewed in 5 years, and now that I've got a proper all grain set-up, fridge and keg system all set up in it's own building, I think I'll be keeping the batches rolling on a regular basis.
    I didn't believe in reincarnation when I was your age either.

  5. #80
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Bottom of the hill...
    Posts
    1,354
    I started brewing last october when I realized Utah beer really sucks! I've done a couple stouts, an amber, two witbiers, two IPAs, and a wheat beer. Overall I've been pretty successful and moved to all grain to cut down on the price of malt extract. I really can see spending a shitload of money on this hobby since I will have a kegerator and fermentation fridge at some point in the future. A grain mill wouldn't hurt either. Outdoor propane burner and keggle....I could go on and on. Someone posted a link from www.homebrewtalk.com--that is a money site and has a lot of good info in the stickies at the tops of the forums.
    Just ski down there and jump of a somethin' fer cryin' out loud!

    -Pain McShlonkey

  6. #81
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    6,500

    R.D.W.H.A.H.B.

    bump cuz fall is the best time to homebrew.
    got this today

    You know you're a homebrewer if...
    21 . . . you don't think that 10 gallons of beer is a lot.
    10 . . . you've ever used a mop on a ceiling.
    10 . . . you see the acronym R.D.W.H.A.H.B. and know what it means.
    9 . . . it started out as a hobby then ended up as a habit.
    8 . . . you have more varieties of beer on tap than your local bar does.
    8 . . . you hate to wash the family dishes, but think nothing
    about standing over a sink for hours cleaning empty bottles.
    8 . . . you buy beer according to ease of label removal or the
    type of bottle it comes in.
    7 . . . you can name at least 10 different varieties of hops, but
    can't name 10 congressmen.
    7 . . . you refuse to pay $8.00 for a beer in a restaurant because
    you can make 5 gallons for that much.
    7 . . . the only time you clean your kitchen is just before
    brewing a new batch.
    Bacon tastes good. Pork chops taste goood.

  7. #82
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Bottom of the hill...
    Posts
    1,354
    Quote Originally Posted by willywhit View Post
    bump cuz fall is the best time to homebrew.
    got this today

    You know you're a homebrewer if...
    21 . . . you don't think that 10 gallons of beer is a lot.
    10 . . . you've ever used a mop on a ceiling.
    10 . . . you see the acronym R.D.W.H.A.H.B. and know what it means.
    9 . . . it started out as a hobby then ended up as a habit.
    8 . . . you have more varieties of beer on tap than your local bar does.
    8 . . . you hate to wash the family dishes, but think nothing
    about standing over a sink for hours cleaning empty bottles.
    8 . . . you buy beer according to ease of label removal or the
    type of bottle it comes in.
    7 . . . you can name at least 10 different varieties of hops, but
    can't name 10 congressmen.
    7 . . . you refuse to pay $8.00 for a beer in a restaurant because
    you can make 5 gallons for that much.
    7 . . . the only time you clean your kitchen is just before
    brewing a new batch.
    Haha so true!
    Just ski down there and jump of a somethin' fer cryin' out loud!

    -Pain McShlonkey

  8. #83
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    in the brew room
    Posts
    2,344
    Quote Originally Posted by willywhit View Post
    7 . . . you can name at least 10 different varieties of hops, but
    can't name 10 congressmen.
    heh, sad but true.

  9. #84
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Boulder
    Posts
    70
    Whooo! Just bottled my first IPA!

    I wrote a song last month about how utah beer makes me fart. I have yet to record it or play it at an open mic... but soon!

  10. #85
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    boulder
    Posts
    614
    You gonna dry hop it?

  11. #86
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    cottonwood heights
    Posts
    54
    Espresso Stout with about a gallon of fresh espresso in the batch. I like to call it the hippie speed ball.

  12. #87
    adam is offline The Shred Pirate Roberts
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    CO
    Posts
    3,546
    Not beer, but I am currently fermenting some mead, should be finished around december/january.

  13. #88
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Bozeman, MT
    Posts
    70
    ahh... you know, I think a homebrew thread DOES belong in ski/snowboard. to me, good brew is only slightly less important than the snow itself. yay for the fall brew bump.

    dude, couloirman, a maple sap beer/mead sounds awesome. I love hearing about experiments like that. around montana we have... pine sap?

    I've taken about a year off from brewing because of bad-living-situations/i-am-a-hobo... but I am STOKED to start again. I have 2 quarts of huckleberries I picked this fall to brew with burning a hole in my freezer!

    any homebrewing maggots in the Bozeman area??
    ~ThaddeusMT

    [All your mountains are belong to us]
    http://www.oronaut.com

  14. #89
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    York, Maine
    Posts
    556
    Just finished up and enjoying a Dry Irish Coffee Stout.

    Have a Meade fermenting also.

    Will be making an IPA this weekend.

    So....addicting.......

  15. #90
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    N. ID
    Posts
    180
    Huckleberries make a great Melomel done several of them, have a Pyment fermenting now along with a Brown and a Porter. Three weeks to beer.

  16. #91
    adam is offline The Shred Pirate Roberts
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    CO
    Posts
    3,546
    Just tried out my mead tonight. What will adding more honey do at this point (been fermenting 2 months)?

  17. #92
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    LCC
    Posts
    322
    I'm about 45 or so deep, but haven't been able to brew since school started. I just have a couple high-grav beers sitting around right now. Great Hobby. Have a look on homebrewtalk.com, too. Solid forum over there.

    Quote Originally Posted by yooper View Post
    Chinook is interesting. I don't really think there is one commercial beer that uses it.
    Stone Arrogant Bastard. Chinook-a-licious.
    Last edited by mrkristofo; 10-25-2008 at 11:29 PM.
    ...so I got that goin' for me, which is nice.

  18. #93
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    6,500
    Quote Originally Posted by mrkristofo View Post
    I'm about 45 or so deep, but haven't been able to brew since school started. I just have a couple high-grav beers sitting around right now. Great Hobby. Have a look on homebrewtalk.com, too. Solid forum over there.



    Stone Arrogant Bastard. Chinook-a-licious.
    thanks for reminding me to check in on homebrewtalk, it's been months.
    missed out on this big brew batch with the brew club
    9A. Scottish Light 60 Shilling 9B. Scottish Heavy 70 Shilling
    Vital Statistics: OG: 1.030 1.035 Vital Statistics: O.G: 1.035 - 1.040
    IBUs: 10 20 FG: 1.010 1.013 IBUs: 10-25 F.G.: 1.010 - 1.015
    SRM: 9 17 ABV: 2.5 3.2% SRM: 9-17 ABV: 3.2 - 3.9%

    Commercial Examples: Belhaven , McEwan¹s, Maclay, Caledonian Amber.

    Aroma: Low to medium malty sweetness, sometimes accentuated by low to
    moderate kettle caramelization. Some examples have a low hop aroma, light
    fruitiness, low diacetyl, and/or a low to moderate peaty aroma (all are
    optional). The peaty aroma is sometimes perceived as earthy, smoky or very
    lightly roasted.

    Appearance: Deep amber to dark copper. Usually very clear due to long, cool
    fermentations. Low to moderate, creamy off-white to light tan-colored head.
    F
    lavor: Malt is the primary flavor, but isn¹t overly strong. The initial
    malty sweetness is usually accentuated by a low to moderate kettle
    caramelization, and is sometimes accompanied by a low diacetyl component.
    Fruity esters may be moderate to none. Hop bitterness is low to moderate,
    but the balance will always be towards the malt (although not always by
    much). Hop flavor is low to none. A low to moderate peaty character is
    optional, and may be perceived as earthy or smoky. Generally has a grainy,
    dry finish due to small amounts of unmalted roasted barley.

    Mouthfeel: Medium-low to medium body. Low to moderate carbonation.
    Sometimes a bit creamy, but often quite dry due to use of roasted barley.

    Overall Impression: Cleanly malty with a drying finish, perhaps a few
    esters, and on occasion a faint bit of peaty earthiness (smoke). Most beers
    finish fairly dry considering their relatively sweet palate, and as such
    have a different balance than strong Scotch ales.

    History: Traditional Scottish session beers reflecting the indigenous
    ingredients (water, malt), with less hops than their English counterparts
    (due to the need to import them). Long, cool fermentations are
    traditionally used in Scottish brewing.

    Comments: The malt-hop balance is slightly to moderately tilted towards the
    malt side. Any caramelization comes from kettle caramelization and not
    caramel malt (and is sometimes confused with diacetyl). Although unusual,
    any smoked character is yeast- or water-derived and not from the use of
    peat-smoked malts. Use of peat-smoked malt to replicate the peaty character
    should be restrained; overly smoky beers should be entered in the Other
    Smoked Beer category (22B) rather than here.

    Ingredients: Scottish or English pale base malt. Small amounts of roasted
    barley add color and flavor, and lend a dry, slightly roasty finish. English
    hops. Clean, relatively un-attenuative ale yeast. Some commercial brewers
    add small amounts of crystal, amber, or wheat malts, and adjuncts such as
    sugar. The optional peaty, earthy and/or smoky character comes from the
    traditional yeast and from the local malt and water rather than using smoked
    malts. an initial sweetness and a roasted dryness in the finish.
    Last edited by willywhit; 10-26-2008 at 12:10 AM.
    Bacon tastes good. Pork chops taste goood.

  19. #94
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    HATU.
    Posts
    430
    Sorry, Got cought in the coors and coors lite thing. (VP THING MAYBE....)

  20. #95
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Boulder
    Posts
    70
    Quote Originally Posted by daver View Post
    You gonna dry hop it?
    Still just a beginner... so I guess not. Next beer is either an imperial stout or overhopped pilsner!

  21. #96
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Bozeman
    Posts
    27
    Quote Originally Posted by willywhit View Post
    bump cuz fall is the best time to homebrew.
    got this today

    You know you're a homebrewer if...
    21 . . . you don't think that 10 gallons of beer is a lot.
    10 . . . you've ever used a mop on a ceiling.
    10 . . . you see the acronym R.D.W.H.A.H.B. and know what it means.
    9 . . . it started out as a hobby then ended up as a habit.
    8 . . . you have more varieties of beer on tap than your local bar does.
    8 . . . you hate to wash the family dishes, but think nothing
    about standing over a sink for hours cleaning empty bottles.
    8 . . . you buy beer according to ease of label removal or the
    type of bottle it comes in.
    7 . . . you can name at least 10 different varieties of hops, but
    can't name 10 congressmen.
    7 . . . you refuse to pay $8.00 for a beer in a restaurant because
    you can make 5 gallons for that much.
    7 . . . the only time you clean your kitchen is just before
    brewing a new batch.
    ha, so true ('cept I don't bottle, unless I'm gunnin' up a sixer for a gift)

    I've brewed for years. I do ales, lagers, Belgians....and have done some weird ancient and Chinese recipes.

    I've got a northern English brown in secondary and a doppelbock lagering timed for Thanskgiving (opening day at Big Sky).

    Last week I had an English-style IPA in a primary and forgot to put a blow-off tube on it and pitched two packs of Notts (long story), and, yeah, ceiling kräusen......the wife loved that!
    no, take the DH boards

  22. #97
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Land of Zion
    Posts
    481
    My latest batch is just starting to carbonate and I got to try it out this weekend - FAIL. Got a nice Chloroseptic off-flavor to it that's almost enough to make it undrinkable. The beer tasted great when I tried it while racking to secondary. I'm starting to get frustrated.

    How often do all of you change out your tubing, etc? Since our household has now had two skanky beers in the last year, I'm starting to think I have a chronic bacterial infection hiding out in my equipment somewhere. Any ideas on how to do a once-over on the buckets and tubing to kill everything? Or should we just start over and buy new stuff? I think ultimately I'd like to move to primary fermentation in glass.
    It's like I died and went to heaven, but then it turned out it wasn't my time, and they sent me to a brewery.

  23. #98
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Sandy, Utah
    Posts
    14,410
    Quote Originally Posted by tradygirl View Post
    My latest batch is just starting to carbonate and I got to try it out this weekend - FAIL. Got a nice Chloroseptic off-flavor to it that's almost enough to make it undrinkable. The beer tasted great when I tried it while racking to secondary. I'm starting to get frustrated.

    How often do all of you change out your tubing, etc? Since our household has now had two skanky beers in the last year, I'm starting to think I have a chronic bacterial infection hiding out in my equipment somewhere. Any ideas on how to do a once-over on the buckets and tubing to kill everything? Or should we just start over and buy new stuff? I think ultimately I'd like to move to primary fermentation in glass.

    Um yeah its likely a small scratch inside one of the fermentation vessels. Id suggest moving to glass asap its much better and easier to sanitize.

    Question...how are you sanitizing? Iodaphor? oxi based?.....this sounds like either the secondary fermentation vessel or something in the bottling process. tubes rarely get scratches that will harbor bacteria so I doubt its that. How are you sanitizing the bottles?

    Let me know. I hope I can help.

  24. #99
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    time out
    Posts
    805
    This thread is (almost) completely useless without more pictures!!! Sounds like people have some good set-ups - I wanna see 'em!

  25. #100
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    in the brew room
    Posts
    2,344
    Quote Originally Posted by tradygirl View Post
    My latest batch is just starting to carbonate and I got to try it out this weekend - FAIL. Got a nice Chloroseptic off-flavor to it that's almost enough to make it undrinkable. The beer tasted great when I tried it while racking to secondary. I'm starting to get frustrated.

    How often do all of you change out your tubing, etc? Since our household has now had two skanky beers in the last year, I'm starting to think I have a chronic bacterial infection hiding out in my equipment somewhere. Any ideas on how to do a once-over on the buckets and tubing to kill everything? Or should we just start over and buy new stuff? I think ultimately I'd like to move to primary fermentation in glass.
    T,
    like skidog said, i'd def try to go to glass next. i tried doing one batch in my bucket and it just never fermented (although prob. a diff issue). i've been using the same tubing for awhile (starting to get a bit cloudy) but haven't really had a problem. i've been cleaning everything with oxyclean (can get a small tub from smiths/albys) and then sanitizing w/ one step (except for bottles where i use the dishwasher method that you guys told me about).

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