Tip Top's Homebrewing Thread

[Tip Top]

Bottling the last 4 gallons of Belma IPA (this with Clementine Zest and Simcoe dry-hop).  This leaves me with only the PE in the fermentors.  I better fill these things up soon.

[howardf]

Bottling the last 4 gallons of Belma IPA (this with Clementine Zest and Simcoe dry-hop).  This leaves me with only the PE in the fermentors.  I better fill these things up soon.

The dry hopping salvaged the Belma hops?  How many oz did you dry hop?

[Tip Top]

Bottling the last 4 gallons of Belma IPA (this with Clementine Zest and Simcoe dry-hop).  This leaves me with only the PE in the fermentors.  I better fill these things up soon.

The dry hopping salvaged the Belma hops?  How many oz did you dry hop?

1oz Simcoe and the zest of two clementines.  Smelled awesome, but we'll see if it's salvaged in 1-2 weeks.

[Jaysus]

I missed it, what happened to the Belma beer?  Just not a fan of it?

[Tip Top]

I missed it, what happened to the Belma beer?  Just not a fan of it?

The Belma hops smelled great going in, but didn't get the same citrusy character in the beer.  Way more herbal.

[Jaysus]

yeah, I've been reading the word "spicy" lately... which I picked up a bit on while chilling (with the giant hop bag a few inches from my face )

[Tip Top]

Working on yeast starters tonight tomorrow for a full brewing weekend.  DIPA, second runnings bitter, Double Red Ale, and Pale Ale on the schedule.

[pwoods]

Working on yeast starters tonight tomorrow for a full brewing weekend.  DIPA, second runnings bitter, Double Red Ale, and Pale Ale on the schedule.

Doing a 'session' IPA tomorrow.  It should come out to 5% or less.  IBUs will still be right at 60, which is higher than I wanted but should be fine.  Mixture of Simcoe and Galaxy. 

[howardf]

Working on yeast starters tonight tomorrow for a full brewing weekend.  DIPA, second runnings bitter, Double Red Ale, and Pale Ale on the schedule.

Doing a 'session' IPA tomorrow.  It should come out to 5% or less.  IBUs will still be right at 60, which is higher than I wanted but should be fine.  Mixture of Simcoe and Galaxy. 

I'm doing a hoppy next, too.  Might do a Gumball Head clone from the LHBS.  Might do something with these Belma and Galaxy that I've got.  I've got three weeks to figure it out

[Tip Top]

Just picked up 47lbs of grain.  I'm ready to brew this weekend! 

[Tip Top]

Is 125 IBUs too much?  DIPA.

[howardf]

Is 125 IBUs too much?  DIPA.

Do it, badass!

[Tip Top]

Is 125 IBUs too much?  DIPA.

Do it, badass!

That's the plan for the first brew tomorrow.

[Tip Top]

DIPA cooling, second runnings mashed in.  Other than having to fix something on the kettle, it's gone ok today.

[Tip Top]

65 gallons brewed in 2012.  Bound to be more than that in 2013.

[howardf]

65 gallons brewed in 2012.  Bound to be more than that in 2013.

I did 20 in the last three weeks

[Tip Top]

65 gallons brewed in 2012.  Bound to be more than that in 2013.

I did 20 in the last three weeks

Can you drink 20 gallons in three weeks?

[howardf]

65 gallons brewed in 2012.  Bound to be more than that in 2013.

I did 20 in the last three weeks

Can you drink 20 gallons in three weeks?

No, that's my problem.  I want to make all kinds of shit, but I'd say 5 gallons of 5%-ish in three weeks is all I can reasonably drink.  The Berliner will sit for six months, and the Lambic for two years, so I've only got 10 gallons to deal with in the next nine weeks.

[pwoods]

Since my batches range from 5-20 gallons, I'd have to look at my notes, but I did 18 batches for over 200 gallons.  Over half of those were split with my buddy, though. 

[Tip Top]

On the 3rd I did a 10 gallon batch of Pale Ale.  One carboy got S-05 and the other got Dry-97 (both with starters).  The S-05 started faster, but the Bry-97 went nuts after about 48 hours.  Looking forward to comparing beers that were the same up to the yeast.

[Jaysus]

who makes dry-97?  Is it also the Chico strain?

[Tip Top]

who makes dry-97?  Is it also the Chico strain?

Danstar.  It's the American West Coast Ale.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/brewing-ingredients/beer-yeast/danstar-american-west-coast-ale-yeast.html

[Jaysus]

I just did a bit of digging too... seems like it is either the chico strain or a pacman strain.  I would LOVE it if it were a pacman strain.

[Tip Top]

Yeah, and it's BRY, not DRY.

[Jaysus]

Cool, I am anxious to hear your results!

[Tip Top]

Bottling the last 4 gallons of Belma IPA (this with Clementine Zest and Simcoe dry-hop).  This leaves me with only the PE in the fermentors.  I better fill these things up soon.

The dry hopping salvaged the Belma hops?  How many oz did you dry hop?

1oz Simcoe and the zest of two clementines.  Smelled awesome, but we'll see if it's salvaged in 1-2 weeks.

At this point, there isn't a big difference between the two versions.  There was a lot more fruity presence in the Simcoe/Clementine version to start, but they have gotten closer to each other since.  Also, the regular Belma is drinkable now where as I didn't like it before.  The herbal flavor is still there, but there is a lot more fruitiness beneath it now.

[Tip Top]

Planning to brew a Double Red Ale Saturday.

[Tip Top]

When I brew in the winter it gets hot enough in the house that a bunch of the windows fog up.

[Tip Top]

Eileen gave me crap that I hadn't made her cider yet.  Put it together with some cinnamon sticks, 1lb maple syrup and 2lbs dark brown sugar.  Pitched Nottingham Ale yeast.  Measured in at 1.072.  This isn't going to be a session cider.

[Tip Top]

I'm thinking about adding more fermentation space.

[Jaysus]

Conical!

[howardf]

Conical!

Dream big!

[Jaysus]

While still not within my brewing budget constraints, this is much closer to my ball park: http://brewhemoth.com/brewhemoth

[howardf]

While still not within my brewing budget constraints, this is much closer to my ball park: http://brewhemoth.com/brewhemoth

That thing's a bargain compared to the Blichmann.

[Tip Top]

I don't really want to brew bigger batches.  I like the variety.

[howardf]

I don't really want to brew bigger batches.  I like the variety.

I was referring more to the price tag than the volume.

[Tip Top]

Brett started taking action.  Could hear it slowing bubbling away this morning.

Just dropped in the first Citra dry hops.  Looks like I'll be kegging it this weekend and brewing another batch to pitch right back on the yeast cake.

Took a little bit off the carboy as I was transferring.  Tasted good, so I have high hopes for this one.  A second dry hop going on in the keg.  Second batch is already bubbling away.

Finally put one of these kegs on today and I'm liking how it's tasting.  Time to drink it I think.

[Jaysus]

nice, you have more patience than me. I brewed a brett saison in July, and split it between bottles and a 3gallon keg.  The bottles are mostly gone, and I have thought about tapping the keg more than once already - lol.

[thickfreakness]

Brett started taking action.  Could hear it slowing bubbling away this morning.

Just dropped in the first Citra dry hops.  Looks like I'll be kegging it this weekend and brewing another batch to pitch right back on the yeast cake.

Took a little bit off the carboy as I was transferring.  Tasted good, so I have high hopes for this one.  A second dry hop going on in the keg.  Second batch is already bubbling away.

Finally put one of these kegs on today and I'm liking how it's tasting.  Time to drink it I think.

Just curious, but why wouldn't you wait to dry hop it when ready to serve?

[Tip Top]

Brett started taking action.  Could hear it slowing bubbling away this morning.

Just dropped in the first Citra dry hops.  Looks like I'll be kegging it this weekend and brewing another batch to pitch right back on the yeast cake.

Took a little bit off the carboy as I was transferring.  Tasted good, so I have high hopes for this one.  A second dry hop going on in the keg.  Second batch is already bubbling away.

Finally put one of these kegs on today and I'm liking how it's tasting.  Time to drink it I think.

Just curious, but why wouldn't you wait to dry hop it when ready to serve?

That was the plan.  There were two factors that weighed into this. 

1. The pointers I was given for this brew were super vague (dry-hop "until it's done").  I had no clue what time frame that meant.
2. It was very early in brewing for me.  Now, I think I would know to let it sit longer before starting the dry-hop process.  I dry hopped these every week for several weeks, but they just didn't seem to be "done".

I had pretty much given up on them.  I didn't have time to empty the kegs and clean them out before I moved, so they moved full with me.  Decided when I killed another keg to put one on to see if it was drinkable.  When I had the first glass I was pleasantly surprised.  Not much of the IPA flavor was left, but I have a nice, bright, "bretty" beer.

[Tip Top]

No brewing this weekend, but plenty of other stuff to do.  Take the hops off a keg that's dry-hopping.  Transfer two carboys.  Bottle one batch.  Possibly eis.

[Tip Top]

No brewing this weekend, but plenty of other stuff to do.  Take the hops off a keg that's dry-hopping.  Transfer two carboys.  Bottle one batch.  Possibly eis.

Got all of this done.     Eising started at 10am and it's really starting to get cold out. 

[HornyDevil]

I'm thinking about adding more fermentation space.

My fermenter setup used to be pretty bare-bones.

Three 6.5 gallon carboys and one 5 gallon

Bought another 6.5 gallon and four more 5 gallon when I expanded my sour beer project early last year.

[Tip Top]

Pineapple is in.

[Tip Top]

Just kegged my Double Red and transferred Eileen's cider to secondary to clarify a bit.  The Double Red tasted and smelled awesome (dry-hopped with Citra).  The cider tasted great and showed almost no signs of alcohol despite the 8.79%.

[smellysell]

Use the mill yet?

[Tip Top]

Use the mill yet?

Nope.  Haven't had the chance to brew.  I brewed too much (if there is such a thing) over the holidays.

[smellysell]

Use the mill yet?

Nope.  Haven't had the chance to brew.  I brewed too much (if there is such a thing) over the holidays.

There isn't

[Tip Top]

Use the mill yet?

Nope.  Haven't had the chance to brew.  I brewed too much (if there is such a thing) over the holidays.

There isn't

Almost every bottle/keg I have is full.

[howardf]

Use the mill yet?

Nope.  Haven't had the chance to brew.  I brewed too much (if there is such a thing) over the holidays.

There isn't

Almost every bottle/keg I have is full.

Sounds like you need more bottles/kegs.