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Home Brew Discussion
- Thread starter Heidenlarm
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Indeed. Start in two weeks. 
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Day one was a success and I got to bring home a four pack.
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Good to hear!
I got my homebrew competition scores back yesterday. I didnt win anything, but both of my beers scored as a BJCP rating of "Very Good". So I guess that works. Its just so funny how people taste things so differently. I took my bourbon oak stout in to my homebrew shop and asked what category to enter it in. They said they could taste the bourbon and oak very strongly. But then I got marked down in the competition because it wasnt bourbon or oaky enough and should have been entered in the base stout category. Oh well. The keg went dry the other day so it was good enough to drink 5 gallons of it!
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Tell me how to make SOURS and I will start brewing at home. TIA
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Sours are easy. You just make a standard Belgian recipe of your choice and add 1oz of piss per gallon.
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Just kidding.
Instead of piss, the key ingredient is the right yeast strain.
Edit:
Yes, proper yeast strain makes a difference, but the real key is the correct bacteria.
Yeah, really.
http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/pro/listings/5
"Pediococcus damnosus is a cocci bacteria known for its souring capabilities by producing lactic acid. Perfect to add to any sour program. High diacetyl producer and slow growing. "
Instead of piss, the key ingredient is the right yeast strain.
Edit:
Yes, proper yeast strain makes a difference, but the real key is the correct bacteria.
Yeah, really.
http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/pro/listings/5
"Pediococcus damnosus is a cocci bacteria known for its souring capabilities by producing lactic acid. Perfect to add to any sour program. High diacetyl producer and slow growing. "
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I used the Belgian Sour mix from White Labs for my first sour. It did not turn out quite as sour as I had hoped. It was ok though, because I dont like uber sour beers. It has a good taste and is very easy drinking so I am happy with it.
Just make sure to label all plastic gear that touches that bacteria. It can never be used again for non sour beer making.
Just make sure to label all plastic gear that touches that bacteria. It can never be used again for non sour beer making.
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I brewed a citra IPA that was fantastic the last time I made it. Well...this time it was shit. It must have got an infection. I am going to have to dump it out. Only ever had to do that for one other beer. Very sad. 
On the plus side, I just ran out of one of my other kegs, so that means I can brew 2 to 3 more beers! So yesterday I brewed a double chocolate stout. The post boil wort was delicious! I have high hopes for this one.
On the plus side, I just ran out of one of my other kegs, so that means I can brew 2 to 3 more beers! So yesterday I brewed a double chocolate stout. The post boil wort was delicious! I have high hopes for this one.
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It seems no one cares and no one else is a homebrewer, so this is now my personal blog. Welcome everyone!
My chocolate stout is not fermenting all the way. Still sitting at 20 gravity. I even added more yeast. Bummer. Might be too sweet. But I just got done brewing a spotted cow clone. The wort was delicious. I ended up with great brewhouse efficiency so the OG was higher than I expected. It is ferments through it will end up ~6% ABV,, much higher than spotted cow's 4.8. Hopefully the taste isnt hot. I only have 3 spotted cows left from my last trip to IL so I will have to save them to compare against.
Meanwhile the wife is cooking up an elk roast. Today was a good day.
Hope you enjoyed todays bolg.
AuCN
Addendum 1: Hows the brew job going Heidenlarm?
My chocolate stout is not fermenting all the way. Still sitting at 20 gravity. I even added more yeast. Bummer. Might be too sweet. But I just got done brewing a spotted cow clone. The wort was delicious. I ended up with great brewhouse efficiency so the OG was higher than I expected. It is ferments through it will end up ~6% ABV,, much higher than spotted cow's 4.8. Hopefully the taste isnt hot. I only have 3 spotted cows left from my last trip to IL so I will have to save them to compare against.
Meanwhile the wife is cooking up an elk roast. Today was a good day.
Hope you enjoyed todays bolg.
AuCN
Addendum 1: Hows the brew job going Heidenlarm?
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Well I'll be brewing a whole hell of a lot more, getting promoted to assistant brewer :buttrock: thanks for asking by the way.
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:clap:
:beerbang:
:beerbang:
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Nicely done! Im sure there is a lot of competition for that!!
Well, my chocolate stout was crap. I have only made 3 bad beers (only one undrinkable) in the past 8 years. I found a bunch of deep gouges in the plastic carboy though. I must have done that during the last cleaning. That can certainly harbor some nasties even after sanitizing. I threw that one away and have switched to big mouth bubblers. Much easier to clean and add things to the secondary. So I kegged my spotted cow clone. Tasted good during transfer but I have cold crashed it with some yeast still in it. It has been two weeks so I think I am going to try it tonight. Fingers crossed. I also brewed my silver winning belgium pale ale 2 weeks ago. I went through the last keg so quick, so it was time to do it again. I will thief some tonight for a taste. I will probably put it in a secondary tomorrow since I am leaving for a two week work trip on Sunday.
I have been taking my 5 year old mead in to my local homebrew shop and sharing. They are positive that it would win this big mead competition out here in colorado and are pushing me to enter. It is 6 months away though. But that could be cool. It is my only mead I have made, but, not to brag, it is fucking delicious.
When do I get a private tour of the brewery Heidenlarm?!
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How do you clean your carboys out? Whenever you come out to Chicago! I got to remember to take time off work for Colorado in September still.
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where's my damn sours?
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Actually...
So something unexpected happened at the brewery not too long ago and we decided to run with it and we came up with a sour. It was only a 15 barrel batch and I'm not sure what's going to happen with it yet though. It was all kegged.
The metal is not really happening much these days, but we're playing a show at the end of September at Reggie's.
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Not entirely sure. I'd wager in the 4-5 range. I think some kegs will be sent to festivals. It might just stay at the brewery. I shall let you know.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1567984830146609/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1567984830146609/
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I was using this thing, but see the screw where the blue pads attach? I think that was scraping into the sides of the neck and creating deep gouges. I just noticed my last batch that two of my carboys had em. Hopefully that is where my infections are coming from. I tossed em and got new ones. What was the name of your brewery again?