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Author Topic: anyone brewing?  (Read 8479 times)

Offline danno

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anyone brewing?
« on: February 27, 2014, 04:06:10 pm »
Good time of the year to be fermenting stuff.  I've got a Southern English Brown Comp coming up in about 7 weeks.  I made one last weekend that has fermented out and will be racked to a secondary on Sat.  I have the grain weighted out for a 2nd one that will be brewed that day and Fermented from the harvested yeast from last weekend.  The 2nd brown is getting a cup of roasted black walnuts in the mash.   This is a brown secret that has  payed off with a 1st place in the past

Offline danno

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2014, 03:13:11 pm »
Vance you have to be making something

Offline nella

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2014, 08:05:17 am »
I have 10 gal of beer ready to bottle and three more batches to brew.
« Last Edit: March 01, 2014, 02:44:50 pm by nella »

Offline danno

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2014, 08:55:41 am »
I will brew my competition nut brown today.  Outside temp is finally in the high teens so working in the garage will be tolerable

Offline Edgy

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2014, 01:28:36 am »
I've made a few ales without much luck.  Either to much carbonation or not very palatable.  I think our very hard water adds to the bad taste.  I think I will try a mead next.  Have you ever made a batch?

Offline danno

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2014, 09:37:03 am »
I've made a few ales without much luck.  Either to much carbonation or not very palatable.  I think our very hard water adds to the bad taste.  I think I will try a mead next.  Have you ever made a batch?
Have you tried the ale kits.  Hard to mess up.  I keg my beer and most are force carbonated except the comp beers have to be in unmarked bottles.  I have made a lot of meads.   My wife and I are dry wine drinkers both red and white.  Personally I think mead tastes bad when made dry so I make it sweet and give it to friends

Offline Edgy

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2014, 04:58:00 pm »
I tried an American Pale kit and it was drinkable.  Nothing to really brag about though.  I'd really like to clone Sierra Nevadas' IPA.  I love that beer.  I don't force carbonate, I've just used priming sugar.  Also I've only used liquid malt extract.  I would like to learn to malt my own grain. I've heard it makes a better beer.  What's your thought on this?  Thanks for the heads up on the dry mead.

Offline danno

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2014, 07:54:36 pm »
I tried an American Pale kit and it was drinkable.  Nothing to really brag about though.  I'd really like to clone Sierra Nevadas' IPA.  I love that beer.  I don't force carbonate, I've just used priming sugar.  Also I've only used liquid malt extract.  I would like to learn to malt my own grain. I've heard it makes a better beer.  What's your thought on this?  Thanks for the heads up on the dry mead.
You can make better beer with all grain but I buy it already malted.   Malting is not that hard but I leave that job for the malters.  I buy grain in 50 pound bags. 
Extract makes really good beer as long as it's not old.  Dry malt extract has a longer shelf life.  Down load Beer Smith.  It has a free trial. Then it's about 25.00 for life.  It's a great brewing tool. 

Offline Edgy

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2014, 09:48:41 pm »
O.K.  Thanks danno.

Offline nella

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #9 on: March 02, 2014, 10:10:14 pm »
http://www.beertools.com/html/recipes.php

This is a good home brewing site also.

Offline greenbtree

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #10 on: April 15, 2014, 06:52:55 pm »
Fermenting yes, brewing no. Have a number different meads put up, and a cherry melomel. Going to try a peach melomel next.

JC
"Rise again, rise again - though your heart it be broken, or life about to end.  No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend, like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!"

Offline Vance G

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #11 on: April 15, 2014, 08:34:40 pm »
I drank half a bottle of a peach melomel that is a year and a half old.  It is very good but I flocculated up and should have made sure that it was really thru settling out.  I have three different meads that I am ashamed to give away or serve to many guests because of sediment.   I need to have a big party and get rid of most of it. 

Offline danno

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #12 on: April 15, 2014, 09:50:20 pm »
I have two comps. coming up.  First is a oaked brew that ill be making a oaked maple porter.  The 2nd is a anything goes open comp with none brewer judges.   For this one I will be making a peanut butter porter

Offline greenbtree

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #13 on: April 16, 2014, 01:48:08 pm »
Hey Vance, did you have the peaches in at the start of fermentation, or did you add them in towards the end?

JC
"Rise again, rise again - though your heart it be broken, or life about to end.  No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend, like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!"

Offline nella

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #14 on: April 16, 2014, 06:23:38 pm »
Since December I made 70 gal of Yuengling larger clone, will be bottling the last batch tonight.  I think I am ready for summer.

Offline Vance G

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #15 on: April 16, 2014, 08:53:16 pm »
Hey Vance, did you have the peaches in at the start of fermentation, or did you add them in towards the end?

I added them to a KIV 16% ABV must that worked out in three days!  It wasn't supposed to go that fast but it warmed up in my brewspace.  I am going to make another batch as it turned out well.  The sediment is because of the damnfool who bottled it too quick.

JC

Offline jayj200

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #16 on: June 30, 2014, 09:00:34 am »
nella
only if the moose would stop by or the chickens you'd have a party

Offline danno

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #17 on: June 30, 2014, 09:08:08 am »
I have a peanut butter porter about ready for a July 19 completion.  And a oaked maple porter ready for a Aug Competion

Offline Vance G

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #18 on: July 03, 2014, 11:39:28 am »
I have fallen on to the wagon.  I have so darn much put up now I can't justify too many projects.  I still have probably 40 gallons aging in  carboys.  I do need to get a couple projects done before it gets hot.  I have a lot of fruit in the freezer that needs used.  I like KIV-1116 for melomels.  It finishes the primary fast at 70F and then the fruit goes on for ten days to two weeks and then a long rest in an airlocked carboy.  It is time to get a bag of cornmeal though.     

Offline danno

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Re: anyone brewing?
« Reply #19 on: July 03, 2014, 01:18:16 pm »
Vance    I just use cracked corn instead of corn meal.   

 

anything