Well it hasn't been the best day for brewing yet.
So focused on getting more calcium in my brew water that I didn't check my ph until about 1/2 way thru the mash and I was down to 4.9 (as far as I can tell with my econo strips). You would think I would have paid more attention to my ph!
Then my cool box lost a lot of temp. My target was 151F. I was at 150.7F
By the end of the mash it was 146.6F! My routine was unchanged as far as I can tell. I usually loose 1F in a 90 min mash . . .
Was going to be a thin dryish beer to being with . . .
Well the boil is on.
Decided to go with First Gold for both bittering and late hop addition. Toying with dry hopping with the same.
HN Best Bitter
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monk
Well ended up about a 1 quart short but overshot my OG by a bit so even after diluting with some water (up to 5 gal) I was still a point over intended gravity.
Yeast head forming some four hours post pitch (pitched a little warm 26C I think).
A nice clear wort.
As Steve F mentioned in another post - even the clearest wort has break material in it - as this cooled more break material showed up.
Some great suggestions on giving my beer more body. I would try some of them if I had the right yeast, maltodextrin etc. So I will let it ride as is. If it is too dry hopefully drinking 5 gals of it will help remind me to consult my check list.
Managed to chuck not one but two stirbars into my garbage disposal. It made short work of both of them.
Yeast head forming some four hours post pitch (pitched a little warm 26C I think).
A nice clear wort.
As Steve F mentioned in another post - even the clearest wort has break material in it - as this cooled more break material showed up.
Some great suggestions on giving my beer more body. I would try some of them if I had the right yeast, maltodextrin etc. So I will let it ride as is. If it is too dry hopefully drinking 5 gals of it will help remind me to consult my check list.
Managed to chuck not one but two stirbars into my garbage disposal. It made short work of both of them.
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Horden Hillbilly
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I plan on skipping secondary on this beer and just extend out primary.
I used Wyeast 1318 - This seems to be a true top worker. Fermenation is done but the yeast head remains. Eventually I would like to dry hop in the fermenter.
Should I remove the head with a sanitized spoon or stir it back into the beer?
Plan on letting this one sit a total of 14 days then kegging.
I used Wyeast 1318 - This seems to be a true top worker. Fermenation is done but the yeast head remains. Eventually I would like to dry hop in the fermenter.
Should I remove the head with a sanitized spoon or stir it back into the beer?
Plan on letting this one sit a total of 14 days then kegging.
Did a little quality control two nights ago.
Beer is clearing nicely. I like the hop flavor/aroma of First Gold fine (do get a bit of orange coming out). I get a soapy after taste that lasts awhile (my brother noticed this as well).
It is also very thin (not surprisingly). My wife's comments - liked the color, clarity and aroma but stated "there is nothing there" when I asked how it tasted
. I think she was correct. She also found the aftertaste odd but she did not describe it as soapy until I suggested it. My brother said, "It looks great, smells amazing and tastes of soap"
When I look up soapy as a flavor description the likely cause is autolysis. The beer was in primary for two weeks then kegged. So I doubt it was the yeast. It was yeast that I propogated using Jim's method.
I wonder if the taste is the result of my acidic mash?
Beer is clearing nicely. I like the hop flavor/aroma of First Gold fine (do get a bit of orange coming out). I get a soapy after taste that lasts awhile (my brother noticed this as well).
It is also very thin (not surprisingly). My wife's comments - liked the color, clarity and aroma but stated "there is nothing there" when I asked how it tasted
. I think she was correct. She also found the aftertaste odd but she did not describe it as soapy until I suggested it. My brother said, "It looks great, smells amazing and tastes of soap" When I look up soapy as a flavor description the likely cause is autolysis. The beer was in primary for two weeks then kegged. So I doubt it was the yeast. It was yeast that I propogated using Jim's method.
I wonder if the taste is the result of my acidic mash?
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mysterio
IL, check out June 15 2006 episode of Basic Brewing Radio (Water with Greg Noonan: http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=60)
I seem to remember him talking about soapy flavours. It had something to do with hops and Ph if I remember, I think he said adding gypsum cures it. There's a lot of good information in that podcast, worth a listen.
I seem to remember him talking about soapy flavours. It had something to do with hops and Ph if I remember, I think he said adding gypsum cures it. There's a lot of good information in that podcast, worth a listen.
My yeast was manufactured in late Nov if I recall properly and I have split it using Jim's method.
Last year I used some Wyeast for a year (ten batches) with no autolysis. Of course I may have gotten luckly plus I am using a different yeast now - Wyeast 1318. It does seem the prime suspect.
Thanks for the post.
I used Oxyclean for cleaning and Star San for sanitizing.
Handwashed glassware so I do not think that was an issue either.
Mysterio,
Thanks for the link. I have never come across that website before. Some interesting titles there . . .
Last year I used some Wyeast for a year (ten batches) with no autolysis. Of course I may have gotten luckly plus I am using a different yeast now - Wyeast 1318. It does seem the prime suspect.
Thanks for the post.
I used Oxyclean for cleaning and Star San for sanitizing.
Handwashed glassware so I do not think that was an issue either.
Mysterio,
Thanks for the link. I have never come across that website before. Some interesting titles there . . .
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mysterio