Craft Beers, Microbreweries and Homebrewing

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The discussion highlights a strong appreciation for craft beers and microbreweries across the U.S., with specific mentions of popular locations like Rock Bottom Tavern, Stone Brewing Co., and Oak Pond Brewery. Participants share their favorite brews, including unique ales and lagers, and discuss the brewing process, particularly the use of top and bottom-fermenting yeasts. The conversation also touches on the evolution of American brewing since the 1980s, noting the rise of craft breweries and their growing international recognition. Overall, the thread reflects a vibrant community of beer enthusiasts eager to explore and celebrate diverse brewing styles.
  • #331
This Saturday, August 6th, is American Homebrewers Association Mead Day
So get with people, and either brew a mead or drink a mead.
 
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  • #332
Happy international IPA Day. Think I might go grab a couple Stone Ruinations here in a bit.

I am also heading to my local homebrew store for Mead Day. They are holding a few events.
 
  • #333
Unfortunately I don't think there is any local events, but I plan on making mead myself. Planning on adding some fruit later in the fermentation, maybe raspberry or blueberry.
 
  • #334
Mead has been brewed.

~11 lbs of honey, 5 gallons of water, ~5 tsp yeast nutrients.
OG: 1.075, using Lalvin 71B-1122 wine yeast. Bubbling away.

Lalvin says the 1122 has a alc% tolerance of 14%, but I don't think there is enough sugar to hit that. Have not info on the attenuation though, but wine yeast tends to be a bit higher then ale yeast.

Planned on it being a semi-sweet mead, I'd expect it to get into the 8-10% ABV range. May add some fruit later too.
 
  • #335
Just picked up a new fermenter and pitched a new batch. This time Rocky (I) Pale Ale. I added in an extra 1/2oz of Magnum hops at 13.1%AA for 30min. I also picked up an extra 1oz. of Cascade leaf hops to throw in the fermenter later. Looking back on it, I probably should have picked a different yeast since I bumped up the hop addition. Guess we'll have to see how this turns out.
OG: 1.061
IBU: 60
Yeast: Wyeast London ESB #1968 Activator
 
  • #336
the hops shouldn't effect the yeast. really high gravity may make the yeast sluggish, but I'd bet you'll be fine. If the fermentation stops, either rack it or agitate the fermenter a bit with a swirling motion.
Back in the days, breweries would take the full barrel out for a walk to stir the yeast back up.
 
  • #337
Okay. I just returned home with a couple of gallons of my favorite Wheat State Golden. I realize that it must be hard to make consistent batches as I taste slight differences every time I get a refill. But today has the best hops flavor yet. So my question is, "What is the secret of consistency?"; from your experiences.
 
  • #338
dlgoff said:
Okay. I just returned home with a couple of gallons of my favorite Wheat State Golden. I realize that it must be hard to make consistent batches as I taste slight differences every time I get a refill. But today has the best hops flavor yet. So my question is, "What is the secret of consistency?"; from your experiences.

Things that affect the hop profile is the amount of hops used, the alpha acid content, hop boil time, the gravity of the wort during the boil.

If it is the same brew being made, more then likely the wort gravity will be the same, or close enough, from batch to batch. Also the hop boil time would likely remain the same.

That really leaves the amount of hops and the alpha acid content as variables.

The alpha acid content is usually shown as a percentage, i.e. 5.75% AA. The value varies from type of hops and from season to season even within a single type of hops. Each type does have a "known" range of the %AA, i.e. cascade hops may be 4-7%, but I've gotten some at 7.5%.

For homebrewers, there is a simple formula; weight of hops in ounces x %AA = Homebrewers Bittering Units. W x %AA = HBU

so if one batch you used 2 oz of cascade that had 6.5% AA, you had 13 HBU. If you are then later wanting to make the same, but this time your cascade has 7.5%, algebra shows you only needs about 1.75 oz. The exact amount is 1.7333, but I would weigh out 1.75oz.

For professional brewers, the math gets a bit more complicated, especially as the amount of hops needed to achieve the same perceived bitterness increases as the gravity during the boil increases.

If the perceived bitterness varies from batch to batch, its probably due to a bit more hops being used or the hops had a bit more %AA. Even how fresh the hops were at the time of brewing will affect it as well. Picking them straight from the vine into the pot is about as fresh as you can get. The longer they are stored, the lower the %AA will drop over time.

If buying hops for homebrewing, if the place does not have the %AA and does not store them in at least a refrigerator, or a freezer, do not buy them there.
 
  • #339
Thanks Insanity for the education. I actually have a much better understanding of the complexity that the hops plays. [URL]http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd218/alvinbambino/Emotion%20Icons/Bowdown.gif[/URL]
 
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  • #340
Can also dry hop your ales and beers. This is simply adding dry hops directing to the ale or beer after fermentation is done. It does not add much in the way of bitterness, but does add more aroma. The British brewers usually added a lot, a handful of fresh hops per week to the full cask for a month.

Just for you, I looked this up in Designing Great Beers by Ray Daniels.

The basic equation for estimating the IBUs or bitterness looks like this;

IBU = (Woz x U% x A% x 7,489) / (Vgal x Cgravity)

Where:

Woz = Weight of hops in ounces

A% = Alpha acid level in hops as a decimal

U% = Percent of hop utilization, as a decimal (see table 9.3)

Vgal = Volume of final wort in gallons

Cgravity = Correction for the wort that have gravities over 1.050, which is equal to Cgravity = 1 +((Gboil-1.050)/0.2)

Did not include table 9.3, but hop utilization is higher with hop pellets vs. whole leaf hops. Many brewers use pellets as its easy to weigh accurate amounts.
 
  • #341
Just racked my mead, and measured the SG at 0.996, giving ~9.9% ABV. I also racked it onto some blueberries, which will add more sugar and increase the ABV too. Going to see if I can guesstimate how much sugar the blueberries added.

EDIT:

Seems blueberries have 9.96g sugar per 100g weight, so 9.96%. I used ~21oz blueberries, so that gives 9.96oz sugar added.

C6H12O6 → 2 C2H5OH + 2 CO2

considering molar weight, the weight of the ethanol is 51% of the glucose, so ~10.7oz of ethanol will be added, assuming the yeast ferment it 100%. The total weight of the mead if there was 5 gallons at racking is;

9.9% ABV gives 0.485 gallons alcohol, the ABW is 7.85%, so doing some conversion and math, rough guestimate 11.1% ABV.
 
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  • #342
Insanity said:
Just racked my mead, and measured the SG at 0.996, giving ~9.9% ABV. I also racked it onto some blueberries, which will add more sugar and increase the ABV too. Going to see if I can guesstimate how much sugar the blueberries added.

EDIT:

Seems blueberries have 9.96g sugar per 100g weight, so 9.96%. I used ~21oz blueberries, so that gives 9.96oz sugar added.

C6H12O6 → 2 C2H5OH + 2 CO2

considering molar weight, the weight of the ethanol is 51% of the glucose, so ~10.7oz of ethanol will be added, assuming the yeast ferment it 100%. The total weight of the mead if there was 5 gallons at racking is;

9.9% ABV gives 0.485 gallons alcohol, the ABW is 7.85%, so doing some conversion and math, rough guestimate 11.1% ABV.
I'm getting a buzz just looking at your numbers. :approve:
 
  • #343
dlgoff said:
I'm getting a buzz just looking at your numbers. :approve:

Try doing it while buzzed...
 
  • #344
I'm drinking a Miller Light
 
  • #345
FlexGunship said:
I'm drinking a Miller Light

Not going to say anything about that.
 
  • #346
Insanity said:
Not going to say anything about that.

For someone who's not going to say anything about it, you sure are talkin' a lot about it... you pickin' a fight, boy?

(I said I was drinking a Miller Light... not that I was drinking my FIRST Miller Light.)
 
  • #347
FlexGunship said:
For someone who's not going to say anything about it, you sure are talkin' a lot about it... you pickin' a fight, boy?

(I said I was drinking a Miller Light... not that I was drinking my FIRST Miller Light.)
And your panties are what color? Just askin' :devil:
 
  • #348
FlexGunship said:
For someone who's not going to say anything about it, you sure are talkin' a lot about it... you pickin' a fight, boy?

(I said I was drinking a Miller Light... not that I was drinking my FIRST Miller Light.)

Them fightin' words!

Drinking your first would be excusable, continuing to drink more isn't. :-p
 
  • #349
Insanity said:
Them fightin' words!

Drinking your first would be excusable, continuing to drink more isn't. :-p
I got your back buddy. :wink:
 
  • #350
FlexGunship said:
I'm drinking a Miller Light
Pity.


In contrast, I enjoyed a bottle of Scottish Midnight Sun Dark Porter Ale from Williams Bros Brewing Co., Scotland, and a bottle of Pugsley's Shipyard Imperial Porter.

http://www.williamsbrosbrew.com/
http://www.williamsbrosbrew.com/contemporaryales.php

http://www.shipyard.com/taste/
Oddly - they don't list the Imperial Porter
 
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  • #351
Bottled and corked my blueberry mead/melomel today, turned out quite well.

I have ~5gals on the smoked/spiced pale ale to bottle. Wanted to keg it this weekend as well, but my CO2 regulator seemingly quit working, which is needed to keg. Also means I can't drink the rest of my spiced kolsch in a keg, though I suppose I could open the top and pour it all out into appropriate containers, i.e. stein.
 
  • #352
It's Oktoberfest! Great brews!

I've been enjoying Innis & Gunn Scottish Ale aged in an oak Malt Whisky cask. It has a nice smoky malt whisky taste. For the ale age in rum cask, see my post #308 on page 20.
 
  • #353
I might have to drag myself over to Oak Pond Brewery. They take Oktoberfest pretty seriously and usually come up with some great batches.
 
  • #354
Oktoberfest! Need to get some oompah music and german beer. Who says you need to be in Germany for Oktoberfest, why not in my home?
 
  • #355
Insanity said:
Oktoberfest! Need to get some oompah music and german beer. Who says you need to be in Germany for Oktoberfest, why not in my home?
When I was a college freshman (back in the '60s), there was this little place called the "Beer Stub" that sold "German Dark Beer" on tap. They would fill up a gallon jug for 2 bucks. I always bought two gallons for a night of partying. :eek:
 
  • #356
I love Oktoberfest Marzen style beers. I've already picked up quite a few different Marzens and will be scoping out the local stores for more every week. I'm definitely going to stock up.

I was disappointed by the Ayeinger Oktoberfest-Marzen, but only because Celebrator is just SO good. It's probably one of the easiest beers to drink I've ever had, but there was just nothing special about it. (I did buy a second one and might pick up more if I don't find anything else worth buying)
 
  • #357
Just bottled a habanero IPA. Added a sliced habanro pepper to the last 10 mins of the boil, and then added another during the secondary, which it sat on for about a month.

Can definitely taste the pepper, but not to overwhelming to my taste buds.
 
  • #358
Insanity said:
Just bottled a habanero IPA. Added a sliced habanro pepper to the last 10 mins of the boil, and then added another during the secondary, which it sat on for about a month.

Can definitely taste the pepper, but not to overwhelming to my taste buds.
What a cool idea. You might want to try one of rhodys ghost peppers. They do have a unique flavor.
 
  • #359
dlgoff said:
What a cool idea. You might want to try one of rhodys ghost peppers. They do have a unique flavor.

Not bad actually, the heat is there noticeably in the finish, but doesn't linger or overwhelm in the aftertaste. Quite drinkable I think, though those sensitive to capsicum may not agree.

Been told though the capsicum flavor will increase as it ages, so it might get fiery hot with time.
 
  • #360
Insanity said:
Not bad actually, the heat is there noticeably in the finish, but doesn't linger or overwhelm in the aftertaste. Quite drinkable I think, though those sensitive to capsicum may not agree.

Been told though the capsicum flavor will increase as it ages, so it might get fiery hot with time.
Insanity,

Where did you hear the capsaicin's flavor will increase as it ages ? Don't know if that is true or not, but I suspect subjecting the ghost plants I grow to repeated periods of stress, lack of water, makes the capsaicin in them a bit stronger. Don't know for sure because I didn't send them off to have it measured, just by tasting.

Rhody... Thanks for the heads up, Don...