Home Brew

[Jack Nickel]

Ordered Chinook and Cascade Hops. Have Brewers Gold and Northeners? (from Greg) hops as well. Getting them planted asap and hope all goes well.

[Rob Walker]

There is a homebrew/pro brew day at the Wachusett Brewery tomorrow from 10-4. Tours will also be happening. The brewery is minutes away from Coggsall.

[Rob Walker]

This is the email I got:


Come one come all to the Big Brew Day at Wachusett Brewery. Learn about brewing on the homebrew and commercial scale and celebrate National Homebrew day with Wachusett Brewery and the FOAM hombrew club. FOAM members and other homebrewers will be brewing on homebrew set ups. Wachusett Brewery will be giving brewery tours every hour on the hour from 12:00-5PM (last tour starting at 4PM).

When: May 5, 2012 10 AM – 5 PM
Where: Wachusett Brewery, Westminster, Massachusetts.

If you are interested in brewing at the event on your own homebrew setup, contact Scott Buchanan at Hamesbest@gmail.com for further details. Please feel free to email this to people who may be interested in brewing, learning about brewing or just hanging out at Wachusett Brewery with brewers!

[Chris Querengasser]

so what has every one been up to? haven't even been on this board much, but have since really upped my game. Been brewing at least twice a month for the past 7-8 months, started kegging, have three beers that I can reproduce with pretty decent consistency (obviously still have a bit of a ways to go), and am in talks to volunteer my free time at a local nano. what's good?

[Charlie Holmgren]

I heard that Bravo hops do well with ipa and they are much easier to get so I gave them a shot in my latest batch. seems pretty good so far. Split into to 2 fermenters to try 2 different yeast strains. Gonna keg them this weekend.

[Greg Wintrob]

Did a Ruination then a two hearted clone. Next projects, heady topper and union jack. Going to work on whirlpooling and gettig a lot of hops in then and another bunch in under 170 while cooling. Then dry hop, twice.

[Jeff Wiechowski]

Did a Ruination then a two hearted clone. Next projects, heady topper and union jack. Going to work on whirlpooling and gettig a lot of hops in then and another bunch in under 170 while cooling. Then dry hop, twice.

You'll need a fork to drink this, lol

[Ryan Savage]

I have recently dabbled in home brewing I have 3 batches under my belt. 2nd batch was a dark English style ale light on hops heavy on ABV% 7.9 it was awesome. 3rd Batch was a Hoppy Porter, great blend of hops with a hint of vanilla. All the people that tried have loved it. Can't wait to make my 4th an all grain Raspberry Honey Wheat.

[Greg Aucoin]

Pretty encouraged by my first few beers. The all-Columbus-hopped Amber has developed a nice aroma, and citrusy bitterness to go nicely with all the malty sweetness. My first IPA has been in bottles for a couple weeks, and it's coming along nicely. I used Summit to bitter, then Galaxy/Mosaic at 15, 5, flameout and dry-hopping. IPA # 2 has been in bottles for a week, and I used Bravo to bitter, and Citra/Simcoe for late additions and dry-hopping. The latest batch, a "session" IPA, is ready to be dry-hopped soon, and I used Bravo to bitter, and Citra/Galaxy for late additions.

Going to try using Summit for later additions next, and pick up some Ahtanum, Sorachi Ace, Calypso, and hopefully Amarillo.

[Keith Burtt]

2013 Tourny 54 finishing at Hylands.... NEFA Homebrew contest immedialty after in the tap room.

Bump?

[Charlie Holmgren]

2013 Tourny 54 finishing at Hylands.... NEFA Homebrew contest immedialty after in the tap room.

Bump?

Haha! Everyone would want to be judges.
Maybe only homebrewers that bring beer can partake in the festivities.

[Charlie Holmgren]

Pretty encouraged by my first few beers. The all-Columbus-hopped Amber has developed a nice aroma, and citrusy bitterness to go nicely with all the malty sweetness. My first IPA has been in bottles for a couple weeks, and it's coming along nicely. I used Summit to bitter, then Galaxy/Mosaic at 15, 5, flameout and dry-hopping. IPA # 2 has been in bottles for a week, and I used Bravo to bitter, and Citra/Simcoe for late additions and dry-hopping. The latest batch, a "session" IPA, is ready to be dry-hopped soon, and I used Bravo to bitter, and Citra/Galaxy for late additions.

Going to try using Summit for later additions next, and pick up some Ahtanum, Sorachi Ace, Calypso, and hopefully Amarillo.

Sounds great! Keep up the momentum!

[Keith Burtt]

I tried out home brewing for the first time on sunday. Everything seemed to go according to plan but now i fear that my house is too cold to keep the yeast active. Im getting no bubbling after almost 48 hrs. Any ideas? I only keep my house at 62

[Charlie Holmgren]

Yeah man...thats pretty damn cold for an ale yeast. I would try to get a brew belt to wrap around it and get it warmed up a bit. Also some blankets should help.

Yeast need oxygen to be healthy in the beginning so give that bad boy a good shakin a few times a day as well.
What are you brewing and what yeast are you using?

[Keith Burtt]

Last night I put warmed it up and wrapped in blankets. Today I came ho.e and shook it up and it started bubbling like crazy.

I'm brewing an American pale with a west coast yeast hopped it at 60 and 40 with Willamette at 5 with cascade and I will be dry hopping with mosaic

[Greg Aucoin]

That sounds tasty!

[Chris Querengasser]

I tried out home brewing for the first time on sunday. Everything seemed to go according to plan but now i fear that my house is too cold to keep the yeast active. Im getting no bubbling after almost 48 hrs. Any ideas? I only keep my house at 62

Keep my house at the same temperature bud! I have a dunkle going right now and just kegged a porter, both of them during active fermentation were around 70*F. you have to remember that the act of fermentation is going to raise the temp of your wort/soon to be beer and that also bubbling in an airlock does not mean active fermentation. RDWHAHB!

[Eric Kevorkian]

Wondering what some of your thoughts are here -

Putting the beer into secondary fermentation tonight. I used fresh hops, but I don't think I can salvage them to make it into the secondary fermentation unit.

Should I dry hop it with some different hops this time around, or just leave it in the secondary without the added hops?

Been fermenting for 2-weeks and am at about 40-45 seconds between burps.

I fear the room may have been too cold - it's at 60.

[Greg Aucoin]

My house has been low 60's for quite a while, too. From what I've been reading recently...maybe try wrapping a blanket around your fermenter, and leaving your beer in primary for another week. Then, dry hop in secondary with new hops for 5-7 days, right before you bottle. I haven't used a secondary fermenter yet, and it's likely one of the biggest things holding back the hop aromas I'd really like to achieve. Expert brewers tell me that the yeast in primary will scrub some of the hop oils out.

[Ryan Savage]

Wondering what some of your thoughts are here -

Putting the beer into secondary fermentation tonight. I used fresh hops, but I don't think I can salvage them to make it into the secondary fermentation unit.

Should I dry hop it with some different hops this time around, or just leave it in the secondary without the added hops?

Been fermenting for 2-weeks and am at about 40-45 seconds between burps.

I fear the room may have been too cold - it's at 60.

60 is optimum temperature, when ever I've done secondary it's been less bubbly then the primary.

[Greg Aucoin]

Here's a thread on the yeast you used, Eric. I've had great luck with 5 batches with O5 at 64-66, and one batch that was much slower, but I think that package was older and possibly not stored as well at the store.

http://beeradvocate.com/community/threa ... -05.53875/

[Eric Kevorkian]

Thanks Greg. I need to get on that site. I realized when I was at the supply store yesterday that it was the 04 not the 05. Thy now have the liquid yeast available so I may try that next time. Now that I have two carboys I can start to stagger batches!

Temp was at 59 last night so I got it off the floor and on a blanket, and wrapped a towel around it as well. Hoping that brings it up a few degrees. At ~48 seconds between burps.

Letting it sit until Sunday then siphoning into secondary and dry hopping with 3 or 4oz of cascade hops.

[Charlie Holmgren]

Expert brewers tell me that the yeast in primary will scrub some of the hop oils out.

This

[Eric Kevorkian]

Expert brewers tell me that the yeast in primary will scrub some of the hop oils out.

This

Which is the reason they do the dry hop?

[Greg Aucoin]

No, it's why dry-hopping in a secondary fermenter is optimal for preserving the volatile aroma-producing hop oils that we love

Like I said yesterday, there's nothing wrong with (other than it may be being a slight waste of hops) dry-hopping in primary and then secondary. I read quite a bit about getting a different, "more complete" effect from dry hopping at different times. Real hop head stuff...haha

[Greg Aucoin]

That said, I currently use a hop stand or two (mostly focusing on a 170 degree stand) after flameout, and one stage of dry-hopping. I should be able to give some detailed findings after the next couple beers are done carbonating in bottles.

[Chris Querengasser]

Hey so I've recently gone kind of sort of almost a little bit pro, in the sense that I've been apprenticing at Border Brewery (owner of Border Brew Supply, located in the same building). Things have been going awesome, and we're selling a lot of beer. If you're in the area (10 Lawrence Rd Salem NH) stop by and say hi! I know I don't know anyone here and no body really knows me (though I'm sure I've probably conversed with some of you guys at some point before), but I'd be the kid with the full beard and the cut off shorts.

[Jeff Wiechowski]

New meaning to the term "Home Brew"........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG_wfMK7dko

[Matt DeAngelis]

How long do you dry hop for? My torpedo clone its still going in primary after 6 days, kept at a constant 64°. Once my hydro reading get consistent, I'll rack to secondary for a couple weeks. The question I have is when to add the dry hop. Recipe calls for dry hoping the full two weeks, but I've been reading in byo that the oils are pretty much extracted after 24-48 hours on a homebrew scale. I may start with dry hop when I transfer, then again a few days before bottling. Anyone have any thoughts?

[Mike Dussault]

I haven't dry humped since college...