Richtee Posted September 17, 2008 Posted September 17, 2008 You know, I didn't even think about adding coffee for a coffee flavor. I have often seen it used as an addition to the secondary, but should probably work the same as a finishing hop. I figure it takes me about 5 min to get my shit together, and the cooling all setup anyway, so that should give adequate steeping time. Plenty. One thing about it...you don't want it to steep too long. Unless you WANT the bitter end of it. But is sure looks to have plenty of alphas for that already.
Mumbles Posted September 17, 2008 Posted September 17, 2008 I was struggling with the Alphas actually. I didn't know a good place to put it at. Most of the ones I saw were between 50 and 70. Even at 75, it's on the borderline of evenly balanced and slightly hoppy a chart of OG vs. IBU I saw. Shouldn't be too bad. I saw a couple around 100, and one around 180. I'd personally prefer it a little bitter, well more bitter than the stout will be already, than sickly sweet. I'll do some more reading, and either add the coffee right when I start cooling, or add it to the secondary. I have a lot of ideas flying around for this. I saw some mention of molases and brown sugar in the boil. I was thinking it might be interesting to bottle it with one of them. I just don't want the cidery taste. Perhaps an ounce of brown sugar and some dextrose.
Mumbles Posted September 18, 2008 Posted September 18, 2008 I probably should have started by asking this. Has anyone else ever made a stout? If so, how was it, and what kind of flavors were you shooting for?
tentacles Posted September 18, 2008 Posted September 18, 2008 Haven't made stout, but I do know that IBUs hit a practical maximum at like 100 or 120 or so. And to get there you need something like 150-180 IBUs worth of hops (diminishing returns, etc). I think this is where hop extracts would really shine, putting hardcore IBUs into a beer effectively. You'd still use "real" hops to flavor and aroma, but for sheer bittering the extracts would be nice to have.
Mumbles Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 I've thought about extracts. There was something about making a hop tea with a french press over on homebrew talk a little while ago and got me thinking. Some say you can't isomerize the humulone and other bittering molecules without sugar. That is total and utter bullshit by the way, at least theoretically. It's isomerization, sugar would only make it less efficient. IBU's are only limited by solubility in water. Given that 100IBU is only 100ppm, I'd say it can get higher. Human perception though is different. I had thought about making some hop extract, and seeing about using it to bitter an IPA. See if I can get away with only flavor and aroma hops. I figure refluxing for about 5 hours in pure water should do the trick. I've heard figures of getting around 20% conversion with an hour boil. Lets say I can get that up to 60%. 1 ounce of 10%AA hops would give 20L of beer about 85IBU. Given hops' similarities to another plant, I wonder if you could make "hop hash" or Hop Hash Oil. There are plenty of procedures online for the related plant. So, who has a few cans of Butane and a PVC pipe?
Richtee Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Given hops' similarities to another plant, I wonder if you could make "hop hash" or Hop Hash Oil. There are plenty of procedures online for the related plant. So, who has a few cans of Butane and a PVC pipe? Back in the 'day" there was a unit called the "Isomiser" that was sold purportedly for making perfume and herb extracts... Man I'm old. May still have the first issue of H.T. ;{)
Mumbles Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 http://www.madison.com/tct/news/305075 Guess what class I'm taking next spring. I'm a second semester senior, and will have every pre-requisite known to man. If I can't get in, there is something wrong.
Richtee Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 http://www.madison.com/tct/news/305075 Guess what class I'm taking next spring. I'm a second semester senior, and will have every pre-requisite known to man. If I can't get in, there is something wrong. I'm REALLY interested in the final... all sit around with some bread and cheese and just get bombed? ;[)
Mumbles Posted September 21, 2008 Posted September 21, 2008 I sure hope so. I'd get an A for sure. I might do so good I'd get an AA.
hst45 Posted September 21, 2008 Posted September 21, 2008 I sure hope so. I'd get an A for sure. I might do so good I'd get an AA. Mumbles, that's too funny! I read the article you attached and it spoke about "an ongoing relationship between the brewery and the University." Hell, there was "an ongoing relationship" between the Miller brewing company and me when I was a student in Wisconsin to the tune of a case or so every couple of days. O.K., that was "back in the day", when a 6-pack was $1.69 and you could get a 7 0z. draft for .25 cents. No lie, those were the real costs. Of course back then a pack of Marlboros was .45 cents and tuition with room and board ran a whopping $1800. (No, I didn't miss a decimal point.) JESUS I'm old. Anyway, enjoy the course. ....The sacrifices we make for education...I'm proud of you...
tentacles Posted September 21, 2008 Posted September 21, 2008 (edited) mumbles: The AA will be double vision from drinking enough beer! I just found out the other day that my in-laws neighbors have a hop plant, and the hops are ripe! Tomorrow will be a busy day! No idea what kind they are, but they smell pacific northwest-ish (citrusy). Edited September 21, 2008 by tentacles
Mumbles Posted September 21, 2008 Posted September 21, 2008 I can get a 6-pack of mountain creek for about that much. But anything that has taste, and/or wont give me a hangover before a buzz is significantly more. On the plus side, specials make beer at the bar about the same. $2 pitchers. The class should be fun though. I really hope there arn't others in a similar situation as I am in to fill it up first.
FrankRizzo Posted September 22, 2008 Posted September 22, 2008 This weekend, I was in the Twin Cities area visiting friends and ran across one of the coolest bars I've ever been too. The place is called the "Muddy Pig", and is near the intersection of Selby Ave. and Dale St. They have, no shit, over 32 Belgian beers *ON TAP* as well as many others in bottles. The whiskey, whisky, and scotch selection are also incredible. The wait staff brings you a small 3-ring binder with list of all their selections. The beers are also served in glasses specifically made for Belgian beers...attention to detail like that is wonderful. The prices are a bit high, but daaamn what a selection. Tenacles: We'll have to go down there some weekend. You have to check this place out.
Richtee Posted September 22, 2008 Posted September 22, 2008 (edited) This weekend, I was in the Twin Cities area visiting friends and ran across one of the coolest bars I've ever been too. The place is called the "Muddy Pig", and is near the intersection of Selby Ave. and Dale St. They have, no shit, over 32 Belgian beers *ON TAP* as well as many others in bottles. The whiskey, whisky, and scotch selection are also incredible. The wait staff brings you a small 3-ring binder with list of all their selections. The beers are also served in glasses specifically made for Belgian beers...attention to detail like that is wonderful. The prices are a bit high, but daaamn what a selection. OMG. I'm gonna get divorced just to get re-married there! 32 Belgians? OMG. They got the trappist LaTrappe? Edited September 22, 2008 by Richtee
tentacles Posted September 23, 2008 Posted September 23, 2008 (edited) Hell yeah! ON TAP, holy shit! We're gonna get so wasted... Mumbles: I don't think you'd see it as far east as you are (we don't even see it in north dakota), but in Gilette the liquor store had this "Broken Halo" IPA that was insanely good. Not on topic, I just can't get the taste out of my mind these days. (http://www.widmer.com/beer_brokenhalo.aspx) I've never even heard of alchemy hops before... edit: Apparently "alchemy" is Widmer's name for a combination of... well, here: "I use a blend of Magnum/Warrior/Horizon in alot of my beers as the bittering component. It's the blend that Widmer uses (they call it their Alchemy blend)." Interestingly, this guy actually uses the blend for flavoring (15min boil) hops. Not sure what those hops I got from the neighbors are, but their bine didn't produce half as much as mine did. What it DID produce has a devastating aroma, and I can see the nice school bus yellow lupulin in there. Edited September 23, 2008 by tentacles
Mumbles Posted September 23, 2008 Posted September 23, 2008 I've seen the hefeweizen, and the drop top amber before. I'll keep a look out for the broken halo IPA. I most definitely saw it when I lived in Montana. I don't think I ever tried it though. What I am really hoping for is some of the recently bottled Pliny the Elder makes it's way over here, though my hopes are slim. If you guys do ever decide to head over to the twin cities, let me know. I'm sure I can find some reason to head over that way. Then we can all go crash at Sidewinder's place.
TheSidewinder Posted September 23, 2008 Posted September 23, 2008 Sounds like a party to me!! Give me plenty of advance warning so I can hide the bodi.... umm, I mean clean the house.
Mumbles Posted October 2, 2008 Posted October 2, 2008 So, I'm thinking it's about time to bottle my Kolsch. I kinda forgot about it. I check it out last weekend, and it's not contaminated like my last two were. I'd say with confidence it was the ice I was using. Now hopefully sitting in the primary for almost a month didn't ruin it. I am also hoping to brew my Hefeweizen this weekend, followed by more theorising. If I want any beer for graduation, I should probably be getting on that soon, and possibly start making a starter of yeast now for that RIS. I figure if I fill half of the carboy with yeast, it should only be slightly under pitched
FrankRizzo Posted October 2, 2008 Posted October 2, 2008 Yep, ice will do it every time. I had an IPA and red lager (my second and third batches, ever) become infected the same way. Those batches convinced me right away of the need for an immersion chiller.
tentacles Posted October 2, 2008 Posted October 2, 2008 (edited) Heh, it'll be okay. A month in the primary isn't all that big of a deal. I'm going to rack off that lager soon, I gave it a few days of diacetyl rest while I was down south, and when I got back monday I turned the lagering box back on so it's a nice chilly 41F, ready to rack into the keg for a week of carbonating. edit: Racked it off today, ended really high at 1.022 - I did manage to suck down a bit of yeast cake, maybe it will ferment out a touch more. Regardless, it tastes *great*. The hops are at JUST the right level, nice chocolate-caramel flavor, and discernable bitterness. What hop flavor there is, is likely overpowered by the malty sweetness. At 1.022, it ended at 5.6% ABV, which is fine by me. ...If it tastes this good now, what will it taste like in a month? Edited October 2, 2008 by tentacles
Mumbles Posted October 2, 2008 Posted October 2, 2008 The munich helles did turn out a bit on the bitter side of things, but I like it. It's not a bad or unwelcome bitter, just takes away a touch of the sweetness I'd expect. Something like a India Helles Ale, hehe. It has a great aroma, but I think I will actually use the correct amount of bittering hops next time and it will turn out excellent. You can try to harass TheSidewinder or Lostfido into their opinions on it, as they both have a sample of that and the maibock. I just remembered I bought some centennial hops last year, and never got around to using them. I am going to make a few Pale Ales and IPA's here before they go bad. There is a two hearted Ale clone I really want to try. I am going to have to check to see if there is a cold drafty part of the basement I can brew lagers in again, or a fridge I can steal.
FrankRizzo Posted October 2, 2008 Posted October 2, 2008 Tentacles, What was your lagering schedule for that beer?
lostfido Posted October 2, 2008 Posted October 2, 2008 Mumbles, I actually tried both of your selections!! I think for myself the Munich was more to my liking, but the wife loved them both. Now that I've tried both, I think I could possibly enjoy a "Chewy Beer" on occasion! That does not mean I'm giving up my favorite, but I can appreciate the work you put into making these homebrews. Thanks
tentacles Posted October 2, 2008 Posted October 2, 2008 Fido: Be careful, that shit will grow on you. I used to enjoy an occasional hearty beer, and now I the good stuff is mandatory. Frank: No schedule, per se. Brewed it on Sep 1 or so, fermented at 56F (I think?) until last weekend, when I turned off the compressor and let it warm up for the diacetyl rest. Cooled it back down to 41F (as low as my thermostat goes on that box) and racked it off last night. It has a gorgeous dark red color, and it's crystal clear. I'm really liking that I decided to start brewing my wife's wine kit last night, figured I might as well since I already had to clean the brew bucket and crap, just one more step to sanitize and mix up the wine. Wine kits are crazy, mixing the concentrate with straight tap water and shit. I was sorely tempted to boil the water first, but I didn't want to stay up all night over it. Besides, it's sterilized with the metabisulfite after primary. The kit is Grand Cru Red Bordeaux. I made it a bit strong, like 23 quarts instead of 23L. OG of 1.092
Mumbles Posted October 3, 2008 Posted October 3, 2008 Way to stick it to the metric system Tentacles. You're still an American at heart I'm glad to hear both the beers were to your liking lostfido. I really like the maibock. It's already pretty dark. I think a little chocolate malt and maybe some Carafa, and I'd have a mighty fine traditional bock on my hands. When I brew it again this year (and I am brewing it again), I am going to step the Munich back to 2 pounds(from 4) to try to lighten it up a bit. You know, now that I think about it, I did have to leave that boil out over night to cool because I had to go and do things. I was still partial mashing at the time, and added the extract with about 15 minutes left in the boil. I wonder if all the extra heat caramelized it a bit and darkened it. This sounds like a brew-speriment to me, and a tasty one at that. Yes be careful. Back when I first turned 21(sorta), I started buying a few special ones for special occasions. now I have a fridge full of microbrews, and cringe at the thought of miller lite.
Recommended Posts