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LunarEclipse
Enlil's Official Story


Registered: 10/31/04
Posts: 21,407
Loc: Building 7
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Brewing Questions
#11947511 - 02/02/10 12:11 PM (14 years, 24 days ago) |
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Ask Me I Am Here To At Least Try And Help
So Ask
-------------------- Anxiety is what you make it.
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Epilson Lyrae
Armed with hammers



Registered: 04/07/09
Posts: 5,561
Loc: Woody Creek
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Can you link me to a good tek on the basics of grain distilling?
-------------------- "Freedom is something that dies unless it's used." H.T. I've come to believe that the heart is the filter of the enlightened mind. Epilson Lyrae
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Heffy
BrauMeister



Registered: 08/30/04
Posts: 3,262
Loc: International Traveller
Last seen: 5 years, 9 months
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When I make my maple beer this spring should I boil the syrup, or just pour it in un-sanitized?
My Christmas ale got the Brett, and I'm on edge every time I brew now.
-------------------- I am the king of Rome, and above grammar! - Emperor Sigismund
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Riboflavin


Registered: 03/05/05
Posts: 1,388
Loc: Midwestish
Last seen: 4 months, 3 days
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I'm getting ready to brew a bavarian doppelbock, my first lager. I'm using a wyeast packet and am trying to prepare a starter. Should I be preparing the starter at lager temperatures that'll probably take longer, or should I get my starter going at ale temperatures, if I do get it going at ale temperatures, should I gradually cool it down then to lager temperatures so that the yeast don't go into shock when I pitch it?
-------------------- All that groks is God.
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GetHyphae
Stranger


Registered: 12/11/08
Posts: 212
Last seen: 2 years, 3 months
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Do your starter @ lager temps....watch that shit krausen in the fridge!
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FNFAL
Stranger

Registered: 06/08/09
Posts: 210
Last seen: 10 years, 21 days
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Re: Brewing Questions [Re: GetHyphae]
#12012931 - 02/11/10 10:36 PM (14 years, 14 days ago) |
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I've already done lots of home distilling mainly making vodka, rum, and schnaps. I would like to try home brewing. Is there one good "bible" book of home brewing that gives basic background info, recipes, tips, etc.?
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makersmarc



Registered: 02/05/10
Posts: 219
Loc: DFW, Texas
Last seen: 10 years, 7 months
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Re: Brewing Questions [Re: FNFAL]
#12028540 - 02/14/10 04:28 PM (14 years, 11 days ago) |
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^The joy of home brewing - Charlie Papazian
It's the one that got me started and is highly recommended. Past that I recommend northern brewer to get started .... they have a forum that is highly educational and their extract kits are unbeatable for novice brewers
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makersmarc



Registered: 02/05/10
Posts: 219
Loc: DFW, Texas
Last seen: 10 years, 7 months
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@riboflavin - best rule of thumb is to treat your starter like your brew ... all yeast strains have a recommended range and it's a good idea to stay in them
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Tomandjerry58
Stranger

Registered: 01/27/03
Posts: 5,212
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I started my first 6 gallon wine kit on Saturday, also started researching the chems used to clarify the final product. I found a place to purchase the clarifying agent(Kieselsol and Chitosan) by itself for the next batch, like 1.89 for the 6 gallon batch.
But when i researched bentonite, it showed some decent result in clearing the final product too..... i used it at the beginning this time.
Should i just buy bulk of this product and use it instead of other two? Should i use some type of clearing agent for beer?
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makersmarc



Registered: 02/05/10
Posts: 219
Loc: DFW, Texas
Last seen: 10 years, 7 months
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Quote:
preschooler said: I started my first 6 gallon wine kit on Saturday, also started researching the chems used to clarify the final product. I found a place to purchase the clarifying agent(Kieselsol and Chitosan) by itself for the next batch, like 1.89 for the 6 gallon batch.
But when i researched bentonite, it showed some decent result in clearing the final product too..... i used it at the beginning this time.
Should i just buy bulk of this product and use it instead of other two? Should i use some type of clearing agent for beer?
for the wine I've always had best results just using all three ... also I wouldn't go overboard on the bulk buy as most good wine kits will include the clarifying chems.
For the beer Irish moss is def the way to go ... gets added to the brew kettle just before the end of your boil and is irreplaceable IMO
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punkin
Friend of a Friend Who seems OK


Registered: 01/29/10
Posts: 361
Loc: Northern NSW Orstrayllya
Last seen: 7 years, 10 months
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Quote:
gngsteroflove said: Can you link me to a good tek on the basics of grain distilling?
http://homedistiller.org/static_menu.htm
Not error free, but the best you'll find. It's huge, and covers everything basicly
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Yacub
Psychedelic Redneck



Registered: 09/05/09
Posts: 989
Loc: NOLA
Last seen: 10 years, 26 days
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Re: Brewing Questions [Re: punkin]
#12041331 - 02/16/10 05:06 PM (14 years, 9 days ago) |
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Quote:
The joy of home brewing - Charlie Papazian
Also; http://www.homebrewtalk.com/
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LunarEclipse
Enlil's Official Story


Registered: 10/31/04
Posts: 21,407
Loc: Building 7
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Quote:
makersmarc said:
Quote:
preschooler said: I started my first 6 gallon wine kit on Saturday, also started researching the chems used to clarify the final product. I found a place to purchase the clarifying agent(Kieselsol and Chitosan) by itself for the next batch, like 1.89 for the 6 gallon batch.
But when i researched bentonite, it showed some decent result in clearing the final product too..... i used it at the beginning this time.
Should i just buy bulk of this product and use it instead of other two? Should i use some type of clearing agent for beer?
for the wine I've always had best results just using all three ... also I wouldn't go overboard on the bulk buy as most good wine kits will include the clarifying chems.
For the beer Irish moss is def the way to go ... gets added to the brew kettle just before the end of your boil and is irreplaceable IMO
Yes Irish moss (seaweed) in beer add 1 tsp per 5 gallons 15 minutes before turning off the boil. A natural product that helps to remove protein haze.
As for wine there are no good wine kits (expensive for what u get). In fact, mead is SO easy and so good you can add grapes in the form of Welches concentrate but please leave the white sugar out and no sulfites and potassium sorbate. Or, it's your nasty wine which will give you headaches. If you feel the need for clarifiers then so be it but it's really not necessary. The mead will be quite clear given time. Bulk honey, some frozen Welches, a pack of the appropriate dry yeast and good TEK and away you go...
Edited by LunarEclipse (03/02/10 08:22 PM)
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makersmarc



Registered: 02/05/10
Posts: 219
Loc: DFW, Texas
Last seen: 10 years, 7 months
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Quote:
As for wine there are no good wine kits (expensive for what u get).
Your opinion, which I fully respect and disagree with. While there are definitely some crap and overpriced kits out there, someone pointed in the right direction can produce 30 bottles from a $100 kit that will easily rival or surpass what you will find on the liquor store shelves @ $25 a bottle. For someone who appreciates varietals or enjoys specific profiles this is a hell of a bargain (IMO). One can make a wine from welch's grape juice, one can also buy a gallon jug of wine for $12. Its a matter of taste.
Quote:
In fact, mead is SO easy and so good you can add grapes in the form of Welches concentrate but please leave the white sugar out and no sulfites and potassium sorbate. Or, it's your nasty wine which will give you headaches. If you feel the need for clarifiers then so be it but it's really not necessary. The mead will be quite clear given time. Bulk honey, some frozen Welches, a pack of the appropriate dry yeast and good TEK and away you go...
Agree with you on the greatness of mead(pyment once it gets the grape juice treatment)! It's a wonderful thing that too many have been denied the opportunity to experience. Don't know if I'd ever look to replace my wines with it, though it definitely has its place.
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LunarEclipse
Enlil's Official Story


Registered: 10/31/04
Posts: 21,407
Loc: Building 7
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Quote:
makersmarc said:
Quote:
As for wine there are no good wine kits (expensive for what u get).
Your opinion, which I fully respect and disagree with. While there are definitely some crap and overpriced kits out there, someone pointed in the right direction can produce 30 bottles from a $100 kit that will easily rival or surpass what you will find on the liquor store shelves @ $25 a bottle. For someone who appreciates varietals or enjoys specific profiles this is a hell of a bargain (IMO). One can make a wine from welch's grape juice, one can also buy a gallon jug of wine for $12. Its a matter of taste.
Quote:
In fact, mead is SO easy and so good you can add grapes in the form of Welches concentrate but please leave the white sugar out and no sulfites and potassium sorbate. Or, it's your nasty wine which will give you headaches. If you feel the need for clarifiers then so be it but it's really not necessary. The mead will be quite clear given time. Bulk honey, some frozen Welches, a pack of the appropriate dry yeast and good TEK and away you go...
Agree with you on the greatness of mead(pyment once it gets the grape juice treatment)! It's a wonderful thing that too many have been denied the opportunity to experience. Don't know if I'd ever look to replace my wines with it, though it definitely has its place.
Well nothing rivals fresh fruit. I recently made a pyment with some wine grapes growing locally that were quite ripe and even frozen a little (it was late Nov). Blush red color no idea what kind but I do know I got about 2 1/2 gallons of them. Took them home crushed them up and heated up a gallon of water to about 170 added the fruit and heated up to 140. Then strained everything and kept the pulp for later leaving the juice in the pot. Then added 12 lbs. of honey and gently reheated to 140 F. Added cold water to carboy then fruit juice/honey/water mix then cold water to 5 gallons. Fermented with dry yeast Lalvin and a little yeast nutrient. After first ferment racked off then added back the pulp skins and seeds (prev frozen now rethawed) into secondary. Let sit for two weeks then bottled. It came out really nice at about 15% alcohol and with a beautiful blush color.
Perhaps you are right there are good wine kits I really don't know but from my experience concentrates are lacking in flavor whether frozen Welches or that found in a wine kit. Having said that they can add back a lot of top essences if they want to and with great wine grape juice even a concentrate wine may turn out to be the $25 a bottle quality you describe.
One idea is to make a base mead with no fruit then let it age until you can get fresh fruit later. Make it at least 12% alcohol preferably more like 14-16%. Then you can add fresh fruit with no heating directly to a carboy and rack your mead over top of it for secondary. The alcohol will prevent contamination. You need to add another yeast pack on top of the fruit at secondary.
-------------------- Anxiety is what you make it.
Edited by LunarEclipse (03/03/10 02:05 PM)
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