517 replies to this topic

[positiveContact]

I spent the first part of the week at a retailer's conference put on by a major homebrew wholesaler.  In talking to the guy who brings on their products, he's very excited about Brewtan and looking forward to the EB experiments.  I wouldn't be surprised to se it around in maybe 6 months or so.

 

that's good news.  my current supply is more than enough to last me the year

[Darterboy]

Well I guess I'm ready.

 

[positiveContact]

so where did you acquire that from?  is that like one of those large mccormack spice containers?

[Darterboy]

so where did you acquire that from?  is that like one of those large mccormack spice containers?

Yes, exactly. Had a local brewery order it for me. $20 for a pound.

[Darterboy]

Just added 1/4 tsp to my strike water in the mash tun and another 1/4 tsp to my sparge water left in the HLT. Turned both somewhat cloudy and light blue. Water is Birmingham, AL tap water with a Campden tablet in 12 gallons, heated to strike temp overnight with a bucket heater in a keggle. Mashed in and will proceed with my brewday.

[Darterboy]

Just added 1/4 tsp to my strike water in the mash tun and another 1/4 tsp to my sparge water left in the HLT. Turned both somewhat cloudy and light blue. Water is Birmingham, AL tap water with a Campden tablet in 12 gallons, heated to strike temp overnight with a bucket heater in a keggle. Mashed in and will proceed with my brewday.

The blue color is likely dissolved iron complexed with the tannin. From the Ajinomoto literature on Brewtan-b: "Stainless steel is recommended because dissolved iron from steel equipment forms a dark blue complex with gallotannins"  I'm curious if this color will stay behind, or end up in the beer. We shall see.(Cali Common).

[Big Nake]

Blue beer! Hmm, the green and blue colors are one thing I have not experienced. I've probably made 20 brewtan batches so far and I have not seen it. The tannish-orangy foam is all I have seen. Cheers Darter and hopefully the beers come out their intended color and are delicious.

[porter]

Do we have any substantive evidence at this point that this actually improves our product?

[Big Nake]

Do we have any substantive evidence at this point that this actually improves our product?

Denny has some testers set up to brew batches where one is brewtan and one is not and then there will be tasters to give some feedback. I have mentioned a number of times that I think that brewtan may do different things for different brewers based on their water, their equipment and their processes. Someone whose equipment allows for water and grains to be mixed slowly and quietly (less splashing and stirring) may not see that brewtan is doing much. This situation where the brewtan is reacting with something and turning the water bluish or greenish is another indication that different brewers will get different results with it. The blue & green may be nothing and in the end the beer may just come out as the brewer intended and we'll have to wait for the results. For me, I make a lot of styles that are on the delicate side... helles, pils, American lager, kolsch, festbier, Vienna lager, dunkel, blonde ales, etc. What I get from brewtan is a softer and smoother finish in the beer. Prior to using it, I would experience some harshness in the finish that might range from very, very subtle all the way up to almost undrinkable. I don't know if it was oxidation, something that I did in my splashing & stirring throughout the brewday or what. I have combined the brewtan with using an SS chiller instead of copper, I have bypassed secondary and instead go from primary directly to kegs, I started purging my kegs with CO2 and I have also started conditioning my malt. I feel like I'm making the best beer I have ever made in the last 17+ years of brewing. I did change a number of things at the same time so I can't say that what I'm experiencing is all brewtan.

[positiveContact]

I think Ken is on the right track. I think it does make the finish a little softer at my house but I can't be sure.

My green Porter is getting kegged soon but so far I haven't tasted anything strange going on. I also tasted the green water straight and there was no off flavor that I could detect.

[positiveContact]

so is there an easy way for the homebrewer to get brewtan-b yet?  will wyeast start distributing it to homebrew shops if they place an order for it?

[Big Nake]

so is there an easy way for the homebrewer to get brewtan-b yet?  will wyeast start distributing it to homebrew shops if they place an order for it?

I ordered two 50g bags of it from iBrew in Australia so I'm good for a bit but at the moment the only place to get it domestically is through Wyeast and that's only if you're a commercial brewery. Hopefully that will change soon and the ones who will know first are Joe and Denny.

[denny]

Do we have any substantive evidence at this point that this actually improves our product?

 

Substantive, I'd say so in the same way that the LODO results seem to be substantive.  Blind, objective evidence, not yet.  The Brewtan B beers from the IGORs are due in mid Jan. so it will likely be Feb. before we start getting results.

Edited by denny, 16 November 2016 - 03:43 PM.

[denny]

I think Ken is on the right track. I think it does make the finish a little softer at my house but I can't be sure.

My green Porter is getting kegged soon but so far I haven't tasted anything strange going on. I also tasted the green water straight and there was no off flavor that I could detect.

 

I find the softer finish interesting.  Have you made a very hoppy, bitter beer with it?  At least in my case they don't seem any softer.

so is there an easy way for the homebrewer to get brewtan-b yet?  will wyeast start distributing it to homebrew shops if they place an order for it?

 

I would assume they would.  I am talking to a major homebrew wholesaler about it and they're watching for the results from our experiment.

Edited by denny, 16 November 2016 - 03:46 PM.

[positiveContact]

I find the softer finish interesting.  Have you made a very hoppy, bitter beer with it?  At least in my case they don't seem any softer.

 

yes.  I made an IPA that I thought seemed a little softer than I expected.  not exactly solid evidence by any stretch though.

[denny]

yes.  I made an IPA that I thought seemed a little softer than I expected.  not exactly solid evidence by any stretch though.

 

Yeah, same here.  Really looking forward to having 12-15 side by side batches tested in the experiment.

[Steve Urquell]

Do we have any substantive evidence at this point that this actually improves our product?

As far as I know I'm the only one on here who has done side by side batches of brewtan and non brewtan recipes and tasted them blindly against one another.

One hoppy german pils was indistinguishable between the two when tasted blindly. On a light lager I had a preference for the non-brewtan beer. For the way I brew it did not improve 2 batches and adds another step to my brewday and brewday prep. I see no reason to continue using it.

[HVB]

As far as I know I'm the only one on here who has done side by side batches of brewtan and non brewtan recipes and tasted them blindly against one another.

One hoppy german pils was indistinguishable between the two when tasted blindly. On a light lager I had a preference for the non-brewtan beer. For the way I brew it did not improve 2 batches and adds another step to my brewday and brewday prep. I see no reason to continue using it.

I think Denny did a side by side too and mine is in process.

[positiveContact]

As far as I know I'm the only one on here who has done side by side batches of brewtan and non brewtan recipes and tasted them blindly against one another.

One hoppy german pils was indistinguishable between the two when tasted blindly. On a light lager I had a preference for the non-brewtan beer. For the way I brew it did not improve 2 batches and adds another step to my brewday and brewday prep. I see no reason to continue using it.

 

any more details about what you liked and didn't like about those particular batches?  did you triangle test them to make sure you could consistently ID the odd batch out?

[denny]

I think Denny did a side by side too and mine is in process.

 

Yep.  Brewtan beer preferred in 2 blind tasting I did myself.  Hardly conclusive.