12 replies to this topic

[Buzz Buzzard]

I have lived here 2 years now.  I brewed once right after we moved in. (disaster_brew)

 

Too many distractions for time.

 

At last things have lightened up on the home repair etc.. front I have some spare time.

 

In my other thread I mention the old time brewing methods.

Pondering that made me realize that I have not brewed the modern way in a long time.

 

So have began to clean out, fire up etc. my equipment.

 

Everything is now cleaned, ran through a hot water cycle etc...

 

I have the fermentation room chilling a test bucket of water as we speak to verify it is still up to the task.

 

If all goes well, I brew this Saturday.

 

I plan to use cold pool water for the cooling power which works awesome this time of year for me.

 

I have a keggle to boil in and a wheel less ice cube to mash in (using a 18 ss braid) another 15 gallon ss pot with valve and propane and propane products.

(other bastage gasses are available at this house)

 

Page 3===

 

 

I have a crap load of hops that have been vacuum bagged in  my freezer at -12 F since 2012?  Too old to even mess with?

 

 

[neddles]

Welcome back. What do you plan to make first?

 

Hops from the 2012 harvest? Pellets or whole? If the hops have been sealed up this whole time and never spent any time warm I wouldn't hesitate to use them. Others may feel differently.

[positiveContact]

I'd probably use them if they smelled okay.

[HVB]

I'd probably use them if they smelled okay.

Yup.  I still use some 2012 ( 2011) hops that have been vacuum sealed and in a freezer.

[Buzz Buzzard]

Simple is the goal.

 

I figure the fewest number of variables by design is my friend right now.

 

Something in a 

95% base

5% something

 

.150's

 

and since I know not how hoppy the hops are  A LOT of them.

 

I have pounds of them.  Mostly C and some strange ones.  One is sorta peachy.

Always planned to make a barley wine with them.

 

Maybe that is the ticket?

Mash out a huge grist for my cooler,  add extract to push it up to some huge gravity with a pound of hops in  a 5 gallon batch?

:-D

 

If it is not as 'perfect' it has a lot going on to cover it and I can just let it age for a good while, maybe maple it a bit.

 

THEN brew a simple ale after a kinks out run.

Edited by Buzz Buzzard, 18 December 2014 - 02:18 PM.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Do a double partygyle and use the first runnings for a barley wine and the second for a pale ale.

[Buzz Buzzard]

So I have this grain on hand now.

 

9 lbs of western 2 row

1 lbs of rye

.5 crystal 40L

 

 

I have pounds of cascade, bravo, galena, amarillo, calypso, legacy, us magnum etc...

 

I think I may just bomb it with the cascade.  maybe 5 or 6 ounces right at boil time.

Maybe some later too.  Burn it up.

 

 

got a smack pack of 1056 and a pound of light dme.

 

Not sure if it is worth the time to make a starter or just go with the pack.

Edited by Buzz Buzzard, 19 December 2014 - 11:35 AM.

[Bklmt2000]

Buzz,

 

if the smackpack of 1056 is really fresh (say, less than a month from its packaging date), you could probably get away w/o making a starter.  If you go this route, I'd suggest aerating additional aeration at pitching time.

 

That said, if your schedule permits, I'd just make a starter for peace of mind.

 

BTW, any chance you have a packet of US-05 handy, in case you make a starter and its not ready by brew day?

[neddles]

So I have this grain on hand now.

 

9 lbs of western 2 row

1 lbs of rye

.5 crystal 40L

 

 

I have pounds of cascade, bravo, galena, amarillo, calypso, legacy, us magnum etc...

 

I think I may just bomb it with the cascade.  maybe 5 or 6 ounces right at boil time.

Maybe some later too.  Burn it up.

 

 

got a smack pack of 1056 and a pound of light dme.

 

Not sure if it is worth the time to make a starter or just go with the pack.

Right at boil time? @ 60 minutes? You'd get a ton of bittering and not so much on the flavor. Maybe that's what you are after?

 

Were it mine that would be about a 1.050 beer. I'd bitter with Bravo to anywhere from 30-50 IBU and then hit it with 2:1 ratio of Amarillo:Cascade. Maybe about 4oz or more in the whirlpool after the wort is chilled to 165F (rest for 20-30 min) and then another 4oz. or more as a dry hop.

[Buzz Buzzard]

...if the smackpack of 1056 is really fresh (say, less than a month from its packaging date), you could probably get away w/o making a starter. 

 

1 dec 14 date

 

Lucky for me the lhbs is close if I have a failure.

 

 

I will need to think the hop thing through more.

Edited by Buzz Buzzard, 19 December 2014 - 12:37 PM.

[Buzz Buzzard]

Mash temp was a little lower than  I had planned on, I adjusted but not quite enough.

Probably close enough.

 

a wee heavy 1 oz each of amarillo and cascade for the full boil

and the same at 10 minutes

then finally at flame out once more.

 

The groundwater is quite cool by my standards so just waiting for the IC to finish up.  The pump has be recirculating the wort since the 10 minute mark.

 

I have the carboy ready, O2 set and the fermentation chamber is cold.  

 

Just a few more degrees.

 

Brew went very well for the first time in a long time.

[Bklmt2000]

Mash temp was a little lower than  I had planned on, I adjusted but not quite enough.

Probably close enough.

 

a wee heavy 1 oz each of amarillo and cascade for the full boil

and the same at 10 minutes

then finally at flame out once more.

 

The groundwater is quite cool by my standards so just waiting for the IC to finish up.  The pump has be recirculating the wort since the 10 minute mark.

 

I have the carboy ready, O2 set and the fermentation chamber is cold.  

 

Just a few more degrees.

 

Brew went very well for the first time in a long time.

Excellent!  Sounds like this beer will be a good one.

[Buzz Buzzard]

Not sure how it turned out yet.

Every thing went very well, temperature stayed very stable through the fermentation, the crud has all dropped and now waiting for it to clear.

I just blew a half barrel of snpa in the house kegerator so I am going to just stick the carboy in its place to settle / clear. 

But decided to brew a bigger version of the same thing.

This one will get a starter.

12.5 gw 2 row.

1.5 rye

.75 60L

 

cascade and amarillo frequently.

 

Starter Porn...

httpss://scontent-a-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10443433_10202149317494128_5760902866292446044_n.jpg?oh=a18853368806da9e436010963532dc1e&oe=5544DC2A

Edited by Buzz Buzzard, 03 January 2015 - 05:14 PM.