Homebrew Follies
webdevsoup
Posts: 384 Member
So, I decided to do a Cream Ale (for those non-homebrewers, it's basically a craft version of a lager, without lagering) and mashed in. Well, I was a little nervous about the temp of my water, so I tried a different thermometer (my girlfriend broke my stick one). Low-and-behold, 30 degrees off!!!
So, I measured my temp in my mash tun, only to notice it was at 120, when it was supposed to be at 150... URGH!!! So, I started draining wort so I could raise the temp, little by little. Heated it up several time, and by the time I mashed in with proper temperatures, my beer had been in the Mash Tun for about an hour. Well, an hour later, I drained, boiled, etc etc etc. I took my OG reading, and sure enough, I was at 1.066. Not bad, except this is a Cream Ale. It put my expected gravity at 7.5%. That's a HELL of a Cream Ale. I think I may have just made an Imperial Cream Ale... Wonder what I should call it? The Storm Trooper? The official name of this beer is supposed to be "ButterBar Cream Ale", due to it's color like butter.
Regardless, anyone interested in trying it? If you live in the West Michigan area, you should give it a try!! I'll be brewing another batch of beer in 2 weeks (Saturday, November 9). Come on out! I may allow a few pulls off of my Belgian Tripel, which will be aging in my basement.
So, I measured my temp in my mash tun, only to notice it was at 120, when it was supposed to be at 150... URGH!!! So, I started draining wort so I could raise the temp, little by little. Heated it up several time, and by the time I mashed in with proper temperatures, my beer had been in the Mash Tun for about an hour. Well, an hour later, I drained, boiled, etc etc etc. I took my OG reading, and sure enough, I was at 1.066. Not bad, except this is a Cream Ale. It put my expected gravity at 7.5%. That's a HELL of a Cream Ale. I think I may have just made an Imperial Cream Ale... Wonder what I should call it? The Storm Trooper? The official name of this beer is supposed to be "ButterBar Cream Ale", due to it's color like butter.
Regardless, anyone interested in trying it? If you live in the West Michigan area, you should give it a try!! I'll be brewing another batch of beer in 2 weeks (Saturday, November 9). Come on out! I may allow a few pulls off of my Belgian Tripel, which will be aging in my basement.
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So, happy accident? LOL
Sounds yummy either way...you sound like Scott (the BF). He just made a Rose Braggot (which I'm not fond of, but he says he likes) and is afraid that it will be a "bottle bomb". We live in a 2 bedroom apartment and I'd really prefer not to have beer and glass exploded all over my stuff...it hasn't exploded YET, but I'm just waiting until we get home and have glass stuck in our walls...
I am though, waiting for his batch of pumpkin to be ready - YUM.0 -
So, happy accident? LOL
Sounds yummy either way...you sound like Scott (the BF). He just made a Rose Braggot (which I'm not fond of, but he says he likes) and is afraid that it will be a "bottle bomb". We live in a 2 bedroom apartment and I'd really prefer not to have beer and glass exploded all over my stuff...it hasn't exploded YET, but I'm just waiting until we get home and have glass stuck in our walls...
I am though, waiting for his batch of pumpkin to be ready - YUM.
If he's afraid of bottle bombs, tell him to put them in the fridge. It will make the yeast dormant, and he'll be good to go. Or he can boil the bottles to pasteurize the beer and kill the yeast, preventing bottle bombs.
And kind of happy accident, I was hoping for a better session beer at 4% than a big beer at 7.5%.0 -
At least it didn't end up at 11% or over? 7.5% isn't too bad. I'd call that a "medium weight beer".
Ah, I'll tell him about the fridge...I'm not sure if we have room, but I'll pass on both pieces of the advice.0 -
Well....it sounds good anyway. =D
I brew with my uncle and a couple cousins. The worst we've done so far is break the hydrometer. Shattered on the floor (I did it...my hands were slippery with Star San and water). Oh well. I can't remember what we brewed...possibly also a cream ale so we didn't know how it ended up other than it tasted good. I was actually pleasantly surprised that we haven't significantly messed anything up yet (knock on wood). Everything has been at least decent, if not great so far.
My uncle has a garden/orchard at his house and he grows blackberries. He just made a Kolsch (that he made previously without me and liked) and used blackberries in the secondary. He thinks it has way too much blackberry flavor...but I took two bombers from him and had one last night and I think it tastes great. Its pretty sour, but I like it.
Most 'follies'...I think can end up being happy accidents. Good luck in your future brewing!0 -
Well....it sounds good anyway. =D
I brew with my uncle and a couple cousins. The worst we've done so far is break the hydrometer. Shattered on the floor (I did it...my hands were slippery with Star San and water). Oh well. I can't remember what we brewed...possibly also a cream ale so we didn't know how it ended up other than it tasted good. I was actually pleasantly surprised that we haven't significantly messed anything up yet (knock on wood). Everything has been at least decent, if not great so far.
My uncle has a garden/orchard at his house and he grows blackberries. He just made a Kolsch (that he made previously without me and liked) and used blackberries in the secondary. He thinks it has way too much blackberry flavor...but I took two bombers from him and had one last night and I think it tastes great. Its pretty sour, but I like it.
Most 'follies'...I think can end up being happy accidents. Good luck in your future brewing!
Mmmmm... blackberry Kolsch. I have a recipe I want to do for a Tangerine Guava Kolsch. Sounds good in my head, so why the hell not?
And thanks for the luck! I'm actually preparing to open my own brewery in Lansing, Michigan next year. I'm in planning stages, but have potential investors already.
Also, hoping a buddy of mine can get me a Westvleteren XII while he's in Belgium next week.0 -
I also have a friend who either visited Belgium himself or knew someone who did.....either way he sent me a Facebook message a while back saying that he had some beer to send me and heavily hinted that it was Westvleteren so I'm hoping to try it as well!
Also that's awesome about your brewery! I hope you do extremely well (which is big for me to say because I'm a big 'ole Ohio State Buckeye!)
Well....it sounds good anyway. =D
I brew with my uncle and a couple cousins. The worst we've done so far is break the hydrometer. Shattered on the floor (I did it...my hands were slippery with Star San and water). Oh well. I can't remember what we brewed...possibly also a cream ale so we didn't know how it ended up other than it tasted good. I was actually pleasantly surprised that we haven't significantly messed anything up yet (knock on wood). Everything has been at least decent, if not great so far.
My uncle has a garden/orchard at his house and he grows blackberries. He just made a Kolsch (that he made previously without me and liked) and used blackberries in the secondary. He thinks it has way too much blackberry flavor...but I took two bombers from him and had one last night and I think it tastes great. Its pretty sour, but I like it.
Most 'follies'...I think can end up being happy accidents. Good luck in your future brewing!
Mmmmm... blackberry Kolsch. I have a recipe I want to do for a Tangerine Guava Kolsch. Sounds good in my head, so why the hell not?
And thanks for the luck! I'm actually preparing to open my own brewery in Lansing, Michigan next year. I'm in planning stages, but have potential investors already.
Also, hoping a buddy of mine can get me a Westvleteren XII while he's in Belgium next week.0 -
So, I decided to do a Cream Ale (for those non-homebrewers, it's basically a craft version of a lager, without lagering) and mashed in. Well, I was a little nervous about the temp of my water, so I tried a different thermometer (my girlfriend broke my stick one). Low-and-behold, 30 degrees off!!!
So, I measured my temp in my mash tun, only to notice it was at 120, when it was supposed to be at 150... URGH!!! So, I started draining wort so I could raise the temp, little by little. Heated it up several time, and by the time I mashed in with proper temperatures, my beer had been in the Mash Tun for about an hour. Well, an hour later, I drained, boiled, etc etc etc. I took my OG reading, and sure enough, I was at 1.066. Not bad, except this is a Cream Ale. It put my expected gravity at 7.5%. That's a HELL of a Cream Ale. I think I may have just made an Imperial Cream Ale... Wonder what I should call it? The Storm Trooper? The official name of this beer is supposed to be "ButterBar Cream Ale", due to it's color like butter.
Regardless, anyone interested in trying it? If you live in the West Michigan area, you should give it a try!! I'll be brewing another batch of beer in 2 weeks (Saturday, November 9). Come on out! I may allow a few pulls off of my Belgian Tripel, which will be aging in my basement.
I doubt it was as high as you think... you probably did not have enough grain to physically get 1.066 if your OG should have been around 1.040.
8 lb of grain with 70% efficiency would give 5 gallons of wort with an OG of around 1.040.
8 lb of grain with 100% efficiency (which is impossible!) would only give an OG of 1.058.
You'd need to have used 9.2 lb at 100% eff (or 13 lb at 70%) to get to 1.066.
So, you may need to check your hydrometer/refractometer as well as your thermometer!
Anyway - how'd it turn out? :drinker:0 -
I doubt it was as high as you think... you probably did not have enough grain to physically get 1.066 if your OG should have been around 1.040.
8 lb of grain with 70% efficiency would give 5 gallons of wort with an OG of around 1.040.
8 lb of grain with 100% efficiency (which is impossible!) would only give an OG of 1.058.
You'd need to have used 9.2 lb at 100% eff (or 13 lb at 70%) to get to 1.066.
So, you may need to check your hydrometer/refractometer as well as your thermometer!
Anyway - how'd it turn out? :drinker:
Well, I did use 11.5 lbs of grain. So, it could very well have hit those numbers, especially when you consider it mashed for about 2 hours (80% efficiency is 1.065). OG was supposed to be 1.050, with final around 1.009. OG was measured at 1.066, with a final at 1.010. Not too bad, if I do say so myself. What I really need to do is get a refractometer, but I can't really afford that right now. It will be my next equipment purchase, after turning another cooler into a hot liquor tank.
But, regardless, it did turn out pretty good, actually! Nice malty, corn-like sweetness to it, no hop bitterness or flavor to speak of. Good "session" beer if it weren't so high in ABV!!! Also, no alcohol esters or burn to speak of.
It definitely is a bit higher in ABV, as it took me only 2 Pilsner Glasses full to be nice and toasty-warm.0 -
Glad it turned out! Sounds like you hit all the style guidelines (except the ABV!).
On my system (~75% efficiency), 11.5 lb of grain would put me over 1.060 every time for 5 gallons!
And yeah - there is always something else to buy/make... I got 50' of 1/2" copper tubing over the weekend to make a new immersion chiller, even though I already have 2. But it was on sale at Home Depot for $20.08! How could I pass that up?0 -
Glad it turned out! Sounds like you hit all the style guidelines (except the ABV!).
On my system (~75% efficiency), 11.5 lb of grain would put me over 1.060 every time for 5 gallons!
And yeah - there is always something else to buy/make... I got 50' of 1/2" copper tubing over the weekend to make a new immersion chiller, even though I already have 2. But it was on sale at Home Depot for $20.08! How could I pass that up?
I don't blame you! And yeah, I hit a majority of style guidelines. It's a little hazy, but I think that was due to my mash length. And I have been working REALLY hard at getting my efficiency better, and being a bigger stickler about all my numbers, temperatures, etc. Along with a HLT, I plan on getting a nice stick thermometer for mash and heating my hot water for HLT. After that, I plan on buying a new Boil Kettle, and making it like a blichman, without paying the blichman price, and then using my old boil kettle in to either a HLT or a Mash Tun. Mash Tun now is a 10 Gallon cooler that I converted.0 -
This is an awesome group and I am glad to find some fellow brewers on here. I recently did an IPA. The kit was Brooklyn Brewing or something like that. I followed all the directions exactly but the beer is super foamy/carbonated and has an almost cleanser like after taste. It's not horrible but it's not the best tasting thing ever.
Any ideas what might have caused this?0 -
So first a couple of questions about the off flavor you're getting -
when you say "cleanser" do you mean something a plastic, or band-aid like flavor?
I am assuming you bottled this batch - how long has it been in the bottle, and did it have the same sort of taste going into the bottle, or has this off flavor gotten worse over time?
Now to the carbonation -
It sounds like this was your first batch. One possible reason for overcarbonation is that it wasn't finished fermenting when you bottled. How long did this sit in your fermenter before you bottled? Was there any activity at all (bubbling in the airlock, yeast in suspension, etc)?
Do you have a hydrometer, and did you take readings? I realize a lot of kits don't come with one, but just wondering if yours did.
I am also guessing you added sugar before you bottled. Did it come pre-packaged with your kit, or did the directions just specify how much to add? Do you know how much you added?
Seems like a lot of questions, but definitely would help to know more to give you an idea what might have gone wrong.0 -
Plastic and/or bandaid like would be close enough in describing the taste.
To this point it has been bottled for almost a year and not refridgerated. I have tried a bottle here and there to see if waiting helped and it really is not. I do not recall the taste going into the bottle being like the final result.
I have made two batches with Mr. Beer and this one was with a Brooklyn Brew Kit. The beer did sit in the fermenter for maybe a month more as there were still bubbles and stuff. I did see yeast suspended and stuff in the airlock.
I do not have a hydrometer and the recipe didn't mention a need for one.
I used brown suger that was not included in my kit. The recipe called for a small amt (not sure what it was) added before the beer goes into the bottle.
Thanks and any help is appreciated.0 -
To this point it has been bottled for almost a year and not refridgerated. I have tried a bottle here and there to see if waiting helped and it really is not. I do not recall the taste going into the bottle being like the final result.
First thing, if it's been in the bottle a year, and it has not helped with carbonation or flavor, then there are few things that come to mind for me. First is improper sanitation techniques for "foamy-ness" and sanitation/plastic like flavor. This can happen by not cleaning your tubing, or not properly draining your bottles before filling.I have made two batches with Mr. Beer and this one was with a Brooklyn Brew Kit. The beer did sit in the fermenter for maybe a month more as there were still bubbles and stuff. I did see yeast suspended and stuff in the airlock.
I do not have a hydrometer and the recipe didn't mention a need for one.
Make sure you're fermenting at proper temperatures (68-72 Degrees Fahrenheit) for best attenuation and what not (for basic ales). Also, check your gravities with a hydrometer. Take initial readings (1), and then after a week, take another reading (2). 3 days after that, take another reading (3). If your 3rd reading is the same as your 2nd reading, it's done fermenting. If it's not the same, wait another three days, and repeat. If 4th matches 3rd, you're done. Continue until the gravity doesn't change between readings.I used brown suger that was not included in my kit. The recipe called for a small amt (not sure what it was) added before the beer goes into the bottle.
I suggest using Corn Sugar to prime with. It's the best, and won't give off flavors. Make sure you know exactly how much to use, or else this can cause overcarbonation as well. Get a program like BeerSmith (I recommend) or ProMash, and use those. Input your recipes (even if they're kits and extract), and choose how many vols of carb you want, and it will tell you EXACTLY what you should be doing.
I hope this helps. If you have specific questions about anything above, please feel free to ask! That's why I created this forum!
Good luck to you!0 -
This is an awesome group and I am glad to find some fellow brewers on here. I recently did an IPA. The kit was Brooklyn Brewing or something like that. I followed all the directions exactly but the beer is super foamy/carbonated and has an almost cleanser like after taste. It's not horrible but it's not the best tasting thing ever.
Any ideas what might have caused this?
Given that it is both super foamy and has a plastic/band-aid like flavor that was not present at bottling would suggest infection to me. If you hold a bottle up to the light, do you see a small ring of crud around the neck at the liquid level?
If it is infected, that means it has a strain of yeast or bacteria in it that is able to use the remaining dextrins that normal brewers yeast cannot use. This means the issue will only get worse with time, not better. Worst case scenario is bottle bombs, if the CO2 pressure from this additional fermentation gets too high. I would chill and drink these ASAP, or just dump them down the sink.
It could simply be that yeast management was not optimal. Sickly yeast, or too-hot fermentation, can give band-aid flavor also, and the foaming could just be due to over-priming. While this won't give bottle bombs, it won't get any better with time either.
Make sure you are using a good sanitizer like Starsan or Iodophore. The "one step" stuff that comes with many kits is NOT a sanitizer. And get fermentation temps under control! Doing this will have a huge impact on the quality of any beer you make. Remember, the brewer only makes the wort; the yeast make the beer. Gotta keep those yeast happy!0 -
The sanitizer was in the kit and I don't remember what kind it was.
I will pickup a hydrometer and learn how to use one.
Is there a better kit to start with? or one that's maybe easier to create favorable results with?
Thanks again for all the help!!!0 -
Agree with the suggestions about an infection - although you won't get sick from it.
A great free online book that covers lots of topics can be found here: http://howtobrew.com/intro.html
If you're looking for extract kits, lots of sources online including:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/
http://morebeer.com
http://www.midwestsupplies.com
but getting to know a good local shop can be really helpful (local club too).
If you're brewing kits, you probably don't need recipe software, IMHO. Although it is a great tool if you start designing your own recipes.
One more question - When you added the sugar for priming did you add it to water and boil it first? Using brown sugar isn't a problem in and of itself, as long as the proper amount is used and it's sterilized by boiling before adding.0 -
If you're brewing kits, you probably don't need recipe software, IMHO. Although it is a great tool if you start designing your own recipes.
The suggestion for brewing software was for priming sugar amounts, although most kits come with how much you'll need, and a quick google search will also disclose this information. But, as time progresses, and you want to start designing your own recipes, you're going to want software. Like "R" said, it's not necessary, but you will eventually want to find something.
And +1 for befriending a LHBS (Local Home Brew Shop/Store) and finding a Club. I don't belong to a club, but they will also be able to help you refine your newfound craft.:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: 0 -
I don't remember if the sugar was boiled or not but I assume it was. Adding it raw just does not seem right.
There is a local wine/beer maker called The Cellar. I will be contacting them shortly to get more info and a hydrometer.
Thanks again!! :drinker:0 -
I've been lucky to not have any major brewing meltdowns yet. I know one is coming, though...
I've had some bottle bombs and bad recipes, too..... who thought an IPA made solely with Magnum hops was a good idea? This guy. :sick:0 -
wish I lived anywhere near you to try that cream ale. I love trying new things, especially when that new thing falls into the category of "adult beverage."
My follies all happen when I try hard and spend a lot of money. Want to make an arrogant *kitten* clone? How about $70 and a lot of your time to get stuff that tastes a little too much like brown sugar. DAMNIT! Want to make a scotch ale? Okay, how about some beer-consistency barbecue sauce, instead? Grrrr...
Conversely, I feel like all of the good stuff happens when I don't try to hard. We have a single-hop recipe for amber ale that is our go-to and is fast becoming a Fall tradition.
Hope the cream ale turns out excellently! Maybe mail some out to Idaho? Or you could just fax it!0 -
wish I lived anywhere near you to try that cream ale. I love trying new things, especially when that new thing falls into the category of "adult beverage."
My follies all happen when I try hard and spend a lot of money. Want to make an arrogant *kitten* clone? How about $70 and a lot of your time to get stuff that tastes a little too much like brown sugar. DAMNIT! Want to make a scotch ale? Okay, how about some beer-consistency barbecue sauce, instead? Grrrr...
Conversely, I feel like all of the good stuff happens when I don't try to hard. We have a single-hop recipe for amber ale that is our go-to and is fast becoming a Fall tradition.
Hope the cream ale turns out excellently! Maybe mail some out to Idaho? Or you could just fax it!
That cream ale sounds solid to me, too.0 -
Well, that cream ale is LONG gone... Was actually one of my favorite beers that I've made, because of the simplicity. I do plan on making it again soon, although I have modified the recipe a BIT (added oats to it). However, if we could work out an exchange for my cream ale, the next time I make it, I may be able to send some your way. Might not be 7.5% though.
This weekend I am making a belgian tripel with home made candy sugar added to it. Aiming for a 9.5% beer here.0 -
Equipment follies: Husband broke the hydrometer, husband broke the capper, husband dropped not one but TWO spoons into the wort...
Beer follies: The main one was letting an imperial stout ferment for way too long in both the primary and secondary fermenter. The yeast was all dead and there is NO carbonation in this thing. It's only good for making beer bread now...0 -
The beer can be saved, but hubby is probably beyond redemption*. I'm guessing you already bottled the stout and it's not carbonating? This can be frustrating but you can remedy it. Hydrate some dry yeast in sterile water, mix gently, uncap the bottles, squirt a few ml of the yeast slurry in and recap.
* j/k - hydrometers break so easily. I'm sure I've broke a wing capper too. Breaking a wing capper is just a good excuse for getting a bench model . . . or you can fix both problems with a keg system!0 -
Thanks for the advice, but most of it has already been used up in making beer bread. I will remember for future failures, though! HahaI'm guessing you already bottled the stout and it's not carbonating? This can be frustrating but you can remedy it. Hydrate some dry yeast in sterile water, mix gently, uncap the bottles, squirt a few ml of the yeast slurry in and recap.0
