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   1. Familiarity breeds contempt

      by Primavera, 8 years ago in Brew Day Stories and/or Pics

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      So..
      
      A couple of weeks ago, I decided to brew another batch of IPL.
      
      The first batch came out pretty good and I saved enough yeast slurry for a healthy starter.
      
      I also had a ton of things to do around the house so, once I mashed in, I started on my chores. Stirred at 30-minute intervals and paid no attention to the process.
      
      Got the boil going and proceeded back to work. Sometime into the boil (was it 90 minutes? 60? 45?) I had no idea and panicked because I hadn't even thought about hops....

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      hilarious. Even when my brain is barely functioning I'm still managing to make note of the start of the boil AND set my smart phone stop watch so 30 x batches hasn't made me too familiar yet.
      
      I liked your 'dump in a tonne of hops' plan
      3 Replies
      10317 Views
      Inconceivable
      8 years ago
   2. Tinseth vs. IBU

      by Primavera, 10 years ago in Measurement, Mathematics and Records

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      Can someone point me to a good source to understand the difference between the two bitterness measurements?

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      Hey Primavera, I just reread this post for...probably the third or fourth time in the past couple or three weeks.
      
      I've been doing studying and research on hops and hopping...hoping to ascertain a greater level of understanding. If interested, believe my posts are in the hops or hopping sections on this website.
      
      From one of your posts on this you mentioned Stone's IPA. Most likely Stone Brewing is not just relying on IBU formula estimate (i.e. Tinseth ). They certainly use a formula estimate,...
      15 Replies
      32954 Views
      Scott
      8 years ago
   3. 90 Minute boil with no early hops?

      by Primavera, 8 years ago in BIABrewer Old Hands

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      If there are no hop additions planned before :20 remaining, is it still necessary to boil for 90 minutes?
      
      I understand why hop additions happen after the first 30 minutes - wouldn't it be a time and propane saver to cut the boil to 60 minutes when only hopbursting?

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      There's a few things (Edit: actually, a lot of things) worth understanding here.
      
      - Hop addition times are really not that relevant to boil time. For example, if you add x grams of hop A at 90 mins versus adding it at 60 mins, there is very little difference in the end result. So, boiling is not really about hops.
      - A home-brew 90 minute boil is not the same as a craft brewery 90 minute boil. Certain techniques might be employed in a craft brewery that are unavailable to us.
      - You can't...
      2 Replies
      9508 Views
      PistolPatch
      8 years ago
   4. Mini BIAB

      by Primavera, 9 years ago in Intermediate Brewing

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      So.....
      
      Weather forecast is for cold and snow this weekend. I will go crazy if all I can do is sit around and watch TV.
      
      I have a 15L / 4G kettle that BIABacus says will give me 5L 1.3G VIF
      
      Assuming I can persuade my wife to let me brew indoors;
      
      Anything I need to do differently for a 1G batch?
      
      Any suggestions for a recipe?
      
      Do people in Australia have globes with the South Pole on top?

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      I'm a mini BIAB brewer with a 15L pot and am getting 9.5-10L into the fermenter.
      
      Basically I'm mashing in with 10L strike water, adding around 5 L or thereabouts before the boil to give me a boil volume of about 14L and after Evap (1.3L / hr) and trub losses and regularly ending up with 10L brews.
      
      This is all based on BIABacus and the withholding water section towards the end. Reaching OG of 1.05 with 2kg grain bills no problem.
      12 Replies
      22102 Views
      JayP
      9 years ago
   5. Hop addition Exbeeriment

      by Primavera, 9 years ago in Hopping

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      Hello all
      
      Has anyone read
      
      I have transitioned to a small bittering charge at 60 minutes and a large hop addition at flameout with a generous dry hop.
      
      Now this article indicates there is not much difference and IBU calculations ay not be worth as much as we think.
      
      Thoughts?

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      I wait a couple of minutes after flame-out just to record my VFO. I am electric and no chill, so I recirculate and will keep it from falling below 190 °F by way of PID. No chill, I like to drain into container no lower than 190 °F. It's all one big exbeeriment :lol: for me. YMMV
      
      Rick uses gas, so I would guess he does NOT add any more heat after flame-out. :dunno:
      
      I used to flame on to bump the temperature up, but I don't bother anymore. Now that I do larger batches with other heated...
      6 Replies
      13923 Views
      Rick
      9 years ago
   6. Oatmeal Stout

      by Primavera, 10 years ago in Creating Your Own Recipes

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      Next up - A mashup of several popular oatmeal Stout recipes (BYO & HBT). I plan on using a yeast cake of WLP002 and East Kent Goldings for the hops because that is what I have.
      
      Your thoughts?
      
      BIABacus Pre-Release 1.3T RECIPE REPORT
      BIAB Recipe Designer, Calculator and Scaler.
      (Please visit onclick= window.open(this.href);return false; for the latest version.)
      Oatmeal stout
      
      Recipe Overview
      
      ABV: 5.3% (assumes any priming sugar used is diluted.)
      
      Original Gravity (OG): 1.055
      IBU's...

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      Three weeks primary and 2-3 weeks bottle conditioning and this was overly sweet and had zero head retention.
      
      Three months later and it is outstanding and very food-friendly.
      6 Replies
      9126 Views
      Primavera
      9 years ago
   7. Does adding water after mash hurt efficiency?

      by Primavera, 10 years ago in From Mash to Lauter (Water to Sweet Liquor)

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      Title pretty much says it all.
      
      I hold back 4L of water to be able to get a 5 gallon / 19L batch out of a 10 gallon / 38L kettle.
      
      I am varying the amount of water added before and during the boil so that I hit my OG number exactly.
      
      VIF on my last batch was low (added less water due to low gravity - a little over 4 gallons / 16L - meaning I didn't get great efficiency.
      
      Could the thicker mash be hurting my efficiency?
      
      Thanks
      
      Chris

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      Then I get to start all over with a new recipe.
      17 Replies
      26397 Views
      Primavera
      10 years ago
   8. Wet hop help

      by Primavera, 10 years ago in Hops

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      I have an IPA in the fermenter that should be ready for dry (wet) hopping about the same time my first-year Centennial crop is ready for harvesting.
      
      Any advice on wet hopping? Amounts? Schedule?

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      Same rule of thumb for boiling: 5x the amount that you would normally use of dry hops/pellets/plug. Actually, the recommendations I have seen for using fresh hops most effectively is to use a hop back in-line as you drain the cooled wort into the fermenter (never tried it myself).
      3 Replies
      11344 Views
      thughes
      10 years ago
   9. Second try tomorrow

      by Primavera, 10 years ago in Creating Your Own Recipes

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      Bottling the Belgian and brewing an all-Amarillo IPA using cultured yeast from Bells' Oberon
      I left my Heart in Amarillo
      
      Recipe Overview
      
      Style: IPA
      Source Recipe Link:
      ABV: 5.8% (assumes any priming sugar used is diluted.)
      
      Original Gravity (OG): 1.06
      IBU's (Tinseth): 50
      Bitterness to Gravity Ratio: 0.83
      Colour: 10.8 EBC = 5.5 SRM
      
      Kettle Efficiency (as in EIB and EAW): 75.5 %
      Efficiency into Fermentor (EIF): 68 %
      
      Note: This is a Multi-Step Mash - See 'Mash Steps' Below
      
      Times and...

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      I get that
      
      Usually my beers have been 90% after two weeks and peak around four.
      
      This went from barely drinkable / yuck at two weeks to very good / I'll have another over a three week span.
      6 Replies
      7687 Views
      Primavera
      10 years ago
   10. EKG and Amarillo

       by Primavera, 10 years ago in Hops

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       Have a pound (453.5924 grams for the metrically inclined) each of East Kent Goldings and Amarillo - suggestions for use in a 50 IBU APA?

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       Wound up using an ounce of Cascade in a FWH and Amarillo late additions.
       
       Unfortunately, the weather bumped up to around 85°F for the weekend and I was unprepared to keep the fermenter cool. I'm going to try this again now that I have a mini-fridge.
       
       As to hopbursting, BIABacus says about 8 oz. at 5 minutes will yield 40-ish IBU's - interesting.
       6 Replies
       14996 Views
       Primavera
       10 years ago
   11. First BIAB plan advice requested

       by Primavera, 10 years ago in Creating Your Own Recipes

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       Throwing caution to the wind I'm planning a brew that merges my two favorite styles; Belgian ale and IPA
       
       Also my first attempt at BIABacus
       
       Main concern is the amount of strike water required. I was originally planning a 60 minute boil and have already measured my boil off at 1.2 gal / hr.
       
       BIABacus Pre-Release 1.3T RECIPE REPORT
       BIAB Recipe Designer, Calculator and Scaler.
       (Please visit onclick= window.open(this.href);return false; for the latest version.)
       Belgian IPA - Batch A0...

       Last post

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       I have an all-Amarillo IPA in the primary, if the perceived bitterness is below what was intended, I'll try one or both techniques.
       
       This one however, is a keeper as-is. If my results are repeatable, I'll post the final recipe.
       
       Chris
       20 Replies
       17265 Views
       Primavera
       10 years ago
   12. You must learn from the mistakes of others

       by Primavera, 10 years ago in Brew Day Stories and/or Pics

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       You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself
       
       Posting my first BIAB mistakes for other FNG's to avoid.
       
       The good:
       Did a test boil and had my evaporation rate dialed in and knew the propane stove was working.
       Made a starter and had it up to speed at the appropriate time
       Rigged a hoist and tested before starting
       
       The bad:
       Poor organization – Had two cardboard boxes; one with ingredients and one with equipment. No table to work from meant I was constantly looking for the last...

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       I made a winter warmer based on an old english porter.
       
       I added in figs and liquorice. I did not want my usual 30 litres (could never drink that much in the Christmas period, do I have the recipe, all except the liquorice. It was like drinking Basset Alsorts.
       
       So rather than waste it, I brewed up a second, weaker dark ale and blended. Still ended up with 30 litres but at least it was drinkable.
       
       My advice, never adjust the recipe on the fly, once you have started brewing.
       8 Replies
       11083 Views
       Yettiman
       10 years ago

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