Shamus O'Sean Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 Hey @Bearded Burbler, there is plenty on the Googles and Youtubes about hops. I use a food dehydrator set on 45-50 degrees for 24 hours. Then vacuum seal them in 20-25 gram lots. Then into the freezer until I need them. I had good results dry hopping last year with Cascade. Last year's EKG were okay too. I have another variety called Red Earth and it was the one with funky vegetable taste. There is hardly anything online about this hop. I reckon it may have been abandoned commercially. I got some in this year's harvest. I'll give it one more go but if it fails again it's gonna be ripped out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted July 23, 2019 Author Share Posted July 23, 2019 I use the book during brew days since I brew outside and the computer is inside I haven't used anything except Beersmith since I went AG so not sure what the other programs are like by comparison. With hop flowers I think they're better used dried. You need about 8 times the weight if you use them wet. I just dry mine on a rack in the house somewhere, spare room or whatever. I weigh them straight after harvesting then dry them to a quarter of that weight, so for example 400g wet will give me 100g dry. It usually takes about 2-3 days. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozlizard Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 Saison is at 1.010 after 7 days (OG 1.048) so about 5% and it looks like it's still going. Sample looked like pond water, I am hoping this is typical for this style? (sample was taken from the PF tap so it WAS at the bottom of the pond!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popo the Reprobate Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 (edited) Pond water haha. Like murky? The first pour from the tap can be a bit like that. I'd expect subsequent samples to be less pond like. It will clear up. Did you taste it? Make sure you give the yeast plenty of time and it has definitely stopped over a few days. It can go low. Edited July 24, 2019 by Popo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozlizard Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 14 minutes ago, Popo said: Pond water haha. Like murky? The first pour from the tap can be a bit like that. I'd expect subsequent samples to be less pond like. It will clear up. Did you taste it? Make sure you give the yeast plenty of time and it has definitely stopped over a few days. It can go low. Yeah a bit murky with bits floating around, to be expected I guess as it's still fermenting. I didn't taste it because of the floaties (yeah I know, wimp!), but it smelt good. I will check it again on Saturday, no rush this time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popo the Reprobate Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 42 minutes ago, ozlizard said: Yeah a bit murky with bits floating around, to be expected I guess as it's still fermenting. I didn't taste it because of the floaties (yeah I know, wimp!), but it smelt good. I will check it again on Saturday, no rush this time Yeah, that's pretty standard. I sometimes discard that first sample as it's not always accurate either. It sounds like yours is fine though. Give it a go haha I like to try each sample. I reckon you learn a lot by tasting it along the way. The samples themselves will clear up if you keep them long enough too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted July 24, 2019 Author Share Posted July 24, 2019 Most of my samples look like that when I take them during fermentation. The FG samples are a bit clearer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenyinthewestofsydney Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 1 hour ago, ozlizard said: Yeah a bit murky with bits floating around, to be expected I guess as it's still fermenting. I didn't taste it because of the floaties (yeah I know, wimp!), but it smelt good. I will check it again on Saturday, no rush this time What yeast are you using there lizard? As popo said depending on the saison strain it can go very low. Ive had some go 1001 and ive heard of others getting it below 1000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozlizard Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 47 minutes ago, Greeny1525229549 said: What yeast are you using there lizard? Belle Saison. Hoping it goes lower, would like it around 6-7% but didn't get the OG quite right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenyinthewestofsydney Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 1 hour ago, ozlizard said: Belle Saison. Hoping it goes lower, would like it around 6-7% but didn't get the OG quite right. Most saisons go low including Belle. Id expect it to go a fair bit lower than 1010 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 My last two beers using Belle finished at 1.000. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzza Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 (edited) On 7/23/2019 at 6:21 PM, Bearded Burbler said: Cheers John. I was so excited when I got the ex-freezer... and then when I opened the door and realised I could NOT fit a reasonable size fermenter I was shattered... 'Anyway - I had the Coopers Craft Kit vessel - which fitted in nicely - and then my man Popo showed me the short-vat.... and it all came together. And it is a bit easier heaving around 15L than it is 26L... so I am thinking this might work out ok. Just would be not so good running a Unit that size for just 12-15L. So I can do a standard 23L All Grainer and then cool and push into the two baby-vats with different final dry hopping treatments. Should be good. Thanks for your feedback mate - and your and the team on this site's help in my original foray into the scary world of AG - helped me get the whole venture going ; ) Thank you!!! apologies John and all - missed the critical word "NOT" earlier on and could NOT go back and edit... so here it is in retrospect... I think you all got it anyway... freezer config does not allow big Vats... The two baby vats fit in nicely and should allow for some festive dry hopping experimentation... Cheers and apologies for any inconvenience caused Anyone any comment on whether running a freezer is any different to running a fridge - off a controller such as Inkbird? Edited July 24, 2019 by Bearded Burbler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzza Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 3 minutes ago, Hairy said: My last two beers using Belle finished at 1.000. Did you have any malt in the brew Hairy ? How does this work... is not water 1.000 and we add fermentables… so up to higher OG... and then back down to FG of water? What sort of OG do you start your Saisons out at that finished at 000? Is it all the Alc in the brew - guess I have never brewed a Saison... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 5 minutes ago, Bearded Burbler said: Did you have any malt in the brew Hairy ? How does this work... is not water 1.000 and we add fermentables… so up to higher OG... and then back down to FG of water? What sort of OG do you start your Saisons out at that finished at 000? Is it all the Alc in the brew - guess I have never brewed a Saison... Alcohol is less dense than water. They started around 1055. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzza Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 1 minute ago, Hairy said: Alcohol is less dense than water. They started around 1055. Ah ha… makes sense... That is all I could think of Hairy but was struggling to see how you would get so much alc into the final product... hence my question without a question mark... 'is it all the alc in the brew'... So these are up around 7% ABV? And what sort of grain bill or mashing... i.e. most of the 55 in the 1055 was fermentable - less of the non-fermentable carbs remaining in solution that provide body in heavier bodied brews? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 They were all grain brews and, from memory, I mashed around 66 degrees. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus O'Sean Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 26 minutes ago, Bearded Burbler said: apologies John and all - missed the critical word "NOT" earlier on and could NOT go back and edit... so here it is in retrospect... I think you all got it anyway... freezer config does not allow big Vats... The two baby vats fit in nicely and should allow for some festive dry hopping experimentation... Cheers and apologies for any inconvenience caused Anyone any comment on whether running a freezer is any different to running a fridge - off a controller such as Inkbird? Hi BB I run a freezer. I do not think it would be any different, except the freezer can freeze your brew if you set the controller too low. When doing a CC with a fridge some people might set the controller to below zero just to make sure their fridge gets as low as possible. At such a setting, the fridge will only go as low as it can go. But if you set the controller on -4 in a freezer IT WILL GET THERE AND FREEZE YOUR BREW 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus O'Sean Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 Dry hopped my SMOTY Ale tonight with my home grown Goldings hops. SG has dropped to 1.012 using Nottingham yeast. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyBrew2 Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 I bottled my AG batch #2 this evening. Oatmeal Coconut Porter. It smelt and tasted amazing but we’ll see when it carbs up. It finished at 1.020. About 8 points above where it should have. Trying to find out why that is. It was either underpitched or else a lot more unfermantables after the mash. I mashed at 67 but had a bit of trouble recircing as the grain bed was quite compact due to fine crush and 700 gms oats. So maybe that contributed. But also my 10gms packet of MJ42 was also to blame as OG was 1.064 and really should have pitched two. Either way really looking forward to tasting it. Might be a bit sweeter than expected but i bittered to about 45 IBUs using Magnum so that may offset it a touch 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozlizard Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 47 minutes ago, PaddyBrew2 said: I bottled my AG batch #2 this evening. Oatmeal Coconut Porter. It smelt and tasted amazing but we’ll see when it carbs up. It finished at 1.020. About 8 points above where it should have. Trying to find out why that is. It was either underpitched or else a lot more unfermantables after the mash. I mashed at 67 but had a bit of trouble recircing as the grain bed was quite compact due to fine crush and 700 gms oats. So maybe that contributed. But also my 10gms packet of MJ42 was also to blame as OG was 1.064 and really should have pitched two. Either way really looking forward to tasting it. Might be a bit sweeter than expected but i bittered to about 45 IBUs using Magnum so that may offset it a touch Sounds like a nice drop Paddy. Did you sparge it well, I try to get every last drop of sugar out of the grain as that means more fermentables? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porschemad911 Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 10 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said: IT WILL GET THERE AND FREEZE YOUR BREW Mmmm... Eisbock. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted July 24, 2019 Author Share Posted July 24, 2019 My fridge will freeze my brew if I run it on its coldest setting without a temp controller 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzala Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 10 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said: Dry hopped my SMOTY Ale tonight with my home grown Goldings hops. SG has dropped to 1.012 using Nottingham yeast. Hi Shamus - did you brew as per the recipe? Mostly interested in the simmering of the hops for 15 mins as I’m thinking of making this brew next but haven’t simmered hops before... Cheers, Gaz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyBrew2 Posted July 25, 2019 Share Posted July 25, 2019 9 hours ago, ozlizard said: Sounds like a nice drop Paddy. Did you sparge it well, I try to get every last drop of sugar out of the grain as that means more fermentables? Had a bit of a stuck sparge but still managed to collect 29 litres and hit my numbers. So it all points to underpitching 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted July 25, 2019 Author Share Posted July 25, 2019 (edited) Dropped my dark ale down for a cold crash just now, so that'll probably be close to zero by this time tomorrow, at which point I can throw some isinglass into it. I've decided to keg it next Friday since I have the day off, and that'll free up Saturday to go look at fridges. Edited July 25, 2019 by Otto Von Blotto 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now