Should I Brew That?

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Welcome back!

For episode 2 we welcome the new permanent co-host for SIBT, Shane Terrick.  We take a beginner’s look at the different techniques and methods of homebrewing, from extract all the way to all-grain.

Listen now!

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SHOW NOTES:

Homebrewtalk.com

If you have any questions for SIBT that you would like answered on our show please contact us or send your questions  to us via Twitter!

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Should I Brew That?! I wanted to start a homebrewing podcast for a while now and the timing just seemed right. Thinking back to the start of my homebrewing hobby, I wanted to start this show on the most basic level.

Back to all the questions I had at the beginning, all the frustrations that makes one want to give it up (i.e. bad batches!). I want to motivate YOU to brew! I want you to learn from me and learn from the mistakes I have made in the past so you don’t repeat them.

So check out the show and I hope you enjoy it!

Happy Brewing!

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SHOW NOTES:

Williams Brewing

Northern Brewer

CFF fundraiser at Clarkehead Brew (Phil’s website)

Brewing up a Cure

A special thanks goes out to Phil for helping me host episode 1.

I’m video chatting live via @TokBox for the Homebrew Extravaganza now! Join us!
http://www.tokbox.com/conf/vt4ar56r0b8chffy/t

On March 28th, 2009, we will be making history by putting together a gathering of homebrewers like no other, all of us brewing the same batch of beer, simultaneously, using TokBox.  Our good friend Trav over at Suds or Duds and myself thought of this idea while using the Tokbox application a few weeks back and Trav has an excellent write up about this crazy idea on his personal blog located  here.

The recipe (also listed on Trav’s site) is a Stone Ruination IPA clone originally published in BYO magazine:

5 Gallon/19 L All-Grain

Ingredients
14 lb 2 oz (6.4 kg) – 2-row malt
14 oz (0.40 kg) – Briess crystal malt
2.25 oz (64 g) – 36 AAU Magnum Hops 16.6% AA (90 Mins)
1.50 oz (43 g) – 16 AAU Centennial Hops 10.5% AA (15 Mins)
2.20 oz (57 g) – Centennial Whole Hops (Dry Hops)
1 tsp Irisu Moss (15 Mins)
2 qt (2L) White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) Yeast
7/8 cup – Corn Sugar (for priming)

Step by Step
Mash your grains at 149 F (65 C) for 60 minutes. Collect enough wort to boil for 90 minutes and have a 5.0 gallon (19 L) yield. Ferment at 68 F (20 C).

5 Gallon/19 L Extract With Grains

Ingredients
7 lb 2 oz (3.2 kg) – Light Dried Malt Extract
1 lb (0.45 kg) – Briess 2-row malt
14 oz (0.40 kg) – Briess crystal malt
2.25 oz (64 g) – 36 AAU Magnum Hops 16.6% AA (60 Mins)
1.50 oz (43 g) – 16 AAU Centennial Hops 10.5% AA (15 Mins)
2.20 oz (57 g) – Centennial Whole Hops (Dry Hops)
1 tsp Irisu Moss (15 Mins)
2 qt (2L) White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) Yeast
7/8 cup – Corn Sugar (for priming)

Step by Step
Steep the two crushed grains in 3 qts (3 L) of water at 149 F (65 C) fr 45 minutes. Remove grains from wort, add water to make 6.0 gallons (23 L) of wort, add malt extract and bring to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated in the recipe list. Cool the wort, aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68 F (20 C) and hold at this temperature until the yeast has finished fermentation. Add Centennial hops and dry hop for 3 to 5 days.

I personally will be cutting this recipe in half as the only available fermenter I will have is a 3 gallon better bottle! Whether you are an  experienced homebrewer or a novice we would love to see you there on the 28th! If you are having trouble finding the right ingredients please let us know and we may be able to point you in the right direction. I also have hops and yeast substitution charts on this site (see sidebar on the right!) that may be helpful.
CHEERS!

This Friday 02/06/09 will mark 3 weeks in the primary for my 1 gallon batch of barleywine. SG of 1.116 and now stuck at 1.055! I am going to rack to secondary, add some nutrual champagne yeast and let this puppy sit for about 4 months. Stay tuned!

Thanks to James Spencer and Steve Wilkes over at Basic Brewing Radio I was motivated to attempt my first 1 gallon batch of barley wine:

.1 lbs Briess Caramel 90

1.5 lbs Amber DME (@60 min)
1.5 lbs Amber DME  (@15 min)

.4 oz of cascade
.2 oz Willamette

US-O5 yeast

Before fermentation began, I took a refractometer reading which clocked in at a whopping 30 (1.116)!  This one should be  a monster. I also used the entire 11.5g of US-05 yeast which started bubbling away almost immediately. I can’t wait to see how this one turns out, might be one chewy beer!

The Imperial Stout is currently in the Fermenator and bubbling away. OG of 1.080, 1 week in and the gravity now stands at 1.030. I will be keeping this batch in primary for about 3 weeks until I dump off the yeast for secondary fermentation.

As described by Northernbrewer, the HopShot is CO2-extracted hop resin that can be used for bittering or late additions to boiling wort — treat it just like leaf or pellet hops added during the boil. The HopShot syringe contains 5 milliliters of extract. One milliliter of HopShot yields approximately 10 IBUs in 5 gallons of 1.050 wort when boiled for 60 minutes. Test batches indicate that this bitterness may be slightly less agressive on the palate than your average hop addition.

Anyone have any thoughts, opinions or experience with the Hopshot? Let me know!

Since it’s mid-winter here in PA I always do extract partial boils this time of year.  I decided to make an Imperial Stout,  figured this would be easy enough for an indoor brew.  My shopping list is as follows:

0.5 lbs. Roasted Barley

0.5 lbs. Black Malt

0.5 lbs. Chocolate

6 lbs. Dark Malt Syrup (boil for 60 min.)

6 lbs. Dark Malt Syrup (boil for 15 min.)

Boil Additions

2 oz. Galena (60 min)

Scottish Ale Yeast.

Currently putting together an Imperial Stout recipe for my next batch, stay tuned! Any advice or suggestions are welcome!