The items included in the recipe to make the beer/wine
9
votes
1answer
288 views
Adding Oak Flavor/character to beer
Short of buying an oak barrel, what forms of oak are available to the homebrewer for getting oak into yuor beer?
Are they available with different levels of toast?
Are some forms easier to sanitize ...
3
votes
1answer
97 views
Hop Gardening Considerations
I have heard that planting hops at home you should plant the rhizome in a mound of sorts.
How large around should the mound be?
What type of soil amendments are best?
How tall should the trelis be ...
5
votes
1answer
187 views
Estimating Alpha Acids of Home Grown Hops
For the homebrewer that grows and harvests his/her own hops; how best can one approximate the alpha acids in the hops they have?
Is it worth it or should brewers stick to using home grown hops for ...
3
votes
2answers
38 views
Parts per million
How do you calculate parts per million (or billion) from grams and volume?
I ask this in relation to figureing out how to translate water report information into the recommended ranges of certain ...
3
votes
1answer
325 views
What is the difference between Caramel Malts and Crystal Malts?
They are not always one in the same. I believe the process for making them are slightly different as well. I just don't know what that difference is.
How do they differ?
Where are they made?
3
votes
1answer
150 views
Grains for Mashing and Grains for Steeping
Does anyone have a list they care to post that lists the "must mash" and "steepable" grains?
Might be nice content for the site overall.
2
votes
2answers
145 views
Does your beer have a “house” flavor?
I identify "house" flavor as a similar flavor that carries across several different styles of beer from the same brewery.
What parts of the brewing process or ingredients lend to "house" flavor the ...
9
votes
2answers
541 views
Fruit for fruit beers
What are the best fruits for brewing fruit beers?
Some fruits appear to be classics like cherries raspberries. Some fruits you rarely hear about like kiwi and papya.
Which fruits have flavor ...
7
votes
1answer
1k views
Whirlfloc versus irish moss - pros and cons?
What are the pros and cons of using irish moss versus whirlfloc tablets for clarifying beer?
8
votes
3answers
703 views
Using Multiple Strains of Yeast in the Same Batch?
I've been thinking about this recently, so I figured I'd ask it here. Is there any reason you couldn't use two strains of yeast in the same batch of beer? For a particularly high gravity amber ale, ...
3
votes
2answers
317 views
Should I include my specialty grains in a mini-mash?
I'm planning to use up all my leftovers from recent batches, augmented with minimal newly-purchased ingredients, to make an oatmeal stout.
I know I need to mash the oats, so I picked up a pound of ...
5
votes
4answers
895 views
What is Extract Twang?
This term pops up from time to time and it often cited as a reason to go to all grain. But maybe its because I don't really know what it tastes like.
Do you believe in extract twang?
How do you get ...
9
votes
2answers
499 views
Why do extract recipes call for a late addition of the bulk of the extract?
My recipe calls for a pound of DME at the beginning of the boil and 6 pounds at 15 minutes to go. What's the point of that?
5
votes
2answers
856 views
Flavor extracts - add to secondary or add during bottling?
What are the pros and cons of adding flavor extracts (fruit, chocolate, what have you) at bottling time versus adding them to the secondary? Does it make a difference? Is there a trade-off between ...
7
votes
5answers
2k views
Why would a recipe use both Light LME and Light DME?
I just brewed a clone of Belhaven Scottish Ale using the extract recipe from the book, Clone Brews. The recipe calls for both light LME and light DME. Why would it use both? It does specify brands ...
3
votes
1answer
660 views
Weed Aroma/Flavor?
I have noticed in some beers, (nugget nectar, dbl. trouble, founders harvest and sublimely self-rightous ale in particular) an aroma/flavor of marijuana. I think Columbus/Tomohawk hops have somthing ...
3
votes
1answer
368 views
Continental Pilsner Malt
What does the term "continental" mean when referring to malts?
I have seen that term used before, mainly when sourcing pilsner malt.
Is it just a different way of saying pilsner malt that has been ...
12
votes
3answers
3k views
Using honey in beer
This thread is not actually one single question, but a number of different ones.
When calculating sugars used in the wort, how much sugar does honey contain? Is it closer to dry malt extracts, raw ...
3
votes
2answers
695 views
Pellets, Plugs and Whole Hops
Hops come in three formats pellets, plugs and whole-leaf. Plugs are whole leaf hops that have been compressed into a little cake usually 0.5 ounces in size.
What are the ups and downs of using ...
5
votes
2answers
537 views
Using nuts for beer aroma
I'm planning to brew an scottish heavy ale, and I wanted to give it a little different aroma using hazelnuts (other stuff too, but I want hazelnuts to be the main aroma). How do you suggest i use ...
3
votes
1answer
74 views
Is rye more popular than it's been?
I've noticed the number of rye beers released seems to be picking up over the last year or two. Why do you think that is? I was trying to get at whether it had been a cost issue. Perhaps higher ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Chile Pepper Ale
I've brewed a simple base ale recipe. It's fermenting happily.
I want to add Chile Peppers to the beer to make a spiced ale. I'm not looking for something with a lot of heat, but I do want some ...
1
vote
2answers
647 views
CaraBohemian malt
I just got back from a trip to the brew shop to get some stuff.
They had a couple new malts I haven't heard of before. One was this CaraBohemia malt. It had an SRM of around 70L and was described ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Munich and Vienna Malt
How do these two malts differ? I can find sources at times with slightly different colors and I know there must be flavor differences.
I was wondering if anyone could shed light on how the two are ...
5
votes
3answers
563 views
Dry vs. Liquid Extract
Dry and liquid extract each have their advantages and draw-backs.
What are the perceived ups and downs for using one or the other?
6
votes
2answers
959 views
Buying bulk hops online
I'm often tempted to buy my commonly used hop pellets online in bulk and storing them in my freezer. A lot of the cheap bulk hops are from the previous year. Assuming they are vacuum packed and ...
