Recent content by DryHoppinMad

I used to find it customary to enjoy some pints during the brewing process, until one day I couldn't figure out why the fermentation hadn't kicked in by the evening of the day after the brew session. Then I noticed the sealed starter flask, sitting in a dark corner on the kitchen counter.

As another Minnesotan, summers are such a precious commodity. Beer-wise, I tend to dislike the summer ales; fruity wheat or Belgian beers, any beer with lemon zest, etc. Pilsner Urquel, or any good helles hits the spot on a warm summer day. I prefer tradition.

IMO, many of the beers that skirt the line between mass appeal and still cling to the 'craft' terminology are overrated because much of the hype happened due to being a bit of a sellout. Many summer wheat beers that are on the market, for example, pale in comparison to one that's brewed in the...

I wrote this to mean that fluorescent light skunks the beer, but a heated fermentation is not a bad idea either:rockin:

When talk of the gradual conversion to fluorescent light bulbs throws you in such a panic that you hit every store across town to stockpile on incandescent bulbs just to be sure you'll have safe brewing light for the next 100 years or so.

Very true about the open container. Plain black text is easier too, less clicking, no setup :ban:

Right now, a Rogue Northwestern Ale, because I am a charitable dude and wish to donate to some half-@$$ed fishing fund in the northwest, and it has a picture of Captain Sig on it. Also, got a make-your own-six-pack with Brau Brothers Bancreagie peated Scottish ale, Brau Brothers Sheep Head ale...

One time I got pulled over by a cop for expired tabs. It was brew day and I happened to have my Pyrex starter flask sitting in the passenger seat, full of starter, bung and airlock, wide open to see. I wondered if the cop knew homebrewing, because he did not question it one bit. And from his...

I went through a bottle of Taaka vodka this way, a bottle my dad found laying in the street unopened. It's too horrible to drink as intended, easily mistaken for hand sanitizer :D I particularly choose vodka in the airlocks of lagers in both primary and lagering stage due to the amount that...

Right now an Ayinger Helles is on my mind. Had it for the first time about a month ago and was in love. That, or Brau Brothers Bancreagie peated Scotch ale. Both are fabulous.

I've made the NB oatmeal stout AG recipe 5 times. It's lighter than my preference @1.045+/- but I always had head retention problems, behaved like soda pop. However, the scale of the recipe contains .5 pounds of crystal, .5 pounds chocolate. I posted on here some time ago about my head...

I could never go back to the old white bucket. I too like to stop, watch the storm, level of kreusen, the clumping/flocculation, etc. White buckets are like having to stay in the waiting room while your child is in another room getting vaccination shots.

I can vouch for the speed of the wort too. I use converted water coolers, and used to just let 'er rip, wide open, with the sparge tank doing the same to speed up the process. As a result, I fell short of target OG, or if I'm watching pre-boil gravity calibrated for temperature, a spot-on OG...

Protein rest was 20-25 minutes. And yes, I do get a lot of hot break. Maybe I just need to make sure I do a more extensive whirlpool and leave a little more behind, or slightly longer protein rest, or combine ice bath with chiller to drop it quicker....all three just to be sure:D I am certain...

I recently finished off a keg of Stella Artois clone that had a certain fog and character to it that puzzles me. I've had it happen before in a Helles and Kolsch. Got to scratchin my chin, checked all three recipes and confirmed that all three used a base malt of German Pilsner. Seemed too...