Recent content by Egghead

The grain bills of Belgian ales lead to a very malty sweet beer. Sugar additions and low mash temperatures are traditionally used to dry the beer out and make it more balanced and more "digestible." A "dry finish" is highly desirable in Belgians - even more so in Trappist examples of the styles.

Thanks for everyone's comments and advice!

Up to this point, all my melomels have been made with fruit juices, but I am now planning on making a fuller-bodied raspberry melomel. It appears I can use either a raspberry puree from Vintner's Harvest, or I can used frozen raspberries from my local grocery store. So I have several questions...

I brewed an American Honey Blonde Ale, and would like pairing suggestions.... For reference, the recipe for the Blonde included 2-row, white wheat malt, caramel 20, Tettnang for bittering, Saaz for aroma, and US-05 for yeast. Then a pound of orange blossom honey was added in secondary, and it...

Hmmm. I'm not sure what's causing the sour taste. I know that boiling honey drives off desirable aromatics, which is why I add it post-boil. I've only used orange blossom honey in beer, but I've used clover honey in mead, but never had an issue with sour flavors. US-05 isn't my favorite yeast...

What temperature did you ferment at?

A Belgian Strong Amber? Hope the hops can balance the increase in gravity....

I have just been getting mine from a local place to avoid shipping costs (and to make sure the glass isn't cracked). I think the product cost here is a little high though. Sorry I don't have any helpful suggestions.

I usually ferment my meads in 3-gallon carboys. I usually use 2 gallons of water. With the volume of honey, that is somewhere in the 2.5 gallon range, which leaves just about the right amount of headspace. I did have to use a 5 gallon carboy on a melomel recently, because it used a large amount...

I'd give it a few more days to take off. If it still doesn't, try repitching. If - even after that - nothing happens, try switching from 71B to EC-1118.

So far, I've bought 2-row, Pilsner, Maris Otter, and white wheat malt in bulk. Planning on adding Munich to that list.

Thanks again!

Thank you. Did you add the honey to the boil, or afterwards?

That looks awesome! Would you mind posting your recipe?

Exactly. If you choose to secondary, wait until primary fermentation has stopped. (Use a hydrometer, and use good sanitation practices, and you'll have no problems.)