Recent content by hophop

I always under pitch my hefes. The over worked yeast produce the esters that we taste as banana, bubbly gum, etc. also as stated earlier, it needs a higher fermentation temp.

not yet

what efficiency did you use for calculating your recipe? If you assumed an 85% efficiency, but only get 78% in real life, that will account for the numbers being low. you'll have to adjust your assumed efficiency. there may not be an actual mash issue.

Get a cheap meter. Mine is dead on and hasn't needed calibration in a year. $15.00 on amazon. Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I take mine just after a minute or so, just after I stir. I can still adjust it and mine does not change throughout the 60 minute mash, once set. Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Set up your equipment, weigh and mill grains and get your strike water ready the night or two before. You are starting to boil at 2:40:00, whereas I am heating my first runnings by 1:30:00 ish. There is your 1+ hours on brew day. Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

The water ph is not the concern. Your mash ph is what we care about. You can easily adjust mash ph with a bit of lactic acid if needed. Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I smell an infection coming. Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Where your volumes correct? Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

You need to drastically under pitch if you want banana fruity flavor. I'd pitch 1/2 a vial for a light hefe and maybe 3/4 for a heavy hefe. No starter. No aerated wort. Temp has less to do with flavor profile than pitch rate. Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

If your using a braid, simply tip the tun to get the fluid to move to side with the drain. It dramatically lowers your dead space. Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I would also double your dry hopping amounts. Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I tend to keep the darker base malts like mo and Munich out of my pale ales now. I use about 95% 2 row and a mixture of 40-90L crystal malts for the last 5%. I feel the darker malts cover up the hops that this style is trying to highlight. Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Recipe looks ok but I would add rice hulls as you stated. Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Banana taste comes from over stressed yeast due to under pitching. To reduce esters, simply over pitch by using a nice size starter. Temp does not directly affect ester flavor but will increase the flavors you have. Going with s04 or s05 will drastically change the flavor profile. I would over...