Brew Dudes Homebrewing Blog

Belgian Witbier Tastings

On March 20, 2013

I brewed two witbiers last year and changed only one element of the process – the fermentation temperature. The first one I brewed was fermented at 68°F or 20°C. The second one I fermented at 60°F or 16°C. The change made a difference in flavor and aroma. Watch this video where we taste and discuss the nuances of each of my homebrewed beer alongside a commercial version of the style.

The white beer that was brewed at the warmer temperature has a really off putting aroma. Interestingly enough, both my witbiers did ok in competition. They both got scores in the mid to upper 30s.
The thing that I do have problems with is keeping my white beers cloudy. The yeast likes to fall out of suspension after they are in the bottle for a while. I hear that maybe adding a little bit of all purpose flour right at the end of the boil will keep your beer hazy as the style calls for. I have yet to try it.

The lesson I learned from the experiment – Belgian white ales or witbiers should be fermented on the cooler side of the accepted range for the yeast strain. It really keeps the funk down in the aroma. Interestingly, we didn’t really sense a large difference in the taste of the beers but certainly in the aromas.

Here’s to salami and warm garbage aromas.

Ward Labs Water Analysis

By Mike

On March 19, 2013

In Experiments

We’ve been discussing experimenting with our water chemistry. Making changes to your brewing water has to start with knowing what’s already in our water. I made reference to an online report I found from my town already. John and I have also discussed getting our water tested by a water testing lab. Not that I don’t trust my town water report, but it would be interesting and a good exercise to see what a testing lab comes back with in comparison. (That way in the future I’d feel more confident in the town report.)

Ward Labs in Nebraska has become well known in homebrewing circles as just the type of place that will take your water sample for analysis. They do all sorts of testing for agricultural samples; like soils, feed, well water, etc.

Homebrewers have been using Ward Labs water analysis services so much over the years that they have even set up a little portion of the site just for homebrewers and have a separate test just for us, Ahhhh….

That said though the homebrewers test has a couple extra data points in it that I don’t find we particularly need. Namely iron and total phosphorous. My plan is to spend a little less and get the basic household water mineral test (W-6).

You can pre-pay/order a homebrewers kit for $36, or you can fill out a simple sheet, enclose a check and the sample for $16.50. All that’s needed is a 16oz water bottle, filled with the tap water of your choice (rinse well) and mail it out. They’ll email the results back to you. (As a PDF I assume). It also appears that while they are drumming up a little extra business with the “premium” package, they actually prefer the print and ship in your own bottle to reduce their work load and maintianing a stock of homebrewer test kits.

So that’s our next plan with improving our brewing.
Anyone else out there used Ward Labs? What was their turnaround time with the results?

IPA Hop Additions

By John Krochune

On March 18, 2013

In General

Last Friday night, I tasted Mike’s Falconer’s Flight IPA and really enjoyed the aroma and taste of all those late addition hops. From our discussion, I think there may be an evolution in terms of IPA hop additions, at least between these Brew Dudes.

We got to talking about the lack of bitterness his beer had as compared to other IPAs that we have had where the IBUs are pushing 150.

I guess that is great for confessed hop heads but I wouldn’t come back for more than one. That’s the issue with them for me.

Although his recipe’s IBU prediction is a modest 55 IBUs, this beer had plenty of hoppy aroma and flavor. The Falconer’s Flight blend of hop varieties really made for a tasty and complex profile.

I don’t think he would have had the same result if he had put more hops into the kettle at the beginning of the boil. The majority of his hop additions happened towards the end. To me, that technique made all the difference in the world.

Could there be an evolution a-brewin’ in brewing IPAs? Do they need to be more and more bitter? I would rather have a small charge of hops at the start of the boil but really explore the late additions and dry hopping to maximize the flavor and the aroma with the overwhelming bitterness.

Control Fermentation Temperatures

By John Krochune

On March 13, 2013

In Equipment, Videos

Mike wanted to show off what he has put together to control fermentation temperatures during the winter time or when the ambient air temperatures of your fermentation room are cooler than the optimal temps for your yeast strain. In his case, he is controlling the temperature of the fermenting beer in his carboy no matter how cold it gets in his garage.

He described this setup in an earlier post but if you wanted to see how he improved on the original idea in a visual format, here’s the video.

Now I have the same thermostat control but I have it hooked up to my beer fridge. The fact is these controls come set to turn on and off whatever is plugged into them based on if the probe thermometer measures the temperature going above the set, target temperature. Mike changed the configuration of his thermostat control to do the opposite, turn on whatever is plugged in to turn on when the temp goes under the set, target temperature.

In a future post, we will have a “How To” instructional video on how you can do the same at home. I will probably learn something too.

Once you have this thermostat control and the ability to set it to keep your carboy warm in the winter and cool in the summer, you will be well on your way to making excellent beer.

Medium Show Mead Recipe

By John Krochune

On March 11, 2013

In Recipes

Since the raspberry melomel has now won multiple awards in competition (more on that later) and with a large amount of honey in the basement, I have to start making some more meads. This is the first in at least three I am going to make is a medium show mead – just honey, yeast, water – with some nutrients sprinkled in.

First off, I am inspired by the Maine Mead Works and their dry mead. I had some on NYE and I was blown away. Their mead was as tasty as all the texts say meads are supposed to be. Beyond the product in the bottle, I am a big fan of the bottle’s labeling – different and distinguished as mead should be.

Since I think I know what I am doing with meadmaking, I am ready to pump out a 5 gallon batch. I think that if I were to do it all over again, I would start my mead making with this recipe.

Medium Show Mead Recipe

Ingredients:

13 lbs of high quality honey

4 gallons of water

2 tsp yeast energizer

2 tsp yeast nutrient

2 packets of Lalvin D -47 yeast

Instructions:

Mix honey and water together in carboy along with energizer and nutrient. Proof packets of yeast and pitch. Follow the staggered nutrient/energizer additions on this timeline:

Add 1/4 teaspoon of yeast energizer and 1/2 teaspoon of yeast nutrient at the 24 hour mark after fermentation begins.
Add another quarter teaspoon of yeast energizer and another half teaspoon of yeast nutrient at the 48 hour mark after fermentation begins.
When 30% of the sugar has been depleted, add one last quarter teaspoon of yeast energizer and half teaspoon of yeast nutrient.

Ferment at 65° F (18° C) for at least two weeks. Rack to a secondary and let it condition until it clears. Bottle as normal.

I may let this sit on oak for a little while – I may not.

Starting Gravity: 1.096

Final Gravity: 1.010

This mead should be ready to drink in 8 weeks from the date you make it. It will age well – so drink some soon and then drink some later.