Home Brewing Question

CelticRaven - twice, counting the secondary. It probably needed more. When I racked it to the secondary a brand new, vigorous fermentation started, and I had to set up a blow off. I don't recapture yeast, like a lot of guys do, but this was the batch that made me think I should start. It was almost 2 inches thick at the bottom of the primary. But to be honest, I think this beer will be too strong. I used to think it was great ratcheting up the alcohol on a beer, but you can't drink as much, etc etc. It tastes a little raw still, but no signs of autolysis / yeast bite / bad stuff.

Great photos, by the way. Do you roast your malt?

Yeah, I think I am going to rack this into another carboy today and let it finish clearing. I gave mine 10 days in primary, before I went to secondary, just to avoid the issue of having another rapid fermenation start. I would re-pitch it but don't have the yeast for it.

I just racked a highly hopped brown (India Brown Ale I guess...) that has been in the primary for 2 weeks. Man this stuff is good. Its being dry hopped and will be bottled in 2 more weeks if its clear. Might leave it to bulk age for a bit.

I also have a Ginger Pale Ale which I used "hop bursting" technique to get more flavor/aroma while maintaining a good bit of bitterness.

Edcculus, what's hop bursting? And when you dry hop, are you using a dry hop plug, or pelletized hopes or whole hops that you add to the secondary?

Hop Bursting or late hopping. It is a technique in which you add all or most of your hops @20 min or less left in the boil. You get less bittering qualities, but it tends to give a bigger hop taste and aroma. Since smell is half (or more) of tasting, lots of hop aroma= the sensation of a hoppier beer.

I rack directly onto pellet hops in the secondary.

Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA...these guys KNOW how to hop a brew

nuff said

Edcculus, I didn't know that was called hop bursting. Sort of like continuous hopping, but without the continuous part. Makes sense.

Hops... I don't live where I can grow them well, and I can't afford too many since they've gone up in price so much. I just use pellets, and sometimes plugs for dry hopping (only cascade, at my local homebrew supply store) - but man, the aroma when you open one of those packets up. That smell to me is the soul of the beer. Yep, I'm a hophead.

Also, Lefty, if you like Dogfish Head 120, try Oskar Blues Gordon Ale. It's different, but really hoppy and nice.

A little late, but I have some champagne yeast for high alcohol brews....I could have spotted you..

CelticRaven said:

Yeah, I think I am going to rack this into another carboy today and let it finish clearing. I gave mine 10 days in primary, before I went to secondary, just to avoid the issue of having another rapid fermenation start. I would re-pitch it but don't have the yeast for it.

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