tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post5714643327499929910..comments2024-02-23T15:34:32.816-05:00Comments on The Mad Fermentationist - Homebrewing Blog: Courage Russian Imperial StoutThe Mad Fermentationist (Mike)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-51965292371980691952016-01-20T22:14:54.295-05:002016-01-20T22:14:54.295-05:00Ah! That is simply the estimated starting water pH...Ah! That is simply the estimated starting water pH that ProMash spits out, you can safely ignore it!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-83618793356811162532016-01-16T00:38:02.920-05:002016-01-16T00:38:02.920-05:00I should say, since I don't have a registered ...I should say, since I don't have a registered commenting ID, that my name is Phil, and I live in San Diego. Blazing World is pretty much my favorite local beer.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10973970514276257173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-52450867326182720102016-01-16T00:34:15.298-05:002016-01-16T00:34:15.298-05:00It's in the main body of the post, right under...It's in the main body of the post, right under the list of mineral additions.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10973970514276257173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-79217902210944391652016-01-14T18:38:47.679-05:002016-01-14T18:38:47.679-05:00Where are you seeing this? Somewhere on the old br...Where are you seeing this? Somewhere on the old brew sheet?The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-20841084320214316262016-01-12T00:01:09.586-05:002016-01-12T00:01:09.586-05:00Real quick question, maybe kind of silly (I might ...Real quick question, maybe kind of silly (I might be totally missing something)...<br /><br />The pH (I'm assuming of the mash) is listed as over 8; is that a typo, or was the pH really that high?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10973970514276257173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-63017746103605924032015-12-22T21:51:16.979-05:002015-12-22T21:51:16.979-05:00Cheers! Looking forward to my annual bottle later ...Cheers! Looking forward to my annual bottle later this week!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-69887240687743803972015-12-20T16:51:53.444-05:002015-12-20T16:51:53.444-05:002015 tasting of the 2008 effort. Pours as nearly b...2015 tasting of the 2008 effort. Pours as nearly black with minimal head which is cocoa colored. Aroma is dark fruits and a trace of leather notes, undoubtedly due to the Lagavulin influence. Ultra smooth, unctuous mouthfeel brings coffee, roasty flavors, again dried a bit with the Scotch traces. This is the best integrated presentation of this beer and makes me look forward to the next six years of this beauty I have left. Thanks for the inspiration and recipe, Mike. jemphdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17619442398606719211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-64772192065389006382015-12-10T19:17:19.129-05:002015-12-10T19:17:19.129-05:00Some strains of Brett produce beta-glucosidase, wh...Some strains of Brett produce beta-glucosidase, which allows them to ferment lactose. Sadly there isn't a great list of which strains do and don't. More B. claussenii do than B. bruxellensis, but that's no guarantee. Trial and error!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-34840105297096631492015-12-09T02:45:04.636-05:002015-12-09T02:45:04.636-05:00Hi Mike, i would like to brew a similar recipe to ...Hi Mike, i would like to brew a similar recipe to this (at least in concept) my recipe on imperial stout adding brettanomyces to secondary (maybe clauseni or bruxelini i'm not sure). If i brew it adding lactose, I would like to know if brett is able to proces this kiind of sugar. My idea is to have body in the beer, but i'm studing alternatives to using metabisulfite of potasium.<br />Thanks!UltraSahahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12308230080868625274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-42332424757108215892014-10-12T07:51:49.825-04:002014-10-12T07:51:49.825-04:00How does it taste? If the gravity is still droppin...How does it taste? If the gravity is still dropping, I wouldn't bottle until it is stable. Nothing worse than an over-carbonated roasty beer!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-13921171912413342862014-10-11T20:45:38.887-04:002014-10-11T20:45:38.887-04:00I happened to brew this beer (using the Corage Sto...I happened to brew this beer (using the Corage Stout recipe from Ron's site. I didn't add the Brett but somehow when I sent to bottle it it looks like I might have got a spontaneous Brett (or Lacto) infection. Can't decide if I should even bother bottling it.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11273080390135500710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-30851058171235358042014-09-23T19:31:04.419-04:002014-09-23T19:31:04.419-04:00Adding Brett at bottling, especially to a big-stic...Adding Brett at bottling, especially to a big-sticky stout, is a substantial risk. For every .001 drop of the FG thanks to Brett, you'll get an extra .5 volumes of CO2. I'd suggest pitching Brett in a portion of the batch and holding it in a small fermentor with an airlock until the gravity stabilizes, then bottle. If not, put the bottles somewhere they won't cause any harm if they explode, and sample often!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-39297719342673052222014-09-21T23:50:58.102-04:002014-09-21T23:50:58.102-04:00I've brewed Ron's Courage 1914 recipe befo...I've brewed Ron's Courage 1914 recipe before and had great results. I'm getting ready to put together a new batch in the next couple of weeks. I've been thinking about setting aside some to bottle with Brett after a long secondary. That's a little different than what you did with your Brett batch. Any thoughts? Advice?kurineruhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09711604372815015222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-81702258204649283132014-07-21T20:48:17.935-04:002014-07-21T20:48:17.935-04:00I brought my annual bottle down to DC, intending t...I brought my annual bottle down to DC, intending to drink it. Then Ron Pattinson himself came to town (for an event at 3 Stars Brewing 1/2 mile down the road), so I gave him the bottle. The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-64652650980937500602014-07-21T20:35:42.397-04:002014-07-21T20:35:42.397-04:00Hey, is there a 2013 tasting, or did you drink all...Hey, is there a 2013 tasting, or did you drink all of your reserve up? I'm going to try your Kate the Great clone and then this.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11082460667669900400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-72169862666083233622014-06-05T18:21:55.417-04:002014-06-05T18:21:55.417-04:00Oak is certainly a concern, as is a big pile of ye...Oak is certainly a concern, as is a big pile of yeast and trub at the bottom. You want nowhere for the Brett to shelter.<br /><br />Brett-ing a portion of it is certainly a decent option, and would give you some control over the final result. Good luck!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-11311334250926372512014-06-05T12:29:03.315-04:002014-06-05T12:29:03.315-04:00Hey there. I brewed this beer a month ago and I ha...Hey there. I brewed this beer a month ago and I have some questions about how to proceed. The beer is currently sitting at 1.030ish and I am getting ready to add the Brett. However I already put the oak cubes in and I am worried that the sulphite will not kill the Brett if it gets into the wood. I cannot transfer the beer away from the oak as I have only 2 conicals and the other one is full of a beer that also needs some time yet. Should I a) proceed like normal and pitch Brett, and hope the sulphite kills the Brett in the wood, b) I was considering moving a portion (maybe 20%) of the beer into another smaller container and let the brett take it all the way down, then kill it and add it back, or c) something else? ThanksAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03916174792837229170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-1960773217806827862014-04-23T21:06:42.886-04:002014-04-23T21:06:42.886-04:00I think your last point is it, give it another few...I think your last point is it, give it another few months. Brett is usually fine at 9.5% ABV, but adding dregs aren't the healthiest cells. They'll acclimate, reproduce, then get going. It's not going to be a huge burst of activity, but you should see some airlock activity, surface activity, and a gravity drop. Feel free to add another bottle or two of dregs if you have them for insurance. Best of luck!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-8301214791638303642014-04-23T07:45:22.867-04:002014-04-23T07:45:22.867-04:00Hope it's not too late to jump in here - I mad...Hope it's not too late to jump in here - I made a very similar beer a few weeks ago, based on Harvey's LeCoq RIS (I live just down the road from the brewery in East Sussex). I split a 20 litre batch in two, bottling one half after secondary was finished and laying down the other half to secondary with Orval dregs. I added the dregs of one bottle to 10 litres but after 4 weeks there is no sign of any activity - no airlock action, no drop in gravity, not difference in taste. Could it be that the 9.5% Abv was too severe for the brett added without starter? The FG was 1.030 so there should be plenty of sugars for the brett to consume. Or am I just being impatient?<br /><br />Cheers!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13753752435847975330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-81573994551825706282014-01-29T15:49:16.274-05:002014-01-29T15:49:16.274-05:00Great thanks!Great thanks!Nicohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01289596566787762957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-715442022941797122014-01-28T22:30:45.559-05:002014-01-28T22:30:45.559-05:00A small starter wouldn't hurt if you are split...A small starter wouldn't hurt if you are splitting a single tube into 10 gallons, but honestly isn't necessary. This isn't a situation like a 100% Brett beer where you need quick action, the Brett will get the job done eventually either way.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-15552877878490829832014-01-27T17:50:53.034-05:002014-01-27T17:50:53.034-05:00I just brewed this and a barleywine modeled after ...I just brewed this and a barleywine modeled after this recipe this week, and I'll be adding White Labs Brett C to each of them in the secondary in a few weeks.<br /><br />Would you recommend making a starter from those vials? I've never used Brett before, and I noticed you only used a tbsp of your slurry, so I'd love to hear your thoughts.Nicohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01289596566787762957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-42545510654129129842012-12-25T10:01:10.190-05:002012-12-25T10:01:10.190-05:00Cheers! Sounds delicious! Planning to do a side-by...Cheers! Sounds delicious! Planning to do a side-by-side-by-side of mine with Courage and Le Coq in a few days.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-83603452283159161512012-12-24T10:28:01.971-05:002012-12-24T10:28:01.971-05:00Opened another of my series yesterday, after losin...Opened another of my series yesterday, after losing my notes last year and being too sick the year before. Almost five years old, this pours a very dark brown with a thin cafe au lait head that dissipates after 20 sec. Roasted notes are clear from the aroma with a little chocolate along side. Flavor is clearly a roasted/leathery flavor that complements the malt nicely by balancing some sweetness. Mouthfeel has thinned somewhat but is still very pleasant. Not particularly complex, but a very soothing, balanced RIS. I like this better than the recent commercial revival. No oak or scotch apart from the toasty/leathery above. This is becoming a great December tradition -thanks, Mike, for the recipe and idea!jemphdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17619442398606719211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-61878270844482470022012-01-04T15:14:55.385-05:002012-01-04T15:14:55.385-05:00Sounds like a blast. This one is still holding up ...Sounds like a blast. This one is still holding up well at almost five years, surprising how well a big dark beer can hold up.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.com