tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.comments2024-02-23T15:34:32.816-05:00The Mad Fermentationist - Homebrewing BlogThe Mad Fermentationist (Mike)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comBlogger9632125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-55760707879711132832024-01-25T18:52:50.044-05:002024-01-25T18:52:50.044-05:00Gingerbeerplant.net, guy by the name of Jim. Only ...Gingerbeerplant.net, guy by the name of Jim. Only scoby he sells so no cross contamination. Used him twice. Definitely legit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-60991902929706852852024-01-06T16:22:40.718-05:002024-01-06T16:22:40.718-05:00I'd toss them right in!I'd toss them right in!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-62893232632807264942023-12-28T15:29:25.113-05:002023-12-28T15:29:25.113-05:00Doing my sour following amandaKs/Piatz recipe. Ca...Doing my sour following amandaKs/Piatz recipe. Can I just pour dregs straight from bottle into fermentor with the wyeast lambic blend, or do I still need to make a small starter<br /><br />Thanks MikeDanJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14942942981351465565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-54610332869741353592023-12-21T13:39:33.235-05:002023-12-21T13:39:33.235-05:00I generally disagree with #3 in regards to your co...I generally disagree with #3 in regards to your commentary on what judges can and cannot do at the table. I strive to provide as much constructive, actionable feedback as I possibly can (with the understanding that I don't have access to the recipe or any process details).<br /><br />The one aspect I will agree with is that this is "the best" way to get feedback. For those who don't have access to a homebrew club (or are in a club largely populated by newer homebrewers and/or no BJCP / known-good palates to lean on for advice, competitions may be the only outlet for feedback, but as you stated the best avenue is to share the beer with someone with whom you can have a discussion about it.<br /><br />But overall I feel your tone regarding competitions and judging is unnecessarily negative.Boo-Urnsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-15314941724310615772023-11-30T08:36:15.709-05:002023-11-30T08:36:15.709-05:00Reaaaallly old post, but here goes:
Chiming in fr...Reaaaallly old post, but here goes:<br /><br />Chiming in from Eritrea..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-76397486707147412522023-08-28T00:49:49.882-04:002023-08-28T00:49:49.882-04:00I just brewed this, updated based on the comments:...I just brewed this, updated based on the comments:<br />60% rye<br />23% gno<br />12% vienna<br />5% rice hulls<br /><br />2/1 hop ratio 2.1% ABV<br /><br />Hops are lovely, and I am very stoked on the body! I was even able to fly sparge.<br /><br />Thanks for keeping the blog up, there are a lot of gems in here.robotinchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15835607524494145881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-13268218476184086292023-07-29T18:11:21.790-04:002023-07-29T18:11:21.790-04:00Time flies! I was finally throwing away my stockpi...Time flies! I was finally throwing away my stockpile of commercial bottles since I haven't brewed a batch at home in almost five years.<br /><br />I was primarily talkin about all-grain brewing, but the high-water to-grain and thus pH would certainly make extract steeping grains potentially more problematic.<br /><br />Malt contains phenolics, so you can still have problems with chlorophenols even with a full boil. A charcoal filter is a great inexpensive option if you want to remove chlorine. Another is to collect the water the night before and add a little campden (metabisulfite). We've done that at the brewer a couple times when we've accidentally collected water with the filter off. <br /><br />Cheers!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-89750233760944352972023-07-26T14:33:06.822-04:002023-07-26T14:33:06.822-04:00I'm curious if at the time of original posting...I'm curious if at the time of original posting (I know there's been a lot of discussion in the intervening 10-12 years) if you were discussing extract brewing? I notice most of the objectors to #4 about squeezing the bag seem to be assuming you were squeezing a BIAB sack and not "steeping grains". <br /><br />For what it's worth I agree on the steeping grains and small amount of water. There isn't going to be any fermentable sugar to get from the grains if they are just crystal malts and you do risk putting tannins from the steep.<br /><br />You also mentioned in #3 the use of chlorinated water. The chlorophenol is something I definitely want to check out, but in a full boil wouldn't all of that come out prior to the yeast having a shot at it?<br /><br />Both of those do come into play with an extract recipe (which lot's of first time brewers may be trying). Many recipes for extract are no-boil where the LME might be heated on the stove enough to get the material out of the can and then tap water is used to cool and dilute. Under those conditions yeast to chlorine contact is likely.<br /><br />It also points out a couple things in my current brewing situation that I might think some more about. I have been brewing some of the best beer I have ever made with the BeerMKR machine (www.beermkr.com) but making my own recipes has been an adaptation task. For example the machine does not boil but it does pasturize. This means that unsoftened tap water I've been using also contains chlorine that doesn't have a way out. The batch where I boiled my hops ahead of time for brew water (not much isomerization at 160F) turned out really well and maybe that's because the boil blew off the chlorine.<br /><br />Nice post that's held up really well for 10 years. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-82754903165626416062023-07-21T21:01:41.784-04:002023-07-21T21:01:41.784-04:00Let me know how it turns out!Let me know how it turns out!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-48778331119483200122023-07-13T14:36:03.400-04:002023-07-13T14:36:03.400-04:00In Norway, as a kid, we used to peel rhubarb, dip ...In Norway, as a kid, we used to peel rhubarb, dip them in sugar, and eat, (raw). It was the sweet/sour «candy» we could get when parents didnt wanna give us money for real candy. Actually, it was kinda cool.<br />Tomorrow Im making a rhubarb sour ale. That is; the sour ale been on an oak barrel for 3 mnd, Im just moving it over to a PET tank with the rhubarb. 10l. The other 10l (from the barrel) is going on some strawberries, with vanilla added. Strawberry sundae sour ale.<br /><br />Pete the ManAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-28976174813938092382023-06-25T10:58:40.556-04:002023-06-25T10:58:40.556-04:00It’s hard to get it where I brew, there’s a group ...It’s hard to get it where I brew, there’s a group of brewers that pass around a culture of cosmic punch and if helio gazer that has been built up from homebrew packs someone brought from overseas. I kept hearing about it and how people were using cosmic punch in hazies, but it sounded much better for a golden to us, so we did a nice easy golden with perle in the mash, 180g/bbl Hallertau and mosaic in the whirlpool, and 300g/bbl dry hop Hallertau blanc and mandarina and it was wonderful white wine. Really love it as a tool, really don’t want it to take over. But I think it’ll go the way of Kveik (which I love and often use) a huge rush to it at the beginning and then just a regular thing we use sometimes after the initial fun and shock wears offAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-88492002873829830342023-06-03T17:16:35.567-04:002023-06-03T17:16:35.567-04:00Lost Abbey Red Poppy starts as an English Mild ble...Lost Abbey Red Poppy starts as an English Mild blended with a Mexican Lager, Duchesse is a more classic Flemish base. Something like this would be a good base (the corn even makes sense for the Mexican Lager portion): https://www.themadfermentationist.com/2011/07/red-wine-yeast-flemish-ale.html<br /><br />After a year or so, add cherries (I like a blend of sour and dark/sweet) - 1-2 lbs/gal depending on the intensity you'd like. Cacao nibs would be the best option for the chocolate notes. <br /><br />Best of luck! Let me know if you have any other questions, and how it turns out!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-28133979379314460332023-05-31T17:44:03.695-04:002023-05-31T17:44:03.695-04:00I am looking to create a Flander red ale with The...I am looking to create a Flander red ale with The Lost Abbeys Red Poppy and Chocolate Cherry Duchesse in mind. I'm not looking for a clone of either specially but I was hoping you could point me in the direction of a clone/recipe that could get me started. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-80438575006386866632023-05-19T07:02:59.410-04:002023-05-19T07:02:59.410-04:00Very well written article, congrats on the great s...Very well written article, congrats on the great synopsis of all the points involved. Since @Andreas Hakansson already mentioned the idea, I would like to chip in from a winemaker´s perspective: enzymes can be an easy, non-GM tool to extract more the aroma components/precursors from the raw materials. Most of the relevant encymes are retarded by the presence of sugar, so they are not able to do a proper job until after the fermentation. By then, the yeast has already used whatever precursors were available and will ignore any who are late to the party.<br /><br />Word of warning: I currently work for Erbslöh Geisenheim.<br />We have great success with a specialised, rather unique encyme, Trenolin Bouquet. It is able to work even in sugar-rich media (grape must will have about 200g/l) and can bring out a range of aromatic components. With grapes, it can increase the extraction of thiols by 50-100%. Give it a try on beer mashes or hop extractions. I bet you will be surprised.Sebastian Bausingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-82711587939214077442023-05-19T06:09:05.822-04:002023-05-19T06:09:05.822-04:00You forgot to mention the White Labs option, a non...You forgot to mention the White Labs option, a non GMO blend of brewing yeast with high beta lyase activityAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-26372387426707263902023-05-18T09:55:34.612-04:002023-05-18T09:55:34.612-04:00Jason, the batch of Field Learning is the only Thi...Jason, the batch of Field Learning is the only Thiol "focused" mixed-ferm batch we've released. We do have a couple pale ales with Cosmic Punch in barrels now with our microbes which are tasting great!<br /><br />Andreas, we've used some enzymes for other hop-related expressions (e.g., Beta Glycosidase). It looks like there is at least a couple options on the market for wine, although they seem to talk about being synergistic with the yeast. The pH range may be tricky as well as they are designed for wine with a pH <4. <br /><br />I really like the idea of adding an enzyme as it allows more control, and avoids the issue of having to "commit" to a Thiolized strain for an entire run. The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-26325628291191154832023-05-18T04:23:27.959-04:002023-05-18T04:23:27.959-04:00Great summary and thanks for sharing! Great work.
...Great summary and thanks for sharing! Great work.<br /><br />For us in Europe, as you mentioned, GM is off hands. What about using thiol releasing enzyes directly in the fermenter, do you have any experience with that? Seems like most people are focused on yeast for thiol release and I haven't found too much information about using enzymes directly. There was one Brülosophy experience where they tried it, however they were not able to tell the difference when comparing with the control beer.Andreas Hakanssonhttps://saezson.esnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-69045777862152791392023-05-17T13:14:26.528-04:002023-05-17T13:14:26.528-04:00For me, I don't see much room in the toolbox f...For me, I don't see much room in the toolbox for Phantasm and thiol-releasing yeasts. When I hop at my usual rates for a highly-hopped IPA (the beer style where these flavors would be most useful), the hops just seem to drown out the thiol contribution. When I've backed off on my hopping rate to let the thiols stand out more, I miss the extra hops.<br /><br />I may try something like a Helio Gazer American Wheat as a summer ale, but that's the only use I can really see it for - to add tropical flavor to a beer that is not hop-dominant.<br /><br />They make the best smelling starters ever though, for sure. I can smell that papaya/passionfruit aroma from across the room. Eric Branchaudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15107351232072273246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-21803559451106997762023-05-17T06:59:20.621-04:002023-05-17T06:59:20.621-04:00Any thoughts on how thiolized yeast might work (or...Any thoughts on how thiolized yeast might work (or not) with funky beers? Jasonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-85964514653814292982023-05-16T17:06:39.382-04:002023-05-16T17:06:39.382-04:00It's done great with my hazy IPAs near end of ...It's done great with my hazy IPAs near end of fermentation.. or it could of been the giant bomb of nelson and citra in the DH.. but I feel like my aromatics last longer when I use a couple grams per 5 gal batch... also adding cascade in the mash, and omega yeast. The commercial beers I've had have been great. No complaints here. <br />@jesusdrinksbeerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-50222952707673934892023-05-16T14:15:13.528-04:002023-05-16T14:15:13.528-04:00Almost every "thiololized" Hazy or IPA I...Almost every "thiololized" Hazy or IPA I've had I didn't really care for. They are not bad, just add another weird flavor component that seems to overcomplicate what the Brewer is trying to deliver. Kinda reminds me of the promises of kviek and it's sometimes unwanted flavor components. <br />Actually, now that I think about it, phantasm would probably be great in a hop forward farmhouse or saison. M_brewskinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-69056571990115844632023-05-16T09:58:47.309-04:002023-05-16T09:58:47.309-04:00I’ve definitely learned that Phantasm isn’t my thi...I’ve definitely learned that Phantasm isn’t my thing. I’m going to continue seeing where thiol expression can be advantageous, but I’m writing that one product off unless someone comes up with a method that actually results in a positive change to the beer flavor profileMarconoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-48649544544466733702023-05-08T15:03:23.005-04:002023-05-08T15:03:23.005-04:00Here is the most up=to-date version, but still abo...Here is the most up=to-date version, but still about a year old. https://imgur.com/HdjlWYxThe Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-33982295527570784362023-05-02T16:19:27.870-04:002023-05-02T16:19:27.870-04:00Is there an updated version of this as of 2023?Is there an updated version of this as of 2023?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-18017060246646003142023-04-27T12:14:46.618-04:002023-04-27T12:14:46.618-04:00How much alpha extract would you add to 5 gallons?...How much alpha extract would you add to 5 gallons?Garyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18155731752838689025noreply@blogger.com