[Drewch]

Is this a Kvass inspired recipe?  I’m very intrigued as to how this comes out. Please keep us posted.

Not directly — I've just read about people brewing with sourdough cultures, and a friend of ours gave my wife some sourdough starter a little bit ago. I mean, it's all the same bugs: sacc, lacto, etc.

But kvass is definitely on my to-do list.  I just need to convince my wife to try some rye bread.

[Megary]

Is this a Kvass inspired recipe?  I’m very intrigued as to how this comes out. Please keep us posted.

Not directly — I've just read about people brewing with sourdough cultures, and a friend of ours gave my wife some sourdough starter a little bit ago. I mean, it's all the same bugs: sacc, lacto, etc.

But kvass is definitely on my to-do list.  I just need to convince my wife to try some rye bread.

Got it.  Kvass is on my list as well.  Just hoping the wife gets that sourdough starter going like she’s been wanting since Covid.  lol.

[CounterPressure]

Today I made my first ever try at a Vienna Lager. Pitched the wort on top of 34-70 mixed with S23 (not by choice). Some night this week I hope to do a Wit Pale Ale, though it might have to wait for the lager to be warming up before I can start that.  Refer storage is getting sorta full.

[BrewBama]

Brewing a Festbier today




One day, you’ll wake up and there won’t be anymore time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Don’t wait. Do it now.

[CounterPressure]

No mention of a mash temp.  Where are you mashing at, or are you doing a few steps?
I see you're using equal amounts Gypsum/Calcium Cl.  Similar to my Irish Red, but no mention of any acid additions.  Do you add any?

My recipe for Sunday was a little simpler...
20# Vienna Malt
2.5oz Hersbrucker. 60 min.
Lol.
Obviously there were water adjustments and whirlflock/Yeast Nutrient, but the grain bill / hop schedule was as simple as it gets.

[BrewBama]

No mention of a mash temp.  Where are you mashing at, or are you doing a few steps?

A typical Hochkurz mash might involve an initial beta amylase (or maltose) rest at approximately 144°F/62°C, a step up to about 158°F/70°C for an alpha amylase (or dextrinization) rest, then finally raising the temperature to 170°F/77°F or so for a mash out step.  I used 140°F and 152°F.

…no mention of any acid additions.  Do you add any?

No. I find my mash is always in the neighborhood of ~5.3 pH

[BrewBama]

Making Cider today




One day, you’ll wake up and there won’t be anymore time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Don’t wait. Do it now.

[CounterPressure]

Today it's a recipe off the Briess site. "Wit"Ness Pale Ale.  Sounded too interesting to not try.  First time even hearing about their CaraCrystal Wheat malt.  Have to say, even raw it tastes pretty amazing.  Used a balanced profile in BrunWater, and already overshot the mash temp some due to the temps here are quite warm and I didn't account for that. Added a little cold water and moved on.  Hopefully everything will be fine. 90 min mash under way.

I'm curious to see the color of this. This 55srm wheat isn't supposed to change the color that much.
It's also my first time using Mandarina Bavaria (and a ton of it!).  In total this 10G recipe uses 12oz of hops.

https://www.brewingwithbriess.com/recipes/beer/display/witness_pale_ale

[BrewBama]

That sounds like a really nice summer recipe.


One day, you’ll wake up and there won’t be anymore time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Don’t wait. Do it now.

[CounterPressure]

That sounds like a really nice summer recipe.

I'm hoping! The wort sure tasted good. Looking at it in the kettle, it looked darker than the 8srm the recipe says, but not much. I was unable to pick out the bitter-orange-peel but that's probably supposed to be real subtle, which it is. Better subtle vs overpowering. Might not pitch the yeast till tomorrow morning due to the starter being.... really slow.... again....
Might end up tossing the wlp400 and just using slurry I have on hand...

[Drewch]

Making Cider today

Have you used TF-6 before? What kind of character do you get from it?

[BrewBama]

I haven’t. I read it leaves a fuller mouthfeel and fruitier character. I thought I’d give it a go. That ‘Med Sweet’ is a placeholder and can/will change based on results.


One day, you’ll wake up and there won’t be anymore time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Don’t wait. Do it now.

[CounterPressure]

It's been 10 years since I made cider and I'm not sure TF-6 even existed at that time. My brother and I took apples from our farm to a friend with another farm and a cider press, he pressed the apples and we made 20 gallon or so of cider from that. I'm going to say I just pitched S04 slurry and that was it. I'm not sure what my brother did but he may have done the same or just pitched dry yeast . I know it's been a long time but I don't think I even did a boil.

[Drewch]

...I'm going to say I just pitched S04 slurry and that was it....

I haven’t. I read it leaves a fuller mouthfeel and fruitier character. I thought I’d give it a go....

Copy.  I've mostly used English beer strains — with good success — and have never used an actual cider strain.  I tried using a German ale strain once but it came out weird.  I have a few bottles of that one still aging: maybe it'll improve with time. 🤷‍♂️ I hope to someday get a hold of some proper straight-from-the-orchard apples and try the spontaneous approach.

[BrewBama]

Brewing a Märzen this AM




One day, you’ll wake up and there won’t be anymore time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Don’t wait. Do it now.