IBU's

[Sandy Feet]

Thanks. My grains are crushed. I don't have a mill and honestly don't want to bother unless it is a huge difference in performance. I brew 5 gallons about every two or three weeks. So I don't know how much benefit I get from buying in quantity. Right now I'm producing IPA's at about one dollar per bottle. Dry malt sounds like an easy cheap addition to up fermentable sugars. Even for bottling as a primer??? Thanks for the response... Chip

I think it is easier to use corn sugar if you are bottling. 5oz/3/4 cup for 5 gallons is very easy to measure. With a kitchen scale, you have a double check as that weighed 5 oz should fit perfectly in a 3/4 cup measuring cup.

 

[Josh Hughes]

Thanks. My grains are crushed. I don't have a mill and honestly don't want to bother unless it is a huge difference in performance. I brew 5 gallons about every two or three weeks. So I don't know how much benefit I get from buying in quantity. Right now I'm producing IPA's at about one dollar per bottle. Dry malt sounds like an easy cheap addition to up fermentable sugars. Even for bottling as a primer??? Thanks for the response... Chip

one of the Biggest changes in my brewing was when I bought a mill and crushed my own grain.

 

[Dave Y]

I just like to keep enough kits on hand for say six months or so. With the grain already milled the kits come with them vacuum packed so I'm not sure buying 50 lb bags will save me much especially if I have to mill it. I also have a buddy who owns a brew pub who says I do such a minimal amount he would give me the grain!!! It's not about saving money for me it's about creating the brew myself and I do actually enjoy knowing and doing it all myself. Thanks for the input... Chip

where in So.TX? I’m near-ish to San Antonio.

 

[Bigbre04]

Generally i wouldnt be worried about that small amount of sugar drying out anything. it would not affect your overall body unless you added a whole lot of it. if i need to bump up grav i just add Dextrose generally a fairly large dose 3-5% dextrose and it doesnt really change the body/mouthfeel.

 

[Bigbre04]

hops wise:

60min-20mins is straight bittering
20-5 mins adds bitterness but also flavor
10-0 mins adds flavor and aroma with less bittering
5-wp(185F) adds aroma and flavor
DH(active ferm) adds flavor and aroma
DH(post ferm) adds mostly aroma

all of the additions overlap to some extent.

If you want more bitterness shift your schedule to earlier in the boil OR you could add weight to the earlier additions.

for a juicy IPA, I like to add all of my hops at 5-0 and WP with big dryhops during fermentation(for biotransformation).
For a APA i would add a small Bittering addition ~6-10 IBUs of something very strong like CTZ or magnum and then the rest to taste based on your goals for the beer.

This is a juicy ipa i brewed on thursday and im carbonating today
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/embed/1541664

this is a west coast that im going to brew soon
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/embed/1524873

This juicy is on draft now
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/embed/1533694

This is a pale ale i brewed back in june last year
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/embed/1481668

 

[Chip99]

where in So.TX? I’m near-ish to San Antonio.

Bayview. Maybe 25 minutes from South Padre Island. My son lives in Spring Branch north of San Antonio... Chip

 

[Chip99]

hops wise:

60min-20mins is straight bittering
20-5 mins adds bitterness but also flavor
10-0 mins adds flavor and aroma with less bittering
5-wp(185F) adds aroma and flavor
DH(active ferm) adds flavor and aroma
DH(post ferm) adds mostly aroma

all of the additions overlap to some extent.

If you want more bitterness shift your schedule to earlier in the boil OR you could add weight to the earlier additions.

for a juicy IPA, I like to add all of my hops at 5-0 and WP with big dryhops during fermentation(for biotransformation).
For a APA i would add a small Bittering addition ~6-10 IBUs of something very strong like CTZ or magnum and then the rest to taste based on your goals for the beer.

This is a juicy ipa i brewed on thursday and im carbonating today
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/embed/1541664

this is a west coast that im going to brew soon
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/embed/1524873

This juicy is on draft now
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/embed/1533694

This is a pale ale i brewed back in june last year
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/embed/1481668

Wow! So much info! Thanks, I'm going to have to digest it all... Chip

 

[Chip99]

Generally i wouldnt be worried about that small amount of sugar drying out anything. it would not affect your overall body unless you added a whole lot of it. if i need to bump up grav i just add Dextrose generally a fairly large dose 3-5% dextrose and it doesnt really change the body/mouthfeel.

Dextrose I'm assuming that is corn sugar? Thanks for the reply. I didn't think that 8 ounces of corn sugar or DME would change much in a 5 gallon batch. Add at 10 in the boil? Thanks... Chip

 

[Chip99]

one of the Biggest changes in my brewing was when I bought a mill and crushed my own grain.

Do you think it really improved your results? Thanks Josh... Chip

 

[Chip99]

I think it is easier to use corn sugar if you are bottling. 5oz/3/4 cup for 5 gallons is very easy to measure. With a kitchen scale, you have a double check as that weighed 5 oz should fit perfectly in a 3/4 cup measuring cup.

Thanks. I have been using corn sugar and my ROT is one oz per gallon. I've been weighing mine but will start using the 3/4 cup recommendation to make it easier. Just ordered a 3/4 measuring cup just for this purpose (to quit stealing stuff from the wife's kitchen)! (-; Chip

 

[Chip99]

Best method to get the taste the recipe is shooting for

So, the question is, how? When do you take the SG reading? During the boil? That seems to me to be the time when you could actually affect what the starting SG will be. After the wort cool down? How would you change the SG if it was too low? If too high would you add more water? The concept of brewing to SG sounds good and scientifically sound (I'm an engineer), but how do you do it in practice??? Thanks for the input Josh... Chip

 

[Bigbre04]

So, the question is, how? When do you take the SG reading? During the boil? That seems to me to be the time when you could actually affect what the starting SG will be. After the wort cool down? How would you change the SG if it was too low? If too high would you add more water? The concept of brewing to SG sounds good and scientifically sound (I'm an engineer), but how do you do it in practice??? Thanks for the input Josh... Chip

I take a measurement at the beginning of boil(right when it starts to roll) and at the end of boil.

If my first reading is really off sometimes I take another sample incase the first got diluted or the boil wasn't fully rolling(mixing the whole volume...sugar is heavy and will sit lower until it all gets to even temp)

And yep dextrose is corn sugar.

 

[Sandy Feet]

I take it when transferring into the fermenter. That way there isn't really an adjustment at that temperature. If you take readings with hot liquid, you have to use a calculator to adjust it. Hydrometers are supposed to be scaled for 68 degree liquid.

 

[Chip99]

I take a measurement at the beginning of boil(right when it starts to roll) and at the end of boil.

If my first reading is really off sometimes I take another sample incase the first got diluted or the boil wasn't fully rolling(mixing the whole volume...sugar is heavy and will sit lower until it all gets to even temp)

And yep dextrose is corn sugar.

My boil starts at about 6.5 gallons and after an hour it's about 5.5 gallons when I'm ready to cool. Isn't that going to change the SG? Chip

 

[Chip99]

I take it when transferring into the fermenter. That way there isn't really an adjustment at that temperature. If you take readings with hot liquid, you have to use a calculator to adjust it. Hydrometers are supposed to be scaled for 68 degree liquid.

But at that point you can't do anything to change the SG right? So you just keep notes on what you did and then (if it was say too low for your liking) add more fermentables on the next batch? Keep adjusting subsequent batches until you get it where you want?

Is there no way to adjust final SG during a single brewing session? Thanks... Chip

 

[Dave Y]

So, the question is, how? When do you take the SG reading? During the boil? That seems to me to be the time when you could actually affect what the starting SG will be. After the wort cool down? How would you change the SG if it was too low? If too high would you add more water? The concept of brewing to SG sounds good and scientifically sound (I'm an engineer), but how do you do it in practice??? Thanks for the input Josh... Chip

https://www.amazon.com/Brix-Refract...efractometer&sprefix=refractom,aps,144&sr=8-4

Mine is within 0.002 of my tilts, which are for all practical purposes equal to my old school hydrometer.
The refractometer lets you get gravity readings on you wort as you mash, at the boil, beginning, middle, end... whenever. So long as there’s no alcohol.

 

[Bigbre04]

My boil starts at about 6.5 gallons and after an hour it's about 5.5 gallons when I'm ready to cool. Isn't that going to change the SG? Chip

i put the sample back into the kettle. my hydrometer tube holds about 300ml. i generally pull around 350ml and cool it using an icewater bath.

 

[Bigbre04]

I take it when transferring into the fermenter. That way there isn't really an adjustment at that temperature. If you take readings with hot liquid, you have to use a calculator to adjust it. Hydrometers are supposed to be scaled for 68 degree liquid.

my hydrometers are calibrated and include a little thermometer in them, BUT they are Expensive(~$65 each 0-8p, 8-16p, and 16-24p) and super fragile. I have a plastic one for backup and a quality refract that i can trust(annoying since it is in brix).

I actually had the kitchen guys shatter a couple of them on accident... that sucked, but i ended up getting a set of "indestructible" ones, but they are not temp calibrated.

 

[Sandy Feet]

But at that point you can't do anything to change the SG right? So you just keep notes on what you did and then (if it was say too low for your liking) add more fermentables on the next batch? Keep adjusting subsequent batches until you get it where you want?

Is there no way to adjust final SG during a single brewing session? Thanks... Chip

You can take preboil readings and compare them with the software. Then, add more water or boil more off.
I am comfortable enough with what I do just to take a reading going into the fermenter. I have been reasonably close the last few batches. Still learning, you may want to take another one preboil (making sure you adjust for temperature if using a hydrometer).

 

[Chip99]

https://www.amazon.com/Brix-Refractometer-ATC-Dual-Scale/dp/B01LW2ZU6R?crid=SR67OHG88TH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mAFbtQfNJ-3M-o4ymIBIGRbMuLLF-AHgnLYgfpXii_YJF0AFnepljO69imcWv9gn3lqegzCCH3rE5wd6hNr3L7xtral1iqXhVuDTK8PHv8-J5n703QL3RGI2CyIVQDu5674a2186J4gJwslJ8yhx93obCI03Sts7J0JTJTeQLWvHPMJa3_5ua5c1MjOcNM7qawYZaqDQf_80oJgblB5xZ6SUgjkJZHzjy_1GudGXX9Q.BHEGtwImmiamxwx3RoARvhL_KniSW-4mY2baH9Zi6GE&dib_tag=se&keywords=refractometer&sprefix=refractom,aps,144&sr=8-4

Mine is within 0.002 of my tilts, which are for all practical purposes equal to my old school hydrometer.
The refractometer lets you get gravity readings on you wort as you mash, at the boil, beginning, middle, end... whenever. So long as there’s no alcohol.

So which reading is the correct one to use as a starting SG? I have one of these and abandoned it when I found out it didn't work without correction with alcohol. I still have it but did not think about using it for the wort or boil after I used it for FG and found it so far off. And at the time I did not realize that you need a correction with alcohol. I'll have to try it again. Thanks... Chip