Re-introduction

pizza_guy

pizza_guy

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Hi again! I have been dormant for three years (!) and it seems a re-introduction would be in order.

I have been brewing since the 80's, off and on again, mostly off. Every few years, I would get the bug and do a dozen or so. And then... Oh, well.
So I have been a beginner for quite some time. At one time, I played with simple adjuncts, like crystal malt, roasted barley, etc. And for some time I was saving yeast.

I have maybe a pound or so of Cascade that's been in the freezer since I grew it two years ago. I hope it isn't gross. Yesterday and today, I brewed with some old cascade and southern cross pellets.

What else? I have about a hundred pounds each of Briess light, amber, and dark. They smell and taste okay. I even have some dry from 2006 that tastes fine and I just used it for my two kveik starters.

I have notes from previous batches, and they helped a lot to remember how to brew, but I still managed to trip up. Yesterday, I used a fine screen over my fermentation bucket, and it clogged badly with the hops. Today, I used a coarse (200) screen and it went perfectly. But I could not find my Star-San anywhere! I just used it last week, and now... Gone. Screw it. I had a spare, so I grudgingly used that.

Glad to be back, and I hope to stay with it this time!
 
pizza_guy said:
Hi again! I have been dormant for three years (!) and it seems a re-introduction would be in order.

I have been brewing since the 80's, off and on again, mostly off. Every few years, I would get the bug and do a dozen or so. And then... Oh, well.
So I have been a beginner for quite some time. At one time, I played with simple adjuncts, like crystal malt, roasted barley, etc. And for some time I was saving yeast.

I have maybe a pound or so of Cascade that's been in the freezer since I grew it two years ago. I hope it isn't gross. Yesterday and today, I brewed with some old cascade and southern cross pellets.

What else? I have about a hundred pounds each of Briess light, amber, and dark. They smell and taste okay. I even have some dry from 2006 that tastes fine and I just used it for my two kveik starters.

I have notes from previous batches, and they helped a lot to remember how to brew, but I still managed to trip up. Yesterday, I used a fine screen over my fermentation bucket, and it clogged badly with the hops. Today, I used a coarse (200) screen and it went perfectly. But I could not find my Star-San anywhere! I just used it last week, and now... Gone. Screw it. I had a spare, so I grudgingly used that.

Glad to be back, and I hope to stay with it this time!
Click to expand...
Welcome back! Not as much of a beginner as you think, I think.
 
Welcome back!
 
pizza_guy said:
Hi again! I have been dormant for three years (!) and it seems a re-introduction would be in order.

I have been brewing since the 80's, off and on again, mostly off. Every few years, I would get the bug and do a dozen or so. And then... Oh, well.
So I have been a beginner for quite some time. At one time, I played with simple adjuncts, like crystal malt, roasted barley, etc. And for some time I was saving yeast.

I have maybe a pound or so of Cascade that's been in the freezer since I grew it two years ago. I hope it isn't gross. Yesterday and today, I brewed with some old cascade and southern cross pellets.

What else? I have about a hundred pounds each of Briess light, amber, and dark. They smell and taste okay. I even have some dry from 2006 that tastes fine and I just used it for my two kveik starters.

I have notes from previous batches, and they helped a lot to remember how to brew, but I still managed to trip up. Yesterday, I used a fine screen over my fermentation bucket, and it clogged badly with the hops. Today, I used a coarse (200) screen and it went perfectly. But I could not find my Star-San anywhere! I just used it last week, and now... Gone. Screw it. I had a spare, so I grudgingly used that.

Glad to be back, and I hope to stay with it this time!
Click to expand...
One word when you lose your Star San - Amazon:)
 
Sandy Feet said:
One word when you lose your Star San - Amazon:)
Click to expand...
Well, I had a spare. "Two is one and one is none." I am still looking for the one I used on Thursday to sanitize my starter flasks.

For what it's worth, I originally started with bleach (yuck!) in the 80's and later went to iodophor. Then I discovered Star-San and it was like entering sanitation heaven. According to a Brewing Network interview with the chemist who invented it, one minute is way more than needed and it is active as long as the ph does not change (around 4?) It is no-clean, and is not harmful to yeast after the tiny film is diluted with gallons of wort. He said (paraphrasing), "Don't worry about the suds, and don't try to wash it off. Just leave it and you won't taste it." To me, this is the miracle sanitizer. And losing track of my main bottle was a big deal. Unless it went into the vortex where odd socks and lost pens go, I will someday find it again.
 
Okay, I have two in the primaries and have started prep for my next brew. I am still a beginner, and I am just brewing for the sake of brewing. Maybe some day I will try for styles, but for now, something is better than nothing.

So I am out of beer now. Even store-bought swill. Emergency. So I will keg my amber/kveik very soon and let my next age a bit. I plan to brew my third on the kegging day and drop the wort on the yeast cake. I expect the kveik to pick up with the fresh wort, which I will make a bit heavy with 7 of dark and 2 sugar. I won't be in a hurry on this batch. Comments?
 
Yeah...wee heavy or if you're using kveik, do a five gallon batch of Norwegian brown ale then use the yeast cake for a triple tungt mørkt....that could put a dent in those bags of malt!

Welcome back guy!
 
pizza_guy said:
Well, I had a spare. "Two is one and one is none." I am still looking for the one I used on Thursday to sanitize my starter flasks.

For what it's worth, I originally started with bleach (yuck!) in the 80's and later went to iodophor. Then I discovered Star-San and it was like entering sanitation heaven. According to a Brewing Network interview with the chemist who invented it, one minute is way more than needed and it is active as long as the ph does not change (around 4?) It is no-clean, and is not harmful to yeast after the tiny film is diluted with gallons of wort. He said (paraphrasing), "Don't worry about the suds, and don't try to wash it off. Just leave it and you won't taste it." To me, this is the miracle sanitizer. And losing track of my main bottle was a big deal. Unless it went into the vortex where odd socks and lost pens go, I will someday find it again.
Click to expand...
I always keep the Star San on top of my refrigerator with the kettle and the fermenter if they are not in use. That way I always know where it is.
 
pizza_guy said:
Okay, I have two in the primaries and have started prep for my next brew. I am still a beginner, and I am just brewing for the sake of brewing. Maybe some day I will try for styles, but for now, something is better than nothing.

So I am out of beer now. Even store-bought swill. Emergency. So I will keg my amber/kveik very soon and let my next age a bit. I plan to brew my third on the kegging day and drop the wort on the yeast cake. I expect the kveik to pick up with the fresh wort, which I will make a bit heavy with 7 of dark and 2 sugar. I won't be in a hurry on this batch. Comments?
Click to expand...
I'm not a big fan of Kviek. Others on here like it. I do like a good Brown Ale though. A Brown Ale with an English liquid yeast I would definitely like.
 
Welcome back.

Comments: sounds like a good return to action plan.
 
pizza_guy said:
Unless it went into the vortex where odd socks and lost pens go, I will someday find it again.
Click to expand...
Go check the closet. As we all know, socks get turned into wire coat hangers by the dryer. The bottle might've ended up in the same spot.
 
Actually, I found it today. I was getting a sander and discs and the Star San was with the sandpaper. Wuh?!
 
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