The Beer Nerd - what are you drinking / brewing thread

Check out Cloudburst Brewing if you have time

 

Crap, that would have been a great stop. I think we actually did look that place up and kind of knew about it, but that days plans for a bit messed up after we hit Drakes.

We actually hit up the San Leandro morebeer, looking for sour yeast we can't get here. Our store carries Wyeast and White Labs and dry. Morebeer listed MegaPaks and Imperial online. They had expired Mega mixed culture and gave us 2 free. We bought some other stuff there. I will have to mail order the 2 imperial cultures...

 

Yes you can but it's gonna depend. If you skip secondary to keg you miss the chance to avoid more yeast dropping out in the secondary so it will be in your keg. You can try to alleviate that by cold crashing or before transfer.

So I did what you propose with a pils. It isn't as clear as I would like. I may open it up and dump some gelatin to help it. But that is with a beer that should be very clear. I also could have avoided some of that by taking more carefully. Usually I always have a secondary and I don't mind transferring a little yeast over.

 

I am making an IPA and now that I think of it, I have another package of hops to dry hop with so I might have to switch to secondary. The bubbling on the first fermentation has stopped so I assume it's done. I need to start checking specific gravity to really confirm, is that correct? Sorry I am new to the home brew! Cheers.

 

I don't personally secondary unless I'm aging on oak (RIS) or adding fruit or trying to get rid of head space for extended ageing, like wine.

I just dry hop in the primary then, like @KeptOnChooglin mentioned, cold crash then keg. I find that transferring a bunch of times just allows oxygen in and I can't stand that wet cardboard flavor. If/when I do transfer I usually do it while fermentation is still active just so the remaining yeast can take up some of the o2.

As far as when the beer is finished fermenting you'll need to take a SG sample two days or so apart and make sure it's not longer dropping. This is particularly important if you are bottling. If you add priming sugar and the beer still has fermentables you're setting yourself up for bottle bombs. Kegging and force carbing a little more lenient, I just keg now when it hits the FG I think it should.

 

Thanks for the help, I plan to cold crash the keg in the keezer so that should help.

 

I will dry hop in the primary and transfer to the keg and cold crash. I will look into the SG sampling. I don't bottle and go straight to keg and force carb so thats helpful to know. I have only done two IPA kits so I have a lot to learn but I enjoy the process. The first batch was bad from oxygen being introduced between secondary and keg transfer.

 

If you can cold crash in the fermenter it'd leave more yeast behind. Also cold beer doesn't absorb O2 as easily!

Good luck and I'm sure it'll be fine.

 

I love when you guys talk about the birth of beer.

 

Heady on the Atlantic...

Currently living the definition of “idletyme”

Camping in Acadia National Park enjoying some Vermont brews

 

A Pike IPA ($7) on the Seattle whale watching tour to San Juan islands , Friday Harpor and British Columbia.

 

Stopping at trillium brewery tomorrow in Boston. Never had it so anyone have suggestions? I really like the hazy New England style IPAs but I’m open to any kind one

 

Yes. Get one of everything.

 

Yeah! And mail me one of everything!

 

I plan to grab quite a few if I can buy them in singles just to try as many as I can. Just wasn’t sure if there’s something specific

 

Common Roots Daylight DIPA

 

Got screwed hard at work today. More of the same tomorrow and Sunday. Beerz.....

 

This Holiday... has been AMAZING

 

I need to get my hands on some alchemist brews. I never tried them