APA/IPA recipe feedback needed

[brahn]

I also add my whirlfloc at the 5 minute mark. If you're doing a whirlpool it's not going to be at boiling temps for more than 15 minutes in that scenario. I don't know at what temp it's "safe" for whirlfloc. Hops can cause haze as well if you're adding enough.

[dhempy]

Anyone using Irish Moss?

Dan

[JonW]

Anyone using Irish Moss?

Dan

I used Irish Moss for quite a while, but it clogged my kettle screen real bad. Whirlfloc is much better in that regards.

I think if you're whirlpooling and your temp is still in the 190 range, I'd just add the whirlfloc 10 mins prior to chilling. I do flame out additions frequently and whirlpool and I've been adding the whirlfloc at 10 minutes prior to flame out and have not noticed any issues with clarity. I think I'll try to pay more attention though and if I'm going to whirlpool for a while, I'll try to hold off on the whirlfloc addition until 10 minutes prior to chilling.

[DrDually]

I have tried whirl pooling, hop tacos, screens etc with varied success...and usually they plugged up
Then found this item http://stainlessbrewing.3dcartstores.co ... p_158.html
Using this hop spider has eliminated all hop debris from entering plate chiller
Also using this filter form Derrin http://www.brewershardware.com/FILTER1.html to catch any hot break that may get thru the hop spider

Enjoy

[lexuschris]

Then found this item http://stainlessbrewing.3dcartstores.co ... p_158.html
Using this hop spider has eliminated all hop debris from entering plate chiller.

Thanks for posting this link! I've been wanting to find a all metal hopspider to replace my paint strainer version.

I am also using irish-moss right now, but have also used whirlfloc. Just ended up buying a large bag because the price was right. I think both have worked well for me.
--LexusChris

[DrDually]

Then found this item http://stainlessbrewing.3dcartstores.co ... p_158.html
Using this hop spider has eliminated all hop debris from entering plate chiller.

Thanks for posting this link! I've been wanting to find a all metal hopspider to replace my paint strainer version.

I am also using irish-moss right now, but have also used whirlfloc. Just ended up buying a large bag because the price was right. I think both have worked well for me.
--LexusChris

Chris
If you are using keggles, the three rods will need to be trimmed.

[maltbarley]

And talk to Derrin, he made me one but hasn't posted them to the site, yet.

[dhempy]

That spider is the one I have. I made new inserts into the legs and used flat stock to go over the pot rim so that the lid will sit on there properly. I'll post some pics (once I get 'em shot)!

Dan

[lexuschris]

I use pellets, and I just toss them in the sanke fermenter after fermentation dies down. If you use leaf, you'd probably need some way to bag them.

Do the pellet hops drop down to the bottom during the cold crash? Any issues with kegging and getting too much hop trub?
--LexusChris

Yes, they settle out pretty good and as long as you don't push your racking arm down to far, you should be pulling good clear beer.

I was so encouraged to give this a try, I grabbed 4oz of Galaxy & 2oz of Ahtanum pellet hops and dumped them into the sanke fermenter today. I'll let them sit for 7 days as the yeast finishes up, then cold crash after next weekend.

Thanks again for all the good advice! Should be ready for next meeting!!

--LexusChris

[lexuschris]

hydrometer sample at kegging

DingyDingoIPA_FG.jpg (1.59 MiB) Viewed 13356 times

BTW, I used Irish Moss with 10 mins left in the boil. I then whirlpooled through the plate chiller to drop temp to 190-F then stopped. I added my whirlpool hops here as a hop stand of 25 minutes. It dropped to about 170-F in that time, then I put the whirlpool w/plate chiller back into action until it hit 100-F. Then I just did a gravity feed into the fermenter via the plate chiller.

Kegged it today, and it was crystal clear and extremely tasty! Definitely one of my best IPA efforts, so many thanks for all the great suggestions!

When I kegged, I had zero issues with hop material. The beer into the keg was crystal clear.

I did spend some extra time with a carboy brush on the insides, to be sure I got everything loose and out of the sanke. Very good tip! Thank you!
--LexusChris

[DrDually]

This is the cleaner I use
http://www.carboycleaner.com/buy-carboy-cleaner.html
Chuck into a cordless drill, add some water and detergent, place snake on side and clean
Does a nice job

Concerned about possibly leaving residue behind, take a look at this tool
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-Micro ... /203258908

Or this mirror and small light
http://www.lowes.com/pd_445739-48246-KD ... facetInfo=

[lexuschris]

Cool inspection tools... I really *need* to see inside my sanke .. I would just sleep better at night ..
--LexusChris

[Maltose Parrot]

I've been wanting one of those Rigid bore scopes for a long time!

[lexuschris]

Kegged it today, and it was crystal clear and extremely tasty! Definitely one of my best IPA efforts, so many thanks for all the great suggestions!

Well, I have some bad news.. and just wanted to share so that it might help others. What was a very tasty clean hoppy IPA during kegging, has become infected somehow while in the kegs. I am pretty sensitive to diacetyl, and this beer now has a medium level of diacetyl in the aroma & flavor.. like a rancid butter with some sweetness to it... butterscotchy in not a good way. UGH!

I noticed it in the first glass, once I had put it in the kegerator last week. I had just cleaned the keg lines, so dumped an extra pint or two, and tried again. Yup.. diacetyl.

Today, I used a picnic tap to go straight from this keg, and keg #2, and all of them were equally rancid. (not a great flavor, and hard to get out of your mouth...)

Seeing as it tasted really clean out of the sanke fermenter, it has to be the kegs themselves. Looking back, I now see some things that I should not have done. I had taken the weekend prior to kegging to clean a bunch of kegs. I used warm Oxyclean solution and Marks Keg washer to give them a long soak, and took off the posts and soaked them separately.

I normally, rinse than sanitize for storage, but I thought that I always re-sanitize before kegging, so skipped the sanitizer. I just rinsed them well with the garden hose... dumped the water, and put the lid on for storage. I do think this is inadvisable. My bad.

And now, looking back on kegging day, I remember one of the kegs had a real funky smell when I took the lid off. I re-rinsed it with hose water (and I might have givin it a quick shake with some oxyclean), then sanitized with SaniClean as usual. The 2nd keg did not smell funky, so I just sanitized as usual, and transferred the beer into the kegs.

My taster on kegging day, came straight from the sanke, and never saw the corny kegs. If there were fermentation based diacetyl, I surely would have noticed then. It was clean and tasty.

Another factor, is that the full kegs were stored at room temps for the past 2 weeks, as my kegerator was full. I did put some CO2 on there to carbonate them, but they were at a nice room temp for those 2 weeks.

If anyone has any other thoughts on what went wrong, I would love to hear them. This batch is a dumper... and I hate that. So, I will chalk this up to a learning experience, and try to learn everything I can from it.
---LexusChris

[lexuschris]

I forgot to mention my fermentation notes:

2 pkg US-05, rehydrated into a 1800ml starter on a stirplate overnight. I do not usually decant my small starters (<2L), and like to pitch at high krausen, which is approximately 18 hours afterwards. This starter had a really nice krausen.

Wort was at 72-F, when yeast pitched on brewday, I set the fermentation temp controller to SP=68F and it was 63-F the next morning. I let it raise to 66-F kept the SP=68F for 4 days... then raised the SP=70F. The beer had been at 66-65 for those first 4 days, then it naturally finished up at 66-68-F for the next 10 days. I then cold crashed it down to 36-F for 5 days prior to kegging.
--LexusChris