HomeBrewers

[cheier]

Originally Posted by densa44

Get the best water you can, Calgary city is pretty good but there may be better.

"Best" can be subjective. The trick is in the mineral profile of the water, as there are some minerals that work well with hop bitterness and others that work well for stouts. So far, I'm finding Cochrane water great, after putting it through a charcoal filter. Don't use any tap water unless you put it through a charcoal filter or use campden tablets. Preferably filter. Get that chlorine out of there. It wreaks havoc on the yeast and can leave medicinal off flavors in your beer.

If you have the mineral profile, you can use the information in most brewing software and then make mineral adjustments based on what water profile you are trying to mimic. If you can't do it with tap water, start with RO water. Pretty much no minerals at all with a neutral pH (around 7 to 7.3 I think). From there you can build up a custom water profile.

EDIT: I used well water up on my dads acreage through a filter for a honey IPA. Turned out phenomenal.

[chanter]

Originally Posted by Jmaccan

Here's a picture of my keg fridge. Fastest and easiest bottling day involves no bottles to wash, just a keg or two using PBW and Starsan. I short my brew house kit 4 litres of water, slightly higher alcohol but the batch fits into the keg that way. I'm uploading this from iPhone, but its turning the picture for some reason, sorry.

NICE! I'm insulating my cold room and will run a AC unit into it for my kegs, and then I can lager as well.

Heres my current line up:
Northern English Brown, Citra IPA (I used ESB yeast),Dunkelweizen,FrenchSaison, Pumpkin Spiced Ale, Imperial IPA (220 IBUs), smoked Porter and a XMAS ale (8.8% to help deal with family)

All this beer and no hockey to watch.

[cheier]

What did you do for a Dunkelweizen recipe? I'm brewing one tomorrow and building my yeast starter tonight.

My current draught lineup:

Simcoe Pale Ale, Honey Oatmeal Stout, Smoked Porter, India Black Ale, Belgian Dubbel.

[chanter]

Its Jamils recipe from "Brewing Classic Styles"

6.9 lbs Wheat
2 lbs Pilsner
3 lbs munich
6oz Special B
6oz Crystal 40
2oz Carafa Special 2
16 IBUs of Hallertau (all at 60min)
*90min boil, mash at 152. (I mashed-in lower and did a bit of a STEP mash)
OG 1.056
FG 10.14
ABV 5.6%
I used Wyeast 3068 which has the big banana/clove aromas.

Good luck!

[chanter]

Originally Posted by cheier

What did you do for a Dunkelweizen recipe? I'm brewing one tomorrow and building my yeast starter tonight.

My current draught lineup:

Simcoe Pale Ale, Honey Oatmeal Stout, Smoked Porter, India Black Ale, Belgian Dubbel.

Im doing a Belgian Double next, I have the candy sugar but really want to use the dark candy syrup if I can find it. That Simcoe Pale Ale Sounds awesome.

[DeNomad]

Originally Posted by chanter

Im doing a Belgian Double next, I have the candy sugar but really want to use the dark candy syrup if I can find it. That Simcoe Pale Ale Sounds awesome.

Here is my recipe for home made dark candi syrup. I've used it in 2 batches of three philsopher's clone and it's better than the three philsopher's hands down. Use a good candy thermometer and be standing by with the water. If you go over the temperatures listed you will end up with a burnt marshmellow flavour instead of dark plum/fruit.

Homemade D2 Candi Syrup Clone
6 oz Dextrose
26 oz Sucrose (Rogers, Fine Granulated, Beet Sugar)
2 cups H20
3 teaspoons DAP
- Heated to 285 F
- Added 1 cup H20
- Heated to 290 F
- Added 1/2 cup H20
- Heated to 280 F
- Added 1/2 cup H20
- Poured into pre-heated mason jar
Total Volume Obtained: 3.25 cups =.2031 gallons
Syrup Weight: 35.3 oz
Est. Syrup SG: 1.037

Nice to see active home brewers/hunters in the Edmonton area!

Currently on tap: All Simcoe IIPA, Belgian Blackberry Saison, Imperial Pumpkin Pie Ale, British ESB, American Brown Ale, Belgian Quad (with home made candi syrup)

[cheier]

I was thinking of doing a candi syrup, but the method I was considering was just taking the amber cane sugar rocks I have and making a syrup with that.

I did look at that Jamil recipe in Brewing Classic Styles, but I figured I'd take a different direction. Instead of going with that raisiny special B flavour, I was going to try and pair some slightly nuttier flavours with the banana/clove of WLP300. I decided to use the same hops, but for malt, I'm using exactly 50% Wheat, 32.4% Munich, 5.9% Vienna, 5.9% Crystal 80 and 5.9% Pale Chocolate.

The Simcoe Pale Ale turned out great. I gave 25 bottles of it to the guys over at the Nik Lewis Nation tailgate party before the Stamps and Riders game. Apparently it was a hit there.

[DeNomad]

Originally Posted by cheier

I was thinking of doing a candi syrup, but the method I was considering was just taking the amber cane sugar rocks I have and making a syrup with that.

I did look at that Jamil recipe in Brewing Classic Styles, but I figured I'd take a different direction. Instead of going with that raisiny special B flavour, I was going to try and pair some slightly nuttier flavours with the banana/clove of WLP300. I decided to use the same hops, but for malt, I'm using exactly 50% Wheat, 32.4% Munich, 5.9% Vienna, 5.9% Crystal 80 and 5.9% Pale Chocolate.

The Simcoe Pale Ale turned out great. I gave 25 bottles of it to the guys over at the Nik Lewis Nation tailgate party before the Stamps and Riders game. Apparently it was a hit there.

Feel free to use amber cane sugar, just know that the mallard reactions create the flavour, your basically using any old sugar combined with the correct catalyst and temperature to achieve the desired flavour. Amber cane sugar rocks are kinda pricey when beat sugar and dextrose work just fine.

Here is some reading on making candi sugar that I found useful:
http://ryanbrews.blogspot.ca/2012/02...weve-been.html
http://baking911.com/quick-guide/how...perature-chart
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/cand...one-d2-220882/
Also the episode on basic brewing covering candi syrup is pretty informative.

[Kanonfodder]

Are any you part of the Edm Homebrewers

[cheier]

Originally Posted by DeNomad

Feel free to use amber cane sugar, just know that the mallard reactions create the flavour, your basically using any old sugar combined with the correct catalyst and temperature to achieve the desired flavour.

The only thing I'm leery of from a yeast perspective is combining dextrose and sucrose. We're already working with maltose, and I haven't had too many issues with maltose + sucrose or maltose + glucose/fructose (honey), but I'm having some issues with a combination of maltose + glucose/fructose + sucrose. I don't mind if honey doesn't get fully fermented because I like a little of that honey sweetness in the beer, but once there is too many different combinations of sugars kicking around, I start to worry a little about fermentability.

I guess if they are doing it on Homebrewtalk, it is probably ok.

Kannonfoder, Cowtown Yeast Wrangler here! I do have a friend with EHG though.

[Kanonfodder]

We had hosted them @hogsheadbrewing on Sunday took a tour talked shop with the brew guys and drank beer lol they seemed to enjoy

[DeNomad]

Originally Posted by cheier

The only thing I'm leery of from a yeast perspective is combining dextrose and sucrose. We're already working with maltose, and I haven't had too many issues with maltose + sucrose or maltose + glucose/fructose (honey), but I'm having some issues with a combination of maltose + glucose/fructose + sucrose. I don't mind if honey doesn't get fully fermented because I like a little of that honey sweetness in the beer, but once there is too many different combinations of sugars kicking around, I start to worry a little about fermentability.

I guess if they are doing it on Homebrewtalk, it is probably ok.

Kannonfoder, Cowtown Yeast Wrangler here! I do have a friend with EHG though.

Actually the sucrose splits into glucose/fructose when you are making belgian candi syrup among a bunch of other compounds. Those random things (including melanoidins) give it the fruity, toffee, candy flavour.

Yep, part of the Edmonton home brewers. Heard about the tour at Hog's Head and sorry to miss it. Haven't made it out to any meetings recently though.

[chanter]

Originally Posted by Kanonfodder

We had hosted them @hogsheadbrewing on Sunday took a tour talked shop with the brew guys and drank beer lol they seemed to enjoy

EHG member and I was at the tour. Bruce is a great brewer and I'm glad to see some of the experimental stuff happening.

I always felt Alberta was 10yrs behind in the craft beer movement- I feel like we are slowly closing the gap.