beer ASK WHEEBZ

ASK WHEEBZ -
 
This is a tool designed to allow for refractometer readings for the FG (taking into consideration the alcohol content) ...
 
http://seanterrill.com/2012/01/06/refractometer-calculator/
 
What do you think the Wort Correction Factor is to be filled in based upon, to be derived from? ...
 
Is it something you'd take from Beersmith or like your spreadsheet, the target estimated pre-boil OG or just accept 1040 as is because it's a common reference, or ? ...
 
Seems like a useful device for me to avoid having to lose hydrometer jar volumes for FG testing, effectively allowing me to grab a few drops for the hydrometer by simply removing the corny-lid I've had fashioned with a thermowell, and just capturing a couple of drops off the outside of the thermowell which sits down in the beer ...
 
Thanks.
UPDATE: The answer is here: http://www.brewersfriend.com/how-to-determine-your-refractometers-wort-correction-factor/
 
Your FG should always be taken by a refrac out of the whirlpool. That way the hydrometerreading doesn't matter.
Edit. Refractometers dont give a shit about temp. It's a prism. It cools off fast enough just throwing a drop or 3 on the slide. Always use a refrac post boil to check your FG.
 
I thought FG was a post-fermentation w/ full alcohol measurement, before bottling, and that refractometer readings were 'out' because of the alcohol content ... and that you had to use a hydrometer pre-carb'ing.

In truth, I don't care much about gravities as much since I'm not bottling or competing ...
 
ASK WHEEBZ -
 
I've been listening to a lot of old conference talks and Sour Hour episodes and tracked down everything I could find from the head blender woman at New Belgium (Salazar) and Rudi at Rodenbach and the name of the game for sours is totally about having a lot of instances to draw from to blend from what they all seem to indicate ...

Would you agree, probably best to skip that at home unless you have ample time and space and interest? ...
 
I've come to the conclusion that the only reasonable way to do sour at home, is really through a solera process, to keep the vessel count reasonable ...
 
CHEERS!
 
PS - Are you fermenting anything yet? =)
 
wheebz said:
Sours at hone are very easy. Depends on what sours though.
Click to expand...
 
I haven't read much about them, yet, because they are hit or miss for me in terms of taste... but ...
 
The guy's from the specialty breweries that make a lot of them all say the same thing when interviewed - don't be in a hurry, try to work w/ what the bugs give you and only coerce them incrementally, and dump shit that's not likely to turn out well, and especially don't blend it into your other barrels ...
 
It was either the guy from Allegash or Russian River who told a story of choosing to blend a barrel into other barrels instead of dumping it, and killing an entire 18 month project when it then ruined every barrel it was mixed into downstream ...
 
thats about right
 
but you can do sours just by themselves without blending them as well
 
doesnt require multiple brews to blend in order to get the right one
 
wheebz said:
thats about right
 
but you can do sours just by themselves without blending them as well
 
doesnt require multiple brews to blend in order to get the right one
Click to expand...
 
yeah, i haven't conferred with you for a month or so, so you just gotta know i've got crazy shit in store - left to my own ;)
 
going to brew your stout, though, next ... before i go fucking around w/ any whacky shit ...
 
after that, though, i'm going to need to do a wacky exploratory brew or two ...
 
wheebz said:
you said you were gonna brew that stout 2 months ago...
Click to expand...
 
cold storage backed up and tourist season work-load started a bit earlier than usual this year ...
 
i'm in position to brew monday, though ... have 3x slots in the fermentation chamber ready to do the next batch ...
 
i really have to think through the logistics of limited cold storage space =/ ...
 
and then there's the two brewing-related skills i haven't tackled that i need to sooner than later ... counter-pressure keg-to-keg transfers using the spunding valve, and BeerGun bottling ...
wheebz said:
you said you were gonna brew that stout 2 months ago...
Click to expand...
 
6 weeks ;)
 
ASK WHEEBZ -
 
On Brett ...
 
I'm thinking that for kegs I'll put the silicone gaskets on and then generally speaking, that I will fill them beyond half-full with boiling water and flip it upside down etc, and then follow that up w/ some sanitizer ...
 
I was thinking that I won't share plastic tubing, is all, or the filter housings, or picnic tap's ...
 
It doesn't seem like too big of a deal for someone who is kegging and running CIP on their kettle/plate-chiller already, and not doing any kettle or mash souring etc ...
 
In terms of Brett pitched into fermenters, when one is using kegs, it doesn't too unruly to mitigate future infections ...
 
Am I missing anything? ...
 
when people say they are worried about brett, they shouldnt be
 
they should be worried about the bacteria strains that are present in most brett cultures and blends
 
brett is just as easy to kill as other yeast, its the L.A.B. that you really have to worry about
 
most people have the "all sour beer is brett/all brett is sour beer" mentality, which just isnt true
 
wheebz said:
when people say they are worried about brett, they shouldnt be
 
they should be worried about the bacteria strains that are present in most brett cultures and blends
 
brett is just as easy to kill as other yeast, its the L.A.B. that you really have to worry about
 
most people have the "all sour beer is brett/all brett is sour beer" mentality, which just isnt true
Click to expand...
 
ok, i was just double checking my procedures ...
 
in my case it would just boiling water and corny sanitation ...
 
i can envision how it could be a bigger problem in a brewery in terms of bottling machinery/lines ...
 
i do think i'll use separate tubing and picnic's ... but that's hardly an extravagant expense ...
 
i've been only washing them with PBW so far, and not sanitizing them per se ...
 
ASK WHEEBZ -

My barleywine's evolving poorly. It had some hot alcohol flavors early, but now it's smoother, and it's kind of revealing that it's too sweet ...

Would dry hopping it make sense? ... it's really not good as is ...

Thanks.


A little Google seems to indicate I'd be better off either:

1) Adding tannins via oak ...
2) Adding brett and putting the keg in the corner for a year ...
3) Making eisbier ...
4) Boiling hops or hopshot in water for an hour and mixing it in ...
5) Mixing w/ a bitter IPA ...
6) Pitching WLP099 ...

Any feelings?
 
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