There is all this talk of bandaids. What does that even mean?
Brettanomyces ferments free lactose and other sugars into some phenols that taste like fresh band-aids smell.
NOTE: Brett isn't necessarily bad, though. You can also run a controlled side-fermentation with Brett to get a 4-ethylguaiacol, which imparts a smoked bacon and clove flavor to a wine or beer. The exact engineering of a controlled Brett fermentation is somewhat out of my mycological depth, though.
There is all this talk of bandaids. What does that even mean?
Brettanomyces ferments free lactose and other sugars into some phenols that taste like fresh band-aids smell.
NOTE: Brett isn't necessarily bad, though. You can also run a controlled side-fermentation with Brett to get a 4-ethylguaiacol, which imparts a smoked bacon and clove flavor to a wine or beer. The exact engineering of a controlled Brett fermentation is somewhat out of my mycological depth, though.
That's true, but my problem wasn't related to brett.
Sometimes, your water can be treated with stable chlorine compounds called chloramides. You can also sometimes have these leech into the water through certain plastics.
Chloramides, unlike free chlorine, are not drive off during a boil. They are odorless and tasteless...until the yeast start playing.
The yeast sometimes produce phenols - oily and spicy flavors. Those phenols can interact with the stable chloramides to produce chlorophenol - that's the stuff in chloroseptic spray. It also has a decided plasticy taste, causing people to associate it with bandaids.
In other news, I found a really nice brewing supply shop just up the road! Gonna pick up some bottles and maybe some other gear (like a hydrometer testing tube) this weekend.
zomg bottling day! Tools of the trade, that carboy is going to be a bitch to clean. Vinator + Starsan = win Autosiphon after priming. Glorious beer in the hydrometer test tube. Finished bottles.
-Brewing beer is hard work. -Buying beer is super easy.
I saw Nick Offerman (actor who plays Ron "Duke Silver" Swanson) live last night. He offered Ten Tips for Prosperity.
Offerman's Fifth Tip for Prosperity: "Have a Hobby or Discipline."
Sure, you can buy beer, or restaurant-quality food, or guitars, or potted plants, but learning how to make those things is infinitely more satisfying. And if Mr. Offerman isn't lying, it, "gets you money and gets you laid."
In Texas, I got to take advantage of a few of their Live Oak beers. They are only available by draft, but were of extraordinary quality. If I had to rate them, it would be their Hefweizen > Schwarzbier > Big Bark Lager > Pilz. Easily the best Hefeweizen I ever had, creamy, light-bodied, but quite smooth.
My stormtrooper loves Live Oak Big Bark!
The schwarzbier was quite delicious, really nice dark, roasted flavor but light. It'd be wonderful for a beer float. The Big Bark was sweet and malty, recommended. The Pilz was rather good for a pilsner, but still far too grainy/grassy.
Other beers I had were...
Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale = BEST SAISON EVER. Oh my goodness, this was wonderful. Citrusy with bubblegum undertones and a wonderful finish from the carbonation.
Shiner BlackLager = Good sweet/bitter balance, but a bit lacking of a true flavor.
Moose Drool Brown Ale = Simple malted, toasted flavor. Rather dry and bready in some ways.
Shiner overall makes kinda meh beer, the black is some of their better stuff. Did you get to try any (512) or Saint Arnolds? They both make pretty good beer. The (512) Pecan Porter is one of the best porters I've had.
Shiner overall makes kinda meh beer, the black is some of their better stuff. Did you get to try any (512) or Saint Arnolds? They both make pretty good beer. The (512) Pecan Porter is one of the best porters I've had.
I didn't get to try any 512, but I also got to try a really good beer on draft called Fireman's #4. The most drinkable beer I had, very crisp and carbonated, with a good hint of pale hops and citrus.
Pete, do you ever make bread out of your spent grain? Thinking of planning for it next batch I do.
I have, yes. I sometimes freeze a couple of gallon ziplocs of the stuff for that purpose. Personally, I prefer to make Wheat-Thins out of it.
My advice for spent grain bread:
1. Chop the grain in a food processor. 2. Add additional liquid only when needed. The grain usually has enough retained moisture. 3. Weigh your ingredients. Use an equal mass of bread flour and spent grain. 4. Add some vital wheat gluten. Spent grain has a low gluten content. 5. Bake it a bit longer than usual. 2 hours at 350 is good. You want to really caramelize that crust.
Pete, do you ever make bread out of your spent grain? Thinking of planning for it next batch I do.
I brew with my coworkers about once a month. The last one we started was a Saison. Its mash produced some pretty tasty grains, which I ate with Sriracha.
Yay! First bottle. It was pretty good, although there were some very subtle off flavors. It seemed super malty and overly sweet for a pale ale and I think I may have added to much priming sugar. Probably going to wait a couple more weeks to try another bottle.
Yes. I just purchased another extract kit for a Hefeweizen, but I think after that I'm going to start learning a 3 gallon BIAB all grain technique. That or go partial mash.
BIAB is super easy. I taught a BIAB class in 3 hours at an SCA event. It's cheap, and if you do multiple sparges, you can get 5 gallons easily. Of course, I also recommend an outdoor propane burner for 5 gallon full-boil batches - it takes a while on most stovetops.
Yeah, I'd like to go that route. But it's a tad difficult in an apartment complex. We do have a grassy common area, but we are not allowed to store any sort of combustible materials (propane) in our apt.
Comments
NOTE: Brett isn't necessarily bad, though. You can also run a controlled side-fermentation with Brett to get a 4-ethylguaiacol, which imparts a smoked bacon and clove flavor to a wine or beer. The exact engineering of a controlled Brett fermentation is somewhat out of my mycological depth, though.
Sometimes, your water can be treated with stable chlorine compounds called chloramides. You can also sometimes have these leech into the water through certain plastics.
Chloramides, unlike free chlorine, are not drive off during a boil. They are odorless and tasteless...until the yeast start playing.
The yeast sometimes produce phenols - oily and spicy flavors. Those phenols can interact with the stable chloramides to produce chlorophenol - that's the stuff in chloroseptic spray. It also has a decided plasticy taste, causing people to associate it with bandaids.
In other news, I found a really nice brewing supply shop just up the road! Gonna pick up some bottles and maybe some other gear (like a hydrometer testing tube) this weekend.
Tools of the trade, that carboy is going to be a bitch to clean.
Vinator + Starsan = win
Autosiphon after priming.
Glorious beer in the hydrometer test tube.
Finished bottles.
This is why I primarily use buckets. No, you can't see the fermentation, but holy shit are they way easier to clean.
EDIT: Also, ZOMG BEER!!!111!1!one
-Brewing beer is hard work.
-Buying beer is super easy.
Offerman's Fifth Tip for Prosperity: "Have a Hobby or Discipline."
Sure, you can buy beer, or restaurant-quality food, or guitars, or potted plants, but learning how to make those things is infinitely more satisfying. And if Mr. Offerman isn't lying, it, "gets you money and gets you laid."
In Texas, I got to take advantage of a few of their Live Oak beers. They are only available by draft, but were of extraordinary quality. If I had to rate them, it would be their Hefweizen > Schwarzbier > Big Bark Lager > Pilz. Easily the best Hefeweizen I ever had, creamy, light-bodied, but quite smooth.
My stormtrooper loves Live Oak Big Bark!
The schwarzbier was quite delicious, really nice dark, roasted flavor but light. It'd be wonderful for a beer float. The Big Bark was sweet and malty, recommended. The Pilz was rather good for a pilsner, but still far too grainy/grassy.
Other beers I had were...
Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale = BEST SAISON EVER. Oh my goodness, this was wonderful. Citrusy with bubblegum undertones and a wonderful finish from the carbonation.
Shiner BlackLager = Good sweet/bitter balance, but a bit lacking of a true flavor.
Moose Drool Brown Ale = Simple malted, toasted flavor. Rather dry and bready in some ways.
Did you get to try any (512) or Saint Arnolds? They both make pretty good beer. The (512) Pecan Porter is one of the best porters I've had.
Pete, do you ever make bread out of your spent grain? Thinking of planning for it next batch I do.
Beautiful and informative.
My advice for spent grain bread:
1. Chop the grain in a food processor.
2. Add additional liquid only when needed. The grain usually has enough retained moisture.
3. Weigh your ingredients. Use an equal mass of bread flour and spent grain.
4. Add some vital wheat gluten. Spent grain has a low gluten content.
5. Bake it a bit longer than usual. 2 hours at 350 is good. You want to really caramelize that crust.
I think there was a great vegetable-based dessert place out that way, as well, but I may be mixing it up..
Yay! First bottle. It was pretty good, although there were some very subtle off flavors. It seemed super malty and overly sweet for a pale ale and I think I may have added to much priming sugar. Probably going to wait a couple more weeks to try another bottle.