Sublimely disappointed

[haerbob3]

Maybe 70% are off. Most since I got my new pot.

Paul, you may try making a change in your BeerSmith equipment profile. After I had done a few batches and knew my process was constant, but my numbers were off, I changed for 1/2 gallon of extra loss and get....well pretty close now.
I add the 10 minute hops to my SSR in 25 minutes. I'm supposed to have 5.5 gallons in the bucket, I'll let you know how close I am.

Brewing is a constant learning experience and I know I have tons to learn and if I never get it right and still can enjoy my beers, I'll ride into the sunset and know I had a good ride!

I have ALWAYS enjoyed your beers and will ride shotgun into the sunset with you. Plus Kealia lives West of us and he brews GREAT beer also.

Agreeing with Ink here. Think your profiles in Beersmith may need a little tweaking. I have always mashed out with my single infusions. Are you hitting your projected OG, where is your mash temp after the strike temp, ETC? When I started using my current rig all my numbers were way off!! That is a story for another day. closer but still tweaking!!

[Beer-lord]

I think with the Pliny this week I have things much closer to where I need them to be. 90% of the time I hit or beat my OG. My Thermapin has helped me with temps much better than the thermometer on the kettle which is only accurate from 90-140 then off a bit as it gets closer to boil temps. I know its settings with my new pot because this hardly happened with my old pot on the stove.
Another calculator I used this week hit the strike water perfectly. I needed 151-152 and got exactly 152 without adding any ice or heat to adjust.
So, the good news is I have to brew more to tweak the settings and the really good news is that I have to drink what I brew.

[haerbob3]

yep I can not wait to get back to After this week things will slow down a bit at work. Summer schedule is just nuts. All members do is party!!!

[Beer-lord]

Just took another small taste test of this beer and though it's not 100% carbed, it's close. However, it's got a strong alcohol taste. It was supposed to come out at about 9% which I would understand would have some of that but mine, unless I measured one of both readings incorrectly, came out at just under 6.5%.

It did hit 72-73 for a short while after I pitched and it started fermenting but I got it down to 66 in just a few hours. I'm thinking fusel alcohol though I pitched the correct amount of yeast. Seems that this brew has been a problem from start to finish. It's not bad but the alcohol is covering up the flavor.

I guess it'll have to sit a month or so in the kegerator to see if it mellows out. I'll likely lose some hop goodness while I wait. Time may improve this beer.

[Beer-lord]

I spent some time yesterday reading up about fusel odors and taste and the great majority of people say that even after 4 months, it just doesn't go away. I'm going to wait 45 days and if I see no difference, I will just dump the 2 1/2 gallons I have in the keg. No use in keeping 1/3 of my taps unused.
I do have a few bottles I'm storing for a long while to see what happens as well. Possibly the bottles will come out differently????????
I've not dumped a brew in a very, very, very long time.

[Brewbirds]

In sympathy I have a batch of MBs version of Oval Office Honey Amber that hit 82F on me and is sitting in the closet. I don't have high hopes of getting rid of twang and fusel but we've had other beers to drink so there they sit.

One can only hope but I use bottles and you need to free up a keg so I see the sadness of dumpness happening.

[Beer-lord]

I hate to be negative for both of us but I think neither of us will be happy.
I brewed 4 times in 5 weeks and though I didn't rush, perhaps I took on more than I should. The next few weeks I'm off of brewing with the hopes of cooler weather though I'll be negative again.....it New Orleans, the A/C is on until mid October!

[Inkleg]

Just purged a pail with co2, transferred mine to a secondary and added 2oz each of Simcoe and Amarillo (down to 3oz, not good). Still have a pound of Simcoe though.
Went with a secondary on this one due to the amount of yeast I knew would be in the primary.

OG was 1.070 and FG was 1.009, so 8% ABV. Taste, well sometimes I still have to wrap my head around roast and bitter. There is a conflict going on there, good but jury is still out. Going to let it sit 24 hours at 65* and then cold crash for 3 days and keg.

Will post back.