I have arrived, let's drink!

originally posted by: Lumenari

It is the Mad Dog 20/20 of beers.

I remember that stuff.
Not sure I remember it fondly though.

You might like this thread if you havnt found it yet

www.abovetopsecret.com...

originally posted by: Lumenari

originally posted by: AngryOldBrewer
a reply to: KKLOCO

No beef lol, but with tons of beer styles available and plenty of delicious stuff out there, I am forever cursed to wonder why not something else?

As someone who makes beer and having asked a lot of people over the years, it turns out that people like an IPA because they can buy a 9 point at the store... bigger bang for their buck despite the taste.

It is the Mad Dog 20/20 of beers.

In reality an 11 point single hopped amber, for instance, tastes a lot better.

As you well know.

Welcome to the forum!

High gravity beers have a harder time hiding the alcohol taste
More malt helps

originally posted by: BeTheGoddess2
You might like this thread if you havnt found it yet

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Thanks!

originally posted by: YouCanCallMeAl

originally posted by: Lumenari

originally posted by: AngryOldBrewer
a reply to: KKLOCO

No beef lol, but with tons of beer styles available and plenty of delicious stuff out there, I am forever cursed to wonder why not something else?

As someone who makes beer and having asked a lot of people over the years, it turns out that people like an IPA because they can buy a 9 point at the store... bigger bang for their buck despite the taste.

It is the Mad Dog 20/20 of beers.

In reality an 11 point single hopped amber, for instance, tastes a lot better.

As you well know.

Welcome to the forum!

High gravity beers have a harder time hiding the alcohol taste
More malt helps

I myself love the taste of beer, so typically don't drink anything above about 6% abv. However, that "boozy" taste or what we call heat, doesn't have to be there for a high abv beer. It has everything to do with the yeast you have chosen and fermentation temps, as well as pH and a ton of other things. Typically base malt is about 80-90% of your total grist, as this is the thing that provides sugar for the yeast to eat, and # alcohol and CO2 as a byproduct.

originally posted by: YouCanCallMeAl

originally posted by: Lumenari

originally posted by: AngryOldBrewer
a reply to: KKLOCO

No beef lol, but with tons of beer styles available and plenty of delicious stuff out there, I am forever cursed to wonder why not something else?

As someone who makes beer and having asked a lot of people over the years, it turns out that people like an IPA because they can buy a 9 point at the store... bigger bang for their buck despite the taste.

It is the Mad Dog 20/20 of beers.

In reality an 11 point single hopped amber, for instance, tastes a lot better.

As you well know.

Welcome to the forum!

High gravity beers have a harder time hiding the alcohol taste
More malt helps

Higher ABV levels are easily masked by using more grains.

You simply add more flavor.

But that costs more money...

originally posted by: Lumenari

originally posted by: YouCanCallMeAl

originally posted by: Lumenari

originally posted by: AngryOldBrewer
a reply to: KKLOCO

No beef lol, but with tons of beer styles available and plenty of delicious stuff out there, I am forever cursed to wonder why not something else?

As someone who makes beer and having asked a lot of people over the years, it turns out that people like an IPA because they can buy a 9 point at the store... bigger bang for their buck despite the taste.

It is the Mad Dog 20/20 of beers.

In reality an 11 point single hopped amber, for instance, tastes a lot better.

As you well know.

Welcome to the forum!

High gravity beers have a harder time hiding the alcohol taste
More malt helps

Higher ABV levels are easily masked by using more grains.

You simply add more flavor.

But that costs more money...

All true but if you’re shooting for a high enough ABV, you should add some type of sugar (candied sugar, honey, etc) to cut the body a little bit while still hitting your target ABV. Using a yeast pitching calculator with a good starter will allow you to dial in exactly how many yeast cells you need. Overworking or taxing the yeast too much is a major cause of that alcohol taste. I’ve made 10-12% beers that taste and drink just like a 6% beer.

Have a look at Marston's Owd Rodger.

It's good for a headache in the morning.

Trust me on that....

www.beeradvocate.com...

7.4%

originally posted by: TheMichiganSwampBuck
Last year was my second time brewing. I made 3 five gallon batches using barley I malted myself and hops that I grew. I'm doing it all from scratch using unfiltered well water. I might try water from the creek or I'll distill the well water next time, but it was totally drinkable using the well water.

I'm working up my own recipes for ales and lagers, I prefer IPAs and brewed a really good pale IPA two seasons ago. I have it down well enough and will do better with every harvest season, but if you want to share brewing tips, I'm all ears. I'm working up my brewing techniques using one type of barley and three varieties of hops. I will probably buy a couple of new hops varieties, but the variety of barley and how to properly malt it is a main factor in body and taste. Growing all the ingredients myself, I know how many hop bines I'll need for a certain number of batches using the recipes I have developed. The barley grew great last season, but I fear I may only break even on weight based on what I planted and then harvested.

Malting your own barley is crazy, and wish you the best of luck. Have done it a few times and it was a big pain in the butt. I have a friend who owns (owned, since it recently sold) a traditional German floor malting facility and he placed the bug in my ear. Steep for 8 hours, dry for 8, then steep for 8 again, then dry, then another 8 steeping before the final dry so the tendrils hit a 1/4" but the malt hasn't soured. Then sun dry for a few days till moisture content has hit about 15%. Blowing off the chaff (the now dried little tendrils) makes a huge damn mess. I use a box fan and buckets to transfer back and forth while the fan blows the tendrils off. Then on to roasting to drop that moisture back down to about 2%. Without all those steps (as you know), the starch creation drops drastically and reduces the overall diastatic power, which is the conversion rate of starch to sugar during the mashing process. The first time I did it, I had far less knowledge and a 15g batch with 35lbs of base malt netted me an OG of 1.035. 2 weeks of threshing barley heads, a week of malting and ended up with a 4.2% beer which should have been in the mid 6 to low 7 abv. Dried out a bit though so wasn't bad, just lots of work when I could at the time buy a 55lb sack of GW base malt for $38.

I must say, the Yanks seem to be making good progress with their beers these days.

Miller Lite? Etc.

There's more hops in a dead toad.

Speaking of hops, I have quite a few growing in my garden they grow like crazy. I don't know how to use them for brewing tho.

Used as a dried herb they are good for a rub, specially with lamb.

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
I must say, the Yanks seem to be making good progress with their beers these days.

Miller Lite? Etc.

There's more hops in a dead toad.

Speaking of hops, I have quite a few growing in my garden they grow like crazy. I don't know how to use them for brewing tho.

Used as a dried herb they are good for a rub, specially with lamb.

Hit up your local homebrew shop or brewery. They may be interested!

originally posted by: AngryOldBrewer

originally posted by: TheMichiganSwampBuck
Last year was my second time brewing. I made 3 five gallon batches using barley I malted myself and hops that I grew. I'm doing it all from scratch using unfiltered well water. I might try water from the creek or I'll distill the well water next time, but it was totally drinkable using the well water.

I'm working up my own recipes for ales and lagers, I prefer IPAs and brewed a really good pale IPA two seasons ago. I have it down well enough and will do better with every harvest season, but if you want to share brewing tips, I'm all ears. I'm working up my brewing techniques using one type of barley and three varieties of hops. I will probably buy a couple of new hops varieties, but the variety of barley and how to properly malt it is a main factor in body and taste. Growing all the ingredients myself, I know how many hop bines I'll need for a certain number of batches using the recipes I have developed. The barley grew great last season, but I fear I may only break even on weight based on what I planted and then harvested.

Malting your own barley is crazy, and wish you the best of luck. Have done it a few times and it was a big pain in the butt. I have a friend who owns (owned, since it recently sold) a traditional German floor malting facility and he placed the bug in my ear. Steep for 8 hours, dry for 8, then steep for 8 again, then dry, then another 8 steeping before the final dry so the tendrils hit a 1/4" but the malt hasn't soured. Then sun dry for a few days till moisture content has hit about 15%. Blowing off the chaff (the now dried little tendrils) makes a huge damn mess. I use a box fan and buckets to transfer back and forth while the fan blows the tendrils off. Then on to roasting to drop that moisture back down to about 2%. Without all those steps (as you know), the starch creation drops drastically and reduces the overall diastatic power, which is the conversion rate of starch to sugar during the mashing process. The first time I did it, I had far less knowledge and a 15g batch with 35lbs of base malt netted me an OG of 1.035. 2 weeks of threshing barley heads, a week of malting and ended up with a 4.2% beer which should have been in the mid 6 to low 7 abv. Dried out a bit though so wasn't bad, just lots of work when I could at the time buy a 55lb sack of GW base malt for $38.

Ah yes, that's what I'm talking about. For me it's proof of concept, to be able to produce beer, wine, and spirits, all from ingredients I grow and process myself. This includes tobacco and some other cash crops, all geared toward bartering in a SHTF scenario.

Welcome to ATS. I’m wondering how long the site will stay active but it’s still working. I’m just chilling tonight on my recliner.

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
Have a look at Marston's Owd Rodger.

It's good for a headache in the morning.

Trust me on that....

www.beeradvocate.com...

7.4%

Back when I used to drink, Brewdog MrPresident and Sierra Nevada Torpedo were my go to IPAs