February Banter 2019

[luckyamaha]

At least one groundhog will be right with early spring arrival,Punxsutawney Phil is correct and he has not looked at any model runs all winter. We are cooked I'm jumping ship

 

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[jonjon]

18 hours ago, C.A.P.E. said:

@jonjon

I hope you don't mind a bit of a beer brewing consultation. My friend went with that Everyday IPA, but his teacher didn't want to order the one gallon kits, as it wasn't cost effective. Here is a screenshot of the revised spreadsheet with the list of all ingredients. Following that are the teacher's "instructions" on how to proceed with the recipe. It looks a tad 'greek' to my friend- the specifics of generating the recipe based on maris otter barley. He has the general idea, but has never actually brewed, only watched one demonstration by the instructor using the Grainfather 23L in the lab. Any insights/advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

His teacher's comments-

You need to ferment at least 10 L a go per batch, and buying as a kit is a very expensive way to do business. Best is to make a standard 23 L batch, then split between 2 small vessels to allow for 2 yeasts in one day of brewing. 

Please formulate a suitable recipe using marris otter, with a small amount of cystal malt scaled to 20L beer after losses. I’ve ordered all the hops in the kit (Columbus, cascade, citra) so have a think about your addition schedule. Work out all the weights, the volume of mash and boil water, and the estimated SG and IBUs and let me know before you start. 

Sounds like he just has to come up with a recipe for around a 5 gallon batch.  I suppose the class has the equipment for an all-grain 5 gallon brew?  I think a basic IPA would have a gravity in the 1.055 to 1.060 range (they may use the plato scale over there, I'm not familiar with that scale).  I used to brew 10 gallon batches in the early days, and I would need around 25lbs of fermentable grains to get the gravity wort I wanted to ferment for my basic IPA -- so I'm guessing he is going to need somewhere around half of that amount for just a 5 gall (20L) brew.  So something like 12 lbs of Maris otter, and maybe a half pound or so of some crystal/caramel 40L and that would be a nice simple grain recipe.  Then he has to decide the amounts of hops to use and when to add them.  When I brew an IPA, I look to it with as much aroma/flavor as possible, so I'm heavy on the late addition hops and especially heavy on the dry hops.  This may not be the goal here since its the yeast variations that they are looking to detect, so he may just want to add a 1/2 oz. to 3/4 oz. hop addition at the beginning of the boil, then add a few more ounces very late in the boil or at flameout, then split into two different fermenters that can handle the 2.5 gallons each, then use a different yeast on each to, in essence, come up with two different versions from the same brew session.

 

I would suggest playing around with an online beer recipe formulator so that the gravity of the brew ends up around what he is looking for -- what I suggested up above is probably close, but a lot depends on the brew system and its capacity (to brew a 5 gallon batch you would need to probably start the boil with 6.5 gall or so to anticipate boil-off etc.) and the system's efficiency. Not sure if I answered what you were looking for, I'd be glad to chip in more if you have something specific you're looking for on this.

[Fozz]

1 hour ago, WxUSAF said:

It snowed 3 times this week

Yeah, to me it was the best period of winter wx since the 2016 blizzard. Now I don't really mind this coming warmup as much.

[Jandurin]

1 hour ago, supernovasky said:

I think people just need to embrace the warm pattern. This winter has rocked for me and I’m looking forward to casting a line in some of my favorite fishing holes!

really glad you got some nice storms before you maybe had to leave

still haven't seen a HECS tho

[Jandurin]

40 minutes ago, Mdecoy said:

For all of those who constantly have this NE MD jealously thing going on. We've been getting completely hosed in comparison to the rest of the sub forum.

We watched with 2.4 inches while everyone else did better with the early January storm.

We essentially missed all the storms this week that hit Western areas.

yes

and last year you got snow and we didn't

what's your point

[Fozz]

15 minutes ago, Jandurin said:

really glad you got some nice storms before you maybe had to leave

still haven't seen a HECS tho

Wait... he's leaving after this winter??

[NorthArlington101]

I actually feel really good about my location for the next 10 days.

Good warmth then snow chances popping up on all models... probably jinxed it though

[Rvarookie]

Pretty sure the snow gods are going to make us pay for being so greedy in a year where we are doing quite well in comparison to others.

[CAPE]

4 hours ago, jonjon said:

Sounds like he just has to come up with a recipe for around a 5 gallon batch.  I suppose the class has the equipment for an all-grain 5 gallon brew?  I think a basic IPA would have a gravity in the 1.055 to 1.060 range (they may use the plato scale over there, I'm not familiar with that scale).  I used to brew 10 gallon batches in the early days, and I would need around 25lbs of fermentable grains to get the gravity wort I wanted to ferment for my basic IPA -- so I'm guessing he is going to need somewhere around half of that amount for just a 5 gall (20L) brew.  So something like 12 lbs of Maris otter, and maybe a half pound or so of some crystal/caramel 40L and that would be a nice simple grain recipe.  Then he has to decide the amounts of hops to use and when to add them.  When I brew an IPA, I look to it with as much aroma/flavor as possible, so I'm heavy on the late addition hops and especially heavy on the dry hops.  This may not be the goal here since its the yeast variations that they are looking to detect, so he may just want to add a 1/2 oz. to 3/4 oz. hop addition at the beginning of the boil, then add a few more ounces very late in the boil or at flameout, then split into two different fermenters that can handle the 2.5 gallons each, then use a different yeast on each to, in essence, come up with two different versions from the same brew session.

 

I would suggest playing around with an online beer recipe formulator so that the gravity of the brew ends up around what he is looking for -- what I suggested up above is probably close, but a lot depends on the brew system and its capacity (to brew a 5 gallon batch you would need to probably start the boil with 6.5 gall or so to anticipate boil-off etc.) and the system's efficiency. Not sure if I answered what you were looking for, I'd be glad to chip in more if you have something specific you're looking for on this.

jonjon- Thanks, this is good information. The piece of equipment they have in the lab for brewing is the "Grainfather" and it is 23L. So yes he will brew a 6 gallon batch (probably end up with around 5 gallons of wort), then split it into 2 fermenters , then repeat that process 2 more times to get the 6 different brews, each using a different yeast strain.

I agree that keeping it pretty basic with the hopping process is the way to go here given the intent of this exercise. What proportions would you suggest for the different hop varieties (Columbus, cascade, citra), and is there a particular order they should be added to the boil? Which of these are more bitter...more aromatic? Does higher alpha acid % equate to more bitterness? One of the parameters he has to estimate is the IBUs for the recipe.

The online beer recipe formulator sounds like a great way to go too, in addition to the info you have provided. 

[Jandurin]

2 hours ago, Fozz said:

Wait... he's leaving after this winter??

he said somewhere before early january that he wasn't sure if he was moving/being moved again after this year and then he got almost a foot of snow

[poolz1]

The LR thread over the past 48 hrs...

Post: "I had a cat once that I didnt like"

Response: "Stop saying you hate kittens"  

Tiresome 

[CAPE]

58 minutes ago, poolz1 said:

The LR thread over the past 48 hrs...

Post: "I had a cat once that I didnt like"

Response: "Stop saying you hate kittens"  

Tiresome 

I am done with the LR thread for now. The big picture pattern looks rather meh. There are many ways it can be broken down and articulated/skewed/spun. Beyond the next 5 days, however, there should be some chances, despite the fact that overall, the mean looks rather uninspiring. I guess I have become bored with looking for perfect or even really "good" h5 looks in the LR. Mostly I am done with the idea that we ever see anything more than bootleg/transient NA blocking. I bet it still finds a way to snow a few more times though.

[AfewUniversesBelowNormal]

Man, it would be nice to have another snow event. I'm getting into this. 

[jonjon]

2 hours ago, C.A.P.E. said:

jonjon- Thanks, this is good information. The piece of equipment they have in the lab for brewing is the "Grainfather" and it is 23L. So yes he will brew a 6 gallon batch (probably end up with around 5 gallons of wort), then split it into 2 fermenters , then repeat that process 2 more times to get the 6 different brews, each using a different yeast strain.

I agree that keeping it pretty basic with the hopping process is the way to go here given the intent of this exercise. What proportions would you suggest for the different hop varieties (Columbus, cascade, citra), and is there a particular order they should be added to the boil? Which of these are more bitter...more aromatic? Does higher alpha acid % equate to more bitterness? One of the parameters he has to estimate is the IBUs for the recipe.

The online beer recipe formulator sounds like a great way to go too, in addition to the info you have provided. 

I would use the Columbus for bittering, then some Cascade near the end of the boil and Citra would be used as late as possible, preferably as a dry hop, as this is by far the most flavorful and aromatic of the three.  The recipe formulators should give him an idea of ibu based upon when/how much of each hop is added to the recipe in order to meet whatever ibu he is trying to achieve.

[NorthArlington101]

9 minutes ago, Maestrobjwa said:

You tell me what the heck I did this time (or the other times, lol)...ya know what, never mind. Ya got a problem with my posts, take it up with the mods. Or use the ignore button

not to stir things, but its the fact that 95% of your posts in the LR thread are questions. Learning is good, but it is a little bit annoying to see question after question in a thread I mostly duck into for analysis. I like you though and I do learn things from the questions you ask.

[Maestrobjwa]

1 minute ago, NorthArlington101 said:

not to stir things, but its the fact that 95% of your posts in the LR thread are questions. Learning is good, but it is a little bit annoying to see question after question in a thread I mostly duck into for analysis. I like you though and I do learn things from the questions you ask.

Well I mean...okay, I guess I can ask folks things in private chat...I didn't know it was that big of an issue. (Maybe we oughta have a thread just for questions then, lol) I'm naturally curious about anything I'm fascinated by, so yes I do ask a lot of questions, lol

[snowmagnet]

11 minutes ago, Maestrobjwa said:

Well I mean...okay, I guess I can ask folks things in private chat...I didn't know it was that big of an issue. (Maybe we oughta have a thread just for questions then, lol) I'm naturally curious about anything I'm fascinated by, so yes I do ask a lot of questions, lol

I don’t find your posts a problem. I think you probably ask a lot of questions that other people have but don’t bother asking. If I have a general weather question, I will try to search for answers myself. If I can’t find it, I will ask.  

[Bob Chill]

21 minutes ago, Maestrobjwa said:

Well I mean...okay, I guess I can ask folks things in private chat...I didn't know it was that big of an issue. (Maybe we oughta have a thread just for questions then, lol) I'm naturally curious about anything I'm fascinated by, so yes I do ask a lot of questions, lol

If you want to become skilled at what it takes to get midatlantic snowstorms then you have to spend time learning all the teleconnections first and also how to read 500mb vort and height panels. Many of the questions you ask can't appropriately answered in a long range thread because the answers are way too complicated to answer without writing a novel. I'm not sure how far along you are with knowledge but at a minimum you need to be able to look at a 500mb height panel and easily identify the state of the AO, NAO, EPO, and PNA. Also, you have to understand what confluence is and what a 50/50 low is. You may already know how to do that but if not then spend timing learning. There are endless easy to understand explanations on the internet. The long range thread is a place to discuss how all the building blocks are working together and not what a building block is in itself. 

I don't mind answering specific questions at all but only if you (or anybody) already knows the basics. Working knowledge of these features is imperative if you want to engage in interactive discussion about snowstorms here. 

Also, we don't need every teleconnection to be perfect to get a good storm. The vast majority of our snowstorms happen with flaws. We've had copious storms without a -nao or -ao or +pna etc. Conversely, we've had every single teleconnection in our favor and got no snow at all. It's not as simple as a quick glance at teleconnections and it's all figured out. Understanding upper air patterns as a whole is a prequisite to this hobby. I posted an excellent article yesterday for you to read but there are many resources out there written with easy to understand text and graphics. I can give you more links if you need them 

 

[luckyamaha]

Looks like everyone is wishcasting for the mid to long range for finding too happen as we all are standing on the ledge. Jump ship now

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[Maestrobjwa]

28 minutes ago, Bob Chill said:

If you want to become skilled at what it takes to get midatlantic snowstorms then you have to spend time learning all the teleconnections first and also how to read 500mb vort and height panels. Many of the questions you ask can't appropriately answered in a long range thread because the answers are way too complicated to answer without writing a novel. I'm not sure how far along you are with knowledge but at a minimum you need to be able to look at a 500mb height panel and easily identify the state of the AO, NAO, EPO, and PNA. Also, you have to understand what confluence is and what a 50/50 low is. You may already know how to do that but if not then spend timing learning. There are endless easy to understand explanations on the internet. The long range thread is a place to discuss how all the building blocks are working together and not what a building block is in itself. 

I don't mind answering specific questions at all but only if you (or anybody) already knows the basics. Working knowledge of these features is imperative if you want to engage in interactive discussion about snowstorms here. 

Also, we don't need every teleconnection to be perfect to get a good storm. The vast majority of our snowstorms happen with flaws. We've had copious storms without a -nao or -ao or +pna etc. Conversely, we've had every single teleconnection in our favor and got no snow at all. It's not as simple as a quick glance at teleconnections and it's all figured out. Understanding upper air patterns as a whole is a prequisite to this hobby. I posted an excellent article yesterday for you to read but there are many resources out there written with easy to understand text and graphics. I can give you more links if you need them 

 

I understand. Will take all of that into consideration from now on! Do you think you could PM me the link you sent yesterday? (and any other links you deem helpful). That way I can have it all in one place without having to dig through the board, lol

[Rvarookie]

1 hour ago, Maestrobjwa said:

Well I mean...okay, I guess I can ask folks things in private chat...I didn't know it was that big of an issue. (Maybe we oughta have a thread just for questions then, lol) I'm naturally curious about anything I'm fascinated by, so yes I do ask a lot of questions, lol

It’s all good buddy. You are probably a good dude, but I don’t want to go from reading some great analysis from OGs to your goober ass questions especially late night/early AM. You f up the flow. Don’t take it personally tho...I’m sure you don’t even realize how much reading your posts sucks...

[CAPE]

2 hours ago, jonjon said:

I would use the Columbus for bittering, then some Cascade near the end of the boil and Citra would be used as late as possible, preferably as a dry hop, as this is by far the most flavorful and aromatic of the three.  The recipe formulators should give him an idea of ibu based upon when/how much of each hop is added to the recipe in order to meet whatever ibu he is trying to achieve.

Here is his general recipe. What do you think?

IPA Recipe

The objective is to make an IPA with an IBU no more than 50 and ABV around 6.0%. I used the following online calculators to get the required numbers and proportions for the recipe. This procedure will be done 3 times, and each batch divided in 2 for fermentation using different yeast strains. This will make a total of 6 different beer brews with each using a different yeast.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/allgrain-ogfg/

https://www.grainfather.com/brewing-calculators

https://www.hopsteiner.com/ibu-calculator/

Batch size: 23L
Grain weight: Approximately 6 Kg
Boil Time: 60 min

Based on this, 19.7 L of mash water is required

Grain Specifics:
5.5 Kg of Maris Otter
0.3 Kg of Crystal 40L

Based on this, the pre-boil Original Gravity is 1.051
Estimated Final Gravity is 1.018
Estimated ABV is 6.1%

For the hops:

Columbus has an alpha acid percent of 15%
Quantity to be used: 8.5 grams

Citra has an alpha acid percent of 12%
Quantity to be used: 15 grams

Cascade has an alpha acid percent of 6%
Quantity to be used: 28 grams

Add columbus early in the boil for bittering, then some Citra more towards the middle of the boil, and then Cascade would be added last for aroma and flavor. Target is around 45 IBU. I dont want the hops to be too strong as the goal is to detect flavor characteristics imparted by the different yeast strains.
 

Add Columbus first, at the beginning of the boil. 
Add Citra next, in the middle of the boil. (30 mins in)
Add Cascade last, towards the end of the boil. (45 mins in)

Estimated IBU = 44, using Tinseth method

[Maestrobjwa]

17 minutes ago, Rvarookie said:

It’s all good buddy. You are probably a good dude, but I don’t want to go from reading some great analysis from OGs to your goober ass questions especially late night/early AM. You f up the flow. Don’t take it personally tho...I’m sure you don’t even realize how much reading your posts sucks...

Had to get that last jab in, didn't ya? Smh Bob said what needed to be said and I agreed--let's just leave it at that and move on.

[nj2va]

this place needs a drink. I’m having a Hendricks martini. Gulp gulp 

[Fozz]

20 minutes ago, Rvarookie said:

It’s all good buddy. You are probably a good dude, but I don’t want to go from reading some great analysis from OGs to your goober ass questions especially late night/early AM. You f up the flow. Don’t take it personally tho...I’m sure you don’t even realize how much reading your posts sucks...

Maestro is fine.... still learning, but there are many worse posters than him in this subforum. The people who constantly snipe at him are more annoying than he is.

[CAPE]

14 minutes ago, nj2va said:

this place needs a drink. I’m having a Hendricks martini. Gulp gulp 

Sipping a voddy tonic now.

Had a Rubber Soul Dropout DIPA before that. I stuck it in a snow pile for a few hours lol. Was nice and cold.

[AfewUniversesBelowNormal]

Maybe Winter 2019-2020 will be good. 

It's becoming less about ENSO and more about general land torque western ridging /eastern trough I think. (Although if next year is La Nina.. it will be -PNA.)

[Jebman]

The Winter of 2019-2020 is gonna be very very cold and super snowy for the Mid Atlantic. Its going to start early in the season, too. It'll hit in the preseason.

[CAPE]

Sitting here with my coffee looking out at still full snow cover, with temps in the 20s and freezing fog. Very wintry look, but the fog is an indication that the warm up is on the doorstep (actually a few hundred feet up).

This was a nice stretch though with some legit cold and now day 3 with snow on the ground.

Time to enjoy a week of relative warmth, then back to cold and snow chances for the week of the 11th. Maybe.

[Fozz]

9 hours ago, Jebman said:

The Winter of 2019-2020 is gonna be very very cold and super snowy for the Mid Atlantic. Its going to start early in the season, too. It'll hit in the preseason.

Why did you move to Texas?