Ambrose_Balin

- friends
1,570 link karma
5,332 comment karma
send messageredditor for
what's this?

TROPHY CASE


  • One-Year Club

    Verified Email

I have two extra ounces of high alpha hops hanging around... dry hop, or late-addition? by MathAndFerretsin Homebrewing

[–]Ambrose_Balin 2 points3 points ago

The flavor and aroma (which boiled additions lack to some degree) is the goal of dry hopping. If you don't like the flavor, I'd say don't do it. The chunks being left in the beer is a problem with technique, though. It shouldn't be hard to keep them out of the bottles or keg if you care to.

The high alpha acid won't matter at all for late additions or dry hopping- only the other flavor and esters. Alpha acids have to isomerize by prolonged boiling in order to be soluble- and they only contribute to bittering, not as much to flavor and aroma. For the uses you describe, the alpha acids present are unimportant.

Bottom line: it sounds like you don't like the "grassy" flavor associated with dry hopping. Different hops taste different, and grassiness is more or less pronounced depending on the type. I would say: break the batch into two fermenters and dry hop each with different hops and compare later. However, if you don't want to potentially sacrifice enjoyment for science, go with the late boil additions and it will give you some of the hoppy flavor, but not so pronounced and grassy as dry hopping.

Cheers!

The best BIAB bag? by GhettoDickensin Homebrewing

[–]Ambrose_Balin 1 point2 points ago

I'm just now hearing about using voile from austynn's and gestalt's comments on this thread, so maybe those are best. Check it out.

But! What I was going to say is that a cheap paint straining bag from home depot or lowes (on the order of 1$) works much much better than the grain bags you get at the lhbs. Weird but true.

Good luck!

Hi r/Lexington........Rexington? Question and comments from a traveler. by funkdenomotronin lexington

[–]Ambrose_Balin 1 point2 points ago

Get out to the gorge if you can. you may have to get off the marked trails, but there is plenty of exposed limestone out there and it's pretty common to see corral and brachiopods and such. If you want to feel free to PM me when you get up here.

I'm moving to Lexington from Louisiana. Anyone want a new friend? by pzrapnbeastin lexington

[–]Ambrose_Balin 1 point2 points ago

He's not wrong. Marikka's is the best. Also check out Country Boy brewing when you get up here. They deal in joy and happiness. If you want to feel free to PM me when you get up here.

I love The Beer Trappe. by Pugglekyin lexington

[–]Ambrose_Balin 0 points1 point ago

Yep. This is my favorite place in Lexington.

I love The Beer Trappe. by Pugglekyin lexington

[–]Ambrose_Balin 1 point2 points ago

The ruthless rye is pretty grand. They dry hop it with Citra- which may or may not mean anything to you. It tastes like happiness, though.

Favorite Gorge Trails (Marked/Unmarked) by lazrbeamin lexington

[–]Ambrose_Balin 2 points3 points ago

A great loop is the Auxier ridge trail head all the way to wizard's backbone which overlooks many features including courthouse rock, haystack rock, raven's rock and double arch. You can gaze out to double arch and chill for a minute on the ridge, then continue down into the gap, and hike all the way up to double arch and then continue on back to a road that you can follow out of the clifty and back to tunnel ridge road.

It's a great day hike with amazing views and mildly strenuous.

For a completely different style of scenery, and hiking, head to the sheltowee trace near the suspension bridge (take a left instead of the right past the shell station; i.e. head away from tunnel ridge road). Cross the suspension bridge and take a right. Eventually you will come upon the famous giant jumping rock. The water here is super deep and there are a few different places to jump off the rock and swim all afternoon.

There are tons of established campsites in the area, but the mosquitoes are awful around here.

What "amazing fact" or colloquialism do you know is actually wrong, and you're sick of correcting people about it? by TestZeroin AskReddit

[–]Ambrose_Balin 0 points1 point ago

The cold water becomes hot water on its way to boiling. This one never seemed very believable to me. I've definitely met those who insist on its truth, though.

Every single book I've ever read is just a different rearrangement of 26 characters. What are some things that, although obvious, are still somewhat amazing to you? by youshallnotpass1234in AskReddit

[–]Ambrose_Balin 0 points1 point ago

You forgot about commas, semicolons, colons, periods, question marks, exclamation points, hyphens, underscores, open parentheses, close parentheses, open quotes, close quotes, single quotes, and ten digits. Not to mention ampersands, asterisks, etc. Then you have to consider that your original "26" characters has to be doubled to account for uppercase and lowercase letters. What about italics and bold font?

The fact is that authors use so many symbols, that their books aren't impressive at all. If you took all of those symbols and put them in a bag and shook it up before dumping them out on the floor, you'd get Shakespeare or better.

Every time.

Why I'm an ale drinker... by Humpyhempyin funny

[–]Ambrose_Balin 0 points1 point ago

Yep. There is more innovation and a larger variety of craft beers available in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world. Also tons of homebrewers and beer festivals. But still, the stuff that really sells well over here is pretty much water.

Innovative Glass Carboy with a Built In Airlock! What do you guys think? Will it take off? by frogger42in Homebrewing

[–]Ambrose_Balin 0 points1 point ago

That's pretty rad. They seem a bit pricey, and I would be wary of ordering internationally from that site if I didn't already know you were successful. Unless you're in China right now, I guess.

But it's nice to know that these exist.

Innovative Glass Carboy with a Built In Airlock! What do you guys think? Will it take off? by frogger42in Homebrewing

[–]Ambrose_Balin 0 points1 point ago

Thanks a lot! Are those pics from one you purchased, I assume? I hope it works out for you!

Cheers

Innovative Glass Carboy with a Built In Airlock! What do you guys think? Will it take off? by frogger42in Homebrewing

[–]Ambrose_Balin 0 points1 point ago

I can think of a few applications that would be improved by this design. I've oaked beer before, for example. Getting that shit out of my carboy with its thin neck was stupid and dumb and I hated it.

Can you please link to a site with information about these?

Good guy LHBS owner gave me free malt extract. Help me make a recipe! by luminairexin Homebrewing

[–]Ambrose_Balin 2 points3 points ago

I can't think of a better time for an all grain brewer to get rid of some mystery yeast than to use it with free LME. You'll probably never choose to use it on a beer that you purchase ingredients for with a particular end product in mind. Go ahead and pitch it in and tidy up your stock room!

What are some benefits of 75/90-minute boil? by envaderin Homebrewing

[–]Ambrose_Balin 0 points1 point ago

They're also increasing the density of the wort- creating smaller batches of stronger beer.

Stopper Sizing Question by lacrosse9654in Homebrewing

[–]Ambrose_Balin 1 point2 points ago

Nope, they're smaller.

Question about taste of my 1st all-grain batch by maak_din Homebrewing

[–]Ambrose_Balin 2 points3 points ago

Ah that makes sense I suppose. Thanks for the info!

Still, the fact that his FG was 1.01 does indicate that his wort was reasonably fermentable, since he lost 38 points of gravity.

Question about taste of my 1st all-grain batch by maak_din Homebrewing

[–]Ambrose_Balin 1 point2 points ago

I've had a few beers remain green longer than others. Sometimes they can take up to a month before they taste perfect. Give these another week or two and hopefully they will level out for you.

I don't think the mash conversion is your problem, because your gravity measurements look reasonable.

Let us know what ends up happening and what you learn about your process!

Cheers!

Question about taste of my 1st all-grain batch by maak_din Homebrewing

[–]Ambrose_Balin 1 point2 points ago

He's got his gravity measurements up there, though. I don't think this is it.

The end result of mowing the lawn. by aerotemin funny

[–]Ambrose_Balin 1 point2 points ago

I, too, light my mower on fire every time I'm finished. Frankly, I wouldn't trust somebody who didn't.

Computer Experts: What's a computer trick you think everyone should know? by jojojokin AskReddit

[–]Ambrose_Balin 0 points1 point ago

Don't even need access to their computer to do this. Just knowledge of their email address, 5 minutes and a little php.

I sure hope this works. I am making a Belgian Pale Ale and my lhbs only had one ardennes yeast. by SoundSurveyin Homebrewing

[–]Ambrose_Balin 0 points1 point ago

Hmmm... at least some of that is based on misconception. Once the yeast have started up, they are making direct use of the oxygen in solution. The CO2 layer created actually speeds the loss of oxygen from solution via diffusion. Oxygen (any gas) tends to diffuse along concentration gradients. If there is no Oxygen in the atmosphere above a fluid, Oxygen will diffuse more quickly into it. Dalton's Law

I wouldn't think that oxygen would leave solution very fast in a day or two because you aren't super saturating your wort when you aerate it (the way you do when your carbonate it). Also before fermentation begins, the wort is in a high Oxygen environment and so Oxygen wouldn't tend to diffuse out of the wort any faster than it entered it.

There may be factors I haven't considered, though, and that's what I hoped you could elaborate on. I definitely would be worried about infection leaving the wort alone without yeast in it, though.

I sure hope this works. I am making a Belgian Pale Ale and my lhbs only had one ardennes yeast. by SoundSurveyin Homebrewing

[–]Ambrose_Balin 0 points1 point ago

potential for the aeration to go away...

Do you mean that he should be concerned that oxygen will leave solution? Can you share anything specific about why that would occur?

Obama explaining the Osama Bin Laden operation. by mrtvamackain funny

[–]Ambrose_Balin 0 points1 point ago

Ha! Why so angry about different senses of humor? It's okay, fella! Everything is okay!

Obama explaining the Osama Bin Laden operation. by mrtvamackain funny

[–]Ambrose_Balin -1 points0 points ago

Huh. It made me laugh out loud. We're like... different... man.

view more: next