Controversial Homebrewing Opinions

The spent grains from a BIAB "Wee Heavy" can do that. Yea, they can.

 

That's not a bad idea, it's insulated and has a built in heated recirculator, may just need a few screens over the drain.

I'm guessing there's someone out there who's tried it.

 

https://images.app.goo.gl/MF4FvWFAw5LFry7JA
I could post it, but dont want any mod crap...

 

It is their version of Chico in the bottle. They have some carbonation in the Brite tanks. Just enough sugar and yeast are added to hit the CO2 target.

Bell's uses the same procedure, and you can get the Bell's house yeast from the bottles.

 

Have you done this? Do you feel it is important to trying to emulate their beers?

I have only once raised yeast from a bottle (Orval) and that definitely brought the character of Orval to the beer I was making, but I don't think of Bell's beers (or Sierra Nevada's) as having strong yeast character; I would think one of the popular neutral ale strains would do. I did try a couple Two-hearted clones, which seemed to only be wanting for more centennial character.

 

Not sure if this is controversial. I am not fond of Chinook hops (at least, not fond of the classic piney flavor for hops grown in the Pacific Northwest; I don't think I have had the ones grown in Michigan, that are supposed to be pineapple-ish.

 

I've done it several times, and can assure you that the ester profile is part of the house character. That yeast will produce a nice orange ester fermented on the warm side. Definitely part of Oberons flavor

 

MI Chinook can be great, dry hop with it and yes, it is pineapple.

 

Do you know if Official uses the same yeast? I happened to have a can of that last night.

 

I don't know for sure. I have used Amber or Oberon.

 

I think that one might be a different strokes for different folks situation. I can see how folks wouldn't like it. Personally, I dig it blended with some other stuff to get a bit more piney resin and spice into the mix. But it is potent.

 

Lagers are not hard, nor more difficult than ales. Just require a fermentation chamber, really. All you need is the ability to cool a bit further and pitch appropriate amounts of yeast. If your lagers aren't clean or flawed, your ales are too.

 

To add to this... if the only hops you're adding to the kettle are WP, you have created the most boring, lifeless beer on the planet.

 

Two thumbs up!

 

Here’ one: 34/70 at 65 F can make a great lager. Cheers!

 

Did this with my cream ale once, and the clean result supported this.

 

Styles are not something that organizations self professed as to to valid qualification have any right to attempt to define, codify, and quantify. Membership in and participation in such organizations are the means to communal aggrandizement required of those lacking in any semblance of true self esteem.

 

I'd say about 75% of the beers I make with my Grainfather are recipes I've come up with myself. The other 25% are usually brews I'm doing to see what the results are from various recipes so I can get a better understanding of the ingredients. I almost bought a picobrew instead since I'm more interested in recipe formulations than the motions of brewing. Plus I hate cleaning and dealing with hoses!