I started brewing at 6:15 AM today. It’s 14 degrees out on my deck. And I am preparing to spend the next 2 hours out there doing my thing. I think it’s an obsession! BUT I LOVE IT!
If you’re doing this while hanging upside down from a jungle gym, then yes, I think you may be crossing a line!! HAHA
Brew on, brother!
You Yankee winter brewers are an inspiration.
:cheers:
Ron
LOL! Yeah, I have a lower back issue and I found the magic of inversion. I got a pair of inversion boots and I hang from the monkey bars and do inverted crunches. It’s magic for the back. Two herniated discs and this has saved me from surgery. I think the temperature has increased a couple degrees.
OK, heres a question. I am making an extract chocolate milk stout today. There are grains for steeping. 165 degrees for 20 minutes. As far as I know we do not start extracting tannins until we are around 180 degrees. Why do we not leave the grains in to steep for a full hour or so like when we do a mash? Why 165 degrees? Why don’t we steep at around 150 degrees for an hour or so?
Your a sick man. I don’t brew outside unless it as least 20deg
Strangely as the sun has peeked through, the temp has dropped to 12! I am going in and out. Steeping done, heating up now for the boil.
In the mash we are waiting for conversion to happen from starch to maltose. With steeping grains that conversion has already happened. I suppose you could steep for an hour if you would like to though. :cheers:
Brewing in extreme cold poses a new set of challenges. 1) the steam cloud billowing out of the pot is intensified and you really can’t see anything. 2) When you get water on your deck it freezed almost instantly and makes for a treacherous working environment. 3) When you put wet gear down on the table it freezes to the table.
But there is one advantage. Chilling the wort becomes way easier. Last night I filled my brewing garbage pail with 20 gallons of water. It made for an awesome ice bath.
Responding to your steeping question:
One of my last (and best) extract brews was NB’s St Paul Porter. Just as an experiment, I preheated the steeping water to 160, dunked the grains and steeped for about 45 min. I don’t have a previous batch of St Paul to base anything on, but compared to my other extract brews that I steeped, the flavors did seem deeper to me. Might just be because I wanted it to be better, but I do feel like the flavor was better. And now that I’ve done the all grain version of St Paul, I know the flavor of my extract version was just as good.
Just my 2 pennies.
Think warm thoughts.
:cheers:
Ron
