Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yeah thats normally why I am on here at 2:00am US Central time because I am still at work

Agreed, mashing would be great, but I'm a lazy brewer, except for hygien. Would love to try, but don't have the room at the moment. Is there much to the additional equipment?

Found a kit and some LME in the cupboard that I must have bought maybe Nov last year. It was in the form of a rock rather than powder, so half an hour laterI had it gound up again, and the firsth brew of the year is down.

Checked the label on the European Lager that I sampled. 05 Dec-2012 is 3 months ago. I need to go back to school to learn maths. Thats probably why it was smooth. Didn't taste as good watching Bronco's getting beaten, but was pretty good watching Eels give the Warriars a flogging.

Wasn't drinking when typing above.

Need to go back to school and learn how to spell! or maybe how to type.

Drinking my home brew Apricot Ale here ATM

I use Coopers wheat (50% barley, 50% wheat) malt, I dont bother with making my own mash etc.
I also make a batch or 2 of mulberry ale most years, but it was too hot and dry this past spring- not enough fruit to make it
My pears and blackberries often make it into a brew too

Do any of you home brewers out there adjust your water PH or use a RO filter for brewing?

I've never checked the pH, but I generally use filtered water.
I remember seeing my mate out with buckets when it was raining cos he reckoned fresh from the sky was the only way to go...

Yea we filter too Gaz. I read up on the PH recomendations for beer making and our source is a fair way off. I wonder what difference it makes?

very little after the 3rd longy I should think

I use untreated, filtered rainwater from the roof.

Trying a Bundaberg lemon lime & soda in a can.. Its not good.

Champagne and beer at 5 o'clock yay!

Mash pH will affect enzymatic activity. Too far out of the 5.5 range and you won't convert all your starch to yeast-digestible sugars. The mash will buffer itself into that range to some degree, but too hard or too soft and it can't compensate. You can use additives or adjust your style to suit your water. There's a reason why stouts came out of Ireland (soft water) and Pale Ale out of central England (hard water).

Also, high hop levels tend to go better with harder water. There are some other taste/mineral combos, too. But in the end, it will still be beer.

Also, I'm going to wreck some of this this weekend:

Time to call my rep and see if I can't try that out.

I love pretty much everything from New Belgium, except for their big cash cow Fat Tire. It's a little nondescript for the price. But it allows them to brew some knarly other stuff that doesn't sell as much, so I can't totally hate it.