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I've brewed with a couple of English craft brewers, very respected for what they do, and they just prime with regular old granulated sugar. The amount of priming sugar in a batch is so tiny it will not really affect the flavor. You might find someone saying it does, but that's a matter of using something like dark demerara vs. corn sugar in a beer that otherwise has practically no taste. Kudosx: there are so many single hop beers that do just that, so you are in good company! efb. Oh well, reinforcement is always good.
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Nov 23, 2012 13:49
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fullroundaction posted:Semi-related: has anyone seen Bell's Oarsman around lately? I haven't been able to get it in a year+ and I loved having that on hand for sessioning. It's a year round release for Bell's and I can find it in every grocery store in town that sells some amount of Bell's beer. You live somewhere that they distribute to right? Maybe ask a beer buyer somewhere if they can order it.
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Nov 23, 2012 14:45
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Kudosx posted:Does using priming sugar add any off flavors to your beer? If so, do most of you experienced brewers do forced carbonation? Dextrose is a simple sugar and it gets completely consumed by the yeast, it doesn't leave any flavour at all. I'm pretty sure there's a section in how to brew where he describes priming with malt extract and how it creates a new krausen in the neck of the bottle, it does not sound pretty.
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Nov 23, 2012 15:37
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Kudosx posted:e: Sorry if these are stupid questions I should have been able to answer myself by googling/reading the whole guide, I tried my best... but I felt like the answers I was receiving through google were inadequate. The guide says that priming sugars add no off-flavors in the small amount I'd be using, but when I googled it, some homebrew forum users claimed otherwise, hence why I asked. Don't worry about asking questions - this group is really very good about giving good advice without the typical "use the search, n00b!" stupidity. Goon brewers are the best brewers, IMO. Priming sugar won't add any off-flavor to your beer; in fact, even if you *want* it to add flavor, it probably won't. I sometimes see people asking about adding flavor by using a flavorful primer (e.g., maple syrup), and it's a great idea, but the fact is that the amount is so small it will have a tiny effect on the flavor of the beer. So, since you're going to be using a neutral sugar for priming your first batch, you can be assured it will have zero effect. Long ago, I used to have a big hard-on for priming with malt extract rather than sugar because I was under the impression it made the beer better somehow. Really, it makes as near no difference as can be imagined, and my beer actually got better when I switched to corn sugar for priming because it was more consistent. Jo3sh fucked around with this message at 16:31 on Nov 23, 2012 |
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Nov 23, 2012 16:27
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Nanpa posted:Thanks for the recommendation, but I ended up going for a German wheat beer (just to try and use up some stuff I already have around), but I'll probably try a Saison next. Style wise, it's mostly defined by the yeast, yes? (in terms of being a rustic/seasonal/whatever is around type) I believe Saisons are usually near 100% pils malt and then saison yeast, but I am not positive. I've seen some recipes with trace amounts of wheat and vienna malt though. I also know that you want to ferment them hot, high 80s and such.
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Nov 23, 2012 17:32
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The Brewers Best Cream Ale kit with the WLP080 turned out fantastic. Very crisp and light.
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Nov 23, 2012 17:40
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Midorka posted:I believe Saisons are usually near 100% pils malt and then saison yeast, but I am not positive. I've seen some recipes with trace amounts of wheat and vienna malt though. I also know that you want to ferment them hot, high 80s and such. Saisons can be made with all kinds of stuff, it's a very broad style. Most do use a pils base (I use Vienna), and then just take off from there. Flaked corn, wheat, rye, aromatic and biscuit malts are all pretty normal in different versions. The Saison Dupont yeast is kind of fickle and can need 80s and higher, but the french saison yeast will do fine as low as 66-68* in my experience.
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Nov 23, 2012 18:17
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Which brewery's yeast is Wyeast 3864-PC Canadian/Belgian Ale Yeast modeled after? I have two brews going with it right now and have no idea what to expect.
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Nov 23, 2012 18:19
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hellfaucet posted:Which brewery's yeast is Wyeast 3864-PC Canadian/Belgian Ale Yeast modeled after? I have two brews going with it right now and have no idea what to expect. YeastBot says Unibroue. https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AmRc5_x3ehAfdFhBQ3pmczhqdHUtbmFONUYyZzVEY0E&hl=en&authkey=CP-m-dUJ#gid=3
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Nov 23, 2012 18:24
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Jo3sh posted:YeastBot says Unibroue. Holy poo poo this spreadsheet is amazing. Thanks so much for this!
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Nov 23, 2012 18:25
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Thank Rage-saq, he is the compiler of that thing. I agree it is amazing, and I wish I could take credit, but that would just not be right.
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Nov 23, 2012 18:28
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Anybody here use a bench capper they'd recommend? I'm looking at building a counter pressure bottle filler but hate that they're never mounted to anything, so you have to set it down to cap it. I've got an idea to mount it to a bench capper but they all seem to have mixed reviews. Josh Wow fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Nov 23, 2012 |
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Nov 23, 2012 18:57
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Josh Wow posted:Saisons can be made with all kinds of stuff, it's a very broad style. Most do use a pils base (I use Vienna), and then just take off from there. Flaked corn, wheat, rye, aromatic and biscuit malts are all pretty normal in different versions. The Saison Dupont yeast is kind of fickle and can need 80s and higher, but the french saison yeast will do fine as low as 66-68* in my experience. Thanks for expanding on that. My limited knowledge was mostly based on quick recipe's I found.
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Nov 23, 2012 20:00
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I'm interested in making a tart cherry cyser before all the apple cider runs out. Anyone have any experience using 100% cherry concentrate over 100% cherry juice? I've been scouring online and seem to have the most luck finding concentrates rather than juices. Kinda wary about cough syrup flavors.
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Nov 23, 2012 20:08
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Jo3sh posted:YeastBot says Unibroue. Is this in the OP? It should be in the OP, because that's amazing.
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Nov 23, 2012 22:59
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It's a shame that most of Flying Dog's beer is really meh as their bottles are drat near perfect for Homebrewing since the labels come off easily. It seems that labels attached with that paper are easy to get off though, Dogfish Head and Epic are the other two I'm familiar with that come right off. Avoid Smuttynose though, more hassle than worth.
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Nov 23, 2012 23:32
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Beer4TheBeerGod posted:Is this in the OP? It should be in the OP, because that's amazing. That's a great suggestion. Edited this into the FAQ: quote:Q: So I was at the homebrew shop, and there are, like, a jillion different kinds of yeast. Why so many kinds? What's the difference? Why not just make one yeast that can do everything?
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Nov 23, 2012 23:56
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Hey guys, I have a question. We've done two batches so far using a immersion chiller, and it's worked really well. It's a simple design, easy to clean and use, and with proper stirring and high flow I haven't had any complaints. But I'm a total gear head and have been looking at things like a counter-flow chiller or a plate chiller. The question I have is this; should I bother? Is there any appreciable difference between using an IC, a CFC, or a plate chiller?
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Nov 24, 2012 01:21
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With my plate chiller, I get 5 gallons of wort from boiling to 1 degree above water temperature in 5 minutes.
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Nov 24, 2012 02:17
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Midorka posted:It's a shame that most of Flying Dog's beer is really meh as their bottles are drat near perfect for Homebrewing since the labels come off easily. It seems that labels attached with that paper are easy to get off though, Dogfish Head and Epic are the other two I'm familiar with that come right off. Avoid Smuttynose though, more hassle than worth. Gonzo is one of the best porters around and gently caress anyone that thinks otherwise.
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Nov 24, 2012 05:16
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So far I've found that Duvel bottles are the easiest to delabel out of all the things I drink. Plus the bottles own and the beer owns harder. If I'm in a rough spot and need a lot of bottles quickly, we grab a couple Magic Hat variety 12-packs, force the #9 on people we don't like, and can have a clean case of empties in no time for a very minimal amount of money. If anyone knows a better [price/isn't terrible/easy to remove label] ratio beer than Magic Hat VPs let me know! fullroundaction fucked around with this message at 05:43 on Nov 24, 2012 |
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Nov 24, 2012 05:41
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fullroundaction posted:So far I've found that Duvel bottles are the easiest to delabel out of all the things I drink. Plus the bottles own and the beer owns harder. Sierra Nevada labels come off easily, but leaves a glue residue. Goose island comes of pretty easy too.
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Nov 24, 2012 05:48
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Price probably depends on where you are, but Lagunitas and Anchor Steam labels are the easiest to remove IME. Anchor Steam bottles tend to break at the crown during capping though.
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Nov 24, 2012 05:52
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Erdinger can be rather expensive depending on where you live but it's delicious and has great bottles. The labels fall off in a stiff breeze and the bottles are brown and heavy.
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Nov 24, 2012 06:05
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crazyfish posted:Gonzo is one of the best porters around and gently caress anyone that thinks otherwise. Yeah, you're right there. I actually thought about editing my post to mention Gonzo. I'll have to get a 6 pack soon. Also Sierra Nevada and Goose Island are very easy to get off as well, I bought a pack of scrub pads to handle the glue. That comes off very easy too. As for chilling, me and my buddy go from boiling to 65 or lower in 5-10 minutes with an immersion chiller and an ice bath. Picking up and immersing the chiller rapidly helps drop the temperature very fast while oxygenating the hell out of the wort.
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Nov 24, 2012 16:02
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Started making my first mash tun (10 gallon Home Depot cooler). Took me like an hour to find all the parts [because I'm a useless nerd] and every time an employee would ask me if I needed help they would also ask me what I was building. Reactions ranged from "COOL!" to "is that even legal I don't know if I can help you". I love the South  And then I get home to find a couple pre-made tuns on Homebrew Finds for only a little more than I spent on parts, shipped. BLACK FRIDAY :shakefist: Pray for me goons, I'll be using tools today that aren't computer related. Also heck yeah Sierra Nevada bottles. I think half my beers were formerly Hoptimum. Don't judge.
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Nov 24, 2012 17:21
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I just made my 12th batch, a Porter from a Brewer's Best kit. Up until now, I have always transferred my beer to a secondary fermenter after a few days in primary. On the advice of this thread, I decided to forgo the secondary, this time... so... ballpark... about when do I want to bottle it? "14 days in secondary" used to be my rule, and it always came out great. I guess the correct answer is, "When the gravity is correct," but I would rather not open the bucket and let in the O2 until I have to. SO, 14-ish days, as usual? Longer? The beer is to be given out as xmas gifts, so I need it at least 2 weeks in the bottle prior to then.
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Nov 24, 2012 17:56
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GORDON posted:I just made my 12th batch, a Porter from a Brewer's Best kit. Up until now, I have always transferred my beer to a secondary fermenter after a few days in primary. 14-ish days is about right including time for the yeast to clean up fermentation byproducts and for the beer to settle pretty clear. But yes, gravity readings are the best way to tell if it's done. This is one of the major reasons I advocate ditching the stupid airlock grommets. That fits in a tiny hole that's completely useless for anything else. I used a 1.25" hole saw to cut holes in my bucket lids, and then put the airlocks in #7 stoppers. Not only will this never get pushed into the beer like a grommet, but it's stupid-simple to pull the airlock and get a thief in there for a sample, or stick an auto-siphon in to transfer to a bottling bucket or keg, etc. In short, once you snap down the lid, you never have to take it off until you are ready to clean the fermenter. Jo3sh fucked around with this message at 18:06 on Nov 24, 2012 |
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Nov 24, 2012 18:02
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If a recipe calls for 2 weeks primary and 2 weeks secondary I just do 1 month in primary (unless there are additions, etc). In your case you can probably just leave it in primary up until 2 weeks before the first present needs to be handed out. People most likely won't crack open their presents on night #1 so you'll get more time bottle conditioning than that, hopefully.
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Nov 24, 2012 18:07
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fullroundaction posted:Started making my first mash tun (10 gallon Home Depot cooler). Took me like an hour to find all the parts [because I'm a useless nerd] and every time an employee would ask me if I needed help they would also ask me what I was building. Reactions ranged from "COOL!" to "is that even legal I don't know if I can help you". I love the South I did this except for the part where you eventually found all the right pieces. After an hour I said gently caress it and ordered the conversion kit from Northern Brewer because I am the biggest DIY retard ever 
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Nov 24, 2012 18:13
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Docjowles posted:I am the biggest DIY retard ever Hey, I hate building sheds and changing bathroom faucets as much as the next guy, but we are in this thread because we DIY our own beer, which is what the plumber wishes he were not scared to do.
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Nov 24, 2012 18:18
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Well my porter cleared up quite a bit and the yeast has settled well. Still a bit more bitter than I wanted (I added those hops too early), but good overall. I'm probably going to do another kit beer (did the baltic porter this round), thinking of a amber ale. Just need to get more bottles (I was way short this round, lost a gallon of beer.. Don't hurt me please). With the chiller (And Jo3sh's note about using the rubber stopper so I can thief my beer for SG tests) and a bigger boiling pot (watching the hot break with less than 1" of space to the top was an interesting task), I think I'll be fine. Going to have to reread my book on SG so I can start to understand what the hell is going on so I can start mixing my own kits.
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Nov 24, 2012 19:09
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Docjowles posted:I did this except for the part where you eventually found all the right pieces. I wasn't able to find the right size washers, because apparently 5/8" washers don't exist at any hardware store within driving distance. Fortunately my cousin is a mechanic and had the tools to drill me some. In the future I'll be ordering kits :P First all-grain batch coming up soon. Can't wait 
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Nov 24, 2012 19:37
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Gothmog1065 posted:Just need to get more bottles (I was way short this round, lost a gallon of beer.. Don't hurt me please). NOOOOOOOO! Don't you know there are sober people in Africa? You DO NOT waste beer, young man.
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Nov 24, 2012 19:42
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Jo3sh posted:NOOOOOOOO! Don't you know there are sober people in Africa? You DO NOT waste beer, young man. Saw this quote on a gas station beer coozie, or on a poster in a frathouse bathroom, don't remember which.
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Nov 24, 2012 20:41
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Honestly I don't really subscribe to the school of 'must never waste a single drop of beer' - life is too short to waste time on beer you don't want to drink. I poured out a little under a case of a brew that I hadn't tasted any of in about 5-6 months and wasn't very good to start. At that point it hadn't changed for the better with age, so I dumped it to make room in my closet. Edit: On a side note, I opened the very last bottles of my first-round homebrews last night (brewed about a year ago). I started to get some sour cherry kind of notes in the brown ale and oatmeal stout, and I've tasted it a lot in other aged beer as well - does anyone know where these flavours come from? crazyfish fucked around with this message at 21:20 on Nov 24, 2012 |
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Nov 24, 2012 21:17
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crazyfish posted:Honestly I don't really subscribe to the school of 'must never waste a single drop of beer' - life is too short to waste time on beer you don't want to drink. I'm actually with you. It was a bad attempt at a joke.
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Nov 24, 2012 21:27
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I like to think of my recent dumping of an entire 5 gallon batch as a sign of growing maturity. Better to think that instead of thinking of it as a waste of 30 dollars.
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Nov 24, 2012 21:28
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global tetrahedron posted:I like to think of my recent dumping of an entire 5 gallon batch as a sign of growing maturity. Better to think that instead of thinking of it as a waste of 30 dollars. That reminds me, I dumped a batch of a cucumber saison that I made that had a really intense, awful cooked vegetable taste. Note to self: Do not add actual cucumbers to secondary; cucumber water is probably a better move.
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Nov 24, 2012 22:16
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Ballast Point labels come off with like 5 seconds of water. Alpine labels will never come off ever without a full on scraping device.
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Nov 24, 2012 22:27
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