|
TOMSOVERBAGHDAD posted:So I did my first-ever brew (a saison that saq helped me with) today, and I think I screwed a couple things up: No. In fact #2 is a good way to do it, because you want oxygen in your beer cause the yeasts need it.
|
#
¿
Sep 19, 2011 00:54
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 06:10 |
|
|
OMG I broke it! Well, maybe not really. I brewed my third batch this weekend, it's an Belgian Honey Wheat for my wife. As of this morning (36 hours) there is no pressure on the airlock at all. I'm trying to RDWAHAHB, but  Some notes: * It's my first fairly high-gravity beer (1.080) * The Wyeast packet didn't bulge after being on the counter for ~3 hours on brew day. * I actually managed to over-cool the wort. 120 in the pot then poured it over some ice. It felt pretty cold ( I don't have a thermometer that goes down that far). I would imagine it was about 50 when it was pitched. I've heard 3 days is panic time, but.. my  . I have a dry packet that came with the kit I can pitch in if I don't see any activity.Advice?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 20, 2011 22:49
|
|
|
Docjowles posted:What are you fermenting in? If it's a bucket just take the lid off and look in. If there's kreusen (foam/poo poo on top) then it's working fine and there's probably just a poor seal on the bucket or airlock. If it looks exactly the same as when you pitched 3 days ago that's a bit worrisome. It has a small foam building on the top of it, like, just a few bubbles. I think it's just an ultra delayed start. It smelled like wheat beer and yeast when I opened it. I'm going to give it another 24 hours.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 21, 2011 00:14
|
|
|
TenjouUtena posted:It has a small foam building on the top of it, like, just a few bubbles. I think it's just an ultra delayed start. It smelled like wheat beer and yeast when I opened it. It's happily bubbling away now! I suppose next time, as suggested, I'll build a starter.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 22, 2011 00:58
|
|
|
jailbait#3 posted:Don't worry. I have been using the "no chill" method for a year with no ill effects. (http://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/06/06/australian-no-chill-brewing-technique-tested/) How do you avoid building up a ton of DMS in your beer when you do this? I thought the entire point of quickly cooling wort was to avoid DMS?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 23, 2011 01:05
|
|
|
Sirotan posted:So holy crap, its been 8 days since I bottled my first homebrew and I just popped the first bottle. It...it tastes like beer! And good beer! Its quite hoppy but a bit sweet still. Amazing how much the taste has changed in only one week. I can't wait to see how it continues to develop. Hurrah Beer! Welcome. Don't forget to start your second batch. Trust me.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 24, 2011 16:38
|
|
|
Does anyone have a good site to find extract recipes? I want to start and ESB, an Porter and several other styles, but I can't seem to find a reliable source of starter recipes to adapt.Jonked posted:Opened up my first batch, and I'm pretty happy with it. It's not just drinkable, it's actually pretty good! The only problem is that I was a little disappointed by the lack of strong taste... it really mellows out in the bottle. I've got an IPA and a Red Ale brewing right now, but after that maybe I'll try something with a higher IBU? What was your first batch?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 25, 2011 21:59
|
|
|
ItalicSquirrels posted:I've always been curious how non-alcoholic beers are "brewed". Obviously there has to be some malt and some hops, but do they boil them, carbonate, and bottle immediately? Do they let them cool down and then sulfite them before carbonation? It seems pretty obvious they can't have any yeast in them or they'd explode on the shelf after creating some alcohol. The big boys make normal beer then 'boil' off the Alcohol off (Around 180 degrees) until it qualifies as non alcoholic.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 27, 2011 02:06
|
|
|
Prefect Six posted:Finally got around to getting a gravity reading on my CDA/BIPA/whatever. It's at 1.020 with an OG of ~1.063. My OG was pretty far off the targeted 1.075. I didn't warm up the bottles of LME so I think I didn't get as much out of them as I should have. What is predicted FG? What kind of yeast did you use? Even if you pull it off the yeast cake, the yeasties will keep eating sugar and making alcohol even if you rack it to secondary, they'll just slow down. 1.020 seems like a high finish, and if you let it drop some more the yeasties will eat up the maltiness. Are you dry hopping in secondary?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2011 18:49
|
|
|
So, I just opened the second batch of mine, an Kit Irish Red and it's.... Disappointing. It tastes watery, and doesn't have much body or much aroma. It's this kit: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/irish-red-ale.html I used the White Labs yeast this time. I know that I used too much fill(ice) when I went into the fermentor, so that explains some of it. How can I avoid this in the future? I was a fuller mouth feel. Hoppier is easy to get, just more hops. Also, it's under-carbed again. I'm thinking I might just start capping the 16 oz. bottles, instead of using the swing tops.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 1, 2011 20:22
|
|
|
A few tips just to add on: If your bucket needs washing, just let it sit with some chlorine free OxyClean and warm water overnight (About half the volume they suggest for laundry is usually good. I use a scoop and a half for a full 6-7 gallons to clean my 5 gallon bucket.) As noted, you only need to pasteurize if you're getting from a farmers market or pressing your own. Also, pasteurize at 155 for like 10 minutes, do not boil. You probably do want to stir after you pitch yeast, especially if you had to pasteurize, since yeasties need air to do the magical voodoo that they do do. I've heard terribly wildly varying opinions on how long Cider should sit.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 23, 2011 19:31
|
|
|
So, This is my first year brewing, and my basement is starting to maintain a nice 60* instead of the nice 68* it seemed to be holding at during the late summer and early fall. I'll still doing ales for the foreseeable future. My question is, should I be worried about trying to rig something up to warm my wort/beer as it ferments? I have an electric blanket I could easily wrap around the carboy. How would I prevent it from getting overly heated? Should I just let things ferment longer? I'm not adverse to a longer ferment. I would like to avoid buying something to work around this problem, but if I need too....
|
|
#
¿
Oct 25, 2011 22:48
|
|
|
Darth Goku Jr posted:So i brewed an alt and this is my first time with a thermowell and a thermostat blah blah. long story short my target temp was 60 (i pitched at 65) but i accidentally let it get down to 50. will this adversely affect fermentation in any way? I did this a couple of times (down to 50) and it just took a bit longer for the yeasties to start.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 26, 2011 22:54
|
|
|
Local Yokel posted:Brewed my first beer (an ESB) two days ago, and it's happily bubbling away next to me in a 6.5 gallon fermenting bucket. If the carboy is 5 gallons, rack the ESB into the carboy after fermentation is done (It stops dropping in specific gravity / the airlock stops bubbling. If the carboy is 6.5 gallons, then you can do either A or B. I have 3 fermentation buckets though, so you could just do C since they're cheap and you'll probably want another anyway. If you do this, don't forget an airlock for the new bucket.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 28, 2011 00:45
|
|
|
Some Google spelunking on oxygen permeability. Here's Nalgene's guide to their plastic equipment. Page 58 has an permeability table by material. This mentioned the Nalgene information above, but also says that in talking to them they assume most permeability is from the closure. Interestingly, the PETG that better bottles are made out of seems to perform much better.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 6, 2011 02:39
|
|
|
My wing capper gave up after like 150 bottles. I'm not really pleased, but it's bent all out of shape. Anyone have a suggestion for a capper? I'm going to do a bench capper this time, as it seems easier. Going to a keg setup isn't an option for me at this time.  Also, does anyone know how to get recipes out of Beersmith that I can C&P here in any sort of pretty fashion?
|
|
#
¿
Nov 6, 2011 15:14
|
|
|
exant posted:Of course, Grolsch stops coming in swing-tops the same time I start brewing. To add on, I started with swing-top bottles too, thinking they'd be easier / better. They're not. It's a pain to 'cap' when you fill, I've only ever had sealing problems with my swingies, never my capped bottles. And they're was more fiddily to clean & sanitize. I also, (given further up the thread) recommend that if you're going to pay money for a capper, get a bench capper, the wing ones don't work on many bottle types, I've found.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 10, 2011 01:28
|
|
|
Docjowles posted:Yeah PBW or oxyclean free are incredible for cleaning carboys. Mix in with hot water, leave it alone for a day, your poo poo is sparkling clean oxyclean (free) is a miracle substance and I don't think I could brew without it. Cleans all my bottles up too!
|
|
#
¿
Nov 10, 2011 17:42
|
|
|
Daedalus Esquire posted:That's pretty much what I have. Well, the burner, I ended up upgrading the pot pretty quick, but the burner itself is pretty solid. I use it for a 15 gallon pot now with no issues. What was wrong with the pot? Just not big enough, or is it a bad brewpot or?
|
|
#
¿
Nov 13, 2011 17:35
|
|
|
So, I'm super psyched. My first self-written recipe came out.. pretty good! code:Anyway. brag brag. 
|
|
#
¿
Nov 20, 2011 00:45
|
|
|
Cpt.Wacky posted:I'm going to be brewing my first batches soon (extract kits from morebeer) and I'd like to reuse beer bottles. I've been cleaning and saving them for a while and just realized that some are twist-off and some are pry-off. From what I've read online it seems like the handheld capper only works with pry-off bottles, but you can get a bench capper that works with twist-off bottles. I have crushed the glass off the tops of several screw-top bottles with my wing capper. Even not-quite-so-cheap beers.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 7, 2011 03:10
|
|
|
Plastic Jesus posted:Maybe I'm dumb or just haven't done it enough to be annoyed, but I don't really mind bottling and my daughter freaking loves helping. 80% of what I make goes into bombers or 750ml bottles so perhaps that makes it less tedious than using only 12oz bottles? I don't mind bottling. I mind the work it is to wash / de-label / sanitize the bottles before the bottling.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 12, 2011 01:11
|
|
|
Cpt.Wacky posted:Are these big enough for primary fermentation of 5 gallon batches? I did my first brew over the weekend and my 5 gallon carboy didn't have enough head room, resulting in a foam volcano over night. Your beer will be fine. My first batch I didn't use a strainer or hop bag or anything, and so all the hops from the batch all ended up in primary. It'll add hoppy flavor from being in there with it, but overall it should be fine. I don't use hop bags, I love hops flavor and want as much as possible. Instead I use a mesh strainer over my bucket when I transfer from the kettle into the bucket. The problem with this method is that I can only strain about a gallon at a time without getting my sterilized spoon out and scraping the hop goop from the strainer. One thing you probably don't want to do is try and move it into a second container to get it off the hops. You'll probably just end up stalling the fermentation.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 12, 2011 20:07
|
|
|
Midorka posted:Anyone familiar with this kit? It's $120 in my store and I'm considering picking it up as my first homebrew set-up. That's Only other thing you'll need is ingredients, bottles and a pot.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 13, 2011 05:18
|
|
|
Docjowles posted:Basically it's that plastic carboys have all the same advantages and none of the disadvantages. I think they are a different type of plastic and therefore have much less O2 permeability but I could be misremembering. Just to be I don't mind my glass carboy, but I just buy more buckets cause they're cheap and easy. edit: I forgot my own research.
SoftNum fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Dec 13, 2011 |
|
#
¿
Dec 13, 2011 18:06
|
|
|
PokeJoe posted:It's been an interesting day, my mother's trying to set me up on a date with a furry ... You can't just say this, you know.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 18, 2011 00:21
|
|
|
Any extract brewers stock up on DME / LME for brewing? How do you find it? (for reference, I'm talking about buying 30-50 lbs of extract at once) I expect I'll make 7-12 batches before I convert to all grain brewing, so I'd like to stock up on ingredients instead of buying 3-5 lbs at a time. Also, anyone have an extract Nut Brown recipe they particularly like? I have a party to 'cater' in July, and I'd like to make sure my recipes work well. SoftNum fucked around with this message at 02:57 on Dec 18, 2011 |
|
#
¿
Dec 18, 2011 02:55
|
|
|
Cointelprofessional posted:I bottled an imperial stout after adding rehydrated yeast and priming sugar to the bucket. I was concerned about bottle bombs because I had never done such a thing before and wasn't sure whether the increased yeast might cause trouble. It's been three weeks and I decided to check on the progress. I opened a 12 oz bottle that I filled near the end of the bucket and poured half a glass of foam. I also opened a 22oz bottle and it seemed a little under-carbonated. How much sugar did you use for how big a batch? I have always been under the impression that if bottles were going to bomb, they would do it in weeks 2 and 3 of bottle conditioning. Edit: vvv 2/3rds of a cup for a 5 gallon batch of beer is fine. SoftNum fucked around with this message at 22:57 on Dec 20, 2011 |
|
#
¿
Dec 20, 2011 20:38
|
|
|
From July till November:
|
|
#
¿
Dec 30, 2011 03:36
|
|
|
Anyone know if Beersmith works like a beer diary? I like it for writing recipes and such, but I can't seem to figure out how to tell it that I made X on Y date, and to diary? Maybe I'm missing something. Anyone have anything else they use to diary?
|
|
#
¿
Dec 30, 2011 20:26
|
|
|
Docjowles posted:It has a separate folder called the Brew Log you can use for this purpose. In the toolbar there's a button that says Copy To Brew Log or something like that. Then you can edit that copy and make any batch-specific notes, mark what date it was brewed, etc. Ah, That is awesome! Thanks!
|
|
#
¿
Dec 30, 2011 21:39
|
|
|
Docjowles posted:For future batches, think about doing the primary in the carboy and just racking into the bucket to bottle. Assuming the Carboy is 6.5 gal and not 5 gal like comes with most kits, yeah. I wouldn't primary a 5 gal batch in a 5 gal carboy.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 2, 2012 20:06
|
|
|
fishbone posted:Anybody know why you can't buy clear food grade buckets for brewing? This would be the greatest thing ever. Better Bottles are great, but they kept the shape of a glass carboy which makes cleaning a bigger pain that it needs to be, and they're not easy to lug around without a brewhauler. Because HDPE is the cheap food-grade plastic, and it's never clear (Milk jugs are about as clear as it can get). You can get PET and other such food-grade plastic sorts, but they tend to be pricey (Read: Better Bottles)
|
|
#
¿
Jan 2, 2012 23:51
|
|
|
Does having a larger regulator (20 or 30 psi) cause problems with no being able to use all the LP in your tank? Can you use a normal 20 lbs. tank?
|
|
#
¿
Jan 6, 2012 16:53
|
|
|
I tried to wing-cap twist offs and I crushed the glass on the top of every bottle I tried. I haven't tried it yet with my bench capper, but I hear those do better.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 7, 2012 02:15
|
|
|
internet celebrity posted:Awesome, thanks for clearing all that up. Now for a second newbie question: My porter has a bit of a banana smell to it, apparently this is yeast esters and it means I fermented too warm. Is there anything I can do at this point or am I going to be drinking a banana-y porter for a while? Well, in theory you would dry hop or oak or vanilla or something in secondary to try and mask the taste, one supposes, but it's really not advisable (Most people encourage using / writing recipes intending to oak/dry hop/ etc.). It's also worth noting that what you smell / taste now won't be what you get out of the bottle after three weeks with carbonation. I'm sure you'll love it. SoftNum fucked around with this message at 21:12 on Jan 10, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Jan 10, 2012 21:03
|
|
|
grass posted:Something that didn't get answered and it seems like it should be a easy question, but can you add plain white sugar into the mix to kick it up a notch? Some of the locals who I asked said Yes, but they add it into fresh pressed juice to make there wines and ciders, perhaps the enzymes in the fresh juice help? Normal white cane sugar needs to be boiled in order for yeasties to be able to eat them.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 15, 2012 02:57
|
|
|
Ratbones posted:I'll keep that in mind for batch #2. Thanks for your help! Also, if you're concerned about clearer beer, get yourself some Irish Moss and add 1 tsp to the boil at 15 minutes.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 19, 2012 22:18
|
|
|
Ratbones posted:I'll get some Irish moss before my next batch, thanks. I did end up getting particles that were floating atop the beer into my carboy. They appear to be little bits of the malt itself. Can I just wrap some cheese cloth around the tip of the racking wand to prevent bits like that getting through? Is there any reason not to use some sort of filtration method like that (in cases like mine where there are little bits of grain matter) so long as it's properly sanitized? You'll run into a problem where things will get caught in the siphon tube and clog your filter, making it run slow and/or stop altogether, meaning you'll have to stop, disassemble, clean, sanitize, then start again. You will also cause more sheer, which will cause you to get more foam. I don't know if this will be significant or not, but it's certainly a thing.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 20, 2012 02:15
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 06:10 |
|
|
crazyfish posted:6) Using commercial ice as topoff water (IIRC this risks infection) I do this, actually, and haven't had an infection in like 10 batches or whatever. I pour boiling or just-off-boil wort onto the ice, which should kill the surface bacteria or whatever the store ice is infected with. At least that's what I tell myself, I'm probably just lucky. I just don't want to buy a wort chiller to fit this pot when I'm going to be getting a new pot in the summer.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 20, 2012 19:01
|
|