Home Brew Questions

[Stig]

Good choice. I'm drinking my way through a nice batch of that atm. It's not particularly gold, it has to be said, but it's a really nice lighter ale. Mine's come out sort of IPA-ish. Not a bad thing at all, imo.

And everyone frets over their first couple. See my fevered posting earlier on in the thread. I've now learned that bottling it and leaving it for a couple of months will cure most ills.

I never said it would be gold, tbf



I've had a very disappointing few brews recently - it's almost put me off a bit.

A couple were really horrible tasting, and the last three just will not clear. They've been there a couple of months already and still cloudy and not-ready tasting. Arse.

 

[haZe36]

Kegged the Fixby this afternoon and took a cheeky sample - tasted fine, knew there was nothing to worry about

Onto a Coopers IPA next, thread must not die...

 

[Funky_monks]

A couple were really horrible tasting, and the last three just will not clear. They've been there a couple of months already and still cloudy and not-ready tasting. Arse.

Stronger brews clear more quickly than weak ones. If you have nothing else left to try and the ferment is not stuck, sling some sugar in and hope that does the trick, and even if it doesn't, after a few you'll be too pissed to care.

 

[badseed]

I haven't had a beer for about 8 weeks due to a Thai kickboxing show tomorrow afternoon, so my beer stocks have grown to fantastic proportions.
I have 20 L of Pilsner (heavy on the Saaz), 20 L Pale Ale (American Style Cascade & Clusterhops) and 20 L of Australian Bright Ale plus 20 L of Pilsner conditioning in the brewing fridge.
I am thirsty.
Got some friends coming round for a curry tomorrow evening, the rest can write itself...

 

[Voley]

Impressive, badseed.

I've got about 5 or 6 bottles of IPA left, 40 pints of bitter bottle conditioning after that and five gallons of bitter fermenting now. Despite all this, I still bought some lager the other day in Tesco's. 18 bottles of Stella for a fiver. Couldn't be passed up. My obsession knows no bounds.

 

[mr steev]

My cider was a success!
It tastes great and I will continue to make more

I'm also delving into the world of wine making now. I've got some elderberries in the freezer and intend to go out at some point this week and pick the few extra pounds I need.

I started some damson wine last night. I put 6lbs of fruit with 6lb of sugar and 2 gallons of boiling water into a bucket with the plan to pitch it and add nutrients etc this morning when it had cooled.
Unfortunately I bought the wrong yeast (and it's only enough for 1 gallon) I have also discovered that the few local homebrew shops all seem to be shut on Wednesdays and I don't want to have to drive 15miles to find one that's open!
I presume the must will be ok until tomorrow?

The recipe says to strain the wine into demijons, leave to ferment, then rack into more demijons. I've got a fermenting bucket with an airlock. Does anyone know any reason I shouldn't strain the wine into that first, then into demijons later?

 

[berniedicters]

My cider was a success!
It tastes great and I will continue to make more

I'm also delving into the world of wine making now. I've got some elderberries in the freezer and intend to go out at some point this week and pick the few extra pounds I need.

I started some damson wine last night. I put 6lbs of fruit with 6lb of sugar and 2 gallons of boiling water into a bucket with the plan to pitch it and add nutrients etc this morning when it had cooled.
Unfortunately I bought the wrong yeast (and it's only enough for 1 gallon) I have also discovered that the few local homebrew shops all seem to be shut on Wednesdays and I don't want to have to drive 15miles to find one that's open!
I presume the must will be ok until tomorrow?

The recipe says to strain the wine into demijons, leave to ferment, then rack into more demijons. I've got a fermenting bucket with an airlock. Does anyone know any reason I shouldn't strain the wine into that first, then into demijons later?

On the yeast front, I shouldn't worry - it might be a little bit slower to start its fermentation, but you'll soon know if it's failed. THEN get more yeast

It's always a good idea to chuck some campden tablets in when you're setting up the must for winemaking - wine's usually a somewhat slower fermentation, and you don't want wild yeasts or bacterial infections to get a hold. If you didn't, don't worry about it now, but worth remembering for the future.

Pectinase is quite good at breaking up fruit - but again I'm not sure I'd worry about adding it now. Presumably you mashed/cut up the fruit anyway?

As for straining into the bucket - no, absolutely no reason why not at all. In fact, given that it has an airlock, I'd be inclined to avoid the risk of infection of moving it from that - let the fermentation complete in it, then bottle from there. It might just be a bit trickier to tuck away/move around, and now your fermentation vessel's out of commission for a few weeks

 

[Griff]

Gave a bloke at work a bottle of my second brew which has been in a bottle for a month and a bit now. He loved it.

My latest (a Paxton Real Ale) hasn't taken so well, but is drinkable enough.

 

[mr steev]

Cheers agnesdavies.
I've got sterilised stuff drying as I type... the ease of videne

 

[del]

After sampling various home-brews at the weekend, Mr Steev's fine cider included, I have to say that home-brewing has come on a long way. All tasted great and were dangerously quaffable. As for Steve's cider, 6% my arse, judging by the wobble.

 

[Funky_monks]

I've never bothered sterilising the must when making homebrew wine, I just trust a good starter bottle will ensure my saccromyces of choice will win the bacteriological arms race.

Sterile equipment, yes, sterile must, no.


(except for beermaking when I don't sterilise anything cos you boil the stuff)

 

[mr steev]

I've never bothered sterilising the must when making homebrew wine

I don't sterilise the must, just the bucket it goes in and any implements like hydrometer, spoons etc.

I was wondering whether I'd need to sterilise the spoon I'll use for stirring it every now and again. But following a mate's suggestion, I now have some diluted videne in a plant sprayer. So all i have to do is spray the surface and wait for it to dry. It's no hassle at all and better to be safe than sorry I guess

 

[ringo]

Just got round to ordering one of those Wherry kits, looks good.

 

[nicksonic]

Just got round to ordering one of those Wherry kits, looks good.

i also plan to do this in the near future.

 

[retribution]

My first batch of the Wherry kit (inspired by this thread ) turned out great, and the second batch is a week into its primary fermentation, so ready to switch to the barrel soon.

I've got a capper and caps now, so was hoping to bottle some of this batch (I've collected a dozen or so bottles). Anyone got any tips on how to do this? I was thinking of mixing the sugar in as per usual into the barrel, and then immediately siphoning some off into bottles, will this work?

I'm right in thinking that the beers condition in the bottle if you do it this way, yeah? If so, what about the gas it'll produce? Do I fill the bottles only say 3/4 full to avoid them exploding?

I've acquired a spare demijohn now so a batch of cider might also be called for

Thanks

 

[berniedicters]

I've got a capper and caps now, so was hoping to bottle some of this batch (I've collected a dozen or so bottles). Anyone got any tips on how to do this? I was thinking of mixing the sugar in as per usual into the barrel, and then immediately siphoning some off into bottles, will this work?

With a dozen or so bottles, you're obviously not planning on bottling the whole batch?

In which case, I'd keep the handling down to a minimum, so what I'd do is to make a little paper cone to use as a funnel, and use it to put about half a teaspoon of sugar into each bottle before filling them.

I'm right in thinking that the beers condition in the bottle if you do it this way, yeah? If so, what about the gas it'll produce? Do I fill the bottles only say 3/4 full to avoid them exploding?

Definitely not! Yes, the beer will carbonate in the bottle (and at half a teaspoonful shouldn't be too fizzy), but you must fill the bottle up properly. Leave a little headspace - say, 1 - 1.5cm between the top of the beer and the top of the neck. Any space you leave in there is space in which oxygen will be, and the more oxygen you've got in your bottle, the more the beer will oxidise, and oxidised beer is stale beer. All of the carbon dioxide produced by the secondary fermentation should go into solution to make your beer a bit fizzy.

Conditioning is really what happens after the secondary fermentation - it's where your "green" beer matures and its flavours blend and develop to give you a rounded, even flavour more like what you'd get in a commercial brew (only better, because this one's yours), and less like what people generally associate with "homebrew" (that and the fact that they expect it to have been brewed in a galvanised dustbin).

Good luck, and enjoy!

 

[badseed]

Just put down an American style pale ale heavy on the citrussy hops (Cascade, Cluster & Chinook)
This is one of my favorites and I usually have a keg of it on the go, this one will go down well on a hot xmas morning.

 

[Stig]

I've just put a few more brews on since a very bad summer. where 6 in a row had to be thrown away.

I had a phenolic infection and I just couldn't get rid of it.

I've ended up replacing nearly my entire kit.

On the positive side, I now have a nice enamelled steel boiler with a hidden element, some stainless stove top pots, and two new fermenters, so I can brew more than one at a time

I've got a lovely coffee stout conditioning in bottles which has 4 litres of very good coffee in it. an amber ale, with cascade hops in riight at the end, APA-style, A light citrussy one with poineer hops, and I'm going to do a porter tonight, as I want to use up the Bramling Cross, and I think they'd go nicely in a Porter.

Back in the saddle, then.

 

[c8600]

Quick question. It's been nearly a year since my last brew, which was also my 1st. I just ain't had time to do it since. I posted asking for help which I got and was greatly received.

Main problem I have is that when my beer keg was pressured and the beer fermented, whenever I took a glass full from it, the tap seemed to let out a bit of beer after it had been closed. this was a brand new keg mind. Also when the pressure had fallen away and most of the beer had been drank, I think there was a worse leak. I don't know weather it was knocked or what. It may just need the tap tightening or have a dodgy seal. I know anything about these things.

How can I test the keg for leaks b4 I put precious beer in it?

Cheers.

 

[c8600]

Oh yeah I didnt mention. I bought a second keg which has a gasser on the top which my current one doesnt.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160373703338&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1123

£5. Winner

P.s I havent collected this yet. It looks a bit grubs but I don't see why it wouldnt scrub up ok. Not literaly scrub, I know this can make cleaning harder, you know what I mean

 

[c8600]

I am hoping to get brewing on Friday. I am going to do one of the more recomended stout kits, and a good bitter.

Do you think i have left it too late for it to be ready for xmas??

 

[mr steev]

This may be a daft question, but can you cork screw top wine bottles?

 

[Stig]

I am hoping to get brewing on Friday. I am going to do one of the more recomended stout kits, and a good bitter.

Do you think i have left it too late for it to be ready for xmas??

Nah, not at all. a week to ferment >28th November, then three weeks conditioning in bottles or barrel, takes you to the 19th december. Actually it's never quite ready on the day, IME, so another few days, and you're cutting it a bit fine!
Oh no!

*gets beer on*

 

[haZe36]

I've just sampled a Brewferm Abbey that I've had bottled for the last 3 weeks.

I was hoping to keep some of these back for Christmas, gonna be very difficult

 

[berniedicters]

I've just sampled a Brewferm Abbey that I've had bottled for the last 3 weeks.

I was hoping to keep some of these back for Christmas, gonna be very difficult

If it's lovely after 3 weeks, it'll be nectar by Christmas. Give half a dozen bottles to a teetotal (or beer-hating) friend, with strict instructions not to let you have them before Christmas Eve!

 

[haZe36]

I'm not sure I can do that, far too many of my closest friends have similar drink problems!

I am however, up for the challenge of holding out or at least moderating myself. There's plenty more beer in the garage to help me on the way.

And failing that, I've ordered a couple more just in case

 

[temper_tantrum]

Just wanted to say, I'm a major fan of this thread!

 

[Stig]

I'm going to do a new one tomorrow, and I'm going to do photos, specially for the thread.

It'll be a plain maris otter with as much amber malt as I can get away with, I'll look up how much that is, probably 10%. And then whichever hops are the oldest, (but I only buy my faves), it'll be the fuggles or the cascade. So it'll be a Red beer, either a grassy red or a citrussy red, we'll see.

 

[temper_tantrum]

Quick question, I have a hop vine growing up the side of my house. Would that be any use at all? I don't brew anything myself, but I'm interested on a theoretical basis.

 

[Stig]

Quick question, I have a hop vine growing up the side of my house. Would that be any use at all? I don't brew anything myself, but I'm interested on a theoretical basis.

If you don't brew it'll be fuck all use, to be honest.

I don't understand the question? Are you thinking of taking up brewing? Or do you want to grow hops and send them to me?

You could grow hops and dry them, and use them to fill little minature pillow cases like old ladies do with lavender, and keep them under your pillow and go to bed every night thinking mmmm beer....