tombowler
still missing the point
ver much so if you can download a clean copy of the self suffiency book there are instructions on what to do from start to finnish on making beer from scratch it dont look too hard
Home Brew Questions
- Thread starter Voley
- Start date
ver much so if you can download a clean copy of the self suffiency book there are instructions on what to do from start to finnish on making beer from scratch it dont look too hard
Stig
Condimentalist
If you're going down that road you want to be growing barley first, and then malting it, before looking at hops.
Being able to buy malted barley is the first sign of proper civilisation IMO.
temper_tantrum
The beauty of the ride
Heh. Nice idea.
I meant, would the hops be any cop?
The reason I was uncertain is that I'm aware that with some species of plants, unless they're very clearly cultivated for useage then they aren't necessarily useable.
Therefore I'm not sure whether this random hops vine which I've inherited is in any way related to the hops used for brewing, and even if it was, would it taste any good?!
Of course if you'd like to have a go then you're more than welcome ...
Edit: That was all @ Stig btw.
I meant, would the hops be any cop?
The reason I was uncertain is that I'm aware that with some species of plants, unless they're very clearly cultivated for useage then they aren't necessarily useable.
Therefore I'm not sure whether this random hops vine which I've inherited is in any way related to the hops used for brewing, and even if it was, would it taste any good?!
Of course if you'd like to have a go then you're more than welcome ...
Edit: That was all @ Stig btw.
There are ornamental hop varieties, aren't there? I suspect you'd probably find that your hops sort-of worked but didn't lend much to the brew. I'd consider using them as an experiment, but don't set your expectations too high...
Spion
I hear ya
This. I had a hop growing up the side of the house too. Absolutely no fragrance whatsoever, so useless for brewing. The one my ma had in her garden smelled lush tho. I pulled mine out after a couple of years as all it did was grow at a furious rate and was no practical use
temper_tantrum
The beauty of the ride
Ah ok, so scent is a sign of brew-ability? I'll have to have a sniff. Thanks!
retribution
Jack of Dubs
Just setup our third brew, gone for a Woodforde's Admiral's Reserve this time. Last batch of Wherry was great - so much better than our first brew, which at the time we were well pleased with! Got some of the second batch in bottles, which are even better.
Hoping to bottle all of this next batch, posted an ad on the local freecycle for beer bottles
Hoping to bottle all of this next batch, posted an ad on the local freecycle for beer bottles
Iv had my coopers ale kegged for around a week and a half. I Had a couple of pints pretty early on coz I had no other beer in the house and fancied a beer. It tasted a bit rough. I thought The longer I managed to keep it without drinking the more the flavor might improve.
Wrong!
I tried a pint yesterday and it tasted.....well, not bad exactly, just not good. It tastes sort of bitter/sweet. Hard to describe. perhaps the taste it homebrewy???
Is it just coz coppers kits are not one of the better brands or do I just need to leave it a bit longer to finish?
Wrong!
I tried a pint yesterday and it tasted.....well, not bad exactly, just not good. It tastes sort of bitter/sweet. Hard to describe. perhaps the taste it homebrewy???
Is it just coz coppers kits are not one of the better brands or do I just need to leave it a bit longer to finish?
Stig
Condimentalist
You really want to leave it at least three weeks before it tastes ok.
I normally put a three week reminder in the calender when I've bottled a beer or barrelled it, and find I normally have to wait another week after that before it's entirely ready.
If you are worried it is just genuinely bad, stick a bottle of it in the airing or boiler cupboard for a week. Getting it nice and warm will speed up the process and help you decide if the flavour will improve or get worse.
I normally put a three week reminder in the calender when I've bottled a beer or barrelled it, and find I normally have to wait another week after that before it's entirely ready.
If you are worried it is just genuinely bad, stick a bottle of it in the airing or boiler cupboard for a week. Getting it nice and warm will speed up the process and help you decide if the flavour will improve or get worse.
Stig
Condimentalist
Nice!
I've got a porter which isn't at all bad, and a very pale one which I believe has avoided my flavour fault problem, so there's a few to take up to show the outlaws for xmas.
Then I have a few bottlew of something I accidentally brewed at 7.8%, oops. That one tastes very malty indeed.
I've got a porter which isn't at all bad, and a very pale one which I believe has avoided my flavour fault problem, so there's a few to take up to show the outlaws for xmas.
Then I have a few bottlew of something I accidentally brewed at 7.8%, oops. That one tastes very malty indeed.
ringo
Macaroni cheese controller
Novice help please.
I started the first fermentation of my Wherry kit yesterday, doesn't seem to be doing much. There's still a couple of mil of froth on the top but no bubbles rising from the bottom. Should the yeast have started doing something yet? Temperature seems to be around 18-20. Ta.
I started the first fermentation of my Wherry kit yesterday, doesn't seem to be doing much. There's still a couple of mil of froth on the top but no bubbles rising from the bottom. Should the yeast have started doing something yet? Temperature seems to be around 18-20. Ta.
retribution
Jack of Dubs
My airlock didn't come with instructions, just realised it needs to be half full of water. Haven't seen any bubbles through it yet
Does it? I've done three brews now (on my fourth) using what looks to be the same airlock, and I've never put water in it. Where did you read that?
Generally I've found the airlock doesn't get going (ie fermentation doesn't cause the airlock to 'go') until after about 48 hours, then after that it'll go fairly regularly for 24-48 hours, then reduce to next to nothing.
The Wherry is a fantastic kit - although if I were you I wouldn't take a reading on it for 10 days, then take one, then another a day or two after. If it's the same, move on (this prevents you wasting precious beer on lots of readings
)A question for others: My last brew ('Admirals Reserve') I bottled up in smaller bottles (350ml). It tastes gorgeous, but there's quite a lot of sediment in the bottles compared to my last batch (of Wherry), so I end up wasting a good eighth of a bottle so that my beer doesn't go cloudy. Why is that? Smaller bottles? Too much sediment drawn through the siphon when going from bucket to barrel?
Cheers, happy brewing!
ringo
Macaroni cheese controller
I thought all the brewers were ignoring my questions because they were stupid/obvious 
I didn't read about using water anywhere, but all the pics I found on the internet used water. I also read that water ensured a one way seal - the bubbles come through it but it prevents bacteria from entering the fermentation container.
I've also found that water makes monitoring the process easier because you can watch the progress. After 2 days it was bubbling constantly, then after 4 days bubbles were every 2 minutes. Today (day 5) they're down to every 4 minutes. Do they actually stop completely to signal the end of 1st fermentation?
Do you mean day 10 of the first or 2nd fermentation? I assume the latter.
I didn't read about using water anywhere, but all the pics I found on the internet used water. I also read that water ensured a one way seal - the bubbles come through it but it prevents bacteria from entering the fermentation container.
I've also found that water makes monitoring the process easier because you can watch the progress. After 2 days it was bubbling constantly, then after 4 days bubbles were every 2 minutes. Today (day 5) they're down to every 4 minutes. Do they actually stop completely to signal the end of 1st fermentation?
Do you mean day 10 of the first or 2nd fermentation? I assume the latter.
Yep, drop of water in there up to just under half way.
You can also use vodka which (I think) is less prone to infecting your brew if it bubbles over and down the air lock into your wort. Although this is probably seldom practiced.
Fwiw I've done brews with airlocks which have never bubbled to my knowledge. I don't really feel they're necessary and only use mine now as part of my immersion heater set up.
But if you've got one and there's a hole for it then you may as well use it..they can be a confirmation that something is actually happening when they're working
You can also use vodka which (I think) is less prone to infecting your brew if it bubbles over and down the air lock into your wort. Although this is probably seldom practiced.
Fwiw I've done brews with airlocks which have never bubbled to my knowledge. I don't really feel they're necessary and only use mine now as part of my immersion heater set up.
But if you've got one and there's a hole for it then you may as well use it..they can be a confirmation that something is actually happening when they're working
ringo
Macaroni cheese controller
Cheers for your response.
Just sterilising my barrel to transfer it for second fermentation. The only place warm enough seems to be the airing cupboard, though oddly the barrel has a sticker on it warning not to put it in airing cupboards. Unless anyone shouts very loudly I'll stick it in there for a day or two before it goes in a cupboard to finish.
Just sterilising my barrel to transfer it for second fermentation. The only place warm enough seems to be the airing cupboard, though oddly the barrel has a sticker on it warning not to put it in airing cupboards. Unless anyone shouts very loudly I'll stick it in there for a day or two before it goes in a cupboard to finish.
Not bad, better to be a bit lower but I've kegged at that with no problems.
Highest I went was 1020, tried everything to shift it down but it wouldn't budge. Tasted a little sweeter than i'd have liked, but as it was a high OG anyway it still came out at around 5.5%
ringo
Macaroni cheese controller
Cheers, I'll try and wait a bit longer next time but as it's my first go I have the standard desire to start on it straight away
Weird that the instructions suggest 4-6 for 1st fermentation and 16 for the second when everyone on this thread suggests much longer times.
Weird that the instructions suggest 4-6 for 1st fermentation and 16 for the second when everyone on this thread suggests much longer times.
Voley
🐀
Sticking all these brews on before Xmas has worked well with me being unemployed right now. Despite not having a pot to piss in, I have yet to experience the horror of a hop-free weekend and still have 15 pints of bitter to go at and 20 or so pints of IPA. The bitter went on way back in October (if I can remember that far back correctly) and is truly bloody delicious now.
Too skint to get another batch on the go right now, though, sadly. I'd like to be putting a few Summery light ales on to brew right now if I had twenty quid spare.
Too skint to get another batch on the go right now, though, sadly. I'd like to be putting a few Summery light ales on to brew right now if I had twenty quid spare.
Voley
🐀
I go for 4-6 days in primary on Stig's recommendation. Getting it off the yeast cake at the bottom of the bin when primary fermentation is complete is a good idea as the yeast can taint the beer if you leave it there too long.
Secondary fermentation I'm a bit more relaxed about. I had one that sat in the second bin for months due to a lack of bottles and it came out fine. Bottling after a couple of weeks or so of secondary fermentation normally works for me but I've had good results when I've left it for lots longer.
Glad to see my 'quick' home brew question is still being answered almost a year after I asked it.
I never saw any improvement using a secondary, so that's now been converted into a bottling bucket with one of those very handy bottling sticks. Recommended if you're not using one already
I also had a blitz on brewing before Christmas so still have over 30 bottles of Milestones IPA, 1 keg of Fixby Gold and about 1/4 of a keg of Coopers IPA to get through.
I'll have 2 kegs empty very soon so it might be time to get the next ones on. Now I have a decent collection of bottles I might even get a summer brew on nice and early - thanks for the idea!
I also had a blitz on brewing before Christmas so still have over 30 bottles of Milestones IPA, 1 keg of Fixby Gold and about 1/4 of a keg of Coopers IPA to get through.
I'll have 2 kegs empty very soon so it might be time to get the next ones on. Now I have a decent collection of bottles I might even get a summer brew on nice and early - thanks for the idea!
Stig
Condimentalist
I'm going to do a few summer brews next week. I took the liberty of buying 40-odd kilos of grain and a shedload of hops etc before leaving my job.
NVP, I'm afraid since I told you that about the yeast I got a lot slacker at racking off the trub in a timely fashion.
A few of my beers were much the worse for it, but a few were perfectly clear on bottling, and ended up with virtually no sediment.
It's a risky game to play though Now that I have more time I'm going to be a lot more rigorous with every brew.
NVP, I'm afraid since I told you that about the yeast I got a lot slacker at racking off the trub in a timely fashion.
A few of my beers were much the worse for it, but a few were perfectly clear on bottling, and ended up with virtually no sediment.It's a risky game to play though
Now that I have more time I'm going to be a lot more rigorous with every brew.
Voley
🐀
Yeah, now would be an ideal time to have some lighter ale brewing ready for late Spring / /early Summer.
NVP, I'm afraid since I told you that about the yeast I got a lot slacker at racking off the trub in a timely fashion.
I am speechless.
