Home Brew Questions

[badseed]

Cheers for the reply. I think I want a bit of both, to be honest. I have read since, that adding cascade to the mix can give it a citrusy flavour too. Question is, after looking on t'web - where do I get lemon oil from? This isn't cooking lemon oil, is it as I couldn't see much else in the way of lemon oil.
By the way, that Christmas beer sounds divine - where do you live again

I have no idea what lemon oil is but if it's the oil from the skins, it kills the head on your beer.

 

[badseed]

I have started my xmas brewing operation.
A Belgian wit is now in the fermenter, along with all other beers, this is one of my favourites.

 

[existentialist]

I have no idea what lemon oil is but if it's the oil from the skins, it kills the head on your beer.

That is, essentially, what it is. And yes, my Xmas brew does tend to be less heady, though not completely...

 

[friedaweed]

Cheers for the reply. I think I want a bit of both, to be honest. I have read since, that adding cascade to the mix can give it a citrusy flavour too. Question is, after looking on t'web - where do I get lemon oil from? This isn't cooking lemon oil, is it as I couldn't see much else in the way of lemon oil.
By the way, that Christmas beer sounds divine - where do you live again

You could put a bit of citric acid in but to be honest if you want a real lemon flavor that bad put a shot of lime in your glass when it's poured
It's nice on it's own that hoppy bitter mind. I'd be more inclined to use a hop than adding oils. Exiey's zest suggestion is a good one though, you can also boil some mixed peel and get a similar effect. Be sure to let us know how it goes though

 

[Dovydaitis]

as requested in the fishco!

Basic mead:
5 litres water
1.5kg honey
1 tsp acid blend
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1 packet champagne yeast

1. Prepare your yeast. If using dried, boil some water and pour 200ml into a shallow dish, stirring in 3 tblsp of honey. Cover with tin foil and allow to cool naturally to just below 37c. Sprinkle the yeast over the mix and leave to hydrate for 10 minutes. Stir the yeast and set aside for 2 hours.
2. measure 3.3 litres of water and bung in a big pan. Heat till a rolling boil. Take off the heat and whack in the shedloads of honey (on offer at lidl at the mo ) next add the yeast nutrient.
3. Cover the pot with foil and leave to cool. Tip into the DJ, add the yeast, swirl, airlock and leave. within 24 hours should start to do stuff.
4. once bubbling and foam appears bung in a dark cool place and leave. over the next few weeks should start to see a layer of sediment at the bottom. When this sediment gets to 2/3cm deep rack into a clean DJ.
5. In new DJ top up to neck, airlock back in. If sediment gets that deep rack again. Wait till fermentation stops (could take 6 months)
6. bottle and leave to age

 

[mr steev]

How long should it be aged for?

 

[Addy]

Mead is usually best after 2 years ageing ... but the longer the better.

 

[Addy]

I'll be doing my xmas pudding wine tomorrow so I can rack it off next friday before I go to India.

Certainly 1 worth doing for xmas..... its sweet but tastes of xmas.


http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?1758-Wine-Number-4-Dessert-Wine

So far in the bank for xmas is:

30l Merlot
20l Forrest Fruit Cider
20l Wherry (kegged tomorrow)

Planned:
Xmas pud wine x 7l
Newkie brown x 20l
my own Pale Ale x 20l
Peach wine x 30l

time is running out.

 

[Dovydaitis]

I did the xmas pud wine last year and it was very dry. Not sure where I went wrong, used Marks and Sparks pud too!

 

[Addy]

I did the xmas pud wine last year and it was very dry. Not sure where I went wrong, used Marks and Sparks pud too!

once its finished you have to stabilise it and then back sweeten it

My last 1 was 15% abv and a touch too sweet, but like a very nice after dinner liqure

 

[Dovydaitis]

once its finished you have to stabilise it and then back sweeten it

My last 1 was 15% abv and a touch too sweet, but like a very nice after dinner liqure

Stabilised but didn't back sweeten

 

[Dovydaitis]

I've not had anything on the go for a few months, it feels good to hear the airlock plopping

 

[existentialist]

Heh, I am doing all my brewing up in the shed now, and it is not unknown for me to toddle up the garden just to go and listen to see it's all fermenting away nicely

Just brewing the fourth batch for the big birthday bash now, after that it'll be time to get the Christmas brews on...

 

[seeformiles]

I was out picking apples in the dark yesterday - got there too late to do a proper pick - but good fun all the same feeling for apples in the undergrowth and getting stung by nettles. 36 gallons pressed so far with enough apples for another 12 to be squeezed later this week.

 

[diond]

I've just done my Wilko Hoppy Copper / dry cascade hops / lemon rind + a splash of lemon juice mix. Why the fuck do I make such a bastard mess when attempting home brew?! My kitchen looks like a Tracey Emin piece.

 

[Dovydaitis]

just done first racking of what may possibly be many rackings of my mead. Its smelling pretty nice!

 

[Frances Lengel]

Not done any beer for a while - That situation's now been rectified after a trip to wilko's. Got a cerveza (which I've not done before but I've heard it's ok) and a pilsner going.

Wilko's kits are eight pounds a go ATM as well.

 

[Dovydaitis]

The Wilkos cerveza is very nice, the longer you leave it the better it gets

 

[Frances Lengel]

Thanks - I'm planning on leaving these for a while hopefully.

 

[diond]

I've just done my Wilko Hoppy Copper / dry cascade hops / lemon rind + a splash of lemon juice mix. Why the fuck do I make such a bastard mess when attempting home brew?! My kitchen looks like a Tracey Emin piece.

Well my 'experiment' seems to have bitten the dust The kit should make 40 pints but I didn't realise that my demijohns (white tubs really) only held 10 litres, so I was quite unprepared whilst mixing, so had to pour some from one into the other to get them both evenly mixed. I filled the remainder of the water needed from a jet gun as it was taking ages measuring a 1 litre jug each time to pour in. This created a huge froth though I'm not too sure that it was that that had a detrimental effect.

Anyway, after I had pitched my yeast, the one tub gurgled away quite nicely for about two days and then stopped. The other, which was identical in ingredients did bugger all! Nada - nothing - nowt - zilch - zip! They've both been like this now for about 3-4 days. I did try some swirling and adding some yeast nutrient but I think I've got myself a dud batch. Humph.

I know there can a million and one things that could have ruined it but do you think it may have been the lemon that I put in? I only dripped about a quarter of a real lemon, if that, into the mix?

 

[DRINK?]

Probably mentioned before though scanning down new posts - quick home brew question - 44 pages later still going

If that doesn't give a clue as to the intracacies I don't know....one day I'll make my own mind

 

[existentialist]

Well my 'experiment' seems to have bitten the dust The kit should make 40 pints but I didn't realise that my demijohns (white tubs really) only held 10 litres, so I was quite unprepared whilst mixing, so had to pour some from one into the other to get them both evenly mixed. I filled the remainder of the water needed from a jet gun as it was taking ages measuring a 1 litre jug each time to pour in. This created a huge froth though I'm not too sure that it was that that had a detrimental effect.

Anyway, after I had pitched my yeast, the one tub gurgled away quite nicely for about two days and then stopped. The other, which was identical in ingredients did bugger all! Nada - nothing - nowt - zilch - zip! They've both been like this now for about 3-4 days. I did try some swirling and adding some yeast nutrient but I think I've got myself a dud batch. Humph.

I know there can a million and one things that could have ruined it but do you think it may have been the lemon that I put in? I only dripped about a quarter of a real lemon, if that, into the mix?

That pH might be upsetting the yeast. The huge froth was no bad thing - yeast actually prefers to respire aerobically, so that can help it get started.

The only think I can think of that might help would be to make up a yeast culture with some sugared water, perhaps some grape juice (seems to have the right nutrient profile for yeast...though I see you have yeast nutrient, so maybe just use that) and some more yeast, and get a really vibrant, rich yeasty broth going, and then pitch that. If that dies, too, then there's something in your brew that's killing it. If it's the pH, then you might want to try to make the wort a bit more alkaline, maybe by making up a solution of sodium bicarbonate and adding it, little by little. I can't advise on quantities, though - and I imagine you don't have pH testing gear...

Time is of the essence - all the time that your wort is sitting there not brewing, it's liable to infection, probably from a mould. OTOH, you probably want to give your yeast culture as much time to get going as possible. Don't be tempted to keep it too warm (no more than 20-22C ish), otherwise the thermal shock when it goes into the brew will bugger it.

Actually, what you could do would be to draw off a measured proportion (say 1 litre) of your wort, buffer it with a known quantity of sodium bicarb solution of a given strength, and try adding some of your yeasty broth to that, to see if it survives (use a bit of kitchen towel stuffed into the neck of your vessel (a 2l PET bottle?) rather than the full airlock treatment - you should know if it's fermenting. If you get the pH right on that, you can take a chance on multiplying up the buffering solution for the main wort.

Good luck!

 

[Frances Lengel]

The cerveza and the pils have been barrelled up, but the fermenting bins have been immediately pressed back into service without so much as a hint of a break. Got a Better Brew IPA on the go (which I've had before and liked) and a Wilko two can van damme effort - The golden ale. Which looks really dark ATM, but it smelt really nice when I was getting it going. So, if I can hold off drinking them beforehand, I'll be able to spend the twelve days of christmas not leaving the house at all and just drinking solidly from waking up time til collapse time - Happy days.

 

[friedaweed]

Top brewing Mr Lengel

 

[Dovydaitis]

The mead appears to have worked, so just need to bottle. Got a Chardonnay clearing and a stout ready to go in



Oh and more honey for more mead

 

[Addy]

I cant wait to get to the German market in Birmingham to get some mead wine.

Incorperated with a trip to china town for some spices and sauces

 

[friedaweed]

I cant wait to get to the German market in Birmingham to get some mead wine.

Incorperated with a trip to china town for some spices and sauces

I'm going to do the brum xmas market myself, mentioned possibly meeting up with aqua too if you brums/shroppies are up for a meet.

 

[Dovydaitis]

Can't wait for next year.....

 

[Dovydaitis]

I'm going to do the brum xmas market myself, mentioned possibly meeting up with aqua too if you brums/shroppies are up for a meet.

if you do give me a shout, will see if I can shuffle up

 

[butcher]

Whacked on a Coopers Stout plus 1 kg Brew Enhancer, 1 Kg Honey, a 200g partial mash of Amber malt mashed for 1 hour at 60 degrees with added fresh ginger,star anise, nutmeg and cloves, good krausen and should come out about 6-6.5%