Incontinentia Buttocks
Banned
So just to make sure I understand this. You have one container with the water and heater in, into which you place your fermentation vessel. Correct?
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Home Brewing |OT| - The tastiest thing that will ever come from your bathtub
- Thread starter Angry Grimace
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So just to make sure I understand this. You have one container with the water and heater in, into which you place your fermentation vessel. Correct?
Yes, the heater keeps the water warm which will heat the Fermentation vessel. But your not having to worry about it contaminating your beer.
www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk are both great uk home brewing websites, you should get great tips and help from
Incontinentia Buttocks
Banned
Thanks, will take a look. Took the temperature in my flat yesterday and it's about 14C and as I'm going to be brewing one of the Coopers Aussie lager kits to start with, I think the heating will be necessary.
codswallop
Member
If you're brewing a true lager, you'll want lower than 14c. I would recommend starting with ales since they're much easier for homebrewers (temperatures for ales are usually 17-25c, for lagers 8-12c).
Don't let anyone tell you that you can't make a decent beer without a stable fermentation temperature. A stable fermentation will produce better beer, but none of the beers I've brewed have ever been stable at all and I've more than happy with what I've ended up with. Just wrap it up with a couple of blankets in a warm part of your house and as long as it doesn't fall below 16c you'll likely be fine.
Worst case scenario, if it's too cool the yeast will hibernate until the temperature rises. If this happens too much during fermentation it might not ferment as completely though. My recommendation is just to jump right in to get a feel for it.
A cream ale is about as close to a lager as you'd get with an ale.
Don't let anyone tell you that you can't make a decent beer without a stable fermentation temperature. A stable fermentation will produce better beer, but none of the beers I've brewed have ever been stable at all and I've more than happy with what I've ended up with. Just wrap it up with a couple of blankets in a warm part of your house and as long as it doesn't fall below 16c you'll likely be fine.
Worst case scenario, if it's too cool the yeast will hibernate until the temperature rises. If this happens too much during fermentation it might not ferment as completely though. My recommendation is just to jump right in to get a feel for it.
A cream ale is about as close to a lager as you'd get with an ale.
I'm attempting my first yeast starter from yeast washed from a previous brew.
It's safale us-05 so won't save me any money but its good practice.
Started with about 10ml of yeast slurry, and stepped it up with a 250ml starter on a home made stir plate. Ended up after a few days with about 30-40ml of slurry that I pitched into a 2litre starter. Fermenting away like mad and threatening to spray krausen all over the kitchen counter.
Not sure yet what I will brew with it, but probably enough yeast for something like a RIS (Kate the great clone). My daughter turns 11 tomorrow so planning on brewing an oak and port aged RIS to age until she turns 21.
It's safale us-05 so won't save me any money but its good practice.
Started with about 10ml of yeast slurry, and stepped it up with a 250ml starter on a home made stir plate. Ended up after a few days with about 30-40ml of slurry that I pitched into a 2litre starter. Fermenting away like mad and threatening to spray krausen all over the kitchen counter.
Not sure yet what I will brew with it, but probably enough yeast for something like a RIS (Kate the great clone). My daughter turns 11 tomorrow so planning on brewing an oak and port aged RIS to age until she turns 21.
Help me, Homebrew GAF!
I've been kegging for about 18 months - two kegs, two Perlick taps out the front of a converted upright fridge. No issues are the minor upkeep of kegging.
I kegged my Newcastle Brown Ale clone this week & I'm getting nothing but /very/ slow pours. No foam, just a slow slow trickle of beer. If I hook up a spare keg with water/sanitizer, it pours out at regular speed on the same tap/disconnect. I've moved the beer over to that second keg & tried both taps - same slow pour. Tried the original slow keg & with water/sanitzer, it pours at the normal fast speed.
What the heck is going on? The beer is pretty clear & has nothing fancy in it (it's a Newcastle Brown Ale clone after all!). I'd guess clogs somewhere but the water/sanitizer is pouring fine through the same taps/tubing/disconnect.
Help!
I've been kegging for about 18 months - two kegs, two Perlick taps out the front of a converted upright fridge. No issues are the minor upkeep of kegging.
I kegged my Newcastle Brown Ale clone this week & I'm getting nothing but /very/ slow pours. No foam, just a slow slow trickle of beer. If I hook up a spare keg with water/sanitizer, it pours out at regular speed on the same tap/disconnect. I've moved the beer over to that second keg & tried both taps - same slow pour. Tried the original slow keg & with water/sanitzer, it pours at the normal fast speed.
What the heck is going on? The beer is pretty clear & has nothing fancy in it (it's a Newcastle Brown Ale clone after all!). I'd guess clogs somewhere but the water/sanitizer is pouring fine through the same taps/tubing/disconnect.
Help!
codswallop
Member
I've never kegged, and only know very little about the whole process, but it sounds like a pressure thing to me? Might be air in the tubing, or not enough CO2 in the tank or on top of the beer in the keg?
BrewGAF moves a little slow, so I'd search on HomebrewTalk. If I've ever panicked while brewing, a quick search there will help me get out of a jam pretty quickly!
BrewGAF moves a little slow, so I'd search on HomebrewTalk. If I've ever panicked while brewing, a quick search there will help me get out of a jam pretty quickly!
Yeah I posted on HBT too but didn't get much of a response. I spent a bunch of time diagnosing it this afternoon at great detail. Stripped down the keg liquid posts, connectors & one of my taps. Even pulled out the dip tubes to make sure they were clear.
Turns out, the yeast/hop debris had built up in the posts & the beer in this last batch was cloudy enough to clog. I've been running cleanser & sanitizer through my system between brews but this was too much for a simple run-through. Took apart the post, poppit wouldn't come out, poked around with a safety pin, soaked, ran through liquid, took apart, repeat. After about four of them + a nice long soak in cleanser, I'm not seeing any more debris I can reach & beer is flowing through nicely.
I'm sure this batch is spoiled in some point by this time. Not infected (I cleansed+sanitized everything that went back in to beer) but enough exposure to the air etc. Good thing it was a cheap brown ale with leftover hops.
Going to pop my cherry on brewing starting next week. I may have questions...but I will have beer
It's a fantastic feeling even when it doesn't turn out perfectly. You make beer!
Ask away!
It's a fantastic feeling even when it doesn't turn out perfectly. You make beer!
Ask away!
Well I have a nice kit and I am sure once I dig into it the questions will come. As for now the only piece I need to pick up is a bottle tree.
What cleaner do you use? It's expensive, but PBW is incredible for getting debris out of narrow spaces (keg posts and counterflow chillers). I keep some on hand to run though difficult jobs. It's designed for cleaning things that can't be taken apart.
oxyclean free is cheaper and not bad, but not as effective as PBW.
Going to pop my cherry on brewing starting next week. I may have questions...but I will have beer
Nice and good luck, don't over think the first one. I was tense as hell the first beer I brewed, but after a few batches I could start to relax and enjoy it.
A bottle tree is a God send, I done my first kit without one, was hard to drain the bottles. Have done 5 kits so far, 3 in the whole of last year when I started, my kit came with coppers pet bottles which were great. Got me going but meant you were waiting on them being empty to get the next one going, and you really need to get a rolling stock going. So the good Wife bought me a bench capper for Christmas and having been saving my empties. Bench capper really is great. The only other piece of equipment I really want now is some Starsan, being able to use a non rinse steriliser should cut down on bottling time. Then its get my 2 corny kegs up and running and I then hope to go BIAB. Homebrewing really is a great hobby
Don't fear the foam! And listen to the dishwasher tip. I bottle "over" my dishwasher, it acts as a great drain, and you can use the top rack as a bottle tree.
Starsan seriously rocks as a sanitizer & it's great being able to not worry about rinsing it off etc.
I just use the AHS in-house cleanser, I've had no issues with it generally. I'll likely grab some PBW to have around for cleaning the kegging gear next time I pop into AHS.
Incontinentia Buttocks
Banned
Looks like Star San and a bottle tree are my next purchases.
my beer (IPA batches) has improved considerably over the last several batches, but i still seem to get a fruity flavor that i dont want. esters? reading up, sounds like this could be due to either not pitching with a good yeast starter and/or the wort not being properly aerated.
previously, i'd do a starter about 24 hrs in advance and would pitch my yeast THEN stir for a good 3 min or so and repeat 3 or 4 times every few minutes.
this latest batch i got a yeast starter going almost 48 hours in advance and the cake at the bottom is nearly twice the size i've seen in the past. i'm also going to use an emulsion blender to really aerate the hell out of it BEFORE pitching the yeast (american ale II, btw)
been brewing batches at a initial gravity of approx. 1.056 - 1.060 and i've read that maybe i need more dissolved oxygen in my wort. i've read that aeration using air can only net you about 8ppm DO. should i look into an oxygen aeration system to bump that up a touch higher? if so, any easy to use guides to build one myself and save money?
previously, i'd do a starter about 24 hrs in advance and would pitch my yeast THEN stir for a good 3 min or so and repeat 3 or 4 times every few minutes.
this latest batch i got a yeast starter going almost 48 hours in advance and the cake at the bottom is nearly twice the size i've seen in the past. i'm also going to use an emulsion blender to really aerate the hell out of it BEFORE pitching the yeast (american ale II, btw)
been brewing batches at a initial gravity of approx. 1.056 - 1.060 and i've read that maybe i need more dissolved oxygen in my wort. i've read that aeration using air can only net you about 8ppm DO. should i look into an oxygen aeration system to bump that up a touch higher? if so, any easy to use guides to build one myself and save money?
codswallop
Member
Could be that you're fermenting high enough to develop unwanted flavours. Do you have a temperature controlled environment or are you just leaving it in say a basement?
Brewing a saison today (it's mashing right now).
Could be that you're fermenting high enough to develop unwanted flavours. Do you have a temperature controlled environment or are you just leaving it in say a basement?
Brewing a saison today (it's mashing right now).
fermenting in my house, thermostat set at a constant 68 degrees. this yeast should be at 60-72.
just chilled my wort and aerating it now
I thought esters were more a sign of too high fermentation temperature?
What's the temperature of your fermenter? Even just one of those sticky thermometers from aquariums will give you an idea. Just because your house thermostat is set to 68, it doesn't mean the actual fermenter is that temperature too, especially since the yeast will generate heat internally. Better fermentation control is usually the single biggest upgrade in quality that homebrewers can do. I know it made a big difference in my beers (I brew in TX).
What's the temperature of your fermenter? Even just one of those sticky thermometers from aquariums will give you an idea. Just because your house thermostat is set to 68, it doesn't mean the actual fermenter is that temperature too, especially since the yeast will generate heat internally. Better fermentation control is usually the single biggest upgrade in quality that homebrewers can do. I know it made a big difference in my beers (I brew in TX).
not positive it actually is an ester problem. last batch i did was awesome, just a tad fruity. i also used a hop i've never used before, simcoe, so maybe that is reason for the slightly grapefruity taste.
also, i have no idea what the pH of my water is. how key is that?
no clue! i'll keep an eye on it this time to make sure its in the recommended range. should i aim for the lower end of the spectrum, ie 60-ish?
sharkmuncher
Member
Yeah. I would guess your actual fermentation temp is over 72. One trick is to get a big plastic bin, put your fermenter in that, and fill it with water. It will really help to stabilize the temp and you can add ice to cool it down if necessary. You can also measure the temperature of the water to get a more accurate idea of what you beer temp is.
I have about 3 of those they are great but I have a bench capper and its a doddle to cap your bottles.
codswallop
Member
Target OG* was 1.057, hit 1.052 because I wasn't watching how much water I was topping up with during the boil and obviously added a bit much.Brewing a saison today (it's mashing right now).
I added some dark candi sugar about 15 minutes before the end but it didn't change the colour as much as I expected, so I'm considering adding some more boiled dark candi sugar (so liquidised) near the end of fermentation. Anyone tried this? Supposed to be helpful for dry beers like a saison anyway.
*I think OG (Original Gravity) is referred as SG (Starting Gravity) by US brewers, no? We use SG (Stable Gravity) as the measurement during/after fermentation, but before the FG (Final Gravity), which is used once fermentation is complete (e.g. at bottling/kegging time).
In the US, it is Specific Gravity (SG), being the gravity at any given time. Never heard of SG standing for stable gravity, but the world is wide.
codswallop
Member
No, we use OG/FG, at least everyone I've talked to & in the discussions online. And Beersmith too uses OG/FG. Local homebrew store sells OG/FG t-shirts in the style of the ACDC logo
Haven't heard of stable gravity before.
Whoops, you're right, SG is of course specific... Not sure why I thought it was stable. Too much of my own product?
Not sure where I heard of SG being starting then... I'm sure I remember getting confused by different uses when I first began homebrewing. As you were.
People say starting gravity all the time, but would be fairly incorrect to use the acronym SG to refer to that.
I'm doing this right now and it's great. I have a Scottish ale fermenting at 59 (lowest listed for the yeast) while the ambient temperature is a good five degrees higher. Best $7 (plastic bucket from Family Dollar) I ever spent.
I just got more score sheets back from my American IPA that I entered into the Boston Homebrew Competition. First time ever entering into a comp.
Complete disaster - average of 17/50 (classes as poor) with major ding for diacetyl from all 3 judges. I can't really taste it highly, but my wife (who doesn't like ale) could taste it very strongly. I can definitely feel it in my mouth, so have been looking up what could cause it and how to fix my process next time.
It may be an infection, but don't know if the same taste was there when it was fresh, or I took it out of the primary too early (will check my notes) or under aerated and the yeast started slowly.
I'm actually pleased to get great feedback on (what I now understand) is a bad beer, so I can improve. I wasn't aware of it's flaws when I submitted it, and wouldn't have wanted to submit anything to competition that was so bad.
Complete disaster - average of 17/50 (classes as poor) with major ding for diacetyl from all 3 judges. I can't really taste it highly, but my wife (who doesn't like ale) could taste it very strongly. I can definitely feel it in my mouth, so have been looking up what could cause it and how to fix my process next time.
It may be an infection, but don't know if the same taste was there when it was fresh, or I took it out of the primary too early (will check my notes) or under aerated and the yeast started slowly.
I'm actually pleased to get great feedback on (what I now understand) is a bad beer, so I can improve. I wasn't aware of it's flaws when I submitted it, and wouldn't have wanted to submit anything to competition that was so bad.
While diacetyl could be a result of an infection (commonly pediococcus), you will often have an accompanying sour character when it is.
There are compounds that oxidize into diacetyl, so you may not taste it fresh.
The most likely source of your diacetyl is always going to be from fermentation issues. The problem is that the issues can be a large number of problems. Too much oxygen, not enough oxygen, too much yeast, not enough yeast, yeast was unhealthy, temperature was too hot, temperature was too cold, yeast strain itself, cold crashed too soon, etc.
My beer wasn't described as sour, and I went through looking at my brew notes.
Safale US-05 rehydrated in 200ml of 30C water for 30 minutes prior to pitching. Aeriated by pouring from brew kettle into fermenter (trub and all). OG 1.068 so not crazy high.
Fermeted at 68F for 14 days (gravity stable after 4 days) before moving to secondary for dry hop.
Oxygenation method is probably insufficient, so one possible source.
Don't pour trub into your fermenter if there is any substantial amount of hopping. You can get a real grassy character out of the hops when you do this.
Rehydration is another possible source of problems if you mess it up. I never did it when homebrewing. People claim you have problems when you do this, but I think you are much more likely to have problems when rehydrating. But many disagree with me.
I would do a better job oxygenating your wort, either through shaking the fermenter for a few minutes, using an air pump or pure oxygen. That is the main thing that stands out about your process. Beyond that, try brewing with a fellow homebrewer and see if anything about your process pops out to them as being possibly problematic.
Thanks for the advice. It's helpful.
I may have to look into an air stone and pump - it's a step I was hoping to avoid by aggressively pouring, but may not be enough. I didn't detect grassy and I did have a lot of hops, but they may have been overwhelmed by the other issues.
This is the first beer I've rehydrated US-05 as it's higher gravity than I normally make - rehydration is supposed to improve the amount of yeast that can start fermentation, but perhaps not necessary.
Fermentation took 48 hours to start, which didn't seem like a huge lag time from dried yeast.
I've got a few more process changes for my next brew session (including leaving the trub in the kettle by whirlpool/racking from kettle to fermenter), so will see how that goes.
I picked up an immersion chiller today, so that will make the whole transfer from kettle to fermenter much easier.
48 hours to start fermentation is too long, it is an indication that you either under pitched our under oxygenated.
Ideal times for start of fermentation range from 12-24 hours.
If you are worried about one pack of yeast being enough,I would sooner use two packs than rehydrate.
I am guessing your problem was oxygenation though.
Cool - I keep a record of fermentation start time (airlock activity as I don't measure gravity for a few days).
My Pale Ale I'm brewing this weekend has a 2l starter of US-05 (washed from the IPA and then stepped up), so will see how long that takes to start. Don't think I'll have an air pump sorted by this weekend, as I've just bought a chiller, but will add it as the next piece of equipment to buy.
codswallop
Member
Hmm, that's interesting. I too pour vigorously into my fermenter (a lot of splashing, a nice thick amount of bubbles etc), trub and all (I use hop socks so wouldn't imagine that'd produce grassy flavours?), and haven't had any real fermentation problems, though I wonder if I've been encouraging diacetyl and haven't even noticed.
My temperatures are rarely stable, however, because I use a swamp cooler and aren't religiously trying to control it, as long as it's over 17c and under 25c (except for a recent saison, which was 27c-29c) I'm not usually fussed.
I wouldn't call 48 hours too long, though it is most definitely long. I would start getting concerned only after 72 hours personally. 90+% of my brews are showing airlock activity in 12 or fewer hours, so it's definitely a concern if it takes longer than 12, but I wouldn't consider it a problem.
Also, I've rehydrated dried yeast every time I brew and only had one that took more than 30 hours to get going.
Going to sit down on Monday with a couple of brewing friends and do an A-B comparison between a fresh keg pour and a bottle from the sixer I packaged for competition.
I think my tasting last night where I thought the keg pour also had butter/diacetyl may have been due to the mouth full of poor beer I had before.
With a clear palette, it should be easier to determine if it's something present in both keg and bottle, or something that crept in during bottling.
Edit: I was planning on using the yeast from this IPA this weekend in a Pale Ale (washed and made a 2l starter). I probably should go buy fresh yeast, in case there's something in the yeast that caused an infection? I won't have done the A-B test till Monday.
I think my tasting last night where I thought the keg pour also had butter/diacetyl may have been due to the mouth full of poor beer I had before.
With a clear palette, it should be easier to determine if it's something present in both keg and bottle, or something that crept in during bottling.
Edit: I was planning on using the yeast from this IPA this weekend in a Pale Ale (washed and made a 2l starter). I probably should go buy fresh yeast, in case there's something in the yeast that caused an infection? I won't have done the A-B test till Monday.
So my swamp cooler worked too well. My S-04 Scottish ale (low end of fermenting range: 59) was down to a cool 54. I didn't even have any ice packs in there.
So I just took out all the water and the wet t-shirt and hopefully it should return to ambient temperature (65 or so) and restart fermentation. I got a good three days or so of fermenting at ~60, so maybe I'm most of the way there?
So I just took out all the water and the wet t-shirt and hopefully it should return to ambient temperature (65 or so) and restart fermentation. I got a good three days or so of fermenting at ~60, so maybe I'm most of the way there?
You'll be fine. The yeast does most of its work in the first 48 hours. Bringing it back up to a regular temperature will kick it back into action if it needs to & do any finishing it can. Relax, drink a homebrew
I'll be getting a quick brew session in this weekend - I rarely buy actual kits from AHS but my wife loved the name of this one - their Cantankerous Ale, with a picture of Grumpy Cat on the label. Wimmin.
codswallop
Member
Just took a sample of my first saison I brewed last weekend (OG 1.052, current and likely stable at 1.005).
Possibly a bit much wheat malt (13%) over what I intended, it smells and looks a bit like a witbier, and tastes a little bit like one as well (though no added citrus or coriander in it). However, it's definitely got a tart a slight funkiness to it (though I hear these increase with age).
Majority of the fermentation was between 27-29c (80-85f), and I added some boiled dark candi sugar partway through to give it a kickstart. Honestly expected it darker from all the dark candi sugar.
Possibly a bit much wheat malt (13%) over what I intended, it smells and looks a bit like a witbier, and tastes a little bit like one as well (though no added citrus or coriander in it). However, it's definitely got a tart a slight funkiness to it (though I hear these increase with age).
Majority of the fermentation was between 27-29c (80-85f), and I added some boiled dark candi sugar partway through to give it a kickstart. Honestly expected it darker from all the dark candi sugar.
Opened the first of my previous APA batch (half a filled bottle as it was the last from the batch, I usually do this to get an early sample because I can never wait) and I think it may have some diacetyl in it. Not sure yet if it's more malty/caramel or buttery, and I'll wait to reserve judgement, but I have a feeling it's going to have a bit of diacetyl.
codswallop
Member
Just opened a second beer (the first sample was a half-filled bottle, and right at the end of the batch, this one was a full bottle) and I'm not getting as much of that "odd" taste as the previous one. I think the taste is attributable to the victory malt I used, so it's a biscuity-caramel taste as opposed to diacetyl. I'm hoping I mistook that flavour (never brewed with victory before) for diacetyl.
I've never had a badly-infected butter beer before, so don't know the taste easily yet. I'm sure one or two of mine have had some (with my second all grain brew, I left the lid on the pot during the boil! Didn't make that mistake a second time), but if they have it's never been enough to be bothersome.
I've never had a badly-infected butter beer before, so don't know the taste easily yet. I'm sure one or two of mine have had some (with my second all grain brew, I left the lid on the pot during the boil! Didn't make that mistake a second time), but if they have it's never been enough to be bothersome.
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