Home Brew

[johnny]

Question time

I'm currently fermenting a Black Rock Export Pilsner which I added an extra 250gms of dextrose to. It's now been in the fermenter for 7 days, I would have thought it would be ready to bottle by now. Does the extra sugar prolong the first phase? I imagine it would, but I didn't think it would be this long! I'm also using Salafager yeast.

Secondly, I have added (the required) hops. One recepie said strain after boiling hops and malt (I assume that means extract the hops) but another said leave it in the fermenter......I've left it in. Was this a bad move?

Still leaving my first batch go a little longer before I pop him.......well maybe one tonight.......maybe even now

 

[StormFire]

in terms of bottles...i don't think they do it anymore...but when we started brewing beer a few years back we raided one of those bottle dumps that the scouts used to run (i say used to...cause i haven't seen any for a long time...but maybe they still have them up your way) ... we did this once or twice...and now have enough long necks that we can store 2 or 3 brews at any one time in the cupboard, plus whatever is being drank (one 60 litre tub makes 6 dozen long necks...so we have plenty of them hanging around! ). I just wouldn't recommend this approach if there's actually any scouts around while you're in the process of taking their bottles Alternatively i guess you could check out a pub or mates or something, and try to get a collection of empties that way.

And as for amount of time that it takes to stop fermenting in the tub...different brews and combinations will take different amounts of time...not to mention that the temperature that the brew sits at will effect how long it takes aswell. We usually leave it to sit for a couple of weeks before we bottle it...well...before dad bottles it ... and i drink the resultant brew

 

[CHEWY]

Have you been taking specific density readings??
When the bubbles stop (if you have a good seal) and you get a spec density reading the remains constant over a couple of days then it should be good.
Always better to leave it then to have bottles explode, I usually leave mine for a couple of weeks, but Im lazy
With the malt/hops extract I never really got into that but I doubt it would have any negative effects...

I really gotta get another brew on the go

mates first stage brew sitting in my room is going on 3 months now
Hasnt got mouldy yet, guess we clean good...

 

[johnny]

Just tried one from my first batch, not too bad, not top notch, but certainly a good start. Fk me, it's a bit stronger than what my calculations came up with. One schooner felt like two quick ones!

I do use the density readings. My first batch was ready to rock in 6 days according to both the readings and cessation of bubbles. I've been able to keep this next batch quite constant between 16-18 degrees which apperently is the target temp when using Salafager.

So happy my first attempt was a (mild) success

 

[CHEWY]

Dont worry they get better with age (most of the time) although one time a mate put 2 cans of extract in (instead of sugar) it tasted great at the start but after 2 weeks was undrinkable..

 

[johnny_boy]

and out of the depths, comes the never ending home brew thread.....Some interesting reading...i'm about to embark on my first home brew, the only question i have is can i get away without a warming device? Will a blanket wrapped around it, kept inside be sufficient to keep it ~20 degrees C?

 

[johnny]

Yeah I think so. I just kept the fermenter in the room that had either myself or the heater in it the most of the time. It's getting warmer so I don't think it's an issue. Mine hovered around 17-19 degrees and it was fine. Also, if you think it is going to be too cold, you can try Saflager yeast. It works at a lower temp than other yeasts.

 

[johnny_boy]

awesome, cheers Johnny. I'll post with the results, hopefully it'll be ready by Bathurst!

 

[scblack]

Basically I use a naked bulb as a heater for my fermenter. Actually it's a bottom half of one of those lava lamps, but take the lava bit off, and the bulb is PERFECT (just place it on its side very close to the fermenter), and keeps my temp in my garage at 20-25 degrees, though it is now starting to get warm enough to probably not need it at all.

 

[Dane]

and out of the depths, comes the never ending home brew thread.....Some interesting reading...i'm about to embark on my first home brew, the only question i have is can i get away without a warming device? Will a blanket wrapped around it, kept inside be sufficient to keep it ~20 degrees C?

I wouldn't count on it in melbourne. We will probably still have some freezing days over the next month or so. I have mine in an old fridge with a 25watt globe, and right now its hovering on 24 degrees.

Basically I use a naked bulb as a heater for my fermenter.

Works a treat, except, the first (household bayonet) globe I used blew after 2 weeks of 24hour a day use. As a result the temperature dropped and I suspect it damaged the maturation of my beer. Think I might lash out the $50 or so a 25 watt heat mat will cost.

-Dane

 

[scblack]

I look on a couple of brewing sites, and they generally reckon a heat mat is better than a belt. They reckon the mat is under the yeast bed, and may catch some dormant yeasties. Plus heat rises of course.

http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/

Have a look at that site - good tips and stuff. I'm scblack on there too, and johnny is johnny.

 

[Atomizer]

This is a pretty good site. Not much it doesn't tell you here. Check it out.

http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html

 

[Simo]

g'day guys.
I've been looking at getting into homebrew for a while and have decided that now I'm 18 i'll buy myself a pressie and get into it.
I have some quetions tho. What kind of area do you need to brew and how much space does it all take up? My olds wouldn't be to keen on having a tub of fermenting beer lying aorund the kitchen for 2 weeks but I'm not sure where to keep it where there won't be large temperature fluctuations. The only place that is of consistant temp (about 24 deg) is very humid and the air contains a lot of chlorine/salt as it's a pool area. Will this effect the brew if I let it ferment in an area like this?

Cheers.

 

[Atomizer]

g'day guys.
I've been looking at getting into homebrew for a while and have decided that now I'm 18 i'll buy myself a pressie and get into it.
I have some quetions tho. What kind of area do you need to brew and how much space does it all take up? My olds wouldn't be to keen on having a tub of fermenting beer lying aorund the kitchen for 2 weeks but I'm not sure where to keep it where there won't be large temperature fluctuations. The only place that is of consistant temp (about 24 deg) is very humid and the air contains a lot of chlorine/salt as it's a pool area. Will this effect the brew if I let it ferment in an area like this?

Cheers.

^^^^^^^ Have a read of the above.

But with two good fermenters, spring or filtered water use only (buy it in the 15 litre containers from your local servo), good hygiene of all equipment (use terminator or brew-shield, and not sodium-metabisulphate), correct tempratures at all stages of the process and advice from your local home brew shop about what concentrate, liquid malt, and yeast to buy you'll do fine.

Start collecting reusable long-necks as you'll need to keep your brew bottled for 4-6 weeks before drinking (this is why you need two fermenters; to maintain production).

Up you go.

 

[Simo]

cheers. I haven't found anything about brewing in a chlorine/salt environment tho...I might have missed it but I'm not sure.
Also, do people prefer roll overs or twist tops? From my reading it seems a bit like the clip in vs flat pedal sort of debate in that people love one, hate the other or don't give a shit. Any real difference if you have a good capping system?

Thanks again.

 

[Gonzo]

Yeah I'm thinking of that too. I'd like to make something a little more alcoholic than usual. Can you just do this buy adding more sugar (or glucose etc) during the fermentation process or is that partucular part of "alcoholisation" solely done in the bottling stage?

I did buy a book but it's not overly informative......and I'm too lazy to serch the net when I have you guys, your experience and generosity in answering my lame arse questions....crawl crawl

The alcohol content is essentially determined by the yeast. The basic reaction that occurs is the yeast eat the sugar, and form alcohol and CO2 when there is no oxygen around. However the yeast themselves are pretty intolerant to the alcohol. So once the alcohol level rises above a certain level they will start to die off and fermentation will stop.

This is where the yeast come into it. There are different types of yeast for wine and beer and this is mainly due to the alcohol tolerances of the yeast. Wine yeast having higher tolerances than beer. Thus to increase the alcohol content buy high alcohol tolerant wine yeats and make sure to provide them with sufficient sugar. Don't put too much sugar in though or else the beer will taste far too sweet.

My goal in home brew is to set up a continuous fermentation reactor in my basement to pump out serious amounts of beer.

 

[scblack]

g'day guys.
I've been looking at getting into homebrew for a while and have decided that now I'm 18 i'll buy myself a pressie and get into it.
I have some quetions tho. What kind of area do you need to brew and how much space does it all take up? My olds wouldn't be to keen on having a tub of fermenting beer lying aorund the kitchen for 2 weeks but I'm not sure where to keep it where there won't be large temperature fluctuations. The only place that is of consistant temp (about 24 deg) is very humid and the air contains a lot of chlorine/salt as it's a pool area. Will this effect the brew if I let it ferment in an area like this?

Cheers.

Simo, my brew area is a folding picnic table in the garage - other than the bottle storage thats all you really need. If the pool room is 24 degrees, and constant that is FINE, and should brew some good beer. The air surrounding does not matter one bit I think, as the fermenter is sanitised, and sealed so the surrounding air does NOT get in anyway.

As for Atomizer, I have used tap water for my brewing without any problems whatsoever, (after everything is very well sanitised), so spring or filtered water is not really necessary, but you can sure use it, by all means, but raises the cost of the brew a bit.

And I use Sodium-metabisulphate, as its just a rinse after sterilising (some dont even need the rinse) - the type of steriliser you use is a choice for each brewer, not a rule.

And Simo, the twist-tops or Crown Seal bottles? (what you called roll overs). The Crown Seal bottles are harder to get now - all the longnecks from Carlton or Tooheys are now twist-tops, and with a good bench capper that works fine enough. But the Crown Seal bottles gives a better seal, and are generally older now, but THICKER, the glass is thicker and therefore less likely to break.

Mmmmm, I'm thinking of a beer now.

 

[johnny]

That's it! I'm starting my next batch right now! All this talk has got me fired up again!

Coopers Bavarian Lager this time

I'm starting to think that this thread should be "Sticky-fied"....!

 

[scblack]

Sticky-fy!

Sticky-fy!

Sounds like there's a few of us brewing, so interest is there.

BTW, I've got a batch of Tooheys Dark Ale brewing at present. I haven't tried a Tooheys Old for a while so should be interesting.

Also, does the use of Dextrose for bottling require a second fermenter for bulk priming, as the guy at the brew shop said not to use dextrose straight in the bottle?

 

[johnny]

Yeah absolutely.

Liquid CO2 can only turn into a gas when it can latch onto something. Hence the sandblasting in the bottom of schooner glasses, have a look next time you're in the pub. So when you put in a carbo drop there is a little tiny fizz but SFA. When you pour in Dextrose you get a massive fizz being that there are thousands of little rough edged particles for the liquid CO2 to bind onto.

Also, dextrose doesn't affect the flavour at all, I like adding a touch of sucrose to add a bit of body. Also, dextrose won't hold a head or carbonation very long, the beer tends to go flat a lot quicker. I nearly lost my Export Pilsner to this.

I'm using a mix of maltedextrin, sucrose and dextrose this time. All in differing mixes, some singular. We'll see how I go. Oh yes, I WILL definately be using bulk priming and scblack, you're more than welcome to borrow my secondary fermenter that I use for the priming if you want.