Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Damn. You are like a mad scientist.

Which is the crystal malt? The Gold Extract (6lb), the Amber extract (3.3lb) or the bag o grains?

Also, here is the hop recipe
1oz each of Warrior, Amarillo and Citra for the boil
1oz each of Ahtanum, Amarillo and Citra for the dry hop after a week.

There is a homebrew store up the road if you think I should get something else to add in. I need a hop sack and sanitizer anyway.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Hmm, I must have been looking at a different kit, I thought yours had 4oz of crystal? It would be in the bag of grains, so just pick up 4oz of crystal from your homebrew store. If they ask, get either the 40L or 60L (lovibond), that way it won't impact your color as much.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

So I smacked my wyeast packet earlier to make sure it was viable. Then I got sidetracked and never started brewing. Now it is completely swollen. Is it OK to leave it overnight now? The bag won't pop in the middle of the night will it?

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

It won't burst, it is good for a day or three is my understanding.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

NM....looks like it needs to go back in the fridge until tomorrow.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

You can leave it out, the yeast will be happy doing it's happy yeasty thing.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Sweet. Everything is laid out and ready to go tomorrow. OH YEAH!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

ANNNND.....we're off!!! Grains are steeping

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Adding extract!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...ff/photo-1.jpg

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Done. Now it is in primary. ANy suggestions on how to get it into the secondary next saturday and leave the trub behind? I will be dry hopping in the secondary.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I would skip secondary and just dryhop in Primary.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

This works.

Or, if you're asking how to transfer it from the primary (which you will need to do for bottling anyway,) I would definitely suggest investing in an autosiphon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIu6IRpFNr8

For years I just used the basic racking cane + tubing + sucking on the end of the tube to create flow. Picked up an autosiphon earlier this year and it is my second favorite brewing gadget of all time.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I have an autosiphon. I was just thinking it is generally recommended to move to a secondary after a week or so to improve clarity and avoid a funk caused by the dead yeast.

Also, do you think is necessary to agitate the fermenter by gently swirling it during fermentation?


...I know I am asking a lot of stuff. I really appreciate the help. Can you suggest an online forum for homebrewing. Somewhere with nice folks, like here.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I always rack to a secondary, usually sometime between 5 & 10 days, but you don't have to.

Nope. I agitate like hell before pitching the yeast, but once that's done, I never touch it and don't think there's a reason to.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Thanks again. Racking to secondary (on top of hops) is planned for next saturday. The recipe highly recommends it and I want to stick as close the the recipe as possible. I suppose using an autosiphon will reduce the oxidation risk also.


I'll check out homebrewtalk. Are you on there under the same user? I will put you down as the referring me under registration.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

This week I picked up ingredients for a cream stout and grains for an IPA with a yet-to-be-decided hopping schedule for what I've got in the freezer.

I found a recipe online that used some of the hops I've got and comes in at about 67 IBU I might try. The grain bill is 10 lbs 2-row, 2 lbs Vienna and 1/2 lb crystal 20. Hopping schedule is:

boil 60 mins 0.5 Columbus
boil 15 mins 0.5 Amarillo
boil 15 mins 0.5 Centennial
boil 15 mins 0.25 Columbus
boil 15 mins 0.5 Falconer's Flight
boil 5 mins 0.5 Amarillo
boil 5 mins 0.5 Centennial
boil 5 mins 0.25 Columbus
boil 5 mins 0.5 Falconer's Flight
dry hop 7 days 1.0 Falconer's Flight

I have no idea how these hops will work together, so if anyone has any thoughts feel free to share ...

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Just got my latest grain order in. I'll be set for grains for a bit...

100lbs two row
50lbs pilsner
50lbs marris otter
50lbs munich

All that for a little over $100. If I was to buy it at my local homebrew it would cost me $472.50. I try to support local companies, but it's tough with that mark up. There's going to be a lot of beer in fermenters over the winter :D

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

If you are going to move to a secondary do it for the clarity. I'd be interested to hear what brewers here think, but I don't know anyone that concerns themselves with yeast autolysis at the normal timeframe for ales. If you were going to leave it in primary for a year or two maybe, but not after two weeks.

In response to agitation, I don't during fermentation, but I do each day after I dry hop. I was listening to a podcast with the brewer from Avery, he mentioned that they plumb CO2 through their maharaja during dry hop to agitate the hops and get as much of the oils into suspension as possible. I just gently rock the carboy to get the hops throughout the beer. This ruins the clarity from secondarying, but I don't care because I cold crash it to clear it out.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

:tu
This is why I usually skip secondary. I stopped using secondary a few years ago and have never noticed a differance. One less step!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I think I am going to secondary my SHB straight into the Corny, simpler, seems better.
I have no trouble with the first glass or so out of the keg being cloudy/sediment. I will just toss it and be happy.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

A couple of breweries near me finish fermentations under pressure. For my next few batches I am going to play around with doing this as well. I plan to move to a keg when the beer has a couple of gravity points left to fall. It should naturally carbonate itself, and finish up the fermentation at the same time. We'll see I guess.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Great prices. Does that include shipping?

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

It does, as long as I don't count the half hour I have to drive to pick it up.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

To the secondary!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Monday I brewed a cream stout and then kegged a Belgian wit.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

years ago the one time i brewed, i borrowed a pot from someone. when i got done there was so much crap burned on the bottom it was impossible to get off - even using a wire brush attached to a power drill.
was I just totally ignoring / not stirring?
should it be possible to use our large pasta pot without damaging it in any way?

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Were you using malt extract to brew?

I think you're supposed to remove it from the heat and get it mixed in completely before putting it back over a flame. Could be it wasn't fully dissolved and scorched on the bottom.

I did a couple extract batches on my stove and didn't have any scorching in my pot, but did remove the pot from the burner and stirred the $h!t out of it before putting it back on the heat.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

unfortunately this was something like 12 years ago so my only memory is the wire brush and the utter dismay ;)

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Absolutely, just make sure that you frequently tend to the stirring, scraping the spoon along the bottom of the pot. Partial boils (2-3 gallons) scorch easily because the malt sugars are so concentrated. You don't have to keep the burner on high, you're just looking for a rolling boil.

And like Chris says, cut off the heat when you add your extract, especially if you are using the liquid kind.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Black IPA into the primary this afternoon. 6 weeks is a looong time to wait for something that looks so dark and delicious.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Well, I placed an order today for some equipment to get into homebrewing. I should have pretty much everything I need to get started except bottles and an ingredient kit, both of which I'll be going to a nearby homebrew supply store for. I've been scouring the HBT forums and reading as much as I can to prepare. I'm really looking forward to it, but my wife is dismayed that I'm about to slide down yet another slope.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Good idea on the local homebrew store for your ingredient kit. They should be able to help you through any issues with the first batch.

If you don't mind a little work you shouldn't need to pay for bottles. When you get to the homebrew supply buy some b-brite powder, fill up a 5 gallon pail with water and some b-brite, add bottles of beer you've finished after you've rinsed them. The b-brite will make most labels fall right off, a light scrub will remove the glue. You've got a month to get 50 so get to drinking!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I think I'll just go for some new bottles. I don't have anywhere near that many empties and I don't drink that much beer over the course of a month. Plus I was thinking of going with 22 oz bottles and that would get pretty expensive getting the ones that already have beer in them.

On another note, how does that b-brite compare with oxyclean? I've seen a lot of people recommending oxyclean on HBT for cleaning and removing labels.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I have never used the oxy, but have seen about it. Seems so much simpler.

I am lazy when it comes to de-labeling the bottles. I have decided I will just buy them bare from my local store.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I use the off-brand, fragrance free oxy to clean bottles and remove labels (although I'm kegging now so haven't done it in a while).

I would fill up my laundry sink with warm water and mix in a scoop of the oxy stuff then let the bottles soak for a few hours. The labels would slide right off. I'd give em a good rinse and then set aside for sanitation/bottling.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Dang...such a high price to pay :noon

:chr

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I subtract the cost of new bottles from the cost of the beer :r

Most of my pals are on notice to save me any decent bottles, and I've got them trained to rinse properly so that I don't have mold in the bottoms.

I use oxyclean now, never seen it at a homebrew store though which is why I recommended b-brite. Same concept, just put a bit in the water. I keep the bucket full of solution in a closet in the kitchen, that way every bottle which happens into the house winds up label free down in the brewery.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Maybe I should send you a "package" with some bottles after the first of the year...:D

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Yep, same here. I also will toss in airlocks, stoppers, tubing, etc., just to have it ready the next time. I use One Step as my sanitizer

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Test run of my new two burner, single tier stand and 15.5 gal sanke keg HLT and BK tomorrow. I like the idea of double the beer in about the same amount of time. I need to plan it right because my temperature controlled chest freezer will only hold two 6 gallon better bottles at a time.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

The homebrew thread is a safe zone Steve...

but I've got about 20 gallons of filled bottles in the basement in case of zombie attack, plagues, etc... just sayin :gary

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

A safe zone on CA...:r

:D

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Got my first brew in the fermenter. Nothing crazy just a blone ale. Starting with baby steps but had a good time putting it together. Im worried about the sanitation . Not me cleaning everything i was very careful, but my wife felt the need to just about put her face in the fermeting bucket and start talking to me in the process.Just after i pitched the yeast :td. She could not figure out why i was so upset with this after i had just spent time explaining the sanitation process and its importance to her. I guess i cant be to mad at her she did buy the kit for me. :tu We'll see what happens next week hopefully its in good shape.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Stopped by my local homebrew store and grabbed the ingredients to do my first brew, an American-style Pale using their recipe. So now I have everything I need except the actual equipment, which I'm waiting on Midwest to ship. Having never been exposed to the raw ingredients for beer before, I have to say the grains smell amazing.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Anyone interested in some bottles feel free to PM me.

Why?

I just recieved two 5 gallon kegs and the system from Northern Brewer yesterday!! hOOt:banger:dr

Can't wait, we've got the Chinook IPA kit ready to brew, and we will not be bottling it! Can't wait to give kegging a try.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Well the inaugural brew was a success. No issues to speak of. Got 10.50 gallons fermenting away. Just wished I had a bigger chest freezer because tomorrow would be a great opportunity to brew.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I bought my first kit last week and it's due to arrive later this week. It's a cheapo kit-the Mr Beer Premium Edution Home Beer Kit. I saw the reviews on amazon were pretty good and when it appeared on woot for $25 shipped, I thought why not. Looking forward to seeing if it yields enough interest to make this a more serious hobby or not. I'm primarily interested in brewing hefeweizen and Kristallweizen.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Dont judge homebrew on a Mr Beer kit. If you dont like the results from Mr Beer, dont give up on homebrewing.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

That switch to double the beer in the same amount of time is great. I went to a plate chiller when I switched and think I wound up saving time.

I brewed up an Irish Red that I'll be entering into our local clubs competition in a couple months. 5 gallons on some slurry from a scottish ale (wyeast 1728), and the other half on some marzen slurry (white labs 820). The 820 was slooowww the first time around, I hear the second round with it is usually faster though. We'll see...

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Just bottled my first brew a blonde ale. Not very impressed when i tasted it. Tastes like watered down coors light if thats possible. I know its not carbonated yet but i dont think its getting any better. Its a start up kit from Mr. Beer so im not to worried. it was more to get my brewing legs. Im already working on getting supplies for the next one.