Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Been a long time since I used dry yeast, but Nottingham gives great results for a no/low-profile yeast. I think I'll be making a stop at my HBS this weekend! :tu

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I recently brewed Midwest Supply's "Liberty Cream Ale" kit, and it would be another good one for folks who typically drink "Big 3" beers. Very similar to BA's recipe above, with a bit more hops. After a few weeks conditioning in the bottle it really tastes excellent. This is one I can see keeping around pretty regularly.

6 lbs Light LME
.5 lbs Carapils
1 oz Cascade - 60 mins
1 0z Cascade - 2 mins

SG: 1.042-1.046
FG: 1.010-1.012
IBUs ≈ 33.4

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I'm just finishing up a batch of Best Bitter. I fiddled with a recipe I found on line. I want this to be an "authentic" Bitter. Here's the recipe I made:

3.3 lbs Light LME
3 lbs Munton & Fisson Light DME

Mini mash:
1 lbs Maris Otter
1 lb Crystal 40
.5 lbs Oat Malt

1 oz Challenger - 60 mins
1 oz UK Fuggles - 20 mins
1 oz Kent Goldings - 5 mins

1/2 teaspoon Burton salts
1 Whirlflock tablet
Wyeast British II 1335

The calculator on BYO says this should clock in at 4.7% abv, 35 IBU's, and a color of 14.7 SRM. But I messed up somewhere, because the OG = 1.056. BYO's calculator says it should have had an OG of 1.049. So I'm either going to have a higher abv, or a sweeter beer. Any ideas where I might have gone wrong?

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Im in the middle of making some Bavarian Hefeweizen from AHS.
I love a good Hefe in the middle of summer!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Hefe's are great anytime but especially in ths summer.

Bottled my wheat stout and cracked open one after a day and it's developing nicely. Don't see much wheat body smmoothness more of a stout but good stuff.anyway Might have to do with the extra grains and DME I threw in because they were collecting "dust"

This is the batch that I had to re pitch. It started at 1.060 and ended at 1.018.after gettin stuck at 1.030 So if U do the calculations that makes it about 6 prcnt ABV and yielded 2 cases and a 6'r.
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Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

That is really neat. Thank you for posting it.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

anything for the ladies ;)

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Always looking for a good way to lug around my homebrews and had an empty banana box lying around. They fit 7 6-packs very neatly just have your friends save their 6pack holders. Not quite an entire batch but almost and thay're cheap and readily available too.
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Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I brewed a Bells Two Hearted Ale clone, yesterday for Fathers Day.
Also kegged a Bavarian Hefe, should be ready to go for 4th of July!!!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

This thread makes me sad. I sold all my home brew equipment last year in favor of family. :(

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I would reinforce the bottome with some packing tape (the stuff with fiberglass fiber in it) or just hold the bottom when your carrying it. ;)

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Last night I racked a basic Blonde on a Hefe yeast cake.
I have never reused a yeast cake before, hopefully it will turn out good.
This morning it was bubbling away.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Wow, my Local B+M manager gave me his beer brewing kit. SWEET! Now I can brew even more beer!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Okay, hang on, I'm trying to understand what you did--did you just rack a new batch of wort onto the leftover yeast & trub sitting in the bottom of a fermenter? And it worked? That's genius!

I've been brewing for a lot of years, and I've salvaged/washed a lot of yeast--in fact, I have about 6 bottles of re-used California ale yeast sitting in my fridge, waiting to be pitched into something. But I've never just started a new batch off of a completely spent yeast cake. Sure would save me a lot of effort!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I heard of this, reusing/repitching yeast but...
How is this done?

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Very simple!
You usually only want to do this if the next brew you are brewing is similar(in color) to the one that is done fermenting.
All you do is rack your beer to your keg or bottle like you normally do, then simply pour your wort in from your new beer you just brewed and shake like hell.
You dont have to worry about cleaning your carboy or sanitizing or anything.
And all the sediment and used hops still drop to the bottom.
You have to do this within 24hrs of racking your beer from the carboy. You cant let the yeast cake sit in there too long before you put the new wort in.
I currently have a Bells Two Hearted Ale clone in primary right now, that I used some WL California Ale yeast, the day that I keg it, I am going to brew a PaleAle and pitch it right on the Two Hearted Ale yeast cake.
I have been reading about this for awhile now and have always been scared to do it, but alot of people on Homebrewtalk.com do it.
Some people use the same yeast cake up to 3 times!
I want to start washing too, but if I am going to be brewing something that uses the same yeast that I just used previously, why not just rack it on top of that yeast cake!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

That's pretty easy, Thanks!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Travis:

Here's the basic method that I use to harvest & wash yeast, I think Papazian has a write up in one of his books, too:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yea...strated-41768/

The only difference is that I don't use mason jars to store my yeast, I use beer bottles topped with an airlock. They take up less room in the frig and I can keep them in a 6-pack holder. The advantage of this method is that the yeast goes dormant but stays fresh for up to...6?...months, I think. I've re-used yeast that was 12-18 months old before, it just takes the starter longer to get going.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I re-used yeast recently for the first time. I washed it and put it in a bomber-sized beer bottle, capped it with a bottle cap, and stored it in the refrigerator. I used it within a month. A couple days before I brewed I made a starter and put the yeast in to get it "rejuvenated" again.

I want to make a Belgian Trippel, and may make a batch of lower abv saison first, so I can use the entire yeast cake for the higher abv trippel.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

How do you "wash" yeast. Isn't it just mixed up with the trub?

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Just bottled my first home brew last weekend, it was from the Brewer's Best kit, German Oktoberfest, cracked open a bottle last night to test it out....not bad at all! Not sure what I plan on brewing next, any recommendations? I'll probably just stick with the Brewer's Best kits for now though.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

FWIW, the Midwest Supply kits are excellent, and right here in the Twin Cities. I've done several of their extract kits with good success. I'm drinking their Ferocious - a Surly Furious clone - right now. The clone was made with the help of Todd Haug, the head brewer at Surly.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I'll have to stop by the next time I'm up there, looks like they have some good stuff! Thanks for the link.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I kegged a BlondeHefe and Bells Two Hearted Ale clone today. And also brewed a Pale Ale.
Im getting a nice pipeline going!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Completed the new setup today!
http://picasaweb.google.com/timlael/...eat=directlink

Next Sunday is the first brewday with it.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Very nice setup! Congrats!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Wow, talk about jumping in with both feet. What are you using for a MLT?

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Thanks Travis and Doug!

I have a 54qt Igloo that I'm planning on converting soon.
For now, I'm sticking with extract/kits until I get that done.

Do you think the 54qt would be suitable for a MLT?

How about that 7.5 gallon pony for the HLT? Should I keep that or convert another 1/2 barrel? I have one sitting around.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Sorry, I guess when I see a setup like that, I just assume all grain. Not many people go that far for extract setups.

The 54 qt should be fine for 5 gallon batches, and even 10 gallon batches of most beers. I run a 52 qt Coleman Xtreme.

7.5 gallons at 1.25 qt/lb is enough strike water for 24 lb of grain, which is quite a bit. I usually mash thinner than that, but 7.5 gallons should cover you in most cases. A 1/2 barrel would simplify things, as you could just heat everything at once, though. I just use a 5 gallon pot and heat my strike water in two batches if I need to, and heat the sparge water during the mash rest.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Oh, All grain is coming, but I'm taking baby steps (big fat babies) and didn't want to make an extract setup only to have to make the AG setup later.

Good to know! Thanks.

I'll just plan on making the 1/2bbl when I convert the cooler. I also want to make a nice stand and pump setup for when I do go all grain... for simplicity, ya know?:rolleyes:


Thanks Doug... I knew I could count on you for a few cents of know how!:tu

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I should probably specify, it's fine if you're batch sparging. For fly sparging, it could cause some issues with grain bed depth, and is tougher to deal with the shape.

Baby steps my ass. I've been brewing all grain for a while now and your setup is already fancier than mine. :banger

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Finally!!!!!!
I got a batch of Honey Wheat (1.0545 OG) in the primary, where it will finish.
I gotta have this done for shack... wish me luck!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...4&id=656354560

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Brewed up an Imperial IPA yesterday at the inaugural CohiBrew!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...4&l=c52e59eb96

With more than 12 lbs of malt (specialty + extract,) I was surprised to hit the target OG perfectly = 1.082. IBUs calculated at 93. Pitched it with about a quart of British ale starter last night, and this morning had the most vigorous fermentation I've had in a long time. Had to replace the airlock with a blowoff tube all day. Finally settled down. Hopefully this will be a good one!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Thought this would be of interest here.....

Aged 9,000 Years, Ancient Beer Finally Hits Stores


Dogfish Head brewery is known for making exotic beer with ingredients like crystallized ginger or water from Antarctica, so it might not sound surprising that one of its recent creations is a brew flavored simply by grapes and flowers. It's not the recipe that makes this beer so special; it's where that recipe was found: a Neolithic burial site in China.

Chateau Jiahu is a time capsule from 7,000 B.C., but to hear Dogfish Head owner Sam Calagione talk about what beer was actually like back then, it's not the kind of thing that makes you say "Hey, pass me another ice-cold ancient ale!"

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...587208&ps=cprs

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Thinking of brewing a Mojito IPA.

Basic IPA with lime zest, mint, and citrusy hops (Citra, Simcoe, Amarillo, Cascade,etc.) added to the boil. Then maybe some dark rum soaked oak cubes added to secondary.

All the additions would be minor, so just a hint of mint and lime, and oak and rum. I bascially want a great IPA that suggests Mojito in the flavor.

Thoughts?

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Interesting idea...! :hm

I'm wondering if the lime zest would get overpowered by the hops? I'd probably stick to the citrusy hops for the boil, but go light on the aroma additions. I'd think you'd want some of the lime flavor to come through the beer--have you thought about maybe adding some Rose's lime juice to the secondary? It would ferment down and still preserve the flavor, maybe also "dry hop" with the lime zest & mint, too? For that matter, you could probably just add some lime extract to the bottling bucket.

I like the idea of rum soaked wood chips.

I'm just throwing out ideas, not sure how to make it work--very intriguing, though :tu

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

I think this is a great idea, and will likely do this. :tu Thanks for the input.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Perhaps take a look into yeast cultures. There are many different types that can add some sort of flavour to your beer. Adding syrups can affect your foam stability.

Adding cestes with the boiling is more likely to have a lesser affect on the foam stability. Might give a bitter taste to the beer. Dont know during the yeasting, you might want to be carefull not to lower the ph during the fermantation to much cause this will have a negative effect on the yeast...

Sounds like an intresting plan tho keep us informed on what you did and how it turns out!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

What post are you referring to, JHinc? I haven't seen any reference to syrup, and I'm not sure what cestes is. Either way, it would take quite a bit to lower the pH too much, brewers yeast likes an acidic environment; the yeast itself will lower the pH into the low 4s, or even high 3s.

Edit, to stay on topic, I have a Belgian Dark Strong in the fermenter. First shot at this style.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Brewing a German Alt tonight. Should make a nice fall beer!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Basically on yours with the diea of making a mojita IPA and kaisersozei's reply.

The syrup i mean is the Rose's lime juice mentioned by kaisersozei. Cestes are (not sure if it is the correct english word, im Dutch ) scrapings of the peel of a lemon.

I wouldent go down into the the high 3's for the yeasting part tho a steady drop from around 5 to around 4.2 is a much healthier enviroment for most yeast cultures.

What yeast are you planning on usng Bottom fermenting or top fermenting?

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Ah, I guess I didn't realise that Rose's lime juice was a syrup, I was assuming it was juice. Shows how many mixed drinks I make, I guess.

The english word you're looking for is "zest". That's what landhoney originally talked about using.

Beer finishing in the high 3s pH isn't uncommon, but my point is that it would take a whole lot of zest to get enough citric acid to make the wort too acidic for the yeast.

Being that he's talking about an India Pale Ale, one can safely assume he's talking about an ale yeast, or top fermenting. With the citricy hops, it'll be more american style, so the default choice would be Fermentis US-05/Wyeast 1056/White WLP001. It's a relatively clean, neutral yeast.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Im not sure it is a syrup either i assumed so much.

Might not be uncommon but it cant be good influence on the end product.
Foam stability, protein binding ..

But then again it could easily be me thinking to pure, i mainly deal with pilseners and the standards we use for that.


Still sounds like an intresting brew!

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Yeah, coming from a large brewery standpoint, I can understand. Lagers tend to be higher pH than ales. Hell, some of the sours will get down close to 3.0. I don't tend to think in large brewery terms, just the fact that you make such a clean product and make it so consistently is mind boggling.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Racked the CohiBrew DIPA into the secondary last week, SG right at about 1.019 so it fermented down quite a bit.

Yesterday I brewed up my 2010 Christmas ale, this year going for a Belgian Specialty using Trappist yeast and adding some cinnamon, orange peel, cardamon and ginger. Have a question for the group on calculating OG. I plan on adding dark Belgian candy sugar to the primary a few days after fermentation begins. I'm trying to determine how much to use, based on the impact it will have on the starting gravity. From what I've read, the sugar has a gravity of 1.036 OG/lb/gal.

I measured OG this morning (without the sugar) at 1.060, a few points lower than target. Is it safe to say that 16 oz would bring that to 1.067 (1.036/5) and 8 oz to 1.064 (50% of 1.036/5)? This is in a 5 gallon batch.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Kaisersozei, assuming the 36 points potential is correct and that you have exactly 5 gallons in the fermenter, then yes, your math is correct.

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Great, thanks :tu

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

Not a lot of information out there on exactly what sugars will do what from what I can see.

I did find this in an old thread on HBT...

1 pound of sugar will add .046 points per gallon.

so 1 pound will add .0092 points to a five gallon batch.
Formula:
(.046 * "lbs of sugar") / "batch size in gallons" = "total extra points per batch"

This question is still unanswered though:
"Does this apply for any kind of sugar or is this just white sugar? I know some folks use turbinado cane, corn sugar, honey, etc."


** EDIT** Beersmith is giving me .044-.048/lb. if I'm looking at that correctly (looks like .046 falls right in there)**

Re: Homebrewers - Whats in the fermeter?
 

That is a very loaded question. Sucrose is easy, as it's pretty constant, but others are tougher. Even corn sugar (D-glucose) that gets used a lot in homebrewing can vary quite a bit as it's hygroscopic. The belgian candi sugar is inverted, I believe, so you're dealing with a combination of sucrose, fructose, and glucose. Any guesses how much water you're dealing with? I made some dark candi syrup, and knowing how much sucrose I started with, I was estimating around 37pppg, which ended up pretty close. That's higher than the sugar that kaisersozei's dealing with.:confused: