Or do what I do: find a beer you like that isn't too expensive and has a good bottle. It's a convenient excuse ;D
Also, I would avoid using table or cane sugar in your beer, it can make it thin and watery ime. Some DME or generic LME would make a tastier beer, and it's not that expensive if you source it from an online home brew shop.
Just remembered another bit of kit that mrscharly might find useful: an aquarium heater. This is a tip I've picked up from home brewing forums - it ensures the brew is kept at a steady temperature during fermentation. Get a decent one from a proper pet shop and just drop it straight in the fermenting vessel.
@ the OP: Don't take this the wrong way (I'm not judging you or the Mrs., and please correct me if I'm wrong) but might your idea be akin to when Homer offered Marge a bowling ball as a present ?MrsC seriously considered starting a 2year course in brewing. So I don't think it is like Homer offering Marge a bowling ball ;)
What temperatures are you fermenting at ?
On reflection, making beer is 10% actual brewing and 90% cleaning. Hope you like cleaning :-)arrggh why didn't anyone tell me this before! I didn't know I had to work that hard to get a brew going :)
I asked one of my colleagues and he insisted that I shouldn't bother with any kits but do a full mash from scratch as it would make much better beer. Seems like a lot of work for a first try.
I've pretty much given up with kits, and also become more frustrated with the taste from my extract brews.
Care to share a recipe in case we can give any tips ?
I asked one of my colleagues and he insisted that I shouldn't bother with any kits but do a full mash from scratch as it would make much better beer. Seems like a lot of work for a first try.
I have added a small oil radiator to the room to raise the ambient a little.
There is a pleasing amount of pressure under the lid so I presume things are working.
Ok, my long/boring post comes to an end now :-)
Glass crown top. We usually use empty beer bottles, but that assumes you've been drinking bottled beer and saving the empties!
This may be of interest: I've just ordered an Eheim Thermocontrol 25W heater off eBay for £16. This is rated to heat an aquarium of 20-25L, though perhaps if the room your FV is in is very cold, the 50W version might be better.I'd probably put one in a wider bucket (trug or similar? ) and place the brew bucket in that so it acts as a water jacket. It (the bucket) shouldn't need to be more than half immersed My bucket won't take one of those without modifying the lid and I'd rather not have yet another thing to sterilise.
I'd probably put one in a wider bucket (trug or similar? ) and place the brew bucket in that so it acts as a water jacket.
Still pressure being generated so bottling is a few days off yet.
Sounds like a plan - maybe I should see if I have some milton or similar. They were 'fresh' bottles so still damp inside rather than many days old, and I have rinsed them well. The larger bottles are all done, it is the 300ml bottles that will take some time as they seem to have a more soak-resistant glue.
I've got a few days yet before bottling so plenty of time.
4% for a Christmas beer seems a bit low?
While I wait any Home Brew Kits recommendation, especially IPA or APA? I do like them hoppy so was thinking about doing a bit of dry hopping.
Got trouble times ahead I think, it is getting too cold to brew ale in our house, the nutella is getting harder to spread on toast, and I'm running low on stock. Don't really have a place in house that is kept warm. Most nights we are in jumpers and a fleece thrown over our legs, when it gets really cold we put the heating on the room we are in. I would like to get my next brew going a Golden Ale, but I worry it will be too brrr for it.
I can only atm wrap it in some fleeces, but I don't think that would be enough. Don't have the funds or space to get something that could keep it warm - big water tank with fish tank heater or heat wrap thing.
Just put down a Coopers Saison, now the wait begins ...
Can anyone recommend a good auto-siphon suitable for using with the standard plastic (~30L) vessel with screw cap, for brewing 23L of beer.
I've done that one before, it stands a bit of aging
see you in an hour or so?I've done that one before, it stands a bit of aging
Tried the first, 12 days after bottling, with a phizzzzt on opening - so a decent amount of 'life'. Seems pretty good, but I should get some independent adjudicators around to test. :)
see you in an hour or so?I've done that one before, it stands a bit of aging
Tried the first, 12 days after bottling, with a phizzzzt on opening - so a decent amount of 'life'. Seems pretty good, but I should get some independent adjudicators around to test. :)
Anyone know how to equate liquid malt extract with all grain recipes?In terms of quantity you would use 0.75 by weight, i.e. 1kg grain = 0.75kg liquid malt extract.
Or is it just a case of a bit of experimentation?
Anyone know how to equate liquid malt extract with all grain recipes?In terms of quantity you would use 0.75 by weight, i.e. 1kg grain = 0.75kg liquid malt extract.
Or is it just a case of a bit of experimentation?
When I used extract, I just used pale or extra pale extract, and the steeped any 'speciality' grains if the recipe called for them. 30mins in ~66 deg C water for the steeping grains, strained through something reasonably fine - muslin or sommat.
And here they are
(http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa370/dneilson01/IMG_20170413_104456_zpsmtazo4xb.jpg)
How did it taste when bottling?
Just started a batch of rhubarb wine, rhubarb from the garden, dry extract method which never fails. Ends up like a sauvignon blanc.
Do let me know how the Evil Dog works out, been thinking about that one for a while.The Evil Dog is in one word Dangerous. Not the hoppiest IPA you'll drink but a lovely crisp and clear beverage. It kicks just as hard as you'd expect for the headline ABV and I call it Dangerous because it doesn't taste stronger than an upper end session beer, upper 4's territory. One per evening stuff for me bookended by something saner.
Four days longer in a pot ain't going to hurt it. I have read about people forgetting (how could they?) and bottling it after a few months in the FV.
Bottled 40 of the "Dirty Marilyn" today at just over 7%, hick. Reason for calling in dirty is that it is my favorite homebrew from Coopers called Marilyn Secret Blonde Ale. That I brew up this time with some spare Perle Barley and Belle Saison yeasties.
This weekend, I put on two more brews - a Coopers Stout and a Coopers English Bitter. Both are old cans I've had knocking around for ages so somewhat out of date, but nothing ventured... they're both bubbling away nicely in the fermenting vessels and smelling good, so I'm hopeful.
Some stouts need a few months to come into life. If space is not needed I would give a while yet before binning it.
Called in at the homebrew shop earlier to get what I needed for a batch of Coopers Saison (http://store.coopers.com.au/recipes/index/view/id/58/). Hoping to get that on the go tomorrow...
Called in at the homebrew shop earlier to get what I needed for a batch of Coopers Saison (http://store.coopers.com.au/recipes/index/view/id/58/). Hoping to get that on the go tomorrow...
...and it's already bubbling away nicely. OG of 1063, so should be quite lively.
Set a couple of Turbo Ciders away this morning. 3.5l* of apple juice, 0.5l cranberry, cup of tea (4 bags), yeast**, nutrient.
*2l now, 1.5l added in a few days.
** 2 Different yeasts - Gervin and Harris cider yeasts
Did you take a Final Gravity reading ? If yes, what was it ? (ie: VSOF being no longer visible does not mean that the beer is ready...)Brew lives in the FV for two weeks and the fermenting is well and truly over. I can't remember the numbers but both about 1005-7 and started above or near 1050.
What was your fermentation temp? (Too low can lean to sluggish fermentation or stuck fermentation, meaning there is still unfermented sugar in the beer)
Were there any changes in temp ? (Yeast do not like swings in temp. If it drops quickly by only a few degrees you can shock the yeast)
How clean are your bottles? (do you do separate cleaning / sanitisation soaks?)
When is the last time you replaced all of your hoses / filling equipment that touches beer ?Just got a new valve from Coopers when I wore out the old one. Rest still the same.
.
Mk2 version of my legendary Coffee Stout started. I didn't want to put the lid on it, I could have stood there inhaling the aroma all night.
1x Simply Stout kit.
Whisk into warm water:
2x 500g Extra dark spray malt
1x 500g Dark soft brown sugar
50g Azera Americano
Make up to 23ltr. 1044
Is the coffee added as a liquid or solid?Add the sugar and 50g of dry coffee to a pan of warm water then when all dissolved add to the fermenting bin.
I'd be interested in your set-up. Last time I brewed was using a burco boiler as a mash tun and it involved a lot of monitoring of the temperature and starch conversion.
I'd be interested in your set-up. Last time I brewed was using a - boiler as a mash tun and it involved a lot of monitoring of the temperature and starch conversion.
I've set up my beer fridge now, 3 beers available on tap if you want to pop by one evening this week and taste judge them PO?