# Fresh Wort Vs Can Kit



## BitterBulldog (4/6/09)

I see that 'Brewers Selection Fresh Wort' kits are only a little bit pricier than say a ESB 3kg Kit.

Wouldn't the fresh wort be better quality... or not so?

i know brewing them isn't as much fun as kits & bits but if you just want to put down a nice quick brew they are pretty convienient!

i just did an esb bavarian lager. tasted it last night after 2 weeks in the bottle! not bad at all! tasted a lot like a VB at this stage. looking forward to getting after it again in another 2 weeks time


----------



## Fents (4/6/09)

yea get onto the fresh wort kits, they do what they say on the label most times....its All grain without the hassle of having to make it, just dump yeast in and your away.


----------



## BitterBulldog (4/6/09)

yes, this one is taunting me ...

Brewers Selection Fresh Wort Cerny Pevo 
Seasonal- available May. A Czech Dark Lager!!! Great dark beer flavour without the heaviness of stout. Comes with a saflager yeast but will work well with any of the White Labs lager strains.(


----------



## Renegade (4/6/09)

What size are the containers these come in, 20 or 25 litres. I want to buy a couple of cubes soon, so hell I might as well buy them full of beer


----------



## malbur (4/6/09)

Renegade said:


> What size are the containers these come in, 20 or 25 litres. I want to buy a couple of cubes soon, so hell I might as well buy them full of beer




I think they come in 15 litres. you add 5 litres of water.


----------



## hayden (4/6/09)

going to the LHBS today ill give one a bash i thinks see whats availiable.


----------



## malbur (4/6/09)

Does anybody know what hops they use in Brewers Selection Fresh Wort APA


----------



## hazard (4/6/09)

BitterBulldog said:


> i know brewing them isn't as much fun as kits & bits but if you just want to put down a nice quick brew they are pretty convienient!


Well i wouldn't say that - I've bought a few fresh worts from G&G, and added "Bits" to all of them. You really treat them like a can of liquid extract, and add specialty grains to vary the style eg I made a brown ale by adding cystal and chocolate to a pale ale wort, and made a stout by adding roast barley, flaked barley, rolled oats and crystal malt. More fun than a barrel of monkeys!

So it can be as easy as adding yeast, but that does not need to be a limitation.

hazard


----------



## brettprevans (4/6/09)

BitterBulldog said:


> yes, this one is taunting me ...
> 
> Brewers Selection Fresh Wort Cerny Pevo
> Seasonal- available May. A Czech Dark Lager!!! Great dark beer flavour without the heaviness of stout. Comes with a saflager yeast but will work well with any of the White Labs lager strains.(


im assuming they are saying it will be like a Kozel Cerny. which is a lovely dark czech lager. rich and malty


edit: if you can pick up fresh wort kits for much the same price as a 'tin kit'. definitely go the fresh wort.


----------



## geoffi (4/6/09)

Fresh wort vs canned kit?

Think Barcelona vs Woop Woop under-12s.

It ain't even close.


----------



## QldKev (4/6/09)

Another vote for a fresh wort kit over a can anyday.....

QldKev


----------



## BitterBulldog (5/6/09)

got a brewers selection dark lager today!!!!

look forward to get it going after i bottle my belgian ale on monday!


----------



## mckenry (5/6/09)

QldKev said:


> Another vote for a fresh wort kit over a can anyday.....
> 
> QldKev



I am an avid AG brewer, but if I need keg fillers - these are unbeatable. No doubt, moving from K&B to fresh wort and tasting the difference, inspired me to go AG.
I used to add some wheat malt to the Brewers Selection Norwest Pale Ale, some Cascade & Amarillo. Yum. :icon_drool2:


----------



## Barry (5/6/09)

If wort kits were around before I started all grain I might not have started all grain. I feel the best way is not to add too much extra water to the wort kit to "get the most for your money".


----------



## geoffi (5/6/09)

mckenry said:


> I am an avid AG brewer, but if I need keg fillers - these are unbeatable. No doubt, moving from K&B to fresh wort and tasting the difference, inspired me to go AG.
> I used to add some wheat malt to the Brewers Selection Norwest Pale Ale, some Cascade & Amarillo. Yum. :icon_drool2:



It's a good point. All those k&k types who post questions such as 'is all-grain really that much better than kits' just need to try a FWK. Case closed.


----------



## bum (5/6/09)

BitterBulldog said:


> tasted it last night after 2 weeks in the bottle! not bad at all! tasted a lot like a VB



I'm not trying to start anything but I just wanted to remind you of something a wise man once said:



BitterBulldog said:


> i thought the idea of homebrewing was to make GOOD beer NOT to make the garbage beer you can already buy!



Don't care personally. Just thought it was pretty hilarious.


----------



## Katherine (5/6/09)

Barry said:


> If wort kits were around before I started all grain I might not have started all grain. I feel the best way is not to add too much extra water to the wort kit to "get the most for your money".



fresh wort kits were around many many many many years ago. Coopers used to do them before kits. My father swore by them (I still remember following my mother with a trolley or two full of them when they were on special at FRANKLINS for $5.00). They then went on to cans to reduce shipping space.


----------



## Barry (5/6/09)

That is true Katie but they were finished before I was interested in brewing. I have heard good things about them.


----------



## tdack (5/6/09)

BitterBulldog said:


> yes, this one is taunting me ...
> 
> Brewers Selection Fresh Wort Cerny Pevo
> Seasonal- available May. A Czech Dark Lager!!! Great dark beer flavour without the heaviness of stout. Comes with a saflager yeast but will work well with any of the White Labs lager strains.(



Get it!

I made it about 12 months ago and really enjoyed it. I'm not a big fan of the dark, dark beers but the other half is. This was a really good compromise that we both enjoyed.


----------



## flattop (5/6/09)

I made an FWK last year, it finalized my decision to go AG, it's clear that FWK's are a better product than cans of goop, the flavor is fresher and cleaner.
My FWK wheat kit was around $40 for 15 litres topped up to 20. I can make the same AG and control the process or change the flavor profile for less than $30 and a few hours labor.
I think they are great but perhaps a bit expensive, perhaps the shipping dictates the cost.


----------



## bigfridge (5/6/09)

flattop said:


> I think they are great but perhaps a bit expensive, perhaps the shipping dictates the cost.



Yes, shipping is a big factor - but you need to remember you are comparing your hobby costs with someone that needs to make a commercial return. There are also costs that you don't even have to consider such as fire inspections, waste water charges let alone labour costs.

No Affiliation Fully affiliated as the producer of the FWK distributed by Morgans.

Dave


----------



## DWC (5/6/09)

flattop said:


> I made an FWK last year, it finalized my decision to go AG, it's clear that FWK's are a better product than cans of goop, the flavor is fresher and cleaner.
> My FWK wheat kit was around $40 for 15 litres topped up to 20. I can make the same AG and control the process or change the flavor profile for less than $30 and a few hours labor.
> I think they are great but perhaps a bit expensive, perhaps the shipping dictates the cost.


At $40 I think they are good value. K&B would be close to if not over that price to make an equivelant beer.
I've done about 10 of them over the last 18mths of various styles and gotten some very good beers but have recently moved to full extract
while I wait for my 3 vessel mash system to be made.


----------



## Adamt (5/6/09)

Geoffi said:


> It's a good point. All those k&k types who post questions such as 'is all-grain really that much better than kits' just need to try a FWK. Case closed.



I disagree here. A vast majority of K&K brewers have no idea how to properly treat yeast. If you can't keep temperature under control, underpitch, or have poor sanitation, people could be very, very disappointed with FWKs and be put off brewing forever; thinking that infected/off-flavour-ridden beer is as good as it gets.

AG/FWKs isn't the dog's bollocks, it's part of it... or at least one of them


----------



## KGB (5/6/09)

I've only made one FWK - an Amber Ale by ND Brewing - and the difference is night and day to kits. When you consider how ridiculously easy it is to tip it in your fermenter with some water and add the yeast , then consider the results, I think its good value. I enjoy the work involved in "brewing'' my kits and bits beers but for many people 5hrs to make an AG brew is just too much effort.
Mine was $41 inc saflager yeast and you get a $2 return if you bring back the cube.


----------



## Polar Beer (5/6/09)

Adamt said:


> I disagree here. A vast majority of K&K brewers have no idea how to properly treat yeast. If you can't keep temperature under control, underpitch, or have poor sanitation, people could be very, very disappointed with FWKs and be put off brewing forever; thinking that infected/off-flavour-ridden beer is as good as it gets.
> 
> AG/FWKs isn't the dog's bollocks, it's part of it... or at least one of them



Good point Adamt. Dont go for a FW expecting it will deliver you great beer without appropriate attention to sanitation and temp control.
However, if you have a handle on all that and you want a glimpse of what AG can bring you, get yourself a FW ASAP. As others have mentioned, it clinched the deal for me in terms of moving from kit to AG. I bought at least 10 FW's before moving to AG, but I never went back to kits again.


----------



## KGB (5/6/09)

^^^Agreed, thats an assumption I failed to mention. Dodgy brewing will give dodgy beer, no matter how much you spend.
Maybe I'm a bit weird but I took my time brewing cheapo kits for probably a year (mostly coopers with the odd homebrand/farmland toucan) and began experimenting bit-by-bit. First with malts then with dry hopping and hop boils and gradually moving on to better quality kits and then took the plunge on the FWK.
I knew the FWK _should_ give me a better beer but I was unsure how much better and wanted to get set up properly and practice first. I got myself a bar fridge for fermentation and a fridgemate for temp control as well. I can imagine a rookie brewer using saflager in the middle of summer at 25+ degrees and getting disenchanted by blowing their dough on an average brew.


----------



## flattop (6/6/09)

Well it's an assumption but i would hope that the instructions on the FWK are a bit better than the Coopers kit instructions, i can't remember what was written on my FWK but i do know that i read them twice before i made the brew...


----------



## Renegade (6/6/09)

Adamt said:


> I disagree here. A vast majority of K&K brewers have no idea how to properly treat yeast.



 

Vast, huh?


----------



## geoffi (6/6/09)

Adamt said:


> I disagree here. A vast majority of K&K brewers have no idea how to properly treat yeast. If you can't keep temperature under control, underpitch, or have poor sanitation, people could be very, very disappointed with FWKs and be put off brewing forever; thinking that infected/off-flavour-ridden beer is as good as it gets.
> 
> AG/FWKs isn't the dog's bollocks, it's part of it... or at least one of them




I disagree with your disagreement.

Even a poorly handled FWK will turn out a far superior beer than an equally poorly handled goo kit.

Not as good as it gets, but far superior nonetheless.

BTW, I think it's a little unfair to assume that the 'vast majority' of k&k types have no idea about temperature, sanitation etc. While there are no doubt many who still think 28c is the ideal fermentation temp, those who frequent this site will definitely be aware of those factors, and even older (ie non-internet user) k&k brewers I meet seem to understand it more and more.


----------



## Bribie G (6/6/09)

Katie said:


> fresh wort kits were around many many many many years ago. Coopers used to do them before kits. My father swore by them (I still remember following my mother with a trolley or two full of them when they were on special at FRANKLINS for $5.00). They then went on to cans to reduce shipping space.


Coopers FWK were the full five gallon job. Originally they came in a bag in a box, then later in a square cube - many of which ended up as camping water containers or had the tops cut off and used for patio herb gardens etc (well it was the 80s and things were a bit pov in those days)

There were 2 varieties, Stout and Pale Ale. They were about $12 when a can of Brigalow was $4.00. Add a pack of Edme Yeast and you ended up with either Coopers Stout or Sparking Ale virtually identical to the bought product. However a fair bit of that $12 would have been freight and that's what killed them but it spurred Coopers into the home brew market and the rest is history.


----------



## KGB (6/6/09)

flattop said:


> Well it's an assumption but i would hope that the instructions on the FWK are a bit better than the Coopers kit instructions, i can't remember what was written on my FWK but i do know that i read them twice before i made the brew...




Word for word from the cube in front of me:
"DIRECTIONS - Transfer to sterilised fermenter. Add 5L cold water and yeast."

I must add though, any LHBS worth its salt should give some advice to a propective purchaser of a FWK. You would hope, anyway.


----------



## Bribie G (6/6/09)

I'm nowhere near a LHBS that sells FWKs and Ross doesn't do them yet    so I've never considered them but:

Are there any in Brisbane (Northside) does anyone know? and
How $$$$$$$$ much?
Also how fresh, as they all seem to come from the Mexican regions and I wonder how fresh they are as we are right at the end of the distribution chain here. I did once do an ESB 3k tin and it was extremely ordinary and obviously past its best.


----------



## Adamt (6/6/09)

Renegade said:


> Vast, huh?






Geoffi said:


> I disagree with your disagreement.
> 
> Even a poorly handled FWK will turn out a far superior beer than an equally poorly handled goo kit.
> 
> ...



I half agree with your first statement... It will turn out far superior, but a polished turd is still a turd. 

Regarding the "vast majority":

I agree that those who frequent AHB have a much, much better idea, and for most who have read and hung around here for a bit a FWK would be a HUGE step up from kits. However:

According to this article, there were approximately 300,000 homebrewers in Australia in 2004. This number would've increased since then but anyway, being a media article, I don't believe the accuracy but you can believe the order of magnitude. For this argument, assume the number is a paltry 100,000.

We have 10,000 members (assuming >95% are Aussie), so at most 10% of homebrewers are members of this site. Only a third of members have actually posted; let's make a very generous assumption that half of the members actively visit here. So at very most, 5% of Aussie homebrewers frequent this site.

So, 95% of brewers don't come here and would likely rely on either the instructions (which are notoriously shithouse) and/or the advice of HBSs. Though not all HBSs are bad, many are, especially those geared at kit brewers ("You want grain? Don't bother with that crap, too much mess, too much effort, doesn't taste any better... Buy this tin, this bag of powder and a tiny portion of feral, manky, poorly stored hops shoved in a teabag..." but I digress). Most of these wouldn't necessarily be brewing absolute crap, but likely have no idea on the basics of brewing.

Based on my numbers and argument I guess you can judge for yourself but I certainly believe it's easily a vast majority (>75%) if not much, much more (when you take into account this is only assuming 100,000 homebrewers)

Jeez, typing that sure woke me up.


----------



## shawnheiderich (6/6/09)

BribieG said:


> I'm nowhere near a LHBS that sells FWKs and Ross doesn't do them yet    so I've never considered them but:
> 
> Are there any in Brisbane (Northside) does anyone know? and
> How $$$$$$$$ much?
> Also how fresh, as they all seem to come from the Mexican regions and I wonder how fresh they are as we are right at the end of the distribution chain here. I did once do an ESB 3k tin and it was extremely ordinary and obviously past its best.



BribeG try Brewers Choice on Samford road Enoggera they do them (NB I think) I have done two Porters and I am happy with the results. I think you may have met the main Gal behind the counter at BABs. Ask Moonshadow about the FWK she will have all of the info.

Shawn :icon_chickcheers:


----------



## mwd (6/6/09)

Brewers Selection by St.Peter's Brewery are listed on Ross website unless he has dropped them from the range.

The amber ale gets a good review from most who have tried it.

We get a few of the Brewceller range here in Cairns but not a great selection of styles.

+1 on quality beer Way way superior to anything made out of cans and dried extracts.


----------



## jlm (6/6/09)

Tropical_Brews said:


> Brewers Selection by St.Peter's Brewery are listed on Ross website unless he has dropped them from the range.


There was a whole heap of them on the shelf yesterday.........


----------



## Rodolphe01 (6/6/09)

shawn_H said:


> BribeG try Brewers Choice on Samford road Enoggera they do them (NB I think) I have done two Porters and I am happy with the results. I think you may have met the main Gal behind the counter at BABs. Ask Moonshadow about the FWK she will have all of the info.
> 
> Shawn :icon_chickcheers:



Def give this shop a go, I thought the Northside was a wasteland for homebrew shops until yesterday when I finally popped into this store. They had a good range of the St. Peters Brewery FWKs when I was there. They also stock liquid yeasts, grains, good hops etc. No affiliation etc, just excited to actually have a local shop worth going to again since moving from the southside. I will add that the kit cans were a bit more expensive than other places, but you can get goo anywhere... Good yeast and hops is another story.

Edit: The FWKs are ~$38.


----------



## Scruffy (6/6/09)

Geoffi said:


> Fresh wort vs canned kit?
> 
> Think Barcelona vs Woop Woop under-12s.
> 
> It ain't even close.



Can we leave Barcelona out of this...? h34r:


----------



## geoffi (6/6/09)

Scruffy said:


> Can we leave Barcelona out of this...? h34r:




Well, I could have used Man U in my analogy...instead of Woop Woop U-12s.

:lol: 

h34r:


----------



## Ross (6/6/09)

BribieG said:


> I'm nowhere near a LHBS that sells FWKs and Ross doesn't do them yet    so I've never considered them but:



We have plenty of them BribieG, just look under "Fresh Wort Kits"  


cheers Ross


----------



## winkle (6/6/09)

Ross said:


> We have plenty of them BribieG, just look under "Fresh Wort Kits"
> 
> 
> cheers Ross



He probably doesn't look past the fridge.


----------



## thylacine (6/6/09)

Adamt said:


> I half agree with your first statement... It will turn out far superior, but a polished turd is still a turd.
> 
> Regarding the "vast majority":
> 
> ...


----------



## buttersd70 (6/6/09)

thylacine said:


> as per the dos & don'ts of AHB/Palmer/Butter's Cat/ etc.
> 
> Cheers



How did my Pussy get involved in this??


----------



## WoyStew (10/8/10)

I started my home brew life only last year and have used fresh worts from day one on the advice of my local home brew shop.

Easy to use (it couldn't get any easier) and the taste is as good as any other beer I have tried.

The brand I have been buying is "Brewers Selection" do you guys know of any others that are worth a try?


----------



## Bribie G (10/8/10)

Haha - love my old posts (cringe cringe)  

Shortly after my above posts I did drop into into CB and picked up a Brewers Selection for my new kegerator - if I remember it was the trad bitter. A pleasant beer but very light on the hop rate. I have drunk the St Peters pub beers in Newtown and Glebe on a trip there and they were great however. 

I would recommend additional hopping with hop tea - depending on the style. FWKs are basically just nochill cubes of wort and can suffer from loss of aroma exactly in the same way as nochill. Woy, if you have a look at Craftbrewer at the top of the page you'll see that Ross is going to produce his own FWKs when he gets the new premises wrassled down and hogtied - looking forward to trying a couple. If he does his Obama ale as a FWK it will be a killer.





Edit: I see that CB have removed the reference to FWKs from their front page for now, but I expect they are still on the cards.


----------



## rendo (6/11/10)

Guys.....just my $0.05...made a FWK and cracked open the first bottle tonight. Brewers selection, Norwest Pale Ale. GREAT BEER...

However its no better than my partials or kits & bits. In fact some of my partial and kits/bits are better, IMO. Either way, I think we all understand that making great beer is not JUST in the ingredients, but in the method(s). 

So, that being said, I am sure if I went through enough FWKs and tweaked an tuned them as much as I have the partials & kits/bits I do then they will be better. In the meantime I will be hanging around the partials/kits & bits until I get my hands on a 40L urn one day for AG (BIAB)

rendo



thylacine said:


> Adamt said:
> 
> 
> > I half agree with your first statement... It will turn out far superior, but a polished turd is still a turd.
> ...


----------



## time01 (4/1/11)

Afternoon,

I am new to home brewing, I have reently brought a keg king, a few kegs, gas, and thermostat for my old firdge i intend to ferment in.

I brought a FWK over the weekend (this seems like the easiet option begin wit), a Amarillo Ale, some galaxy hops, and some specialty yeast (not sure what it is, the behind counter grabbed it for me).

I was hoping to make a beer similar to LCPA but may have selected wrong hops? anyway are there any tips on if i should use the hops at all? or just add water to FWK and ferment (i love hoppy beers like LCPA, Alpha pale ale, Stone and Wood Pacific Ale etc.)? also what temp should i set the thermostat to?

Time.


----------



## unrealeous (4/1/11)

time01 said:


> ... some specialty yeast (not sure what it is, the behind


You should really look on the packet and find out what yeast it is... but presuming its some standard ale yeast - 18 degrees is a good temp.

I wouldn't suggest you add any extra hops for the first try - brew it up and see how it tastes before you start fcuking with it.

Good luck with it.


----------



## mwd (4/1/11)

An Amarillo ale will not turn out anything like an LCPA more like a James Squire Golden/amber.
Galaxy goes very well with amarillo so you could try 20g at 15minutes and dry hop another 25g after about 4 days should get a good bit of galaxy and decent aroma.

P.S. you have been a member a long time to be still new to brewing. :icon_cheers:


----------



## time01 (4/1/11)

thanks for reply gents!

Tropical_Brews thanks for the tips, should i add the first lot of galaxy into a boiling phase?

your correct i have been a member for a while, when i first joined i used to read the bar/pub reviews to try and find new beers/breweries, then last yr i decided "why not have a go myself?" so after saving for quite a while i purchased all the gear, and now im ready and raring to go, although with limited knowledge!

apologies if questions sound a bit "simple".

Time.


----------



## philw (4/1/11)

hmmm interesting 

anyone know where you can get something like this in Adelaide ???

would be interesting to try in my next batch


----------



## mwd (4/1/11)

time01 said:


> thanks for reply gents!
> 
> Tropical_Brews thanks for the tips, should i add the first lot of galaxy into a boiling phase?
> 
> ...



2 methods I can think of to get some galaxy into the brew is Hop Tea dump the hops into about 1/2 litre of boiling water and allow to steep for about 20 mins or so. I think FWK kits are 17Litre so could mix a bit of wort with say 200ml of water and do a 15min boil all up total about 1/2l. Probably make the total volume up to 20-21litres some say if you make up to 23l it turns out a bit thin and wish washy. The last FWK I did was 21litres and was quite nice but not very hoppy.


----------



## time01 (5/1/11)

ive found out the yeast is Safale US-05 11.5g.

will that be any good?


----------



## argon (5/1/11)

Us 05 is perfect for an American pale. Just remember to hydrate prior to pitching.


----------



## time01 (5/1/11)

how do i do this?


----------



## Filby (5/1/11)

philw said:


> hmmm interesting
> 
> anyone know where you can get something like this in Adelaide ???
> 
> would be interesting to try in my next batch



Brewcraft on Henly Beach Road has got a stack of them in. Ive never used them so I cant tell you what they are like.

Given the small cost of BIAB, wouldnt it be better to just go straight to AG?


Fil


----------



## time01 (5/1/11)

just wanted to keep things simple for my first few brews till i know what im doing.
i aim to keep progressing over time, and hopefully get better.


----------



## zebba (5/1/11)

time01 said:


> just wanted to keep things simple for my first few brews till i know what im doing.
> i aim to keep progressing over time, and hopefully get better.


I just dump my wort into the fermenter and sprinkle the yeast on top - as do many here. It's been debated many times whether rehydrating is actually of any benefit. Personally, with MY process (important caveat) i think it is just another infection avenue, so I avoid it. If I was more anal about some of my processes, I'd consider it, but most of the time my pitching time is done with a screaming 4 month old in one arm, a clingy 2 year old in the other, and me trying to tear the yeast packet open with my toes. I manage to get the odd day or two here and there to do my AG brews, but the wife seems to get sherty when I ask for 10 minutes to actually pitch the yeast. Sometimes keeping it simple is of value. Worry more about temperature, IMO.


----------



## manticle (5/1/11)

I've recently done a couple of the GG artisan ales which I believe are manufactured by Mountain Goat.

Partly experiment to see what they are like and partly to keep stocks up while I brew less and study more.

I've not fermented one as is - first one I did a small boil with 3 litres of left over wort for a Belgian Golden strong I made. Added hallertauer hersbrucker hops for bittering and flavouring, cooled then dumped in.

Verdict - nice bitterness, slightly sweet, full bodied, great beer. Shits on any canned kits I ever made.

Recently made a similar one but did a minimash with 1kg munich (my first biab) - boil from minimash was hopped with hersbrucker and tettnanger. Initial tastings similar to above.

Definitely worth doing for kit brewers interested in AG, definitely worth doing for AG brewers like myself when they run short on time.
I'l be making an APA from one of these kits to see how a hallertauer wort copes with US hops (not something I would design but the kit is supposedly suitable) and trying one of their stout kits as is (or at least diluted according to instruction).


----------



## time01 (10/1/11)

well sucessfully (fingers crossed) did my first brew yesterday.

i boiled 2.5lt of water with a bit of dextrose and 20g galaxy hops for 15 mins.
then removed from hot plate and added another 25g of galaxy hops.

added it all to fermenter along with yeast and put in fridge at 20 degrees.

checked it this morning for a couple of mins and it bubbled so i assume it is working, cant wait to taste!


----------



## time01 (15/1/11)

HELP!

my beer was fermenting along nicely at 20 degrees, when the power went out for 48hrs (due to floods) and it has stopped fermenting, anything i can do to rescue it? put another yeast packet in it? id like to try and rescue it cause it was $60.


----------



## Adam Howard (15/1/11)

What beer was it and what yeast? It may have just run it's course and hit terminal gravity. What is the gravity now?


----------



## time01 (15/1/11)

it was Safale US-05 11.5g.

it had only been fermenting for 3 days in a fridge at 20 degrees when the power went out so would doubt it would be finished?


----------



## np1962 (15/1/11)

time01 said:


> it was Safale US-05 11.5g.
> 
> it had only been fermenting for 3 days in a fridge at 20 degrees when the power went out so would doubt it would be finished?


From your previous post you pitched on the 9th, I would say that while perhaps not DONE, your beer has finished active fermentation.
Get it back down to 18-20C if you can, check SG today and again in a day or two. Consecutive readings at the same SG then I would say it is done.
RDWHAHB!
Cheers
Nige


----------



## time01 (15/1/11)

i got it back down to 20 degrees as soon as i could but nothing happened.
so if its finished fermenting thats it? have to throw it out?


----------



## np1962 (15/1/11)

time01 said:


> i got it back down to 20 degrees as soon as i could but nothing happened.
> so if its finished fermenting thats it? have to throw it out?


Finished fermenting = time to bottle.
Do you have a hydrometer? Have you checked the SG?


----------



## time01 (17/1/11)

yeah i have a hydrometer so will check tonight


----------



## big78sam (17/1/11)

time01 said:


> i got it back down to 20 degrees as soon as i could but nothing happened.
> so if its finished fermenting thats it? have to throw it out?



Do not throw it out!!! Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew (or other beer)

As others have suggested, take an SG reading using your hydrometer. If it tastes fine, it will be fine. It might not be as good as it could have been if the temp got up a bit but it will most likely be drinkable, even really good.

9th to 15th is 6 days, that should be enough to finish completely, especially if the temperature got up a bit. If you're really worried you can do a search on "fast ferment test" to see if it's finished fermenting completely. There's no harm in swirling the fermenter to rouse the yeast back into solution and leaving it for another week. My guess is that it's finished and you'll have:

1 - a really nice beer
2 - learned not to stress so much B)


----------



## fcmcg (17/1/11)

time01 said:


> yeah i have a hydrometer so will check tonight


Do not throw this beer out....When you have three consecutive fg readings , keg or bottle...
Don't forget to taste your hydrometer sample...if it's buggered, you will know..


----------



## time01 (18/1/11)

thanks for the reply guys.

i checked it this morning and it was in the red to "bottle", i didnt taste it though which i will do tonight.

so i guess worst case scenario it wont taste as good as it could have done?


----------



## beerbog (18/1/11)

time01 said:


> thanks for the reply guys.
> 
> i checked it this morning and it was in the red to "bottle", i didnt taste it though which i will do tonight.
> 
> so i guess worst case scenario it wont taste as good as it could have done?



Even better, get it into kegs, then absolute FG isn't as much of an issue. :beerbang:


----------



## manticle (18/1/11)

Definitely - get it into expensive equipment you don't have and don't worry about finishing fermentation properly.

Also ditch the kits and go all grain and instead of worrying about getting the train in time, just buy a helicopter.


----------



## time01 (19/1/11)

tasted it last night and it wasnt to bad (nothing flash), a little bitter.

ive got some kegs and filtering equipment so will put it through that over weekend and see how it tastes.


----------



## Ross (19/1/11)

> Get it back down to 18-20C if you can, check SG today and again in a day or two. Consecutive readings at the same SG then I would say it is done.
> RDWHAHB!
> Cheers
> Nige



You are now checking for FG (final gravity), not SG (starting gravity). but as Nige said, check readings over a few days, when steady, bottle/keg.

+++

No need to start swirling fermenter to rouse the yeast, it's been fermenting at 20c & lifted for a few days at the end, that's perfect for your yeast & the beer will be fine.

cheers Ross


----------



## np1962 (19/1/11)

Ross said:


> You are now checking for FG (final gravity), not SG (starting gravity). but as Nige said, check readings over a few days, when steady, bottle/keg.
> 
> +++
> 
> ...


SG as in Specific Gravity, although I see how it can be confused with Starting Gravity.
Cheers
Nige


----------



## Ross (19/1/11)

No probs Nige.... it's been a long day  

cheers ross


----------



## time01 (20/1/11)

afternoon gents,

first of apologies for the simple questions.

ive brought a keg filtering kit from brewers choice and planning on starting tonight.
ive got a mate coming around Sat to show me most of it, but tonight i need to rack contents from fermenter to keg (which im fine with), it then says to "burp" the keg.

is this just a quick shot of co2? what pressure should i set the gas at? apologies never done this before.


----------



## Pennywise (20/1/11)

Why are you putting it in a keg tonight then filtering tomorrow? I would have thought filtering it strainght from the fermenter would be the go. I'm asking because I don't filter, so wouldn't know


----------



## time01 (20/1/11)

according to the instructions i need to add polyclar and rack it to keg, leave in fridge for 24 hrs, then rack it to another keg via filter.


----------



## Tanga (20/1/11)

Wow, that brew should be crystal clear. I'd love to see a pic when you serve it up.


----------



## DU99 (20/1/11)

would look like water..


----------



## mwd (20/1/11)

As I see it you are using a keg as a secondary with polyclar then going to rack off into another keg.

To burp your keg just need a quick shot of Co2 and then release so the Oxygen/Air is pushed out. Should only need a small amount so I don't think pressure would be critical just enough to push the air out. It is only a day or two so hopefully in that time nothing drastic can go wrong.

Does polyclar work that fast ?


----------



## time01 (20/1/11)

at the demonstation i went to at brewers choice it did, thats what sold me on the idea of buying all the equipment.

hopefully when i taste it the cost will be justied.

tropical brews-your spot on with the process.


----------



## Howlingdog (20/1/11)

time01, I see by you profile you have been labeled a "kit Master", you should complete your profile so that we can see your location among other things. We could then direct you to a nearby club or AHBers that are local to you and help you along the right direction.


----------



## time01 (21/1/11)

noted howling dog, have updated my profile, i dont know why it says kitmaster? and i couldnt change it.

well i did the first part in the process last night, racked from fermenter to keg and added polyclar (my wife even assisted!). I also attempted "burping" keg.

a mate is coming around saturday to help me with the rest so will posta pic once done!

many thanks for your help everyone, greatly appreciated.


----------



## mwd (21/1/11)

:icon_offtopic: 'Kitmaster' in profile will change when you log up more posts and your number of barrels increases.
:icon_offtopic: just a bit of fun as you climb the ranks to regular poster.


----------



## Pennywise (21/1/11)

time01 said:


> according to the instructions i need to add polyclar and rack it to keg, leave in fridge for 24 hrs, then rack it to another keg via filter.



Why can't you just add polyclar to primary and wait 24hrs? I don't use palyclar either


----------



## time01 (24/1/11)

filtered the beer on Sat morning, and a mate showed me how to carbonate it.

it hadnt been carbonating for 48hrs by last night, and still tasted quite flat but tasted pretty good.


----------



## fcmcg (24/1/11)

time01 said:


> filtered the beer on Sat morning, and a mate showed me how to carbonate it.
> 
> it hadnt been carbonating for 48hrs by last night, and still tasted quite flat but tasted pretty good.


How did you carbonate ? Just wondering if you tried the "force" carbonate method ? 
i reckon you could take it out of the fridge , disconnect all the lines and shake the bejesus outta it ( counting to 20 slowly) ...put the gas back on...let it fill with gas again...disconnect...shake the bloody thing again ...etc...do this 4 times and let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours....it whould be right to go then...
Cheers
Ferg


----------



## DU99 (24/1/11)

you could take the Bunnings and put on there paint shaker.. :lol:


----------



## mwd (24/1/11)




----------



## time01 (25/1/11)

cheers guys i will look into this tomorrow, dont have internet at home currently which makes things difficult.


----------



## time01 (28/1/11)

i tried Ferg's method, and while it improved it still seems a bit flat.
perhaps because its an amarello ale?

anyone have a "how to guide" for carbonating for the future? i want to get the next one spot on.


----------



## fergi (28/1/11)

time01 said:


> i tried Ferg's method, and while it improved it still seems a bit flat.
> perhaps because its an amarello ale?
> 
> anyone have a "how to guide" for carbonating for the future? i want to get the next one spot on.



i think the best method is "TIME" just put my kegs onto gas at prefered gassing/pouring pressure, i set mine on 100kp now,let it carb for a week then its done, dont rush it.
fergi


----------



## time01 (31/1/11)

still no luck with this one, if i press the release section on top of keg, can i try and start again? when i pore the beer the head comes out very gassy, but the beer is flat as a tack.

i have another beer fermenting atm which should be ready by the weekend.

Fergi- for the future you just set it 100kp in the "in section" of keg im assuming? and then leave for a week? was just reading if you hve the correct connections you can gas through "beer out" section of keg.


----------



## fcmcg (31/1/11)

time01 said:


> still no luck with this one, if i press the release section on top of keg, can i try and start again? when i pore the beer the head comes out very gassy, but the beer is flat as a tack.
> ]i would suggest you now havew hat's known as CO2 break out..this occurs when the gas leaves the beer , as your pouring it...just wondering how high your reg is set too and how long and what diammeter your lines are. Yes you could release some ( not all) of the keg pressure , a bit at a time, and try nd get a good pour happening...its possible that you keg may have too much gas in it , that hasn't disolved into the beer yet
> 
> have another beer fermenting atm which should be ready by the weekend
> ...


as per your first stamement...
i would suggest you now have what's known as CO2 break out..this occurs when the gas leaves the beer , as your pouring it...just wondering how high your reg is set too and how long and what diammeter your lines are. Yes you could release some ( not all) of the keg pressure , a bit at a time, and try nd get a good pour happening...its possible that you keg may have too much gas in it , that hasn't disolved into the beer yet
Yes you can send gas in via the beer out post......it's based on the "soda stream" principle ( if you have ever seen how one works) This is in fact how i've been doing mine of late , with a combination of the force carb shake...but sending my gas"in" via the beer out tube...just make sure you have no other kegs connceted when you do this !
And just for the record , there is Fergi ( not me lol) and fergthebrewer( me !)
Good luck
Ferg


----------



## time01 (31/1/11)

is it stuffed? or can it be rescued?

ive had it at 40psi through out;

firstly for 3-4days
then tried fergethebrewer's suggestion and it seemed a little better
but now, day 7, it seems back to square one.

line must be 2m long? and diameter would be less than 1cm as an est.

should i release a bit of pressure every couple of hrs over a period of time, and reduce pressure for a couple of days?


----------



## time01 (4/2/11)

i released some of the gas over a period of time and rocked the keg back and forth, i believe im getting very close, the only thing is when i pour it, the beer is 90% head.

perhaps release some more gas?

once it settles and ive had a couple of mouthfuls the beer actually is quite tasty!


----------



## time01 (8/2/11)

the finished product.

still pouring way to much head, but started pouring it into a jug first, then transferring it to a glass.

tastes pretty good.


----------



## stux (8/2/11)

time01 said:


> is it stuffed? or can it be rescued?
> 
> ive had it at 40psi through out;
> 
> ...



It's the internal diameter that matters

You can fix over/under carbonation in kegs, so don't stress


----------



## Amber Fluid (8/2/11)

It sounds like you have over gased the keg and yes it can be rescued. When the head settles down you will get some beer but my guess is it would be almost flat.

To fix:
release the pressure valve to get out all the gas then shake the crap out of it. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes (get a towel in case you need to clean things up) and repeat. This could take some time, even a day or so.

It is far easier to get it right the first time rather than fix the problem later. My first 2 kegs I over carbed them and it was a pain to get them right considering I was on a timeframe to have them ready.

GL


----------



## Lowlyf (17/7/17)

Anyone got any FWK recommendations? I love IPA's so I want something super bitter


----------



## Meddo (19/7/17)

Lowlyf said:


> Anyone got any FWK recommendations? I love IPA's so I want something super bitter



Before I built my own rig I did four FWKs from Craftbrewer - the Rock and Timber (S&W Pac Ale clone), London Porter, Zythos IPA and Pug IPA (Brewdog Punk IPA clone) - all were top notch but the Pug was probably my pick of them.

They've got four or five IPAs to choose from at varying strengths. The closest commercial I've had to the Zythos one is probably the Kooinda Hop Transfusion - it was quite dark and malty for a "non-red" IPA. The Pug was much lighter/crisper like the original. I'm eyeing off their Black IPA at the moment since my own rig is out of service, might duck out there on the weekend and grab a cube.


----------



## mongey (19/7/17)

Lowlyf said:


> Anyone got any FWK recommendations? I love IPA's so I want something super bitter



The best IPA FWK I have done was the all in brewing black IPA .dry hopped with with cascade , was what I had on hand , and it was great 

I have also done their 

Poca IPA . that came out pretty good . dry hopped it with something . cant remember what . whatever I had in the fridge 

and the rye ipa. came out good as well. probably even with the poca. from memory I think my hop stocks were nil so just bottled with no hopping 

the black was def the pick of the bunch


----------



## Lowlyf (24/7/17)

mongey said:


> The best IPA FWK I have done was the all in brewing black IPA .dry hopped with with cascade , was what I had on hand , and it was great
> 
> I have also done their
> 
> ...



Thanks mate. I just bought the Bandwagon IIPA from All Inn brewing. 8.8% and I'm going to dry hop with 100g of Centennial and 50g of Galaxy


----------

