Beginner Question

Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum

Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Sneddy

Active Member
Joined
26/9/10
Messages
37
Reaction score
0
Hey All.

First off I should introduce myself, my name is Marc, and I've just started to home brew with a hand-me-down kit (2 fermenters, 3 kits, 180 bottles and all the other bits and pieces). I used to brew back when I was 15 at a friends house, but back then brewing was about making alcohol rather than beer... Now (over 10 years later) I'm starting from scratch to learn how to make myself a decent (albeit cheap) beer. The plan is to one day move into an all grain set up - as when I take a new hobby I usually immerse myself in it.

I've been reading this forum for ages and have found it a great resource, so thanks to everyone for the information on here.

I just have a couple of questions which I have been having trouble searching through the theads for an answer.

- Talking to someone I know who brews, he tells me that after fermentation has finished, I should leave the brew sitting in the primary fermenter for another 2 or 3 weeks to let the beer mature. Otherwise I will get some "off" flavours in my beer. From what I can remember and from what I've read I should actually be priming and bottling once the final gravity is stable around 1000-1010ish. I understand about using a secondary to mature in (and run the risk of oxidising the beer) but both my fermenters are in use, and with the first kits I just wanted to get the basics down before getting more technical. So who is right - being my first brews I'm obviously suffering from noobie paranoia so talking to him has made this paranoia flare...

- Also, I plan on bulk priming, is there a type of sugar I should be looking to get, or is white/brown/raw table sugar okay for priming? I've read that you don't want to use it for the first fermentation, but I haven't seen anything what about priming sugar to use.

- For my first brews (I have 2 running at once) I have a Tooheys Lager and a Draught, but used Ale yeast for both (they came with the kit and were out of date, so I just picked up some fresh yeast which happened to be Ale yeast). Will an Ale yeast in the Lager extract create a shitty beer? Also, the sugar I used was 1kg coopers brew enhancer in the Draught, and 500grams (generic) maltodextrin in the Lager. I only used 500g because that was all that was given to me in the hand me down... Will using 500g simply just create a weaker alcohol content - or have I completely stuffed up the lager.

- Water. For my first brews I'm just using Sydney tap water - but the water around my area has a distinct alkaline taste to it (has ever since the Desal plant went active). Should I be trying to source different water for my next couple of brews. I would have thought that water would be a pretty important factor to making a good beer. What should I do. I have access to tank water at a friends property in the mountains (which is lovely and sweet). If I get it, boil, and charcoal filter it would that be better to use instead of tap water?

Thanks in advance for all your help! And sorry if my lingo isn't up to scratch yet. So much info to take in as a beginner.

Marc
 
Hey All.

First off I should introduce myself, my name is Marc, and I've just started to home brew with a hand-me-down kit (2 fermenters, 3 kits, 180 bottles and all the other bits and pieces). I used to brew back when I was 15 at a friends house, but back then brewing was about making alcohol rather than beer... Now (over 10 years later) I'm starting from scratch to learn how to make myself a decent (albeit cheap) beer. The plan is to one day move into an all grain set up - as when I take a new hobby I usually immerse myself in it.

I've been reading this forum for ages and have found it a great resource, so thanks to everyone for the information on here.

I just have a couple of questions which I have been having trouble searching through the theads for an answer.

- Talking to someone I know who brews, he tells me that after fermentation has finished, I should leave the brew sitting in the primary fermenter for another 2 or 3 weeks to let the beer mature. Otherwise I will get some "off" flavours in my beer. From what I can remember and from what I've read I should actually be priming and bottling once the final gravity is stable around 1000-1010ish. I understand about using a secondary to mature in (and run the risk of oxidising the beer) but both my fermenters are in use, and with the first kits I just wanted to get the basics down before getting more technical. So who is right - being my first brews I'm obviously suffering from noobie paranoia so talking to him has made this paranoia flare...

- Also, I plan on bulk priming, is there a type of sugar I should be looking to get, or is white/brown/raw table sugar okay for priming? I've read that you don't want to use it for the first fermentation, but I haven't seen anything what about priming sugar to use.

- For my first brews (I have 2 running at once) I have a Tooheys Lager and a Draught, but used Ale yeast for both (they came with the kit and were out of date, so I just picked up some fresh yeast which happened to be Ale yeast). Will an Ale yeast in the Lager extract create a shitty beer?

- Water. For my first brews I'm just using Sydney tap water - but the water around my area has a distinct alkaline taste to it (has ever since the Desal plant went active). Should I be trying to source different water for my next couple of brews. I would have thought that water would be a pretty important factor to making a good beer. What should I do. I have access to tank water at a friends property in the mountains (which is lovely and sweet). If I get it, boil, and charcoal filter it would that be better to use instead of tap water?

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Marc


Welcome to AHB and HB'ing Marc, may you get as obsessed as the rest of us :lol:

1. It is best in most cases to leave the brew for another week after it has reached FG, as you've been told, this will help the yeast clean up any "off" flavours that they produce during the first stages of fermentation.
2. It wont really matter what sugar you use to prim the bottles, there wont be enough of it to effect the flavour of the beer
3. No, you'll be fine
4. Water is very important, the general concensus is that if it's good to drink straight from the tap it's good for brewing, but it sounds like you're not happy with your water? Maybe see how the first brew comes out and if it's ok then all is sweet, I used to live in Sydney (west) and brewed with tap water with no issues. You could try boiling/cooling the water before you use it, or buy those 10L water containers from Coles, don't know anything about charcole filtering so can't comment on that bit.
 
Hey All.

First off I should introduce myself, my name is Marc, and I've just started to home brew with a hand-me-down kit (2 fermenters, 3 kits, 180 bottles and all the other bits and pieces). I used to brew back when I was 15 at a friends house, but back then brewing was about making alcohol rather than beer... Now (over 10 years later) I'm starting from scratch to learn how to make myself a decent (albeit cheap) beer. The plan is to one day move into an all grain set up - as when I take a new hobby I usually immerse myself in it.

I've been reading this forum for ages and have found it a great resource, so thanks to everyone for the information on here.

I just have a couple of questions which I have been having trouble searching through the theads for an answer.

- Talking to someone I know who brews, he tells me that after fermentation has finished, I should leave the brew sitting in the primary fermenter for another 2 or 3 weeks to let the beer mature. Otherwise I will get some "off" flavours in my beer. From what I can remember and from what I've read I should actually be priming and bottling once the final gravity is stable around 1000-1010ish. I understand about using a secondary to mature in (and run the risk of oxidising the beer) but both my fermenters are in use, and with the first kits I just wanted to get the basics down before getting more technical. So who is right - being my first brews I'm obviously suffering from noobie paranoia so talking to him has made this paranoia flare...

- Also, I plan on bulk priming, is there a type of sugar I should be looking to get, or is white/brown/raw table sugar okay for priming? I've read that you don't want to use it for the first fermentation, but I haven't seen anything what about priming sugar to use.

- For my first brews (I have 2 running at once) I have a Tooheys Lager and a Draught, but used Ale yeast for both (they came with the kit and were out of date, so I just picked up some fresh yeast which happened to be Ale yeast). Will an Ale yeast in the Lager extract create a shitty beer? Also, the sugar I used was 1kg coopers brew enhancer in the Draught, and 500grams (generic) maltodextrin in the Lager. I only used 500g because that was all that was given to me in the hand me down... Will using 500g simply just create a weaker alcohol content - or have I completely stuffed up the lager.

- Water. For my first brews I'm just using Sydney tap water - but the water around my area has a distinct alkaline taste to it (has ever since the Desal plant went active). Should I be trying to source different water for my next couple of brews. I would have thought that water would be a pretty important factor to making a good beer. What should I do. I have access to tank water at a friends property in the mountains (which is lovely and sweet). If I get it, boil, and charcoal filter it would that be better to use instead of tap water?

Thanks in advance for all your help! And sorry if my lingo isn't up to scratch yet. So much info to take in as a beginner.

Marc


First of all, Welcome to AHB

I'll give you a couple of answers, I'm sure you will get 1 million responses here.

Once you beer has had a stable gravity for three day the main part of fermenting is complete. You may bottle at this stage, but I would recommend leaving it another week to allow the yeasts to clean up after themselves. Leaving it will result in a better beer.

With bulk priming, I used to just use plain old white sugar. (I keg now)

With the yeast I assume it was US-05, if so no real issues with the lager. An important point with yeast is used one for the temperature range you are brewing at. A rough rule is 12 for lager, and 18 for ales. Some yeast prefer different temps but worry about that later.

With the sugar mixes, less sugar is ok; just less alcohol to a degree. There is a malt to sugar ratio, but nothing that will kill the beer. 500g of maltodextrin in a lager is more than I would have used, it will have a large mouthfeel.

Water is hugely debated. I used rainwater from my tank when I used to kit brew; I ended up with some infections, that I put down to the water source. went back to house water and stopped having issues. AG brewers boil our water so no issues. (chemical properties is another discussion, but more related when you go AG) If you boil the water first all is ok and may make a better brew. I would look at a filter for the house water.

QldKev
 
+1 for leaving it sit for a week or two - it is the simplest and easiest thing you can do to clear up the twang in a brew. I used to think that the beer was stuffed if you didn't bottle it in a week. My last brew got left for 4 weeks before bottling and just got finished - fantastic brew.

I just use tap water. I find that in Brisbane, our water is hard enough that it actually complements certain styles of beer. Water make-up is a brewing science in its own right, but generally if I'm not boiling it (which only occurs if I top up in the fermenter), I don't get anal about the fact that it's from the tap.

Goomba
 
Thanks for the replies everyone!

The Yeast was just Morgans Ale Yeast which I picked up from Daves Brew Shop in Nth Syd. Great shop by the way.

Will leave my beer to stew for a bit after she stabilises.

Although I just realised I probably posted this in the wrong forum - oh well... Thanks for the replies anyway!
 
Hey All.

First off I should introduce myself, my name is Marc, and I've just started to home brew with a hand-me-down kit (2 fermenters, 3 kits, 180 bottles and all the other bits and pieces). I used to brew back when I was 15 at a friends house, but back then brewing was about making alcohol rather than beer... Now (over 10 years later) I'm starting from scratch to learn how to make myself a decent (albeit cheap) beer. The plan is to one day move into an all grain set up - as when I take a new hobby I usually immerse myself in it.

I've been reading this forum for ages and have found it a great resource, so thanks to everyone for the information on here.

I just have a couple of questions which I have been having trouble searching through the theads for an answer.

- Talking to someone I know who brews, he tells me that after fermentation has finished, I should leave the brew sitting in the primary fermenter for another 2 or 3 weeks to let the beer mature. Otherwise I will get some "off" flavours in my beer. From what I can remember and from what I've read I should actually be priming and bottling once the final gravity is stable around 1000-1010ish. I understand about using a secondary to mature in (and run the risk of oxidising the beer) but both my fermenters are in use, and with the first kits I just wanted to get the basics down before getting more technical. So who is right - being my first brews I'm obviously suffering from noobie paranoia so talking to him has made this paranoia flare...

- Also, I plan on bulk priming, is there a type of sugar I should be looking to get, or is white/brown/raw table sugar okay for priming? I've read that you don't want to use it for the first fermentation, but I haven't seen anything what about priming sugar to use.

- For my first brews (I have 2 running at once) I have a Tooheys Lager and a Draught, but used Ale yeast for both (they came with the kit and were out of date, so I just picked up some fresh yeast which happened to be Ale yeast). Will an Ale yeast in the Lager extract create a shitty beer? Also, the sugar I used was 1kg coopers brew enhancer in the Draught, and 500grams (generic) maltodextrin in the Lager. I only used 500g because that was all that was given to me in the hand me down... Will using 500g simply just create a weaker alcohol content - or have I completely stuffed up the lager.

- Water. For my first brews I'm just using Sydney tap water - but the water around my area has a distinct alkaline taste to it (has ever since the Desal plant went active). Should I be trying to source different water for my next couple of brews. I would have thought that water would be a pretty important factor to making a good beer. What should I do. I have access to tank water at a friends property in the mountains (which is lovely and sweet). If I get it, boil, and charcoal filter it would that be better to use instead of tap water?

Thanks in advance for all your help! And sorry if my lingo isn't up to scratch yet. So much info to take in as a beginner.

Marc

Hi, just want to clarify the Lager. When you say you used 500g maltodextrin, is that all you used or did you add any dex, malt or other fermentables as well. The reason is that maltodextrin does not ferment and is used to add sweetness and mouthfeel to the beer. It will not result in any alcohol at all, so if that is all you used you will get a light beer that gets it's alcohol from the malt in the lager kit you used, and will be a light alcohol, sweet and a big mouth feel?
 
Back
Top