Couple of quick questions

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trenta

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Got my hands on a fermzilla and had a crack at a pale ale. Couldn't control the temperature and it's currently carbonating in the kegarator. Fingers crossed.
Anyhow I grabbed an old fridge and purchased an ink bird and heating belt so no further issues with temp.
My questions:
1. What's an easy brew to start my journey?
2. How do you add hops during fermentation to a pressure fermenter?
Thanks
 
Hope you have a spunding valve if fermenting under pressure, but if you were under pressure the " loose " temperature control might not be such an issue.

1) A brew that doesn't need the added complication of dry hopping. That isn't a lager. A dark beer you won't have to worry about clarity so much.

2) I put the hops in bags ( not full ) with a sous vide magnet in the bag and use a rare earth magnet on the outside of the fermenter. Then the hops can be slid in when you want to, swished around daily and then lifted to drain when dry hop time over. Risks of volcanos of foam if you open a pressure fermenter and tip hops in, it's messy.

Pale ale with hop stands is good place to start, can still get plenty of aroma this way and just reduces the hurdles on your first few brews.

I wouldn't recommend a double dry hopped juicy NEIPA with water treatment, enzymes and closed transfers as an easy one to get learning on.

Keep us updated.

IMG_20210710_185907.jpg
 
Hope you have a spunding valve if fermenting under pressure, but if you were under pressure the " loose " temperature control might not be such an issue.

1) A brew that doesn't need the added complication of dry hopping. That isn't a lager. A dark beer you won't have to worry about clarity so much.

2) I put the hops in bags ( not full ) with a sous vide magnet in the bag and use a rare earth magnet on the outside of the fermenter. Then the hops can be slid in when you want to, swished around daily and then lifted to drain when dry hop time over. Risks of volcanos of foam if you open a pressure fermenter and tip hops in, it's messy.

Pale ale with hop stands is good place to start, can still get plenty of aroma this way and just reduces the hurdles on your first few brews.

I wouldn't recommend a double dry hopped juicy NEIPA with water treatment, enzymes and closed transfers as an easy one to get learning on.

Keep us updated.

View attachment 122066
The magnet idea is pretty cool, I not really a IPA or heavily hoped beer person, mainly stouts and Irish red, but it's interesting to see tricks like this thanks for sharing
 
Among dark ales, Guinness clones aren't all that difficult except for the nitro part, which Guinness did without over most of their history.. English browns, even a faux dunkel fermenting with Nottingham at about 12.
 
Among dark ales, Guinness clones aren't all that difficult except for the nitro part, which Guinness did without over most of their history.. English browns, even a faux dunkel fermenting with Nottingham at about 12.
I quite like notty, I have 2 packets in my Irish red atm which I am fermenting at 20(high I know) but my spare fridge is being used for lagering atm
 
The magnet idea is pretty cool, I not really a IPA or heavily hoped beer person, mainly stouts and Irish red, but it's interesting to see tricks like this thanks for sharing
Me neither in fact but on the one in 20 brews that need dry hopping this works well. Plus I can give the krausen ring a cheeky clean up as well after the transfer.
 
Among dark ales, Guinness clones aren't all that difficult except for the nitro part, which Guinness did without over most of their history.. English browns, even a faux dunkel fermenting with Nottingham at about 12.
Au contraire mon ami, Guinness isn't easily replicated. What is the IBU? What is the percentage of sour beer added to Guinness? Stout is easy Guinness isn't.
 
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Hope you have a spunding valve if fermenting under pressure, but if you were under pressure the " loose " temperature control might not be such an issue.

1) A brew that doesn't need the added complication of dry hopping. That isn't a lager. A dark beer you won't have to worry about clarity so much.

2) I put the hops in bags ( not full ) with a sous vide magnet in the bag and use a rare earth magnet on the outside of the fermenter. Then the hops can be slid in when you want to, swished around daily and then lifted to drain when dry hop time over. Risks of volcanos of foam if you open a pressure fermenter and tip hops in, it's messy.

Pale ale with hop stands is good place to start, can still get plenty of aroma this way and just reduces the hurdles on your first few brews.

I wouldn't recommend a double dry hopped juicy NEIPA with water treatment, enzymes and closed transfers as an easy one to get learning on.

Keep us updated.

View attachment 122066
Many of the recipes on the Coopers site require dry hopping. Where do you get the magnets etc from? Does the magnet just drop to the bottom?
 
As mentioned in my post above I've only really looked at the Coopers site for recipes and many of the ones I like require dry hopping. Is there other sites people recommend? I wouldn't mind making a Carlton Dry for example
 
As mentioned in my post above I've only really looked at the Coopers site for recipes and many of the ones I like require dry hopping. Is there other sites people recommend? I wouldn't mind making a Carlton Dry for example
Calton dry is quite a thin beer would it not contain maybe 250=<X=<500 grams of white sugar also would need to be lagered also why dry hop calton dry it doesn't really have that high a ibu I think, would the hops not just be pride of Ringwood a nice hop imho.
Are you AG or Extract, I'm new to AG myself so I have no idea so maybe ask here in the recipe forum people are quite knowledgeable here especially WEAL and MHB and they will have a answer to your questions mostly
 
On another note how do I take the initial reading from a fermzilla all rounder? Sorry if it's a silly question
 
On another note how do I take the initial reading from a fermzilla all rounder? Sorry if it's a silly question
I have no idea about pressured fermentation I know that a spunding valve is a must does it not have a trip clover dump I suspect you dump from that and take a sample try the kegland YouTube channel they have quite a few videos on your particular product, is it any good I would like one in future I have 2 bucket fermenter atm

 
I have no idea about pressured fermentation I know that a spunding valve is a must does it not have a trip clover dump I suspect you dump from that and take a sample try the kegland YouTube channel they have quite a few videos on your particular product, is it any good I would like one in future I have 2 bucket fermenter atm


Nah doesn't have the dump in the bottom
 
Hope you have a spunding valve if fermenting under pressure, but if you were under pressure the " loose " temperature control might not be such an issue.

1) A brew that doesn't need the added complication of dry hopping. That isn't a lager. A dark beer you won't have to worry about clarity so much.

2) I put the hops in bags ( not full ) with a sous vide magnet in the bag and use a rare earth magnet on the outside of the fermenter. Then the hops can be slid in when you want to, swished around daily and then lifted to drain when dry hop time over. Risks of volcanos of foam if you open a pressure fermenter and tip hops in, it's messy.

Pale ale with hop stands is good place to start, can still get plenty of aroma this way and just reduces the hurdles on your first few brews.

I wouldn't recommend a double dry hopped juicy NEIPA with water treatment, enzymes and closed transfers as an easy one to get learning on.

Keep us updated.

View attachment 122066
Just a note on using magnets - I use them too, but rare earth metals are very toxic and shouldn't be immersed. I use resin coated ones. I still dont immerse but like the extra protection.
 
Many of the recipes on the Coopers site require dry hopping. Where do you get the magnets etc from? Does the magnet just drop to the bottom?
I started off using some normal magnets ( the old black kind ) that I vacuum sealed to protect them from brewing ferment. The outside magnets I salvaged from hard disk drives and are super strong ( they are rare earth ). I have put a little fabric tape on the outside magnet so that it is nice and smooth.
I ordered the sous vide magnets from aliexpress after seeing their use as an alternative somewhere. They are food safe silicone covered.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000147697292.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.0.0.1d661802DxghBS
I notice they have gone up more than 50% on this site since I ordered in January. I would also look in cookery supply shops in Australia and you might find some closer to home and cheaper. Two magnets would have done me fine as I use the other magnets on the outside but they would work one in one out as they are quite strong.

I slide the bag with the hops down into the ferment when indicated and keep it attached, this allows it to be gently swished back and forward and also pulled down below the surface as the hops initially want to float. If the magnet does detach you can reattract it at the bottom and move it up again.
The bags I made from some net curtain type gauge nylon material. I made a pocket for the magnet so I have the magnet on the far side of the bag in the middle and this means it halves the length of the bag when it is hanging up and can't get wet. Some of the pellet particles can get out through the holes but after cold crashing they are all at the bottom anyway and can be avoided with the floating dip tube.
 
So Guinness is a blend? Kilkenny and Guinness are my go to beers
Guinness as far as I know are the only stout I can think of who blends the sour beer with the finished product. The last attempt at a Guinness clone I used 5% of the wort to sour, don't leave it to chance either, use Pure Pitch lactic acid bacteria. 5% wasn't enough to get the sour taste even though the wort I had soured had the smell and taste of Guinness. My next attempt I will try 10% sour. Guinness say they steep their roast barley, it doesn't go into the mash, the hops I did read were either Nugget, Target and one other I can't recall.
The IBU's were if I remember rightly about 43 or 47.
 
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On another note how do I take the initial reading from a fermzilla all rounder? Sorry if it's a silly question
Whenever I need a reading I use a pinic tap and attach to the liquid disconnect. You made need a little co2 to feed it thru
 
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