Fermentation Process

[BKBrews]

While the beer will probably (almost certainly) be carbonated and ready at two weeks, try leaving a bottle or two for at least six months and taste it then. Most likely, you'll find it's even better then.

I probably won't do that for this batch, but I already want to buy a bigger fermenter and try some other things. When you say to do that, do you mean leave to carbonate for 2 weeks then out in a fridge for 6 months? Or do you mean leave out (eg in the cupboard like they are now) for 6 months?

 

[panzerd18]

Leave somewhere in a cupboard for 6 months. Beer taste changes with age. A light tasting beer is best consumed quickly while a heavy tasting beer is best left to mature for many months.

 

[Jens-Kristian]

I probably won't do that for this batch, but I already want to buy a bigger fermenter and try some other things. When you say to do that, do you mean leave to carbonate for 2 weeks then out in a fridge for 6 months? Or do you mean leave out (eg in the cupboard like they are now) for 6 months?

As PanzerD18 says, just leave it in the cupboard.

As a rule of thumb, lighter, milder beers with lower alcohol content are best consumed fairly early on (although I would still maintain mine have tended to improve for at least the first couple of months) while bigger beers with more flavour and higher alcohol levels tend to become better with time. How much time? I have no scientific argument for that but a couple of bottles of one of my early beers which was 7.9% with a pretty big amount of caramalt sat in a cupboard for nearly eight years before I re-discovered it; It was incredible even though most of the hop flavours had long gone. I don't know if I can or would replicate that though haha.

If I was better at scheduling my brewing, I honestly think I would let all of my bigger beers get 12 months on them before having any.

And yes, get a bigger fermenter. You'll thank yourself for that. I'd suggest not trying for more than 25litres for a while though as there's a point where the sheer amount becomes unwieldy unless you have a really well thought-out setup. Also, 20-25 litres is a large enough batch that you can enjoy the scale, but not so large that you can't also easily diversify and have more brews going at the same time. I'm sure there are some with a much larger setup who'll disagree with me on that one. :lol:

 

[BKBrews]

While the beer will probably (almost certainly) be carbonated and ready at two weeks, try leaving a bottle or two for at least six months and taste it then. Most likely, you'll find it's even better then.

I probably won't do that for this batch, but I already want to buy a bigger fermenter and try some other things. When you say to do that, do you mean leave to carbonate for 2 weeks then out in a fridge for 6 months? Or do you mean leave out (eg in the cupboard like they are now) for 6 months?

 

[BKBrews]

Well, finally drank my first batch yesterday and I am super happy with how they turned out. My mate who I did them with was equally as impressed, and him and his brother had done quite a few home brews previously (not all grain).

We decided to do our 2nd brew while sinking the first batch, which has potentially turned into a disaster. In my inebriated state, I pitched the yeast into sanitised water instead of the cooled wort. The brew is fermenting away but pretty worried that it will be infected or just plain bad with sanitised water added!!!

Also, this brew came out at 1.052 SG, which is weird considering it was the same recipe as last time which ended at 1.074, albeit we used more water this time to increase the amount transferred to the fermenter (9.6L this time with 1.5kg grain) compared to 8.3L for the same grain bill last time).

Going to leave this one for one week prior to bottling and then bottle condition for one week, just to see the difference compared to the 3 weeks + 3 weeks we did this time.

 

[danestead]

I pitched the yeast into sanitised water instead of the cooled wort.

Classic! We've all done something stupid like that before!

 

[BKBrews]

Classic! We've all done something stupid like that before!

Haha I won't do it again!!

What are the negatives of this? Bad flavours? It all looks to be fine with no infection. It looks like a really good colour too, just wish I did it right!!

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Also, this brew came out at 1.052 SG, which is weird considering it was the same recipe as last time which ended at 1.074, albeit we used more water this time to increase the amount transferred to the fermenter (9.6L this time with 1.5kg grain) compared to 8.3L for the same grain bill last time).

1074 is ~18 oP, 0.18 x 8.3 x 1.074* = 1.60 kg = 107% yield, obviously impossible.

1052 is ~ 12.9 oP, 0.129 x 9.6 x 1.052* = 1.29kg = 87% yield, also impossible to achieve with an all malt grain bill.

Check your hydrometer technique, it looks like something's wrong.


* Plato is weight for weight, not volumetric. Your 8.3 litres of wort is 8.9 kg, 9.6 l is 10.1 kg.

BTW the ease of doing calculations like these is why brewers use Plato (or Brix).

 

[BKBrews]

1074 is ~18 oP, 0.18 x 8.3 x 1.074* = 1.60 kg = 107% yield, obviously impossible.

1052 is ~ 12.9 oP, 0.129 x 9.6 x 1.052* = 1.29kg = 87% yield, also impossible to achieve with an all malt grain bill.

Check your hydrometer technique, it looks like something's wrong.


* Plato is weight for weight, not volumetric. Your 8.3 litres of wort is 8.9 kg, 9.6 l is 10.1 kg.

BTW the ease of doing calculations like these is why brewers use Plato (or Brix).

Sorry to be a noob, but that's way over my head.... I've just been using brewing software with mash efficiency set to 70 - 75% and that has all come out with similar numbers as well?

Is there really a hydrometer technique? I'd imagine it would be hard to mess up. Unless my hydrometer doesn't work?

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Before we go too deep: is the grain bill all malt? did you add any extract or sugar?

BTW yes there is hydrometer technique. The most common mistakes are: not allowing enough room between the bulb and the cylinder, reading the wrong level on the meniscus and not applying temperature compensation correctly.

To check for the first, push the hydrometer down a centimetre or two and let it float back up. Take a reading. Pull the hydrometer up a centimetre or two and let it settle again. Take a reading. If the two readings are not the same, the most likely cause is hydraulic resistance between bulb and cylinder. Ideally the inside diameter of the cylinder is at least twice the outside diameter of the bulb, many people scrimp here because they don't like throwing that much beer away.

 

[danestead]

Haha I won't do it again!!
What are the negatives of this? Bad flavours? It all looks to be fine with no infection. It looks like a really good colour too, just wish I did it right!!

I'm not sure exactly how it'd affect your brew but I think it'd depend on what your sanitiser actually was (starsan, iodophor etc.) , how strong it was etc. Depending on how much sanitiser you pitched also. I'd maybe taste the brew once fermented and if it tastes wrong, ditch it. I'd also look up the toxicity info on your sanitiser and make a call based on that.

 

[Lethaldog]

Before we go too deep: is the grain bill all malt? did you add any extract or sugar?

BTW yes there is hydrometer technique. The most common mistakes are: not allowing enough room between the bulb and the cylinder, reading the wrong level on the meniscus and not applying temperature compensation correctly.

To check for the first, push the hydrometer down a centimetre or two and let it float back up. Take a reading. Pull the hydrometer up a centimetre or two and let it settle again. Take a reading. If the two readings are not the same, the most likely cause is hydraulic resistance between bulb and cylinder. Ideally the inside diameter of the cylinder is at least twice the outside diameter of the bulb, many people scrimp here because they don't like throwing that much beer away.

all the above, also making sure you collect a clean sample and not what first comes out the tap, run a bit through before you collect the sample to clean it up!

Edit: just to add, when I first started I was told to spin the hydrometer in the sample ( hard like spinning a top) if there is any bubbles etc on the hydrometer then they will release and not effect the reading, I've always done it as habit more than anything!

 

[BKBrews]

Before we go too deep: is the grain bill all malt? did you add any extract or sugar?

BTW yes there is hydrometer technique. The most common mistakes are: not allowing enough room between the bulb and the cylinder, reading the wrong level on the meniscus and not applying temperature compensation correctly.

To check for the first, push the hydrometer down a centimetre or two and let it float back up. Take a reading. Pull the hydrometer up a centimetre or two and let it settle again. Take a reading. If the two readings are not the same, the most likely cause is hydraulic resistance between bulb and cylinder. Ideally the inside diameter of the cylinder is at least twice the outside diameter of the bulb, many people scrimp here because they don't like throwing that much beer away.

Thanks for the tips.

It was all malt - no extract or sugar added (only dextrose for bottle conditioning).

I've used heaps of different software (brewtoad and now beer smith) and both have put OG around the 1.06 - 1.075 mark for a 5L batch with a ~1.5kg grain bill.

 

[BKBrews]

I'm not sure exactly how it'd affect your brew but I think it'd depend on what your sanitiser actually was (starsan, iodophor etc.) , how strong it was etc. Depending on how much sanitiser you pitched also. I'd maybe taste the brew once fermented and if it tastes wrong, ditch it. I'd also look up the toxicity info on your sanitiser and make a call based on that.

Fingers crossed. I knew it was dumb, just didn't think it would matter *too* much.

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Thanks for the tips.

It was all malt - no extract or sugar added (only dextrose for bottle conditioning).

I've used heaps of different software (brewtoad and now beer smith) and both have put OG around the 1.06 - 1.075 mark for a 5L batch with a ~1.5kg grain bill.

1075 is 18.2 oP, in 5 litres that's 0.182 * 5 * 1.075 = 0.98 kg extract. To get that from 1.5 kg of grain requires between 65% and 66% extraction, on the low side of normal.

In your post above you said you got those levels of OG in batches of 8.3 and 9.6 litres with the same grain bill. That cannot be correct.

The various software programs can be quite good, I use Beersmith myself to save time but like anything else on a computer GIGO applies: it's easy to put the wrong figure in somewhere and get a bad result. If you have an idea of how the results get there it's much easier to catch.

 

[BKBrews]

1075 is 18.2 oP, in 5 litres that's 0.182 * 5 * 1.075 = 0.98 kg extract. To get that from 1.5 kg of grain requires between 65% and 66% extraction, on the low side of normal.

In your post above you said you got those levels of OG in batches of 8.3 and 9.6 litres with the same grain bill. That cannot be correct.

The various software programs can be quite good, I use Beersmith myself to save time but like anything else on a computer GIGO applies: it's easy to put the wrong figure in somewhere and get a bad result. If you have an idea of how the results get there it's much easier to catch.

Sorry mate, I'm new to this and probably getting my terms wrong and all of that.

I'm doing BIAB with no sparge, so when I said 8.3L and 9.6L I was referring to the Mash water used, not the batch size. Hopefully that clears it up?

I should also note that the first batch was done on a gas stove with a nice rolling boil, while the second batch was on electric, just maintaining a 100 degree Celsius boil.

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

OK, that explains a lot.

I've never done BIAB nor brewed without sparging so I'll leave this to those who are familiar with those techniques.

 

[BKBrews]

OK, that explains a lot.

I've never done BIAB nor brewed without sparging so I'll leave this to those who are familiar with those techniques.

Haha no worries. Thanks for the input anyway!

 

[BKBrews]

OK, so I decided to dry hop the brew I currently have in the fermenter. It has been fermenting for 10 days prior to the hop addition, but I didn't take a gravity reading as it's too hard with my current setup and I don't want to contaminate it (using a siphon in glass carboy etc). It's been in for about 3 hours and the pellets have already turned to mush. My concern is that there now seems to be a lot of yeast activity in there (bubbles coming up the sides). Does this mean that potentially the fermentation hasn't completed? I read somewhere to wait until FG prior to dry hopping as yeast can cause off flavours. My last brew went from 1.074 to 1.011 in 14 days, so I assumed 10 days would have fermented out. Doesn't matter now - can't undo it - just interested to hear what you all think the bubble activity might be.

 

[manticle]

The hops (or any particulate matter) provide nucleation points for carbon dioxide coming out of solution. Likely normal, use educated smell and taste as your guide.*

*for sensing infection - fermentation should be worked out with an hydrometer
Not hard, not expensive. Maybe get a wine thief.