First brew tinglers

[Rocker1986]

Congrats on your first brew!

The enzymatic power in the grain will boost fermentability in the manufactured malts while it conversion rests for 20-45mins. Then you can boil it all and due your aroma/flavour hop additions. This would work even better with a bit of base malt as well as the crystal, since base malt has much better enzyme action.

That's not quite true. Crystal malts have no diastatic power (read: no enzymes, or denatured enzymes anyway), so even if you steep them in the brew water with the kit, they won't break down any dextrins that are still there. It would be a complete waste of time doing that. It could be done with base malt though, but you would want to make sure the temp was in the low 60s. Then the issue of boiling the kit comes into play, which may do more harm than good.

I was always able to get kits to ferment down to around 1.008-1.012 when I was making them, which I wouldn't exactly consider to be poor fermentability.

 

[Rocker1986]

As a little note to myself, I checked up on the IBU of the black rock pilsener is 16 IBU.
I calculated what I added as 44 IBU, so a total of 60 IBU doesn't seem too bad, I have been worrying that the first taste at OG sample was disgustingly bitter ha... maybe it will be still :/

Don't worry too much about what it tastes like at the OG sample. The flavours and bitterness and shit are all separated from each other and the wort often does have a nasty bitter bite to it. After the yeast works its magic though, it all melds together nicely and yes you might have to wait a number of weeks for it to mellow more, but it should still taste a lot better than it does when it is unfermented.

 

[decr]

dumping the lot and vowing to just buy some big 650mls to bottle in so I don't have to ******* clean the bastards in massive numbers (also to wash as I go!)

For the record I use 2l soft drink PET bottles. The beer is for drinking and not keeping it for years in a cupboard right... Sure the last pint is a bit cloudy as the yeast sediment is disturbed but I think it only adds to flavour . YMMV.

Sanitising 12 2l bottles takes like 5 minutes, hell I even threw them down the stairs (empty) last time wrestling with a baby gate due to lack of hands. Yeah, try carrying 12 of those things and open a gate. Next time, get a bag, or make two trips...

I'm sure most will frown on using 2l bottles but my time is limited and it works for me, not ideal but everything seems like a compromise now days.

Happy brewing!

 

[pablo_h]

As much as I'd love to, I can't bring myself to use them.
Luckily I have plenty of old beer bottles though.
My favourite are the old twist top 750ml. I only re-use the twist top caps for 2 batches as the tops go a bit rusty after 2x applilcations of cleaner and starsan, but still come in handy to reseal the bottles while cleaning, sanatizing, and storing them dry. Problem is newer commercial twist tops are very thin and light (some being 360g or less). I only use the old coopers 420g ones or old swan ~400g ones.
Try find some buy posting a wanted to buy here, other brewing forums, searching the net for adelaide/SA brew clubs, or gumtree etc.
I use these crates for them:
http://www.bmhe.com.au/products/plastic-storage-containers/crates/display/215-hobby-crate
Fits 16x 750ml twist top bottles perfectly, can colour code batches, can stack them high as you want because the bottles won't take any weight. Cheaper crates without the horizontal ribbing don't fit 4x4, also aren't tall enough to stack.
I have a heap of old coopers crown seal bottles, but PITA sealing them (need to wrap in alfoil all the time, and at bottling time make sure lids aren't falling off), need a bottle opener when drinking and obviously can't re-use caps. Also they are too high for even the good crates linked above

If I was starting from scratch and not making too many brews I'd probably pay a little extra for bottles with flip top "grolsch" type flip top caps. Pay more for the bottles but save the money on a $70 bench capper and buying crown seals all the time. Plus like I said about the twist tops, be able to seal when soaking, when sanatizing and when dry which is a PITA with crown seal bottles.

On another note, start a brewing diary in word/open office, eg:
NAME
DATE

Ingredients:
Brewing: specialty grain steeping time and temp. Boil order and times of additions, water treatments etc
Fermentation: yeast pitching temperature, fermenting temp, had to move fermenter? Rouse it? activity such as krausen (how long, how big), secondary? Dates of everything
Bottling: temp, priming method, adjunct used, what bottles/what Label/sharpie ID, how many from x amount of litres
Tasting at bottling time: Give it a test, note colour and bitterness
Drinking time review: Date, review, how long in the bottle, how long in the fridge?
Following Updates (date): Do weekly until run out of beer. Getting more or less bitter? Comments on malt flavour /sweetness, hop flavour. Head retention, lacing properties, Is it carbing up better, pouring clearer etc. Helpful to know because you might think on slight changes for the next similar batch.

E: Also have to add, if you're keen on brewing over summer, look to brewing saisons, wheat beers, ginger beers. Less hassle in the warmer months with temperatures.

 

[Beil]

I think I'll have to figure out storage, smaller amount of bigger bottles and ease of closure.
When it comes to cleaning: rinse as I go, then before bottling just rinse with no rinse sanitiser?

Pablo, I've got a notebook I'm keeping process notes in and a folder I'll be keeping those printout brewday notes in.
But I'll be adding your suggestions to it.



I sussed out the gravity tonight, thought I'd just add notes in my book as it progresses.

Day 5 gravity, 1.022.
OG was 1.049.

So if I worked it out correct, it's sitting at about 3.5% alc. with 54% attenuation.

Could anyone comment on if this seems slow/normal/fast?

Tastes less bitter than last time, which is good.

I guess leave it until atleast next Sunday: for 2 weeks fermentation and take readings then to see if it's steady?

 

[Rocker1986]

I used to soak my bottles in sodium perc after each use (when I built up enough empties to fill the laundry tub). I found just rinsing in water didn't cut it after a while; they built up a scummy/scaly looking layer on the inside.

That fermentation is a bit slow, but it is moving at least. What temperature is it sitting at? YOu could probably bump it up a few degrees if you want. I would leave it for another week though, yes.

 

[Beil]

Sitting in water bath at 18-19 degrees.

 

[pablo_h]

I found over winter when brewing with us05, at 18C it takes 3 weeks (almost 2w to get to FG, 1 week to even start clearing up). At 20-21C it takes 2 weeks (1w to get to FG, 1 week to start clearing up)

 

[Beil]

Ah wow, a couple degree's makes a shit load of difference then.
I guess stop changing the ice packs in the water and remove the wet towel to see if I can bump it up a few... keep an eye on it that it doesn't reach ambient which is about 25 at the moment in the house.
Or leave it and wait..

 

[Beil]

I dry hopped the rest of the Amarillos today, here's a photo of the krausen

http://imgur.com/a/gSuNq

Next time I think I might just do the clingwrap jobby, I opened the lid once just to have a look this brew and a second to dry hop. I'd rather just open the one time if I have to.

I took the towel wrapped around off, the temp gauge on the side of the FV has moved from 18/19 to 20. It's just one of those stick on things so who knows how accurate, but the digital temp in the water bath is saying 19.8.

 

[Beil]

Damoninja and crackers:
You guys weren't half right in regards to going to beer belly instead of brew craft.
I just did the maths on the next recipe I'm going to follow (link below)

Working it out to actual amount, ie. Cost per amount used not how much to buy everything.

From beerbelly it will cost $44.82.
From brewcraft it will cost $80.31.

The cost for the malts are like twice as much at brewcraft!


http://aussiehomebrewer.com/recipe/1153-golden-ale/

 

[Rocker1986]

I found over winter when brewing with us05, at 18C it takes 3 weeks (almost 2w to get to FG, 1 week to even start clearing up). At 20-21C it takes 2 weeks (1w to get to FG, 1 week to start clearing up)

Even that's slow as a wet week. US-05 at 18C for me takes about 4-5 days to reach FG.

 

[pablo_h]

Home brewing taught me patience, I don't even check SG for a week or more.
Of course temp control is more variable for some of us, or thermometers less accurate and so on, and no crash chill option.
So we just sit and wait for 2 weeks to finish and clear E: especially for us05 as I don't like a lot of trub in my bottles
I'm a bucket and bottles guy, nothing more fancy than a few fermenters and a few bottles.

 

[Coodgee]

Even that's slow as a wet week. US-05 at 18C for me takes about 4-5 days to reach FG.

Same. 5 days is pretty standard

 

[Beil]

Tested last nigt, down to 1.015 so going to rack to a cube before the weekend to free up the Fv for another brew to be put down Saturday so it's at a stage to cold condition by xmas (we go away for 6 nights on the 28th, so I am hoping to cold condition the FV while we're away).

Beer belly had a special, 100g millennium hops for $5.5. So I bought them to keep for stock bittering hops.
If I'm going to buy 100g of finishing hops to keep as stock, what would people suggest? I was just going to get Amarillo, but tempted to buy citra instead.

 

[damoninja]

Tested last nigt, down to 1.015 so going to rack to a cube before the weekend to free up the Fv for another brew to be put down Saturday so it's at a stage to cold condition by xmas (we go away for 6 nights on the 28th, so I am hoping to cold condition the FV while we're away).

Beer belly had a special, 100g millennium hops for $5.5. So I bought them to keep for stock bittering hops.
If I'm going to buy 100g of finishing hops to keep as stock, what would people suggest? I was just going to get Amarillo, but tempted to buy citra instead.

10 days in now I wouldn't be too concerned bottling / kegging now dry hops have been in 4 days so I would perhaps leave til tomorrow or Friday, 12 days is plenty of time, less hassle too.

But no need to rack to secondary in my opinion.

If you want to clear it up a little, cold crash over the next few days before packaging.

 

[Beil]

I cleared out the fridge tonight to put the FV in, checked the gravity (1.012) and was going bottle either tomorrow or Saturday... but now I've chickened out that it hasn't really reached FG/fridging too early/making a mistake... so abandoned the fridge until I test FV tomorrow and am certain that it has atleast infact reached FG (and filled my head with pros/come for leaving it on yeast cake for longer)
This is probably me being impatient AND wanting to drop another brew in the FV sat/sun whilst wanting to cold crash it before bottling.

 

[Jack of all biers]

You guys weren't half right in regards to going to beer belly instead of brew craft.
Working it out to actual amount, ie. Cost per amount used not how much to buy everything.

From beerbelly it will cost $44.82.
From brewcraft it will cost $80.31.

The cost for the malts are like twice as much at brewcraft!

Welcome to the forum Beil. At least by using this forum you only had to make the mistake of forking out hand over fist once. I live south of Adelaide, but still use Beer Belly for all brews (although Brewmaker at Holden Hill are also okay, but slightly more expensive for some things)

I cleared out the fridge tonight to put the FV in, checked the gravity (1.012) and was going bottle either tomorrow or Saturday... but now I've chickened out that it hasn't really reached FG/fridging too early/making a mistake... so abandoned the fridge until I test FV tomorrow and am certain that it has atleast infact reached FG (and filled my head with pros/come for leaving it on yeast cake for longer)
This is probably me being impatient AND wanting to drop another brew in the FV sat/sun whilst wanting to cold crash it before bottling.

Good call to wait for your FG, but test again tomorrow and if it's still 1012 after 24 hours you can bottle if you want. Although Pablo is correct, you can wait an extra week after reaching FG for the yeast and trub to settle in the fermenter, which will give you less crap in the bottle (your's will mostly be yeast and hops). But if by tomorrow (24hr) your gravity is stable at 1012 then you can cold crash and bottle on the weekend.

Welcome to the hobby and here's to many more brews for you.

Plenty of brown ale recipes out there, but you can't go wrong with an english ale can (pick your brand, but quality in, quality out), 1kg 50/50 dex/light dried malt mix, 400gm medium crystal malt and 35gm chocolate malt for a 23L brew (no extra hoping needed so simple as to brew). That should get you something similar to a AG recipe (from a CAMRA recipe book) I have for Newcastle Brown. Aiming for roughly OG 1044, FG 1007 though with the above ingredients those figures will be slightly different. Use either Safale S-04 to keep it easy or something a little more expensive and go liquid yeast (Yorkshire type or any English ale yeast, Beer Belly has a vast range of the Wyeast smack packs that are straight forward to use and they can offer good advice in this area).

 

[Beil]

It was still 1.012 yesterday so into the fridge it went. The FV is coming in at 6 degs still, but even now it seems clearer. The bitterness has mellowed off aswell.

I've filled up the 25L Jerry with water and 1/4 camden tab to sit over night so I don't need to boil and cool the bulk of the water for tomorrow's brew #2.

I also rigged up a 24L food grade bucket (with lid) from cheap as chips with a tap to use to bulk prime, could also be used as a secondary I guess. $12 from cheap as chips, $2 plastic tap and $1 20mm brass nut from bunnings (plus one 18mm o ring from a mix bag from fixing the kitchen taps.) Not bad for $14 and a bit of elbow grease to cut a perfect circle through the plastic.

 

[Beil]

So I've just put down my second brew, and I'm a bit confused.

I followed the ingredients from here http://aussiehomebrewer.com/recipe/1153-golden-ale/
Changed the FWH, but that shouldn't affect what I'm confused about.
(Basically 2.5kg LDME, 1kg wheat DME, 300g 60L caramel grain steep for 30mins if u don't want to click link)

I took a gravity reading, and it's 1.112
The recipe says calculated gravity of 1.058. Even the homebrew calc I'm using says it should be 1.058.

I did a 60 min 8L boil with 1kg LDME and 0.5kg wheat LDME (after learning about hop utilisation in another thread here and not doing the boil with the whole fermentable bill), after a 30min steep of the crystal grain.
5min left of boil added half a whirlfloc tablet.
At flame out I dumped the rest of the malts into the pot, stirred in and cold crashed. Strained into FV through muslin, ended up with 7L of wort then topped up to 23L.

I took a photo of the reading incase I was tripping but my ******* phone didn't save it for some stupid reason, I've attached a photo of where the reading was, I'm definitely reading this right yeah?!
http://m.imgur.com/Tbbib1b


I've just pitched some danstar Nottingham yeast.

Edit: been googling: I shook the Shit out of it to mix it more just in case and the reading is 1.11, so I didn't just get some dense wort from the bottom albeit it might have not been mixed too great to change by 0.002

The LHBS person said not to bother rehydrating he Nottingham like I did the US-05 so I didn't... she said its a vigorous ferment and is best just sprinkled on top.

I would have had to use about twice as much malt as I did to get a reading that high according to the calc, so I'm stumped.
If it is that high I **** g hope the Nottingham yeast can hack the possible high alcohol levels before conking out :/