Home Brand Lager

[Zipster]

Hi there,

I have brewed lately with 2 cans at the same time. 1 Morgan's Stout chairman selection with S23 yeast and 1 Home brand lager kit, with yeast provided. The temperature variates roughly between 10 and 22 degrees here, and I am specifically brewing lager because of the lows.

My observation is that the Stout with S23 was going nice in its own room at 12c for the first few days then the bubbles off the air lock stated stalling so I moved it to the living room where it is 22c between 5pm till 12am and the bubbles came back nicely. Now we are near the end of fermentation, the Home brand still bubbles even when the wood stove is off. The S23 Stout just stalls and gravity is still 1020 after 10 days and you still can taste the sugar. Home brand stuff is just going like a beauty even if on the can they recommend 22c, it is now 13c and it's bubbling.

My mate's dad told us that the home brand kits were the best, now I'm starting to think he was spot on..

.z

 

[Zipster]

anyone experienced S23 saflager and had a steady fermentation within the 11-15c range?

 

[Bribie G]

OK I'll get in first before the onslaught

Never trust your airlock - gas will find every possible route out of the fermenter, it's what gas does

S-23 is a lager yeast and will ferment just fine at low to mid teens, and should go ok in a stout as well (Guinness brewed in Australia is done on a lager yeast). However I wonder why you used S-23? did it come with the kit? The Mauribrew yeast that comes with the Morgans kits is quite a good all purpose yeast and especially as you have somewhat inaccurate temp control would probably have suited the brew better, and use the S-23 on the supermarket kit which probably comes with Gawd knows what yeast.

 

[Zipster]

Never trust your airlock - gas will find every possible route out of the fermenter, it's what gas does.

The gas comes out where it finds the less resistance. If the bucket is sealed, the gas will be conducted to the less resistant passage, the airlock. Even if there are small holes that you cant see the gas will still get out via the airlock. I am positive. So unless you have a story of someone that has experienced a fermentation that occurred without airlock making any sound, it will still be for me: no sound, no fermentation as long as the sugar must be producing CO2 of transforming into alcohol.

I bought the S23 separately. The can of Morgan came with a pack of Brew Cellar "English Ale Yeast". Of what I have heard about other yeast than lager is that they need at least 20c to be active, so I chose to use lager yeast instead.

The supermarket kit comes with Gawd know what yeast but it works fantastic! Have you even tried a home brand kit?

 

[Mick74]

So unless you have a story of someone that has experienced a fermentation that occurred without airlock making any sound, it will still be for me: no sound, no fermentation as long as the sugar must be producing CO2 of transforming into alcohol.

Personally, I haven't used an airlock for a long time as I prefer the ease of glad wrap. I think you will find that there are more stories of fermentation occuring without the airlock making any sound than you'd care to hear.

As BribieG said - Never trust your airlock B)

 

[ekul]

the gas will choose the path of least resistance, and if the barrel is sealed then this will be the airlock. HOwever frequently these barrels don't seal, and then the path of least resistance is just leaking through the seal. Do a search for 'help, my airlock isn't bubbling', i'm sure you'll find a few threads.

Also, if you like drinking home brand tins, props to you. I wish i did, i could save myself a lot of time! If you like what you're drinking, then keep making it. I tried another brewers beer made from a homebrand draught tin a few weeks ago. It wasn't severely worse than any other kit that i've tried. Was def better than brigalow, thats for sure.

 

[Lodan]

What other fermentables did you use in each kit?
It may be that the brew is at FG

Are the temps you listed the room temp or actual brew temps?

You may find that the S23 is struggling to chew through all fermentables; it's is often recommended to use two packs of S23 particularly in cold conditions (not that 12 is 'cold' by lager standards). You could try repitching with more S23?

 

[Mayor of Mildura]

Hi dude i'm not exactly sure what this topic is about but i'll try and answer.

So unless you have a story of someone that has experienced a fermentation that occurred without airlock making any sound, it will still be for me: no sound, no fermentation as long as the sugar must be producing CO2 of transforming into alcohol.

I've had a couple of ferments complete with no airlock activity. Not one single bubble. Turns out the rubber o-ring wasn't seated properly. My beer fermented and turned out fine though....plenty of co2 and alcohol produced. I have since given up on air locks and use glad wrap instead of a lid. To find out how the fermentation is progressing i use a hydrometer.

To me the flavour of the finished beer is more important than how quickly it ferments.

I have also experimented with fermenting beer with large changes in temperature and have endend up with off flavours.

My mates dad spins all sorts of shit and i don't listen to him.

cheers

 

[bignath]

So unless you have a story of someone that has experienced a fermentation that occurred without airlock making any sound, it will still be for me: no sound, no fermentation as long as the sugar must be producing CO2 of transforming into alcohol.

It seems like every second post by inexperienced/uninformed brewers is:

"help, my airlock isn't bubbling therefore my brew must be fucked......"

The quote i've attached above, reads, TO ME like a crack at BribieG. He has a few runs on the board around here, and like several other frequent posters, his advise is generally considered words of wisdom. I'd listen to him if it was me.

Airlock activity doesn't mean shit about your fermentation. They don't always bubble when active fermentation is occuring, and they've also been well known to keep bubbling long after fermentation has finished.
Stick to the more accurate as opposed to the most obvious displays that fermentation is happening and your all sweet, but your quoted post reads like the voice of inexperience/ignorance.
There have been several "fly by nighters" on this forum that have had very similar forum names to yours, and have stirred up a heap of shit. Hope this isn't going the same way.

 

[dougsbrew]

My mates dad spins all sorts of shit and i don't listen to him.

cheers

nice touch mayor. i suppose its like a bit of carp - throw enough oil and salt at it, and it will taste reasonably good.

 

[fawnroux]

There have been several "fly by nighters" on this forum that have had very similar forum names to yours, and have stirred up a heap of shit.

Yeah, I think Zippo here is a good old fashion troll. His post contains the following pearlers

1. The classic "air lock isn't bubbling" query
2. Brewing a stout with a lager yeast at 22 degrees
3. His mates old mate reckons homebrand beer is the best, and he agrees
4. Gives arrogent response to BribieG's post - He is positive no airlock activity means no fermentation. I mean, when you ferment stouts with lager yeasts at 22 degrees, why on earth would you listen to an experienced brewer trying to help?

I don't see this as a serious post.

 

[yum beer]

My observation is that the Stout with S23 was going nice in its own room at 12c for the first few days then the bubbles off the air lock stated stalling so I moved it to the living room where it is 22c between 5pm till 12am and the bubbles came back nicely. Now we are near the end of fermentation, the Home brand still bubbles even when the wood stove is off. The S23 Stout just stalls and gravity is still 1020 after 10 days and you still can taste the sugar. Home brand stuff is just going like a beauty even if on the can they recommend 22c, it is now 13c and it's bubbling.

My mate's dad told us that the home brand kits were the best, now I'm starting to think he was spot on..

.z

You have clearly shown that you have very little idea of what you are trying to achieve, moving fermenters from one temp to another simply because an airlock isnt bubbling is verging on insanity.
Put them in an appropriate place to start with and leave them till they finish--may be 3-4 weeks for a lager.

You probably should check with your mates dad what brand of sugar he uses with his home brand cans, you wanna get that right.

 

[Zipster]

What other fermentables did you use in each kit?
It may be that the brew is at FG

Are the temps you listed the room temp or actual brew temps?

You may find that the S23 is struggling to chew through all fermentables; it's is often recommended to use two packs of S23 particularly in cold conditions (not that 12 is 'cold' by lager standards). You could try repitching with more S23?

Lodan you're the man,

I use only one pack of S23, and yes the yeast is struggling, I can feel it. 2 packs? It would make sense. However have you noticed that with certain cans they would provide 15g and others only 5g.. I don't understand, some yeast would have more strength than others for some reason.. Would you know why?

Yes repitching is my plan, should I use the whole lot of my harvest to make just one bach? Or more?

 

[bignath]

Zipster, i'm confused.

In your fist post you state that you are starting to believe that the homebrand cans are the best, but then in your post above you claim that it makes sense to use 2 packs of lager yeast whilst wondering why some companies give you 15g vs 5g.

It aint rocket science dude. The better quality cans will give you closer to the correct amount of yeast to pitch into your beer and at the same time it will be a better quality yeast.

The homebrand cans give you 5g (or maybe 7g in some cases) 'cause they can't be rooted giving you what you need to make decent beer. What's more important to Coles and Woolies - selling homebrew cans at $6each and selling maybe a dozen a week, or selling a dozen trucks worth of milk at $1 a litre???

I am also assuming you know that just because a can says lager, it's most likely to be an ale yeast. I know you've also asked about s23 but i haven't used that one yet. Got a packet in my fridge though...

 

[felten]

Ask enough questions fasty enough and you'll soon make a speedie route to being a great brewer.

 

[pcmfisher]

Where's speedy, he should be able to answer all of your questions.

Speedy, speak up.............

 

[kjparker]

Where's speedy, he should be able to answer all of your questions.

Speedy, speak up.............

He's right here. I'd bet he's the OP

 

[pimpsqueak]

He's right here. I'd bet he's the OP

+1

Or maybe his mates Dad is Speedie. He sounds like a bit of a cock.

 

[Pennywise]

My mate's dad told us that the home brand kits were the best, now I'm starting to think he was spot on..

.z

:lol: Made my day that did, cheers...

 

[manticle]

Zipster is a real bloke. I have met him.

I'm not sure he's great at reading or taking advice but I'm pretty certain he isn't trolling.