How To Make My Brews Better?

[Daveee]

Now I am new to brewing, having only but down 7 kits so far. I'm after some advice on how to brew. I'll go through my current technique.

Before I begin I steralise everything. So far I have had no problem with infections.

Ok then I let my can sit in hot water for 15 mins to soften up. This is when I let my hops steep. I then pour the can contents into the fermenter and add 2l of boiling water. I then add my malt/sugar combo (whatever I get from the brew store). I stirr it all through and fill with cold water. I then add my hops and yeast. (Lately I have been using specific yeast, not just the yeast that came with the pack)

I then let it ferment at what ever the right temp is until it's done. I don't rack into another fermenter at all.

I then fill my bottles with sugar manually and fill them up and use a bench capper to cap them.



So any ideas on how for me to brew better?

I'm thinking maybe buying a second fermenter and using it for racking during fermenting, and also for bulk priming? Anything else I can do?

The problems I think I have with my beer is too much sediment, and some brews are over-carbonated.

 

[GMK]

Brewing Improvements

Racking and dry hopping are 2 of the biggest improvers you can do.

Rack for 2 weeks. Can also put the fermenter in the fridge for 3-4 days to cold condition and get the yeast to drop out of suspension.

Also, keep really accurate records.

Try getting some grains:
light crystal and crystal and good starters.
Steep them in cold water for 3 hours and pour thru a seive into the fermenter. This will enhance the body, mouthfeel and add a nice fresh maltiness to the beer.

Start experimenting with other grains.

The over carbonation has to do with priming - use less sugar.

Hope this helps.

 

[nicko]

Dave,

Im thinking of chucking on a brew on Sunday if u wanna come over for a few :chug:

Ill probably do just a simple extract recipe or something.

Let me know...

All i gotta do is get an essay done on Saturday, and im 100% going to be brewing

U gotta come try my beer anyway

You too ken if you're ever in sydney

 

[Jeff]

Steep them in cold water? Never heard of that
What hops do you use GMK?
Did a dry hop on racking , used Cascade (left over from a Ginger Beer )
It's nice but not the taste I was after

 

[Daveee]

Oh, no I don't steep in cold water. I do it in very hot (not boiling) water.

 

[jayse]

daveee
stepping in hot water is good most people do it in hot water.just up to you.grumpies masterbrews acctually you boil the specialty grain for 10 mins and no ones ever had a problem their buissness is based on these products.and i reckon they are the best kits around.

i reckon at the stage your at.your allready using good ingreidients.
one thing i'll add though.is all the ingriedients in the world don't make a good beer. i reckon the real key is making sure you get plenty of air into the wort before you pitch the yeast and maintain a constant temp.that really is the difference between good beer and a brew gone bad.

 

[GMK]

Steeping Grains

OK...I only steep the specialty grains...ie not the high enzyme Base malts...these you mash.

If you steep you grains in very hot water...over 78 degrees - 2 things happen.
1/ if using base malt - the high temp kills off the enzymes needed for starch to simple sugar conversion. The high roasted speciality grains dont have much in the way of starches - there fore need to be steeped.

2/ the high temp can leach out tanins from the grain husks/skin. Hence the advantage to steeping in cold water is that you wont get any tanins leached out.

Goto the BYO web site...they will confirm what i say and even have a chart detailing what grains can be steeped, mashed or both.

Hops i use are the following:
Cascade, Nth Brewer, POR, Saaz, EKG and Hallertae.

Never, ever FUGGLES - hate it.

 

[nicko]

i used fuggles with a morgans australian lager kit a while ago when i first started brewing, it doesnt really take my fancy.

i prefer hops with a bit of a "sting" or a bit of a bite.

but fuggles i think tends to make the hop mellowish??? almost similar to coopers sparkling i thought?


... on the situation of steeping grains, does the grains such as caramunich, amber & crystal (in quantitys of 150-250g per 22L), is it better to steep in boiling water or hot water, or cold water???

ive been experimenting a bit with chucking a few different grains steeped whislt im boiling malt or doing an extract...

 

[Jeff]

Well after a couple of these beers I am really enjoying the taste , been a kit and Kg brewer to long
I have 6 partial mash brews in kegs and yet to try one , couple of days.
Well I like to age my beer a little , all in CC as well :chug:

 

[Trough Lolly]

<snip>
Goto the BYO web site...they will confirm what i say and even have a chart detailing what grains can be steeped, mashed or both.
<snip>

GMK,

I must be going blind - I couldn't find the chart on the BYO website...
Are you referring to the Grains and Adjuncts Chart??

If not, do you have the URL handy?

Cheers,

Rowan :blink: