My Third Brew: Morgan's Golden Sheaf.

[everythingsucks]

Hey guys at the suggestion of simpletotoro I am going to do a morgan's golden sheaf wheat beer in the next few days.

Ingredients i have purchased include:

Morgans golden sheaf wheat beer can
600g dex 400g maltodex
Brewiser finishing hops brew bag (hallertau)
Safale K-97 yeast.
and about 200g of light dry malt leftover from a previous brew


So anyways I don't know much about homebrewing although I've been researching on the internet heaps the last few weeks and my first 2 attempts have ended in them tasting like crap even though i tried being really careful in my preperation. I think it is due to too much temperature variation because i turned my heating mat on and off while they were fermenting because i worried about the temperature being too low. Since then I have realised through reading the forums that a lower temperature for most beers is better.
I can hold a fairly steady 21 degrees in my garage if i don't use any heating or insulation because it's underneath the unit i live in and is concrete so I'm thinking I'll try without a mat or anything and keep a constant temperature.
I have been as clean as possible and clean my kit as much as i can handle before i do a brew. I'm using plastic bottles with carbonation drops and I can't think of anything else which would be relevant really.

So the reason for my making this thread is i would like some tips from people before i start it and things i should be aware of. Temperature okay, my ingredients, etc?

Comeon guys help me do a successful brew!!

 

[mika]

Looks good...brew beer !
Temp of 21 is good, lower is even better, but that's not bad.
I brewed plenty of beers at 24 or more when I started and they kinda tasted OK.
What cleaner are you using ? You can never be too stringent with your cleaning regime. Anything contacting your beer needs to be sanitised. Remember your sanitiser needs at least 1minute in contact with the object to be fully effective. Preferably use a no-rinse sanitiser. Rinse everything what's it's used to stop bacteria forming. Read lots on this forum and you
should be good.
Somewhere on here Pint of Lager started a brewing FAQs post, find it, read it, do it.

Everything else is easy

 

[everythingsucks]

Ummm I'm not using a brewing sanitiser i was just using dilluted bleach and rinsing lots. Is that bad?

Maybe that's where my problem has been....

 

[Brooksy]

Time, Temperature and Cleanliness. All of equal importance.

Everybody brews a crook batch, sometime or other.

Mate I wouldn't be using diluted bleach. No way at all. Never ever heard of using it.

Haven't tried the kit you mentioned, would be interested to read a report on it.

Scrub your gear and bottles using proper washing compound and sterilizer (yaddayadda)

How long are you leaving your brew in the fermenter before bottling?
How long in the bottle before you sample?

Some local blokes up my way brew(ed) crap in summer because of temp, so now they only brew great brews 8 months of the year (and pissed for 4), but 21 constant should be fine.

Keep your temp as constant as possible. I'm getting reasonable (I think) results at 24 - 26 deg (don't fall over people), but would be better at much lower temp. Can't wait til April and some cooler weather.

Don't rush it & don't sweat into your fermenter.

Always remember: Bad beers are great beers when there's nothing else.

Don't give up.

SWMBO keeps banning me (1979, 1985, 1992), but I always get parole.

 

[mika]

Think there a few brewers out there using Bleach, but got to be the unscented kinda and I'd have no idea of the dilution rates. Perhaps do a search ?
Personally I use Idophor, but have used Pink Steri as well.
I've used bleach / Napisan for soaking stubborn stains in, but that's the extent of y experience with bleach.

 

[Brooksy]

My Granddad & dad both brewed & I just can't remember what they sanitized with (back in the 60s).

I use anything I can get my hands on - pinky (3 types), sod met, no rinse. lol

Sitting back sampling an Aust Draught @ 2 weeks - coming along fine.

 

[everythingsucks]

I had my brews in the fermenter for about a week before i bottled. I've heard that if you leave it in there for any longer then you need to and you are susceptable to infection.

And the answer to your other question is i tried one of my brews every 2 weeks for 2 months praying that it would improve and i didn't manage to finish one bottle it was so bad. The second brew I've only had in for about 2 weeks and I've already tried one and it tastes like shit but i know it probably hasn't been long enough to pass judgement yet.

I just can't seem to wait to taste my beer. I get thirsty!

 

[Brooksy]

I just can't seem to wait to taste my beer. I get thirsty!

Yer only human mate. I check gas at 7 days, 8 days, 9 daze...... lol. I'm adding another fermenter on Monday to get some winter ales done quickly.

I gotta say it really, really sounds like the bleach thing. Probably not getting all the residue out. If you can't get to a LHBS, just pickup some sanitizer from BigW or other supermarket. Your LHBS (like ours) should have access to topshelf stuff at a good price.

I know it is sounding monotinous but keep at it, , keep cleaning, don't stir it up, try not to get the crud on the side of the fermenter back into your beer. That really makes the brew stink.

It's bigger than Texas mate.

 

[mika]

Can you describe the taste ? Is it sweet, dry, vegemite, ?

Are you taking a hydro reading before you bottle ? Gotta be 1014 or below before bottling.
Leaving the brew on the yeast cake is not such a bad thing s long as it's fairly cool. I've gone 3wks before, 1.5 to 2 wks is common.

If there was bleach resiude in the brew it would come thru in the taste and taste like bleach, or upset the yeast and you'd never get it to ferment out.

Rule for bottling, don't touch anything before 4wks...longer is better.

 

[Brooksy]

Rule for bottling, don't touch anything before 4wks...longer is better.

Aw come on Mika.
A man's not a camel. :chug:

Ya gotta test that you got your gassing right, Keep checking for infections. :lol:

Ummmm, I suppose that's why my vintage stock is 6 weeks old. :huh:

I'm still experiment after a "SWMBO enforced" lay off.

 

[everythingsucks]

Ummm i dunno if it tastes infected or not, but it's a really sharp taste and it's too much too handle. It's undrinkable for me anyway. Maybe the brew worked fine but it's just a really low quality taste because it's a kit? I have no idea because i haven't tried one before.

It's been bottled for 2 months now so i don't think the taste is going to improve much more then that is it?

 

[Brooksy]

Sharp taste - > Dry?

Would you call it a bleach taste?

Your recipe sounds like your brew should be quite smooth.....

These daze, kits are good. The definitive KISS principle. You don't appear to have done anything wrong recipe wise, so it has to come back to cleaning. (IMHO).

Best thing to do is use sanitizer, for your cleaning and try again. Don't leave vessels open while waiting, etc, etc.

What does it smell like? Are all bottles exactly the same?

What about your current brew? Have you drained off and check SG yet? How did it smell? Did you taste it?

When cleaning you fermenter, don't scrub it, soak it and use a soft sponge.

 

[simpletotoro]

Hey guys at the suggestion of simpletotoro I am going to do a morgan's golden sheaf wheat beer in the next few days.

Ingredients i have purchased include:

Morgans golden sheaf wheat beer can
600g dex 400g maltodex
Brewiser finishing hops brew bag (hallertau)
Safale K-97 yeast.
and about 200g of light dry malt leftover from a previous brew
So anyways I don't know much about homebrewing although I've been researching on the internet heaps the last few weeks and my first 2 attempts have ended in them tasting like crap even though i tried being really careful in my preperation. I think it is due to too much temperature variation because i turned my heating mat on and off while they were fermenting because i worried about the temperature being too low. Since then I have realised through reading the forums that a lower temperature for most beers is better.
I can hold a fairly steady 21 degrees in my garage if i don't use any heating or insulation because it's underneath the unit i live in and is concrete so I'm thinking I'll try without a mat or anything and keep a constant temperature.
I have been as clean as possible and clean my kit as much as i can handle before i do a brew. I'm using plastic bottles with carbonation drops and I can't think of anything else which would be relevant really.

So the reason for my making this thread is i would like some tips from people before i start it and things i should be aware of. Temperature okay, my ingredients, etc?

Comeon guys help me do a successful brew!!

hi...
i feel for you brother...i guess you've twigged like most of us do the instructions in the can/kit lid are at best misleading...i personally feel there crapola...they always recommend a to high fermentation temp...also they allow you to think that white table sugar is ok to use...not to mention two weeks bottle conditioning is all that you need...
i realise that in this last wheat beer your using 600 g dextrose,400 g maltodextrin(by the way maltodextrin...from what i hear does not ferment out much if not at all but is fine for body...) but you don't say what you used in the two pervious brews...or what the two previous brews were?
anyway below is a link to a page with some common off flavours...(maybe this will help)
http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html
you now i figure that ales should be fermented at 18-20/c (note they'll take longer to ferment out at this temperature then you previous brews okay...use you hydrometre as someone else has already said)
on the bleach subject i use homebrand unscented regular bleach about $1.20 for 2 litres <diluted 3/4 cup in my fermenter >and then rinse with boiling or very hot water a couple of times to remove the bleach (i save the water and bleach mixture in big tubs or eskies for use to sanatise my bottles...again clean then sanatise bottles then soak and rinse in very hot water to make sure no bleach gets through...)i never have any problems with using bleach...but have looked into for ease and convienance using no-rinse sanitisers...
sanitisers link below ...
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/ineo...;showarticle=18
...i've done that morgans kit a couple of times before...and it works out pretty good i think...recipe below...
BEER TYPE: Redback clone METHOD: Kit and kilo
INGREDIENTS: Tin: Morgans golden sheaf wheat beer x 1 (1.7kg)
Sugars: 600g dextrose, 200g malt, 200g corn syrup
Hops: Morgans finishing hops (Hallertau)
Yeast: Morgans ale yeast 6g
SECONARDY FERMENTAION: Bulk PRIMED @ 140 g white sugar (homebrand)
this one okay a tad light on flavour though but easy to drink....

BEER TYPE: Evil Twin Wheat Beer METHOD: Kit and kilo
INGREDIENTS: Tin: Morgans golden sheaf wheat beer x 1 (1.7kg)
Extract: 1 kg Morgans master blend (beer enhancer)
Sugars: 500g dextrose
Hops: Willamette and Hallertau

Hop schedule: 8g Hallertau boiled in extract @10 mins
8g Willamette boiled in extract @10 mins
4g Willamette boiled in extract @5mins after flameout
4g Hallertau boiled in extract @5mins after flameout
Yeast: Morgans ale yeast 6g (25/c)
this one better but still to young...

also this link to this post has heaps of other useful info and links ...(hope they help)
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=14202
cheers simpletotoro

 

[Adamt]

Invest in some Iodophor/Orthophosphoric acid, and some home brand unscented napisan for sanitising and cleaning.

Always clean before you sanitise;

-All my equipment gets a soak in homebrand napisan and water for a few hours, and is then thoroughly wiped, rinsed and dried for storage. Make sure you clean your taps/tap threads as well

-Before I use it I rinse with hot water, then rinse with hot water and a squirt of orthophosphoric acid, before a final rinse.

-Fill a spray bottle with orthophosphoric solution and spray/wipe your tap after drawing samples.

Don't use all the maltodextrin, maybe 200g of it max? It doesn't ferment and you want a wheat beer grainy/chewy, not syrupy.

As suggested 21C is pretty good, make sure it is constant though and drop it to 18 if you can. The first few days of fermentation are the most imporant times for temperature control.

Good luck!

 

[Brooksy]

Well there you go. :beer:

What do you reckon ETSux?
There are some great tips here and they will lead you down the path to great grog.

I've never considered any of the napisan style products as bleaches... Ah well, ya live'n learn.

Thanx fellas (cheers),

Good luck mate.

 

[everythingsucks]

When i make this kit should i boil it on the stove or just chuck it in the fermenter or what?

 

[Tyred]

Probably boil the malt for 15mins.
You can dissolve the other dry ingredients in it at the end.
At flame-out, mix kit goo into liquid.
You could use some of the hotter liquid to rinse the can.
Make a hop tea (cup of boiling water with hops in it for 5-10 minutes).
Mix everything into the fermenter.
Take hop bag out of mix before adding hop tea to fermenter.
Top up with water.
Try use some cold water to get temp down to whatever K97 wants (can't remember at the moment)

 

[simpletotoro]

Probably boil the malt for 15mins.
You can dissolve the other dry ingredients in it at the end.
At flame-out, mix kit goo into liquid.
You could use some of the hotter liquid to rinse the can.
Make a hop tea (cup of boiling water with hops in it for 5-10 minutes).
Mix everything into the fermenter.
Take hop bag out of mix before adding hop tea to fermenter.
Top up with water.
Try use some cold water to get temp down to whatever K97 wants (can't remember at the moment)

hi...yeah i agree with that ...except you might want to hop it up a bit more...say 15-20 grams of saaz or something like that...(my first one tasted okay but lacked a little in taste...)use that hop guide you got off the other thread...i realize you mightn't have any other hops in stock if so do what i did...cut open your teabag of hops ... boil the malt in a couple of litres of water...then add the hops (minus bag...or better still 15-20 grams of saaz hops) for 10 minutes on a simmer or rolling boil...then turn off heat ... add some more hops if want and bingo your done...add your other fermentables and kit...NOTE from memory it says to not add the kit until temp is under 70-75/c ...maybe add some chilled water till it gets around this )...then do as per normal pitch yeast at around 18-20/c ...keep a constant fermenting tempertaure again 18-20/c ...please let me know how the yeast goes...hell how the whole brew goes...will be keen to hear (PM me please when you taste it thanks)
cheers simple

 

[everythingsucks]

Whats the best way to remove the hops from the water when I'm adding the mix to the fermenter?


I'm sorry i keep asking so many questions I'm just real keen not to **** up again...

 

[phonos]

Just leave 'em in. Assuming you're using pellets, they'll just settle to the bottom.