Newbie from the ACT

[malliemcg]

Hi,

Joined recently after getting back into brewing after a 10 year or so hiatus. A wee bit of a wine w^Hsnob but enjoy drinking most forms of fermented beverages, really want to get in and understand them well.

Started with a cider, then did a stout, and have a pilsner sitting out there presently.

Joined AHB after a stout went possibly a little bit sideways, not too sure - didn't bother doing it properly bought a hygrometer after the stout stopped - it's FG was 1.018 which I feels a tad bit high. Was based on an ESB kit with 200gm choccie malt steeped in boiling water (bought water to boil, then turned it off just before adding grain) for 20m. Tasted great from the fermenter, now in bottles conditioning.

The pilsner is currently sitting on FG 1.014 (which again seems a tad high) and started out life at 1.043. I'm intending to lager away in another fermenter for a month before bottling (waiting for a frost to come and leave that puppy outside overnight, who thought I'd be bothered that this may is unseasonably warm).

Currently a kit brewer, looking at doing some partial grain/moving toward full grain at some point, just plodding along. Plans for the future include messing about with oak aging/conditioning of some batches.

M

 

[Kodos]

Welcome back into the hobby!

Check out the Canberra brewers, first Thursday of the month at the Harmonie German Club in Narrabundah, from 7.30pm - a great group of excellent brewers with lots of great beer and knowledge to share.

Regarding your high final gravities, I've more often than not found it to be a factor of yeast health. What sort of yeast are you using, and how much? Are you aerating/oxygenating?

There is a chance that the extract you are using is too dextrinous - you might be better off replacing some of the malt extract with a simple sugar to make the wort more fermentable.

The best way to test how low the gravity can go is with a forced ferment test: take a small sample of the worth, add some healthy yeast and put it on a stir plate. The beer will taste oxidised and crap, but you'll be able to see what the yeast is capable of fermenting in that wort under ideal conditions (for the yeast).

The FG from that test can help you work out if it's the yeast or the wort causing the high FG in the main batch.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Hi malliemcg - welcome firstly.

It sounds a possible yeast health/viability issue. Generally if yeast go to sleep (which may have been the issue if there either wasn't enough, or the temps got a little cold too quick for it), moving the fermenter so as to rouse the yeast will often do the trick to knock off those points.

Generally, if you're using the packet only in a 23L batch, it's usually not enough - and can introduce unwanted flavours (though underpitching for something like a weissbier introduces the wanted flavours) and just cause the whole thing to conk out.

 

[MrTwalky]

Welcome back mate! I echo what Kodos has already said. Also, get yourself a big pot (20L or more) and a big burner, 2 great items to launch you into the hobby again.

Also some resources, which you have probably already discovered:
- Brew Your Own at Home in Kambah - great shop and great help.
- The Wig and Pen - great beers (although they're moving soon, closer to ANU).
- BentSpoke Brewery in Braddon - soon to open and I'm already drooling. I saw condensation on the fonts today and I felt my heart beat just that little bit faster!

Twalky

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Welcome back mate! I echo what Kodos has already said. Also, get yourself a big pot (20L or more) and a big burner, 2 great items to launch you into the hobby again.

Or use your stovetop in the intervening period.

 

[malliemcg]

I currently use brew your own at home down at Kambah for my advice and supplies, great place.

Thanks for the feedback - I'll do some more research re: yeast and preparing prior to pitching, I've currently just been using the packets - my suspicion with the stout was a cold snap made it unhappy.

In the Pilsner (which is currently still bubbling albeit slowly) was 11gm of the S-189 yeast sprinkled on top ~19-20C, I did pour water in from a great height and a bit of vigorous stirring to get O2 into the wort at the beginning, and I'll take a few more measurements with the hygrometer over the coming days to see if it has stopped or is just progressing slowly.

 

[Steve]

Hi mallei - did you do the ESB stout to 18 litres or 23? Its recommended to do it to 18 litres. With that and the 200gms Choc that might explain the 1018. Not sure what ESB says is the recommended finishing gravity but Id bet that's why it was high.

What temp is the Pils sitting at with the S189? What kind of kit is it? Coopers, Morgans, ESB? If its at 1014 now leave it until the weekend and then take another reading to see where its at. If you take more readings there'll be nothing left to bottle!! Lager yeasts do take longer to ferment.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Bribie G]

Welcome to the forum, oh the slippery slippery slope

I'm coming up six years next month, started when Rudd was going to put a huge tax on wine casks and I reckoned I could produce alcohol uber cheap, so did a ghetto ginger beer that was very .. erm... effective.
I was in at the LHBS buying some yeast for my next lot and thought "Hmm... Coopers Stout... don't mind a stout..."

And so it began. I'd recommend joining a club, and also meeting up with guys on the forum especially on holiday, I've made some true long term friendships (not just Internet "likes" :huh: ) through clubs and AHB.

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

Welcome. Hope to see you at a Canberra Brewers meeting soon. Next month, we're doing a tasting of eight beers brewed for International Homebrew Day, each with a different two hop combination. I've tasted one of the brews - an extract brew- Scotty did what Pat suggested and subbed a small % for simple sugar and it's certainly dryer. I think it's a great beer, and he thinks it's the best beer he's ever made, so maybe give the technique a go.

Also, you may not know that we're hosting the Australian Amateur Brewing Comp and the Australian National Home brewing Conference this year - check out anhc.com.au for more info.

 

[yum beer]

Don't believe it hasn't been said, but have you tested your hydrometer in tap water to see how accurate it is.
Maybe its out a few points and thats why your FG is high.
Should read 1.000 in room temp tap water. If its out adjust your readings by same amount.
My hydro is 3 points under so it looks like my brews all finish dry.

 

[malliemcg]

Hi mallei - did you do the ESB stout to 18 litres or 23? Its recommended to do it to 18 litres. With that and the 200gms Choc that might explain the 1018. Not sure what ESB says is the recommended finishing gravity but Id bet that's why it was high.

What temp is the Pils sitting at with the S189? What kind of kit is it? Coopers, Morgans, ESB? If its at 1014 now leave it until the weekend and then take another reading to see where its at. If you take more readings there'll be nothing left to bottle!! Lager yeasts do take longer to ferment.

Cheers
Steve

The ESB stout I did to 18 litres I taste tested one last night (13 days - a bit early) and while carbonation is a little low (cooler weather I'd think), the flavour of it is fantastic.

The S189 was Morgans Golden Saaz Pilsner kit with CBW Pilsen Light pure malt extract spent the first few days up around 18C then has slowly dropped down to the 11-14C range. I was particularly hoping to rack it off today as I have access to some dry ice on Friday's which I was going to use a portion of to purge the O2 from the next fermenter. I suspect I'm being impatient.

Welcome. Hope to see you at a Canberra Brewers meeting soon. Next month, we're doing a tasting of eight beers brewed for International Homebrew Day, each with a different two hop combination. I've tasted one of the brews - an extract brew- Scotty did what Pat suggested and subbed a small % for simple sugar and it's certainly dryer. I think it's a great beer, and he thinks it's the best beer he's ever made, so maybe give the technique a go.

Also, you may not know that we're hosting the Australian Amateur Brewing Comp and the Australian National Home brewing Conference this year - check out anhc.com.au for more info.

I'll see how I go, thursday nights are usually pretty busy, but would be good to pop in every now and then and

Don't believe it hasn't been said, but have you tested your hydrometer in tap water to see how accurate it is.

I had not - tested it this morning and it reads spot on.

 

[Steve]

The ESB stout I did to 18 litres I taste tested one last night (13 days - a bit early) and while carbonation is a little low (cooler weather I'd think), the flavour of it is fantastic.

The S189 was Morgans Golden Saaz Pilsner kit with CBW Pilsen Light pure malt extract spent the first few days up around 18C then has slowly dropped down to the 11-14C range. I was particularly hoping to rack it off today as I have access to some dry ice on Friday's which I was going to use a portion of to purge the O2 from the next fermenter. I suspect I'm being impatient.


I'll see how I go, thursday nights are usually pretty busy, but would be good to pop in every now and then and


I had not - tested it this morning and it reads spot on.

Yes, 13 days is a tad early to try the stout but im glad it tastes good at this stage. It will improve over time. When you took the hydrometer reading did you draw off two lots and test the second one? The first one will have more yeast slurry and will possibly affect the reading.

Leave the Pils with the S189 alone and let it do its thing. Lager yeasts do take longer and its worth being patient. How long has it been fermenting? If its at 1014 now leave it a few more days and take another reading to see where its at.

Cheers
Steve

P.S. Hope your dogs chin gets better

 

[malliemcg]

Leave the Pils with the S189 alone and let it do its thing. Lager yeasts do take longer and its worth being patient. How long has it been fermenting? If its at 1014 now leave it a few more days and take another reading to see where its at.


P.S. Hope your dogs chin gets better

Will leave it alone until next weekend. I'm fortunate in that I got handed down a heap of equipment to add to my own, I now have three fermenters to play with. So I laid down the dutch lager last night (just popped the yeast in this morning as the wort got down to 12-15C overnight), so they're sitting next to each other I imagine the yeasts are arguing about which one is doing a better job. If it's going to take time for these lagers then time I'll give them. Winter won't last all that long and then I can focus my efforts and energy into some Ales.

(Beau's chin is getting better (and there was no damage to her feet/dew claw), if she'd stay away from wood it'd be better, but I don't think ACTPLA/TAMS would like it too much if I put up 3m high fences).