Noob questions

[koshari]

How clear? Post a photo.
I don't get all this reluctance to use finings,

will tonight when i get home from work . will even use a clear glass as my go to schooners are frosted finish.

it's hardly difficult and the difference they make is huge

how much is huge!!!

 

[mtb]

how much is huge!!!

Enough that I've never seen someone regret using finings after giving them a go (and doing it properly, mind you). The clarity improvement is remarkable. Keen to see how you go without them though, your processes may lend themselves to super clear beer and in that case you'd have done very well.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

I tried finnings once...just once

You can get really clear beer consistently if you try hard enough

 

[Ben Hardman]

3 fermenters going atm cider for the mrs, amber ale and apa. 2 batches bottled already and both tasted great out of the fermenter. Looking to go BIAG probably after xmas.

 

[koshari]

Beer

• koshari
• 5/11/17

clear enough for my liking

 

[mtb]

clear enough for my liking

If to your liking - good. It's an impressively clear beer.
My original point remains though; telling someone to not bother with finings without advising why isn't helpful. OP appears to be after crystal-clear clarity and that's simply easy to achieve with a squirt of biofine, I don't know of an easier method but happy to be directed to one.

 

[koshari]

Fair enuf. Iam not discounting finnings just pointing out that other methods can acheive reasonable results... i didnt see where he wanted crystal clear results.

 

[Garfield]

My original point remains though; telling someone to not bother with finings without advising why isn't helpful. OP appears to be after crystal-clear clarity and that's simply easy to achieve with a squirt of biofine, I don't know of an easier method but happy to be directed to one.

Fair call, he did ask for advice on clearing beer. By all means go for it.

It seems the point made by a few brewers here is to focus your education on making good beer first then fine tune skills like clarifying once your happy with your product.

In any case, not debating the desire for clear beer. Its just not a priority for my beers.

 

[koshari]

also the op is bottling so cold crashing a keg isnt an option. I would also wonder if he was priming the bottles? This will always lead to a little bit of sediment as the priming sugars ferment. Care will then need to be exercised when decanting from the bottle not to dosterb the sediment ring.

 

[Lachlan Helbig]

Gelatin works wonders I find, even if bottling. This isn't really a viable without a fermentation fridge, but it reduces the amount of sediment in the bottle substantially and if you store them in the fridge upright you can pour crystal clear beer. Probably the single best brewing investment I ever made was a brewing fridge and temperature controller, they really take things up a notch.

 

[Ben Hardman]

If to your liking - good. It's an impressively clear beer.
My original point remains though; telling someone to not bother with finings without advising why isn't helpful. OP appears to be after crystal-clear clarity and that's simply easy to achieve with a squirt of biofine, I don't know of an easier method but happy to be directed to one.

Thanks mate, loads on here love dumping what they don't like with zero explanation. Really unhelpful to the point of being rude.

 

[Ben Hardman]

also the op is bottling so cold crashing a keg isnt an option. I would also wonder if he was priming the bottles? This will always lead to a little bit of sediment as the priming sugars ferment. Care will then need to be exercised when decanting from the bottle not to dosterb the sediment ring.

Yeah mate am priming as I would imagine most noobs are.

Understand a bit of sediment to the bottom is to be expected but most will stay in bottles if could conditioned in a fridge for a week which will be my usual plan.

 

[Ben Hardman]

Moved fermentor to bench tonight to check final g ofcourse but that little movement has set airlock off again remembering slow start of 3 days is 7 days usual for safale us05 to be kicking.

 

[mtb]

Don't assume anything just from airlock activity.
Take a hydrometer reading, check again in a day or so, if it's the same then the batch is done.

 

[Ben Hardman]

Thanks mate will give a burl.

 

[Ben Hardman]

Good grief og of 1.041 - 1.7kg Thomas amber ale kit, 1.5kgs of liquid malt, 200g steeped amber grain, 1.012 just measured not even 4% alcohol, whilst I don't want to brew moonshine I am hoping for healthy 4.5% alcohol minimum and preferably 5% for most brews.

Weirdly did Coopers Canadian blonde, Coopers Brew enhancer 2, and 200g light grain got a solid reading of 1.051, am hoping for FG of 1.010 using Safale Us05

Do I need to add some dextrose or such with the malt to give it a bit of a boost?

Will the carb drops atleast boost me too 4.2% or such?

 

[koshari]

Good grief og of 1.041 - 1.7kg Thomas amber ale kit, 1.5kgs of liquid malt, 200g steeped amber grain, 1.012 just measured not even 4% alcohol, whilst I don't want to brew moonshine I am hoping for healthy 4.5% alcohol minimum and preferably 5% for most brews.

remember that the hydrometer is only accurate at its calibrated temperature, and for other temps an offset is to be used, check the online brew calculator,
https://www.brewersfriend.com/hydrometer-temp/
also its possible that the batch is still brewing, you need to measure consecutive days to see if the fermentation has stopped, personally I just have it at least 2 weeks, lets more of the yeast fall out of suspension before racking for secondary.

Do I need to add some dextrose or such with the malt to give it a bit of a boost?

better yet use LME or wheat malt extract instead, also check out Ians extract spreadsheet for a good guide on how much to add for specific results, https://aussiehomebrewer.com/threads/kit-and-extract-beer-spreadsheet.29655/

Will the carb drops at least boost me too 4.2% or such?

.2-.4 are figures the spreadsheet adds for bottle conditioning depending on if you bulk prime so you could even get up to 4.4.

 

[Ben Hardman]

Cheers mate reckon shes still going accidently didnt leave enough fermentors so cant rack this bugger will check in a couple of days again as still loads of condensation on lid. Tasted great out of hydrometre very rich.

 

[Garfield]

Sounds like you've got a winner under way there.

1041 sounds about right for those ingredients if I remember my kit days correctly. I also never found attenuation to be as good when using lots of extract. 1012 wouldn't be a failure for a malt driven brew in any case.

IMHO go light on the dextrose - its fermentability is high but you may be introducing undesirable flavours as well.