Vic 2013 Xmas in July Swap - Recipe thread

[Yob]

I'd be making a starter yes..

Got mine down to under 1020, had to pitch the next day as the 10l cube didn't seal properly..

Must clean the little party keg today in readiness..

 

[technobabble66]

Hey
I've had my 15L's (?) fermenting away w some WLP004 Irish ale yeast for 6 days now. Just down to an occasional bubble. Not checked current SG yet.

Now, i'm O/S for 18 days as of next tuesday. Assuming FG is reached before next tuesday, is it better to bottle & leave it to condition entirely in the bottle, or should i leave it in the fermenter to condition there for an extra 3 weeks, then bottle & continue conditioning in bottles??

I'm currently planning on leaving it in the ferm until i get back, as it seems the consensus is generally to leave brews in the ferm for an extra week or so anyway. But i just thought i'd double check.

BTW, it's smelling & tasting awesome from the ferm tap. V V tasty spread of malty goodness with a decent but balanced bitterness. Can't wait to try it in several weeks time after more conditioning & carbing. :super:
Apparently 11 stuck sparges & manticle soaking his hands in mash for an hour doesn't negatively affect the beer...

 

[manticle]

If you reach fg a few days before you go, keep it at ferment temp till the day before then put in a cube, tighten the lid and place in the fridge at 0-2 deg c

 

[technobabble66]

I could certainly put 10L in a cube (risk of infection?) & hopefully squeeze that into the fridge while gone, & bottle the remaining few litres.
But why?

I assume it's not for basic storage. I thought it'd be perfectly fine in the fermenter for the next 3 weeks under the CO2 in the vessel.

I'm under the impression that sort of lagering is to clarify the beer. Does it do other stuff to improve the beer also? I'm assuming clarifying a pitch black stout is not important.

Is it to get the beer away from the yeast cake on the bottom - autolysis taints, etc? I was hoping that wouldn't be an issue with only an extra 3 weeks. If it's a big problem, is there much to be gained from lagering as opposed to just bottling & be done with it.

Keen to learn

 

[manticle]

I recommended the cube because it will take the beer off the yeast, proteins etc and if you leave it at ferment temps for a few days after fg, the yeast will have done its job. Risk of autolysis is pretty minor but I have found that extended contact can lead to some undesirable flavours in the finished beer ( meaty, yeasty, etc). This is minimised in the cold so in fermenter would still likely be ok.

Other reason for the cube is you can seal it. Unless your fermenter is sealed completely with bugger all headspace it's got some risk of oxidation. Not huge but some. Co2 is no longer being produced and while it might continue to come out of solution (temp dependent) it won't be as protective as the blanket formed during active fermentation. Oxygen favours things like acetobacter.

Infection is a pretty small risk if your techniques are good.
Finally cold conditioning has effects on dropping stuff out of solution which makes beer taste better and cleaner, style dependent.
A clear looking stout tastes better than a yeasty, murky one, beer matures with time and cold ******* staling reactions.

Your fermenter for 3 weeks on the garage floor at this time of the year for 3 weeks will likely be fine - cubing and cc'ing is just what I would do prefetentially.

 

[user 25501]

You guys were right. Thought my fermenter was large enough. Got home tonight and she's blown her stack. I'm going to clean the mess on the top and replace the air-lock. Will this be adequate? Should I just relax and have a homebrew?....


Just replaced the fermenter, bubbling vigorously. Cleaned the mess. Maybe its not as serious as I first thought.

 

[manticle]

Clean, sanitise, replace - all good.

 

[user 25501]

Bugger, it's already cleared the 2nd airlock, same mess back on lid. I'm concerned air's getting in now. I've just read it's probably good to do a blowoff tube. I haven't got a tube the right diameter to create this solution. I've loosened the lid to relieve some pressure. I keeps spewing the starsan back out of the air lock. I'm going to relax. I'll Check it before bed and re-clean.
I think I'll pick up some hose on the way home from work tomorrow and make a blow off vessel if necessary. I'm guessing high krausen will may be backing off by then though.

 

[manticle]

It's actively producing and releasing co2 at this point so just keep cleaning as needed. It will settle.

 

[Charst]

took a sample tonight. Pitched 2.5L of wyyest 3864 Unibroue into mine on sunday after Swap.
Dropped like a bomb 1012. I'll check it tomorrow again prior to CC for a week.

Strong Roast coffee notes on the nose, sweet up front and dry finish. maybe a touch a astringency but lets hold off till the beers been in botle month ive learnt a lot can happen between now and then (saison).


if blokes are localish id love to swap a bottle of the swap beer at some point.

 

[Wolfman]

if blokes are localish id love to swap a bottle of the swap beer at some point.

Just may take you up on that.

 

[meathead]

I'd be making a starter yes....

Do I buy a 2 litre flask to make a 1 litre starter?

 

[breakbeer]

a 2 litre soft drink bottle will do the trick

 

[meathead]

But if I get a flask can't i do everything in the one vessel?

 

[breakbeer]

Not sure what you mean by 'everything'??

you're just trying to get the yeast active before pitching into your wort, the 'vessel' can be an expensive Erlenmayer flask, a PET Coke bottle or even a longneck

 

[meathead]

But you can't boil water in a pet bottle plus I would have to sanitize it and funnel
Really my question is, is a 1 litre starter in a 2 litre container the way to go for a 20 litre batch

 

[breakbeer]

right, I get ya now, you wanna boil it in the flask and pitch once the temp drops. If you don't have a stir plate I like the idea of a longneck coz you can give it a good shake every now & then

check out www.mrmalty.com for a yeast pitching calculator

 

[manticle]

You can make a 2 L starter in a 2 L flask which is what I'd be looking at for this.
Mine's at 1020 and tastes like chocolate muesli. Oats are very distinct.
Will bottle one for vicbrew and keg the rest fairly soon.

 

[breakbeer]

Will bottle one for vicbrew.......

That's awesome! Would love to know how it goes

p.s. I haven't forgotten about your spoon, just trying to get over that way

 

[manticle]

If it goes well I'll let everyone know.

If it goes **** I'll keep really, really quiet and hope no-one ever asks.