A fermented beverage where the majority of the fermentable sugars are derived from malted grains via mashing.
2
votes
5answers
814 views
The cheapest way to start brewing
I want to start brewing, but I also like to keep my spending in check. Are there any methods or ways to craft a quality brew while not breaking the bank?
Are some hops cheaper than others? Cheaper ...
3
votes
2answers
438 views
Sparge volume for batch sparging a partial mash
First off:
I realize there are a few somewhat related questions but I think my question will be specific enough to justify it's own question. Specifically this question, but I'm not looking for an ...
6
votes
1answer
379 views
Nothing visible happening in fermenter after three and a half days - what should I do?
My first brew has been in the primary fermenter for three and a half days (brewed Saturday night, it's now Wednesday morning). It's in a plastic bucket fermenter with an airlock. There are no bubbles ...
5
votes
1answer
337 views
Substituting American Two-Row for British Pale Ale Malt
I would like to brew Jamil's Dry Stout from Brewing Classic Styles, which calls for "British pale ale malt," but I happen to have about 75 lbs of 2-row malt already, and I would like to use it.
Can I ...
2
votes
1answer
113 views
If some of the yeast doesn't get into the fermenter does it matter?
I just made my first home brew. I have learned many lessons including that if I move the fermenter to its resting place after I add the yeast some of the yeast gets stuck to the glass, and I can't ...
3
votes
3answers
2k views
How long can homebrew stay in the primary fermenter?
I just put down my first brew and should have bottled it last week but had something come up. How long will it be good for?
If I bottle it this weekend will it still be good or is there something I ...
1
vote
2answers
229 views
Mixing Wheat and IPA for WOW
So did a tour of Odells with a buddy and his son. During the tour his son asked, "Do you ever mix all the beers into one?" The guide said, "Like a suicide beer? Yes, we've been know to experiment. The ...
1
vote
5answers
3k views
How do you make a sweeter beer?
Since the yeast will burn sugar away generating alcohol & CO2 for as long as it can (until the % by volume makes the brew toxic, killing the yeast off), just adding more sugar doesn't seem to the ...
4
votes
1answer
679 views
How long should I leave my wheat beer in bottles before opening
So far the beer has been in primary fermentation for 11 days, and in bottles now for 4 days.
When would you expect the beer would hit optimum flavor and when will it be drinkable/pleasant?
Thanks.
9
votes
4answers
3k views
Why is a carboy used for secondary fermentation?
It seems like you could a second bucket for the secondary fermentation. Is there any drawback to not using a carboy for this purpose?
0
votes
2answers
284 views
Waiting to pitch yeast?
I came across a couple similar questions, but not exactly what I was looking for.
I only have a short period where I have time to brew, but my starter isn't ready and some cooling equipment. Are ...
1
vote
1answer
367 views
Kolsch fermentation temps and schedule
I'm brewing a Kolsch beer for the first time with a pretty straight forward recipe using WLP029 yeast. I've only brewed basic ales so far and I'm confused about the fermentation temps and times for ...
0
votes
2answers
121 views
Eisbock chunk thawed
It seemed a waste not to bottle my previously frozen ice chunk left over from an Eisbock recipe. It had all the smell and flavor and was a bit darker. Has anyone ever bottled their ice from icebock? ...
3
votes
2answers
542 views
Added yeast to boiling water
first time brewer... I stuffed up and added yeast to just boiled water with the malt and sugar. Is there any chance the yeast will have survived or should I just bin it and start again? Thanks!
0
votes
2answers
712 views
Expert opinions on brewing beer from bread (If an expert were to use this method)
I found this link the other day on how to make beer from stale bread. It seems like it is legitimately working, but at the same time, it doesn't seem very clear on it's alcohol adjustments. My goal is ...
1
vote
2answers
514 views
Pilsner vs 2 Row
I've searched around, but I still would like an elaborate review on the difference in taste between these two base malts. Only interested in North American varieties, also.
I'm not sure what ...
3
votes
2answers
110 views
Fill water in primary
When I am finished with the brew and want to top it off in the primary fermenter to make it an even 5 gallons. What type of water can I use. Can I use Jugs of purfied water from the store?
3
votes
4answers
373 views
Bad “Canned Meat” smell after bottling, and briefly mid-fermentation
I've had an ongoing problem for the last several months that never used to happen: My brew smells pretty normal during fermentation, except midway through, it changes from the normal US-05 yeast ...
2
votes
1answer
200 views
Is there a simple rule of thumb for OG and fermentation time?
I just brewed my 5th batch, but for the first time didn't use a kit, but an online recipe. So now, I have no idea of how long to keep it in the fermenter before bottling. From what I understand, a ...
4
votes
2answers
222 views
Aging a beer bottled from the keg
I have a Russian Imperial Stout that I want to age for a full year. I currently have it in kegs, uncarbonated. I like to bottle from kegs that have been force carbonated due to the lack of sediment ...
5
votes
1answer
194 views
Emptying bottles into a keg
I have about 3 gallons worth of IPA that are sitting in bottles. I just got a new 5 gallon keg and I really want to use it. Would it be a good idea to empty my bottles into the keg or is this ...
1
vote
2answers
307 views
Brew Hack - What Can I Make with These Ingredients?
I have some leftover ingredients that are just going to go bad as I won't be making any brew for awhile.
What I have:
~1 lb Carafa III crushed malted barley
Several Packets of Dry Champagne Yeast
...
1
vote
2answers
69 views
Which Beer magazines can I get in Europe - Czech Republic?
I am looking for reasonable prices for magazines, which can be send over to Czech Republic. I need English written ones and they should be about beers, brewing etc.
Do you know about any good ones not ...
5
votes
2answers
272 views
Thick head on Double IPA
My double IPA when poured into a glass has a thick foamy head that remains there the entire time I drink it. Is this good or bad? The beer tastes great!
3
votes
1answer
242 views
What are the best practices for using a wine degasser to aerate wort for beer?
I have a wine degasser, which is a bit like an egg-beater for a power drill. It aerates wort extremely well but I don't have a good rule of thumb for how to tell when enough is enough.
Should I:
...
4
votes
1answer
112 views
Are there any particular steps to fixing a batch of beer with extra trub / hot-break, or should it settle (as best as possible) on its own?
I made a silly mistake using a wine degasser to aerate my wort. After cooling the wort I aerated in the brew-kettle, with trub/hot-break still present, rather than racking to a carboy before ...
5
votes
2answers
486 views
Will beer keep in a cask if used gradually?
I've read that beer should keep in a cask for months, but does that only apply if left full? How long do I have to finish once I start drinking from it?
8
votes
3answers
371 views
Suggestions for cheap recipes
I would like to create a recipe (or recipes) that is fairly cheap and will serve as a session beer that I can drink when I just want a beer in the evening, and I'm not particularly choosy about what ...
6
votes
1answer
182 views
What are some good homebrewing magazines?
What is a great brewing magazine?
Why do you like it?
What does it do well?
Why is it better than the others?
3
votes
2answers
173 views
Keeping my pale ale “pale”
I brew from extract, boiling on an electric stove (in an apartment). Every beer I've brewed has been darker than I expected, which isn't an issue most of the time as I generally prefer darker ...
1
vote
2answers
905 views
When using campden tablets to dechlorinate water, how much sulfite makes it into the final beer?
I have a friend who is allergic to sulfites in wine, so he sticks to drinking beer. I use campden tablets to dechlorinate my water, at a rate of one tablet per 10 gallons. How much sulfite makes it ...
5
votes
9answers
2k views
Types of bottles I can use for beer
Can I use my old water bottles to bottle my beer? Like Dasani or Aquafina type water bottles.
1
vote
2answers
279 views
Yeast on primary fermenting foam [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Day 2 of Primary Fermentation of beer
Is this what it should look like day 2? I sprinkled the yeast on top yesterday, and today it looks like it foamed a bit and looks ...
1
vote
1answer
296 views
Day 2 of Primary Fermentation of beer
Is this what my primary fermentation should look like after a day???
It looks like my yeast has been sitting on top of foam..
6
votes
2answers
750 views
What effect does cooling, then warming have on finished beer?
The common wisdom I have known is that cooling, warming, then cooling beer again would cause it to "skunk." I now know that skunky flavors are typically the result of exposure to light, not ...
4
votes
2answers
671 views
How long will recipe kits with the yeast keep fresh?
I use recipe kits to brew five gallon batches of homebrew and would like to purchase a kit and keep it around during the winter to have when we are snowbound. My question is how long will they be good ...
5
votes
3answers
178 views
Where did the hops go?
A few weeks ago, I pulled some of an IPA I was making and force carbonated it so my friend and I could try some. While it was not the bitterest I have tasted, it was definitely an IPA. I bottled the ...
5
votes
3answers
223 views
Autosiphon not sealing
While racking beer to kegs today, my autosiphon started leaking air. Bubbles started at the bottom, and went throughout the tube. I assume that this is due to a poor seal between the pump portion ...
6
votes
1answer
126 views
Coriander steep technique
If I crack or grind coriander for a steep at the end of a boil, will it settle out or should I pour through a strainer when transferring to to primary? Should I add before or after flameout?
4
votes
2answers
242 views
Increasing Malt Aroma
How does one get more malt aroma out of a recipe?
If I want more roasty aroma I know I can add more roasted malt. But eventually, there is appoint where I can't have too much or the recipe itself ...
6
votes
2answers
325 views
Are residual starches bad for the beer?
I was reading another question here and it appears that the consensus is that the iodine test isn't all that useful if your recipe is good. But, while reading through everything, I had a thought: if ...
11
votes
3answers
953 views
What are the advantages and disadvantages of transferring to a secondary vs. a long primary?
The conventional wisdom in homebrewing has been challenged in recent years. This wisdom held that a beer should be transferred from the primary fermentation vessel to a secondary one after 7-10 days. ...
8
votes
2answers
402 views
Fruit Beer: When to rack to secondary?
Right now, I'm working on a peach wheat beer. I pitched about 5 days ago now, and the airlock stopped bubbling yesterday. I'm going to do a gravity reading later on today to see if it's finished. My ...
7
votes
2answers
405 views
Carastan substitute?
I recently brewed a recipe that called for Carastan malt. My LHBS didn't carry it, so I just used 40 L Crystal. In the finished beer, I'm missing the toffee and toastiness found in the original. Does ...
4
votes
2answers
475 views
How do I get larger bubbles in my finished beer?
I keg and force carbonate, and my beer has really fine bubbles. Is there something that I can do (turn up the pressure, maybe) that will give me larger, coarser bubbles in the finished beer? Thanks!
5
votes
1answer
143 views
Berliner Weisse not souring
About 6 weeks ago, I made a simple Berliner Weisse. When I put it into primary, I pitched both yeast and the lactobacillus. It's been sitting in the primary ever since.
Yesterday, I took a taste ...
5
votes
3answers
818 views
Belgian candi sugar v. Table sugar
I am planning a Belgian Dubbel for an upcoming session. Many recipes make use of belgian candy sugar and there are some very nice syrups available now. But I was wondering if there really was a ...
5
votes
0answers
189 views
Bottle-priming post secondary fining? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Cold Crash and Finings
As mentioned in this question, I'm anticipating some trouble with a low-flocculating yeast, and one of the suggestions was to use gelatin for ...
3
votes
2answers
164 views
Will a cold steep extract the necessary elements from adjunct grains?
I'm wanting to brew a dry stout, but I am trying to save myself some time, so I am using extract, and ran across some discussions on cold steeping specialty malts. I'm fairly certain that a ~24h ...
6
votes
2answers
234 views
Clarification for a low-flocculating yeast
I'm brewing a batch using WY2565 Kolsch which mentions that is low-flocculating and that it "remain in suspension post fermentation. It requires filtration or additional settling time to produce ...
