A fermented beverage where the majority of the fermentable sugars are derived from malted grains via mashing.
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3answers
232 views
Does beer contain cannabinols?
Fellow brewmasters! I have a curious question for you. A friend of mine tried to convince me that the beer high is not entirely caused by alcohol. In particular, his theory is that since hops and ...
4
votes
2answers
490 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
3answers
865 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 ...
6
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2answers
245 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 ...
5
votes
2answers
259 views
Hydrometer reading
I am getting ready to dry hop and transfer a Double IPA to a secondary Better Bottle. If I want to take a hydrometer reading at this time is it better to use a thief or just put the hydrometer in the ...
5
votes
2answers
286 views
Addition of hops to double IPA
When brewing a double IPA do I have to put the hops in steeping bag or do I just toss toss them in. This question applies to both the boiling phase and when I have to dry hop later!
6
votes
2answers
234 views
What elements are common to Shiner Bock and Real Ale's Fireman's #4?
Shiner Bock and Fireman's #4 both have this weird aftertaste that I can't stand. Any idea what they both have in common so I can avoid it?
EDIT: It's almost a slimy taste (I know slimy is not a ...
8
votes
5answers
728 views
How do you calculate a beer's nutrition facts?
How can I figure out a beer's nutrition facts when I've homebrewed?
It's not a sum of the ingredients any more, is it?
--EDIT--
So when I say "beer's nutrition facts" I means values like calories, ...
4
votes
3answers
491 views
How to avoid a boozy flavor in high-gravity beers
Many of the high-gravity commercial beers I taste end up coming off as boozy. What kinds of ingredients or processes will limit this flavor? I want to brew a big beer, perhaps in the 1.100 ...
1
vote
3answers
121 views
Will Adding an Active Mash to a Non-Active Mash Get Enzyme Activity Started Again?
Background: A friend of mine does ten gallon batches of big beers, so has a lot of grain. After mashing, his technique is to fly sparge with 170 degree water. I understand this shuts-down enzymatic ...
5
votes
4answers
857 views
Can an infection be identified by sight?
I brew ten-gallon batches of beer split into two fermentors. The last batch that I kegged had one infected fermentor, while one remained uninfected. One bucket showed a white powdery substance ...
16
votes
4answers
721 views
What happens in the bottle?
I often drink a bottle 2 or 3 days after bottling, and then often every day or 2 after that, and it's sometimes quite amazing to see those "rough edges" getting smoothed out.
Can someone explain what ...
8
votes
2answers
4k views
Am I required to refrigerate bottles after bottling?
My instructions that came with my kit said that I should let the bottles sit for 3 days, then age in the fridge for 10 days. If I don't refrigerate, will I get bottle bombs?
Advice on forums and ...
6
votes
4answers
1k views
Recover a brew that quit fermenting after I moved to secondary fermenter
I started my first batch of beer, a "Nut Brown Ale", 2 weeks ago. Its initial gravity was 1.040. As per the instructions, I siphoned the beer into the secondary fermenter (a glass carboy) after two ...
4
votes
2answers
352 views
Barleywine fermentation is slow. How can I speed it up?
My barley wine has been brewing for two weeks it should have be 1108 after 4-6 days its currently still fermenting at 1025.Its been at a constant temp of 22 degrees. However when yeast was added it ...
4
votes
1answer
125 views
Long cooling before pitching — aerate now or later?
This is a follow-up to this question: Long cooling before pitching -- read that for background.
I aerate to add oxygen to my wort by pouring back and forth between buckets. If I wait before ...
4
votes
2answers
429 views
What is the advantage of krausening?
Krausening seems to be a fair bit of work to the homebrewer with very little return. So, what advantages does krausening bring, other than not having to add any additional sugar to the beer for ...
3
votes
2answers
259 views
Transfer to secondary.
I am transfering my beer to a secondary fermenter (better bottle carboy). Do I need to shake or stir it to help the fermentation in the secondary!
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vote
1answer
178 views
Hydrometer reading
I am forgot to take a hydrometer reading when I put the beer into the primary fermenter. Can I take one when I transfer to the secondary and what will it tell me anyway?
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Can I use a Growler at bottling time and how long will the beer last in this.
I had a growler from a local brewery and filled it at bottling time. I made sure I sanatized the bottle and top. I did this to take a sample test before the three weeks of bottle time. Is this OK and ...
2
votes
4answers
488 views
What makes an addition good for a basic wheat beer?
My second batch of beer will be a basic wheat beer and I will rack half with peach puree and half without to see the difference.
I am looking for suggestions of other additives for wheat beer. ...
7
votes
1answer
242 views
Victory v. Biscuit malt
Are there flavor differences between these two malts?
How can each be described?
I have used them both but often in complicated recipes, and never side by side for comparison.
How is each produced?
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votes
5answers
1k views
What class of beer is Newcastle, and what do I need to brew my own?
I like Newcastle, and now I would like to brew some.
What class / style of beer is Newcastle?
Where does it get its brown color?
Are there any kits out there that would give pretty close results?
4
votes
3answers
528 views
Munich and Vienna Malts - Dullness
I don't have a whole lot of experience (I've been brewing all-grain for less than a year) but I've found that every beer I've made with Munich or Vienna malt (usually 2 - 4 pounds in a 6-gallon batch) ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
Do I need to sterilize my top-off water?
I just purchased my first kit and am about to brew it (tonight!).
The instructions provided indicate that after cooling the wort and tranfering it to the sanitized carboy I need to top it off with ...
5
votes
1answer
210 views
Ramping temperatures during fermentation
What is the appropriate way to ramp temper when say brewing a Belgian beer?
Would I expect to have off flavors from the higher temps?
What's the best range for ramping?
Do I actively manage the temp ...
7
votes
4answers
919 views
Performing a hop boil seperate from the wort boil.
I'm curious to try some single-hop style beers and would like to do several varieties in one brew day. My ideal situation would be to make a five gallon batch of an unhopped pale ale as the base and ...
8
votes
2answers
317 views
At what point can a beer be called organic?
A lot of the homebrew I make is made with organic ingredients - organic grain and hops. However, I have never come across organic yeast (!?) or irish moss. Can I rightly call this beer organic, or ...
5
votes
3answers
452 views
Does flaked rye need conversion?
I'm looking to make a rye pale ale. Do I need to provide enough base grains to convert the starches in flaked rye or is it capable of self conversion? If it needs conversion, would 6 lbs of 6-row work ...
8
votes
5answers
793 views
Long cooling before pitching
Summer brewing means warmer tap water, which means that my immersion chiller can only cool the wort to about 75 degrees. I typically cool the wort to 68 degrees before pitching. I have a ...
9
votes
1answer
450 views
Is it possible to boil wort too quickly?
I recently picked up this burner and was excited to use it to bring my wort to a boil. I had it cranked up pretty high and it took about 15 minutes to bring 6 gallons of wort to a rolling boil in a ...
14
votes
2answers
5k views
What's the difference between 2-row and 6-row malt?
I know the difference has to do with how the grains grow on the stock, but I'm not completely sure what that difference is. It also seems like 2-row is more commonly used as a base malt, but I've seen ...
5
votes
2answers
386 views
Bubbling suddenly stopped - is this a problem?
This is my second home brew. I chose "Coopers Mexican Cerveza" with "Muntons Beer Enhancer".
It's only day 4 out of 7 weeks but on the second day, the whole bin warmed slightly and there was a lot ...
3
votes
1answer
534 views
How much Malto Dextrine or Cara Pils is needed to mimic higher mash temps?
So from what I've read, a lot of professional brewers mash all their beers at the same temps (usually around 150F), and use ingredients to adjust the "body" or "sweetness" of the final beers. At their ...
7
votes
1answer
954 views
When using whole hops, do you need a larger amount than you would hop pellets to achieve the same bitterness?
I have read that whole hops impart less bitterness than pellet hops by weight. I have used pellet hops for all of my brews thus far. I have a recipe that I am happy with, and I want to switch to ...
10
votes
10answers
1k views
How to get clearer and more clarified home-brewed beers?
I'm still pretty new to home-brewing, but I've got a couple of extract kits under my belt so far and I was wondering how I could get more clarified beers. I've used both Irish moss and Whirlfloc ...
3
votes
3answers
190 views
Any difference between lagering dubbel at 36F versus 45-50F?
I have a Belgian Dubbel bottle conditioning, the recipe for which came from Brewing Classic Styles. For this recipe, Jamil says to carbonate the beer, then lager for one month at 45-50F. I have the ...
3
votes
1answer
557 views
What flavor does rye impart to beer?
Can someone describe the flavor that beer made partly with rye adds to beer?
6
votes
2answers
162 views
Needs to be mashed
I recently had a debate with a brewing buddy of mine about malts that "need to be mashed".
For instance victory malt is listed in Palmers "How to Brew" as being in the needs to be mashed column. I ...
4
votes
4answers
389 views
What type of beers stand up to temperature variation during fermentation?
I've just moved from a Condo into a house, where I am now paying for heat.
In the area that my Domestic Sergeant Major has permitted me to brew in, the temperature varies from 16° to 21° C throughout ...
4
votes
2answers
544 views
Using Granular Yeast in a Lager
Will dry yeast do any good when brewing a lager or is it necessary that you use a liquid one? I am talking about making some kind of starter with the yeast, not just pitching it into the fermenter. ...
3
votes
3answers
844 views
What causes the lack of head formation/retention in my Belgian beers?
I just finished brewing a series of 5 Belgian beers, and at least 3 of them have exhibited problems with head formation and retention. I haven't tried the last 2 beers yet, so I can't say if those ...
6
votes
4answers
1k views
IPA recipe left very sweet, little bitterness or aroma
Very new brewer here, and I recently tried a generic IPA recipe doled out by my LHBS, and it ended up very sweet with little bitterness or hop aroma. The recipe is here:
...
7
votes
3answers
742 views
What about an Unfiltered IPA makes it unfiltered?
I recently tried an unfiltered IPA that was fantastic! I'm a newbie homebrewer and would like to take a shot at one. What makes an IPA unfiltered? Can I take any IPA recipe and modify it to be ...
4
votes
2answers
145 views
Covering your beer during conditioning…??
My first batch is conditioning at room temp right now. I used brown bottles, but threw in a few greens and two cleat just for experimentation..... I have them in a fairly dark room but also covered ...
2
votes
3answers
400 views
wild yeast taking over?
I brewed a belgian triple last week. I had a starter going using white labs trapist yeast but it didn't take off, must have been a bad vial. In the meantime the batch was sitting in the carboy ...
5
votes
2answers
485 views
Advice on Fruit Extract for Wheat beers?
Thinking about picking up one of those little bottles of fruit flavorings to add to a batch of wiezenbier... looking for suggestions on
1. If they are any good and if they are easy to use
2/ ...
3
votes
2answers
272 views
What could cause an earthy flavour in beer?
I've just tried the first bottle from a batch of APA I brewed and it has a very distinct (and unpleasant) earthy / peaty flavour. Reminiscent of healthy soil. The beer also finishes with a very ...
6
votes
2answers
205 views
When adding grain to mash tun for second runnings, how long should I let the new grain mash?
This probably illustrates my lack of knowledge about mashing in general, but I'm going to brew a barleywine with first runnings, and a stout with the second runnings. I'm going to be adding 1 pound ...
8
votes
2answers
204 views
Differences in various Maltster's 2-Row
How much flavor variation exists for 2-row malted barley from different malsters? For example, how different is 2-row malt from Rahr, Briess, Canada Malting, Malteurop other than price?
