Questions tagged [techniques]

Ways of using tools and tricks to accomplish a task. May refer to any portion of work during any stage in the brewing or fermenting process.

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15 answers
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Too long in Primary Fermentation?

What's the maximum amount of time for primary fermentation, assuming the beer is going straight to bottles next? Will it over ferment and then fail to carbonate, if left too long in a carboy?
tbeseda's user avatar
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33 votes
12 answers
41k views

How to add fruit to beer

What is the best way to add fruit to a beer? I'm afraid boiling it will break down the fruit too much (a muslin bag could fix this I guess), but I'm not sure how to add it to the fermenter without ...
thaddeusmt's user avatar
22 votes
4 answers
12k views

How to Properly Oxygenate Wort

How much oxygen do I need to put into my wort? I've heard that homebrewers need to aerate with an oxygen stone and either aquarium pumps or oxygen. Is this true, or is shaking my carboy enough to ...
Brandon's user avatar
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24 votes
2 answers
2k views

Partial vs. Full Volume Wort Boil

The starting position for most new extract brewers is to use a partial boil set up. Defined as using a pot smaller than the intended batch size, all the ingredients are boiled in a smaller volume. ...
brewchez's user avatar
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21 votes
8 answers
617 views

Brewing with a deadline

Occasionally I need to brew beer for an event, and I procrastinate. One time, I brewed a pretty hefty IPA, and went from boil to bottle (keg, actually) in about 10 days. It was pretty malty, ...
hookedonwinter's user avatar
18 votes
4 answers
6k views

Should I ferment a new batch directly on the yeast cake generated by the previous batch?

I'm going to re-use the yeast cake from a low-gravity batch to ferment a high-gravity batch. Can I just put the wort directly on it? Does it then need to be agitated? Is it worth the risk of ...
Rich Armstrong's user avatar
25 votes
5 answers
3k views

Reusing yeast at home

Reusing yeast at home is something I'm incredibly interested in, but haven't found the time to learn enough about it just yet. What are the basic steps for harvesting, cultivating, or whatever other ...
hookedonwinter's user avatar
23 votes
7 answers
1k views

About going all-grain

I have made 7 or 8 extract brews over the past year and am interested in moving up to all-grain. What equipment is needed, and what steps are added to the process.
Aaron's user avatar
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19 votes
6 answers
19k views

What's the difference between primary & secondary fermentation?

Over here PJ asked "How do you differentiate primary to secondary if you keep it in the same bucket?"
Dean Brundage's user avatar
16 votes
2 answers
33k views

What is wet hopping and how does it differ from dry?

Specifically what types of beer would you use wet hopping for and how does it affect the flavor/process differently than dry hopping a beer?
chrisst's user avatar
  • 381
12 votes
5 answers
22k views

Can I use wine yeast to ferment beer?

Can I use wine yeast to ferment a beer? What sort of problems might I encounter that are unique to wine yeast trying to ferment malt sugars? What sort of flavor differences might I encounter?
baka's user avatar
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9 votes
2 answers
2k views

Gelatin for clearer beer

Does gelatin work for clarifying beer? If so: How much do you use? When do you add it? How do you prepare it? (Do you boil it in water? How much water to dissolve the gelatin?)
Arlo427's user avatar
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6 votes
13 answers
7k views

How do you prevent boil-overs?

This is a shill question for Mark Taylor. I stumbled on his great tip about keeping a spray bottle on hand to prevent boil-overs while looking for advice on yeast re-use. The spray bottle worked ...
Rich Armstrong's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
351 views

recapping my bottles? Will it ruin the outcome of my beer?

I bottled my first batch of homebrew and didnt fill the bottles all the way. So the next day I opened the bottles and poured some more beer into them and recapped them.. I this going to mess up the ...
Jason T..'s user avatar
  • 301
44 votes
18 answers
6k views

Improving Your Brewing Significantly

I made this wiki to allow folks to post what upgrades in process or equipement really take one's beer brewing to the next level. The bottle-necks to better and better brewing if you will. (This was ...
19 votes
1 answer
13k views

Why is it bad to pitch too much yeast?

What are the effects of over-pitching? Where is the line for, say, a 1.050 beer? There is also a question for to under-pitching.
Rich Armstrong's user avatar
18 votes
1 answer
14k views

What is a hopback?

How do you use it? What does it do? Do you pass finished wort through it hot or cold?
brewchez's user avatar
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17 votes
10 answers
19k views

Sanitizing oak chips

Going to try using dry oak chips in my secondary fermenter. How do you recommend sanitizing the chips before adding them?
WayneTheTrain's user avatar
16 votes
12 answers
22k views

Is it important to weigh down a hop bag for dry-hopping?

If so, what kind of weight should I use? Should it be enough to sink the bag to the bottom of the carboy?
Joe Lencioni's user avatar
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13 votes
2 answers
1k views

How do I make a Yeast Starter?

I know I should be using a Yeast Starter so that I can make sure I have enough, healthy yeast, but I've never managed to go around to it. How would I start a yeast starter? How long before brewday ...
sgwill's user avatar
  • 4,160
12 votes
6 answers
14k views

How long do sanitized bottles keep?

If you sanitize a bunch of bottles and store them upside down on a tree or in a box (still upside down); how long can you store them like that before you feel the need to resanitize them? Is there a ...
brewchez's user avatar
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11 votes
4 answers
7k views

Using Multiple Strains of Yeast in the Same Batch?

I've been thinking about this recently, so I figured I'd ask it here. Is there any reason you couldn't use two strains of yeast in the same batch of beer? For a particularly high gravity amber ale, ...
WhatsBillDoing's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
227 views

Should the late addition portion of a recipe be altered based on immersion, counterflow, whirlpooling techiques?

When it comes to late addition hops (or other late aeromatics), it seems to me that there might be significant differences in aroma extraction / utilization as the brewer executes different chilling ...
Dale's user avatar
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11 votes
2 answers
13k views

Proper Way to Store Yeast

What is the proper way and temperature to store yeast?
corymathews's user avatar
  • 1,167
11 votes
1 answer
3k views

How do you pitch additional yeast for bottling?

This is a follow on to my other question about when you would need to pitch additional yeast for bottle conditioning. Assuming you know that you need to pitch more yeast before bottling to ensure ...
JackSmith's user avatar
  • 6,433
11 votes
6 answers
2k views

Shorter Brew Day

For all grain brewers, what part of the brew session lends itself best to shortening the total brew session. Time is tight for me these days and shortening up the brew session a bit will certainly ...
brewchez's user avatar
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9 votes
2 answers
2k views

Dry hopping without secondary fermentation

I have so far only done bottom-fermented beers without transferring into a second vessel for secondary fermentation. If I wanted to do some dry hopping with this technique, when is the best time to ...
Tobi's user avatar
  • 674
8 votes
3 answers
16k views

How can I minimize methanol/fusel alcohols in wine?

I just started home brewing, have studied up on the issues associated with methanol/fusel alcohols, and I'm wondering if there are certain practices that can be used to minimize non-ethanol alcohols, ...
Josh.F's user avatar
  • 183
8 votes
4 answers
2k views

Starsan in double bubble airlock keeps getting sucked into fermenter - why and how to prevent?

I did a brew on Saturday and cooled, got in the fermenting bucket and added yeast, added starsan to the chamber in the double bubble airlock and got it under the stairs. Ever since then, the starsan ...
Rich Prag's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
674 views

Starter and smack-packs

Is making a starter a good idea when using a larger activator pack from Wyeast? Should you smack the packet and add it to the starter, or add it after it swells?
brewchez's user avatar
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8 votes
2 answers
511 views

Extract late with a full boil?

If you can do a full wort boil with extracts is it still beneficial to be adding extract late to avoid color changes and the like? What would happen to hop utilization with extract late in a full boil?...
brewchez's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
1k 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 ...
Ray's user avatar
  • 552
7 votes
2 answers
775 views

What are the steps in recapping overcarbonated beer?

What are the steps involved in recapping a bottle of beer for any reason (e.g. if too much priming sugar is added, if a cap appears to be defective or failing, etc)?
STW's user avatar
  • 1,522
7 votes
2 answers
4k views

What is cold steeping?

What is cold steeping specialty grains all about? How do I do it? What does 'cold' really mean? How long does it take? Advantages and disadvantages?
brewchez's user avatar
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7 votes
7 answers
20k views

Shaking vs not shaking

I'm playing with a yeast starter right now and I've noticed when I shake the mix the yeast gets more active. I'm wondering how this applies to my actual fermentation. So I was thinking I'd let my ...
D J's user avatar
  • 644
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

When to add fresh ginger?

I am considering brewing an Amber ale with a bit of ginger in it, but I don't know whether I should treat it more like a spice and steep/boil it, or more like fruit, and rack onto the ginger for a ...
baka's user avatar
  • 6,613
6 votes
2 answers
4k views

Using flakes in a mash

Do you just mix them with the grains or cook them first to get them gelatinized? What are the pros and cons of each method? What portion of the fermentables can be in flake form?
Tetragrammaton's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
3k views

How do you filter at home?

I thought I'd ask this after reading Brewchez's effects of filtering question. I personally don't filter at home, for the most part. I generally make dark beer, and people who drink my beer ...
hookedonwinter's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
746 views

What is the proper method of pitching a starter?

What's the proper method of pitching a starter? Do I just pour the whole thing in or do I need to "harvest" a certain portion of it? I just started using starters (.25-.5 Gallons water + 2-4 cups ...
Nicholas Trandem's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

Maturation - what does it mean?

Homebrew recipes often give information along the lines of "6-8 weeks maturation". What exactly does maturation mean here in terms of conditions? Is it the same as a secondary? Can the beer "mature" ...
Tobi's user avatar
  • 674
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

Preparing Cherries for Secondary

A related question was asked about fruit in general but it didn't answer a particular question I have. I have 6 pounds of fresh cherries ready for a holiday beer. I'm planning on cleaning/sanitizing ...
sgwill's user avatar
  • 4,160
5 votes
5 answers
2k views

Aroma hops: to bag or not?

I've been struggling a bit to get hop aroma into an IPA, and I think maybe my hop bags aren't letting enough wort get into the hops. I've been adding 50g of Simcoe to 20L of wort 5 minutes before ...
Pepi's user avatar
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5 votes
10 answers
2k views

What are some effective, cheap, easy ways to clean and re-use bottles?

After a couple year hiatus from home brewing, I'm ready to get back into it and I have been diligently consuming some local microbrews and saving the bottles in preparation. When I brewed before, for ...
John Naegle's user avatar
4 votes
7 answers
2k views

Is it possible to do full boils without a propane burner?

I currently brew all-grain using a 7.5 gallon pot on a propane burner outside at a house I currently rent. However, I'm planning to move within the year to an apartment in the city and likely won't ...
Jeff L's user avatar
  • 4,130
4 votes
1 answer
774 views

Small batch size brewing trub issues

Five gallon batches generate a certain amount of trub in the fermenter. However, its a relatively small percent of the total batch. I am interested in trying some 2 gallon maybe even one gallon ...
brewchez's user avatar
  • 36.2k
4 votes
3 answers
933 views

Any special considerations (besides taste) when brewing with mineral water?

I understand that a good rule of thumb for brewing water is that if it tastes good it's good to use for brewing. Most of these nine springs that i've tried are way too mineraly to my taste but "7 ...
Ethan Noore's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
106 views

Should the wort be boiled?

We bought a hard root beer kit--we are new to this--a friend says not to boil, the kit has boiling instructions. Is it necessary to boil to make beer?
Don's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
1 answer
28k views

corn beer steps and suggestions using a home stove

I am planning to make corn beer, what are the times you would suggest for mashing? Is there a way to make it on a home stove? Has anyone got experience with that? UPDATE A friend already does corn ...
edgarmtze's user avatar
  • 151