All Questions
3
votes
2answers
42 views
How much peated malt to get a hint of smoke?
I've got some peated malt that a friend gave me, and I've been looking for some way to use it. My current idea is to brew an Irish Red Ale (OG 1.055, FG 1.012, IBU 21, SRM 16) with just enough peated ...
3
votes
2answers
41 views
Pectic Enzyme in Secondary?
I am doing a melomel and am putting some mangos in primary and again into secondary a month later.
I was going to put pectic enzyme into primary, do I need to put additional into the secondary?
1
vote
0answers
20 views
Can one use gelatin while force carbing, or will CO2 keep gelatin suspended
New to world of finings. I figured i'd see if I could get a faster turnaround.
Right now I'm kegging, then conditioning/force carbing at the same time at 40F. Can I cold crash, then on the next day ...
1
vote
0answers
21 views
“Quiescence Yeast” Or will my yeast-to-be survive a travel to the caribbean?
This is a related question, but not a usefull one to me :(
I intend to buy liquid yeast from northenbrewer (WLP099 in case you wonder) and I currently live in Venezuela, a very hot and sunny place ...
0
votes
1answer
27 views
Lager yeast fermenting at 25-30C
The summer is approaching, and I would like to make some experiments using lager yeast, just completely out of its temperature range. I guess that steam bear was made using lager yeast at higher ...
1
vote
3answers
49 views
Stopping fermentation and then bottling
I've tried making a few beers that I think have TOO much alcohol. I'd like to stop the fermentation before all of the sugars have fermented, and I'm wondering what the best way is to do that.
I've ...
1
vote
1answer
40 views
Can a keg explode?
As I read in some answers to other questions they should not explode, is it true? Why is that? Is it because they have a safety valve or just because they are very strong?
6
votes
2answers
417 views
Can I use fructose as a priming sugar and how much should I use?
OK, so I was in the health food shop (again) and couldn't find any corn sugar. However, on a whim I bought some fructose. I am thinking of using it for priming the English ale I have pencilled in to ...
3
votes
4answers
2k views
How do I set up a Sestos D1S temperature controller?
I am trying to set up an Sestos D1S temperature controller. Initially, just to see if it works at all, I am trying to use it to control the temperature of my kettle. I've wired it all up correctly so ...
3
votes
2answers
78 views
What's the best/safest way to handle likely bottle bombs?
I'm using 16oz amber e-z cap bottles (swing tops). I've read that they'll self-vent before exploding, but I've heard other accounts of them actually exploding.
I'm storing them like this and it's ...
5
votes
2answers
390 views
Degassing wine - how to proceed
Long time brewer, first time vintner here. Working through a winexpert Pinot Grigio kit. Primary and secondary fermentation went off without a hitch. Got to the stabilizing, degassing, and ...
7
votes
4answers
7k views
How can I tell when wine has finished degassing?
I bottled my first home made wine last week. It's an apple wine that didn't turn out so well. The good news is that I think I know most of the reasons it isn't very good and I'm going to try again ...
0
votes
2answers
42 views
Brew from an out of date kit - not fermented
I kicked off a wildly out of date (2008) brew from a kit a few weeks ago. ( One of those kits with a packet of yeast and 2 large tins of goop.)
The brewing didnt go as well as I've had them go ...
1
vote
2answers
135 views
Keg Management Systems
I'm looking for a way to keep track of the state of my kegs - how many times were they washed with a caustic cleaner since the last acid cleaning, how long ago was it cleaned (and pressurized), what ...
3
votes
4answers
938 views
How do I make my ginger beer SPICY?
I've made tons of ginger beer (often just like this http://ieatfood.net/2009/12/18/real-ginger-ale/ ), I've tried various different recipes, and they all come out quite nicely. Unfortunately. I want a ...
5
votes
4answers
896 views
What is Extract Twang?
This term pops up from time to time and it often cited as a reason to go to all grain. But maybe its because I don't really know what it tastes like.
Do you believe in extract twang?
How do you get ...
1
vote
2answers
43 views
sediment in wine bottle, how to serve
I made some wine recently, and I screwed up slightly. I degassed the wine the day I was going to bottle. I let it sit a couple hours expecting the sediment to settle after I "blended" the wine, ...
0
votes
2answers
43 views
Will a wheat beer taste watery before carbonation?
I'm not an expert brewer, but I've made 5-6 batches over the past 18 months. Process-wise, I feel like I know what I'm doing, but I am still learning different styles of beer.
For summer, I decided ...
2
votes
2answers
57 views
Specific gravity is the wrong way
I am brewing my first lager, a German Oktoberfest kit from Brewer's Best, after 12 batches of ales. I fermented in the primary for 17 days at 58 degrees and then raised the temperature to 65 degrees ...
1
vote
3answers
125 views
What is the most important parameter to measure in water
I live in a region where the water is very hard, so I am considering spending a little more on bottled water to have more of a choice.
Supposing that one can choose the water to use, but he doesn't ...
6
votes
3answers
150 views
Why an erlynmeyer flask?
Why is the erlynmeyer style flask the automatic go to for yeast starters? I know people use other containers besides flasks, and some flasks dont have flat bottoms but is there something special about ...
0
votes
4answers
61 views
Measuring Cup for Batch Sparging?
What do people like in terms of heat resistant measuring cups for batch sparging? I found this one on Amazon. I was wondering if there were other options that were better.
I'm using it for ...
2
votes
1answer
67 views
Can I wash/re-use all that yeast in the blowoff
Last night, I put my 1.130+ (it wasn't until midnight when I finished that I noticed that it was higher than my hydrometer and refractometer could go) wort in the carboy to ferment. I wake up this ...
3
votes
3answers
388 views
Wyeast pack arrived already inflated - keep in the fridge or not?
Like the question says, the pack arrived pre-smacked! I'm making a yeast starter before I brew so that'll tell me whether the yeast is ok, but what I need to know is whether to keep it in the fridge ...
2
votes
2answers
97 views
Use pop-corn as an adjunct
I love pop-corn (who doesn't I guess), so I think it might be used in beer during mash.
Has anyone used them? How did it work? How should I do it? Should I expect something interesting from it?
4
votes
3answers
133 views
What do you get if you distill mead?
This is just out of curiosity...
I mean if you distill beer, you get whiskey... if you distill wine, you get cognac/brandy... if you distill fermented molasses, you get rum... if you distill ...
4
votes
2answers
56 views
Sanitize the bottle capper?
When bottling, is it wise to dunk the bottle capper in sanitizing solution or is that overkill?
3
votes
2answers
63 views
Does skunk off flavour go away?
Skunky off-flavours are caused by ultraviolet light causing chemical reaction that transforms alpha-acids. Once this flavour is created, does it go away with time, and if so how much time? Or will it ...
1
vote
2answers
65 views
How to improve freshness bottled beer?
I'm getting some sour flavors and off-aromas in my bottled beer when they have more of one month in bottle. When the beers are young, they taste really good with full aromas, but even if I stored all ...
3
votes
3answers
54 views
Keeping beer from entering CO2 line while Carbing Keg?
So I am getting ready to carbonate my first keg! But I am worried about beer entering the CO2 line if I use the 'rock on my lap like a baby' method :)
I am worried because I tried to carbonate a ...
1
vote
3answers
73 views
How do I calculate how much sugar to add, for carbonation
I have a brew, that I will need to bottle soon.
But, how do I calculate, how much sugar to add, before bottling?
I'll be adding table-sugar, but I am very worried about exploding bottles.
Are there ...
0
votes
2answers
66 views
What to expect from champagne yeast?
I bought a pack of champagne yeast, but not sure why, just to try it :) What differences should I expect compared to a "normal" English ale yest?
19
votes
13answers
4k views
1
vote
2answers
91 views
Which is the superior air-lock liquid: Vodka or Star-San?
I've had a life-long fancy for using vodka to clean sanitize and naturally use it in my air-lock.
Given that it is only 40%, however, and I live in California where pure grain alcohol is illegal, ...
0
votes
1answer
53 views
A aroma/flavor hops taxonomy
I would like to gain some knowledge about hops and have an idea in what all those varieties differ. Is it possible to define a few categories for hops (for example based on region of origin), so to ...
1
vote
1answer
59 views
How long must an ale be conditioned in bottles outside of the fridgerator?
I bottled my first batch of beer 72 hours ago. I am under the impression that bottled beer should not immediately be placed in the refrigerator, as this would prevent the remaining yeast from ...
0
votes
2answers
78 views
What volume of brewer's yeast to use for yeast-nutrient-less dandelion wine?
I'm trying my first, 1-gallon batch of dandelion wine. Some recipes say "1 packet" of brewer's yeast, and mine doesn't even specify an amount. It also specifies to add "yeast nutrient," which my ...
1
vote
1answer
110 views
My bottles are Conditioning underwater. Why are there bubbles on the caps on day 2 but not day 0 through 1?
On Sunday (day 0) I bottled beer for the first time (with my first batch). I asked my brother how I could determine whether or not I successfully locked the caps onto the bottles to make them ...
2
votes
1answer
59 views
Fitering BIAB wort
I have recently started BIAB, and my wort is very cloudy after the boil. Much "cloud material" ends up in the fermentor, since it takes really long to settle and is easily stirred. It mostly looks ...
0
votes
1answer
43 views
How to Sterilize Bung and Hole while Maintaining a Strong Seal?
How do you sanitize and prepare a bung for stopping a carboy? While making sure that it will maintain a good seal and not POP off sometime later.
In depth
I removed and sterilized my bung and ...
2
votes
2answers
94 views
What to brew in the summer?
What kind of beer can I brew in the summer (30C by day, a few less by night), without special cooling equipment? Anything special (but not too coplicate/expensive) I should do?
0
votes
1answer
36 views
What is the potential of rock candi sugar?
I have acquired "white belgian candi sugar" from BrewFerm, and it is in rock form. AFAIK, this is just solid invert sugar, and should have potential 46 PPG, but BrewSmith and Brewer's Friend both list ...
7
votes
2answers
85 views
The “correct” step to add cinnamon and vanilla?
I want to experiment a bit by adding spices - I'm thinking cinnamon and vanilla - to my beer, but wonder at which step is considered the best time to add it. Personal experience is very welcome.
I ...
2
votes
2answers
95 views
How to mash quickly?
I have been using mashing procedure described by Charlie Papazian:
30' at 56C
60' at 68C
15' at 70C
mash out at 75'
It seems to work great, but it is rather long since it requires a whole two hours ...
4
votes
2answers
77 views
Not Red but Orange: How to correct the color of an Irish Red after brewing?
Probably we used not enough of the carared, but what we can do? Is it possible to use a dark fruit extract(sour, not sweet) to correct the color in the end? And what will be the effect on taste?
1
vote
1answer
24 views
Isinglass and temperature
The wine kit that I am making uses isinglass for fining and recommends storing the wine at 70 degrees during the process. In the past I've used gelatin in my beers to clear and I know that it works ...
3
votes
1answer
53 views
Fruit Flies in Airlock. How can I Test if Mead is Okay?
In short After approximately 5.5 month my airlock full of vodka has lost 60% of its volume and now has trapped a couple dozen of fruit flies. Should I be concerned for my batch of Mead?
What methods ...
1
vote
2answers
49 views
Unusual flavourings
What are some of the weirder (successful) flavourings you have tried in your beers, and at what point would you normally add these extras?
It occurred to me the other day that basil or even rocket ...
1
vote
2answers
62 views
sanitation during mash and sparge
I've been brewing extract batches for a couple of months, and have never lost a batch to poor sanitation. I lost my first all grain batch of beer, and I think that I am sanitizing my brew kettle and ...
1
vote
2answers
56 views
hops for belgian trappist/abbey beers
I love Rochefort 10, Chimay (to a lower degree), and some other belgian beers. So I would like to try to do something similar, or just take some inspiration from them. What are the most commonly used ...
