All Questions
1
vote
2answers
78 views
Expected Hydrometer Reading for White House Honey Ale?
A bit of background:
This is my second beer batch. My first beer batch turned out well as an Irish Stout, using the Midwest Brewing kit and recipie
I just started a White House Honey Ale I'm ...
3
votes
1answer
52 views
How to prevent solventy/overly alcoholic flavors?
I'm a moderately experienced homebrewer, and recently I've been making a lot of imperial stouts--variations on the same recipe, hoping to dial it in. Decently strong ones: my OG is usually around ...
2
votes
3answers
124 views
Oh… my back…
I've always brewed with my brewster girlfriend around to help but even then I still find that I do the majority of the lifting. Moving into this time of year I know she's going to be less available to ...
1
vote
2answers
106 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 ...
5
votes
3answers
160 views
Which yeast should I use to make apple cider
I am looking to make some homebrew cider. I intend to use store-bought apple juice, and mix with an appropriate amount of yeast. I am wondering what kind of yeast you would recommend?
In the past, I ...
2
votes
2answers
94 views
Storing home brew
I was wondering if I could store my finished home brew in a fermenting bucket that has a spout on the side. Of course not the same one it was fermented in but a clean one. Will it hold its ...
2
votes
2answers
66 views
My first Porter. Should I add any calcium chloride chalk to my bottled water before mashing?
Hey brand new here on SE, but have been brewing all grain for about 5 batches now, mostly pale and amber ales. Going to brew my first Porter tonight, following Biermuncher's Black Pearl Porter recipe. ...
6
votes
1answer
137 views
What is the benefit of a 3 tier system?
I see a lot of people with the 3 tier brewing system. What is the benefit and What are the different levels for? This system is what I am referencing.
1
vote
2answers
84 views
SG and OG quite different to values indicated on can label
very quick question: making a kit brew (Coopers Real Ale), which says a typical OG is 1.046 and FG is 1.006. Unfortunately, my OG was 1.038, and my current reading (after about 17 days) is 1.013, and ...
7
votes
7answers
205 views
Most common and obvious off-flavours for homebrewers
I heard about some possible errors in the process that cause off-flavours (for example skunk due to sunlight). Excluding infection problems, and talking about most obvious errors one can do and are ...
3
votes
1answer
53 views
How much Potassium (or sodium) metabisulfite to remove chloramine?
I have a small jar of powdered Potassium Metabisulfite and Campden tablets that are Sodium Metabisulfite. The tablets are 550mg. I have seen on this forum that these chemicals, when added to your ...
2
votes
1answer
85 views
Milton / Baby bottle sanitiser?
Can anyone comment on the suitability of Baby Bottle sanitiser for cleaning brew kit?
Milton is a popular brand name of such in the UK. I'd like to put a brew on this eve or tomorrow morning and ...
1
vote
1answer
121 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
99 views
Does kegging require a fridge
I was planning on building myself one of these for the summer: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/portable-igloo-cooler-kegerator-172047-post1990392/
I currently bottle all my beer and don't own any ...
4
votes
4answers
159 views
Would placing the fermenter tank in a tub of water be a good way to handle hot environments?
Summers where I live typically have 80F nights and it can easily pick up to 95 degrees during the day.
I have a plastic trash can (which I bought for this purpose) that I have filled up with water. ...
2
votes
4answers
108 views
yeast cell count importance
I have a had a question for quite some time that nobody has been able to answer. The question is more academic or theoretical than it is practical. Perhaps the community here is a tad smarter ...
2
votes
3answers
92 views
Ash/ash tray off flavour
What does cause ash or ash tray off flavour? I made an all grain porter (using chocolate and carafa type I), there is a slight ash tray off flavour. The falvour was apparent at the beginning (just ...
2
votes
2answers
74 views
Is it possible to successfully bottle a beer that's already been primed in a barrel?
I'd like to know what the effect of trying to bottle 35 pints of a light ale that's already been primed in a barel would be? Presumably there is still yeast floating about that would be able to ...
3
votes
1answer
77 views
Is bitterness extraction dependent on wort volume?
Supposing I boil the same amount of hops in the same wort (same SG, for the same time, let's say one hour), separately into two pans:
One with 10L wort, and x grams of hops
One with 1L wort and x ...
1
vote
2answers
142 views
Alternative uses for a failed batch
the Simply Ginger Beer kit I've brewed and just part-bottled is horrible. The chemical sweetener taste is overpowering and even though I have bottled 20 500ml flip-tops (more for practice than ...
1
vote
4answers
116 views
What are the price/features tradeoffs to consider when buying a new brew kettle?
I'm thinking of popping for this brew kettle -
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/brewing-equipment/brew-kettles/megapot-with-ball-valve-brewmometer.html
It comes with a ball valve and ...
1
vote
1answer
107 views
What are the benefits of fermenting under pressure?
I hear that some brewers ferment under pressure. What is the rationale/benefits of doing this?
2
votes
2answers
105 views
should I/how do I account for temperature differences for gravity readings?
I've taken my OG at the start, and another reading last night. Only last night did I register that my OG seemed slightly low according to what the brew can suggested as typical.
My OG was 1.037 (can ...
7
votes
2answers
112 views
Pressure during fermentation
I imagine other parameters are more important (like temperature or pitching rate). Still, I was wondering if pressure has some effect on the fermentation process (for example on flocculation, ...
2
votes
1answer
74 views
Brewing with Tonka Beans
I am planning a recipe with Tonka Beans. At what point should I add them and approx. how many?
I know that vanilla is usually added after primary.
Should I do the same with these or can I add them ...
1
vote
2answers
53 views
tap line resistor
I just got my coffin style keezer all set up. I did the calculations to get a "balanced" system at a normal 12 PSI of pressure. This gave me 7 feet of 1/4" hose. Apparently my math was a little wrong, ...
5
votes
1answer
63 views
How long after bottling will the effects of oxygenation become apparent?
I think it is well understood in the brewing community that oxygen absorbing caps exist and are readily available. I don't keep any on-hand since my brews tend to be consumed rather quickly and are ...
3
votes
1answer
44 views
Convert US to metric gravity points
How can I convert US gravity points? If, for example, a pound per gallon of sugar gives 46 gravity points (1.046 OG), how can I calcualate the corresponding value when 1kg of sugar is added to 10l of ...
3
votes
2answers
63 views
Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager for Bock - too late for diacetyl rest?
I really wasn't ready to do a lager, but I wanted to do a Bock, so I requested California Lager yeast. My supplier failed to make the substitution and sent me home with Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager. I ...
2
votes
2answers
89 views
Why is my attenuation so low?
Here's the recipe:
> Recipe Specifications
> --------------------------
> Boil Size: 7.37 gal Post Boil Volume: 6.38 gal Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal Bottling Volume: 5.50 gal
> ...
6
votes
3answers
208 views
Airlock: vodka, water, or
I've just started making my first brew, and am using vodka in the airlock, but am hoping for some more detailed info about what is best practice, or if there is not really any difference between using ...
4
votes
1answer
93 views
airlock ran dry, should I be concerned?
I'm very new to this all, and just bought a noob-starter-kit. I'm using a can for my first brew (to learn the basics)
So I just started the brew (Coopers Real Ale) a few days ago. I'm keeping the ...
1
vote
2answers
94 views
Am I bottling too quick?
Leaving aside the risk the fermentation is not completed and possible bottle bombing.
I have made some amber or brown ales, about 1.040 1.050 OG. After a week I bottle it and start drinking after ...
2
votes
1answer
68 views
Missed my target gravity and volume by a mile
So, I know there were lots of things I could have done to repair the situation had I been prepared (lesson learned, I'll be having DME on hand from here on out), but I'm a little more interested in ...
3
votes
2answers
76 views
Best way to clean an airlock
I recently did two ale brews in two separate fermenters and in both cases my airlocks got sediment in them, which then dried in. I can't find a way to clean out these airlocks, as I can't get around ...
3
votes
1answer
58 views
No chill cubes storage
How long can I store the wort in the no chill cube? Does it need to be used as soon as its cooled down or relatively quickly?
3
votes
1answer
53 views
No chill cubes - which material?
What material do the cubes need to be made of? is there a worry about the plastic of the cubes leeching into the hot wort after X number of uses?
2
votes
2answers
83 views
No chill brewing
What are the benefits of no chill brewing? Are there downsides to the method? I am Specifically thinking of the no chill cubes.
2
votes
1answer
92 views
How can I fix low starting gravity?
I made my third all-grain batch last weekend. I have had issues getting decent efficiency so I added a couple extra pounds of ESB malted barley (11lbs, instead of 9, and about 3lbs of specialty ...
2
votes
1answer
54 views
Bottle drying after sanitisation?
When sanitising and using a bottle tree, should I wait for bottles to dry completely or can I use them just rinsed? The Youngs sanitiser I'm using says items should be used within 1 hour of being ...
1
vote
1answer
43 views
How long does bottle priming take? (Ginger Beer)
I've test bottled one 500ml bottle of Ginger Beer with one Coopers priming drop. How long does priming take? If I opened it in a day would it have some pressure/fizz/gas or does it need a week or so? ...
1
vote
2answers
29 views
Priming sugar/drop mixing worry, in a test bottling
I'm preparing to bottle a 30 pint batch of Ginger Beer. It started at 1.041 and has finished at a steady 1.008 after 2 weeks or so.
I siphoned one bottle's worth earlier into a 500ml flip-top, and ...
1
vote
2answers
70 views
How foolish is it to try to make up for my tripel's shortish secondary by bottle conditioning it longer?
I'm attempting to brew a wide variety of beers (both 2.5 & 5 gallon batches depending on style) in a shortish time span in order to serve at a family reunion in the summer, and now it looks like I ...
1
vote
1answer
62 views
How likely to get off flavors from American Ale transferring to secondary?
I transferred my American Ale from primary to secondary after 10/11 days. I guess fermentation is pretty much complete. I might be going away for 3 weeks and so I didnt want the beer sitting in the ...
7
votes
2answers
143 views
How to make malt vinegar
How should I proceed to make a good malt vinegar. In particular I would like some recipe to know what grains (or extract) I need to use, to have a really good vinegar, not just something that is sour, ...
2
votes
2answers
77 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?
7
votes
3answers
152 views
Why shouldn't we just use scales?
New on homebrew.SE, great forum here. Just a quick question - why shouldn't we just use weight scales to determine the OG and FG? My Hydrometer has broken and I can't be stuffed really buying a new ...
2
votes
1answer
87 views
First time bottling, a few questions. [closed]
I'm getting ready to bottle a ginger beer. It's been at a steady 1.008 FG (1.041 OG) for a week now so I hope it's safe.
1) I siphoned one bottles worth earlier into a 500ml flip-top, and added one ...
5
votes
2answers
144 views
Pros and cons of a conical fermentor
What are the pros and cons of a conical fermentor compared to buckets or carboys?
3
votes
2answers
78 views
make a new sanitary connection in stainless conical
I'm dropping my 5 year old plastic buckets and moving fermentation over to a stainless conical. One thing I'll miss is being able to visually monitor the brew as it progresses.
How can I mount a web ...
