All Questions
3
votes
1answer
31 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
385 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
36 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Brew from an out of date kit - not fermented
I kicked off a wildly out of date (2008) brew from a kit a few weeks ago.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
131 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
929 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
891 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 ...
0
votes
2answers
40 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, ...
2
votes
1answer
30 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 ...
0
votes
2answers
38 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
45 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
121 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
140 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
5answers
55 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 ...
1
vote
2answers
32 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
60 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
377 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
95 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
125 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 ...
3
votes
2answers
47 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
60 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
60 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
51 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
66 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
65 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
88 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
51 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
56 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
75 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
102 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
57 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
93 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
34 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 ...
6
votes
2answers
79 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
90 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
72 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
49 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
48 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
61 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
55 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
27 views
Effects of sugar before bottling
I've just finished my second batch of beer and am about to bottle it. I'm already happy with both ABV and how it tastes. Carbonation's not a big deal to me and it's already a tiny bit fizzy anyway, so ...
2
votes
1answer
61 views
Dropped the temperature as it was getting out of control, did I shock my yeast?
Making an IPA with an OG of 1.069, we pitched at 70°F with good ol' Safale US-05, just dry out of the packet as I've always done with US-05 with good success (I tend to trust it a little too much ...
1
vote
2answers
77 views
Carbonating cider
I'm carbonating my cider in 1 gallon glass carboys and my solid rubber bungs popped off a few times so I tied them down with cable ties. Can anyone tell me if this is ok and the carboy can take the ...
2
votes
2answers
64 views
What about grain storage?
I recently cleaned up after brewing one day and realized that I threw away a couple of four gallon water jugs. Could these be used for storing grain for long term? Would the air in the container ...
2
votes
3answers
78 views
Online hops reference
Is there any online place to get as much information as possible about hops. For example alpha and beta acids, cohumulone content, aroma progile and any other possibly useful information?
I did my ...
3
votes
3answers
157 views
Can you mash for too long?
I'm looking at brewing an all-grain barley wine in the near future, and I'm aiming for a high ABV (13%-14% ABV). From what I've heard in discussions elsewhere, by single-infusion mashing at a lower ...
0
votes
1answer
52 views
Aging full kegs out of fridge - carbonate now or later?
I just bought my first two kegs, and don't yet have a fridge set up for them. Even when I do get my fridge set up I plan to have more kegs than will fit at once. When I fill them is it better to ...
