All Questions
1
vote
0answers
17 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 ...
1
vote
0answers
16 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
1answer
35 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?
0
votes
1answer
24 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 ...
3
votes
2answers
38 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?
3
votes
2answers
74 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 ...
2
votes
2answers
56 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
48 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
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, ...
3
votes
1answer
34 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
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 ...
2
votes
1answer
64 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 ...
0
votes
2answers
42 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 ...
4
votes
2answers
54 views
Sanitize the bottle capper?
When bottling, is it wise to dunk the bottle capper in sanitizing solution or is that overkill?
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
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
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
3answers
72 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 ...
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, ...
1
vote
1answer
58 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
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?
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 ...
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 ...
4
votes
3answers
132 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 ...
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
35 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 ...
4
votes
2answers
76 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?
7
votes
2answers
83 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 ...
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
58 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
2
votes
1answer
28 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 ...
0
votes
2answers
77 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
52 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
64 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
55 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 ...
2
votes
2answers
67 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 ...
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 ...
0
votes
1answer
54 views
How much heat can a demijohn take?
I'm planning to serve some homemade cider, hot and mulled at a market stall in the coming weeks. I'll be siphoning out of a 23L demijohn (like this: ...
1
vote
1answer
54 views
Wine and yeast “clean up”
I have now decided to try my hand at some wine making as SHMBO decided she would also like to enjoy the fruits (haha) of my hobby.
In the instructions for the kit I received (White Riesling) I was ...
3
votes
3answers
159 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
49 views
Problems with Wyeast London Ale 1028?
I had a brew day yesterday and ran into something a little odd. I smacked a pack of Wyeast London Ale #1028 berfore I started my routine. After everything was said and done with the boil it had been ...
2
votes
2answers
80 views
Using pine in beer
I know about spruce, and pine is a really close relative, so it seems legit to me. I was planning to use the brown part in the picture, which has a really nice smell.
I would like some advices:
...
1
vote
3answers
60 views
Rubber Keg Boot Glue Recommendation
I just bought two reconditioned 5 gal pin lock kegs. When I filled them up with hot water to clean them out I noticed that the rubber boot at the top of one of them was completely loose - it's only ...
1
vote
2answers
53 views
Variations in Recycled Crown Bottles
I have noticed diffenences in bottle necks which may affect my capping.
I was merrily capping away with standard 12 oz bottles with my red baron
I decided to bottle hard cider in green bottles, ...
6
votes
3answers
149 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 ...
1
vote
3answers
94 views
105 Day Fermentation?
I am half dozen or so batches into my homebrewing "career" (Saison du Buff, Jasmine IPA and Midas Touch among my highlights) I found a recipe for a darker saison. I made some modifications (chocolate ...
