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.
234
questions
7
votes
7answers
18k 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 ...
8
votes
6answers
3k 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
116 views
Sour/musty tasting mead
My son and I tried our hand at mead for the first time... I didn't notice a lot of bubbling I thought that it wasn't fermenting correctly but my son thought differently, he's 17. Lol
But when we went ...
3
votes
1answer
717 views
Hydrogen peroxide to remove chlorine from brewing water
just wanted to ask if anyone using 3% hydrogen peroxide to remove chlorine from your strike/sparge water? If yes how many ml/l or gallon?
Thank you.
7
votes
5answers
13k views
16
votes
12answers
21k 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?
41
votes
14answers
112k views
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?
2
votes
3answers
144 views
Fractional Distillation
Curious newbie here.
Watching the "moonshiners" show the other night and the guys were doing fractional distillation by freezing their mash and removing the ice. They then simply boiled to ...
12
votes
5answers
6k views
How can I fill bottles from a keg and maintain pressure
I've been kegging for awhile now, but I still haven't managed to successfully fill bottles from my kegs without losing all pressure.
I don't have a counter pressure beer filler or a Blichmann Beer ...
0
votes
1answer
134 views
Proper method for using this sort of swing-top when bottling?
First time brewer here... I have swing-tops that affix to used bottles via this sort of band:
I am wondering if I am utilizing it correctly or if there is a trick or something for wrapping the band ...
1
vote
0answers
39 views
Champagne/Cider Remuage: Why not just place the bottle upside down (90 degrees)?
I'm making hard sparkling apple cider using the Champagne method (re-fermenting on the bottle for carbonation). This year I will try the full method of also removing the yeast lees from the bottle ...
6
votes
2answers
373 views
Estimating Alpha Acids of Home Grown Hops
For the homebrewer that grows and harvests his/her own hops; how best can one approximate the alpha acids in the hops they have?
Is it worth it or should brewers stick to using home grown hops for ...
18
votes
1answer
13k views
What is a hopback?
How do you use it?
What does it do?
Do you pass finished wort through it hot or cold?
1
vote
1answer
62 views
Bentonite AND Sparkolloid [duplicate]
I know from previous questions that you can use both Bentonite followed by Sparkolloid in the same mead. Am I correct in thinking the best process would be add bentonite, give a week, RACK OFF THE ...
11
votes
4answers
10k views
Re-use the mini kegs that are used in 'Krups Beer Tender' for home brewing?
For me, these 5 liter kegs seem like the perfect device for storage as well as remaining fresh when making beer.
I understand there is a way to remove the top piece of the mini keg with some type of ...
8
votes
3answers
14k 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, ...
3
votes
1answer
121 views
has anyone experimented with using yeast hulls to supply sterols rather than oxygenating/airating their beer/wine/mead must or wort?
So this question challenges a lot Brewers assumption that yeast needs oxygen to reproduce. It just plain doesn’t. Yeast does use oxygen, but it’s a mighty and inaccurate over simplification to say it ...
3
votes
1answer
100 views
Very fine wax in Mead
Was given a 1/2 bucket of crystalized honey and so made Mead.
Used Champagne yeast, Original Gravity 1.092, Final Gravity 0.996.
My sort of problem is : there seems to be a 'sediment'. AT THE TOP!
...
1
vote
3answers
203 views
What is the best wine filtering system?
As a hobbyist who produces at least 5 gallons a week of wine, what filtering system do you recommend? I am also looking at transfer pumps as well.
I am getting older and have torn rotator cuffs and ...
2
votes
3answers
114 views
How to make Sweet beer
Can anyone help please if I add honey at the bottling stage will this add more sweetness and what sweeteners are non fermentable?
6
votes
2answers
497 views
Cold Crashing techniques
I have very nearly mastered the clarification process but still wish to control the timing of flocculation more consistently. At what point/stage is cold crashing most efficient?
2
votes
1answer
64 views
Is there any merit in doing gelatin fining multiple times?
I currently have a Belgian Blond in primary that I'm planning of transferring to a secondary vessel in order to dry hop.
I usually do a gelatin fining when transferring my beer to the bottleing ...
2
votes
1answer
71 views
Rinsing frozen red currants
I picked some garden grown red currants a good while ago and threw them straight in the freezer without washing them. I'm planning on making wine with them soon.
Most recipes I've read recommend ...
2
votes
1answer
3k views
Pressure Fermenting an IPA, how long and at what pressure?
I'm using a FermZilla Fermenter I plan on using a pressure fermentation method.
This will be the first time doing this I would to get some advice from those who have done this.
length of time under ...
2
votes
1answer
32 views
Adding Additional Pumpkin To My Porter
I'm brewing a extract Pumpkin Porter kit and just transferred from primary to secondary. I tasted it and I could taste the spices but was wondering if it was too late to pumpkin it up a little. Could ...
3
votes
1answer
81 views
Why has the Specific Gravity to Potential Alcohol conversions changed?
Ok, so I have implied but not said outright that I have been making wine for almost 30 years, but what I have also implied but not outright said is that there has been a break in that amateur ...
3
votes
3answers
136 views
Graham cracker beer or wine
How does one go about making a beer or wine with a graham cracker taste?
I was thinking cracked wheat berries and sweetened with honey, but I also heard hefty
Amounts of wheat germ and wheat bran are ...
10
votes
6answers
1k views
Dry malting - a crazy idea?
A lot of talk is about dry-hopping in order to bring out the aroma of hops lost during the boiling process. Could a similar approach be used for malt? That is, could the addition of crushed grains to ...
4
votes
1answer
61 views
Using raw wheat in witbeers
Hi I am a brewer in the Indian Ocean Island of Madagascar working on a few recipes to hopefully start a microbrewery here. Our aim is to use as much locally grown fermentables as possible.
We would ...
3
votes
5answers
159 views
Carbonation in keg
I did my first kegged beer last week, I put the beer in and turned the co2 to about 35 and purged the tank about 5 times. I then shook the beer on the co2 for 3 minutes and then turned off the co2 ...
1
vote
2answers
174 views
Will baked bottles stay sanitized if kept inverted?
This site has quite a few post on how to clean and re-use bottles. In this community wiki, we learn that by putting foil over the top of bottles and baking them for 60 minutes at 340, we will ...
3
votes
3answers
359 views
Viscosity of a Russian Imperial Stout
How can I increase the viscosity of a Russian imperial stout?
I've heard of making boils longer
Use oats,
What do you recommend?
Thank you so much!
Regards, Erik Dobrychtop. Cya o/
6
votes
2answers
961 views
Bottle filling without a rapid bottler
I'm about to bottle my first Coopers home brew and I don't have a rapid bottler. Can I pour it straight from the tap or will I have problems?
8
votes
4answers
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 ...
19
votes
6answers
18k 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?"
11
votes
3answers
21k views
Why is it bad to pitch too little yeast?
What are the effects of underpitching your beer?
We have an answer for over pitching, I think we need the complete set.
4
votes
1answer
263 views
Using candles to take out oxygen in fermentation chamber?
If I leave a few lit candles in my fermentation chamber (chest freezer,) would it eat up all the oxygen without any adverse effects? I've seen people do this on a smaller scale but it creates a vacuum....
40
votes
22answers
30k views
Are there any tricks for removing labels from bottles?
Some labels can be a pain to remove. I've tried soaking bottles in water with a little bit of dish soap but it doesn't really do much to break down the adhesive. What methods do you have for easily ...
5
votes
1answer
2k views
Cleaner wort out of the Kettle
What are the benefits of completely seperating hot debris, hot break and cold break from the wort?
Getting these things out of the wort and putting nothing but clean and clear wort in the fermentor ...
1
vote
2answers
662 views
Ginger Beer ABV from Bakers Yeast
I’ve made ginger beer a few times. I usually make it with just fresh ginger and raw honey. Usually the I get well less than 2% ABV.
This last week though I used a different honey, sourced from a farm,...
3
votes
1answer
419 views
Priming solution or add sugar to individual bottles?
From what I've read, it seems that the old technique of adding a given amount of sugar to each bottle for priming isn't recommended anymore. Instead, just about every source recommends boiling ...
7
votes
3answers
3k views
Detriment of gelatin fining on flavor or aroma
Does using gelatin effect aromatics or flavor appreciably?
I was reading this post about using gelatin. I have one keg that I use as a cold conditioning vessel (sort of like secondary), and I was ...
1
vote
1answer
90 views
Can I still oxygenate 2.5 days in?
Brewed a 1.100 SG stout, fermentation has been steady but slowed noticeably about 24-36 hours in. Wondering if aerating again 2.5 days in could help, or is that too late?
5.25 gallon batch, 3 ...
13
votes
5answers
7k views
How do I culture yeast from a commercial beer? Is it legal?
If I like the flavor profile of a yeast in a commercial beer, how would I go about culturing it?
I have some very basic lab equipment, but I can buy anything that's reasonably priced.
Also, would it ...
25
votes
5answers
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 ...
1
vote
1answer
266 views
How to properly use the same coil of an HERMS setup as chiller?
I'm assembling an HERMS equipment and noticed that very few people use the coil as chiller after the boiling is over. Besides all the sanitation of tubing, lines, pump, etc..., is there any other ...
5
votes
4answers
183 views
Names for when you use hops
I have heard a lot about the different stages of hopping in the mash, but I have only heard the term dry hopping. Are there different terms given to the different stages of hopping, or are they all ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
How to increase thickness in beer?
I've found myself becoming quite fond of "thick" and "juicy" IPAs and DIPAs. Beers with a viscosity to them that feels somewhat syrupy and leaving a great mouthfeel when drunk.
I want to brew my own ...
7
votes
5answers
11k views
Remedy for a Stuck sparge
How do you fix a stuck sparge? Are there any tricks too getting a sparge running again when it slows to a trick or even stops completely?
(This is not intended to be a "how to prevent" the stuck ...
3
votes
4answers
206 views
Separating funnel
In chemistry there exists a conical base funnel for separating heavier fractions.
What i would like if anyone knows of one is a large version of this 1 gallon or larger.
Reason is that when siphoning ...
