9
votes
What are the benefits of using brewing sugar over types of sugar?
Sorry to revive an old thread but my experience of 15 years is this - controls of the same kit, same temperature, same time, same everything except sucrose in one and dextrose in the other. Result - ...
- 91
8
votes
Mr. Beer kit expired in 1999
17 year old dried yeast? Which costs maybe $5 new? And is the most critical factor in the production of beer? (Brewers make wort, yeast make beer).
Replace it.
- 10.1k
5
votes
Accepted
How do lager kits let you brew at room temperature?
There are kits with call themselves "lager" kits, but if you make them with the yeast provided and at the temperatures suggested, they will not produce a true lager beer. The beer they produce might ...
- 2,819
5
votes
Accepted
Boil options with a small pot
The boil is important for achieving certain beneficial changes in the chemistry of the wort that include the dropping out of haze creating proteins. So don’t forego the boil, even if it’s only a 6-...
- 306
5
votes
First time brewing with Mr. Beer
"Rafts" or anything floating at this stage sounds infected.
If you had good fermentation it's unlikely it will be harmful to sample.
Open one, see if you can recover the floaty.
If its white / ...
- 18.5k
4
votes
Splitting a kit five ways: yeast (or other) advice?
I would just rehydrate the packet of yeast in 500mLs of water using a measuring cup. Then just pour 100mLs in each fermentor.
The only thing that sounds 'crazy' about your experiment is the water ...
- 36.2k
4
votes
Accepted
Is delayed yeast activity normal?
Yes this is a normal behavior, but not one we like in brewing. We like to see good activity in less than 12 hours.
Forget the recomended times in your instructions, they are lost in lag now. Let ...
- 18.5k
4
votes
How strong you can brew a beer using Brubox kit?
Beer kits generally end up somewhere near or just below the 5% ABV mark. It is easy to add sugar/glucose to the wort to make it a higher ABV. Generally using added sugars one can get to somewhere ...
- 5,631
4
votes
Accepted
The holidays are messing up the bottling schedule
I would just wait until you get back. Just because you aren't racking to secondary doesn't mean the extra couple weeks in the fermenter won't do any good. It might be quasi-marginal, but erring on ...
- 1,890
3
votes
Accepted
Another acetaldehyde question
Several causes and solutions, in this case I would say a combination of premature flocculation, lack of oxygen pre pitch, under pitched and possibly post fermintation o2 exposure.
Solution so you don'...
- 18.5k
3
votes
Accepted
Can you brew only half a can and store the rest for later?
Yes, you can make half a batch.
You can keep liquid malt extract well sealed in the fridge for a few weeks, then it will start degrading. It will loose its freshness, but shouldn't spoil. If you ...
- 4,796
3
votes
Where is the best place to order 5 gallon extract kits?
Just for an alternative perspective on brew shops in your locality.
Establishing a relationship with a good proprietor / staff will allow you to trade ideas / recipes / advice often at a similar ...
- 141
3
votes
Accepted
Where is the best place to order 5 gallon extract kits?
All of these retailers are in competition with each other, which keeps margins and prices pretty low. The only way you might be able to squeeze out a better deal is finding an online retailer that is ...
- 10.1k
3
votes
What are the benefits of using brewing sugar over types of sugar?
There is much more to this question than how much sugar and how much alcohol !
It is about the taste of the beer.
My 15 years of brewing has strongly borne out what is stated in "The Art of Making ...
- 31
3
votes
Boil options with a small pot
That seems low, but it's largely dependent on what's in the kit. It is probably an extract kit. If it's not completely extract and includes some specialty grains you may be in trouble. Depending on ...
- 933
3
votes
Adding Ingredients to an IPA Kit
In general, when it comes to modifying extract kits, you have a few options to make it better:
1. Add less water to increase flavor and alcohol content (ex: 20L instead of 23L)
2. Steep some ...
- 4,796
3
votes
First time brewing with Mr. Beer
Floating things in the bottle after that period of time doesn't sound good... Did you add some sort of solids like dry hops or spices to the fermentation? Could be yeast of course, but this usually ...
- 671
3
votes
Accepted
What do you do about high cider FG?
I would probably let it sit another week. The FG only seems one point of from their range. Your temperature would have slowed fermentation but should not have killed it to be honest.
I wouldnt bother ...
- 1,060
2
votes
Where is the best place to order 5 gallon extract kits?
I also highly recommend a local homebrew shop. I find that the kits are cheaper when you factor in shipping. Another big plus is that the yeast comes straight from their fridge and into your fridge... ...
- 225
2
votes
What are the benefits of using brewing sugar over types of sugar?
I am not sure how much this will help, but in my limited experience with sugars, plain table sugar (sucrose) just made my fermenting time a bit longer as compared to corn sugar (dextrose). As far as ...
- 31
2
votes
Can you brew only half a can and store the rest for later?
What Clinton Green said - making a "half batch" is as much work as making a "full batch". You will also find that splitting a container of liquid is difficult. Cool storage of opened containers ...
- 21
2
votes
How do lager kits let you brew at room temperature?
Check this out-
The author brews two identical batches using a true lager yeast (Saflager 34/70) but ferments one at a "lager" temp of 50˚F/10˚C and the other up at 70˚F/21˚C. He then runs a taste ...
- 21
2
votes
Another acetaldehyde question
If your problem really is the O2, I would get something like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Water-Butt-Homebrew-Fermenter-Black/dp/B00R6GJY7G/
No more removing the lid and it makes bottling so much ...
- 63
2
votes
Where (from Europe) to get a decent kit to start all-grain brewing?
My favourite shop in the UK for all grain kits is The Home Brew Shop.
Otherwise as Barking.Pete says there is BrewUK.
For brewing in France there is Pico Mousse.
These guys ship across Europe from ...
- 6,993
2
votes
How strong you can brew a beer using Brubox kit?
I agree with barking.pete
They don't mention anything on their website except that you can choose from Porter, Session IPA or Weissbier. Based on my experience with Cooper's Kit, they usually are ...
- 4,796
2
votes
I have Youngs Elderberry kit
Yes, I believe it should say "top up to 4.54L with tap water..."
I base myself on existing instructions for another Youngs kit... Youngs wine kit instruction
The ideal situation is to have very ...
- 4,796
2
votes
Accepted
Effects of extra sugar in kit beer
More sugar means more alcohol. One kg of DME and 1kg of sugar added to a Morgan's kit should push your ABV up into the 5.something percent range which is a bit oomphy for a Pilsener but still ...
- 2,288
2
votes
Clearing using finings during racking prior to bottling - will there still be enough yeast for second fermentation?
Yes and yes. Finings will generate trub, and you might want to rack the beer off it before packaging. Finings also do not remove much if any of the yeast so priming will not be a problem at all ...
- 3,382
2
votes
Is my old beer mix still good for brewing?
I'd consider throwing them out entirely. Grain will stale over time. Typically it should be used within a year or two, otherwise it will take on strange flavors from staling. If you're curious, you ...
- 3,382
1
vote
Mr. Beer kit expired in 1999
That's old. Its' ingredients are toast for a drinkable beer. Yeast is dead for sure. Hops will have nothing to offer either.
But the extract you can still make use of for yeast starters, just crash ...
- 18.5k
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