Homebrew Beer Howto

Gooey Looey

Get carbonation drops for the size bottle you are using much handler
https://www.geterbrewed.ie/brewferm-carbonation-drops-for-50-cl-40-pcs/

mordeith

Gooey Looey wrote: »

Get carbonation drops for the size bottle you are using much handler
https://www.geterbrewed.ie/brewferm-carbonation-drops-for-50-cl-40-pcs/

Can't say I've ever found these useful. Having said that a funnel is handy if you're adding sugar as it gets on the neck of the bottle otherwise (or I'm just awkward)

nsi423

Do you really need a second fermenting bucket for batch priming? I've been adding the priming sugar (dissolved in 1/2 litre pre-boiled water) into the primary fermenter, waiting maybe a half hour to let it settle, then bottling.
Would I be better off moving it to a dedicated bottling bucket?

Bogwoppit

nsi423 wrote: »

Do you really need a second fermenting bucket for batch priming? I've been adding the priming sugar (dissolved in 1/2 litre pre-boiled water) into the primary fermenter, waiting maybe a half hour to let it settle, then bottling.
Would I be better off moving it to a dedicated bottling bucket?

You can do it like that, I used to in the early days, it introduces extra sediment to the bottles though.

BeerNut

Like anything in brewing, if it works for you keep doing it. I would worry that the priming solution wouldn't mix properly, though.

dexter647

Hi folks,Just wondering what you guys here use to clean equipment?. I'm using PBW but it's so expensive and W5 oxy clean that has been recommended cannot be got so far by myself?:)

Chemclean here.

TomOnBoard

dexter647 wrote: »

Hi folks,Just wondering what you guys here use to clean equipment?. I'm using PBW but it's so expensive and W5 oxy clean that has been recommended cannot be got so far by myself?:)

There's an un-perfumed oxi-clean equivalent in Mr Price if you have a branch near you. Its chemical name is sodium percarbonate. That's for cleaning.

For sanitising, use one starsan or one of its equivalents. Mighty stuff. I've tried them all.

splashthecash

Hi all,

I pulled out the homebrewing kick I got for my birthday on Sunday and followed instructions. I took an initial reading using the hydrometer and I think it was the value I wanted but just wanted to check here with you guys....are you able to confirm? See attached

So I'm going to leave this now for a few weeks - keeping an eye on the temp (keeping it between 20-22 C if possible) and then take another measurement

Question, my house can be a little cold sometimes....what will happen if the temp is lower than the recommended 20 C? Will it mean it'll just take longer or will it ruin the batch?

BeerNut

splashthecash wrote: »

I wanted but just wanted to check here with you guys....are you able to confirm?

Looks like it's about 1.034, which seems a bit low, though that's without calibrating for temperature.

splashthecash wrote: »

Question, my house can be a little cold sometimes....what will happen if the temp is lower than the recommended 20 C? Will it mean it'll just take longer or will it ruin the batch?

If anything it'll improve it Fermentation will slow down, so you might need to leave it a bit longer, but it'll be fine. The yeast generates a certain amount of its own heat anyway.

TomOnBoard

BeerNut wrote: »

Looks like it's about 1.034, which seems a bit low, though that's without calibrating for temperature.

If anything it'll improve it Fermentation will slow down, so you might need to leave it a bit longer, but it'll be fine. The yeast generates a certain amount of its own heat anyway.

That OG is too low, IMO. You're likely to get less than 100% attenuation from the yeast, so I'd be surprised if your final gravity would be much less than 1.005 or 1.07. This would give you an ABV of 3.5% to 3.8% (+/-)

splashthecash

TomOnBoard wrote: »

That OG is too low, IMO. You're likely to get less than 100% attenuation from the yeast, so I'd be surprised if your final gravity would be much less than 1.005 or 1.07. This would give you an ABV of 3.5% to 3.8% (+/-)

Ok, I followed all the instructions on the kit - what am I able to do at this point if it ends up that it is too low.

However having said that, from looking at the hydrometer now, it seems to indicate that between gravity value of 30-40 is "Start Beer" range which is what my photo shows...

I got a can of a honey like substance, mixed in 1 kg of sugar and the recommended amount of water. I mistakenly added in the yeast before I took this reading....I don't think I was supposed to do that, but the yeast was only in a couple of mins so that would hardly have impacted it too much

mordeith

Don't worry about it. Leave it for 10 days then take another reading. Once you have stable readings over two days bottle it (priming as well of course). You'll end up with drinkable beer.

TomOnBoard

mordeith wrote: »

Don't worry about it. Leave it for 10 days then take another reading. Once you have stable readings over two days bottle it (priming as well of course). You'll end up with drinkable beer.

This is true. Some of the nicest beers I've drank were in the sub-4% ABV. On the commercial beer front, traditional Smithwicks was/is 3.8%.

Lower abv beers tend to make great Summer /session beers where you can drink more of it for more refreshment, rather than getting off yer head!

BeerNut

It's possible that the kit mix isn't evenly dissolved in the water. The sugar could be concentrated at the bottom so a reading taken from the top ends up low. It'll be fine. For future kits, add the water gradually, stir stir stir vigorously all the way through to make sure it's even. And never ever follow kit instructions: they're universally terrible.

Bogwoppit

BeerNut wrote: »

It's possible that the kit mix isn't evenly dissolved in the water. The sugar could be concentrated at the bottom so a reading taken from the top ends up low. It'll be fine. For future kits, add the water gradually, stir stir stir vigorously all the way through to make sure it's even. And never ever follow kit instructions: they're universally terrible.

I remember my first one said store at 28 degrees and bottle after 4 days!

jrobertos

Hi All. Anyone know somewhere to pick up a corny keg. Second hand is fine. they are expensive. Only starting out homebrewing so dont want to break the bank. I wont be bottling so need the keg. Already have a 10L keg from iKegger

sharingan

You checked the usual retail options ?
- Get Er Brewed
- The Homebrew Company

They sometimes show up on marketplace sites, and on the NHC forum, but will typically sell very fast.

UK was always an option pre-brexit, but not really anymore. I dont know which homebrew companies in europe are good to use now.t

If you are prepared to wait, you can corny kegs sent over from ali express (you will likely pay VAT etc, and sometimes extra charges from the courier) but it can work out about the same costwise. However most homebrewers prefer the italian AEB corny kegs rather than the ones coming in from china.

You will of course need all the taps and connecters etc. There is a link on corny kegging on the NHC website that is worth looking into - its details are still solid.

flyingoutside

Quick noob question lads.

I'm planning to start brewing in the shed and was wondering temperature wise should I wait until the shed is insulated? I'm thinking the temp be too changeable at the moment.

TomOnBoard

flyingoutside wrote: »

Quick noob question lads.

I'm planning to start brewing in the shed and was wondering temperature wise should I wait until the shed is insulated? I'm thinking the temp be too changeable at the moment.

You don't need to insulate the shed (if in Ireland). Depending on what youre brewing/fermenting, (eg, lagers ferment at lower temps than ales) just use a heat mat and/or heat belt along with good insulation on the fermentation vessel, and you'll be good to go, up to 25deg C.

robbok

Hi noob advice sought, have just started first IPA, from kit, should I move to second fermenter after a week ? If so how long should it stay in second fermenter ?
What is best way to do move, could I just put 2nd fermenter bucket under first and open tap or should I use a siphon, will I still need airlock on 2nd fermenter ? Thanks

TomOnBoard

robbok wrote: »

Hi noob advice sought, have just started first IPA, from kit, should I move to second fermenter after a week ? If so how long should it stay in second fermenter ?
What is best way to do move, could I just put 2nd fermenter bucket under first and open tap or should I use a siphon, will I still need airlock on 2nd fermenter ? Thanks

I dont bother with a 2nd ferm in a different container any more. Just let the ferm work down to bottling gravity, and siphon to bottles when ready.

Ready = same acceptable hydrometer readings 3 days in a row.

BeerNut

I agree there's no real need to do this, but if you do...

robbok wrote: »

how long should it stay in second fermenter ?

A week or so. Your primary fermentation should have finished at this stage so it's really about letting the beer drop bright, and if you're dry hopping, letting that infuse.

robbok wrote: »

What is best way to do move, could I just put 2nd fermenter bucket under first and open tap

Noooo! Your big enemy at this stage is oxygen so you want to avoid splashing at all costs when racking and bottling. A siphon is the way to go.

robbok wrote: »

will I still need airlock on 2nd fermenter ?

You don't need an airlock at all ever. The one on the secondary won't be doing much, and certainly not anything useful.

sharingan

flyingoutside wrote: »

Quick noob question lads.

I'm planning to start brewing in the shed and was wondering temperature wise should I wait until the shed is insulated? I'm thinking the temp be too changeable at the moment.

Shed? Luxury. Now is a great time to ferment outdoors. Admittedly, my fermenter has an insulating jacket (DIY) but it has a heatbelt under it too, so I am boosting the temperature of the fermentation to get it up to ~17C or so.

If this was a lager, I would just leave it alone.

Will need to get a tarp over it asap. this drought we are having wont last forever.

pcasso

I am hoping that someone might have some advice on what is causing and how to fix the problem I have, with brewing flat beer.
I use the all grain brewing method. Previously I sometimes had an issue with different levels of carbonation in my bottled beer, ranging from flat to perfectly carbonated. I use an online calculator for the amount of glucose I use to prime before bottling always erring on the upper limit.
As I am only an occasional brewer I usually buy the grains ready mixed as part of a package that includes the hops yeast etc
I am beginning to wonder if the yeast provided is up to scratch. The last brew I did, a chocolate stout, immediately started to ferment after sprinkled the yeast on top, stopping a few hours later. I tried using a second spare yeast I has and although it then seemed to go through the normal fermenting process, I ended up with a pretty flat beer. The previous brew, a red ale was also flat despite seemingly fermenting in a normal fashion.
Over the past number of years brews have been anything from been absolutely lovely and spot on to flat and undrinkable without an apparent difference in the brewing process.
Any ideas of where I am going wrong is greatly appreciated.

TomOnBoard

pcasso wrote: »

I am hoping that someone might have some advice on what is causing and how to fix the problem I have, with brewing flat beer.
I use the all grain brewing method. Previously I sometimes had an issue with different levels of carbonation in my bottled beer, ranging from flat to perfectly carbonated. I use an online calculator for the amount of glucose I use to prime before bottling always erring on the upper limit.
As I am only an occasional brewer I usually buy the grains ready mixed as part of a package that includes the hops yeast etc
I am beginning to wonder if the yeast provided is up to scratch. The last brew I did, a chocolate stout, immediately started to ferment after sprinkled the yeast on top, stopping a few hours later. I tried using a second spare yeast I has and although it then seemed to go through the normal fermenting process, I ended up with a pretty flat beer. The previous brew, a red ale was also flat despite seemingly fermenting in a normal fashion.
Over the past number of years brews have been anything from been absolutely lovely and spot on to flat and undrinkable without an apparent difference in the brewing process.
Any ideas of where I am going wrong is greatly appreciated.

Let's break this down in stages:

1. Brewing/Fermentation:

Is your beer ending up containing an acceptable level of alcohol, established by using an Original Gravity - Final Gravity calculation, from hydrometer measurements? If so, your fermentation is OK. If not, there's any number of possible causes. We need more info.

2. Bottling/storing:

Carbonation in the bottle needs yeast, sugar, temperature among other things. Basically, if you 're bottling well-fermented beer, say 4%-6% ABV, then SOME live yeast is getting into the bottle and should mix with the priming sugar to produce CO2 and alcohol. So, a few questions here:

Are your bottle caps good and tight?
Are you storing the newly bottled beer at a temperature at which the yeast will wake up and go to work on the sugar?
Do you find that whole batches are flat, or just some bottles?

Have a think and get back to us.

pcasso

TomOnBoard wrote: »

Let's break this down in stages:

1. Brewing/Fermentation:

Is your beer ending up containing an acceptable level of alcohol, established by using an Original Gravity - Final Gravity calculation, from hydrometer measurements? If so, your fermentation is OK. If not, there's any number of possible causes. We need more info. yes

2. Bottling/storing:

Carbonation in the bottle needs yeast, sugar, temperature among other things. Basically, if you 're bottling well-fermented beer, say 4%-6% ABV, then SOME live yeast is getting into the bottle and should mix with the priming sugar to produce CO2 and alcohol. So, a few questions here:

Are your bottle caps good and tight? yes
Are you storing the newly bottled beer at a temperature at which the yeast will wake up and go to work on the sugar? yes, the same area as for fermenting
Do you find that whole batches are flat, or just some bottles? the last couple of times have been complete flat batches but previously there have been some flat and some carbonated bottles

Have a think and get back to us.

Also my brew buddy has the same issue with the same company supplying the ingredients for his last few brews

TomOnBoard

pcasso wrote: »

Also my brew buddy has the same issue with the same company supplying the ingredients for his last few brews

Because your fermentations are producing enough alcohol, I'd say the issue is not with the ingredients from your supplier. I'd focus on the bottling/finishing stage. What is the temperature you 're fermenting at?

Are you both using the same bottling processes?
What are ye using to finish the beer.in the fermenter? Are you using clarifiers? Are you using finishing products/stabilisers?

Have you any bottles left at the moment? If so, open two of them. Add a teaspoon of sugar to each. Cap them and put into a bucket in 20-23 degree space, covering the tops of the bottles with a dishcloth in case they go craaazy. Open bottle 1 after 2 days, and bottle 2 after 4 days. Check carbonation and taste. If bottle 1 is still flat, put a pinch of yeast into bottle 1 and re-cap it. Leavs for another 2-4 days.

What you're doing here is checking if viable yeasts are transferring into the bottles.

EDIT: what are you using to clean/sanitise the bottles?

pcasso

We would both have similar bottling processes but not identical. I usually sterilize my bottles by a thorough washing and then baking in a oven for a couple of hours. Caps are steeped in Milton and then thoroughly rinsed.
The only think that goes into the beer after fermentation is the additional glucose which I usually add to the fermenting bin the morning of bottling to facilitate an even distribution.
All that goes into the wort during the boil is the hops and a whirlfloc tablet.
I still have some bottles left so I will see can I get some additional fermentation going as you suggest.
The beer isn't totally flat as there is a bit of a hiss on opening but the carbonation doesn't seem to have gone through the beer if that makes sense. A vigorous pour will produce a bit of a head but it will dissipate in less than a minute.
Thanks for all your help,

sharingan

pcasso wrote: »

The only think that goes into the beer after fermentation is the additional glucose which I usually add to the fermenting bin the morning of bottling to facilitate an even distribution.

This isnt how you batch prime. The priming solution needs to be mixed thoroughly into the beer (usually achieved in a second vessel, like a bottling bucket or pressure barrel). simply siphoning the beer into the solution in the second vessel is enough to do this, but you obviously cant stir the fermenter to do it as you will disturb the trub.

In all likelihood, your priming sugar is sitting undissolved or stratified in the trub layer of your primary fermenter and not making it into the bottles

Reiterate: to batch prime, you need a second vessel. Alternatively prime each bottle individually with a syringe or a carbonation cap.

Also I noticed that you bake your bottles ... I wouldn't do that unless you know those bottles will handle heat.