Homebrewing. Any experts?

[eFestivals]

All you going is being a knob as always. Your not giving me your dads advice. You are giving me your typical bullshit.

We are talking about bottling and effecting the time it takes for the beer to be fully carbonating and keeping its head. I know the level of malts and priming sugar can effect this... but neither are likely because they came out of tins / I use priming drops... So please do tell me, with 50+ years of advice, what else can effect the carbonation time of the beer and would be such an issue that you could sensibly deem it to have gone wrong and it has to be something I had control over ?

No... Didn't think so... Troll!

I said in my first post in this thread that I know fuck all about brewing myself.

But that didn't stop me hearing my old man telling know-it-alls just like you the same thing 20 times a day, that things do and will go wrong because it's not the same always-perfect process that the chemistry side of things might make you think it is.

PS: ever wondered why our pubs are full of shit lager? It's because it's an easier brew, that things are less likely to go wrong.

The commercial brewers don't have 100% success, but Barry Fish is going to show how stupid they are.

Edited January 11, 2012 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

AGAIN, we are talking about carbonation time... and not the entire process...

a process that is only 100% identical on every occasions when the ingredients and processes around them are 100% identical - which they never are.

Even the sugar you put in will vary every time, which means that the carbonation process will vary every time.

[eFestivals]

oh thanks for that... Never realised... You would of thought a member of CAMRA would know this sort of stuff...

EDIT:

Was going to leave it here but you clearly no nothing (although you stated this you are still having a pop at others)... You said it was an "easier" brew... Your actually totally wrong... Making Lager is a very similar process but the big companies choose to wreck it... I plan on producing "Real" Lager and not the dead shit they force feed on mass to the public...

Lager is pasteurised etc and forced carbonated... Its nothing to do with it being an "easier" brew... Its easier for pub to keep and serve...

What I said was 100% correct.

The lagers that the big breweries dish up are easier brews for them to do, because there is less chance of a problem occurring during the brewing process - less gets thrown away as unsaleable by the brewery because there's less chance of something going wrong for no particular (stoppable) reason.

That's all aside from the advantages at the pub end of things.

[eFestivals]

Neil... Can't you go back to the football thread... Something on your level...

You are just talking now and making no point of any value...

or alternatively, showing you talking tosh again.

[t8yman]

http://www.byo.com/s...-beer-overboard

Mine took 3 weeks in total before it was at a carbonation level I would deem to be acceptable...

If yours took less time then cool! But there is nothing wrong if it takes longer...

Its not an exact science (well not in the way you are thinking about it anyway)... The types and amounts of malts, hops, yeast, sugar are all going to result in different times for the carbonation, head development, head retention, and taste development....

Ill leave it here and wish you success for your future brewing

Cant make my mind up if to do something like the NOG next or an IPA

[t8yman]

Treated myself to a "top tap" king keg today, and transferred my Wherry into it. 3 days to secondary ferment, then into the garage to clear for 2-3 weeks. Hope it's a good result as it was a piece of piss to do, much less work than sterilising 40 bottles!

Started the IPA yet Barry?

Edited January 18, 2012 by t8yman

[t8yman]

Brew fridge is taken up with the St Peters Ruby Red Bottles at the moment.. Coming out Sunday Night to go into a cooler location...

Thinking of either starting a Pilsner or the IPA Sunday Night... Away on Holiday next week so would be able to probably bottle when I got back. Going to pick up the kit on Saturday so need to make my mind up soon

Will probably do the Coopers IPA

Did you use spray malt and dextrose as the kit suggests ?

[Paul ™]

Ok guys am gonna get a kit to make some Cider. I've no interest in Lager/Ales so will only be doing cider.

Had a look online, would something like THIS be ok for starting out with?

Or even THIS one from Scotties link?

Also I think I prefer the keg over the individual bottle option, how long does this stuff last for once completely finished for drinking?

Any tips/hints folks?

Edited March 4, 2012 by Paul ™

[Paul ™]

Looks fine to me... Althought it does not mention a "trial jar". You put some of your beer / cider into this and then stick in your hydrometer. Maybe just a quick email to check if its included.

I would recommend you get a turkey baster from tesco or somewhere. Helps taking a sample out of the Fermentation bin into the testing jar.

[Paul ™]

I would recommend a steriliser called Star San. Its a contact steriliser and you don't have to worry about rinsing it out like other ones. But you have to be careful with PH range of the water you use.

[Paul ™]

Ok thanks, will read up about that stuff on the forums

[t8yman]

I use this water... A batch last me about four weeks.

http://www.tesco.com...s/?id=267832188

[t8yman]

Tesco home value water for brewing.. Saves a shit load of time and costs next to nothing. Lots of people do this.. Ensures you have perfect water. Saying this, I have noticed a taste to this water I don't personally like and it comes through in the brews so going to switch back to my own water which I like a lot. I could try other brands but rather stick to the tried and tested now. Depending on your area bottled water is a good option. Not everyone has good water. I just need to remove the chlorine in mine.

But yeah, it's a massive time saver....

I am talking about the star San regarding the water above. Most people's tap water wont be in the right ph range for the star San so most people use bottled water. The ashbeck water from tesco works well for me and others.

Once it has gone cloudy this is a sign you need to make a fresh batch.

[Paul ™]

Well placed my order last night

1 X Cider Making Starter Equipment Pack for bottling

1 X Campden Tablets [Pack Size: 50]

1 X Hydrometer Trial Jar - Glass

1 X Brewmaker Deluxe Cider

Kit Contents:

A Large 25 Litre Food Grade Fermenting Bucket with lid An Air-lock.

A 'Little Bottler' bottling device

20 x 1 litre clear PET bottles with caps

A Hydrometer

A Thermometer

A tub of Steriliser

A 1 kg of Brewing Sugar

A pack of Carbonation Drops

A Mixing Paddle

Plan is to try maybe a couple of kit ciders, then some turbo cider.

If all that goes well, perhaps get a press and start with real apple ciders.

[Paul ™]

Yeah hopefully will be taking a few types to some festivals come summer.

plus can easily get extra bottles to stock up

Edited March 5, 2012 by Paul ™

[Paul ™]

Good shout on Tesco for extra bottles.

Yeah couple people said that on that forum about bottleing being better.

[Paul ™]

Got a call, order should be here tomorrow

[Paul ™]

Ok so it all arrived today. And went over to Tesco to get some of that Oxy cleaning powder and a turkey baster

How much of the cleaning powder should I use, I got the one you linked to but says its for fabrics?

Probably just clean everything together in the bath, then sterilize them individually.

When is best to sterilize the bottles? At start and just put the caps on or wait till ready to bottle?

Also read this on the link you put to the little bottler...

EXPERT TIP: Ferment your beer in a standard bin then transfer it to a ferment bin with a tap - leaving all the sediment behind - then connect the little bottler to the tap and bottle away. Add your priming malt/sugar to the drum tap bin before you transfer your brew and you will not need to prime each bottle individually!

Edited March 6, 2012 by Paul ™

[Paul ™]

Nice one cheers...

Yeah going to get the 2nd FV from Tesco (think it was just under a tenner anyway) and that means I can start it off in that one, then transfer it once initial fermenting is done and leave it in 2nd one with tap/little bottler till ready to bottle, and also put a 2nd batch on once I've tried the first lot

Dead excited about this haha.. hope it works

[t8yman]

make sure you don't let the temperature drop, if you kill the yeast your brew will be ruined. Mine is usually steady at around 22, but as long as you keep it over 20 you should be fine.

[Paul ™]

Checked temp twice overnight, didnt drop below 20.

According to the forums, cider yeast isn't as fussy as beer and can ferment even below 16 but takes a lot longer. Around 18-22 is ideal though

Edited March 7, 2012 by Paul ™

[t8yman]

ah, my bad - didnt realise you were doing cider.

the only cider I did was fucking rubbish. i hope yours comes out ok, its a massive downer when a brew isnt good, if its your first it must be heartbreaking.

good luck

[t8yman]

the temp wont fluctuate massively unless in a consistently high or low temp room, it takes quite a while to change the temp of 5 gallons of liquid.

[Paul ™]

Started it today, decided to Blog my progress

Trademark Brew

[t8yman]

I'm considering getting a still.