Brewing

[gnoff]

Brewing a Czech style pils today

Also putting my saffron mead on bottles

[Vilewoman]

On the bottle?

Wouldn't in be more effective?
Just a question.

[gnoff]

Originally Posted by Vilewoman

On the bottle?

Wouldn't in be more effective?
Just a question.

Nope, I've got a new way of doing it.

[Spanish_Lass]

Forgot about this thread.

Bought myself a copy of "homebrewing for dummies" and are considering where to go next!

So far is a good read, I am definitely in the right target audience.

[Hyggja]

I made my first mead 19 days ago, but it looks like its no fermentation anymore. The Yeast is going down and I dont know how long I need to let this working...

I will read the websites you all did post here to try to find a answer

[gnoff]

Originally Posted by Hyggja

I made my first mead 19 days ago, but it looks like its no fermentation anymore. The Yeast is going down and I dont know how long I need to let this working...

I will read the websites you all did post here to try to find a answer

19 days should usually be enough I think

did you meassure the density before fermentation?

what type of yeast did you use?

in what temperature have you been fermenting?

[Hyggja]

Originally Posted by gnoff

19 days should usually be enough I think

did you meassure the density before fermentation?

what type of yeast did you use?

in what temperature have you been fermenting?

Hi Gnoff ! Thank you for help me !

I did not made meassure of density before the fermentation... I have no idea how to make it.
I used a normal Dry Yeast, I think it was 7g, but no fruits.

The yeast:


The temperature is +or- 15ºC
I will buy the Bentonite to make it clear, its ok or better not to use it ?

[gnoff]

I'd say if it has been fermenting (bubbles in airlock and/or a visible "foam" on the surface) and then after 19 days there are no visible fermentation going on, its not going to continue.

It's either fermented so there's no more sugar, or the yeast can't take the amount of alchool that's been built up and died or gone dorment.

You could sterilize a small container (mug or so) and then draw a small sample of the mead to taste it. If it's not very sweet then it should be done.

How much honey to how much water did you use?


I've never used Bentonite or anything similar to clear my mead, but it works for wine so most likely will work for emad as well.

[Hyggja]

I used 1,5 kg honig for 3,5 lts water (in a 5 lts bottle).
In beginning it was more fermentation, I made some pictures to compar and there is some froth swimming over it. Now is nothing more...

I will get some mead, let it get cold and change again to a bottle without the yeast that stay under the bottle.
I tell you later how it is

[gnoff]

Originally Posted by Hyggja

I used 1,5 kg honig for 3,5 lts water (in a 5 lts bottle).
In beginning it was more fermentation, I made some pictures to compar and there is some froth swimming over it. Now is nothing more...

I will get some mead, let it get cold and change again to a bottle without the yeast that stay under the bottle.
I tell you later how it is

well, more or less, honey gives 292 Oechsle degrees for 1 kg in 1 liter of water.
So 1.5 kg in 3.5 liters of water should give you
1.5*292/3.5 = 1125 degrees Oechsle.
This is rather high actually, some yeast strains might have a problem even starting the fermentation and most likely it will leave some residual sweetness due to the fact it will be hard to ferment all that sugar.

If it were to ferment everything, say down to 1001 Oechsle, you'd end up with a dry 16.4% ABV mead.
Not many yeast strains can handle more than 14% though, especially not with the first generation.

For measuring density (Oechsle) a hydrometer is most often used.

Some info from:

http://www.howtobrew.com/equipment.html

----------
Hydrometer - A hydrometer measures the relative specific gravity between pure water and water with sugar dissolved in it by how high it floats when immersed. The hydrometer is used to gauge the fermentation progress by measuring one aspect of it, attenuation. Hydrometers are necessary when making beer from scratch (all-grain brewing) or when designing recipes. The first-time brewer using known quantities of extracts usually does not need one, but it can be a useful tool. See Appendix A - Using Hydrometers.
----------

More here:

http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixA.html


It's quite a useful tool to check if your brew has fermented enough or not.

[Spanish_Lass]

Plunged! After much teasing because I am reading about brewing but not daring to brew... I have decided to go for it.

Just placed an order for a homebrewer starter kit and malt extract with brewityourself.co.uk Should arrive at some point in the next week.

I sense I am going to become an annoying visitor of this thread.

[gnoff]

Originally Posted by Spanish_Lass

Plunged! After much teasing because I am reading about brewing but not daring to brew... I have decided to go for it.

Just placed an order for a homebrewer starter kit and malt extract with brewityourself.co.uk Should arrive at some point in the next week.

I sense I am going to become an annoying visitor of this thread.

There are no questions that are too small or too basic when you start brewing, better to ask and get help than to brew stuff that fails and need to be poured out

I'll help any way I can


I assume you'll start with beer, since you got malt extract?

[Spanish_Lass]

Originally Posted by gnoff

There are no questions that are too small or too basic when you start brewing, better to ask and get help than to brew stuff that fails and need to be poured out

I'll help any way I can


I assume you'll start with beer, since you got malt extract?

You may regret this offer of help I have a very good memory.

As for the kit, it is from a company called Brewferm, it is for Wheat Beer (for no particular reason)

The hardware that comes is the following:

his equipment pack includes:

* 25 Litre brewing bin
* paddle
* Syphon
* Steriliser
* Hydrometer

Plus some brewing sugar and bottles.

[Bates]

AA is going to have it's own beerfest soon, I think.

[Spanish_Lass]

Just taken delivery of my new toy. Now I need a bigger house because I don't know where it is going to sit!!!

[Spanish_Lass]

Forgot to add: Hydrometer is broken on arrival Just as well I don't need it to get started (I think!) I have emailed customer service and hope they can send me a new one soon.

The kit brews 15 litres of beer... so I hope I get it right!

[gnoff]

Originally Posted by Spanish_Lass

Forgot to add: Hydrometer is broken on arrival Just as well I don't need it to get started (I think!) I have emailed customer service and hope they can send me a new one soon.

The kit brews 15 litres of beer... so I hope I get it right!

damn postal service!

You'll need the hydrometer to emasure your density before it starts to ferment.
You should do this when the unfermenting beer is at the same temperature as the hydrometer is calibrated for, mine is at 20 degrees C.

If you don't measure before you start to ferment, you won't know how strong it turns out, since the "alcohol measure" things commonly available don't work well enough on beer.

Also, more into it, you won't be able to calculate how good of a yield you had on your extract during your mash.
But did you go for malt extract and not malt?

[Spanish_Lass]

Sorry chief you will have to explain the difference between malt and malt extract.

I got a rather heavy tin can of what appears to be a concentrate (no movements whatsoever, so I am assuming it is some kind of paste). Instructions says you have to heat the can slightly, empty contents on the fermenting vat, add the volume of the can in warm water, then yeast and more water with brewing sugar in it, warm preferably, then cooler water. Leave, test, and put in bottles adding a bit extra sugar for second fermentation.
8 weeks minimum from mix to serve. Not reading steps from instructions, that is what I remember.

The replacement hydrometer arrives tomorrow. I hope they call the door rather than dropping it down the mail opening. Having to order yet another one would make me VERY angry

So it is a bit like making tang.... but I will get started on the easy mix packets before I venture into the unknown.

[gnoff]

well...

Malt is the malted grain (usually barley), still in "grain format", i.e. it looks like something that has been growing
Usually called "whole grain brewing" or similar.

When you buy malt you buy it whole or crushed, but it needs to be crushed before mashing.

Malt extract comes either in powerd or liquid form, hopped or not hopped.
Usually called "extract brewing".
When using malt extract there is no need for mashing, you will need less equipment and you will use less time in brewing.


What you got sounds like hopped liquid malt extract then.

I'd stay away from using sugar, since it gives alcohol but not taste or body. I'd put in one more can of malt extract instead, or a bit of non-hopped malt extract.
It will work with sugar as well, but it will be better/higher quality with bigger malt base.

Be careful not to pitch your yeast while the temperature is too high, it will die at around 35-38 degrees C.
I usually pitch my ales around 20 degrees C.


But I think the best way to do this is that you follow the instructions and see how it turns out.
If you're not satisfied with the outcome, I can give you advice on how to improve in some steps.
If you are satisfied, congrats, you have a very easy and quite cheap way of making beer


And cleanliness is the most important thing to remember

[Spanish_Lass]

I know!!! I will probably spend ages with the sanitizer and the thermometer making sure I have the right parameters. Everything else is in the hands of fate...

As for sugar, the recipe is Belgian, I have heard that Belgians have this trick of adding sugar to raise the alcohol content and that is basically why lambic is quite alcoholic... I did not like the idea myself. Is like when I eventually go into brewing cider, I will make sure there is no added sugar.

It is just as well I can read French. The English instructions are a bit oddly translated.

[tagradh]

My mate fermented some jam. Worst_drink_ever.

[gnoff]

Originally Posted by Spanish_Lass

I know!!! I will probably spend ages with the sanitizer and the thermometer making sure I have the right parameters. Everything else is in the hands of fate...

As for sugar, the recipe is Belgian, I have heard that Belgians have this trick of adding sugar to raise the alcohol content and that is basically why lambic is quite alcoholic... I did not like the idea myself. Is like when I eventually go into brewing cider, I will make sure there is no added sugar.

It is just as well I can read French. The English instructions are a bit oddly translated.

Well, yes, the Belgians often add some special kinds of sugar.
Lambic though often lie around 5% ABV, and don't think they add sugar to it.


One thing about your brewing, write stuff down!
Take notes of all times, temperatures and such.
You'll be able to use them to see what went wrong, or to recreate a recepie that was awesome.

[Spanish_Lass]

New hydrometer is here. Looks much better built than the previous one.

Although looking at the manufacturer's address, it was a pointless exercise. It was made a stone's throw from where I live, yet sent all the way to Surrey and then all the way back up to Scotland.

Brewing may take place on Friday unless something else comes up. Yay!

[Spanish_Lass]

Originally Posted by gnoff

Well, yes, the Belgians often add some special kinds of sugar.
Lambic though often lie around 5% ABV, and don't think they add sugar to it.
.

Some fruit lambics have this syrupy thing, but I think it may be for flavour, not alcohol content... Cherry lambic reminds me of uni years. now I would probably find it too sweet. And funnily enough when I started drinking I did not like beer! How things change.

[Spanish_Lass]

Just made first batch of wheat beer according to the instructions on the malt extract tin.

That stuff just reminded me of making bran marsh for horses... you had to add this syrupy malt extract, water and stir the bucket The smell was the same. The only thing missing was 30 plus horses banging on the stable door because they knew dinner was on its way.

But so far I think the yeast is going to let me down.... so far no signs of fermentation. Maybe the room is too cool? The water was the right temperature for the yeast to hold... not too hot (measured with a thermometer and marked just under room temperature, too cold if anything, but still within the max/minimum temperatures in the instructions...)

So how do I know something is happening ?

Edit: Tested a bit with the hydrometer. So far it is just over the "start beer" fermentation line, in terms of degrees, so maybe I am in the right path?