Brewing Beer

[fatheadfred]

Homebrew cider can be really good, just be careful, as i managed to produce 5 gallons of really wicked alcoholic vinegar after it sat too long.

fresh is by far the way to do it. most of the storebought ciders/juices have anti fermentation additives .

 

Had that happen when experimenting w/ a natural fermentation. There is too much in the air not to kill the bacteria w/ sulfite before pitching. It is not from sitting too long, it is from initial infection from not killing the naturally occuring bacteria.

[Sly like a Foxwell]

i'm sure it didn't help when i added a bunch of sugar to up the gravity, then tried to stop the fermentation to keep the results sweet. it was good for a while, althogh more dry than i had wished, then after sitting in the fridge for 6-8 months, we tried to drink it, and nearly went blind. my calculations put it around 9%. i'm sure i let some bacteria in there in one of the sugar additons.

 

been meaning to try it again, being more careful with the sanitation, and consuming it more quickly

[ikol]

A week after bottling, I tried my Belgian Dubbel, and it's already good. It has a little banana-y flavor to it.

[quarter23cd]

A week after bottling, I tried my Belgian Dubbel, and it's already good. It has a little banana-y flavor to it.

I'm not sure banana-y is a word I've ever considered using when describing beer, but this still sounds good.

[fatheadfred]

i'm sure it didn't help when i added a bunch of sugar to up the gravity, then tried to stop the fermentation to keep the results sweet. it was good for a while, althogh more dry than i had wished, then after sitting in the fridge for 6-8 months, we tried to drink it, and nearly went blind. my calculations put it around 9%. i'm sure i let some bacteria in there in one of the sugar additons.

 

been meaning to try it again, being more careful with the sanitation, and consuming it more quickly

 

I think we added sugar to hit 8-10% to prevent spoilage and allow aging. But, we added sulfite to kill bacteria, then later pitched yeast.

 

How did you stop fermentation? And always add the sugar initially and one time only to keep it sanitary. You can even heat a sugar solution to 140 then add, but wait til the whole mix is within pitching temp. range.

[Sly like a Foxwell]

I think we added sugar to hit 8-10% to prevent spoilage and allow aging. But, we added sulfite to kill bacteria, then later pitched yeast.

 

How did you stop fermentation? And always add the sugar initially and one time only to keep it sanitary. You can even heat a sugar solution to 140 then add, but wait til the whole mix is within pitching temp. range.

 

fermentation was stopped by cold temps. if i remeber, i put it outside overnight when it was in the upper 20's. was using an ale yeast, so the cold pretty well knocks it out. really more of a suspension of activity as opposed to complete stop. after than inital cold, it was put in the fridge.

i did heat the sugar soloution before putting it in, and was cooled to 70ish, so it was in pitching range.

how long did you wait after the sulfite to pitch the yeast? from what i remember, it takes a sttrong yeast to overcome the sulfite.

 

bacteria could have been something as simple as not cleaning the keg out well enough. was an experiment that got started, then put on the back burner. never a good place for alcohol.

 

just found i have a case of barleywine thats been aging for a few years now. bet that has mellowed nicely.

[Guest Alan]

I'm not sure banana-y is a word I've ever considered using when describing beer, but this still sounds good.

i've had several dubbels and tripels that i'd call banana-y

[ikol]

I've had fruity Dubbels, but this is the first one where I could identify the fruit as banana.

[fatheadfred]

how long did you wait after the sulfite to pitch the yeast? from what i remember, it takes a sttrong yeast to overcome the sulfite.

 

just found i have a case of barleywine thats been aging for a few years now. bet that has mellowed nicely.

 

I'll have to look into that cuz I was always on the mashing/pressing line, while my exalted alcoholic pal was doing all the chemistry. I'll send him an email and repost.

 

Lucky for you to have booze laying around and suddenly finding it. Especially barley wine. Cheers.

[fatheadfred]

Here's what I got:

 

As long as you don't over-sulfite it (I forget the correct amount, maybe 1/4 tsp per gallon?), it settles out in about 24 hours & is ready for yeast pitching.

 

I believe a common form of sulfite is called camden tablets. I have used sodium metabisulfite (potassium type also available) for wine and it worked well...meaning clean and no funk off taste.

[m_thomp]

Tried this a few years on a budget set-up. We tried a lager type brew (that's like a paler type of ale) and it turned out okay if a little on the flat side, but we managed to induce a bit of fizz using some carbonated pellets or some such. I know you can get fancier type devices that give your brews a real soda stream type pep, but that was way beyond my means at the time.

 

The best part about the whole homebrew process is, obviously, the tasting. Because you don't have, or rather we didn't have, any way of measuring the alcoholic content we just had to sit there and drink glass by glass deciphering the impact like some kind of bum's science experiment. ... one glass: I'm feeling fine, two glasses: still fine....... three glasses: I'm feeling a bit flush.....four glasses: where did I put that Disco Hits compilation? and so on.

 

We did try brewing wine in a sack. Again this turned basically into vinegar like the cider scare stories mentioned above.

 

I too was considering re-enterring the home brew world with a cider home brew/press.

[fatheadfred]

Tried this a few years on a budget set-up. We tried a lager type brew (that's like a paler type of ale) and it turned out okay if a little on the flat side, but we managed to induce a bit of fizz using some carbonated pellets or some such. I know you can get fancier type devices that give your brews a real soda stream type pep, but that was way beyond my means at the time.

 

The best part about the whole homebrew process is, obviously, the tasting. Because you don't have, or rather we didn't have, any way of measuring the alcoholic content we just had to sit there and drink glass by glass deciphering the impact like some kind of bum's science experiment. ... one glass: I'm feeling fine, two glasses: still fine....... three glasses: I'm feeling a bit flush.....four glasses: where did I put that Disco Hits compilation? and so on.

 

We did try brewing wine in a sack. Again this turned basically into vinegar like the cider scare stories mentioned above.

 

I too was considering re-enterring the home brew world with a cider home brew/press.

 

Cider making is a little more labor and money intensive than beer. And you can't vary the flavor like you can with beer...my warning. I think this may stem from my overuse of cider. For 5 years straight, a group of 5 of us split 75 gallons/year. A pickup truckload of apples. Apples are cheap around here (when it rains). $65. My dad built the press from a kit ($200 or more now?). And it takes a full day to press and put the juice to bed.

[Sly like a Foxwell]

Tried this a few years on a budget set-up. We tried a lager type brew (that's like a paler type of ale) and it turned out okay if a little on the flat side, but we managed to induce a bit of fizz using some carbonated pellets or some such. I know you can get fancier type devices that give your brews a real soda stream type pep, but that was way beyond my means at the time.

 

Lager loosely translated from German means "to age" . the real main difference between lager and ale is that lagers use bottom fermenting yeasts, and are typicly "lagered". the temp is reduced by a few degrees a day until you hit just above freezing. you can brew in a ale style ( warm) with a lager yeast, and the result will be an american steam beer. founded in san frasisco around the turn of the century when early settlers tried to make beer in the old world style without refrigeration . most famous would be "anchor steam)

 

The best part about the whole homebrew process is, obviously, the tasting. Because you don't have, or rather we didn't have, any way of measuring the alcoholic content we just had to sit there and drink glass by glass deciphering the impact like some kind of bum's science experiment. ... one glass: I'm feeling fine, two glasses: still fine....... three glasses: I'm feeling a bit flush.....four glasses: where did I put that Disco Hits compilation? and so on.

 

try that with a barleywine. 8% really sneaks up on you.

 

We did try brewing wine in a sack. Again this turned basically into vinegar like the cider scare stories mentioned above.

 

I too was considering re-enterring the home brew world with a cider home brew/press.

[Sly like a Foxwell]

Cider making is a little more labor and money intensive than beer. And you can't vary the flavor like you can with beer...my warning. I think this may stem from my overuse of cider. For 5 years straight, a group of 5 of us split 75 gallons/year. A pickup truckload of apples. Apples are cheap around here (when it rains). $65. My dad built the press from a kit ($200 or more now?). And it takes a full day to press and put the juice to bed.

 

 

quite right, you can't alter the flavor as much with cider. Beer on the other hand, sky is the limit. Go all grain, a lot more control over flavor, the feeling of "getting the hands dirty" , and the smell of mashing grain is better than the smell of boiling extract. of course all grain is a LOT of work. not as much as pressing a tl of apples though...

thought about building a press myself, had sesigns for a square one that could be constructed faily cheaply, but decided there were other things that needed attention. like cabinet doors..

[fatheadfred]

and the smell of mashing grain is better than the smell of boiling extract. of course all grain is a LOT of work.

 

Can't beat the smell of the mash, or the hop additions during the boil. I almost like that more than drinking it.

[Sly like a Foxwell]

hops are pretty good for a makeshift privacy fence as well. i have some growing that block the neighbors view of my pool .

i will say for brewing purposes, buying them is a better option than growing your own.

 

4 pounds of carmel 120, 8 pounds of pale malt, and an ounce of chinook hops can produce a mean beer.

[fatheadfred]

hops are pretty good for a makeshift privacy fence as well. i have some growing that block the neighbors view of my pool .

i will say for brewing purposes, buying them is a better option than growing your own.

 

4 pounds of carmel 120, 8 pounds of pale malt, and an ounce of chinook hops can produce a mean beer.

 

Furreal? You better up those hops to around 3 z's to handle all that crystal 120. Here's something to tool around w/ prior to brewing. http://www.beertools.com/ it is free to use and an excellent waste of time, that is, if you are at work.

[Sly like a Foxwell]

Furreal? You better up those hops to around 3 z's to handle all that crystal 120. Here's something to tool around w/ prior to brewing. http://www.beertools.com/ it is free to use and an excellent waste of time, that is, if you are at work.

 

 

well, it was an ounce of pellet chinook with 13%aau . i think i added some leaf chinook for the aroma. right off, it was pretty hoppy, but did dull down with the age. wasn't near being a stone ruination or great divide hercules or anything, but it was before i was a total hophead .

 

thx for the tip on beertools. hadn't been around there in years, and it looks to have changed a lot.

[fatheadfred]

oh,yeah, for pellet, right on...i am used to leaf hops. my bad, yeah beertools use to make u pay first, but you can use it free...I like seeing the projected color, abv and ibu's.

[Sly like a Foxwell]

oh,yeah, for pellet, right on...i am used to leaf hops. my bad, yeah beertools use to make u pay first, but you can use it free...I like seeing the projected color, abv and ibu's.

 

i do prefer leaf, but for big aau, and a long boil, i go pellet. i've been using promash for a long time, and have been really happy with it. pretty similar set of tools really.

 

man, now i really need to get some projects finished so i convert the fridge and fill the cornies back up.

i sense some imperial brews in my future...... oak aged imp stout, and oak aged imp ipa... is it 5 o clock yet?

[fatheadfred]

Yeah, nothing like talking about brewing to really make you long for nice pint w/ a pillowy head. mmm