Homebrewing - Part 3
- Thread starter jubblies
- Start date
DoctorMick
Striker
I've got a black IPA in the fv at the minute, it'll be bottled on Wednesday. The last sample I took was very promising so looking forward to it.
dixonsafc
Striker
Mines on boiling at the minute. Magnum in for bittering, then a whirlpool with shit loads of simcoe, centennial and cascade.
Had really shit efficiency from that batch, need to run through my notes and work out what went wrong.
I use Brew Target freeware, and its usually spot on with predicted OG (usually I get a lot better) but today predicted OG was 1.073 and I only got 1.064. Don't feel like I've done anything different to previous brews?
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Twisted
Striker
my first batch is still in the original fermenting bucket - it's been about 3 weeks but it is still bubbling, should it completely have stopped before I go to the bottling stage or does it not matter that much? since it is going to be primed before bottling anyhow.
took a hydrometer reading on Saturday [never remembered to take an OG mind] didn't realize it was going to be such a fuck on to be honest
took a hydrometer reading on Saturday [never remembered to take an OG mind] didn't realize it was going to be such a fuck on to be honest
Wilfy
Striker
What was the reading? What is the kit?
dixonsafc
Striker
What was the hydrometer reading? Was it an AG or kit brew? If it was a kit check against the predicted FG of the instructions. If it's AG, you must have an estimate of the FG vs. what yeast you are using?
Twisted
Striker
1.080 I think it was, although you have to alter that according to the temperature don't you which I never got round to doing yet.
the instructions just said stick it in a bucket for 10 days then bottle with half a spoon ful of sugar per bottle.
literally, that's all it said
edit: it actually didn't even say that, it had pictures
Twisted
Striker
if that's more likely then aye, I could tell you if it was in front of me but I'm at work now.
dixonsafc
Striker
You're going to end with a canny sweet beer if it's at 1.080 after 3 weeks in the fermenter!
If it's at 1.008 then you should alright bottling.
Twisted
Striker
it tasted fairly normal.
mind you within about 12 hours I was pretty ill like - I'm hoping it was a hilariously timed bout of man flu but you never nar.
if not then I've got 40 bottles of instant-ill-off-work tonic
dixonsafc
Striker
it tasted fairly normal.
mind you within about 12 hours I was pretty ill like - I'm hoping it was a hilariously timed bout of man flu but you never nar.
if not then I've got 40 bottles of instant-ill-off-work tonic
If it's a kit, not that i've done one in a few years, but my advice would be to leave it in the bottle for as long as you can handle it. It only gets better, and they are usually rank within the first 4 weeks.
Really fancy brewing a 10-11% Russian Imperial Stout. Not sure if that's possible in the grainfather, but assume i'd have to do a reiterated mash?
Also waiting a year to drink it would be difficult.
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Wilfy
Striker
I reckon it would be ready by Christmas.
dixonsafc
Striker
That's what I was thinking. Be a canny winter drink. A bit different from the hipster hoppy craft stuff I'm usually brewing too.
Reading about reiterated mashing for the GF here and it seems simple enough. - https://www.grainfather.com/blog/week-74-reiterated-mashing/
Wilfy
Striker
Could use that idea for a 3 vessel setup as well.
PTR
Striker
What it says on the can compared to what actually happens is a world of a difference.
I usually find 3 weeks in the FV is about right, but for others, they get it done in 5 days or so. As with everything, its all about the process. Temperature control, oxygenation of the wort, pitching yeast quality&quantity.
1.008 is usually close to being done though. That's a good result actually, my first batches didn't get under 1.010
Twisted
Striker
well. f***ing hell, i'm not sure i've ever made as much mess as i have today. and for me that is some going.
did the bottling and got beer absolutely all over the place. convinced my kitchen was going to reek of beer forever - until i spilled santizer everywhere. then a decent sprinkling of hops for added affect when maknig my next batch.
so it tastes, so far, like i might have a half decent beer in the bottles - trying to remain confident that they'll get spoiled, blow up during the bottle conditioning or be stolen by rats or something in the meantime.
first batch was just a shitty kit, with spray malt replacing the sugar. second batch was a proper extract brew.
Excelsior!
did the bottling and got beer absolutely all over the place. convinced my kitchen was going to reek of beer forever - until i spilled santizer everywhere. then a decent sprinkling of hops for added affect when maknig my next batch.
so it tastes, so far, like i might have a half decent beer in the bottles - trying to remain confident that they'll get spoiled, blow up during the bottle conditioning or be stolen by rats or something in the meantime.
first batch was just a shitty kit, with spray malt replacing the sugar. second batch was a proper extract brew.
Excelsior!
DoctorMick
Striker
What did you make?
I've been planning an extract brew for ages, I'm sure I'll get round to it one of these days. How long did the brew take?
I've just been reading a few commercial RIS recipes and a lot of them use a significant amount of sugar in the brew with a grain bill of about 7/8kg which should fit in the GF. Another option would be to use some malt extract in the with boil in place of some of the pale malt to bring the abv up.
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Twisted
Striker
Think it'll end up a hoppy brown ale, I didn't follow a recipe.
1 hour of boiling but maybe 2-3 all told with cleaning and getting the water boiling and malt dissolved, then cooling and getting in the FV
