***OFFICIAL*** Footballguys homebrew thread (1 Viewer)

[coldchill]

Well, I moved it to the secondary fermenter. Looks great, smells great. Tastes GREAT! I mean it tasted like flat guinness. Although it was quite effervescent. The problem is....I measured gravity and although the crappy hydrometer they gave me varied greately, it went between 1.028 and 1.032 or so.Now, I f'ed up and didn't take a OG. The label on the ME can said I should be at like 1.04 OG though, and I added 3 lbs of dry ME per the guy I talked to which was supposed to help with the alcohol content. Wouldn't that probably boost the OG? is there a way to figure it out or estimate it? 5 gallons of water, 7 lbs of ME?It sure tasted like a Guinness which is 4.5%.

Don't worry about it. It's your first batch. If it tastes good, that's the important thing. You'll have plenty of time to worry about hitting gravities when you get a few batches under your belt. BTW missing your gravity means nothing about the quality of the beer, it just means that it may not turn out exactly as expected.

 

[Gator Shawn]

Well, I moved it to the secondary fermenter. Looks great, smells great. Tastes GREAT! I mean it tasted like flat guinness. Although it was quite effervescent. The problem is....I measured gravity and although the crappy hydrometer they gave me varied greately, it went between 1.028 and 1.032 or so.Now, I f'ed up and didn't take a OG. The label on the ME can said I should be at like 1.04 OG though, and I added 3 lbs of dry ME per the guy I talked to which was supposed to help with the alcohol content. Wouldn't that probably boost the OG? is there a way to figure it out or estimate it? 5 gallons of water, 7 lbs of ME?It sure tasted like a Guinness which is 4.5%.

Don't worry about it. It's your first batch. If it tastes good, that's the important thing. You'll have plenty of time to worry about hitting gravities when you get a few batches under your belt. BTW missing your gravity means nothing about the quality of the beer, it just means that it may not turn out exactly as expected.

I found an online brewer's calculator to predict OG based on ingredients and I might have had an OG as high as 1.057 which means my 1.028 is around 3.1%. It should drop a little after a week in the secondary fermentation so I might get to 4% or so which is okay.

 

[heckmanm]

Well, I moved it to the secondary fermenter. Looks great, smells great. Tastes GREAT! I mean it tasted like flat guinness. Although it was quite effervescent. The problem is....I measured gravity and although the crappy hydrometer they gave me varied greately, it went between 1.028 and 1.032 or so.Now, I f'ed up and didn't take a OG. The label on the ME can said I should be at like 1.04 OG though, and I added 3 lbs of dry ME per the guy I talked to which was supposed to help with the alcohol content. Wouldn't that probably boost the OG? is there a way to figure it out or estimate it? 5 gallons of water, 7 lbs of ME?It sure tasted like a Guinness which is 4.5%.

Don't worry about it. It's your first batch. If it tastes good, that's the important thing. You'll have plenty of time to worry about hitting gravities when you get a few batches under your belt. BTW missing your gravity means nothing about the quality of the beer, it just means that it may not turn out exactly as expected.

I found an online brewer's calculator to predict OG based on ingredients and I might have had an OG as high as 1.057 which means my 1.028 is around 3.1%. It should drop a little after a week in the secondary fermentation so I might get to 4% or so which is okay.

Liquid extracts can vary a little in water content, but a rule of thumb is (IIRC) 36 "points" per pound per gallon (ppg). For dry, there's no water, so it's 45 ppg. 4#LME would be 144 points, 3#DME would be 135 points, total ~280; dividing by 5 gallons gives 56 points, or 1.056, so your 1.057 is pretty close.That would put you at just about 50% apparent attenuation right now. You *should* be able to get in the 65-75% range, but things like yeast strain & freshness and the amount of oxygen in the wort at the start of fermentation can all have an effect. I'd definitely let it sit in the carboy for several days, and then test it again. You should be able to get at least down to the low 1.020s.FYI, when you take your sample, shake it to get as much CO2 out as you can, and then scoop the foam off. Any bubbles clinging to the hydrometer will give you a high reading by making it float higher than it would otherwise. Sometimes spinning it in the jar will dislodge some bubbles.

 

[Gator Shawn]

Well, I moved it to the secondary fermenter. Looks great, smells great. Tastes GREAT! I mean it tasted like flat guinness. Although it was quite effervescent. The problem is....I measured gravity and although the crappy hydrometer they gave me varied greately, it went between 1.028 and 1.032 or so.Now, I f'ed up and didn't take a OG. The label on the ME can said I should be at like 1.04 OG though, and I added 3 lbs of dry ME per the guy I talked to which was supposed to help with the alcohol content. Wouldn't that probably boost the OG? is there a way to figure it out or estimate it? 5 gallons of water, 7 lbs of ME?It sure tasted like a Guinness which is 4.5%.

Don't worry about it. It's your first batch. If it tastes good, that's the important thing. You'll have plenty of time to worry about hitting gravities when you get a few batches under your belt. BTW missing your gravity means nothing about the quality of the beer, it just means that it may not turn out exactly as expected.

I found an online brewer's calculator to predict OG based on ingredients and I might have had an OG as high as 1.057 which means my 1.028 is around 3.1%. It should drop a little after a week in the secondary fermentation so I might get to 4% or so which is okay.

Liquid extracts can vary a little in water content, but a rule of thumb is (IIRC) 36 "points" per pound per gallon (ppg). For dry, there's no water, so it's 45 ppg. 4#LME would be 144 points, 3#DME would be 135 points, total ~280; dividing by 5 gallons gives 56 points, or 1.056, so your 1.057 is pretty close.That would put you at just about 50% apparent attenuation right now. You *should* be able to get in the 65-75% range, but things like yeast strain & freshness and the amount of oxygen in the wort at the start of fermentation can all have an effect. I'd definitely let it sit in the carboy for several days, and then test it again. You should be able to get at least down to the low 1.020s.FYI, when you take your sample, shake it to get as much CO2 out as you can, and then scoop the foam off. Any bubbles clinging to the hydrometer will give you a high reading by making it float higher than it would otherwise. Sometimes spinning it in the jar will dislodge some bubbles.

Thanks the ####e hydrometer case they gave me does not work very well as a sample container. It was leaking slightly and there is barely enough room around the hydrometer to allow water to pass by. I don't trust the reading. It tastes like beer.Here's another question then. Some kits I see have huge bags of pitchable yeast in them, like the size of dry gravy mixes. Mine had a packet the size of a thing of Fleischmann's bread yeast. Was that enough yeast?

 

[heckmanm]

Thanks the ####e hydrometer case they gave me does not work very well as a sample container. It was leaking slightly and there is barely enough room around the hydrometer to allow water to pass by. I don't trust the reading. It tastes like beer.

Here's another question then. Some kits I see have huge bags of pitchable yeast in them, like the size of dry gravy mixes. Mine had a packet the size of a thing of Fleischmann's bread yeast. Was that enough yeast?

If you have a local HB shop, pick up a hydrometer jar - will work MUCH better.For dry yeast, the small packet is usually sufficient for a 5-gallon batch; freshness is the main concern. I wonder if the other kits you're talking about have liquid yeast. Was it something like this?

Liquid yeast packets include an internal pocket of sterile wort that you break a couple days before pitching (they're called "smack packs"). The yeast multiplies in the pouch and it swells up. That's why the packages are so much bigger.

 

[Gator Shawn]

Okay, went and bought a hydrometer testing thing today, like a big test tube with a plastic stand. Sampled some brew today with a brand new c-brite'd turkey baster and put it in the tube. Down to 1.022 which gives me about 4.62. It tastes wonderful too. I'll take another reading tomorrow and if it hasn't moved, I might go ahead and bottle tomorrow. Since it's a stout, I'm told it really doesn't need to sit in the secondary at all to clarify. I am hoping to drink it around Super Bowl time.

Now that I have a glass carboy, I might go ahead and brew the next batch up (a red ale) right away and leave it in secondary until the first batch is drunk.

 

[heckmanm]

Okay, went and bought a hydrometer testing thing today, like a big test tube with a plastic stand. Sampled some brew today with a brand new c-brite'd turkey baster and put it in the tube. Down to 1.022 which gives me about 4.62. It tastes wonderful too. I'll take another reading tomorrow and if it hasn't moved, I might go ahead and bottle tomorrow. Since it's a stout, I'm told it really doesn't need to sit in the secondary at all to clarify. I am hoping to drink it around Super Bowl time.Now that I have a glass carboy, I might go ahead and brew the next batch up (a red ale) right away and leave it in secondary until the first batch is drunk.

I suspect your gravity wasn't really as high as you thought with the first reading - it was probably the makeshift sample jar. In any case, you're correct that moving it to the secondary won't make a huge difference, just be careful not to get too much of the yeast cake when you siphon over to the bottling bucket. There is still plenty of live yeast in suspension to carbonate the beer.The secondary is more important for slower-fermenting beers (lagers or ales fermented in the mid-60s or below), where the beer will be sitting for a couple of weeks. Or for lighter-colored beers that you want as clear as possible.

 

[culdeus]

Okay, went and bought a hydrometer testing thing today, like a big test tube with a plastic stand. Sampled some brew today with a brand new c-brite'd turkey baster and put it in the tube. Down to 1.022 which gives me about 4.62. It tastes wonderful too. I'll take another reading tomorrow and if it hasn't moved, I might go ahead and bottle tomorrow. Since it's a stout, I'm told it really doesn't need to sit in the secondary at all to clarify. I am hoping to drink it around Super Bowl time.Now that I have a glass carboy, I might go ahead and brew the next batch up (a red ale) right away and leave it in secondary until the first batch is drunk.

I suspect your gravity wasn't really as high as you thought with the first reading - it was probably the makeshift sample jar. In any case, you're correct that moving it to the secondary won't make a huge difference, just be careful not to get too much of the yeast cake when you siphon over to the bottling bucket. There is still plenty of live yeast in suspension to carbonate the beer.The secondary is more important for slower-fermenting beers (lagers or ales fermented in the mid-60s or below), where the beer will be sitting for a couple of weeks. Or for lighter-colored beers that you want as clear as possible.

Also simplifies dry hopping, if applicable.

 

[heckmanm]

Okay, went and bought a hydrometer testing thing today, like a big test tube with a plastic stand. Sampled some brew today with a brand new c-brite'd turkey baster and put it in the tube. Down to 1.022 which gives me about 4.62. It tastes wonderful too. I'll take another reading tomorrow and if it hasn't moved, I might go ahead and bottle tomorrow. Since it's a stout, I'm told it really doesn't need to sit in the secondary at all to clarify. I am hoping to drink it around Super Bowl time.Now that I have a glass carboy, I might go ahead and brew the next batch up (a red ale) right away and leave it in secondary until the first batch is drunk.

I suspect your gravity wasn't really as high as you thought with the first reading - it was probably the makeshift sample jar. In any case, you're correct that moving it to the secondary won't make a huge difference, just be careful not to get too much of the yeast cake when you siphon over to the bottling bucket. There is still plenty of live yeast in suspension to carbonate the beer.The secondary is more important for slower-fermenting beers (lagers or ales fermented in the mid-60s or below), where the beer will be sitting for a couple of weeks. Or for lighter-colored beers that you want as clear as possible.

Also simplifies dry hopping, if applicable.

Excellent point.

 

[Gator Shawn]

Okay, think I might bottle tomorrow. I am using 22 oz bottles. Given that 22 oz is more beer and more CO2 released during bottling than a regular 12 oz bottle, will the regular bottle filler leave enough space at the top of the bottle?

 

[regularguy]

Good to see another GA homebrewer here. I've only done a couple of batches so far but catching up on this thread has me ready to go again. I assume you've got a basement where you're keeping your carboy? Almost a necessity in the South. I echo the turkey fryer recommendation. Brewing outside won't necessarily help your OCD-like sanitation but it does make clean-up much nicer and is more enjoyable IMO.

I'll leave your last question to someone more knowledgeable. I've only used 12 oz. bottles so far. I didn't think the bottling process was as bad as others made it out to be, but I had a buddy helping which makes a difference.

 

[Sclaffer]

Okay, think I might bottle tomorrow. I am using 22 oz bottles. Given that 22 oz is more beer and more CO2 released during bottling than a regular 12 oz bottle, will the regular bottle filler leave enough space at the top of the bottle?

If you are using a regular bottle filler (a plastic tube with a spring type release at the bottom, just putting the filler all the way to the bottom of the bottle and fill the bottle until it is almost to the top of the bottle should leave you with about an inch of head space in the bottle, when you pull the bottle filler out. This is more than enough head space to allow for CO2 release when you finally open the bottle.Should be no different that filling a 12 oz bottle.

 

[heckmanm]

Okay, think I might bottle tomorrow. I am using 22 oz bottles. Given that 22 oz is more beer and more CO2 released during bottling than a regular 12 oz bottle, will the regular bottle filler leave enough space at the top of the bottle?

Try with water first. Assuming you have a standard filler, with a valve at the bottom, if you fill to the top and then remove the filler, the headspace will equal the volume occupied by the filler itself, because it will still be full of beer when you remove it. So, fill a bottle full (or nearly full) and then push the filler down to just touch the bottom (but don't open the valve). You will force some water out of the bottle, and when you remove the filler, the resulting level will be what you can expect if you do basically the same thing with beer. Adjust your stopping point when filling as needed to get it to come out right.

For a 22-oz bottle, you probably want about 1-1.5" of headspace. Doesn't have to be exact, as the amount of priming sugar will be by far the biggest influence on the ending carbonation level. Too much headspace can lead to oxidation, as the air won't all get absorbed in the fermentation process. Too little can lead to undercarbonation, but you have to leave almost no space for that to happen.

If you find your filler is leaving too much headspace, consider a filler with a top-positioned valve, such as the Phil's Philler. When you release this filler, the beer in the tube stays in the bottle, and you can fill to just where you want it and it stays almost right there when you pull the tube. The only change is the volume displaced by the tube itself. Not cheap, but it's stainless steel and will last pretty much forever.

 

[Gator Shawn]

Okay, think I might bottle tomorrow. I am using 22 oz bottles. Given that 22 oz is more beer and more CO2 released during bottling than a regular 12 oz bottle, will the regular bottle filler leave enough space at the top of the bottle?

Try with water first. Assuming you have a standard filler, with a valve at the bottom, if you fill to the top and then remove the filler, the headspace will equal the volume occupied by the filler itself, because it will still be full of beer when you remove it. So, fill a bottle full (or nearly full) and then push the filler down to just touch the bottom (but don't open the valve). You will force some water out of the bottle, and when you remove the filler, the resulting level will be what you can expect if you do basically the same thing with beer. Adjust your stopping point when filling as needed to get it to come out right.

For a 22-oz bottle, you probably want about 1-1.5" of headspace. Doesn't have to be exact, as the amount of priming sugar will be by far the biggest influence on the ending carbonation level. Too much headspace can lead to oxidation, as the air won't all get absorbed in the fermentation process. Too little can lead to undercarbonation, but you have to leave almost no space for that to happen.

If you find your filler is leaving too much headspace, consider a filler with a top-positioned valve, such as the Phil's Philler. When you release this filler, the beer in the tube stays in the bottle, and you can fill to just where you want it and it stays almost right there when you pull the tube. The only change is the volume displaced by the tube itself. Not cheap, but it's stainless steel and will last pretty much forever.

I read and saw in a few places that it's best to fill the bottles, set the cap on top as a protective measure but to wait to cap it completely so that CO2 coming out of suspension can drive out whatever oxygen got into the bottle. In other words, fill all bottles first, then start capping with the first bottle you filled.

 

[coldchill]

If you find your filler is leaving too much headspace, consider a filler with a top-positioned valve, such as the Phil's Philler. When you release this filler, the beer in the tube stays in the bottle, and you can fill to just where you want it and it stays almost right there when you pull the tube. The only change is the volume displaced by the tube itself. Not cheap, but it's stainless steel and will last pretty much forever.

I hate my Phil's Philler. Maybe I've just never got the hang of it but I much prefer the plastic bottom valve cheapy.

 

[culdeus]

Okay, think I might bottle tomorrow. I am using 22 oz bottles. Given that 22 oz is more beer and more CO2 released during bottling than a regular 12 oz bottle, will the regular bottle filler leave enough space at the top of the bottle?

Try with water first. Assuming you have a standard filler, with a valve at the bottom, if you fill to the top and then remove the filler, the headspace will equal the volume occupied by the filler itself, because it will still be full of beer when you remove it. So, fill a bottle full (or nearly full) and then push the filler down to just touch the bottom (but don't open the valve). You will force some water out of the bottle, and when you remove the filler, the resulting level will be what you can expect if you do basically the same thing with beer. Adjust your stopping point when filling as needed to get it to come out right.

For a 22-oz bottle, you probably want about 1-1.5" of headspace. Doesn't have to be exact, as the amount of priming sugar will be by far the biggest influence on the ending carbonation level. Too much headspace can lead to oxidation, as the air won't all get absorbed in the fermentation process. Too little can lead to undercarbonation, but you have to leave almost no space for that to happen.

If you find your filler is leaving too much headspace, consider a filler with a top-positioned valve, such as the Phil's Philler. When you release this filler, the beer in the tube stays in the bottle, and you can fill to just where you want it and it stays almost right there when you pull the tube. The only change is the volume displaced by the tube itself. Not cheap, but it's stainless steel and will last pretty much forever.

I read and saw in a few places that it's best to fill the bottles, set the cap on top as a protective measure but to wait to cap it completely so that CO2 coming out of suspension can drive out whatever oxygen got into the bottle. In other words, fill all bottles first, then start capping with the first bottle you filled.

relax, don't worry

 

[coldchill]

I read and saw in a few places that it's best to fill the bottles, set the cap on top as a protective measure but to wait to cap it completely so that CO2 coming out of suspension can drive out whatever oxygen got into the bottle. In other words, fill all bottles first, then start capping with the first bottle you filled.

Interesting. Not a bad theory, I guess. If I ever bottle another batch, I'll try it.

 

[Gator Shawn]

I read and saw in a few places that it's best to fill the bottles, set the cap on top as a protective measure but to wait to cap it completely so that CO2 coming out of suspension can drive out whatever oxygen got into the bottle. In other words, fill all bottles first, then start capping with the first bottle you filled.

Interesting. Not a bad theory, I guess. If I ever bottle another batch, I'll try it.

This is like with our first child. Boiling everything that touched the ground to sterilize it. Second child, 5 second rule applied.With my next batch I'll chill out. For this one, I'm panicking.I do want to go ahead and start batch #2. You guys recommend any good red ales in a ME kit?

 

[skazooz]

I just moved my first ever batch over to my secondary fermenter yesterday.

 

[Gator Shawn]

I just moved my first ever batch over to my secondary fermenter yesterday.

WOOT!I'm going to take some pictures of the bottling operation tonight.

 

[The Gator]

I read and saw in a few places that it's best to fill the bottles, set the cap on top as a protective measure but to wait to cap it completely so that CO2 coming out of suspension can drive out whatever oxygen got into the bottle. In other words, fill all bottles first, then start capping with the first bottle you filled.

Interesting. Not a bad theory, I guess. If I ever bottle another batch, I'll try it.

This is like with our first child. Boiling everything that touched the ground to sterilize it. Second child, 5 second rule applied.

 

[The Gator]

I just moved my first ever batch over to my secondary fermenter yesterday.

WOOT!I'm going to take some pictures of the bottling operation tonight.

 

[Gator Shawn]

6.5 for primary 5 for secondary. HTH

Also, Gator can we get this guy a key to the emerald city?

 

[Gator Shawn]

Bottling Done. Pictures.

 

[regularguy]

Bottling Done. Pictures.

Looks like you already got the hang of it all. Take some pics of the poured beer for us too to go along with the forthcoming review please.

edit: Have you made it to Green's on Buford Hwy or Ponce yet? Best beer stores in GA easily. We can discuss further at TBS.

 

[Gator Shawn]

Bottling Done. Pictures.

Looks like you already got the hang of it all. Take some pics of the poured beer for us too to go along with the forthcoming review please.

edit: Have you made it to Green's on Buford Hwy or Ponce yet? Best beer stores in GA easily. We can discuss further at TBS.

TBS?

 

[culdeus]

Bottling Done. Pictures.

Looks like you already got the hang of it all. Take some pics of the poured beer for us too to go along with the forthcoming review please.

edit: Have you made it to Green's on Buford Hwy or Ponce yet? Best beer stores in GA easily. We can discuss further at TBS.

TBS?

Ask this guy

 

[The Gator]

Was wondering why he asked me.

 

[culdeus]

Was wondering why he asked me.

You should also be getting requests to show up in the CoD4 thread.

 

[moleculo]

The wife got me a Mr Beer for Christmas, and I'm playing with that - never thought I'd get into brewing, but so far I think Mr Beer will be more of a "gateway" thing, and I'm gonna try to take up homebrewing more seriously.

However - I do have one question regarding fermenting. I don't have a basement, and live in south FL. Unless I want my power bill to be well over $400/month, I keep the house between 77 and 80 in the summer. Is this too hot for fermentation? While I am brewing my 2 gallon batch right now, I have no problem keeping the house at 76, but that's because it's January (I am actually still running the AC to keep at 76, btw). If I get into this, I'd like to be able to brew more often than January.

TIA

 

[culdeus]

The wife got me a Mr Beer for Christmas, and I'm playing with that - never thought I'd get into brewing, but so far I think Mr Beer will be more of a "gateway" thing, and I'm gonna try to take up homebrewing more seriously.However - I do have one question regarding fermenting. I don't have a basement, and live in south FL. Unless I want my power bill to be well over $400/month, I keep the house between 77 and 80 in the summer. Is this too hot for fermentation? While I am brewing my 2 gallon batch right now, I have no problem keeping the house at 76, but that's because it's January (I am actually still running the AC to keep at 76, btw). If I get into this, I'd like to be able to brew more often than January.TIA

Yeah, that's going to be a problem. If it's just a Mr. Beer you could consider getting a small refrigerator and getting a different thermostat.

 

[Gator Shawn]

The wife got me a Mr Beer for Christmas, and I'm playing with that - never thought I'd get into brewing, but so far I think Mr Beer will be more of a "gateway" thing, and I'm gonna try to take up homebrewing more seriously.However - I do have one question regarding fermenting. I don't have a basement, and live in south FL. Unless I want my power bill to be well over $400/month, I keep the house between 77 and 80 in the summer. Is this too hot for fermentation? While I am brewing my 2 gallon batch right now, I have no problem keeping the house at 76, but that's because it's January (I am actually still running the AC to keep at 76, btw). If I get into this, I'd like to be able to brew more often than January.TIA

My first and second batch have so far fermented just fine in a bathroom averaging about 76 degrees. It actually ferments quite a bit quicker there. I guess that if you're going for perfection you need to be more like 68-70, but 76 will yield an extremely drinkable ale.Even at 80 in the living room, you probably have a dark closet at 75'ish.What about a small used fridge in the garage? I might buy a $100 used fridge so I can try lagering sometime.

 

[culdeus]

The wife got me a Mr Beer for Christmas, and I'm playing with that - never thought I'd get into brewing, but so far I think Mr Beer will be more of a "gateway" thing, and I'm gonna try to take up homebrewing more seriously.However - I do have one question regarding fermenting. I don't have a basement, and live in south FL. Unless I want my power bill to be well over $400/month, I keep the house between 77 and 80 in the summer. Is this too hot for fermentation? While I am brewing my 2 gallon batch right now, I have no problem keeping the house at 76, but that's because it's January (I am actually still running the AC to keep at 76, btw). If I get into this, I'd like to be able to brew more often than January.TIA

My first and second batch have so far fermented just fine in a bathroom averaging about 76 degrees. It actually ferments quite a bit quicker there. I guess that if you're going for perfection you need to be more like 68-70, but 76 will yield an extremely drinkable ale.Even at 80 in the living room, you probably have a dark closet at 75'ish.What about a small used fridge in the garage? I might buy a $100 used fridge so I can try lagering sometime.

Yeah, that's what most people (incl. myself) do in the summer. It's pretty much the only way to do it in hot areas.

 

[moleculo]

The wife got me a Mr Beer for Christmas, and I'm playing with that - never thought I'd get into brewing, but so far I think Mr Beer will be more of a "gateway" thing, and I'm gonna try to take up homebrewing more seriously.However - I do have one question regarding fermenting. I don't have a basement, and live in south FL. Unless I want my power bill to be well over $400/month, I keep the house between 77 and 80 in the summer. Is this too hot for fermentation? While I am brewing my 2 gallon batch right now, I have no problem keeping the house at 76, but that's because it's January (I am actually still running the AC to keep at 76, btw). If I get into this, I'd like to be able to brew more often than January.TIA

Yeah, that's going to be a problem. If it's just a Mr. Beer you could consider getting a small refrigerator and getting a different thermostat.

hmm...maybe that's something I can look into. I don't have the space for a large fridge, but maybe a mini-bar type of thing.

 

[moleculo]

The wife got me a Mr Beer for Christmas, and I'm playing with that - never thought I'd get into brewing, but so far I think Mr Beer will be more of a "gateway" thing, and I'm gonna try to take up homebrewing more seriously.

However - I do have one question regarding fermenting. I don't have a basement, and live in south FL. Unless I want my power bill to be well over $400/month, I keep the house between 77 and 80 in the summer. Is this too hot for fermentation? While I am brewing my 2 gallon batch right now, I have no problem keeping the house at 76, but that's because it's January (I am actually still running the AC to keep at 76, btw). If I get into this, I'd like to be able to brew more often than January.

TIA

My first and second batch have so far fermented just fine in a bathroom averaging about 76 degrees. It actually ferments quite a bit quicker there. I guess that if you're going for perfection you need to be more like 68-70, but 76 will yield an extremely drinkable ale.Even at 80 in the living room, you probably have a dark closet at 75'ish.

What about a small used fridge in the garage? I might buy a $100 used fridge so I can try lagering sometime.

Yeah, that's what most people (incl. myself) do in the summer. It's pretty much the only way to do it in hot areas.

All right - so what is the diameter and height of a carboy so I can make sure it fits in the fridge, and how do you regulate the temp of the fridge? Don't most fridges have a scale that goes from cold to coldest, with no numerical setting? or do you get a standard thermometer and use that to calibrate the fridge setting?I stopped in at the local home-brew store - BX beer depot (can you guys do a quick price-check and give me some feedback on their prices?), and they told me that what people typically do is keep the fermenter in a tub with about 4" of water (with some chlorine to keep the mold down), and drape towels over the fermenter. The water climbs up the towels via capillary action and cool the fermenter by the water evaporating. They say that this can reduce the temp by 10 degrees from ambient. Does this sound right?

One other question: what is the bare minimum equipment one needs to get into 5 gallon size batches?

TIA

 

[culdeus]

The wife got me a Mr Beer for Christmas, and I'm playing with that - never thought I'd get into brewing, but so far I think Mr Beer will be more of a "gateway" thing, and I'm gonna try to take up homebrewing more seriously.

However - I do have one question regarding fermenting. I don't have a basement, and live in south FL. Unless I want my power bill to be well over $400/month, I keep the house between 77 and 80 in the summer. Is this too hot for fermentation? While I am brewing my 2 gallon batch right now, I have no problem keeping the house at 76, but that's because it's January (I am actually still running the AC to keep at 76, btw). If I get into this, I'd like to be able to brew more often than January.

TIA

My first and second batch have so far fermented just fine in a bathroom averaging about 76 degrees. It actually ferments quite a bit quicker there. I guess that if you're going for perfection you need to be more like 68-70, but 76 will yield an extremely drinkable ale.Even at 80 in the living room, you probably have a dark closet at 75'ish.

What about a small used fridge in the garage? I might buy a $100 used fridge so I can try lagering sometime.

Yeah, that's what most people (incl. myself) do in the summer. It's pretty much the only way to do it in hot areas.

All right - so what is the diameter and height of a carboy so I can make sure it fits in the fridge, and how do you regulate the temp of the fridge? Don't most fridges have a scale that goes from cold to coldest, with no numerical setting? or do you get a standard thermometer and use that to calibrate the fridge setting?I stopped in at the local home-brew store - BX beer depot (can you guys do a quick price-check and give me some feedback on their prices?), and they told me that what people typically do is keep the fermenter in a tub with about 4" of water (with some chlorine to keep the mold down), and drape towels over the fermenter. The water climbs up the towels via capillary action and cool the fermenter by the water evaporating. They say that this can reduce the temp by 10 degrees from ambient. Does this sound right?

One other question: what is the bare minimum equipment one needs to get into 5 gallon size batches?

TIA

You have to get a second thermostat. Either one that cutsoff the fridge at a set point or one that you jerry rig yourself. There's no way a evaporative system can drop the temp that much. 5 degrees tops.

 

[regularguy]

The wife got me a Mr Beer for Christmas, and I'm playing with that - never thought I'd get into brewing, but so far I think Mr Beer will be more of a "gateway" thing, and I'm gonna try to take up homebrewing more seriously.

However - I do have one question regarding fermenting. I don't have a basement, and live in south FL. Unless I want my power bill to be well over $400/month, I keep the house between 77 and 80 in the summer. Is this too hot for fermentation? While I am brewing my 2 gallon batch right now, I have no problem keeping the house at 76, but that's because it's January (I am actually still running the AC to keep at 76, btw). If I get into this, I'd like to be able to brew more often than January.

TIA

My first and second batch have so far fermented just fine in a bathroom averaging about 76 degrees. It actually ferments quite a bit quicker there. I guess that if you're going for perfection you need to be more like 68-70, but 76 will yield an extremely drinkable ale.Even at 80 in the living room, you probably have a dark closet at 75'ish.

What about a small used fridge in the garage? I might buy a $100 used fridge so I can try lagering sometime.

Yeah, that's what most people (incl. myself) do in the summer. It's pretty much the only way to do it in hot areas.

All right - so what is the diameter and height of a carboy so I can make sure it fits in the fridge, and how do you regulate the temp of the fridge? Don't most fridges have a scale that goes from cold to coldest, with no numerical setting? or do you get a standard thermometer and use that to calibrate the fridge setting?I stopped in at the local home-brew store - BX beer depot (can you guys do a quick price-check and give me some feedback on their prices?), and they told me that what people typically do is keep the fermenter in a tub with about 4" of water (with some chlorine to keep the mold down), and drape towels over the fermenter. The water climbs up the towels via capillary action and cool the fermenter by the water evaporating. They say that this can reduce the temp by 10 degrees from ambient. Does this sound right?

One other question: what is the bare minimum equipment one needs to get into 5 gallon size batches?

TIA

I've read where others have done the carboy in a tub of water trick. One guy even talked about dumping some ice in the tub every morning. Seems like with some practice you could make it work. As for minimum equipment, most stores/sites have varying levels of kits. You can get started for around $100 with no problem.

 

[Sclaffer]

The wife got me a Mr Beer for Christmas, and I'm playing with that - never thought I'd get into brewing, but so far I think Mr Beer will be more of a "gateway" thing, and I'm gonna try to take up homebrewing more seriously.

However - I do have one question regarding fermenting. I don't have a basement, and live in south FL. Unless I want my power bill to be well over $400/month, I keep the house between 77 and 80 in the summer. Is this too hot for fermentation? While I am brewing my 2 gallon batch right now, I have no problem keeping the house at 76, but that's because it's January (I am actually still running the AC to keep at 76, btw). If I get into this, I'd like to be able to brew more often than January.

TIA

My first and second batch have so far fermented just fine in a bathroom averaging about 76 degrees. It actually ferments quite a bit quicker there. I guess that if you're going for perfection you need to be more like 68-70, but 76 will yield an extremely drinkable ale.Even at 80 in the living room, you probably have a dark closet at 75'ish.

What about a small used fridge in the garage? I might buy a $100 used fridge so I can try lagering sometime.

Yeah, that's what most people (incl. myself) do in the summer. It's pretty much the only way to do it in hot areas.

All right - so what is the diameter and height of a carboy so I can make sure it fits in the fridge, and how do you regulate the temp of the fridge? Don't most fridges have a scale that goes from cold to coldest, with no numerical setting? or do you get a standard thermometer and use that to calibrate the fridge setting?I stopped in at the local home-brew store - BX beer depot (can you guys do a quick price-check and give me some feedback on their prices?), and they told me that what people typically do is keep the fermenter in a tub with about 4" of water (with some chlorine to keep the mold down), and drape towels over the fermenter. The water climbs up the towels via capillary action and cool the fermenter by the water evaporating. They say that this can reduce the temp by 10 degrees from ambient. Does this sound right?

One other question: what is the bare minimum equipment one needs to get into 5 gallon size batches?

TIA

You have to get a second thermostat. Either one that cutsoff the fridge at a set point or one that you jerry rig yourself. There's no way a evaporative system can drop the temp that much. 5 degrees tops.

You need something like one of the top first two items on this page. I've got the digital one, and it works great!

 

[moleculo]

What is the advantages for carboys vs buckets?

Also - any thoughts on plastic carboys?

 

[Sclaffer]

What is the advantages for carboys vs buckets?Also - any thoughts on plastic carboys?

Buckets are easier to carry around, should you need to move the beer while it is fermenting. Buckets are also easier to get scratches, which could harbor nasty bacteria, should your cleaning not be what it should.Glass carboys are heavy and are breakable. I know this for a fact, as I broke one not minutes after I transferred my wort and pitched my yeast, and witnessed the horror as 5.5 gallons of freshly made beer when spilling across my basement floor. Glass carboys do not scratch as easy and are fairly easy to clean.I'm not quite sold on the plastic carboys. I don't think they are as easily scratched like buckets, but they are permeable, so they could let some air in, which is not good whilst fermenting.ETA: I, myself, prefer the glass carboys for primary (6.5 - 7 gallon) and secondary (5 gallon) fermenting, and then use a bottling bucket for um... bottling.

 

[Garrett]

I put my very first batch into the fermenter on Saturday, hopefully it turns out OK...

Looks OK?

 

[Sclaffer]

I put my very first batch into the fermenter on Saturday, hopefully it turns out OK...

Looks OK?

Man... I gotta get myself back into brewing. It's been too long (almost 2 years) since I last brewed a beer.That looks pretty damn good to me. Of course, you won't know until you taste it, but everything looks good so far.

How well do those carboy straps work? Easier to carry a full carboy? Ever worry about the straps giving out and the carboy crashing to the ground?

 

[Garrett]

How well do those carboy straps work? Easier to carry a full carboy? Ever worry about the straps giving out and the carboy crashing to the ground?

In my limited experience, the straps on the 6.5 gallon carboy made a huge difference. It is also useful when trying to aerate the wort; you can just lift it up by both straps and shake the hell out of it with no fear of losing it. I would definitely recommend trying them.

 

[KGB]

Need a place in Las vegas for ingredients. not equipment.

i dont know anything about brewing but he's experienced... bragged that the fbg's know all.

It would be a big help, thanks

 

[culdeus]

Headign to the lhbs for ingredients. Hops limit of 4oz. So it goes.

Going to do something like

1/2 # of 60L

7 # of dry plain extract

1oz centennial for 60 min

2oz cascade spread sporadically from 45min to flameout.

1oz amarillo for dry hopping

Some wyeast of some consequence.

Comments, questions, concerns?

 

[culdeus]

Ended up getting

1#munich

1#40L

7#extra light

1oz centenial

2oz cascade

1oz amarillo

The lhbs guys were sort of at me using amarillo to dry hop with. I'll look for feedback at tbs.

 

[moleculo]

so I'm officially brewing now - no more commercial beer for me. No Mr Beer either - 5 gallons at a time.

First batch was "preseason Pale Ale" - not as good as it could have been. I forgot to top off the carboy to 5 gallons, and the beer tastes a little heavy and sticky. I think I had 4 gallons total. I tried to cook this on the stove and had a heck of a time getting it hot enough to boil.

Batch #2 is "Tom Brady's ACL Oktoberfest", brewed the dame day as the infamous injury. This sunday will mark two seeks since bottling, and I'm really looking forward to trying one. My only brewing mistake on this batch was letting the specialty grains stay in too long - past boiling. Not sure what that effect will be.

Batch #3 was brewed this weekend - I'm calling this one "F KC Spiced Ale". This included cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel, and honey. This batch went great. Amazing activity right now - I can't wait for this one to be ready. Still debating if I should secondary this, or go straight to bottling.

 

[Gator Shawn]

I brought a batch of my Belgian White down to Florida to visit family and everyone loved it. It was the proudest moment of my young brewing career. I thought two cases would be plenty and they drank it all down in one afternoon.

I am making a Mead this winter. The one in the back of the Papasian book. Anyone made a mead before?

 

[Sclaffer]

Forgive me brewers... it's been about two and half years since my last brewing session...

so much for a confession...

This coming Thanksgiving weekend, I am brewing three beers to make up for the lack of brewing. My hopes are not high, as the beer I'm making are old kits that I've had for too long. I'm not willing to throw them away, so I'm going to make them up anyway, just to see how they turn out.

I'll be making a Spiced Winter Ale, a Schwartbier (Black Lager), and a Rauchbier (a smoke beer... also a lager).

The kits are at least a year old. I know the liquid yeast I have is not viable anymore, as I did smack the pack and it did not swell up, so I have ordered some new yeast. The hops have been stored in my beer fridge, which is temperature controlled, and has been sitting at about 40 degrees for a long time. The cracked grains, I'm sure are on the stale side, but I'm going to use them anyway. I'm not sure about the malt extract. I haven't cracked one open yet, to see if there is any hint of mold or any other badness that may be contained in them. The grains and the malt have not been stored in the fridge, but they have been in my "brewery", which is normally cooler than the rest of the house (around 60 degrees or so, year round.)

I'm sure it will be an exercise in futility, but I'm going to do it anyhow... maybe as a penance for not brewing for so long. I figure if I screw something up, since I haven't brewed in so long, I won't feel too bad about it not coming out so good.

To top it all off, I recently found a couple of gift certificates from Northern Brewer (one dated 11/2006 and the other 05/2007), which, surprisingly enough, were still valid and accepted by NB when I placed my order for the yeast and other supplies I needed/wanted.

 

[Gator Shawn]

I'm going to make a mead here this weekend. Notexcited about the incredibly long fermentation period of the mead though....can be up to a year. Anyone here made a mead before? I'm using a recipe out of the Papazian book.