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Complete HomeBrew Noob.

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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,097 ✭✭✭Herb Powell


    Rather than starting my own thread, I'll ask this here.
    Total beginner here, i.e never brewed, what kind of beer would ye recommend starting with? I really want to make a Belgian Wit, or a Pilsener


  • Registered Users Posts: 255 ✭✭Ronan cork


    i would go with the wit over the pilsner, should be a bit more forgiving temperature wise during fermentation and even if you nailed the pilsner i personally would put more value on 20l of belgian wit than 20l of pilsner which you can buy for cheap enough. the pilsner would need to ferment at a constant low temperature (10c ish) with as little fluctuation as possible whereas the wit would work away grand at room temp even if it goes up and down a bit so providing you follow the instructions on brew day you will get good beer but pilsner adds that extra variable.
    i would also recommend starting out with a complete kit (3kg) instead of the slightly cheaper kits where you need to add sugars as they cut out another variable.
    i was so happy my first one turned out nice after waiting a month to try it i would go for the easiest option just to be sure!


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,097 ✭✭✭Herb Powell


    Thanks, can't wait to give it a go. What kit would you recommend for a witbier? (obviously a witbier one, but what brand?)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12 Austo77


    Morning gentlemen, you might be able to help me.

    I'm on my 5th or 6th homebrew at this stage ( all have gone really well) and decided to stop using basic kits adding my own sugars/yeasts and move to the Brupaks kits where they give you hops & grain etc.

    Got a Pilsner, fermentation had stopped after about 10 days in the fermenter (22-24 degrees) but it took ages for the krausen to drop - only dropped on the last day or so.

    Used 1kg light spray malt as extra fermentables as reccommended with white labs pilsner yeast WLP800.

    It was cloudy and darker than i'd have wanted a pilsner to be as I was bottling.

    Bulk primed it and bottled it anyway last Wednesday. I decided to sample a bottle last night because I was getting worried. It had only cleared at the top of the bottle, the rest was still quite cloudy.

    I know it's only a week or so in the bottles but it had a dark brown colour, plenty of carbonation, the head rushed up the neck of the bottle, but a strange taste. Not bad exactly, but it tasted very yeasty/malty and not at all like it was a Pilsner (or even on the way to becomming a pilsner).almost like a mucky wheat beer. :confused:

    Should I leave it a few more weeks (I usually don't drink it for about a month after bottling anyway) or just assume that it's still conditioning/fermenting in the bottles or put it down to a bad batch and chuck it down the sink?

    I have a Dublin porter ready to get started on that I could really use the bottles for!


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Note: I am a total noob at this.
    Austo77 wrote: »
    the head rushed up the neck of the bottle

    This is what happened to me with my cider after a week in the bottle. After two weeks (last night :)) there was no rushing up. Much better carbonation of the actual cider. I'd say at least another week, probably another two. I've seen BeerNut recommend three weeks before.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,323 ✭✭✭wet-paint


    It seems like every problem that's arisen for people so far is fixed with "give it more time in the bucket/bottle."


  • Registered Users Posts: 255 ✭✭Ronan cork


    Thanks, can't wait to give it a go. What kit would you recommend for a witbier? (obviously a witbier one, but what brand?)

    Well the brupaks witbier is the only wit kit I can see on the main sites (€17.45 for 10 litres so you would need 2...) and I am yet to try them do can't really say much more than the site gives me...but as a general rule the more you spend on a kit the higher quality it will be. They do seem to have a good range of world beer styles and you have now got me planning my next one!!

    You could also get a hefe weisse kit and add coriander and curaçao orange peel ( see additives and flavourings on thehomebrewcompany.ie) or add more to the kit above if you want more of either flavour to come through. The thing I like most about brewing my own beer is making it my own by adding to an existing recipe or kit.
    I'm no expert as I have only just bottled my 2nd batch ( citra hopped hefe weisse) I just asked the same questions!


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,903 ✭✭✭DeadSkin


    A few pages back, I posted that I had concerns over a Coopers ginger beer kit I had on the go[was for the wife, I can't stand ginger beer]. It showed absolute new usual signs of fermentation over it's two weeks in the fermenter, just a 5mm layer of scum all the way through the 2 weeks.

    Update, after two weeks I bottled it & 3 weeks later the Mrs popped a few bottles over the weekend & she's chuffed with it. When I took the final SG the abv is just under 3%.


  • Registered Users Posts: 911 ✭✭✭sharingan


    wet-paint wrote: »
    It seems like every problem that's arisen for people so far is fixed with "give it more time in the bucket/bottle."

    Patience. Its an amazing quality to have in a brewer. (I dont possess much)


  • Registered Users Posts: 255 ✭✭Ronan cork


    I made a balls of transferring to secondary earlier trying to use a 2 piece syphon that kept stopping and ended up pouring the rest of the beer onto the other bucket in frustration. I know that it may kick off fermentation and the yeast may use up the oxygen etc and if not I may get a cardboardy taste in the beer that appears in the beer after a while but cant seem to find a timeframe. All circumstances are different but I was wondering if anyone else has done this and with what effect?

    I now know that I can separate the 2 parts but has anyone else had problems using 2 piece siphons? It seemed to me that the seal on the top (that slides up and down ) fits quite loosely ( not airtight)and this may cause the loss of suction but I'm no expert and this is my first time using it...
    Is there a Knack to using these things or have I got a faulty one?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 426 ✭✭Baneblade


    i used it for the first time last brew i bottled.
    to start it flowing i just gave it a few quick shallow pumps to get it flowing
    once it starts it will keep going until its empty
    just make sure the bucket you are transfering it too is below the height of the one with the beer in it

    i just did a quick practice with the sink and a bucket to get the hang of it


  • Registered Users Posts: 255 ✭✭Ronan cork


    Are you using an auto siphon? I've just one of the cheap extendable ones...
    After playing with it a bit today it seems to have been the seal. Put it in boiling water for a while and it now fits tightly and it now works fine from the sink anyway, just hope I didn't do too much damage to the beer by pouring in the last few litres...


  • Registered Users Posts: 91 ✭✭iffy_2007


    Hey guys, looking for some advice & didn't want to start another thread but my fiance has always wanted to brew his own beer (he has a cupboard dedicated to empty bottles!) only he hasn't a kit or anything like that, so I want to buy him one, only I have no clue! Could someone point me in the right direction please? Thanks :-)


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,758 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    A starter set like this is a good idea, then just get the beer kits to go with it. There's a good beginners' guide to kit brewing here. And all the gear can still be used if he wants to upgrade from kits to extract or all-grain brewing.


  • Registered Users Posts: 91 ✭✭iffy_2007


    Thanks! Do certain kits only cater for specific beers or is this one an all rounder? as I know he is interested in brewing wheat beer. Thanks again!


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,758 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    I'm trying to avoid using the word kit to mean equipment, but yes: the equipment in that link is for making any type of beer or cider. You'll find beer kits for wheat beer on any homebrew site. If they're 1.5kg kits, they'll need topping up and a kilo of spraymalt is best for this.


  • Registered Users Posts: 174 ✭✭lordstilton


    Austo77 wrote: »
    Morning gentlemen, you might be able to help me.

    I'm on my 5th or 6th homebrew at this stage ( all have gone really well) and decided to stop using basic kits adding my own sugars/yeasts and move to the Brupaks kits where they give you hops & grain etc.

    Got a Pilsner, fermentation had stopped after about 10 days in the fermenter (22-24 degrees) but it took ages for the krausen to drop - only dropped on the last day or so.

    Used 1kg light spray malt as extra fermentables as reccommended with white labs pilsner yeast WLP800.

    It was cloudy and darker than i'd have wanted a pilsner to be as I was bottling.

    Bulk primed it and bottled it anyway last Wednesday. I decided to sample a bottle last night because I was getting worried. It had only cleared at the top of the bottle, the rest was still quite cloudy.

    I know it's only a week or so in the bottles but it had a dark brown colour, plenty of carbonation, the head rushed up the neck of the bottle, but a strange taste. Not bad exactly, but it tasted very yeasty/malty and not at all like it was a Pilsner (or even on the way to becomming a pilsner).almost like a mucky wheat beer. :confused:

    Should I leave it a few more weeks (I usually don't drink it for about a month after bottling anyway) or just assume that it's still conditioning/fermenting in the bottles or put it down to a bad batch and chuck it down the sink?

    I have a Dublin porter ready to get started on that I could really use the bottles for!

    Pilsner yeast ferments at low temps.. Your temps for that yeast strain are far too high.


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