Homebrew Beer Howto

oblivious

My prefered method, give them 10-15 minutes with a solution of 30ml bleach 30ml vinegar total volume 20liters or and equivalent bleach: vinegar to water ratio


Don not mix the bleach vinegar add them separate to the water


Dry heat sterilization take a few hours to complete

BaZmO*

oblivious wrote: »

My prefered method, give them 10-15 minutes with a solution of 30ml bleach 30ml vinegar total volume 20liters or and equivalent bleach: vinegar to water ratio

Should that not be 19litres?

oblivious

BaZmO* wrote: »

Should that not be 19litres?

Yep

guildofevil

BaZmO* wrote: »

Should that not be 19litres?

Yes, as it's a conversion from 5 gallons (U.S.) of water and 1oz each of bleach and vinegar it should be 18.9l of water and 29.5ml each of bleach and vinegar.

Or 20l of water and 30ml each of bleach and vinegar for the same proportions, to an accuracy more than adequate for our purposes. No need to measure it out with an eye dropper.

aurthurg

Anyone got any ideas for a good strong (8%ish) apple or mixed fruit cider.

oblivious

aurthurg wrote: »

Anyone got any ideas for a good strong (8%ish) apple or mixed fruit cider.

Shop bought apple juice will ferment out to produce around 6% cider, you could add some honey to make a cyser, a type of mead

bennyob

Anyone thinking of doing a cheap turbo cider, tesco have 3 litres of fruice apple juice for €1.25.

Mantel

bennyob wrote: »

Anyone thinking of doing a cheap turbo cider, tesco have 3 litres of fruice apple juice for €1.25.

They also have pressed apple juice for 1.25 (used to be 99c) that's not from concentrate. Never like the taste of fruice myself.

Beau

revileandy wrote: »

I tried a few bottles over the weekend (only bottled about a week and half at this stage) and they taste great!

The only problem is I used a full kilogram of brewing sugar as per instructions and according to my hydrometer readings the ABV is 7.2%!

I tasted mine (same brewkit and my first time too), only bottled less than a week mind you, but it tastes fine at first but then the aftertaste is very dodge. Does this mean its just not ready or is there something wrong?

By the way I used the same amount of sugar and it was only 4%.

10-10-20

Beau,

You had incomplete fermentation. If the fermentation stops in anything less than a week on the normal brew kits, it's a good sign that you have a problem.
This can be because of dead yeast (due to excess heat...), insufficient food for the yeast or an infection.
I had the same issue in my last brew, but I went ahead and bottled it after giving it a stir and a couple more days. It's now quite a sweet brew and it's also 4%, but I don't have any bad after-taste.

Try again!

Beau

Ah balls. Thanks though. So that's all gone to waste?

10-10-20

If you can't drink it because of the after-taste, I'd say yes.
Try leaving it another 2/3 weeks in second fermentation, but be aware that the gasses can cause bottles to explode. I didn't have it happen to my batch, but depending on your type of bottle, it's a slight risk.

marceldesailly

10-10-20 wrote: »

Beau,

You had incomplete fermentation. If the fermentation stops in anything less than a week on the normal brew kits, it's a good sign that you have a problem.
This can be because of dead yeast (due to excess heat...), insufficient food for the yeast or an infection.
I had the same issue in my last brew, but I went ahead and bottled it after giving it a stir and a couple more days. It's now quite a sweet brew and it's also 4%, but I don't have any bad after-taste.

Try again!

It could well fnish within a week.you can only tell if fermentation finished or stalled by taking a gravity reading.infection won't stop the fermentation and more than likely would bring the FG down even further than yeast as the bacteria can digest sugars that yeast can't.You'll know if its infected-it won't just be the after taste thats odd. In a beer of average strength there will be more than enough food for the yeast.

Beau,the after taste could be becasue it isn't conditioned or because of all the sugar you added.what is the taste like?if you can describe it might help find out where the problem lies.
the 7.2% mentioned for a standard kit sounds way off the scale, I think your 4% is more likely what you should have been at,so has most likely fermented out. Did you take any gravity readings?
Leave it to condition,time often does a lot of work.

Don't be worrying about bottles exploding, unless you have an incomplete fermentation and then top it u with priming sugar, you should be fine.

Beau

marceldesailly wrote: »

Beau,the after taste could be becasue it isn't conditioned or because of all the sugar you added.what is the taste like?if you can describe it might help find out where the problem lies.. Did you take any gravity readings?

Its like a very strong lemony/limey taster at the end. Yeh I took hydrometer readings and it stabled up at 4010

Saruman

1.010?

Beau

oops yeh sorry.

Saruman

Well I am not sure what the expected gravity should have been but that gravity seems fine as a terminal gravity to me so whatever the bad taste is, it was not down to it not fermenting all the way.

Leave it to condition for a few weeks and see if it mellows out.

Helmet

Right, first ever batch has been bottled and is sitting looking at me in the spare room! Roll on 2 weeks time!

revileandy

Helmet wrote: »

Right, first ever batch has been bottled and is sitting looking at me in the spare room! Roll on 2 weeks time!

Yeah, that was the hardest part for me! My first ever batch went down very well, so much so that I'm down to my last 6 bottles out of 60.

I'm on to my second brew now, ordered the various bits and bobs from hombrewest on monday afternoon - had them delivered by tuesday afternoon, great stuff.

Sapsorrow

Anyone ever tried making nettle beer? I want to give this a go to start of the wildfood year. I've got all my wine making gear including a big fermenting bin is that all I need or do I have to buy the thing for testing the gravity (is it safe to leave it for 3 days and then bottle without testing)?
Also what sort of bottles do you guys use and where can I get them cheaply, can I recycle old beer bottles and just buy corks and wire?
Thanks!

BeerNut

khrystyna100 wrote: »

Anyone ever tried making nettle beer?

Here's cavedave's adventure.

khrystyna100 wrote: »

do I have to buy the thing for testing the gravity (is it safe to leave it for 3 days and then bottle without testing)?

I strongly recommend getting a hydrometer, and I wouldn't bottle anything without giving it a week or two in the fermentor.

khrystyna100 wrote: »

Also what sort of bottles do you guys use

For beer, brown beer bottles, any kind really, except screwtops, but swingtops are handiest. For wine you can get handy clear-glass swingtop bottles in Ikea, or reuse the French lemonade ones.

khrystyna100 wrote: »

can I recycle old beer bottles and just buy corks and wire?

You can recork old wine bottles, but unless your beer came corked originally I wouldn't expect a cork to fit a beer bottle -- get caps and a capper.

Sapsorrow

BeerNut wrote: »

For beer, brown beer bottles, any kind really, except screwtops, but swingtops are handiest. For wine you can get handy clear-glass swingtop bottles in Ikea, or reuse the French lemonade ones.

You can recork old wine bottles, but unless your beer came corked originally I wouldn't expect a cork to fit a beer bottle -- get caps and a capper.

Nice one thanks for all the info! Would a regular capper for doing wine work for beer bottles or would they be different sizes? Sure if the french lemonade bottles work I could just use wine bottles and my corks from doing wine and have really big pints right?

BeerNut

khrystyna100 wrote: »

Would a regular capper for doing wine work for beer bottles or would they be different sizes?

I think that however the bottle was originally sealed, that's how you should reseal it.

khrystyna100 wrote: »

I could just use wine bottles and my corks from doing wine and have really big pints right?

You could, but if you're making something carbonated you'd be best having the cork caged too.

Sapsorrow

BeerNut wrote: »

You could, but if you're making something carbonated you'd be best having the cork caged too.

Ok cool I'll try the homebrew comany so and order some wire and a hydrometer (think that was it ) , thanks for that tip that could have been disasterous! I've only ever made wine and I did that for the first time last year so I've a lot to learn about all this.

BeerNut

If you get crown caps and a capper too you can reuse ordinary beer bottles.

Sapsorrow

BeerNut wrote: »

If you get crown caps and a capper too you can reuse ordinary beer bottles.

hmmm I like that idea alright, always plenty of beer bottles lying around, gonna try get that type so! Thanks again!

Helmet

Righto, my beer has been in bottles for just over a week now. There's a fair bit of sediment in the bottom of the bottles and if I invert a bottle I'm not seeing much in the way of fizzing.........should I be concerned?

Blisterman

You won't see fizzing until you open one. And a week isn't very long, i'd wait another week at least.

Helmet

Blisterman wrote: »

You won't see fizzing until you open one. And a week isn't very long, i'd wait another week at least.

Thanks, I was going to wait another week alright, but should I be concerned about the amount of sediment, could it be a case 2nd fermentation not taking place?

BeerNut

Helmet wrote: »

Thanks, I was going to wait another week alright, but should I be concerned about the amount of sediment, could it be a case 2nd fermentation not taking place?

I'd say it's fine. Just make sure you're storing it at room temperature: the beer won't condition if it's too cold and may spoil if it's too warm.