Fermenting

Carrollj

Hey,
Over the weekend i decided that i'd try my hand at making some Nettle Beer. I followed the "River Cottage" recipe. It's been sitting somewhere warm since monday and i understand i'm meant to bottle it after 2-3 days or until it's fermented??

The only problem is is that i don't know if it is or what it'll look like when it does!

Help please!!

Cheers

guildofevil

Can you point us at the river cottage recipe you used?

Carrollj

Hey, yep here it is

http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/nettle-beer-recipe_p_1.html

Thanks

oblivious

Carrollj wrote: »

The only problem is is that i don't know if it is or what it'll look like when it does

Anything like this:


Also you should be able to smell it too

Carrollj

Ok... it looks nothing like that. There somes to be something happening at the bottom but nothing on the surface

oblivious

Ok, it may not produce much activity, does it have a noticeable smell?

What yeast did you add?

Carrollj

I used brewers yeast powder, as i said there's some activity on the bottom of the barrell but nothing really on top. It smells pretty close to the way it did when it went in.

Thanks for the help

oblivious

Sounds like the yeast may have not taken off, add some more of the same or at a pinch if you can't get brewers yeast try bread yeast

All the best

Carrollj

Thanks very much

BeerNut

Carrollj wrote: »

I used brewers yeast powder

Is that the food supplement sold in health food shops? I'm not sure that's viable for brewing.

Carrollj

Yeah that's the one... Should i start all over again?

Carrollj

any ideas where i can get yeast for brewing in Dublin?

BeerNut

Not in shops, unfortunately. You could contact these guys and ask them to post the yeast to you instead of paying full courier costs.

Though, actually, if you're going to do this again it could be worth your while getting a few bits of brewing essentials: a hydrometer and sample jar, for instance.

oblivious

That brewers yeast powder is inactivated yeast, with the hop oils removed from their cell wall

FlipperThePriest

Carrollj wrote: »

Yeah that's the one... Should i start all over again?

You don't really have to start over, just syphon your wort off the inactive yeast which will be lying on the bottom, and put your new yeast in when you get it. I made the same mistake 1st time round with wine, and it feremented no probs once I replaced with active yeast.

Carrollj

Thanks for the help guys.. Just have to get the active yeast and i'll be away.

Thanks again

FarmerGreen

I've used Allinsons bread making yeast and even Tesco quick acting
when Ive run out of the proper stuff.

BaZmO*

oblivious wrote: »

That brewers yeast powder is inactivated yeast, with the hop oils removed from their cell wall

Hop Oils?

oblivious

BaZmO* wrote: »

Hop Oils?

yep oils from hops, there is a patent to remove them from the yeast cells walls

Carrollj

Cheers Farmer, i've used the Tesco yeast and it's beginning to work. Thanks for that.

The next thing is the dreaded exploding bottle! I've read that if it explodes that shards of glass can go get stuck in walls etc... I was just wondering once i bottle it will i leave the bottles outside.. for safety sake!

oblivious

Carrollj wrote: »

The next thing is the dreaded exploding bottle! I've read that if it explodes that shards of glass can go get stuck in walls etc... I was just wondering once i bottle it will i leave the bottles outside.. for safety sake!

Invest in a hydrometer, if the gravity is below 1.015-1.016 you should be ok

thelynchfella

speaking of hydrometers, anyone in dublin got a spare one lying around for this broke unemployed sole!!?? mine got smashed the weekend!!:(
Or know anywhere in dublin that sells them, i dont want to buy one online as the delivery is more expensive than the thing itself!!

BeerNut

thelynchfella wrote: »

i dont want to buy one online as the delivery is more expensive than the thing itself!!

You could always ask (here or on another forum) if anyone's putting in an order with a supplier that you could piggy-back your hydrometer on for free.

Carrollj

Cheers again guys, i'm desperate to drink it. I'll probably find it hard to get one without an online purchase. Cheers guys

Carrollj

This is gonna sound pretty stupid but... i know you need a hydrometer for fish tanks so would it be possible to get one in pet shops??

oblivious

Carrollj wrote: »

This is gonna sound pretty stupid but... i know you need a hydrometer for fish tanks so would it be possible to get one in pet shops??

If the scale is the same as the pic I poster then yea, just give it a good clean

Carrollj

Spot on.. If this works out then onto the stout

oblivious

Carrollj wrote: »

Spot on.. If this works out then onto the stout

But not with bread yeast;)

Carrollj

exactly... cheers man i'll let you know how it turns out

bionic.laura

Report back on how the nettle wine turned out. I made a batch of it before and it was pretty horrible. I've had beer with nettle in it and that was pretty tasty though. Oh and if it doesn't work out don't give up on the brewing. My first two brews were a disaster but then I figured it all out. Best of luck.

Carrollj

Cheers Bionic will do.. lets just hope the bottles don't explode

Carrollj

So the verdict is in..... I finally popped the bottles last night and i was glad i did. Basically it opened like champagne and i lost half of the litre bottle! The smell would turn anybody off of drink for good but it tasted quite nice. Fairly sweet and quite strong. So i pushed on and decided on open the second bottle. Just to let ye know i got the bottles in IKEA they're like the grolsch bottles. This time the pressure was so great it blew the glass clean off the top of the bottle!

I think i'll have to get some tools before i do it again. The next thing i want to try is stout so i'll be back on soon enough to give ye an update. Thanks again for all your help.

oblivious

Well all stat=rt some where Carrollj, keep up the good work:) I would recommend any of the all malt kits out there

BeerNut

Carrollj wrote: »

This time the pressure was so great it blew the glass clean off the top of the bottle!

How long did you let it ferment before putting it in the bottles? Sounds like it wasn't finished.

Carrollj

Well the mixture was sitting there for close to a week before i added the bakers yeast and once that was in i left it for a further 2-3days and then i bottled it for roughly a week. I read that it would finish fermenting in the bottles. There was sediment at the bottom of the bottles just before i popped them, i presumed that's the norm?

Carrollj

Cheers Oblivious, i'll have to get my hands on one of those. I'll be back on to pester ye soon enough!!

Boardnashea

I remember painting most of the back kitchen with elderflower wine when I was trying to topup my demijohn. I had kept back a large grolch bottle in the fridge thinking it would stay nice and quiet in there!
I have used large plastic fizzy drinks 1.5L bottles for beer in the past. I have never managed to explode one and you can let them off fairly gently if the brew is a bit high when you're opening. Enjoy.
I haven't done any in years. I might go and see if I can find a bucket.
Your local pharmacy might be able to supply the hydrometer and a few bits. Easons used to have a home brew section too.

Boardnashea

Carrollj wrote: »

Well the mixture was sitting there for close to a week before i added the bakers yeast and once that was in i left it for a further 2-3days and then i bottled it for roughly a week. QUOTE]

That sounds a bit quick. I can't wait for opening night

Carrollj

Thanks for that, i've been lookin on adverts.ie but the kits seem to get snatched pretty quickly

Carrollj

too quick for bottling or too quick for popping?

BeerNut

Carrollj wrote: »

too quick for bottling or too quick for popping?

Both. You should be looking at two weeks fermentation before bottling, then add a tiny bit more sugar to create your fizz then leave another two weeks conditioning. Minimum.

Your yeast is still converting the sugar into alcohol and pumping out CO2 into the sealed environment. Put your bottles somewhere where spontaneous explosions won't do any damage.

Carrollj

AH...well i followed that river cottage recipe and he was saying you can drink it after 2 days fermenting! but i'll take your word for it. I still found it to have a fair bit of fizz to it but i'll add more sugar next time. How much more sugar out of curiosity? Should there be a release on the bottles or once i have them closed leave them closed?


.

Boardnashea

Yeah, I have just printed the recipe and it isn't very clear. I would say 2 weeks fermenting in the bucket (cover with muslin after it has quietened down) and then bottle. It used to be a small teaspon of sugar to each bottle to stimulate secondary fermentation, which is the fizz in the bottle.

Carrollj

What do you mean by calmed down?

Boardnashea

Just not bubbling so much. When it's really active it will keep itself clean but when it slows and isn't producing so much CO2, other natural yeasts and airborne bits (fruitflies) could get in and spoil things on you.

BeerNut

Carrollj wrote: »

AH...well i followed that river cottage recipe and he was saying you can drink it after 2 days fermenting!

Yes, you're not the first to make bottle bombs because Hugh said so. The man's a liability.

Carrollj wrote: »

I still found it to have a fair bit of fizz to it

With the pressure shattering your bottleneck, that's a bit of an understatement

Carrollj wrote: »

but i'll add more sugar next time. How much more sugar out of curiosity?

Depends how fizzy you want it. I'd go with about a teaspoonful per litre bottle, starting out. If it's not fizzy enough, add a bit more next time. The important thing is that your initial fermentation has stopped before you bottle.

Carrollj wrote: »

Should there be a release on the bottles or once i have them closed leave them closed?

You should leave them closed. You should be in control of the fermentation to the extent that any CO2 generated in the bottle is CO2 you want dissolved in the finished product.

Carrollj

Great, well i'll be picking some more nettles tomorrow for another batch and i'll follow what you said

BeerNut

Boardnashea wrote: »

when it slows and isn't producing so much CO2, other natural yeasts and airborne bits (fruitflies) could get in and spoil things on you.

The blanket of CO2 on the surface should keep most things out, and a lid is a better cover than muslin for keeping bigger objects away.

Boardnashea

The more of the initial sugar the yeast eats the more alcohol it leaves behind! As the alcohol level rises the yeast level drops. The teaspoon of sugar should give just enough boost to make a good head when it is poured. Try putting different amounts in different bottles and see results. I don't think a bigger bottle (1.5L) will need x3 the sugar a .5L bottle would need. Maybe just 1.5 tsp.

_______________________________________________
I'm starting to sound like I know what I'm talking about. Don't be fooled

Carrollj

So once it has fermented fully i should then bottle it and add more sugar into each individual bottle?

Carrollj

HA HA i'll be back to you Boardnashea with a painting bill for the walls!