Erdinger ah yes!

Bugsyboy1

Tasted my first Erdinger this weekend. Love at first sip. Are there kits that can give a good approximation of it's light fruity yeasty flavours. Any recommendations. Not expecting miracles obviously.
Thanks
Paul

BeerNut

Any weissbier kit should get you in the ballpark. Fermenting it cool will give you more clove flavours, warmer will bring out more banana.

Bugsyboy1

I don't have control over the temperature in that my brew will more than likely be warmish 20-24C. (That's what the last one was at most of the time)
I've had some of the Franzikaner LIDL are doing and I reckon that is more on the clove end of the spectrum. It's conformed that Í like more of the fruity banana type flavours - a little lighter.

I am thinking of using the Muntons wheat beer with a spray malt(does this give a lighter beer?). Not so worried about creamy and body as I am on the fruit flavours. Would I need sugar as well?

This is my second brew. My first was a Cooper's Canadian Blonde which didnt go terribly well. When I bought the kit I was unaware that you can only brew crisp lagers at lower temperatures. Don't want to go into my second brew of a weissbeer with similar ignorance.

Anyone willing to guide me on the ingredients/specific kit and extras I should use to get the kind of beer I am after and any tips regarding method please?

I can see how early failures can be crippling to your enthusiasm!

The Mulk

Paul,

I'd agree the Canadien Blonde made on 1 Kg of sugar nearly broke me.
I had lost some entusiasm alright.
I recommended the Pilsner in a another thread and i stick by it. Wouldn't be along the lines of Erdinger though but definitely the right level of bitterness and fizz for what I'd consider a nice beer. Similar I think to Budvar

rubadub

Bugsyboy1 wrote: »

It's conformed that Í like more of the fruity banana type flavours - a little lighter.

Many years ago I made a brew with either one of, or a combination of tesco raw cane sugar and lyles treacle (the brand who make golden syrup), and it STANK of bananas. This was not a beer but a sugar water brew. It would have been brewed fairly warm.

It could have been cane muscovado sugar.

oblivious

Bugsyboy1 wrote: »

Anyone willing to guide me on the ingredients/specific kit and extras I should use to get the kind of beer I am after and any tips regarding method please?

I can see how early failures can be crippling to your enthusiasm!

Realy only too with Germans wheat beers, one 50% malted wheat or 100% wheat extract(its really only 50% wheat in there) or wheat beer kit and two a good German hefe yeast, wlp300 is the best around bit is an advanced method in making starters. There are a few dry yeast available, but since you are starting off a dry yeast would be best.

Stand fermentation of 19-21 c will get you tin the ball park

sharingan

rubadub wrote: »

Many years ago I made a brew with either one of, or a combination of tesco raw cane sugar and lyles treacle (the brand who make golden syrup), and it STANK of bananas. This was not a beer but a sugar water brew. It would have been brewed fairly warm.

It could have been cane muscovado sugar.

I have used raw unrefined cane sugar. Its lovely stuff, and I use it mostly in ginger beer.

My intent is that the unrefined stuff will contain sugars that the yeast cannot metabolise and leave the brew with a sweet taste that I desire. I have also experimented with Honey & molasses for the same reason.

Mind you, that sugar can totally dominate the flavour. Use sparingly, and watch what you use it with. The crazy earthy brews that I do can take it - I wouldnt be so keen to use it with beer or something where you have to respect the flavours.

oblivious

sharingan wrote: »

My intent is that the unrefined stuff will contain sugars that the yeast cannot metabolise and leave the brew with a sweet taste that I desire. I have also experimented with Honey & molasses for the same reason..

They are all fermentable sugars, you could use lactose, its not fermentable but its not that interesting.

But you could try Plam sugar which can have a banana-ish flavor

colsku

Bugsyboy1 wrote: »

Tasted my first Erdinger this weekend. Love at first sip. Are there kits that can give a good approximation of it's light fruity yeasty flavours. Any recommendations. Not expecting miracles obviously.
Thanks
Paul

Hey Bugsyboy,

I'm in exactly the same position as you... Going to try my first weissbeer this week. Touble is my apartment is roasting hot. My first brew was a coopers lager and it fermented badly at 28 degrees. Needless to say I'm not living in Ireland!

I have a Coopers wheat can with the standard yeast supplied with it. Just wondering what the best combination of dry malt extract is?

2 from Light malt/wheat malt/brewing sugar?

Love reading the brew forum now!

Bugsyboy1

Hi Colsku

Like you my first beer, Cooper's Canadian Blonde wasn't great. I think fermentation stalled a little early.

Used a the Coopers wheat beer and a coopers 1.5kg of malt (liquid) and a Belgian wheat beer yeast on Saturday to make up my next beer brew.

Apparently the Coopers malt will give it a creamier richness. I am hoping for a fruity flavour. From what i have heard -to avoid the sugar and go with the wet/dry malt- wheat malt was what was recommended to me but they didnt have it in the shop the day I visited soI got the Coopers wet malt instead. Let us know how it turns out for you.

colsku

Bugsyboy1 wrote: »

Hi Colsku

Like you my first beer, Cooper's Canadian Blonde wasn't great. I think fermentation stalled a little early.

Used a the Coopers wheat beer and a coopers 1.5kg of malt (liquid) and a Belgian wheat beer yeast on Saturday to make up my next beer brew.

Apparently the Coopers malt will give it a creamier richness. I am hoping for a fruity flavour. From what i have heard -to avoid the sugar and go with the wet/dry malt- wheat malt was what was recommended to me but they didnt have it in the shop the day I visited soI got the Coopers wet malt instead. Let us know how it turns out for you.

Cheers bud. Heading to the shop today and will likely go for a mix of light and wheat DME. Will let you know!

Yeah, my first brew stalled at 2.5% alcohol after a couple of days. Tasted pretty rank. Almost certain it was the high temp, but I've figured a way around that. It was the standard lager so no harm done!

A few good vids here by the way: http://www.youtube.com/user/CraigTube

colsku

Ok, started her up yesterday evening.

Coopers wheat beer, 500g light dry malt extract, 300g wheat dry malt extract, and standard yeast that came with it.

Have it in a cooler, darker room than last time.

Temp is currently 26 degrees which is still on the high side, but hopefully that wont be a problem.

I tightened the lid of the bucket much more this time and can see the airlock in action now. It's bubbling like a volcano!

Where I live it's 3 euro for a bottle of weissbeer in the off license so I will be delighted if these puppies work out!

Cork Boy

colsku wrote: »

Where I live it's 3 euro for a bottle of weissbeer in the off license so I will be delighted if these puppies work out!

Do what I do, Hirschbrau Weiss is €3.00 for a pint bottle but you get a lovely brown 500ml swingtop bottle in with the bargain and those bottles are €2 each from the homebrew store anyway so happy days!

colsku

Cork Boy wrote: »

Do what I do, Hirschbrau Weiss is €3.00 for a pint bottle but you get a lovely brown 500ml swingtop bottle in with the bargain and those bottles are €2 each from the homebrew store anyway so happy days!

Niiice!

Cheers man!

colsku

As I was saying above, I am on my second beer kit, this time a Coopers Wheat.

The last one was a flop. Got up to 2.5% alcohol after a couple of days and then stopped. Temp was 28 degrees. The taste was awful too.

Now, the wheat beer has been fermenting for 2 and a half days. Was bubbling like a good thing and the alcohol content got up to about 2% and has stopped again! Barely no bubbles from it. It tastes fine, just a little weak. Temp is around 24.

I used 500g light DME and 300g of Wheat malt extract. Was that enough?

Any help from a more experienced brewer would be much appreciated!

Donny5

colsku wrote: »

As I was saying above, I am on my second beer kit, this time a Coopers Wheat.

The last one was a flop. Got up to 2.5% alcohol after a couple of days and then stopped. Temp was 28 degrees. The taste was awful too.

Now, the wheat beer has been fermenting for 2 and a half days. Was bubbling like a good thing and the alcohol content got up to about 2% and has stopped again! Barely no bubbles from it. It tastes fine, just a little weak. Temp is around 24.

I used 500g light DME and 300g of Wheat malt extract. Was that enough?

Any help from a more experienced brewer would be much appreciated!

How long has it stopped for? What were the initial and final readings on the hydrometer?

What I'd suggest is, once to put the beer down, leave it alone for two weeks and then start taking hydrometer readings. Taking a reading everyday is a waste of beer and it won't gain you anything.

Another thing is that you should make sure you're getting proper hydrometer readings when you do take them. Some mistakes I made were:

• Not stirring the wort enough before taking the original gravity. There can be sugar or malt sitting on the bottom that will be eaten by the yeast, but won't be shown in the hydrometer reading unless you stir really vigourously.
• Not accounting for temperature. The hydrometer assumes you are at 20C. Above or below, you may need to adjust with something like this tool.
• If you see bubbles formed on the hydrometer when you place it in the sample, they will be giving you an artificially high gravity reading. You can spin the hydrometer a few times to knock them off.

Really, though, just relax and give the beer time.

colsku

Thanks Donny, fair play to you.

Yep, have decided to leave it be and stop mothering it. The temp is actually around 22/23 now but still no bubbling. It stopped after two days of pretty strong action in the airlock.

Didnt take a hydr reading as i had to rush out to football training!

Is it ok to lift the lid off and give it a stir with a sterilised coopers spoon?

rubadub

colsku wrote: »

Is it ok to lift the lid off and give it a stir with a sterilised coopers spoon?

I have done this in the past, just move quickly if you are worried.

You say barely no bubbles, is this the airlock or beer. If you open a lid it takes time to build up pressure again to cause the airlock to bubble, most fermemters will leak some air unless its a proper screw on cap with o-ring. The important bubbling to watch for is the beer itself, hold your ear to the side of the barrel and listen for it without having to open it.

To cool down brews I have read of people filling 2L coke bottles with water and freezing them and dumping them into the barrel, just like those reusable icecube you get. Do not overfill the bottle or it will expand and split. There are probably other old school methods, like draping a wet towel over it and having a fan blow on it

http://www.jurysinns.com/blog?ID=168

Brighton Beer Festival July 2011
In Britain, beer festivals are organised by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMBRA) and by local pubs. Casks of ale from different brewers are placed on stillage behind rows of trestle tables, and they’re cooled by using wet sacks or blankets, which achieves evaporative cooling or simply through refrigerated cooling saddles and coils.

Bugsyboy1

My Coopers Wheat Brew OG was 1.041. It stopped bubbling after 6 days at 1.016. This gave me only a 3.5% ABV which was disappointing as I had put 1.5 kg of Coopers Malt extract in and was hoping for maybe 5%. I opened the lid and there was still bubbles forming on the surface. I gave it a stir and a few hours later the bubbling through the airlock restarted. A bubble every 20 seconds or so. Hoping to get a day or 2 more of fermentation before bottling.Smells lovely BTW.

colsku

Cheers lads, will keep you updated!

The Mulk

Seen this as a good wheat beer. Somewhat like Hoegaarden. Pics look good too!

http://www.the-online-homebrew-company.co.uk/shop/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22_185&products_id=338

Has anyone any experience with the Brewferm Kits?

And a lot of posters are advising using Candi sugar.
Is it handy to get.

Thanks

oblivious

The Mulk wrote: »

Has anyone any experience with the Brewferm Kits?

And a lot of posters are advising using Candi sugar.
Is it handy to get.

There kits are suposed to be goo

Not really, the rock are crap its the liquid stuff you really want . But if it clear candi sugar simple table sugar or golden syrup can be used as a good replacement

The Mulk

Cheers Oblivious, might try golden syrup.

On your post did you mean the kits are good or that they are "goo" as in bad.

I'm not being smart but just want to make sure before I order one,
I was thinking of buying one but will listen to any feedback before I order.

oblivious

The Mulk wrote: »

On your post did you mean the kits are good or that they are "goo" as in bad.

Typo there supposed to be good, just small volumes that other kits

The Mulk

Cheers,

Gonna order one next order day, I have a birtday coming up so a bottle capper is on the list aswell.
(I've been busy collecting bottles)
Hoffbrau(sp?) and Furstenburg 500ml 5 for €5 in my local Tesco at the moment.