Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

General chit chat

24567

Comments

  • #32
    Conmaicne Mara
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,543 ✭✭✭Conmaicne Mara


    I have two 20 litre buckets on the go, so that would be for one 20 litre bucket. So the sugar just means fizz?

    I read about adding raisins and tea as well, what effect do those have? I might try it with the next batch. Do the raisins increase the alcohol content?


  • #33
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Conmaicne Mara wrote: »
    So the sugar just means fizz?

    Yep. You're causing a second fermentation to occur by adding the sugar. This produces carbon dioxide which can't escape the bottles so it goes into the liquid = fizz. :)
    Conmaicne Mara wrote: »
    I read about adding raisins and tea as well, what effect do those have? I might try it with the next batch. Do the raisins increase the alcohol content?

    You can still add tea at the bottling stage and in fact I would recommend it. It really enhances the flavour. I've heard that it's mostly for the tannins but I tried adding tannin from a jar of tannin and it wasn't nearly as good. You could put the tea bags in with your priming mixture. Too late to add the raisins in this batch.

    They do increase the alcohol content alright, so you need to be careful how many you put in. I boil mine to sanitise them (usually with the tea bags in the pot at the same time) and blend them a bit with a hand blender to expose the sugars.


  • #34
    ian_m
    Registered Users Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭ian_m


    Khannie wrote: »
    How much are you priming? I've gone as far as 14g of sugar per litre for priming (so 7g per half litre bottle). I'm mad for the fizz. :)

    I love a bit of fizz myself. 12g per litre was as far as I've gone; straight into the bottle. No bombs yet. I've been using fliptops, coopers PETs and 1litre brown plastic bottles.

    Trying to collect a decent set of 500 and 330 ml glass bottles for my next batch at the moment. Weihenstephaner Vitus are the thickest bottles I can find.


  • #35
    Conmaicne Mara
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,543 ✭✭✭Conmaicne Mara


    I'll try the tea, and do the raisins with the next batch. Got a small muslin bag for them, hope to avoid mess in the bottom of the brew, not sure if it'll work right or not?

    Lol, the first thought that came to my mind when you said to be careful with the raisins was Homer Simpson "Yeah man, careful like a fox" :D I guess too much alkyhol won't taste too good. I think it was a comment of yours Khannie I read before saying to use a handful or so.


  • #36
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    ian_m wrote: »
    330 ml glass bottles

    I couldn't be doing with 330ml bottles. They're just too much effort. In fact I go the other end of the scale and use quite a few 2L PET bottles for convenience. If I know I'm likely to have a few (and my wife will have some too) then they're great. They also withstand ridiculous pressures without breaking.


  • Advertisement
  • #37
    syngindub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,798 ✭✭✭syngindub


    Happy New Year, 17, to all the Home Brewers.
    May '13 bring some tasty beers & new brewers onboard the craft.

    new years resolution, Make this bottling lark less of a chore.
    perhaps look into kegging / tap !! who knows.


  • #38
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Yeah Happy New Year. :)

    I might look into the kegging too. I have expended all the time saving options for bottling that I know about (the bottle washer / bottling tree / employing child labour :pac:) and I still find it a pain in the face. Kegging could be just the ticket.

    Anyone got anything special planned for 2013, brewing-wise?

    I plan on starting a mini orchard in my allotment so that I can make some delicious, delicious cider. They wont strictly be cider apples, but I don't think I'll be overly upset by that. I reckon it'll be at least another 2 years before I get enough fruit out of it to make it worthwhile.

    I also plan on pruning the arse out of the cooking apple tree in my back garden once I learn how to prune properly. It keeps promising big, but delivering almost nothing. If I get a decent crop out of it this year I'll use them for cider too.


  • #39
    Tube
    Registered Users Posts: 327 ✭✭Tube


    Befriend someone who has apple trees, but has no interest in them.

    I know someone in Wexford who has ~20 apple trees. I asked who picks the apples... "the birds" :eek:


  • #40
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Tube wrote: »
    Befriend someone who has apple trees, but has no interest in them.

    I know someone in Wexford who has ~20 apple trees. I asked who picks the apples... "the birds" :eek:

    :eek:

    Do you use them?? I would drive to wexford and give them actual money (or cider :D) for 20 apple trees worth of apples!!!!

    I have a friend in Wicklow whose parents have 4 apple trees that he said go unused. I figured the cost in petrol wouldn't be worth the drive for me though (North County Dublin).


  • #41
    Tube
    Registered Users Posts: 327 ✭✭Tube


    Khannie wrote: »
    :eek:

    Do you use them?? I would drive to wexford and give them actual money (or cider :D) for 20 apple trees worth of apples!!!!
    I don't use them as I don't have the equipment to deal with them.


  • Advertisement
  • #42
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    I don't either, but I'm thinking of building or buying a press. The scratters can be bought fairly cheaply and / or some manual labour and a big plank will sort those apples right out. :)


  • #43
    Tube
    Registered Users Posts: 327 ✭✭Tube


    As we're a club, we raise money for club related activities, and we have quite a positive cashflow. There was talk about buying or making a club apple press. I suppose it needs someone dedicated enough to cider to push it through as part of a bigger plan next year. COUGH! ;)


  • #44
    ian_m
    Registered Users Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭ian_m


    Khannie wrote: »
    I couldn't be doing with 330ml bottles. They're just too much effort. In fact I go the other end of the scale and use quite a few 2L PET bottles for convenience. If I know I'm likely to have a few (and my wife will have some too) then they're great. They also withstand ridiculous pressures without breaking.

    I couldn't agree more. I bottle three or four 330mls just for testers. I have managed to collect a few 330mls flip tops on my travels aswell.

    I don't share my beer with my wife though. Thats completely out of the question. :pac:


  • #45
    Conmaicne Mara
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,543 ✭✭✭Conmaicne Mara


    Khannie wrote: »
    I don't either, but I'm thinking of building or buying a press. The scratters can be bought fairly cheaply and / or some manual labour and a big plank will sort those apples right out. :)

    If you're into your DIY there are all sorts of links on Google for scratters and presses. I bought a bottle jack in anticipation of making a press, then I found Lidl and said sod that :D

    I seem to be surrounded by pioneers locally. Put out a call after Christmas in a local FB group for 300ml empties, a lot of "likes" but not one single reply :eek:


  • #46
    Edwardius
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 3,234 Mod ✭✭✭✭Edwardius


    http://vimeo.com/21954920

    Yours for only about 6000 NZ dollars!


  • #47
    Herb Powell
    Registered Users Posts: 3,097 ✭✭✭Herb Powell


    Any Cork homebrewers know of a shop in town, or close by? I know the health food place in Paul St. does homebrew stuff, but the selction isn't great at all.


  • #48
    howamidifferent
    Registered Users Posts: 1,817 ✭✭✭howamidifferent


    Herb Powell wrote: »
    Any Cork homebrewers know of a shop in town, or close by? I know the health food place in Paul St. does homebrew stuff, but the selction isn't great at all.

    Didnt know there was anywhere in Cork. Thanks for highlighting this one.
    Would love to know of any others. :)


  • #49
    Herb Powell
    Registered Users Posts: 3,097 ✭✭✭Herb Powell


    howamidifferent wrote: »
    Didnt know there was anywhere in Cork. Thanks for highlighting this one.
    Would love to know of any others. :)

    I spose it's handy if you're stuck, but they haven't seemed to have restocked in ages-there was 1 sachet of yeast when I went in the other day/


  • #50
    kevc2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 500 ✭✭✭kevc2


    Would 19 litre ballygowan bottles be suitable for making wine? As the secondary fermenter?


  • #51
    Tube
    Registered Users Posts: 327 ✭✭Tube


    kevc2 wrote: »
    Would 19 litre ballygowan bottles be suitable for making wine? As the secondary fermenter?

    Plastic is gas permeable and not recommended for secondary.


  • Advertisement
  • #52
    kevc2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 500 ✭✭✭kevc2


    Tube wrote: »
    Plastic is gas permeable and not recommended for secondary.

    Thanks for clearing that up, plastic bucket for primary is recommended though?


  • #53
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Tube wrote: »
    Plastic is gas permeable and not recommended for secondary.

    I genuinely don't think a human could accurately (i.e. with significantly > 50% accuracy) taste the difference between a home brewed wine that had done secondary in a standard plastic fermenting vessel versus one that had done secondary in glass.


  • #54
    kevc2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 500 ✭✭✭kevc2


    I was just looking for a cheap way to make it rather than buying 2 carboys as I could get the ballygowan bottles from work.


  • #55
    sharingan
    Registered Users Posts: 911 ✭✭✭sharingan


    The water cooler bottles are effectively single use.

    Used to use them myself, but they are impossible to clean, and stuck on brewing trub is full of all the stuff that will spoil your brew.


  • #56
    redser7
    Registered Users Posts: 2,729 ✭✭✭redser7


    kevc2 wrote: »
    Would 19 litre ballygowan bottles be suitable for making wine? As the secondary fermenter?

    If you were using them for something quick like tea bag wine or a WOW they would be fine and are often used. So are plastic 5 lt water bottles in place of demijohns. But not recommended for anything longer like a pure fruit wine or for aging/bulk storage. And people tend not to use them more than once or twice as there is evidence about them not being safe (leaching chemicals and such the like).


  • #57
    eurofoxy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 440 ✭✭eurofoxy


    this is directed towards the mods of the forum, the rest of you carry on nothing to see here....
    is it possible or feasible to create a new sticky with just recipes, not chat nothing just recipes and their brewing instructions?
    then if anyone like a particular recipe they can thank it or if they have questions about a certain recipe they can put them here in the chat topic? or maybe make a separate topic for recipe questions.
    Reason being its getting difficult to find any info on recipes without having to look through several different pages etc to find the recipe.


  • #58
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    It's up to the BeerNut. Site wide there is a guideline that there should be only 3 stickies per forum (so we're already slightly beyond that). The reason for this is so that people on mobile devices don't have to scroll too much to get to "the meat".


  • #59
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,776 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    Well, the NHC competition one isn't permanent, so I'm going to allow this. And if those punks in the DA's office don't like it they can have my badge.

    My beer blog | The Twitter | My other beer blog



  • #60
    Tube
    Registered Users Posts: 327 ✭✭Tube


    Problem with a Recipes sticky is there's no guarantee they're any good, or have even been tasted by their author. After 20 pages it has the potential to be a train wreck.


  • Advertisement
  • #61
    blueshed
    Registered Users Posts: 627 ✭✭✭blueshed


    how about a thread where about half a dozen well known and trusted members post 5 recipes each then every week/month they post another recipe.

    if sombody is looking for a particular recipe then one of the dirty half dozen can post it.


Advertisement