Yeah! First brew under way. - Page 2

jump_xiii · 12-31-2011, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badbrew

I wonder if you measured the 1.03 right. It's pretty low. I assume it was higher than that 12 hours after you started.

Isn't it hard to get a good OG reading using all liquid extract and topping up with water?

My fist batch I didn't measure, 2nd I got an OG of 1.030 too, but was told I probably hadn't mixed well enough...

venquessa · 01-03-2012, 02:38 PM

Well, I had to commit sin. I had to know if anything was working, so I picked a bottle and put it in the fridge for a few hours. Then opened it. First thought was, "I smell beer!", second thought was, "Oh my god it fizzes and is creating a head". It's only 3 days bottled.

So, knowing that sealing the bottle again would be a waste of time I drank it. LOL

It tastes of beer. It smells of beer. It has a froffy head and continues to bubble from the bottom in a glass long enough to drink it. Most importantly it definitely has alcohol in it!

So all the plus points are in, it's drinkable, actually pretty good, and will get me drunk.

It's obviously a 'little' cloudy, very slightly sweat and a little chalky/yeasty. I wouldn't fancy drinking more than a bottle of it at this stage. Haven't (yet) had any ill live yeast effects

I'm surprised it's not revolting having been bottled only 3 days.

I'm telling you it will be hard not to get stuck in to another at the weekend. Won't be properly ready until after the weekend beyond that!

As to brewing quality beers, based on what I normally drink, that won't be hard it seems. If I feel like splashing out, I might go for Becks, but to be honest, Carlsberg or the local "Harp" with a little Stella 4 on the side is my main diet. Beer brewed in accelerated chemical plants. I even once/twice ... I'm sorry... bought a 15 pack of Carling because it was on offer. It's like someone added a drop of vodka to fizzy cold yellow water! It's not beer.

jump_xiii · 01-03-2012, 02:47 PM

Congratulations! It tastes good, part of that is the great taste of pride! Now plan #2...

venquessa · 01-03-2012, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jump_xiii

Now plan #2...

Oh yea. Bought the second batch off ebay. Coopers (i know, but I'm a newbie!). Planning to ferment it for longer in a cooler room. It depends on how long the first batch actually lasts as to when I can sanitize the bottles.

I accidentally bought Dextrose Enchaner AND brewers sugar. (I suppose I should read the pros/cons thread again), any ideas which to run with?

jump_xiii · 01-03-2012, 02:56 PM

I'm a noob too and only on batch 2 myself so coopers sounds fine to me!

I'll allow more knowledgable folks to offer advice on sugars- I used table sugar on both brews of mine.

venquessa · 01-03-2012, 02:57 PM

Oh and I just opened a can of the local lager, Harp. It is certainly cleaner and fizzier, but it's virtually tasteless in comparison. Not a surprise, I have found in the past if I drunk 4 tins of Caffery's (Heavy amber/creamy/caramel Irish ale) and then a tin of Harp immediately after it would taste like White Lightening cider.

venquessa · 01-06-2012, 05:53 PM

Well my second batch just went in the fermentation bin. Coopers lager w/ dextrose enhancer instead of sugar.

Made one minor mistake and thrashed the wort to aerate it, before I put the yeast in and had to clear a spot through the foam to get the yeast into then aerate it again. I'm assuming the idea is to beat air into the mixture for the yeast to get started on and breed before they start on the sugars??

SG was again hard to read due to bubbles and best I could get was "between 1.04 and 1.03".

Again the instructions say to brew at 21*C with a note, "Experienced brewers may wish to brew it cooler at 18*C". It also mentions open and close brewing techniques, with open being more prone to infection (obviously) when fermentation stops and that closed brewing, it is far less critical to leave the barrel after fermentation completes as it's sealed.

My barrel has a clip on lid that seals loosely, you can squeeze excess air/c02 out by pushing the lid down, but it should be protected from bacteria fairly well.

It will probable stay in this room again, I have a thermometer to check on it now though. Currently 22.9C and cooling slowly. As my bottles currently have the first batch and I'm unlikely to empty them inside a week or two, that's how long this batch will primary for.

Had another bottle of the first batch last night, unfortunately it was much flatter than the first one I tried. A lot clearer, but still a slight chalky/yeasty/chewy taste to it. Hopefully it will start to settle and it's only a few are under primed, though I'm living in fear that most of it will be a little flat as I used to little priming sugar in most.

Fingers crossed.

Paul

venquessa · 01-13-2012, 10:56 AM

Well, this brew is now gone

(hic). Except one bottle which has been stored to age for an experiment. I'll open it in about 6-12 weeks to see how it's changed.

Asides that bottle the brew only lasted (1 week primary, 12 days bottled). The last bottles where actually starting to taste nice. The chalky/yeasties taste had gone, unless you accidently poured a little sediment and a much nicer malty sweet flavour was coming through. They were unfortunately all but 1 or 2 under primed. There was fiz, there were small bubbles, but not enough to bring to a head properly, unless you aerated it while pouring.

Second batch is a week in the fermenter, krausen(?) foam stopped a few days ago, very little activity yesterday and today. I'm going to go ahead and bottle it on Sunday. I (deliveries arriving) should be able to immediately refill the primary with a new batch.

I'm aiming on building up a supply of bottled beer, so I can let it age while still drinking. Eg. Drinking batch 2 while batch 3 conditions and so on.