I've only used white sugar and I've had good results. Others prefer using "priming sugar" (probably corn sugar) from the LHBS. To be honest, the amount involved is so small that it probably doesn't make much difference.
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stevehardt
Well-Known Member
I have a batch of 8 1 liter PET bottles full of Bewitched Red Ale that have been carbing/conditioning for 3 weeks at 70 degrees (see I'm learning
)
Should I refrigerate all of them or leave half out at 70 degrees room temp and put the rest the fridge? Probably drink all of them in 3 weeks, but will they be better after 3 weeks in the fridge or 2 weeks at room temp and a week in the fridge?
Also, have an St. Patrick's Stout getting bottled this week. Will 3 weeks carbing and conditioning at 70 degrees enough or should I leave a stout for 4 weeks.
Thanks again for all the good advice. This forum rocks:rockin:
)Should I refrigerate all of them or leave half out at 70 degrees room temp and put the rest the fridge? Probably drink all of them in 3 weeks, but will they be better after 3 weeks in the fridge or 2 weeks at room temp and a week in the fridge?
Also, have an St. Patrick's Stout getting bottled this week. Will 3 weeks carbing and conditioning at 70 degrees enough or should I leave a stout for 4 weeks.
Thanks again for all the good advice. This forum rocks:rockin:
gtlaw10
Well-Known Member
i recently bottled a massive dark abbey quad in those 1L bottles, used 7.9g of brown sugar per bottle. can you weigh in gram increments...otherwise you might as well stick to using between 2 and 2.5 tblsp, that'll be a little high for UK styles, but mid-range or perfect for most other styles.
gtlaw10
Well-Known Member
I have a batch of 8 1 liter PET bottles full of Bewitched Red Ale that have been carbing/conditioning for 3 weeks at 70 degrees (see I'm learning
Should I refrigerate all of them or leave half out at 70 degrees room temp and put the rest the fridge? Probably drink all of them in 3 weeks, but will they be better after 3 weeks in the fridge or 2 weeks at room temp and a week in the fridge?
Also, have an St. Patrick's Stout getting bottled this week. Will 3 weeks carbing and conditioning at 70 degrees enough or should I leave a stout for 4 weeks.
Thanks again for all the good advice. This forum rocks
i like to leave my red ales out and fridge them up to a week prior to consumption. that's because i find they get chill hazy when they are in the fridge for a while because i don't use finings of any kind or siphon from the kettle to the MrB keg, i just pour it in when it's cooled sufficiently. your mileage may vary.
the 3 weeks primary/bottle rule will apply to most beers. when it starts to need altering is when one brews something higher than 6.5%abv, then you can add a week or 2 to primary and almost infinite time in the bottle. but this is to achieve the best possible flavor profile and with huge beers, aging them (to a point of course) tends to increase their complexities and mellow out the alcohols. your stout will be fine with the 3 & 3 regime.
stevehardt
Well-Known Member
So unless you have a heavy beer, 3 weeks in the fermenter (hydrometer reading permitting), 3 in the bottle at 70 degrees, and a few days to a week in the fridge is a pretty safe rule?
Thanks to you guys I think I'm getting the hang of this!
Thanks to you guys I think I'm getting the hang of this!
Would you suggest getting a scale or using measuring like tea spoons and table spoons. I am asking because I am pretty serious about making this a lifelong hobby and I would not mind investing in a scale if it will pay off in the long run.
So it really doesn't matter if I use primer or just regular sugar?
I'd get a scale. It's more accurate to weigh than measure. I also think batch priming is a better approach than bottle priming.
In my opinion, white sugar works just fine and there's no good reason to use anything else.
gtlaw10
Well-Known Member
invest in the scale, the level of accuracy it provides is invaluable.
this assumes you have the funds to invest in a bottling receptacle and racking equipment. which is more than likely feasible for most, but for those on a budget (eg students, unemployed, retirees, etc) splurging on the extra equipment is a serious consideration as opposed to measuring out sugar on a $15 scale. trying to batch prime without racking equipment is a bottle bomb crap shoot, but when done properly it's much easier than bottle priming.
BrewinHooligan
Well-Known Member
I just built a bottling bucket tonight following Revvy's bottling thread. Between the bucket, spigot, bottling wand, and small stopper to go into the spigot with a bent piece of copper tubing as a dip tube I spent less than $15. 
I think a slimline costs about $7. If that's out of your price range, stick to bottle priming.
gtlaw10
Well-Known Member
just saying we shouldn't assume anything regarding people's financial situation.
Thank you. I'll go down to my local brew shop and invest in a scale.
mpenn35
Well-Known Member
I brewed a Dubbel Trouble last night. It's a can of High Country Canadian draft, can of creamy brown UME, and I added half to three quarter packet of booster to up the ABV in a 2-2.25 gallon batch. My original gravity was 1.046. Does that sound about right?
Walzenbrew
Well-Known Member
I got all my ingredients for a hefeweizen partial mash. The problem is I'm fermenting in the mr beer and the recipe is for 5 gallons. I'm having some trouble determinig how much water to use when I mash the grains, then how much to add for adding the extract etc. Could someone help me out with some advice from experience?
flushdrew42
Well-Known Member
well, if you're planning on using the MrB, you'll just divide your recipe basically in half.
otherwise, you can go to your local supermarket bakery and get 2gallon buckets, (you'll ferment about 1.5 or 1.75 gal in them) You could go get a food grade bucket from the big box hardware store, with a lid, buy an airlock and a grommet from any of the online brew supply stores, and do the whole 5gal batch...
as far as any recipe divisions, or math, just divide the total # of grain and the total water amount by the size of your batch, divide the total by 5 then use that for each additional gallon. etc...
otherwise, you can go to your local supermarket bakery and get 2gallon buckets, (you'll ferment about 1.5 or 1.75 gal in them) You could go get a food grade bucket from the big box hardware store, with a lid, buy an airlock and a grommet from any of the online brew supply stores, and do the whole 5gal batch...
as far as any recipe divisions, or math, just divide the total # of grain and the total water amount by the size of your batch, divide the total by 5 then use that for each additional gallon. etc...
Walzenbrew
Well-Known Member
I'll just half it then. Thanks!
BrewinHooligan
Well-Known Member
If what I have read is correct, filling to the bottom of the Q is 2.4 gallons. Going to 2.5 should be ok, but with an active ferment you may get some "blowoff" come out of the lid.
It has been reported that it's 2.4 to the bottom of the Q and 2.5 to the top, but there seems to be some variance depending on the fermenter. Some people who have measured have come up with different results.
Let's do the math. Two cans of Mr. Beer Mix. That would be 2 x 1.2 lbs of malt extract @ 36 points per lb = 86 points + ~2/3 package (13 oz) booster (about 1/2 lb @ 42 pts per lb) = 21 points. 86 points + 21 points = 107/2.2 = 48.5 or 1.0485. So your reading of 1.046 is close to what I would expect, but it's no Triple. If you would have used a 3.3 lb can of malt extract rather than those tiny Mr. Beer cans you would have another 32 points of materials divided by 2.2 or about another 14 - 15 points of stuff. In other words, your gravity would have been around 1.061 or so. A little closer to what you're aiming for. You can add the rest of the booster, but that won't help the body/mouthfeel. A triple should be at least 1.070 in my opinion.
Scott Birdwell
DeFalco's Home Wine & Beer Supplies
Houston TX
Walzenbrew
Well-Known Member
bpgreen said:
So maybe should I not half it? I definitely don't want blow over. The guys at LHBS said 1 gal for mash and 1.5 gal for adding extract
BrewinHooligan
Well-Known Member
If it was me, I would just halve the recipe, fill to the bottom of the Q and have a slightly stonger brew than the original recipe.
gtlaw10
Well-Known Member
i've had a few blowoffs in the MrB keg, it's not too bad since there are the little air vents. pressure doesn't build krausen just pumps out of the sides of the cap - just put it on a baking tray and it's good to go.
if you halve the recipe and boil off enough (1/10th of a gallon) to get the volume to 2.4gal you'll just have a slightly higher OG - never a bad thing.
there are lots of posts by Revvy in this MrB thread about AG in MrB, start around post 700 for a bunch of his scaled recipes and go from there.
BrewinHooligan
Well-Known Member
I have a grocery store called Fry's where I live, it is a Kroger company. They have 5 gallon jugs with a 1 on the bottom that they sell for $12. Better Bottle stoppers fit these perfectly. Local bakeries and delis will often give away large buckets that are food grade and that is a good way to go too if you don't want to spend much. Then you need to find a local home brew store to buy the air locks, grommets, or stoppers you need.
kc9eci
Well-Known Member
The Mr Beer seasonal offering is out. A pilsner. http://www.mrbeer.com/product-exec/product_id/987
I was a bit put out as I was supposed to get an email from them telling me when it was available. So much for that, I found out via a post on Facebook.
Was going to buy it as I just got a promo code from them in the letter that came with my free thermometer and priming sugar magnet but it didn't work at checkout. $22 for 2 gallons of beer is bad enough, but $30+ is just insane. Gonna pass on this one I think.
I was a bit put out as I was supposed to get an email from them telling me when it was available. So much for that, I found out via a post on Facebook.
Was going to buy it as I just got a promo code from them in the letter that came with my free thermometer and priming sugar magnet but it didn't work at checkout. $22 for 2 gallons of beer is bad enough, but $30+ is just insane. Gonna pass on this one I think.
I was a little disappointed with that "thermometer".
kc9eci
Well-Known Member
Ditto. It's the kind of thing that should come with each of the LBK's to begin with and even then there isn't much value to it. The time I spent signing up for it was worth more than it was.
Walzenbrew
Well-Known Member
OClairBrew said:
Stupid question: what does fill to the Q mean?
Walzenbrew
Well-Known Member
gtlaw10 said:
What page is that? I'm having trouble finding post numbers
Above the line you're "supposed" to fill to, there'sthe word quart. The first letter is Q. I've read that it's 2.4 gallons to the bottom of the q and 2.5 to the top.
gtlaw10
Well-Known Member
here is a link to his 'primer' on AG in a MrB keg: Revvy's AG MrB Primer
here is a link to his post with the scaled recipes: Revvy's 2.5gal Batches
have fun!
fyi post numbers are in the top right corner of the post itself.
Thank you. I really appreciate your help.
Bottled my first batch of Mr Beer a week ago today. Too early to open, I know. I just couldn't resist. Had to open one and try it tonight. This was made with a single can of Englishman's Nut Brown HME plus the booster. I also added a cup of brown sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon (not sure why). Bottled with priming sugar.
First pour. Looking good so far.
Halfway through. good head. Not exactly the "nut brown" color I was hoping for though.
Finished pouring. Left the last little bit in the bottle cause there was some gnarly sediment in there. I need to learn how to bottle.
Overall impression: Its definitely beer. Good head. Nicely carbonated. Decent color, I guess. I can taste a hint of cinnamon and a hint of alcohol. Just slightly bitter. Very watery. Honestly... it tasted like "beer tea" - something old women would drink while they knit and complain about their grandchildren. Needless to say, I'm underwhelmed. I know it will (hopefully) improve with age. I'm going to let this one stay in the closet for another week. Then throw it in the fridge for a week before I try another one.
I have a batch in my 2gallon bucket now, and one more recipe left to brew (something like the Maple Wheat, but with different hops/yeast, and no maple syrup). Hopefully after that batch I'll have my midwest kit and the Autumn Amber to play with.
First pour. Looking good so far.
Halfway through. good head. Not exactly the "nut brown" color I was hoping for though.
Finished pouring. Left the last little bit in the bottle cause there was some gnarly sediment in there. I need to learn how to bottle.
Overall impression: Its definitely beer. Good head. Nicely carbonated. Decent color, I guess. I can taste a hint of cinnamon and a hint of alcohol. Just slightly bitter. Very watery. Honestly... it tasted like "beer tea" - something old women would drink while they knit and complain about their grandchildren. Needless to say, I'm underwhelmed. I know it will (hopefully) improve with age. I'm going to let this one stay in the closet for another week. Then throw it in the fridge for a week before I try another one.
I have a batch in my 2gallon bucket now, and one more recipe left to brew (something like the Maple Wheat, but with different hops/yeast, and no maple syrup). Hopefully after that batch I'll have my midwest kit and the Autumn Amber to play with.
Justibone
Well-Known Member
It's good to open beers early, to get an idea of what's going on with them. I'm surprised you had much carbonation at all after only a week, though.
Looks kinda cloudy to me. Cold-conditioning in the fridge might clear that up for you, help the yeast flocculate better.
That is pretty decent head for a one-week-old beer. Nut-brown color is usually achieved with specialty grains that impart color... which the HME should have had included in it, if you ask me.
Gnarly sediment is to be expected when bottle-carbing. A week in the fridge takes care of most of it, and also pouring the whole beer into a clean glass in a single, smooth motion, leaving about a half inch of beer behind. Without filtering you will never get a perfectly clear beer, IMO. (Others have gotten pretty close using cold conditioning and a bright tank.)
Cinnamon was an interesting decision. It's a strange flavor for a beer sometimes, though, so it was definitely a risk. The carbonation will improve the aroma, but I'm afraid with only a single can of malt it will always taste a bit thin. You can either use less water next time, or more malt, but if you follow the MrB recipes to the letter the beer is not what you would normally expect from craft beer.
I've bottled with brown sugar, and liked the result, so maple sounds kind of interesting. If you think brown sugar sounds too sweet, it's not -- it leaves a kind of caramelly, toasty flavor that's hard to describe. If the beer is too thin for your taste, though, leave out the booster (that dries the beer out -- the opposite of malty) and add more extract. All sugars that are not malt dry the beer out, except for lactose (milk sugar), which is unfermentable and does taste sweet.
Also, try to condition your next beer for at least a week in the fridge before you crack it open. You will be more satisfied with the results, I'd bet.
What would be the best sugar to use for bottling WCPA? Well, what is the added outcome, if any, for different types of sugar?
I've got another week before I bottle, and my friend has 2 weeks for his (we both purchased the Mr Beer kits that came with WCPA).
I've got another week before I bottle, and my friend has 2 weeks for his (we both purchased the Mr Beer kits that came with WCPA).
In my opinion the best sugar to use is plain white sugar. The purpose of adding sugar at bottling is to give the yeast something to eat and convert to CO2. If you want to add flavor, body etc, the time for that is when you're making he wort in the first place.
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