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hoppyhoppyhippo said:
For someone with experience. I'm gonna build a mashtun cooler for my 1 gallon batches I was wondering 2 things though first which is a better way for using the filter, doing the braid tubing or going with the false bottom? Second is a 2 gallon cooler enough? I know you don't want a ton of deadspace in the cooler, and I can get a 5 gallon cooler for cheap, but I'd rather get the right tool than the cheap one.

My 2 gal works fine for 1 gal batches. I did a circular braid into a T fitting and stuffed a 1/2 in coil spring inside the braid so it doesn't crush.
 
I'm making an experiment cider this weekend with washed yeast, first time using it. Of course one gallon.
What would happen if I added to much yeast?
Do I pasteurize after carbing?
Also is a month to long to let it ferment?
A little help would be nice. Thanks.
 
I'm making an experiment cider this weekend with washed yeast, first time using it. Of course one gallon.
What would happen if I added to much yeast?
Do I pasteurize after carbing?
Also is a month to long to let it ferment?
A little help would be nice. Thanks.

It would taste somewhat one dimensional, and you up the odds of really needing a blowoff tube.

If you have additional sugar in your finished brew, then you will need to pasteurize after bottle carbing or you will get excessive co2 buildup in the bottles. That can cause the bottles to fail from the pressure and launch glass shards all over. If your batch fermented dry, and you used a priming sugar calculator it isn't necessary to pasteurize.

Your actual fermentation probably won't take more then a couple weeks. It's very doubtful anything bad would happen if you left it alone for a full month though.

This should give you a little help.
 
Leadgolem said:
It would taste somewhat one dimensional, and you up the odds of really needing a blowoff tube.

If you have additional sugar in your finished brew, then you will need to pasteurize after bottle carbing or you will get excessive co2 buildup in the bottles. That can cause the bottles to fail from the pressure and launch glass shards all over. If your batch fermented dry, and you used a priming sugar calculator it isn't necessary to pasteurize.

Your actual fermentation probably won't take more then a couple weeks. It's very doubtful anything bad would happen if you left it alone for a full month though.

This should give you a little help.

Ok I got you. I always use a blow off just in case. Thanks for the help.
 
It's a spiced cider that my wife likes around Christmas time. If it taste ok I will fine tune it and make some more during Christmas. I do t the is will take one demotion.
 
Apricot Hefe - it's time to decide if I'm going to bottle a Hefe and use artificial flavoring or find some fresh apricots and put the beer on top of them for a few weeks.


If I find fresh apricots, do I slice, then freeze, then thaw before I add to secondary?

How many apricots do you think I should use for one gallon of beer?



I'm looking to do the same thing with blueberries in a few weeks.

I don't want a huge berry taste...half a pint of berries?



Fruit beer...so many questions!
 
Apricot Hefe - it's time to decide if I'm going to bottle a Hefe and use artificial flavoring or find some fresh apricots and put the beer on top of them for a few weeks.

If I find fresh apricots, do I slice, then freeze, then thaw before I add to secondary?

How many apricots do you think I should use for one gallon of beer?

I'm looking to do the same thing with blueberries in a few weeks.

I don't want a huge berry taste...half a pint of berries?

Fruit beer...so many questions!

I would use a pound of apricot. See if you can find Oregon brand canned apricot, no preservatives and perfect for brewing.
 
jongrill said:
Apricot Hefe - it's time to decide if I'm going to bottle a Hefe and use artificial flavoring or find some fresh apricots and put the beer on top of them for a few weeks.

If I find fresh apricots, do I slice, then freeze, then thaw before I add to secondary?

How many apricots do you think I should use for one gallon of beer?

I'm looking to do the same thing with blueberries in a few weeks.

I don't want a huge berry taste...half a pint of berries?

Fruit beer...so many questions!

Yes slice then freeze and thaw. It all depends in how much you want the taste to come out. A pound would work nicely. If is not what you want add another half pound next time. When adding fruit it's all up to you.
I'm doing a pale ale and dry hopping with1.4 lbs of strawberries. Should be nice. First time so I will play with it.
 
I used 4 pounds of blueberries in a 4 gallon batch once. Everybody liked it and they could tell it was fruity, but nobody could tell that it was blueberries. I'd use 1.5 pounds per gallon next time.
 
bleme said:
I used 4 pounds of blueberries in a 4 gallon batch once. Everybody liked it and they could tell it was fruity, but nobody could tell that it was blueberries. I'd use 1.5 pounds per gallon next time.

I heard that about blueberries from someone else that its hard to get enough real blueberry taste into the beer. I almost tried a fresh blueberry ale small batch but shied away after reading up on different attempts. Then I tried blueberry extract and ruined a batch with that. Put in way too much. Maybe time to try again.
 
When I was planning mine, a couple people suggested I used 1lb/gal of real berries and a 1/10 ounce/gal of extract for the "truest" flavor. My LHBS didn't have any blueberry extract though.
 
I've always been disappointed by my attempts to add fruit to my beer. It was a small obsession with me for awhile but it seems to end with a disappointing beer. Don't get me wrong the beer was drinkable just lacked the fruit flavor I was trying to get.

Of my mental notes, I decided I either needed to use more fruit or try extract....I finally just moved on from brewing fruit beers.

Now brewing 1.5 gallon batches I may try again.
 
I'm going to brew an apple beer this week. Recipe calls for 2 peeled apple's of your choice and flavor that you like and one cinnamon stick. The cinnamon is added at the start of the boil along with 1st hop addition,and both apples are peeled and chopped and added to wort after boil is over for 20 min. I hope it's good ;)
 
MedBrewer said:
I'm going to brew an apple beer this week. Recipe calls for 2 peeled apple's of your choice and flavor that you like and one cinnamon stick. The cinnamon is added at the start of the boil along with 1st hop addition,and both apples are peeled and chopped and added to wort after boil is over for 20 min. I hope it's good ;)

Sounds good, can you share your recipe?
 
I've heard that a combination of extract and real fruit is the best way to go for a fruit beer. Never tried it myself and not sure on ratios, but just an idea for everybody to play around with.
 
Sounds good, can you share your recipe?

This is from the brooklyn brew shop book. I learned to brew with thier kits and the book is really good, lots 1 gallon recipes.
It's all grain recipe
2lbs 2 row
0.1 lbs caramel 60
0.05 lbs chocolate malt
0.05lbs aromatic malt
60 min mash @152F with 2.25 qts water
Sparge 1 gallon @170F
Boil 60 min with following additions:
-0.3oz fuggles and cinnamon at hot break
-0.1oz hallertau after 59min
-60min mark flame out/add 2 peeled diced apples (steep for 20 min)
 
That looks good, kinda surprised with the chocolate malt though. Would've never thought to use it with an apple beer.
 
I'm going to brew an apple beer this week. Recipe calls for 2 peeled apple's of your choice and flavor that you like and one cinnamon stick. The cinnamon is added at the start of the boil along with 1st hop addition,and both apples are peeled and chopped and added to wort after boil is over for 20 min. I hope it's good ;)
Please let us know how it comes out.

I've never had much luck adding apples to primary. You just don't seem to get much fruit flavor out of them. The best results I've had has been to add them after you hit FG.
 
Ostomo517 said:
I would use a pound of apricot. See if you can find Oregon brand canned apricot, no preservatives and perfect for brewing.

Found fresh apricots. Can't find Oregon even online!

Do I freeze or heat apricot?
 
If it were me, I'd freeze them, ferment the beer completely, soak the frozen apricots in StarSan to thaw, mash the apricots, then rack onto them.

That won't guarantee sanitization like heating will, but you will get a fresher flavor and the beer will probably take care of the rest.
 
I need some help. My 5 gallon batch recipe isnt transitioning well to one gallon brewing. I have adjusted efficiency using beersmith, but it still isnt translating well.

I am curious if anyone is using 25% (or higher) of a 5 gallon batch, instead of 20%, for their one gallon brewing?

TIA
 
I usually boil the fruit for one minute then puree in the blender and add to primary so when goes to secondary you can get rid of a lot of the pulp and a clearer final product. Like bwlow examples, my Bloody Beer using tomatoes, Key Lime Pie using key limes and my Pineapple IPA

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The large ice crystals that form inside the fruit during freezing in a normal residential freezer will perforate the cell walls of the fruit. That means you will get a better liquid extraction and more fruit flavor. The other common way to break down the cells is to damage them with heat. Aka, cook the fruit. That works, but the heat also causes some large changes to the flavor.

Happy brewing. :mug:
 
Seems like freezing is the way to go. But dipping in Star San? Really?
When I do peaches I generally just wash, quarter, and freeze. However, I don't use commercial sanitizer. Not ever. So, it's up to you.

If I was concerned about infection for some reason, I would probably blanch the fruit after it's been quartered.
 
Leadgolem said:
When I do peaches I generally just wash, quarter, and freeze. However, I don't use commercial sanitizer. Not ever. So, it's up to you.

If I was concerned about infection for some reason, I would probably blanch the fruit after it's been quartered.

Blanch then freeze? Or just dip in ice water?
 
Blanch then freeze? Or just dip in ice water?
Yes, blanch then freeze. The heat should take care of most of the surface bugs, and if you drop the heat fast enough then you shouldn't cook the fruit much. Unless the fruit is rotten you shouldn't have much inside the fruit.
 
I do one gallon batches because my stove is a stupid electric glass top and takes about 3 weeks, 2 days and 36 minutes to bring my ~2 gallons to a boil. I couldn't imagine trying to bring 6-7 gallons to a boil.
 
I do one gallon batches because my stove is a stupid electric glass top and takes about 3 weeks, 2 days and 36 minutes to bring my ~2 gallons to a boil. I couldn't imagine trying to bring 6-7 gallons to a boil.

I was having the same problem so I bought a propane camp stove at an estate sale dirt cheap and can now boil anything ...... still do mostly one gallon batches though, just a lot faster
 
The tiny ones? I got a buddy who said there's an old Turkey fryer in good shape at the auto repair shop he works at, and he's going to see if he can grab it for me.
I'd probably do 3-4 gallon batches and put them into 1 gallon fermenters to experiment with yeast and other variables, but for now I like my 1 gal setup.
 
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