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How cold is to cold when brewing. I started a batch of stout a few days ago and put if in a closet. We had a cold snap in SC and when I checked on it yesterday it was around 60 degrees in the closet. Is that going to make it s bad batch??? I removed it from the closet to a warmer area. Any help is appreciated.

Kevin
 
How cold is to cold when brewing. I started a batch of stout a few days ago and put if in a closet. We had a cold snap in SC and when I checked on it yesterday it was around 60 degrees in the closet. Is that going to make it s bad batch??? I removed it from the closet to a warmer area. Any help is appreciated.

Kevin
Each yeast had a temperature rang where it performs best. In general, temperatures that are too warm can lead to off flavors. At cooler temperatures, the year will slow down and if it gets cool enough, will stop. If this happens, warming it up will generally wake the yeast again. Sometimes, especially with highly flocculant yeast, all the year will drop out and you'll need to gently rock the fermenter to get some yeast back into suspension.

If the closet temperature was 60 and the yeast was already fermenting, the temperature in the fermenter will probably be closer to 65.
 
I bottled my first batch yesterday, started my second when I had cleaned my keg. I checked it just now, 22 hours after I pitched, and there is A LOT of foam at the top. It looks great, and like shots of glass carboys I've seen, but I don't remember my first keg ever having this much foam, any time I looked at it. It wasn't as active until the second day either.
Can lots of foam be a bad sign, or a good one? Any common reasons my first batch didn't seem so active, especially so early?
 
I bottled my first batch yesterday, started my second when I had cleaned my keg. I checked it just now, 22 hours after I pitched, and there is A LOT of foam at the top. It looks great, and like shots of glass carboys I've seen, but I don't remember my first keg ever having this much foam, any time I looked at it. It wasn't as active until the second day either.
Can lots of foam be a bad sign, or a good one? Any common reasons my first batch didn't seem so active, especially so early?


Different batches ferment differently. More viable yeast, more optimal temperatures, better station can all lead to more vigorous fermentation. A lack of krausen isn't necessarily a bad thing. If a layer of trub forms, fermentation n is happening.
 
Cool,thanks for reply. Yes, there is more trub than last time too (the stuff on the bottom is called trub all the time, at any stage in the process?). I tasted my last batch and it was fine, I think everything went fine. This one is just going quicker.
I didn't spend a lot of time washing the keg, just used hot water and then sanitzed. Maybe a bad assumption, but I figured it couldn't be that dirty and only with the same stuff that was going to go in it... could stuff from the last batch cause issues?
 
Cool,thanks for reply. Yes, there is more trub than last time too (the stuff on the bottom is called trub all the time, at any stage in the process?). I tasted my last batch and it was fine, I think everything went fine. This one is just going quicker.
I didn't spend a lot of time washing the keg, just used hot water and then sanitzed. Maybe a bad assumption, but I figured it couldn't be that dirty and only with the same stuff that was going to go in it... could stuff from the last batch cause issues?

Could stuff from the last batch cause problems?

Yes.

You need to thoroughly clean between batches (including taking the spigot apart). You also need to sanitize.

That's not to say that this batch is bad, but cleaning and sanitizing are key to good beer.
 
Clear bottle will GREATLY increase the likely hood of hops skunking. Light greatly degrades hops and skunks the beer in turn. If you are super careful to keep the bottles completely dark, clear is... ok. But the likelihood that you will have skunked beer is hugely increased.
 
I really want clear bottles will this affect my beer taste?

I have a couple cases of clear swingtops in my supply of bottles, when they are filled I make sure they are stored in the case and in a dark place (under sink or cabinet) and place several in the fridge. The ones that are refrigerated never last more than a week and I havent had probs. Just be careful about where you keep them.
 
Okay fellow Mr. Beer users.I want to brew the old Mr. Beer Abbey Dubbel. I have the LME,hops,brown sugar,wheat yeast etc.My question is ,I bought some dark Belgain candi-sugar "Rocks". IYHO,do you think this will make a difference in this recipe? If so,How much should I use for a 2.13 gal. batch?AND when should I add it. I'm sure some of you Mr. B vets have tried this recipe.Your expertise will be honored.TIA....Randolf
 
how can you tell when its carbed enough? not all of mine carbed the same amount and when the one i was feeling, felt ready. Then i put them into the fridge. Apparently though, it isnt carbed enough... I cracked one open after 1 week in the fridge, and it tasted like flat beer. And two other people tried it and said it needs more carbonation.
Is there any way to let them continue carbing after 1 week in the fridge. OR should I just down the batch??

(I let them carb for like 1-2 weeks) Closer to 2 weeks
 
how can you tell when its carbed enough? not all of mine carbed the same amount and when the one i was feeling, felt ready. Then i put them into the fridge. Apparently though, it isnt carbed enough... I cracked one open after 1 week in the fridge, and it tasted like flat beer. And two other people tried it and said it needs more carbonation.
Is there any way to let them continue carbing after 1 week in the fridge. OR should I just down the batch??

(I let them carb for like 1-2 weeks) Closer to 2 weeks

If you take them out of the fridge and let them warm up to room temp, the yeast will get back to work.

Two weeks should usually be plenty of time to carb. What temperature is the room where you're letting the beer sit to carbonate?
 
If you take them out of the fridge and let them warm up to room temp, the yeast will get back to work.

Two weeks should usually be plenty of time to carb. What temperature is the room where you're letting the beer sit to carbonate?

the room is 67*. Its the same temp that my meads and hard ciders ferment in, and I havent had any issues.:confused:
 
the room is 67*. Its the same temp that my meads and hard ciders ferment in, and I havent had any issues.:confused:

I would think that should have been enough time for them to carb, but take them out, give them a week or two at room temp. If they are still flat at that point, its likely that there's a slight leak. Sometimes, the caps need to be replaced.
 
I would think that should have been enough time for them to carb, but take them out, give them a week or two at room temp. If they are still flat at that point, its likely that there's a slight leak. Sometimes, the caps need to be replaced.

its my first batch with the caps...unless they sent them to me wrong. Its the ones from the Mr Beer kit.
 
its my first batch with the caps...unless they sent them to me wrong. Its the ones from the Mr Beer kit.

If they're new, that's not the problem. It's possible they're not sealed quite right (sometimes the little ring can cause problems). But my guess I'd that if you give them more time at room temperature, you'll be fine.
 
Going to try my very first batch of homebrew this Saturday. Going to put 6 bottles in the fridge on Friday. Fermented for two weeks and conditioned for two weeks. Classic American Light.
 
Going to try my very first batch of homebrew this Saturday. Going to put 6 bottles in the fridge on Friday. Fermented for two weeks and conditioned for two weeks. Classic American Light.

It will probably be okay to have one of those on Saturday, but it might be a bit "green" still. If you can wait, give them more time. With bottles, I tend to warm condition (room temp) for a couple of months and cold condition (fridge) for a couple of weeks. Of course, that's easier to do when you've got a few hundred bottles in the pipeline. When you've just got a few, it's a lot harder to wait.
 
It will probably be okay to have one of those on Saturday, but it might be a bit "green" still. If you can wait, give them more time. With bottles, I tend to warm condition (room temp) for a couple of months and cold condition (fridge) for a couple of weeks. Of course, that's easier to do when you've got a few hundred bottles in the pipeline. When you've just got a few, it's a lot harder to wait.

I have a total of 21 12oz bottles, so I will let the remaining 15 warm condition. Does "green" mean not very carbonated? Not much taste?
 
I have a total of 21 12oz bottles, so I will let the remaining 15 warm condition. Does "green" mean not very carbonated? Not much taste?
Green means its not fully conditioned. It may have a cider taste. You'll taste the difference when you taste some that have conditioned longer.

Also, don't overlook the value of cold conditioning. I never thought it made much difference until I was out of town for a week with some bottles in the fridge. There was a noticeable improvement.
 
So my first batch of Mr. Beer American light has been done a while they've been bottled a few weeks and I've been putting some in the fridge and popping them open every 2 Days I noticed a kind of sweet off taste and was wondering if I didn't leave enough room in the bottle to carb or if it's normally sweet. They are carbed well but like I said sweet. Anyone experience this or know why it might be?
 
Is a final gravity reading useless without an original? I'm at 1.010 on my American Light right now coming up on 3 weeks fermenting Tuesday. Its cloudy right now and was wanting to try cold crashing prior to bottling this time around. Any help with the gravity reading I'd appreciate. I got my bottles and I'm ready to cap to get another brew going.
 
I have used the 2-2-2 method faithfully and have never had a not carb. enough problem. If anything some of them have seemed over carbed when first opened. Bottling with PET bottles and when they are hard to the 'squeeze test' that should indicate that they are carbed. 2 weeks in primary, 2 weeks in bottles at room temp, and 2 weeks in cool basement (55F) and whatever time in the fridge after that.......has been almost perfect for me.
:mug:

If they're new, that's not the problem. It's possible they're not sealed quite right (sometimes the little ring can cause problems). But my guess I'd that if you give them more time at room temperature, you'll be fine.
 
With proper temps 2 week has been plenty for me in primary. Have checked with refractometer has indicated stable gravity readings usually after about 10 days with most normal gravity ales for me. I have gone to 3 weeks a couple of times but think that was probably over kill and basically because of time constraints. The cloudiness should and probably will clear with room temp carbing and then more so with cold conditioning in the fridge. At least that has been my experience.

Is a final gravity reading useless without an original? I'm at 1.010 on my American Light right now coming up on 3 weeks fermenting Tuesday. Its cloudy right now and was wanting to try cold crashing prior to bottling this time around. Any help with the gravity reading I'd appreciate. I got my bottles and I'm ready to cap to get another brew going.
 
Is a final gravity reading useless without an original? I'm at 1.010 on my American Light right now coming up on 3 weeks fermenting Tuesday. Its cloudy right now and was wanting to try cold crashing prior to bottling this time around. Any help with the gravity reading I'd appreciate. I got my bottles and I'm ready to cap to get another brew going.

It's not useless, but it's not as useful. If you have the OG and FG readings, you can calculate the ABV, calories, etc. But if you don't have the OG, you can still take a reading, wait a couple of days and take another reading. If it doesn't change, you're done.
 
Useless in what way? Are you interested in the estimated %abv? If so probably so although depending on if you used a kit you could probably guestimate the beginning gravity reading and be in one ball park or another depending on if from a kit and the estimated numbers were provided. With some of the brewing computer programs or online ones you can plug in the numbers and can be reasonably sure you are probably close at some beginning numbers. If all grain brewing might be a little more difficult. If you are trying to determine what stage in the process you are at the relative SG and if stable or falling is probably more relevant. And if you are just antsy about the %ABV......as the saying goes

RELAX AND HAVE A HOMEBREW !

Is a final gravity reading useless without an original? I'm at 1.010 on my American Light right now coming up on 3 weeks fermenting Tuesday. Its cloudy right now and was wanting to try cold crashing prior to bottling this time around. Any help with the gravity reading I'd appreciate. I got my bottles and I'm ready to cap to get another brew going.
 
The flavors will smooth and the sweetness taste blend in more and not be as apparent the longer you let them sit in fridge. I recently opened a late fall red ale and was not all that thrilled with the taste. 2 weeks longer and with each drink was saying to self.........'self that is damm good'.......time is a very good friend of conditioning homebrew. Sometimes hard to do because of the wanna drink now factor but the wait is usually well rewarded.
The only way you will know is to try it early on a batch and wait longer and see the diff.


So my first batch of Mr. Beer American light has been done a while they've been bottled a few weeks and I've been putting some in the fridge and popping them open every 2 Days I noticed a kind of sweet off taste and was wondering if I didn't leave enough room in the bottle to carb or if it's normally sweet. They are carbed well but like I said sweet. Anyone experience this or know why it might be?
 
Useless in what way? Are you interested in the estimated %abv? If so probably so although depending on if you used a kit you could probably guestimate the beginning gravity reading and be in one ball park or another depending on if from a kit and the estimated numbers were provided. With some of the brewing computer programs or online ones you can plug in the numbers and can be reasonably sure you are probably close at some beginning numbers. If all grain brewing might be a little more difficult. If you are trying to determine what stage in the process you are at the relative SG and if stable or falling is probably more relevant. And if you are just antsy about the %ABV......as the saying goes

RELAX AND HAVE A HOMEBREW !


Thanks to all of you guys for chiming in. I'm not concerned with ABV. I was curious if specific beers have a target gravity. Its now my understanding that the gravity is how the yeast activity is measured?. I've did the 3 weeks wait time without any real understanding of gravity readings to be safe. Plenty more researching to do for sure.
 
Once your fermenter reaches an average temperature for its surrounding air temp the temp of the wort isn't going to change as quickly as the surrounding air if the surrounding air only swings a few degrees it should take quite some time to get near this temp. 60F for a few hours probably wouldn't change say a 68F wort more than a degree or two I would imagine in a few hours. I do my fermenting in a closet in the colder months and in the basement in the warmer ones. I keep a el cheapo thermometer by the fermenter as well as thermo temp strips on the fermenter just to keep an eye on things. Knowing well that the temp inside the fermenter is going to be several degrees warmer because of the chemical reactions.....more so during vigorous periods of fermenting. My closet location can be colder than the room temp if the door is kept cold so I open or close the closet door (only works if you aren't away for overnite) to regulate the temperature a bit if needed. A quick glance and a simple open more or close more seems to do the trick. Works for me anyhow........no complaints.

How cold is to cold when brewing. I started a batch of stout a few days ago and put if in a closet. We had a cold snap in SC and when I checked on it yesterday it was around 60 degrees in the closet. Is that going to make it s bad batch??? I removed it from the closet to a warmer area. Any help is appreciated.

Kevin
 
Thanks to all of you guys for chiming in. I'm not concerned with ABV. I was curious if specific beers have a target gravity. Its now my understanding that the gravity is how the yeast activity is measured?. I've did the 3 weeks wait time without any real understanding of gravity readings to be safe. Plenty more researching to do for sure.

There's a general rule of thumb that people go by to guess at the FG from an OG. Basically, you divide the decimal part of the OG by 4 to get the predicted FG.

So if you start with 1.040, you predict that you'll end up with 1.010 (40/4=10).

There are a lot of variables that can affect that (ingredients used, mash temperature for all grain or partial mash, how well the yeast used attenuates, etc).

If you start with 1.040 and end with 1.020, there's a high likelihood that you've got a stuck fermentation and you should try to get it to ferment a bit more. If you start with 1.040 and end with 1.012 or 1.008, you're probably fine.

I recently had a couple of batches go from around 1.065 all the way down to 1.008 or 1.009, much lower than predicted. Depending on circumstances, that could be cause for concern (perhaps I had an infection from some bacteria or wild yeast that were eating sugars that ale yeast can't digest). But I had used a yeast that has always attenuated well for me and these were partial mashes where I mashed a little cooler than I normally would, so there was more fermentable sugar. So I knew I was in good shape. I had a beer that will be a little thinner, a little higher in alcohol and a little hoppier than what I had in mind when I was putting it together, but it should still be a good beer.
 
A relatively simple way of looking at it is...........In a hydrometer the scale will float lower in distilled water than it does in the heavier (sugars present) wort. The scale is setup to correlate to how high or low it floats in the liquid. As the yeast eats the sugars during fermentation it turns the 'heavier' wort into lighter liquid including alcohol. And the reading reflects this change. A refractometer reads the amount of light that comes through the liquid being tested. More light will go through distilled water (reading near 1.000 or 0 Brix) than it will if Sugars are present, (higher reading). The instrument converts these amounts of lights into higher and lower readings depending on the amount of light that gets through. As fermention takes place sugars are eaten and turned into among other things alcohol and thus allowing more light through lowering the reading on the instrument.
When the yeast has eaten most of the sugar that it is going to eat the reading stabilizes and no longer drops much and at this point most of the alcohol that is going to be made has been made.

The above contains a lot of generalizations and I am aware of that. But it is a rather simple look at what actually happens if you step back away from all the minute chemical and other data of what is taking place. Should be fairly easy to understand for a beginner.


Thanks to all of you guys for chiming in. I'm not concerned with ABV. I was curious if specific beers have a target gravity. Its now my understanding that the gravity is how the yeast activity is measured?. I've did the 3 weeks wait time without any real understanding of gravity readings to be safe. Plenty more researching to do for sure.
 
JCummins87 said:
So my first batch of Mr. Beer American light has been done a while they've been bottled a few weeks and I've been putting some in the fridge and popping them open every 2 Days I noticed a kind of sweet off taste and was wondering if I didn't leave enough room in the bottle to carb or if it's normally sweet. They are carbed well but like I said sweet. Anyone experience this or know why it might be?

I had the same issue. First one was flat so I knew it wasn't carbed yet. So I left them another 2 weeks conditioning. It then was better but still had the sweet taste. Great head, but just a little off taste yet. I only fermented for the 7 days in the mr beer directions (have now learned to let it go at least two, and purchased a hydrometer) so I'm not sure if that is the reason or if it is just a sweeter beer. I have been able to drink most of them, but can't wait for the next batch!

I read hard water COULD give a little off taste, new batch I used half filtered water. Not sure if it will matter but can't hurt.
 
Is accuracy an issue with hydrometers vs. refractometers? I am familiar with both the tools from years in Saltwater aquariums, however, never really related a refractometer to brewing beer. Refractometers are the go to device to measure salinity in aquaria. Likewise, hydrometers are notoriously inaccurate in measuring salinity, but, I don't see that there would be a overly large margin for error in a device designed to float.
bpgreen I am adding that short formula to the list of general things to watch for in the "Book of Knowledge", I am taking notes in. vnzjunk easy to understand breakdown. Thanks
 
Here is a little trick that I use when I run short on my supply of homebrew beer and just gotta have the flavor instead of a beer flavored water from the grocery store. You know it is too early to open a bottle, you pretty much know it isn't gonna taste like you want it too and how it most likely will taste in a few more weeks of conditioning........but you just gotta :eek:
Or if you want to sample one just to check but what to do with the balance of the bottle? I often blend the not ready for prime time homebrew with some beer flavored water from the store. 50/50 or whatever blend.......experiment to find what works. What you will usually find is that the resulting blend tastes better than the not ready homebrew......although you do carry pretty much its full alcohol content which probably is higher than the water/beer or beer/water :cross: and much much better than the beer flavored water :mug:
You could also blend it with a ready to drink homebrew but we are assuming you are short on this supply......but if just want to sample and you have plenty ready to drink, blend it with some of that......even better than the beer/water.

I have done this many a time and mixed with some pretty poor water/beer and the resulting blend always has me suprised and saying.......'hey this is pretty good stuff'......not as good as it will become but not bad at all.

I had the same issue. First one was flat so I knew it wasn't carbed yet. So I left them another 2 weeks conditioning. It then was better but still had the sweet taste. Great head, but just a little off taste yet. I only fermented for the 7 days in the mr beer directions (have now learned to let it go at least two, and purchased a hydrometer) so I'm not sure if that is the reason or if it is just a sweeter beer. I have been able to drink most of them, but can't wait for the next batch!

I read hard water COULD give a little off taste, new batch I used half filtered water. Not sure if it will matter but can't hurt.
 
The water issue can be as complicated as a chem lab or as simple as use it and see. I flunked chemistry in high school....don't ask... and have very little desire to get knee deep in chemistry now. But I will dabble enough in its too hopefully be able to understand a bit about my beer brewing and how to brew a bit better tasting beer and avoid some pitfalls. That said from what I have read and personally experienced hard water can be a good thing when it comes to beer brewing. Especially for darker beers. My water is very hard. I buy my coffee water at the water refill machine at the grocery store for making coffee and drinking water. Mine is terrible for coffee. I had a supply of very 'clean' well water that wasn't anywhere as hard as mine (made good coffee without any oil slick on top :eek: but lost access to that supply and was faced with doing something different. After reading that local natural water supplies gives many big brewery beer some of its particular character and also that hard water can make good beer especially darker beer I gave it a try. No chemical analysis, no chemical additions to the water to balance it......just rite out of the ground from my well and out of the tap into my brewpot. The first batch using it was great and I have been using it ever since. I like my beer on the darker side so this works out just great for me. If I was brewing a bunch of lighter body/color beer I might have some concerns. In fact when warmer weather rolls around a batch of a light ale is on the things to do list just for that reason.

A couple of things that I have picked up along the way is to avoid chlorinated water that one would get from most municipal water systems. Also if you buy water you do not want the micro filtered water you get out of the machines or distilled water. They filter out most of the minerals that you actually want in your beer. If you are going to use bottled water use spring water or other non distilled water.

I might have been lucky but just thought I would pass it along for what it is worth.

I had the same issue. First one was flat so I knew it wasn't carbed yet. So I left them another 2 weeks conditioning. It then was better but still had the sweet taste. Great head, but just a little off taste yet. I only fermented for the 7 days in the mr beer directions (have now learned to let it go at least two, and purchased a hydrometer) so I'm not sure if that is the reason or if it is just a sweeter beer. I have been able to drink most of them, but can't wait for the next batch!

I read hard water COULD give a little off taste, new batch I used half filtered water. Not sure if it will matter but can't hurt.
 
A couple of things that I have picked up along the way is to avoid chlorinated water that one would get from most municipal water systems.

Chlorinated tap water can be used if you get rid of the chlorine. From Palmer's "How to Brew": "If the water smells bad, many odors (including chlorine) can be removed by boiling. Some city water supplies use a chemical called chloramine instead of chlorine to kill bacteria. Chloramine cannot be removed by boiling and will give a medicinal taste to beer. Chloramine can be removed by running the water through an activated-charcoal filter, or by adding a campden tablet (potassium metabisulfite). Charcoal filters are a good way to remove most odors and bad tastes due to dissolved gases and organic substances."

Campden tablets are really easy to use, and I've beed happy with the results.
 
It will probably be okay to have one of those on Saturday, but it might be a bit "green" still. If you can wait, give them more time. With bottles, I tend to warm condition (room temp) for a couple of months and cold condition (fridge) for a couple of weeks. Of course, that's easier to do when you've got a few hundred bottles in the pipeline. When you've just got a few, it's a lot harder to wait.

Told you wrong. I fermented for 3 weeks.
 
Tried my first beer (Classic American Light) after following the 2-2-2. I was disgusted. There is a very strong bread or yeast flavor in the beer. I tried to like it but it was undrinkable. Had to pour it down the drain. I'm not sure what I did wrong, followed instructions precisely. Anyone else have a strong yeast taste problem?
 
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