Recent content by sampsonh

Sadu is right about the yeast not being as easy to remove as advertised... There is always some residue around the bottom of the fermenter and that is a problem when drawing the wort from the bottom... I have attached a hose onto the spigot with one of these little filters...

I agree .I'm not going to be putting hops in the bottle again .I have to say I like the fermentasaurus for fermenting bit I'm struggling to bottle from it. Almost teampted to go back to a bucket ... Think the next step is kegging and doing closed transfer... Money money money.

I have recently been hopping (and especially dry hopping) a lot heavier and have noticed that the flavours I get are not like I might expect. They are not fully oxidised but I am starting to thing that I am introducing too much oxygen when dry hopping. I use a fermentasaurus conical fermenter...

Is there any consensus on the best way to measure OG? I have 2 cheapish hydrometers and a refractometer (also inexpensive) and I regularly get different measurements from all three! Not massively different but it would be nice to have more certainty. I find hydrometers easiest to use so if...

Thank you for all the input guys- I can see this issue is a little contentious! I told my friend that I would make him a few beers so I don't feel under any pressure to make incredible beers- if it ain't good I won't tell him I made it! Will let you know how I get on...

Thanks Chickypad- this was exactly what I was after. I am making the incredibly popular centennial pale ale that is on these forums so it is only a %4- I was hoping that this would be achievable in a concentrated form. Thanks for the point about the mash efficiency. Would you add a little extra...

I have a friend who loves the beer I make and has asked me to make him some for his wedding. It doesn't have to be masses but at the mo I only make 5g batches. I like small batch usually as I can make lots of different styles so don't really want to invest in lots of extra kit. I want to...

This is also a good point my mash may have been a little low...

Thanks for all the replies. I want to freeze the yeast with glycerol as I won't be using it again for a while so after washing I will hang it in a bag in the fridge to let the yeast and trub separate and I will try to just collect the yeast... I think for hybrid style beers the ball park pitch...

I have just put a California common in primary 5 days ago. I used yeast I recycled from a previous batch and ramped up the yeast with a three stage starter as I was really paranoid about having enough yeast.... after 5 days it is down to 1.008 I was hoping to stop at 1.014ish... It was a pale...

Thanks for the suggestions. I have A LOT of oats and am always looking for ways to use them...

I know this an old thread but tried a cream ale on holiday recently and would like to try and make one. What temperature did you ferment? I have read that cream ale is sort of the opposite to a cal common in that you use ale yeast but at relatively low temperatures?

I am brewing a pale ale with Danstar Nottingham yeast. It has been in primary for one week and smells a bit sulphurous (it was very sulphurous) and is near the target fg. I am away for a couple of weeks in a couple of days and don't want to bottle as I think time might help the sulphur smell...

Thank you all for the advice. Will look into the thermowell.

I use an STC thermostat to control the temperature of and old fridge which I use to ferment my beer. I have always wrapped the temperature probe around a shelf in the fridge but recently realised that the temperature of my beer might not be the same especially when fermentation is at its most...