Search results

Don't shake or swirl. It 'can' help, but you could also create a problem. The yeast will wake up by themselves and get back to work. There are only a few strains that may stall, and they usually require much higher temps. You didn't say what yeast it was, so don't know what temp it needs...

6 months is too long to be able to estimate the amount of yeast. Some will say it is dead, but my experience is that you can still use it. As a beginner, I would just pitch it in the beer and be done. Active fermentation may take a while (up to a couple of days), bit it will happen. Once it...

Increase the temps if you can to let the yeast finish out. No risk of off-flavors now.

Not sure what 'soapy' is. Don't dump it. Bottle, and age a little (few weeks) and then try. If it is still overly bitter for your palate (I can't get bitter enough), you can always mix it in the glass with something less bitter that would complement it. Age will drop bitterness a little, but...

Yes, the best temp for your beer is the one you prefer it at. However, it would normally be served around cellar temp (~50 F).

Sometimes it can take 2 to 3 days for the yeast to start. My advice is to ignore it for at least 48 hours (although I would not be calm if I were in the same situation). You can add water or add wort at this point if you want. You can even re-aerate if you want. But before you do any of...

Really close down that gap and see what happens, don't worry if a bit of grain or husk gets thru to the boil. Even 65% seems low. If you get a significant increase in efficiency you will then know it is the crush.

Someone suggested half a pound. That is way too much. That is 16 gravity points in a gallon. It will raise your abv by ~2%, and lower the FG making the beer a lot drier and thinner. Honey can be used, but be aware of what it does, and that you will lose a lot of the flavor, and it will not...

While it is not ideal conditions, you can use those yeasts in the low 70s. The most important thing is to prevent the fermenter temperature from going higher. You can do this by putting the fermenter in a water bath. You could put the fermenter in a bath full of water, but a more practical...

I don't see anything that would worry me. Dry hop and package. No need to wait for the 8 weeks per the recipe, it should be done now.

The answer is yes. Should you do it, well, that is a different question.

Just get a decent Belgian yeast strain and ferment hot. 23 C is a great temperature, but you should try and keep temps from running away for the first couple of days (you could place fermenter into a big bucket filled with water to act as a heat sink). I usually start around 68 - 70 F (20 C)...

Did you buy the Brewzilla? I hope you didn't. If you did, it locks you into brewing with that and nothing else. As someone said, take baby steps and decide for yourself how you want to brew. Maybe you will go down the route of this all-in-one package, but at least understand why you want to...

Check gravity and I suspect you will find it is finished. I have brewed a lot, and several years ago I had a batch I was certain didn't even start fermenting. I even contacted the yeast supplier to see if there were any bad batches about (it was Nottingham, and they had recently had a...

I am one of those Dinosaurs that still use a secondary fermenter. I consider it to be a second fermenter rather than a secondary fermentation. I started when it was the recommended process, probably because brewing practices and the available yeast made it necessary to move the beer off the...

I'm not asking why ethanol - I think previous posts have done that. Seems like a waste. I think you need to be above 60% alcohol to be an effective sanitizer. I use 90% isopropyl alcohol on wipes for spot sanitation on containers. I don't know the science, but I think pure alcohol is not as...

I've left dry hops in for 2 weeks before with no issues. Actually it used to the standard time 20 years ago. Some people perceive grassy flavors, I never have; probably one of those taste threshold things that some people are more sensitive to. I usually go about 5 or 6 days now, as studies...

Unfortunately clean yeasts for the styles you want need temps to be below 70 during fermentation, or they will produce unwanted flavors and higher alcohols. Use Belgian and Farmhouse yeasts as they not only tolerate the heat, but prefer it to produce lots of flavor. The yeasts can be fruity or...

It may be done, take a gravity sample. I had one brew with Nottingham, that I was convinced didn't go. I even contacted the yeast manufacturer to check the yeast batch was OK (they had recently had a dud batch of yeast that they recalled). They said it was OK. I never saw any activity, I...

Once it is in the fermenter, the next gravity reading is when I package. So long as I have active fermentation, I know everything is good. The sample at packaging is more to taste the beer and a quick check that it didn't stall on me. I can only recall 1 stalled ferment in the past 20 years...