Search results

No doubt, the most active and energetic fermenting was just about done. Leave it alone for three weeks, then bottle it. It'll be fine.

One very important rule is NEVER dump a batch. They will get better over time. Plus, don't judge a beer by a pre-carbonation sample. Sometimes they taste good at that point, but they can also taste sort of soapy. I would also suggest three weeks in the fermenter, at least, but I've gotten...

Other than my "test bottles," three weeks is about my bare minimum for allowing beers to carbonate. Keep in mind that the yeast may become inactive, but a bit of gentle agitation of the bottles (moving them from one location to another was certainly enough) and warmer temperatures (but not...

I had the same experience with my first one. I got brewing gear plus one kit (I don't even recall what it was, it was so long ago) for a Christmas gift. I was sure I would screw it all up or it would be awful, but when I cracked open the first bottle (at a Superbowl party, no less - hey, no...

Just giving this a bump because it's about to migrate to Page 2 obscurity without any replies. I don't generally think that far ahead. I have a few pounds of hops in my freezer, multiple varieties that I either know I like or have never tried (heavy on Australian and New Zealand varieties...

If 100% of the fermentables are consumed, then no more CO2 is produced. But that seldom happens, and unless you've Pasteurized your brew, it will continue to ferment, though very slowly. I don't recommend it but having done it, I know it to be the case.

...and if not done in two weeks, let them go longer. Even without the priming sugar, beers can carbonate to an acceptable level eventually (he said, after doing this once by mistake many years ago).

Just wondering, didn't notice a mention of this. How long was the beer in the fermenter?

It ought to be OK to bottle today, but if you haven't started, I would wait another week. I don't use a hydrometer for a variety of reasons so I simply allow a minimum of three weeks in the fermenter (and have never had a problem in over a decade of brewing).

Chains: Pizzeria Uno is freaking beer heaven! We have no shortage of great brew pubs and beer joints in Philly, of course, but an Uno is five minutes from my house and they have Green Flash IPA on tap almost all the time. Bud's brewers: Fully agree. I don't doubt that they have...

On the plus side, grocery stores have broken the code for beer sales, and now Whole Foods and Wegmans are selling beer. Whole Foods in particular is doing a great job of it where they sell it (you have to have sit-down food service to qualify). They have little pubs built into the stores that...

I'll just throw this out. I'm an extract brewer, been brewing for 12 years and more batches than I can count. Once in a great while, I use a boxed kit but mostly I free-lance. Control your processes and you'll make good beer. It's that simple. A few years ago, the spirit moved me to enter...

They should be. Their American Ale was a piss-poor attempt at an ale. I assumed that they asked their brewers to come up with something to compete with the craft brews, then, when they got something half decent, they decided it had too much taste for a mainstream market and it was too...

You'll definitely need a wort chiller if you don't have one.

I've always used bottled spring water. The water in my area is perfectly safe from drinking but it's not really that good tasting. The usual rule of thumb is that good tasting water makes good tasting beer. Huh - that was post #1500. I've been away for a couple of years, seldom posting or...

Mainly agree. I've been brewing for about 12 years (one contest entry - third place in a Philly Beer Week Home Brew IPA contest) and never had an exploder. I use a minimum of three weeks in the fermenter, often more, no secondary, and an air lock. I make sure I have a decent amount of air...

I've never tried anything like that recipe so I can't say if it would work, but I've never gone from boil to drinking in less than about six weeks. I would probably withdraw rather than attempt it.

You might consider using steeping grains. Carbonation and head retention are two separate issues. For example, Coca Cola is highly carbonated but after the inital foaminess, it doesn't hold a head. Head retention comes from the proteins and similar compounds in the grain. Steeping grains...

Yeah, I made it a couple of years ago (it's not a new recipe). I would not doubt that they mix it up based on what hops are available, but I was happy with mine, especially since, as I recall, I was able to get it during the Great Hops Shortage. It had some unusual hops; I would have to dig up...

The new packets of Nottingham are all fine. I was one of the biggest detractors when they were delivering a bad product and refusing to step up and deal with it. The good news is, they have. Before the dark days, I always used Nottingham - for my taste, it is great for pale ales of various...