Brews-n-Blues
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- Joined
- Jun 22, 2020
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Hi All,
Sorry, this is a long one?
Please ask any and all questions to help me Brew a better batch next time!
I just completed a 5 gal batch of Robust Porter. It was a partial grain, LME Beer kit. Everything went good, as far as the schedule and target gravity numbers.
After a vigorous fermentation, that blew my air-lock off in the middle of the night, causing me to replace it with a "dump-tube" set-up, was complete in about 3 days and the Krausen completely dropped! I then followed the instructions of the kit and racked into a secondary Fermentor for about 2 days, but was told by many that I didn't need to do a secondary at all?? I should just leave it in the primary for 3 weeks or more depending on the style of Beer I was doing. They also told me that a lot of times the process instructions in these kits aren't up to today's Brewing standards. Good to know in the future! So after finding this out, I then reracked and split the 5 gal batch into 2
(2-1/2 gal batches).
I flavored one batch with a tincture I made from steeping vanilla beans in Barrel-Aged, Dark-Cherry Vodka for
2-1/2 days. I strained this first and then added to the smaller 3 gallon fermenter.
I then racked the Porter on top, to swirl-mix it and bring it up to 2 1/2 gal.
I then filled the other 3 gal Fermentor with the remaining 2-1/2 gallons left of the original 5 gal batch of the regular recipe of Robust Porter.
I followed the instructions for priming the split batches before bottling.
I used all brand new 16oz
swing-cap "Grolsch" type bottles to bottle condition the Beer in.
I sanitized my bottles and let dry on the bottle tree.
None of the cap gaskets looked old or damaged? I sanitized those as well.
I also tried as best I could to minimize aeration while racking, as well as bottling, by covering the top openings of the carboy and bottling bucket with a sanitized sheet of foil.
It smelled fantastic as I was bottling.
I put all the bottles back into the fridge-converted fermentor for 2 weeks to condition and carbonate.
I even bumped up the temp in the chamber to 70°F (2 degrees higher than the recommended Fermentation temp of 68°F) To reactivate the yeast on the priming sugar.
After 2 weeks, I put a few bottles in the regular fridge to chill before pouring.
I wanted to pre-taste test, to see how the Brews turned out, before I brought them to the party.
The first bottle of the regular batch of robust Porter came out only slightly carbonated and very close to a British "Cask" Porter! The flavor was good, but I just hoped the carbonation would've been a little better? The mouthfeel was a bit "thin" as well?
When I opened the first bottle of my Flavored Porter, the carbonation was a little more on point. There was only a very, slight hint of Vanilla to it, but no other flavors of the Dark-Cherry Vodka?
This was surprising to me, since I used 2 whole fresh Madigascar Vanilla beans, scraped and chopped up to steep in the Vodka for almost 3 days? Still, the flavor was good like a Porter should be.
I then brought a few more bottles to a party for tasting. I had them in ice before serving. When we opened another bottle of the original recipe batch, it was almost the same, but a little less carbonation to this one? When I opened a third, I was surprised at the fact that there was NO carbonation at all?? The flavor was pretty much there, but altered a little with what seemed like more bitterness?
When I opened the second bottle of the flavored batch, the carbonation was definitely there, if not a little too much??
If you poured a little too fast in the glass the head would overflow and when you took a sip, it had a good flavor, but the carbonation again, was a little too much?
So, my questions are:
1. I don't understand how bottles that were primed alike and bottle conditioned for the same amount of time could come out so different?
Is this normal in Home Brewing?
2. When creating a flavor tincture, should I have let it steep a lot longer than 3 days?
It smelled great when I used it in the Fermenter?
3. The only thing different I did to The Beer was put the bottles in ice to take them to the party? Can putting the bottles in Ice create such a drastic change in carbonation and even slightly affect the flavor as well?
Thanks for your patience with reading this! I just wanted to include all I could,
to give you all the info you would need to hopefully guide me to a better Brew next time!?
Thanks again for your time and suggestions!
Cheers!
Rock
Sorry, this is a long one?
Please ask any and all questions to help me Brew a better batch next time!
I just completed a 5 gal batch of Robust Porter. It was a partial grain, LME Beer kit. Everything went good, as far as the schedule and target gravity numbers.
After a vigorous fermentation, that blew my air-lock off in the middle of the night, causing me to replace it with a "dump-tube" set-up, was complete in about 3 days and the Krausen completely dropped! I then followed the instructions of the kit and racked into a secondary Fermentor for about 2 days, but was told by many that I didn't need to do a secondary at all?? I should just leave it in the primary for 3 weeks or more depending on the style of Beer I was doing. They also told me that a lot of times the process instructions in these kits aren't up to today's Brewing standards. Good to know in the future! So after finding this out, I then reracked and split the 5 gal batch into 2
(2-1/2 gal batches).
I flavored one batch with a tincture I made from steeping vanilla beans in Barrel-Aged, Dark-Cherry Vodka for
2-1/2 days. I strained this first and then added to the smaller 3 gallon fermenter.
I then racked the Porter on top, to swirl-mix it and bring it up to 2 1/2 gal.
I then filled the other 3 gal Fermentor with the remaining 2-1/2 gallons left of the original 5 gal batch of the regular recipe of Robust Porter.
I followed the instructions for priming the split batches before bottling.
I used all brand new 16oz
swing-cap "Grolsch" type bottles to bottle condition the Beer in.
I sanitized my bottles and let dry on the bottle tree.
None of the cap gaskets looked old or damaged? I sanitized those as well.
I also tried as best I could to minimize aeration while racking, as well as bottling, by covering the top openings of the carboy and bottling bucket with a sanitized sheet of foil.
It smelled fantastic as I was bottling.
I put all the bottles back into the fridge-converted fermentor for 2 weeks to condition and carbonate.
I even bumped up the temp in the chamber to 70°F (2 degrees higher than the recommended Fermentation temp of 68°F) To reactivate the yeast on the priming sugar.
After 2 weeks, I put a few bottles in the regular fridge to chill before pouring.
I wanted to pre-taste test, to see how the Brews turned out, before I brought them to the party.
The first bottle of the regular batch of robust Porter came out only slightly carbonated and very close to a British "Cask" Porter! The flavor was good, but I just hoped the carbonation would've been a little better? The mouthfeel was a bit "thin" as well?
When I opened the first bottle of my Flavored Porter, the carbonation was a little more on point. There was only a very, slight hint of Vanilla to it, but no other flavors of the Dark-Cherry Vodka?
This was surprising to me, since I used 2 whole fresh Madigascar Vanilla beans, scraped and chopped up to steep in the Vodka for almost 3 days? Still, the flavor was good like a Porter should be.
I then brought a few more bottles to a party for tasting. I had them in ice before serving. When we opened another bottle of the original recipe batch, it was almost the same, but a little less carbonation to this one? When I opened a third, I was surprised at the fact that there was NO carbonation at all?? The flavor was pretty much there, but altered a little with what seemed like more bitterness?
When I opened the second bottle of the flavored batch, the carbonation was definitely there, if not a little too much??
If you poured a little too fast in the glass the head would overflow and when you took a sip, it had a good flavor, but the carbonation again, was a little too much?
So, my questions are:
1. I don't understand how bottles that were primed alike and bottle conditioned for the same amount of time could come out so different?
Is this normal in Home Brewing?
2. When creating a flavor tincture, should I have let it steep a lot longer than 3 days?
It smelled great when I used it in the Fermenter?
3. The only thing different I did to The Beer was put the bottles in ice to take them to the party? Can putting the bottles in Ice create such a drastic change in carbonation and even slightly affect the flavor as well?
Thanks for your patience with reading this! I just wanted to include all I could,
to give you all the info you would need to hopefully guide me to a better Brew next time!?
Thanks again for your time and suggestions!
Cheers!
Rock
❤
