So I've read several threads on this, but they are mostly older and unfortunately mostly devoid of end results. (Maybe that should tell me something). They just trail off into oblivion with few "it turned out this way" conclusions at the end.
As I'm sure the story goes often, my girlfriend loves these things, and it kills me that a 12 pack of sugar water costs $16.
So, I bought the Northern Brewer kit and am giving it a go. $20 for the 5gal kit, and I'm sure it could be way cheaper if you started buying ingredients in bulk.
It is four pounds corn sugar, three yeast nutrient packets, EC-1118, and flavoring.
I did a full volume, 10 minute boil and chill but if you wanted to risk it with unsanitized top off water, you could easily do a 5 gallon batch in your kitchen with a couple gallon boil, top off with room temp water, and probably be pitched in well under an hour. Super easy. If it works.
I've followed the kit instructions exactly, and fermentation never appeared super fast, but looks almost done now. At "high krausen" it was very hazy, but over the last three days has dropped noticeably clearer each day. I can see through the whole carboy now. It's been in the fermenter about a week and a half. It has a sulfury smell right now.
Has anyone done one of these successfully? Should I let it go a few more days? Will the sulfur go away with more time in the fermeter, or time in the keg?
Can I hit this with gelatin if a week in the keg doesn't get it crystal clear?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Also, if anyone has had success making something like this with diluted vodka and carbonating, I'd like to hear about that too... would be FAR quicker and even easier, if not slightly more expensive.
Thanks
As I'm sure the story goes often, my girlfriend loves these things, and it kills me that a 12 pack of sugar water costs $16.
So, I bought the Northern Brewer kit and am giving it a go. $20 for the 5gal kit, and I'm sure it could be way cheaper if you started buying ingredients in bulk.
It is four pounds corn sugar, three yeast nutrient packets, EC-1118, and flavoring.
I did a full volume, 10 minute boil and chill but if you wanted to risk it with unsanitized top off water, you could easily do a 5 gallon batch in your kitchen with a couple gallon boil, top off with room temp water, and probably be pitched in well under an hour. Super easy. If it works.
I've followed the kit instructions exactly, and fermentation never appeared super fast, but looks almost done now. At "high krausen" it was very hazy, but over the last three days has dropped noticeably clearer each day. I can see through the whole carboy now. It's been in the fermenter about a week and a half. It has a sulfury smell right now.
Has anyone done one of these successfully? Should I let it go a few more days? Will the sulfur go away with more time in the fermeter, or time in the keg?
Can I hit this with gelatin if a week in the keg doesn't get it crystal clear?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Also, if anyone has had success making something like this with diluted vodka and carbonating, I'd like to hear about that too... would be FAR quicker and even easier, if not slightly more expensive.
Thanks