Intro

[Jason Beard]

Good evening my name is Jason, new to home brewing

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Good evening my name is Jason, new to home brewing

Welcome to the group Jason!

What type of home brewing are you thinking about? Loads of helpful folks here so you should be able to get a good start on your journey.

 

[Jason Beard]

Im looking into making ale/ craft beers and whiskey,

 

[Jason Beard]

And rice wine is something im curious about too

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Im looking into making ale/ craft beers and whiskey,

Craft beer is what most of us are all about. Is there a style of you like and have you looked at brewing equipment yet?

I'd start watching some YouTube videos then maybe ask questions here. Starting out with extract kits is a good introduction to brewing.

 

[Jason Beard]

I

Craft beer is what most of us are all about. Is there a style of you like and have you looked at brewing equipment yet?

I'd start watching some YouTube videos then maybe ask questions here. Starting out with extract kits is a good introduction to brewing.

Ive built a starter kit to test humidity factors ect in my area( i reside in cullinan pretoria South Africa)

My kit consists of a 25L bucket
And a S type airlock with its rubber, ive managed to make apple cider vinegar but my apple cider doesnt go past 1% alchol so my vinegar ( which comes out as clear as water) doesnt taste as it should but tastes , and my apple cider taste like sour apple juice or tastes like apple flavoured jet fuel( apple cider recipe used is 1 packet of brewers yeast, 5 cups of sugar, 5 L water and 10 medium apples, left for 1 to 2 weeks)

My area has 40%+ on humidity and average temp of 30 degrees ccelcius.

Funny thing is home brewed ginger beer works well in the same container, any advice?

Craft beer is what most of us are all about. Is there a style of you like and have you looked at brewing equipment yet?

I'd start watching some YouTube videos then maybe ask questions here. Starting out with extract kits is a good introduction to brewing.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I

Ive built a starter kit to test humidity factors ect in my area( i reside in cullinan pretoria South Africa)

My kit consists of a 25L bucket
And a S type airlock with its rubber, ive managed to make apple cider vinegar but my apple cider doesnt go past 1% alchol so my vinegar ( which comes out as clear as water) doesnt taste as it should but tastes , and my apple cider taste like sour apple juice or tastes like apple flavoured jet fuel( apple cider recipe used is 1 packet of brewers yeast, 5 cups of sugar, 5 L water and 10 medium apples, left for 1 to 2 weeks)

My area has 40%+ on humidity and average temp of 30 degrees ccelcius.

Funny thing is home brewed ginger beer works well in the same container, any advice?

You're definitely in the ale world brewing at 30C. I can't help you with ginger beer or making vinegar but there's sections on this site for just about everything. Now that the ball is rolling others will chime in and be more helpful than I can be.

I brew just beer but in Wisconsin we see temps like that in the middle of summer. If you have ice available, you could bring the fermentation temp down. Fermenting in a temp controlled fridge is another option. Not everyone can have a dedicated fridge but it's something to consider in your situation.

 

[Jason Beard]

Ill look into the ice idea, how much water do i reduce to compensate for the ice? Also how do i go about changing my ginger beer to a ale?

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Ill look into the ice idea, how much water do i reduce to compensate for the ice? Also how do i go about changing my ginger beer to a ale?

The ice would go into an insulated bucket or container and your fermenter would fit inside. You would add ice around it and monitor the temp during fermentation. The idea is to cool it down while it's fermenting.

Post your ginger beer recipe so everyone can see what you have

 

[Jason Beard]

My ginger beer recipe (5%abv +-) is as follows
1teaspoon brewers yeast
2 tsp ginger
1/4 cup raisins
5L water
5 cups sugar

Id like to get it to an ale if possible

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

My ginger beer recipe (5%abv +-) is as follows
1teaspoon brewers yeast
2 tsp ginger
1/4 cup raisins
5L water
5 cups sugar

Id like to get it to an ale if possible

Admittedly I had to do some reading on ginger ale and ginger beer, this is new territory for me. Very interesting and stuff I'm sure you already know so I won't go into detail other than you're brewing a very respectable ginger beer at 5%!

Looking at you're recipe I would substitute the sugar with an equal amount of dry malt extract (DME). Get the lightest kind you can find, something like extra light. You can buy it at any home brew supply. Adding more DME will increase the ABV. Using a wheat DME would be an interesting twist and possibly give it a better flavor.

For the yeast I would recommend a neutral yeast, like Safale 05 or Nottinghing.

You might have to tweak the recipe some but this is a base to start with to get you into the ale world.

I was hoping some the other folks would chime in with suggestions but for now you're stuck with me. Please post your results!

 

[Jason Beard]

Thank you very much i will give it a try, and give feedback when its ready.

 

[Jason Beard]

Quick question, so with the dme and safale yeast do i need to add any hops? Im currently looking into getting some for my next brew

 

[TexasTea]

Howdy Jason, welcome to HBT. I brew here in Gulf Coast Texas (similar temps) and do Ales. Now that our short winter is here ( a few weeks) I may try to squeeze in a batch or two of lager if I can get the ingredients in time.

I have a fermentation Chamber (old freezer a neighbor gave me, and a 6.5 gallon bucket /heatwrap plugged into a inkbird (temp controller) which really helps a brewer out.

Controlling my temps was number 2 on my "to do list" after sanitation. Best of luck with your brews.

 

[Jason Beard]

Also please explain how carbon drops works

 

[Jason Beard]

Howdy Jason, welcome to HBT. I brew here in Gulf Coast Texas (similar temps) and do Ales. Now that our short winter is here ( a few weeks) I may try to squeeze in a batch or two of lager if I can get the ingredients in time.

I have a fermentation Chamber (old freezer a neighbor gave me, and a 6.5 gallon bucket /heatwrap plugged into a inkbird (temp controller) which really helps a brewer out.

Controlling my temps was number 2 on my "to do list" after sanitation. Best of luck with your brews.

Thanks alot for the tips, what sanitation methods do you use

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Quick question, so with the dme and safale yeast do i need to add any hops? Im currently looking into getting some for my next brew

Hops, yes forgot to add that!

Cascade I think would be a good choice. Pick a hop that won't overpower the ginger, something that will work with it. I would add it late in the boil for aroma and flavor rather than bitterness.

 

[TexasTea]

Howdy Jason,

I dont worry too much about the beer as it is boiled which sanitizes everything. I use PBW (warm) to clean tough crud on my fermentation bucket (requires rinsing with same temp water). I sanitize all buckets (fermentation and bottling) with Star San (doesn't need rinsing). I make sure I take the valves apart on the buckets to clean/sanitize because I found that crud can hide up in between the gaskets etc. I make sure to clean my hoses and bottling wands etc, and also sanitize those.

I usually use vodka in the airlock, but have used Star San before.

I rinse the bottles well after drinking and throw them up on a 90 bottle tree and sanitize those prior to bottling with some star san in a sanitizer /injector that squirts the star san up into the bottle.

 

[Jason Beard]

Hops, yes forgot to add that!

Cascade I think would be a good choice. Pick a hop that won't overpower the ginger, something that will work with it. I would add it late in the boil for aroma and flavor rather than bitterness.

Ill take a look at the cascade hops, the flavour profiles seem like it could work well

 

[Jason Beard]

Howdy Jason,

I dont worry too much about the beer as it is boiled which sanitizes everything. I use PBW (warm) to clean tough crud on my fermentation bucket (requires rinsing with same temp water). I sanitize all buckets (fermentation and bottling) with Star San (doesn't need rinsing). I make sure I take the valves apart on the buckets to clean/sanitize because I found that crud can hide up in between the gaskets etc. I make sure to clean my hoses and bottling wands etc, and also sanitize those.

I usually use vodka in the airlock, but have used Star San before.

I rinse the bottles well after drinking and throw them up on a 90 bottle tree and sanitize those prior to bottling with some star san in a sanitizer /injector that squirts the star san up into the bottle.

What airlock system are you using if i may ask

 

[MaxStout]

Welcome to HBT!

With your warm climate, if you don't have a means of temp control, look into Kveik strains. They work well at higher temps, like 30-40C.

 

[Jason Beard]

@ oaksland brewery will a weyerman pilsner malt work to make this type of ale im going to attempt

 

[Jason Beard]

Thank

Welcome to HBT!

With your warm climate, if you don't have a means of temp control, look into Kveik strains. They work well at higher temps, like 30-40C.

s for the info on kveik strains where would one be able to get a kveik farm house yeast

 

[MaxStout]

Thank

s for the info on kveik strains where would one be able to get a kveik farm house yeast

I don't know what kind of supply chain you have in SA, but check with brew stores. There are several strains available, both liquid and dry.

 

[Jason Beard]

Thanks will do

 

[TexasTea]

Howdy Jason,

I mostly use the S shaped ones but if the fermentation is vigorous I use the 3 piece ones. If its real vigourous (Kviek Lutra yeast etc.) I used a bottling tube clipped to / submerged in a bucket of water. I have been making over 5 gallons so when I leave behind the trub etc., I end up with a little over 5 gallons of finished beer. I had a lid blow off the bucket in the fermentation chamber overnight a few days ago when the S shaped airlock got clogged up. I put the lid back on, changed airlocks to the 3 piece one and will wait and see if the batch got contaminated. It was several days into the fermentation , no bad smell and the Krausen was thick on top and smelled good so I may luck out. I may have to switch to the hose in a bucket for this particular beer in the future.

 

[Jason Beard]

Thank you will keep in mind

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

@ oaksland brewery will a weyerman pilsner malt work to make this type of ale im going to attempt

Sorry bud, lost track here.
Yes, Weyermann is a great selection for malt. In fact I would use many of their malts if I could source them easier. My supplier is about twenty minutes away so I stick with him mostly.

Check out this link here, I just searched "ginger". You might find a few tips from some others.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/thread...igher-abv-8-looking-for-tips-guidance.734172/

 

[Jason Beard]

Sorry bud, lost track here.
Yes, Weyermann is a great selection for malt. In fact I would use many of their malts if I could source them easier. My supplier is about twenty minutes away so I stick with him mostly.

Check out this link here, I just searched "ginger". You might find a few tips from some others.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/thread...igher-abv-8-looking-for-tips-guidance.734172/

Take a look onlime i saw the weyermann yeast types there, ill try see where i saved the link for a supplier in usa for you if you want maybe you can find some in your area, also what beer types do you make you mentioned that ginger beer ect wasnt something you are familiar with

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Take a look onlime i saw the weyermann yeast types there, ill try see where i saved the link for a supplier in usa for you if you want maybe you can find some in your area, also what beer types do you make you mentioned that ginger beer ect wasnt something you are familiar with

Thanks!
I started my brewing adventure around 1984, starting out with cans of hopped liquid extract and a white non labeled pack of yeast. Not much else available back then.

Fast forward, I brew all grain now on a four vessel brewing system, ten gallon batches. I keg all of my beer and serve in a bar I built opposite my brewery.

I brew mostly bock, wheat, ambers, Kolsch and Saisons. Next up I'm brewing a Scottish ale. I am considering a ginger type beer so thanks for the inspiration!

 

[DaveS]

Hi Jason,
Greetings from a fellow SA homebrewer based in PE !
The one change I suggest to up your brewing game is to temperature control your fermentation chamber.
A deep freeze and a cheap ST-1000 controller or the brilliant brewpiless project (see the thread on this forum) made a huge difference to my beer.
All the components to build the brewpiless or the ST-1000 are available from Communica in Cape Town or on line
This works perfectly to ferment and cold crash beer.
Cheers Dave

 

[MograhmDeadbraid]

Good evening my name is Jason, new to home brewing

Welcome to this crazy, super fun hobby. There is so much good information to be found here on Homebrew Talk. Great resources around every bend in the fourm. Biggest thing I can tell you from just a few years of brewing experience myself is have fun. And when things go wrong just drink a beer and call it good. Even mistakes sometimes give you a decent surprise.