More to it than I thought.

[PADave]

Update:

So after talking to several people. I have figured out that if I buy a Stainless Steel 15 gallon fermenter with a glyco cooling system and a fully computerized monitoring rig that it will help with the green apple taste of my Mr. Beer kits!!!




-Altrez

Go for it man, cant wait to see pics. :rockin:

 

[kombat]

There is really no need to ferment a beer for 3 weeks or a month as a lot of people will say. The few days after you have reached final gravity should be enough for the yeast to "clean up".

Yep. If you pitch the correct amount of healthy, active yeast, into a well-oxygenated, low-to-moderate gravity wort, and carefully control your temperatures, the beer will be pretty much done after a week or a week and a half.

Assuming you do all of those things.

If you underpitch, or your yeast is old, or you don't rehydrate, or you don't make a starter, or you skimp on the aeration/oxygenation, or the gravity is a little high, or you're relying on "whatever the room is" for temperature control, then you might want to give the yeast a little more time to do their job under those less-than-ideal circumstances.

 

[Onkel_Udo]

Yep. If you pitch the correct amount of healthy, active yeast, into a well-oxygenated, low-to-moderate gravity wort, and carefully control your temperatures, the beer will be pretty much done after a week or a week and a half.

Assuming you do all of those things.

If you underpitch, or your yeast is old, or you don't rehydrate, or you don't make a starter, or you skimp on the aeration/oxygenation, or the gravity is a little high, or you're relying on "whatever the room is" for temperature control, then you might want to give the yeast a little more time to do their job under those less-than-ideal circumstances.

Despite the fact I still think the OP is a nutjob (not backing down on this) I agree that alternative/optimal/traditional options should be expressed. I am of the camp that pitches big, ferments quickly and allows 1-2 days at a warmer temp to "clean-up". As a much more well respected poster than me once said "The beer won't get doner".

I most do lower grav beers and am done with fermentation in 3-5 days, done with clean-up in a 36 hours and started on cold crash...when I bother. I have had one in 26 recent batches that had signs of needing extra time and it was stout that ended up with the annoying "soy sauce" flavor that often does age out even with cold conditioning (this one mostly did).

All this said, the safest approach is pitch right or over, control WORT temps, leave until gravity stabilizes for 3 days minimum, increase temp to 70-75 for 72 hours and cold crash for 48-72 hours. This assumes "normal" composition beers of 1.065 or less with "normal" ale yeasts.

 

[PADave]

As a much more well respected poster than me once said "The beer won't get doner".

I'm in the camp that says it might not get doner, but it can/will get better. I'm in no rush. Got a supply built up, and time can do wonderful things.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

People will debate the how toos and best practices, and that's okay, nice that there is more than one right way to make your brew. I have taken small samples at one, two and three weeks from the fermentor of the various ales I started out with and all have beer qualities, but week three, so far has always really tasted like beer. Warmish undercarbed beer, but beer nonetheless. Certainly if one can control to perfection the proper pitch, and temperature the best beer flavor and characteristics may be achieved sooner, but fermentation generally requires patience. Now with a small amount of experience I have moved past "over checking" the fermentor. I take a small sample at week two and at week three. Many times the gravity is the same but the taste improves. Mistakes are for learning, and so is listening to experience, reading a respected book or two. If someone's advice doesn't reflect what you have read in a respected text, then ignore it, or at least question it. Something doesn't taste right in your sample, then do a little research on that off flavor the beer will wait for packaging.

 

[Altrez]

Despite the fact I still think the OP is a nutjob (not backing down on this) I agree that alternative/optimal/traditional options should be expressed. I am of the camp that pitches big, ferments quickly and allows 1-2 days at a warmer temp to "clean-up". As a much more well respected poster than me once said "The beer won't get doner".

I most do lower grav beers and am done with fermentation in 3-5 days, done with clean-up in a 36 hours and started on cold crash...when I bother. I have had one in 26 recent batches that had signs of needing extra time and it was stout that ended up with the annoying "soy sauce" flavor that often does age out even with cold conditioning (this one mostly did).

All this said, the safest approach is pitch right or over, control WORT temps, leave until gravity stabilizes for 3 days minimum, increase temp to 70-75 for 72 hours and cold crash for 48-72 hours. This assumes "normal" composition beers of 1.065 or less with "normal" ale yeasts.

I love you too Onkel,

Do you think the guys who spend 5 grand on Glyco chilled fermenter's for home brewing are nutjobs as well? There are a lot of them out there. What about the guy who spends 3 grand on a custom kegarator just for his home brew?

I know one guy who spent over 4 grand on SS everything plus temp monitoring, brewpi's and a all custom setup. He only makes 5 gallon extract batches once a month.

It is all a perspective thing.



-Altez

 

[Altrez]

Update:

Brewing a Mr. Beer batch this afternoon. Tomorrow is NB dead ringer. So far I have made 4 gallons of distilled water from my new distiller and it works really well.

Looking forward to trying my first Home Brew in two weeks!

-Altrez

 

[Pkrd]

Looking forward to trying my first Home Brew in two weeks!

Why wait? You bottled over a week ago, crack one open and see how it's going.

 

[Altrez]

Why wait? You bottled over a week ago, crack one open and see how it's going.

I have one chilling now!

-Altrez

 

[Onkel_Udo]

I love you too Onkel,

Do you think the guys who spend 5 grand on Glyco chilled fermenter's for home brewing are nutjobs as well? There are a lot of them out there. What about the guy who spends 3 grand on a custom kegarator just for his home brew?

I know one guy who spent over 4 grand on SS everything plus temp monitoring, brewpi's and a all custom setup. He only makes 5 gallon extract batches once a month.

It is all a perspective thing.



-Altez

Yes...unless they progressed to that point as part of a process and realized that was their weak link in their process.

Nutjob...

Yep, it really is. To use my other hobby, I also think the guys who spend $250K for race cars they drive once every couple of months are nutjobs as well but not the guy who spends $25K on $3K Miata over 5 years incrementally improving his ride to suit him...completely sane and rational.

Now, if an idiot and his teammates spend $4K making a mid-1990's GM minivan into a racecar, that guy is a nutjob for sure (and that would be me).

 

[Murphys_Law]

Update:

So after talking to several people. I have figured out that if I buy a Stainless Steel 15 gallon fermenter with a glyco cooling system and a fully computerized monitoring rig that it will help with the green apple taste of my Mr. Beer kits!!!



Anyway what they really said is that it will clean up in the bottle. Give it 3 weeks and a week in the fridge.

-Altrez

OK, I've been drinking for a good part of the day so want to make sure I'm reading this correctly: you are going to buy a SS conical and a chiller to use with a 1G Mr. Beer Kit?

Really?

 

[Altrez]

OK, I've been drinking for a good part of the day so want to make sure I'm reading this correctly: you are going to buy a SS conical and a chiller to use with a 1G Mr. Beer Kit?

Really?

Not yet! I am buying a new ice maker for my small batches to chill them.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017M8L8X0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I think it will work out great!

-Altrez

 

[speeddemon190]

ummmmm.....:smack:...subbed

 

[ChelisHubby]

Damned you got more money to spend than I would even consider. Are they hiring where you work?

 

[Altrez]

Update:

Going to try my first home brew after dinner to see how it tastes. I am pretty excited!

-Altrez

 

[Altrez]

Update:

Drinking my first home brewed beer! This is from a Mr. Beer light kit. To me I get a hint of apple smell and flavor and its really smooth and also dry on the back end.

The carbonation is good however no head to speak of. Its a really clear beer and had almost no sediment at the bottom.

My wife tried some and said it was great and was a beer she would drink. She said it smells just like a bar beer and reminded her of a bud light / miller light. She said that it had a slight fruity flavor but all light beer's she drinks she says have that.

So I am not sure if it is ready or not.

-Altrez

 

[Altrez]

Here is a pic!

-Altrez

 

[khannon]

Well congrats on your first beer!
If you like it, great.. if not continue on the journey.

 

[khannon]

I guess if you do like it, continue also.. been drinking some of my double IPA myself.

 

[m00ps]

Definitely went over the top on the first beer, but way to go man.

If you are ever in the SW corner of KY or feel like driving 2hrs give me a hollar. I've got more than enough beer to share and would be happy to provide (hopefully) helpful feedback with yours. I know that when I started out, I had a butt ton of questions and concerns that wouldve been much easier to answer had I been able to chat with an experienced brewer, even for a few hrs

 

[Altrez]

Definitely went over the top on the first beer, but way to go man.

If you are ever in the SW corner of KY or feel like driving 2hrs give me a hollar. I've got more than enough beer to share and would be happy to provide (hopefully) helpful feedback with yours. I know that when I started out, I had a butt ton of questions and concerns that wouldve been much easier to answer had I been able to chat with an experienced brewer, even for a few hrs

That sounds like a fun road trip! I can use all the help I can get lol.



-Altrez

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Give more time tofinish carbing up perhaps the head will improve (I know not everyone care about the head on a beer, but to me a beer with no head is like a cappuccino with no foam)... Hey it is beer.

 

[FatDragon]

You told us what your beer smells like and what your wife said about the taste, but you haven't shared your own tasting impressions! Dish, man!

 

[Pkrd]

She said it smells just like a bar beer and reminder her of a bud light / miller light.

Back to the drawing board then.

 

[Altrez]

You told us what your beer smells like and what your wife said about the taste, but you haven't shared your own tasting impressions! Dish, man!

Hello FatDragon,

I am not a light beer drinker but I think the beer was okay for being from a Mr. Beer kit. It was drinkable and It had an okay taste. I think it will get better with age.

I have some in a small keg that I will try this weekend and see if it tastes different.

-Altrez

 

[Altrez]

Update:

Another brew day is here. I am brewing the Diablo IPA from Mr. Beer with a citra hop add in and honey to boost the ABV.

So far so good. I am still in the process of learning and having a really great time brewing my own beer. Thank you all for the help over the last two months its been great!

-Altrez

 

[Altrez]

Question:

How long can you leave beer in a glass fermenter?

-Altrez

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Question:

How long can you leave beer in a glass fermenter?

-Altrez

I've left mine (1-gallon batches) in the fermenters as long as 3...almost 4 months, making sure that the airlock was at the correct level.

No troubles with the beer, tasted just fine. In fact, one of them was easily in my top three of all-time best beers.

Hope this helps....

 

[Altrez]

I've left mine (1-gallon batches) in the fermenters as long as 3...almost 4 months, making sure that the airlock was at the correct level.

No troubles with the beer, tasted just fine. In fact, one of them was easily in my top three of all-time best beers.

Hope this helps....

Thank you!!!!!



-Altrez

 

[PADave]

Question:

How long can you leave beer in a glass fermenter?

-Altrez

As long as you keep the airlock full, you could leave it in for as long as you want.

 

[divrguy]

And as long as it's covered

 

[Altrez]

Update:

I am planing to go off grid with my beer brewing. The first step is getting the Fermenting chambers running on battery power. I will be posting some pics soon showing the setup.

I like the idea of alternative energy powering my setup and Solar seems the most cost efficient way to go.

-Altrez

 

[Jwin]

Why do I keep coming back here? Hahaha. Man, I just, wow Altrez. More power to ya. But I'm pretty sure you would be counteracting it with that water distiller you have to run for 3 weeks to do a full 5g AG batch. Yous probably be doing the world and yourself a better service spending that $ insulating your house better, led bulbs, insulated power socket covers etc. Mini fridges consume less power than hair dryers.

 

[MaryB]

Do you know how much battery it takes to run a fridge? I have a 1,100 pound battery bank...

Update:

I am planing to go off grid with my beer brewing. The first step is getting the Fermenting chambers running on battery power. I will be posting some pics soon showing the setup.

I like the idea of alternative energy powering my setup and Solar seems the most cost efficient way to go.

-Altrez

 

[Altrez]

Do you know how much battery it takes to run a fridge? I have a 1,100 pound battery bank...

The fridge only runs long enough to keep the temps in range for fermenting. I ordered a KillAwatt to see how much it draws while running.

-Altrez

 

[PADave]

Update:

I am planing to go off grid with my beer brewing. The first step is getting the Fermenting chambers running on battery power. I will be posting some pics soon showing the setup.

I like the idea of alternative energy powering my setup and Solar seems the most cost efficient way to go.

-Altrez

Why? That's just a whole new set of things to worry about while trying to learn how to brew.

 

[Limbrizik]

Is this whole thread a troll?

 

[worlddivides]

I've gone back and forth about whether this is a troll or not, but I'm really leaning towards it being a troll right now. It's just way too insane. The idea of spending $20,000 (or whatever) to brew Mr. Beer... Although I can't say it's impossible that there's someone out there who would do something that crazy, stuff like that water distiller that takes weeks and weeks to distill enough water for a full batch (when you actually want minerals in your water for brewing, something distilled water lacks) and the idea of buying a water test kit when you haven't even finished your first beer...

If Mr. Altrez isn't a troll, then he's a shopaholic/credit card addict...

 

[PADave]

If Mr. Altrez isn't a troll, then he's a shopaholic/credit card addict...

That's what I'm thinking, a thrill of the hunt type.

 

[Altrez]

I am no troll!!! I mean what I say and back everything up!!! I can use 90% of everything I buy on other projects if I need too.

Trust me guys / gals. I am in this for the long haul and I always back everything I do up with proof.

I guess you think the new generator I bought from lowes for back up power is over the top for beer brewing!

-Altrez