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.