tomdrumzz69
Member
Hey all!
I've finished drinking my second extract brew (both IPA/Golden/Blonde ale) now - I have to say I've been really happy with the way both turned out in terms of the fact that neither was cloudy, both had a nice hoppy flavour, and generally I felt that they wouldn't be out of place in my local boozer!
That said, I've have a few queries.
1. My first pressure barrel leaked at the tap, so I bought a new one which had a small hole in the metal part of the lid which started letting air out once I started my 2nd fermentation (my other lid doesn't have a hole in the metal, so it didn't leak, and I used that instead). They shop I bought the new one at, threw in a few CO2 canisters, said I'd need them but didn't say what exactly for. Is that supposed to keep the pressure in by attaching it to the lid?
2. Both brews were 5gallon batches. My first brew used 100g of Amarillo (75g at the boil start, and 25g in the last 15mins). My second used 100g Amarillo, and 100g Nelson Sauvin - same timings as the first brew. Still tasted nice but I felt it was a little too hoppy. That said, I'm not really tasting or smelling anything citrusy/fruity as the hops are characterised by. Am I missing something?
3. Some of my favourite pale ales come from Thornbridge brewery (Jaipur, Kipling, Wild Swan). Having them on tap in particular, you can really taste and smell the fruitiness. Is that all coming from the hops, or are they literally brewing/fermenting with fruit? How can I achieve this in my brews? I brew extract in 5 gallon batches.
4. Generally I feel my brews are lacking depth and a 'fullness' about them... Is the key to more depth, etc. in the hops, malt, or perhaps even the actual brewing process?
Thanks for your help!
I've finished drinking my second extract brew (both IPA/Golden/Blonde ale) now - I have to say I've been really happy with the way both turned out in terms of the fact that neither was cloudy, both had a nice hoppy flavour, and generally I felt that they wouldn't be out of place in my local boozer!
That said, I've have a few queries.
1. My first pressure barrel leaked at the tap, so I bought a new one which had a small hole in the metal part of the lid which started letting air out once I started my 2nd fermentation (my other lid doesn't have a hole in the metal, so it didn't leak, and I used that instead). They shop I bought the new one at, threw in a few CO2 canisters, said I'd need them but didn't say what exactly for. Is that supposed to keep the pressure in by attaching it to the lid?
2. Both brews were 5gallon batches. My first brew used 100g of Amarillo (75g at the boil start, and 25g in the last 15mins). My second used 100g Amarillo, and 100g Nelson Sauvin - same timings as the first brew. Still tasted nice but I felt it was a little too hoppy. That said, I'm not really tasting or smelling anything citrusy/fruity as the hops are characterised by. Am I missing something?
3. Some of my favourite pale ales come from Thornbridge brewery (Jaipur, Kipling, Wild Swan). Having them on tap in particular, you can really taste and smell the fruitiness. Is that all coming from the hops, or are they literally brewing/fermenting with fruit? How can I achieve this in my brews? I brew extract in 5 gallon batches.
4. Generally I feel my brews are lacking depth and a 'fullness' about them... Is the key to more depth, etc. in the hops, malt, or perhaps even the actual brewing process?
Thanks for your help!