I've been lurking here for a couple of months, and decided to "come out of the shadows."
Brewed an extract kit (Brewmasters's Select English Pale Ale) on Dec. 30. read a bunch of stuff on here, and the "brew day" went smoothly. Prinmary for 2 weeks, then secondary for two weeks (I know the differing opinions on the need for a secondary. I wanted to see if it made a difference in the clarity; there was none that I could see).
Bottled it up, then tried one after a week. No carbonation. Just a slight feel of "fizz" on the tongue. Tried one a week later. Very slight head, if you could call it that. Really more of a few bubbles on the surface.
Convinced I messed something up, I read the threads on bottling and carbonation. Revvy and others kept telling noobs "3 weeks at 70 degrees, minimum." Okay, I'll wait one more week.
Tried one this weekend (3 weeks). A nice head, and some light carbonation visible in the glass! Woo-hoo! Now I know the beer's okay, and will just get better. Very drinkable as well! This community rocks!
I bought a second recipe kit from Brewmaster's Select, a "Tea Party Lager" (clone of Sam Adams). Since SWMBO has banished the fermentation to the garage, I plan on using WLP810 San Fran Lager yeast (too cool in the garage for ale yeast, 58 degrees or so, and I don't have the ability right now to really cool the beer much lower than that). Will this be a problem? Or willit just be a bit "different" than a "true" SA clone?
Thanks, and did I say this community rocks?
-Danok
I apologize for the length of this letter. I did not have time to make it shorter. - Pascal
Brewed an extract kit (Brewmasters's Select English Pale Ale) on Dec. 30. read a bunch of stuff on here, and the "brew day" went smoothly. Prinmary for 2 weeks, then secondary for two weeks (I know the differing opinions on the need for a secondary. I wanted to see if it made a difference in the clarity; there was none that I could see).
Bottled it up, then tried one after a week. No carbonation. Just a slight feel of "fizz" on the tongue. Tried one a week later. Very slight head, if you could call it that. Really more of a few bubbles on the surface.
Convinced I messed something up, I read the threads on bottling and carbonation. Revvy and others kept telling noobs "3 weeks at 70 degrees, minimum." Okay, I'll wait one more week.
Tried one this weekend (3 weeks). A nice head, and some light carbonation visible in the glass! Woo-hoo! Now I know the beer's okay, and will just get better. Very drinkable as well! This community rocks!
I bought a second recipe kit from Brewmaster's Select, a "Tea Party Lager" (clone of Sam Adams). Since SWMBO has banished the fermentation to the garage, I plan on using WLP810 San Fran Lager yeast (too cool in the garage for ale yeast, 58 degrees or so, and I don't have the ability right now to really cool the beer much lower than that). Will this be a problem? Or willit just be a bit "different" than a "true" SA clone?
Thanks, and did I say this community rocks?
-Danok
I apologize for the length of this letter. I did not have time to make it shorter. - Pascal