nutty_gnome
Well-Known Member
I found some time to take the Brewer's Best Weis kit I'd started to the next step. Tonight I took it from primary to secondary with 4 cups of fresh pressed watermelon juice.
I am still in shock about how easy it was to do. The watermelon almost juices itself in a paint strainer bag.
Handling the beer was routine, just siphon from one container to another. Here is what I did with the watermelon:
I found a melon on sale at the local mart for under 4 bucks. Its about the size of a soccer or volleyball I think. Check the pictures and thats a pint glass for scale.
I washed the melon with bar keepers friend and a sponge. It was nearby and it easily rinses away. Then I sanitized the knife, melon and glass cutting board. I had already cleaned and sanitized a 5 gallon bucket and the 5 gallon paint strainer. (a pack of 2 5-gallon strainers cost me 3 bucks at lowes today). The strainer fits neatly over the mounth of the bucket with an elastic band.
I split the melon in half and then went to town on it with the knife, scoring the meat into tiny cubes, but not actually cutting through the rind. Then I took a stainless spoon and scooped the mess from the melon half into the paint strainer in the bucket. I only used one half of the melon for the beer.
I then rinsed my hands in sanitzer and started squeezing. You can get the idea from the pictures. It was easy. In a few minuutes I had four cups of clean fresh juice in the secondary vessel. Then I just racked from primary to secondary and put it all away.
The beer is definitely pinker. Check the pictures. I do think i am short of the 5 gallon mark. I had repitched this wheat onto an existing cake, so the resulting yeast cake was double thick and I had to leave that liquid/trub behind.
Othewise, Its going well and I expect to tell you all how it tastes in a week or two when I bottle.
N_G
I am still in shock about how easy it was to do. The watermelon almost juices itself in a paint strainer bag.
Handling the beer was routine, just siphon from one container to another. Here is what I did with the watermelon:
I found a melon on sale at the local mart for under 4 bucks. Its about the size of a soccer or volleyball I think. Check the pictures and thats a pint glass for scale.
I washed the melon with bar keepers friend and a sponge. It was nearby and it easily rinses away. Then I sanitized the knife, melon and glass cutting board. I had already cleaned and sanitized a 5 gallon bucket and the 5 gallon paint strainer. (a pack of 2 5-gallon strainers cost me 3 bucks at lowes today). The strainer fits neatly over the mounth of the bucket with an elastic band.
I split the melon in half and then went to town on it with the knife, scoring the meat into tiny cubes, but not actually cutting through the rind. Then I took a stainless spoon and scooped the mess from the melon half into the paint strainer in the bucket. I only used one half of the melon for the beer.
I then rinsed my hands in sanitzer and started squeezing. You can get the idea from the pictures. It was easy. In a few minuutes I had four cups of clean fresh juice in the secondary vessel. Then I just racked from primary to secondary and put it all away.
The beer is definitely pinker. Check the pictures. I do think i am short of the 5 gallon mark. I had repitched this wheat onto an existing cake, so the resulting yeast cake was double thick and I had to leave that liquid/trub behind.
Othewise, Its going well and I expect to tell you all how it tastes in a week or two when I bottle.
N_G
![Craft A Brew - Safale BE-256 Yeast - Fermentis - Belgian Ale Dry Yeast - For Belgian & Strong Ales - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [3 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51bcKEwQmWL._SL500_.jpg)
