Welcome Beginning Brewers!

[Aki]

Hi! I am designing my second recipe and have a question about Brewer's friend. I set brew method BIAB (full volume mash, no sparge) and pre-boil size 9 liters. On my understanding with this I'd be supposed to get around 4,5 liters wort but Brewer's friend calculates only 3 liters going to fermenter if pre-boil volume is 9 liters. Can you help me understand how is this calculated?

 

[doug293cz]

Hi! I am designing my second recipe and have a question about Brewer's friend. I set brew method BIAB (full volume mash, no sparge) and pre-boil size 9 liters. On my understanding with this I'd be supposed to get around 4,5 liters wort but Brewer's friend calculates only 3 liters going to fermenter if pre-boil volume is 9 liters. Can you help me understand how is this calculated?

The to fermenter volume = pre-boil volume - (boil off volume + volume left in boil kettle). You usually enter the boil-off rate per hour and the boil time into your calculator and it multiplies those two together to get boil off volume. You enter the BK loss volume into the calculator directly. These two parameters are unique to each brewer's system, and you must determine them for your equipment set.

You set these parameters in Brewer's Friend by starting at the top of page menu bar and going to: "My Brewing" -> "My Equipment". Until you set up your equipment profile, the recipe calculator will not give you the results you expect.

Brew on

 

[Aki]

Hey all! During the server maintenance I realized I’ve become slightly addicted to this forum, the information and atmosphere is absolutely stunning. Thank you!

I also have a question: I have a 5L mini keg with tap system on it (regulator that uses CO2 cartridges). I am conditioning in the keg. If I would like to see how beer evolves during conditioning, and pushed the tap system into keg now - does the conditioning continue after that? I assume that if it’s sealed conditioning should continue but wanted to know if anyone has done it before.

 

[VikeMan]

I also have a question: I have a 5L mini keg with tap system on it (regulator that uses CO2 cartridges). I am conditioning in the keg. If I would like to see how beer evolves during conditioning, and pushed the tap system into keg now - does the conditioning continue after that? I assume that if it’s sealed conditioning should continue but wanted to know if anyone has done it before.

Are you're asking if you can tap your keg and take a sample whenever you want, while it's carbonating? If so, yes, you can definitely do that.

 

[Aki]

Are you asking if you can tap your keg and take a sample whenever you want, while it's carbonating? If so, yes, you can definitely do that.

Thanks, that’s what I was asking. I was unsure ’cause tap has to be forced through rubber thing that’s sealed on keg now, it’s not mini corny or anything, just a party keg with tap system.

 

[Yeastmeister]

OK, so it's been 19 days, the fermentation has stopped. OG was 1.070, FG is 1.040, so I am a little under 4% ABV, I expected this to be 8.5% or so. I want to add the bread yeast to finish off the remaining fermentables. I've read maltotriose is not fermented by wine yeast.

I tasted it and surprisingly it tastes fine. It's a bit appley which I imagine will lesson given some time. Slight hint of lemony hops, very little hop bitterness. I'd like to try to bump that up, maybe a hop tea or dry hop.

Also, I plan to combine some of this batch with some Apfelwein I have fermenting. Maybe throw some cinnamon in there or something.

I just want to see if anybody thinks I should do anything other than pitching the bread yeast at this point.

 

[Yeastmeister]

I had previously mentioned mold of some sort, but was unable to post pictures.

Also, here is what it looks like today.

 

[VikeMan]

OK, so it's been 19 days, the fermentation has stopped. OG was 1.070, FG is 1.040, so I am a little under 4% ABV, I expected this to be 8.5% or so. I want to add the bread yeast to finish off the remaining fermentables. I've read maltotriose is not fermented by wine yeast.

You may have caused this by pitching the wine yeast. It's true that most wine strains can't use maltotriose. And if the wine strain happened to be a killer strain, it may have killed whatever ale strain you pitched.

One thing...I saw in one of your posts that you broke your hydrometer. Did you by any chance replace it with a refractometer?

 

[Yeastmeister]

You may have caused this by pitching the wine yeast. It's true that most wine strains can't use maltotriose. And if the wine strain happened to be a killer strain, it may have killed whatever ale strain you pitched.

One thing...I saw in one of your posts that you broke your hydrometer. Did you by any chance replace it with a refractometer?

The ale yeast that I pitched initially was old and did little to nothing in terms of fermentation. So after 11 days (the 20th), I pitched the wine yeast. I thought the beer was probably ruined or I would have just ordered an ale yeast. Now that it seems fine, maybe I should just buy an ale yeast.

I didn't buy a refractometer, just an $8 hydrometer. Sounds like something I should get at some point.

 

[VikeMan]

The ale yeast that I pitched initially was old and did little to nothing in terms of fermentation. So after 11 days (the 20th), I pitched the wine yeast. I thought the beer was probably ruined or I would have just ordered an ale yeast. Now that it seems fine, maybe I should just buy an ale yeast.

Keep in mind that if the wine strain is a killer, the additional ale yeast might not do anything.

I didn't buy a refractometer, just an $8 hydrometer. Sounds like something I should get at some point.

There's nothing wrong with hydrometers. I only asked because quite often when someone posts about a "stuck" fermentation, the issue is really a misinterpretation of refractometer readings.

 

[Yeastmeister]

Keep in mind that if the wine strain is a killer, the additional ale yeast might not do anything.

I assumed that much of the wine yeast would be dormant/inactive(?) at this point, allowing the bread yeast to do its thing. Anyway, I just went for it, I pitched around 8 or so grams of bread yeast.

 

[ncbrewer]

And if the wine strain happened to be a killer strain, it may have killed whatever ale strain you pitched.

I haven't heard of that - what is it?

 

[VikeMan]

I haven't heard of that - what is it?

Some yeast strains secrete proteins that are toxic to other yeast strains. It gives them a competitive advantage.

 

[Yeastmeister]

Some yeast strains secrete proteins that are toxic to other yeast strains. It gives them a competitive advantage.

I used Red Star Classique which is a strain of saccharomyces cerevisiae. I found a research paper that says the following:

The highest incidence of killer yeasts was found in the genus Hansenula (12 of the 29 strains examined). Saccharomyces, the best represented genus in the Collection, showed a low incidence of killer activity and many of the killer strains are hybrids with a common S. cerevisiae parent.

I guess I'll find out soon enough if I have a killer strain...

 

[Twenty9inarow]

G'afternoon all,
I am just beginning, meaning that I want to get into this hobby so badly, and I am looking at what equipment to purchase. I have looked at basic equipment like the above, and I understand that brewing is a very extensive process. From your opinions, I would like your feedback on the essential equipment for starting. I also am looking on how to make the process easier (less transitions that may effect the brew). I have read many forums, and understand the FOUR main parts of brewing include:
- Sanitation, Pitch Rate, Fermentation Temp., and Patience.
I have a family member who got me interested into this hobby, and I would like to start. Is a person able to jump into full grain brewing, or is malt the best way to start?

Thanks all.

 

[bracconiere]

and I understand that brewing is a very extensive process.

nah, i get cussed out here all the time for my nonchalant attitude towards it.....(a little secret, they just want you to think it's hard so you'll buy it from them!!)

 

[VikeMan]

Is a person able to jump into full grain brewing, or is malt the best way to start?

By "malt," I assume you mean "extract." Yes, it's definitely possible to do all grain right off the bat. But I would recommend doing at least one extract batch. You'll learn a lot about the process, and will have less to worry about on that first brew day.

 

[bleme]

G'afternoon all,
I am just beginning, meaning that I want to get into this hobby so badly, and I am looking at what equipment to purchase. I have looked at basic equipment like the above, and I understand that brewing is a very extensive process. From your opinions, I would like your feedback on the essential equipment for starting. I also am looking on how to make the process easier (less transitions that may effect the brew). I have read many forums, and understand the FOUR main parts of brewing include:
- Sanitation, Pitch Rate, Fermentation Temp., and Patience.
I have a family member who got me interested into this hobby, and I would like to start. Is a person able to jump into full grain brewing, or is malt the best way to start?

Thanks all.

It seems like it is getting harder and harder to find a decent starter kit.

Take the MoreBeer Deluxe Starter Kit for example:
This Kit Includes:

• 6 Gallon Fermonster fermenter with spigot, stopper and airlock
• Five Gallon Stainless Steel Kettle
• Food-Grade Bottling Bucket with spigot
• Mesh Bags for steeping grain and hops on brew day
• Thermometer for easy temperature management
• Hydrometer for making key sugar readings
• Transfer Tubing
• Bottling Wand with shut off valve
• Sturdy Bottle Capper
• Bottle Caps
• Bottle Cleaning Brush
• Star San Sanitizer for true sanitization
• Large Stainless Steel Spoon for mixing
• Craftmeister Cleaning Tablets for easy cleaning
• Delicious American Pale Ale recipe kit with yeast

I'd really rather have a 7 gallon fermenter
I'd rather have a 10 gallon kettle though I find uses for my free 5 gallon one all the time
Bottling bucket is good
Mesh bags are good, but I don't know if these are as nice as Wilser's
Thermometer is a must - don't you have one already?
Hydrometer, tubing, bottling wand, capper, caps and brush are a must
Star San or Iodophor is a must
Chances are good you already have a spoon too
A cleaner is a must but I prefer a multi-use cleaner like OxyClean Free
Recipe kit is a nice touch, but why can't I pick one I like?

If you brew all-grain, you need a brew bag like Wilser's or a mash tun.
You also need some way to get to a boil and a way to chill your wort.
You need some way to control your ferment temp (or use a yeast that doesn't care so much).
You don't NEED an auto-siphon but it was the first thing I bought after bottling my first batch...
You need some bottles. I talked to the owner of a sushi restaurant and got more than I could use.
You could upgrade to the Premium Kit and get the chiller and bigger fermenter, but then you are stuck with a more expensive kettle that is a really awkward size- too big for extract and too small for BIAB.

Adventures in Homebrewing has a kit that's pretty decent except it is pretty pricey, which can probably be attributed to that kettle. If you like that kettle, that's great but I'm a tightwad and can deal with a cheaper kettle. They also stick you with a glass carboy...

As far as jumping straight to all-grain, it is definitely doable. I know several brewers who have. It would really help if your friend brewed with you a couple of times to help straighten the kinks out of your process.

 

[bleme]

By "malt," I assume you mean "extract." Yes, it's definitely possible to do all grain right off the bat. But I would recommend doing at least one extract batch. You'll learn a lot about the process, and will have less to worry about on that first brew day.

Lots of places refer to extract as 'spray malt' so I'm sure that is what he is talking about.

 

[Twenty9inarow]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Right on with my "malt" comment. If you would start over, what and how would you do differently?

 

[bleme]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Right on with my "malt" comment. If you would start over, what and how would you do differently?

If I could change anything, I probably would have bought a grain mill and started buying in bulk sooner. I 'wasted' a ton of money brewing kits. There are a lot of people that bought 5 or 8 gallon pots, then needed to upgrade. I started out doing extract, using a 2-gallon pot that I already owned. When I switched to all-grain, I picked up a 10-gallon tamale pot for $25 that I still use, so I never spent money on eq that I outgrew. However, if I was starting today, I'd probably pick up an Anvil Foundry. I can't call that a regret because it didn't exist back then though.

Oh, and I regret all those hydrometers I broke...

 

[Aki]

-

 

[Haks43]

Hello guys
I’m rookie brewer who just got into brewing out of scarcity of alcohol and curiosity as I hail from the Indian region where alcohol sell is prohibited by law, yet not brewing.

I've lot of questions from yeast to malting barely and so on.

I can only have access to bakers yeast, with that I tired to make cider from sweet lemon juice and it turned out to be great.
After that I tried to make watermelon wine and it was complete disaster alas I ended up throwing it away as it had very horrible smell and tastes.
Now let me come to the point
1) can I brew with bakers yeast
2) how can I develop yeast for brewing at home if it’s possible
3) Do I really need to distill fruit based fermented drink I.e. cider or wine
4) how can I malt barley in very hot weather (average room temp is 95 F)
5) Alternative to hops for bitterness and preservatives

I need guru who can help to quench my Thirst

Thank you very much

 

[ncbrewer]

1) can I brew with bakers yeast

Take a look at this link:

They brewed a batch with bread yeast. You can decide whether it looks like something you want to try.

Edit: The link didn't copy. Here it is: Yeast Comparison: Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast vs. Safale US-05 American Ale Yeast | exBEERiment Results!

 

[Haks43]

Take a look at this link: View attachment 679692
They brewed a batch with bread yeast. You can decide whether it looks like something you want to try.

Edit: The link didn't copy. Here it is: Yeast Comparison: Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast vs. Safale US-05 American Ale Yeast | exBEERiment Results!

Thank you very much for your reply
Actually I already brew a small batch of cider with the yeast and I didn’t mind the taste. From my second batch of watermelon wine I have noticed that It leaves lot of sediment or dormant yeast at bottom so again I was reading something about it and found that I may have pitched to much yeast in it I guess...!!!

 

[ncbrewer]

I'm not a wine maker, but I'm pretty sure that's not from too much yeast. Just rack the wine off of the sediment.

 

[shunter50]

As good a place as any to post this question. Has anyone seen or made a thread on abbreviations, acronyms and slang? I can figure most of them out like QD for quick disconnect, but I seem to be wasting a lot of time trying to figure out what folks are talking about that have been doing this for a long time and know all the vernacular. I think it would be a great thread to have somewhere.

Hello 89Hen,

I'm new to this forum and noticed your post. I've been brewing quite a while, but in England. American terms and products are very different to those used or available in UK. Did anyone ever answer your post about abbreviations?

shunter50

 

[89Hen]

Funny timing. I was just talking about this very post this weekend. Unfortunately, no. I am still in the dark with a lot of the acronyms and terms and spend far too much time trying to figure them out.

 

[shunter50]

Good luck with your figuring. Unfortunately, English UK and English USA don't always follow the same path. Where I might translate a set of initials in UK English, I'd probably get quite a different answer on the other side of the Atlantic.

Maybe one of the "older" members may have not much to do in lock-down and put their knowledge down on paper!!!
Unfortunately, I live in France and not in Hope.

Keep brewing.

 

[VikeMan]

Funny timing. I was just talking about this very post this weekend. Unfortunately, no. I am still in the dark with a lot of the acronyms and terms and spend far too much time trying to figure them out.

Here's a pretty good list of abbreviations/acronyms...
https://tangledrootsbrewingco.com/talking-code-glossary-abbreviations-brewers-use-everyday/