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   1. Wyeast vs White Labs

      by Gyro, 13 years ago in Yeasts

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      Not really a contest, but .....
      
      Which do you reccomend, and why? So far I've used dry yeast; mainly Fermentis, with good results. Sometimes, I've re-hydrated in luke warm water or wort, but most often have sprinkled straight onto the top of the wort.
      
      I'm contemplating brewing a Belgian Ale next, and appreciate that Wyeast or White Labs have a greater variety and perceived better quantity than what I normally get. But how easy are they to use?
      
      Without seeing it, this 'smack pack' business...

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      I know what you mean about the limited supply of dry yeast strains, I asked one time about this and was told that a lot of the strains they offer for liquid packaged yeast would not hold up well to the drying process, I do not know if that is true or not.
      
      I used white labs for years, and thought it was great stuff, I lived a few miles from a HBS and could pick it up fresh a few days before brewing any time I needed to and make a starter. I have tried the smack pack stuff and agree it gives...
      9 Replies
      22666 Views
      Jamato
      8 years ago
   2. Harvesting yeast cake

      by Gyro, 13 years ago in Yeasts

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      NEWBIE ALERT !!!
      
      So, what does the above title actually mean in practical terms?
      
      Once there's a yeast head in the fermenter, do I scoop some off? Normally, my brews seem to ferment pretty speedily for a couple of days, and then there's barely any activity, and after this time I don't think the head itself lasts very long.
      
      And once I taken some cake, what do I do with it then....?
      
      Apols if this is covered in another thread, but humour me.
      
      Cheers,
      G

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      Bump:
      
      I do this now and find it the easiest way to re-use yeast over and over again.
      16 Replies
      32920 Views
      gregbyday
      10 years ago
   3. Blonde/Pale Ale suggestions:

      by Gyro, 13 years ago in BIAB Recipes

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      So, I'm planning to brew the following at the weekend. Any tips, suggestions or advice most appreciated:-
      
      15 litre mini BIAB.
      
      3kg pilsner
      500g wheat
      400g Vienna
      500g Golden Promise
      
      Single mash at 65-68 degrees for 1 hour, and then a 60 min boil with following schedule:
      
      Northern Brewer - 30g for 60mins
      Northern Brewer - 15g for 10 mins
      Hallertauer Hersbr. - 15g for 5 mins.
      
      Think the Northern Brewer is 9% AA and Hallertauer is about 3.1%AA ..
      
      I'm going for a Blonde-ish style, with a...

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      Damn! Haha.
      
      I just pressed unanswered posts! oh well... :)
      3 Replies
      9084 Views
      onkeltuka
      10 years ago
   4. Clear Beer ....

      by Gyro, 13 years ago in Creating Your Own Recipes

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      So, come on, give up your secrets ....
      
      How do you brew clear beer?
      
      I know it's potentially just aesthetic, but I'd like to brew something that's as clear as can be. What's the best way: Irish Moss, Finings, Gelatin ... ?
      
      Tell all - reveal this mystery of the dark (or should that be light?) arts ......
      
      Cheers,
      G

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      I've recently been using Irish Moss. I wish I used it right from the start! Most of my recent batches have been pretty clear after a few weeks. I'm also experimenting /learning about protein rests to help too..
      9 Replies
      14108 Views
      Gyro
      11 years ago
   5. Getting that clean crisp hoppy taste ...

      by Gyro, 13 years ago in Creating Your Own Recipes

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      Can anyone give me some sort of guide or indicator on how to get a clean hoppy crispness to a beer?
      
      The last few recipes I've made have been heavily hopped, but they turn out more marmalade-y / fruity that hoppy. Most of the time, this has been using Cascade, but no way are they like a Little Creatures or Sierra Nevada !
      
      Have I been putting too much in for too long and not enough at the end, or is it dry hopping that REALLY helps ? Any tips/suggestions on how much, when, and what sort of hop...

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      got it.Thanks.
      BTW, Todd, i'm looking at brewing a 100% Brett APA...
      
      I'm thinking the same thing! I had a bottle of Brooklyn Brewing's Matilda (100% Brett) and harvested the yeast when I was done. I've got a nice big starter built up and thinking about pitching it into a simple Pale Ale, just for fun. :thumbs:
      14 Replies
      14145 Views
      thughes
      13 years ago
   6. Blobby bottle problem .....

      by Gyro, 13 years ago in Bottling

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      I bottled a Marzen style lagerbier 10 days ago, and when I checked it, there are white blobby bits around the neck. They look almost like tiny bits of wadded paper.
      
      Oh no! I thought, infection! SO I opened one. It didn't gush (maybe foamed just a little), and didn't taste particularly bad, but it wasn't really as carbonated as I thought it should be.
      
      Either it's clumps of yeast hanging around (6.8%abv), or it IS an infection, but maybe a milder one. My big concern is the lack of carbonation....

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      Conditioned in the FV around at least the 70c mark, with the aid of a heating belt for a day or two, and then 2nd week racked to secondary a little cooler (but nowhere near lagering). Used finings the night before bottling too.
      
      Will give it another week or so and will try another bottle....
      2 Replies
      11866 Views
      Gyro
      13 years ago
   7. SIAB ... !

      by Gyro, 13 years ago in Full-Volume Variations - FVV (diluting and/or sparging)

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      I've now 'gone beyond' BIAB into SIAB ...
      
      Strain In A Bag.
      
      Normal procedure for me now is to mash in a 24l picnic cooler with no bag (normally about 12l water against 4-6kgs grain). Once my 60 -90 mins are up, I have a 15l bucket which I've drilled a hole in the side at the bottom, with a rubber grommet and a length of siphoning tube firmly in place. I have a cake rack in the bottom of the bucket and then place bag inside and secure against the rim as normal. Then, simply pour my wort -...

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      I normally close the FV and wait for it to cool down. Sometimes in a bath of cold water, or sometimes I just wait the few hours or overnight.
      
      Told you I'm not very scientific......
      6 Replies
      15894 Views
      Gyro
      13 years ago
   8. Mash measures - water vs grain

      by Gyro, 13 years ago in From Mash to Lauter (Water to Sweet Liquor)

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      I normally mash in a 24l picnic cooler, with on average 5-6kgs grain in 10l water. I then sparge with up to 8l.
      
      Reading a couple of books (Charlie Papazian & Randy Mosher), their mash volumes seem a lot lower in terms of the initial water in a one step mash. A typical guide from Mr Mosher is 0.65l for every kg of grain, but with more water for sparging.
      
      Is it better/more efficient to have a 'thicker' mash and longer sparge...?
      
      (I normally do 15l batches, and 10-12l of water + grain is the...

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      Thanks for all that.
      
      PP: my ABV's vary, but on average are between 5.6% - 7.2%. Each grain bill is different (ny last Porter was almost 6.5kgs), but the water levels are pretty close to those described in the OP. I often top up with a litre or so of water in the FV to get to 15 litres, so think I should increase my sparge water by 3 or 4 litres....
      4 Replies
      6936 Views
      Gyro
      13 years ago
   9. Carbonation in stronger ales ...

      by Gyro, 13 years ago in Bottling

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      I'm currently mashing a very rich, very hoppy wheat-ish porter, which is likely to be in the 7%+ ABV mark.
      
      When priming bottles for higher alcohol beers, do you need to use more sugar or not?
      
      (reason I ask is that the last porter I made which was close to 7% was quite flat out of the bottle. Not unpleasant or totally non-carbonated, just a bit like engine oil in a glass..)

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      Gyro
      Bob,I'm not basing my 'rules' on one brew, but was just curious.
      
      Curious Gyro,
      
      If you use the same exact amount of sugar each and every time your carbonation will be exactly different ?
      
      Here is the thing! The density of the yeast may be different, amount of wort slightly different, the viability of the yeast is different, The temperature and it's rise and fall will be different, The yeast may be actually slightly different from the same manufacture. Nutrients may be lacking? The...
      4 Replies
      12826 Views
      BobBrews
      13 years ago
   10. Leaving it overnight

       by Gyro, 13 years ago in From Mash to Lauter (Water to Sweet Liquor)

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       Is there any reason why I shouldn't mash and then leave the extract overnight before boiling....?

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       Well, I have food grade buckets with lids, or the picnic cool box I use to mash in the first place. Both are sealable. What I'm going to do this time is mash in the insulated cooler without bag, and the use the bag as a strainer/filter when I transfer the mash to the pot/bucket. I'll also use another bucket to put the bag of grain in to sparge. Sounds a bit more complicated, but should be less mess than pulling a 6 kilo bag out of a narrow cooler box....
       
       Either way, providing any container is...
       3 Replies
       6013 Views
       Gyro
       13 years ago
   11. Northern Brewer hops

       by Gyro, 13 years ago in Creating Your Own Recipes

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       Suggestions for use; ie. what type of beer do they work well in?
       
       Could I use them in an IPA/Blonde Ale...?

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       After fermentation is over (two weeks?) Use some for dry hopping. One ounce is good!
       3 Replies
       5731 Views
       BobBrews
       13 years ago
   12. Wyeast issues again...

       • 1
       • 2

       by Gyro, 13 years ago in Yeasts

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       So I was all set to try a wit bier, but the wyeast wit propogator didn't look to be working. The smack pack didn't swell, but I made the starter anyway with no visible activity after 15-20 hrs. But now after about 28 hrs, there's a reasonable foamy head on it. Getting a bit late to brew now, so would it be okay to leave it another 24 hrs or so until tomorrow night...?

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       Thanks for the info update NME :peace:.
       
       jake, it should taste like really, really weak beer. The main thing to look out for is that it doesn't taste awful/off. You'll know it when you smell or taste a dodgy one as it will stand out.
       
       ;)
       PP
       32 Replies
       29469 Views
       PistolPatch
       13 years ago
   13. Converting extract to BIAB

       by Gyro, 13 years ago in Creating Your Own Recipes

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       ..or in my case Mini BIAB...
       
       So, one of the best beers I've brewed this year was an extract Weizenbock. I did a pre-boil tea for half an hour with malts, and then a 10 litre boil using extract. This was topped up with water in the FV to make 20 litres.
       
       I'll dig out the recipe, but is there a formula/percentage way to convert this to all grain...?
       
       Cheers,
       G

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       Cool, thanks. I'll hava jig around when I can and then come back and post what I think would be the grain version. Have been at a beer festival for the last two days mind, so need a bit of recovery time .... !
       7 Replies
       9776 Views
       Gyro
       13 years ago
   14. Re-pitching a couple of days later

       by Gyro, 13 years ago in Fermentation (Wort to Still Beer)

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       For my Belgian ale which uses 900g of Demerera, it was suggested that I boil the bulk of the sugar with water and put this into the FV 2-3 days into fermentation and this would attenuate nicely and give me the ABV I was after without being too sweet.
       
       However, now my Wyeast Abbey yeast has turned out to be a dud, I'v had to use Muntons Gervin English Ale yeast instead. With this in mind, if I still put a 600g sugar mixture (I used 300g in the boil) into the wort in a few days, should I then...

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       Right,,,, taking the extract potential of your sugar to be 307/Kg/L the sugar will bring 17.76 gravity points to the party, since its demerera sugar I'll round it down to 17. Add that to your OG and you have 1.087.
       
       If your FG is 1.015 then taking this away from your OG gives you a drop in gravity points of 72.
       
       So your ABV is 72/8.06% = 8.9% :headhit:
       
       :thumbs:
       
       Yeasty
       7 Replies
       7908 Views
       Yeasty
       13 years ago
   15. Mashing at lower temperatures - help !

       by Gyro, 13 years ago in Stove-top BIAB (also known as Mini-BIAB)

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       I've just started a mash for a Belgian ale, and like an idiot - in my haste to use a picnic cooler as the best insulator - I put too much initial water in with the grain so now I can't add any more if I need to increase the temperature.
       
       I started at around 70 or so degrees, but after adding all the malt, it was below 60. So I topped up as much as I could with hot water, but it's still only around the 60 mark. (I was aiming to get 64-65).
       
       Grain bill as follows:-
       
       3kg Pilsner
       1kg Imperial
       500g...

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       No discernable leaks that I can see. I'm using an 'old fashioned' fermenter with a small top and a rubber seal, so think it's tight enough. Also, absolutelt no sign of Krausen or any sort of life.
       
       I pitched the Muntons Gervin English Ale instead as I didn't really have any other options, and that started fermenting nicely within a few hours. A bloomin' shame, but at least I'll have beer of some sort; even if it's not what I was aiming for.
       
       I'm determined to try a Belgian mind, so will give it...
       7 Replies
       8824 Views
       Gyro
       13 years ago
   16. Wyeast not swelling

       by Gyro, 13 years ago in Yeasts

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       I'm currently trying to brew a Belgian ale, and am using Wyeast 1214 Abbey yeast. I smacked the pack 3 hours ago, and as of yet it doesn't seem to have gained any swell at all. Does this mean it's duff, or should I trying pitching in the next hour or so anyway?

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       Sorry for the Hijack...
       
       Pitched it all, I was about 2L short on FIV so it all worked out in the end. :roll:
       11 Replies
       12897 Views
       Yeasty
       13 years ago
   17. Using sugar - another daft question

       by Gyro, 13 years ago in BIAB Recipes

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       My next brew is going to be Belgian; a strong/golden ale like Duvel or something.
       
       Most recipes talk about using plenty of sugar, and often this is grouped as if it's part of the grain bill. Does this mean I add sugar to the mash? Normally, any sugar I use is in the boil.
       
       Cheers,
       G

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       Cool. I'll probably put a bit in th boil (maybe 200-300g), and the majority in the FB as suggested. Will let you know how I get on....
       8 Replies
       8654 Views
       Gyro
       13 years ago
   18. Does sediment mean a beer is bottle-conditioned?

       by Gyro, 13 years ago in BIABrewer.info and BIAB for New Members

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       When we home brew and each bottle has a bit (or a lot) of sediment at the bottom, is that techincally a 'bottle conditioned' beer, or something different ?
       
       Cheers,
       G

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       Now, was that me being thirsty from the packing and moving or does commercial beers also condition in the bottle?!
       
       mass produced lagers are pasteurized. the beer may age well (in the fridge) but its no yeast doing any work in there.
       3 Replies
       4736 Views
       shibolet
       13 years ago
   19. Splitting and storing dry yeast ...

       by Gyro, 13 years ago in Yeasts

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       I've got some grain and time left over, so was going to do a mini brew tonight; a max. of 8 or so litres.
       
       My Fermentis lager yeast is an 11g sachet that will do up 23 litres, so my question is if I split the amount and use just half tonight, how can I store the remainder and how long for so I can use it again ... ?
       
       Cheers,
       G

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       if you look on the manufacturers web site, the lager yeast must be used at a dosage of :
       80 to 120 g/hl for pitching at 12C – 15C. Increase dosage for pitching below 12C, up to 200 to
       300 g/hl at 9C.
       i use two sachets for a 23 liter batch fermented at 10C.
       2 Replies
       4931 Views
       shibolet
       13 years ago
   20. Your hobbies......?

       by Gyro, 13 years ago in General Chit-Chat, Nonsense & Rambles

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       Aside from brewing, what are your other hobbies?
       
       I love paddlesports, and have a surf kayak I take out on the North Sea, and also a 15ft Canadian canoe I paddle the Norfolk Broadside with. I also occassionly make English longbows.
       
       How about you..?

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       I teach Aikido three times a week. I suppose that's my main hobby. My motorbike has taken a back seat in the hobby steaks in recent years. Mainly since I chopped the Fireblade in for a Tiger!!! Getting older I guess.
       24 Replies
       20901 Views
       Kilting
       13 years ago
   21. Missed OG reading.

       by Gyro, 13 years ago in Stove-top BIAB (also known as Mini-BIAB)

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       I brewed mud!
       
       I brewed last night with 4.5kgs of grain in 10 or so litres. I took the gravity of the wort prior to boiling, and after 75 mins boil topped up in the fermenter to 12 litres and pitched yeast. Problem is, due to it being close to midnight come pitchig time, I forgot to take the OG.
       
       Is there any way to calculate the ABV ?
       
       Cheers,
       G

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       So, is the theory of making a more 'concentrated' wort from grain and then 'diluting' in the FV a reasonable sound one? Glad to hear you are enjoying it all Gyro :thumbs:.
       
       I personally think when you want to get more out of your kettle than a full-volume mash will allow, the rule to follow is to add as much water as soon as you can and allow as much of this water to touch the grain before the boil.
       
       You have allowed as much water as possible to contact the grain from what I've seen. I think...
       5 Replies
       7014 Views
       PistolPatch
       13 years ago
   22. First attempt, I value your thoughts ....

       by Gyro, 13 years ago in BIAB Recipes

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       I'm new to BIAB, but have brewed and enjoyed a number of extract concoctions of my own for the last few months. I'd really value your thoughts on this:-
       
       10 Litre brew/boil:
       
       2kg pale wheat malt
       150g chocolate wheat malt
       150g Caramunch
       120g Pale Belgian malt
       500g aromatic malt
       
       Saaz hops – 30g for 60 mins
       Liberty & Saaz hops – 15g each for last 15 mins
       Liberty hops – 20g last 5 mins
       
       Yeast: Fermentis Safale S-04
       
       Any thoughts, advice, suggestions or amendments are more than welcome. You can't...

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       That commentary is comprehensively helpful. Not quite sure how I missed it first time round, but it's confirmed I did most things right, and has given me a couple of pointers for the future..!
       
       So, with regards to a Mini Maxi, sparging into another vessel big enough will extract as much as possible without diluting it too much, and adding this back to the boil vessel will pretty much be the same as if I originally mashed 12-14 litres ? Cool. Only problem is, I'm not sure I have anything bigger...
       20 Replies
       18316 Views
       Gyro
       13 years ago
   23. Going shopping tomorrow ...

       by Gyro, 13 years ago in Stove-top BIAB (also known as Mini-BIAB)

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       at my local homebrew shop. Haven't decided on a BIAB recipe yet, apart from it'll be for a total batch of 10 litres or so.
       
       ** Complete newbie Alert! **
       
       Just as a rough guide (and pardon my ignorance), is there an approximate amount in weight of malted grains I'd need to have in to do proper starch/sugar conversions for a BIAB brew that'll give aroun 5% abv... ?
       
       Also, my shop sells crushed malts pre-packed (although he does have a mill as well). Are these crushed grains fine for mashing ?...

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       Have just posted what I think is the sort of thing I want to try on the Recipes board. All suggestions or thoughts are welcome. It is as follows:-
       
       2kg pale wheat malt
       150g chocolate wheat malt
       150g Caramunch
       120g Pale Belgian malt
       500g aromatic malt
       
       Saaz hops – 30g for 60 mins
       Liberty & Saaz hops – 15g each for last 15 mins
       Liberty hops – 20g last 5 mins
       
       Yeast: Fermentis Safale S-04
       
       Cheers,
       G
       8 Replies
       9023 Views
       Gyro
       13 years ago

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