New to brewing, have a problem?

brewbard · Post by **brewbard** » Sunday Jun 04, 2006 4:28 pm

Hey guys,

Have been lurking around this site for a few months and have been brewing for about the same amount of time. I have a small problem with my brew at the moment: the amount of froth. There is so much I can only fill my bottles to about 3/4 full unless I let them overflow. Is this a problem?

The brew smells and tastes awesome. Heres the recipe:

Coopers Real Ale can, 500g dextrose, 250g dry light malt, 150g golden syrup, 100g honey, 12g Goldings finishing hops and kit yeast.

Any help would be appreciated.

JubJub · Post by **JubJub** » Sunday Jun 04, 2006 5:21 pm

How are you filling the bottles?

Wassa · Post by **Wassa** » Sunday Jun 04, 2006 8:31 pm

Jub,
1. How are you filling the bottles?

2. What are you using to prime the bottles?

3. are you letting the frothing bottles settle and then refilling them?

brewbard · Post by **brewbard** » Monday Jun 05, 2006 1:21 am

Hey Wassa,
1. I'm filling the bottles with a "little bottler" from the coopers brew kit.
2. I am using dextrose to prime.
3. Yes I am letting it settle then refilling, but it takes ages and I'm worried about an infection setting in.
I thought maybe an infection had already set in but it tastes OK. So I dunno.

DJ · Post by DJ » Monday Jun 05, 2006 8:57 am

I had the same sort of problem.. Never had it before.. I'm thinking the honey or dextrose: Only because it's the first time I've used both...

da_damage_done · Post by **da_damage_done** » Monday Jun 05, 2006 9:04 am

How long has the beer been in the primary / secondary?

Beerpig · Post by **Beerpig** » Monday Jun 05, 2006 9:57 am

Close the tap on the fermenter a bit to slow down the fill

It takes a little longer, but you get far less foaming

Cheers

NickMoore · Post by **NickMoore** » Monday Jun 05, 2006 10:43 am

I find it helps to make sure the "little bottler" is shoved right up into the tap as far as it can go. No gap.

DJ · Post by DJ » Monday Jun 05, 2006 10:54 am

da_damage_done wrote:How long has the beer been in the primary / secondary?

Mine was in primary for 12 days.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Monday Jun 05, 2006 11:07 am

Beerpig is right, just turn the tap down a bit. It works every time.

BierMeister · Post by **BierMeister** » Tuesday Jun 13, 2006 2:18 pm

Another sure way to reduce the frothing is to Bulk Prime. boil some water and add the total amount of dextrose/malt/sugar(which ever you want to use) to the boiled water to disolve. Allow it to cool and add it to a secondary fermentor. use a sterilized tube and add beer from fermentor to the secondary fermentor being careful not to splash or froth the beer so as not to oxiginate and ruin the beer. This mixes the beer with the sugar and then bottle from the secondary into clean bottles.

This is a great way to do it as it allows even distribution of the sugar with equal carbonation per bottle.

Another way (if you don't have a secondary fermentor) is to pour the sugar water into the beer and stir with a sterilized spoon. (be careful not to splash the sugar water in so as not to oxiginate and don't stir to hard or you'll stir up the Yeast) Pouring into a funnel connected to some vinyl tubing (get it at your hardware store) which is dipped below the survace is the best way. (don't forget to sterilize the tube and funnel!)