newby needs help! is it stuck?
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Racking can be a way to kick a stuck ferment into action if you're desperate to squeeze out a few more points but as Anna points out you do need to be confident of your sanitation, otherwise you are increasing the risk of infection.
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Yeah cheers guys, think I might just bottle it as sugested. It's about time i got another one going & I am getting itchy feet on finding out what this tastes like.
The recipe for the last brew was just a coopers kit lager, opted for be1 rather than the brewing sugar in the kit. Origianally I wanted to get a true Lager yeast but I wasnt sure I could keep the temp down enough.
Got any ideas on a good second up recipe, dont think I am ready for the AG yet, might do a bit more reading on dry hopping might try a few more brews before attempting a boil up. Seems like to many dicisions at the moment ( what sort of hops, how much, wether to use pellets plugs flowers tea bags hop bags etc) then thers the whole when to add them 5min, 10min flame out. Dont get me wrong I want to learn all of this, but I think i have a long way to go ( baby steps). I still havnt managed to get into my locale HB store yet, ( if anyone knows of a good one around Geelong ).
Anyway like i was saying appreciate any ideas, (maybe a coopers PA with be2).
Cheers, Chrisp.
The recipe for the last brew was just a coopers kit lager, opted for be1 rather than the brewing sugar in the kit. Origianally I wanted to get a true Lager yeast but I wasnt sure I could keep the temp down enough.
Got any ideas on a good second up recipe, dont think I am ready for the AG yet, might do a bit more reading on dry hopping might try a few more brews before attempting a boil up. Seems like to many dicisions at the moment ( what sort of hops, how much, wether to use pellets plugs flowers tea bags hop bags etc) then thers the whole when to add them 5min, 10min flame out. Dont get me wrong I want to learn all of this, but I think i have a long way to go ( baby steps). I still havnt managed to get into my locale HB store yet, ( if anyone knows of a good one around Geelong ).
Anyway like i was saying appreciate any ideas, (maybe a coopers PA with be2).
Cheers, Chrisp.
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
The Coopers PA is a decent tin - about as good as any you're going to find at Woolies/Kmart - just don't expect it to taste too much like a shop-bought Coopers. The BE2 is a good idea. If it were me I'd start thinking about that being my lowest standard and look at options from there from brew to brew.
No one can really tell you what would be good for you to brew but you. Maybe if you gave an idea of the kinds of beer you'd like to have a crack at someone might have a good recipe with easily obtained bits for you.
No one can really tell you what would be good for you to brew but you. Maybe if you gave an idea of the kinds of beer you'd like to have a crack at someone might have a good recipe with easily obtained bits for you.
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Chrisp,
John Palmer's book "How to Brew" is an excellent book, covering everything from kits to extract to partials to all grain brewing.
The 3rd edition is available in print from most major bookstores, and I still use it quite frequently.
However, the earlier version is available free on line, and is well worth reading.
Don't worry too much about the technical bits if they seem too complicated. All will eventually become clear as you progress to where you want to.
Here's the link:
http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html
John Palmer's book "How to Brew" is an excellent book, covering everything from kits to extract to partials to all grain brewing.
The 3rd edition is available in print from most major bookstores, and I still use it quite frequently.
However, the earlier version is available free on line, and is well worth reading.
Don't worry too much about the technical bits if they seem too complicated. All will eventually become clear as you progress to where you want to.
Here's the link:
http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Thanks bum. Problem is I like to many, generally comming up to summer I would like something crisp, clean, refreshing & quafible. But I also like fuller flavoured alot, just tonight I had my first IPA & Porter (James Squire) both hit the spot with tast & mouthfeel.
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Warra perfect timming Thanks heaps for the link, I will be checking it out asap. Did some reading through some former posts on partiale brews , they seem very interesting.
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Warra had a very quick look at that link & it looks great ,I will be having a very indepth look soon, Thanks for that.
Cheers
Cheers
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Thomas Coopers IPA made up to the following recipe http://www.coopers.com.au/homebrew/make ... =7&bid=124 (ignore the Brewmaster name, Coopers renamed this kit but haven't yet updated the recipe) is easily the best simple k&k I have ever tasted. Doesn't really hit the mark in the crisp, clean refreshing and quaffable stakes though. I hear very good things about Morgans Blue Mountain Lager kits. Not my cup of tea so I can't vouch personally but maybe give that a crack? Your LHBS will be able to sort you out with the bits for both if either take your fancy.Chrisp wrote:Thanks bum. Problem is I like to many, generally comming up to summer I would like something crisp, clean, refreshing & quafible. But I also like fuller flavoured alot, just tonight I had my first IPA & Porter (James Squire) both hit the spot with tast & mouthfeel.
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Lots of good advice already but i will wade in and say that for a potentially stuck fermentation, racking is my 2nd port of call after swirling the fermenter.
The physical act of racking isn't necessary (as Warra and his non racking camp will point out) in producing a good beer but its extremely useful in kick starting the yeast and getting the SG down to the expected level. I've had to resort to this a few times and find that racking always solves the problem. Its mixes the beer up and gets more of the yeast that has settled to the bottom of the fermenter back in suspension.
Adding oxygen at this stage is a no no. You will oxidise the beer and it will taste like wet cardboard. You need to be very gentle so i would advise reading up about racking before you attempt it.
The next step for you isn't a partial mash, its kits and bits. Steeping some speciality malts and boiling some hops, using good yeast and getting control over your fermentation temps. Baby steps at this stage as you are only just beginning.
As Warra pointed out, How to Brew is a great book. I own a copy and still refer to it after 50+ all grain beers. Always picking up something new and it cover from beginners using kits right through to advanced all grain brewing.
And above all, Relax, Don't Worry, Have a Homebrew (RDWHAHB).
Cheers
DrSmurto
p.s. if you want some more advanced kit recipes go to the 2nd page of this link which has the recipes (converted to kits) of the beers that did ok at last years ANAWBS (Australian National Amateur Wine and Beer Show).
The physical act of racking isn't necessary (as Warra and his non racking camp will point out) in producing a good beer but its extremely useful in kick starting the yeast and getting the SG down to the expected level. I've had to resort to this a few times and find that racking always solves the problem. Its mixes the beer up and gets more of the yeast that has settled to the bottom of the fermenter back in suspension.
Adding oxygen at this stage is a no no. You will oxidise the beer and it will taste like wet cardboard. You need to be very gentle so i would advise reading up about racking before you attempt it.
The next step for you isn't a partial mash, its kits and bits. Steeping some speciality malts and boiling some hops, using good yeast and getting control over your fermentation temps. Baby steps at this stage as you are only just beginning.
As Warra pointed out, How to Brew is a great book. I own a copy and still refer to it after 50+ all grain beers. Always picking up something new and it cover from beginners using kits right through to advanced all grain brewing.
And above all, Relax, Don't Worry, Have a Homebrew (RDWHAHB).
Cheers
DrSmurto
p.s. if you want some more advanced kit recipes go to the 2nd page of this link which has the recipes (converted to kits) of the beers that did ok at last years ANAWBS (Australian National Amateur Wine and Beer Show).
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Crisp, Clean, Refreshing and Quafible - you can't go past Coopers Draught (with BE2)! All my K&K fellow brewers (and drinkers) agree that this is their favourite "easy and quafible" brew. Great for summer.Chrisp wrote:Thanks bum. Problem is I like to many, generally comming up to summer I would like something crisp, clean, refreshing & quafible. But I also like fuller flavoured alot, just tonight I had my first IPA & Porter (James Squire) both hit the spot with tast & mouthfeel.
AnnaRe: newby needs help! is it stuck?
I'm not against racking per se. My only concern is that it has to be done for a reason, rather than just as another pointless activity.drsmurto wrote: The physical act of racking isn't necessary (as Warra and his non racking camp will point out) in producing a good beer but its extremely useful in kick starting the yeast and getting the SG down to the expected level. I've had to resort to this a few times and find that racking always solves the problem. Its mixes the beer up and gets more of the yeast that has settled to the bottom of the fermenter back in suspension.
I do rack some of my brews. All my lagers are racked for lagering, and I have racked the occasional ale.
In this case, there's a good reason to do it, as DrSmurto has pointed out, so I'd certainly back that call.
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Hey Warra! Been reading "How to Brew" online all afternoon and you are right, it is an excellent source of info. However, one thing has me puzzled (apart from the fact that it is annoyingly American) - in the Extract brewing section, it recommends boiling the extract for quite a long time. That goes against the grain for most K&K brewers, doesn't it? I remember reading somewhere (forget where) NOT to boil the can of extract for some reason. Seems a big hassle when the brew turns out great without boiling..... Annawarra48 wrote:Chrisp,
John Palmer's book "How to Brew" is an excellent book, covering everything from kits to extract to partials to all grain brewing.
The 3rd edition is available in print from most major bookstores, and I still use it quite frequently.
However, the earlier version is available free on line, and is well worth reading.
Don't worry too much about the technical bits if they seem too complicated. All will eventually become clear as you progress to where you want to.
Here's the link:
http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
I don't know which passage you're talking about specifically but I'm pretty sure HTB only discusses a full volume boil method for extract brewing and as such the long boil is for getting your bittering from the hops.
Happy to be corrected if this isn't relevant to the section you're troubled by, Anna.
But yeah, that does "go against the grain" for k&k brewers but it is a different method so there will be different processes. Some k&b brewers will boil their kits in some instances, however (to drive off the tin's hop flavour and aroma but still keeping the bitterness).
Happy to be corrected if this isn't relevant to the section you're troubled by, Anna.
But yeah, that does "go against the grain" for k&k brewers but it is a different method so there will be different processes. Some k&b brewers will boil their kits in some instances, however (to drive off the tin's hop flavour and aroma but still keeping the bitterness).
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Hi Bum! I just clicked on "Brewing your first brew with malt extract - a Crash course in brewing", which I assumed would be about K&K brewing for newbies. I did notice that the sample recipe called for "Unhopped extract" and thus called for a full boil for the hops. Maybe Aussie-style K&K kits aren't available in the US? Or have I got the terminology wrong, ie. extract brewing is NOT the same as K&K brewing (I thought it was). I know I'm probably sounding too critical, but if I was a complete beginner (instead of just a half-fermented beginner), those instructions, because they differ so much from kit instructions, would totally confuse me ! I just think it could have been made clear that you don't have to go thru the whole boiling/adding hops thing when you're starting out.
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Yeah, you do have the southern end of a north-bound stick there. K&k is very different to extract brewing. Kit and kilo brewing is essentially just that - bang a kit and a kilo of fermentables in a fermenter dissolve in some hot water and top up with cold water. Bob's your aunty. Then there's Kit and Bits brewing (k&b) which is a kit plus any number of variables but will usually be something like a k&k plus some hops and or some steeped spec grains. Then there's extract brewing - which you've been reading about so no need to go into that one. Then there's Partials. Then All Grain (3 vessel or BIAB). I'm thinking it might be best not to get into all that now?
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Anna,
Brewing with malt extract means you don't use a kit at all.
Instead, you use unhopped liquid or dry malt extract to give you your fermentables.
Also, it can be augmented by wort from steeped specialty malts (eg. crysta or cara etc malts).
So that means you have a stack of malts, but, of course, no inbuilt bittering or flavour hops from the kit.
The steeped malt liquid will need boiling to kill any nasties, and drive off any DMS etc (don't worry about the technical detail of why).
To give your beer appropriate bittering, you need to boil the hops in wort of about SG 1.040 or so for about 60 minutes. Then you add flavour hops at about 15 to 10 minutes from the end, and aroma hops at about 5 minutes to flameout from the end.
You do not need to boil all of your malt extracts for the full hour. As an example, lets say you have a 10 litre pot, and about 1½ litres of wort from your steeped specialty malts. You can probably add about another 6½ litres in total, to bring your volume up to about 8 litres (you need space to avoid boil overs, very messy). You will need to calculate how much more of the liquid or dry malts you need to include in the total volume to give you a SG of about 1.040 or thereabouts to enable your hops to properly isomerise most efficiently. It's possible to do the calculations the long manual way, but much easier if you use a program such as BeerSmith.
The balance of your liquid or dry malts can be added in only the last 5 or so minutes to kill any masties, and then you're ready to chill it all. Add to the fermenter, and top up to your desired volume.
It really is easier than it sounds, particularly if you use an appropriate brewing program to help you.
Of course, if you have a kettle which will take 30+ litres, you can do a full volume boil, which is even easier. Then you'll be on your way to AG brewing in no time!
Brewing with malt extract means you don't use a kit at all.
Instead, you use unhopped liquid or dry malt extract to give you your fermentables.
Also, it can be augmented by wort from steeped specialty malts (eg. crysta or cara etc malts).
So that means you have a stack of malts, but, of course, no inbuilt bittering or flavour hops from the kit.
The steeped malt liquid will need boiling to kill any nasties, and drive off any DMS etc (don't worry about the technical detail of why).
To give your beer appropriate bittering, you need to boil the hops in wort of about SG 1.040 or so for about 60 minutes. Then you add flavour hops at about 15 to 10 minutes from the end, and aroma hops at about 5 minutes to flameout from the end.
You do not need to boil all of your malt extracts for the full hour. As an example, lets say you have a 10 litre pot, and about 1½ litres of wort from your steeped specialty malts. You can probably add about another 6½ litres in total, to bring your volume up to about 8 litres (you need space to avoid boil overs, very messy). You will need to calculate how much more of the liquid or dry malts you need to include in the total volume to give you a SG of about 1.040 or thereabouts to enable your hops to properly isomerise most efficiently. It's possible to do the calculations the long manual way, but much easier if you use a program such as BeerSmith.
The balance of your liquid or dry malts can be added in only the last 5 or so minutes to kill any masties, and then you're ready to chill it all. Add to the fermenter, and top up to your desired volume.
It really is easier than it sounds, particularly if you use an appropriate brewing program to help you.
Of course, if you have a kettle which will take 30+ litres, you can do a full volume boil, which is even easier. Then you'll be on your way to AG brewing in no time!
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Thanks Guys & Girl you are all legends love the info. Can you beleive I just typed out a post & thought I had Submited it but hadnt & lost the whole thing ( very frustrating). HEar goes again. I think you are all right in regards to the racking. While it is probebly best for the beer I dont want to ruin it either, so maybe its best untill I'm a little more confident if i tilt the fermenter & bottle on Sunday. Thanks for your advice Doc & the recipies on the link look great have to look at a K&B for the next brew. Thanks also to bum & anna on the IPA & Draught & BE2 recipies, I did however get to drop into the LHBS on the way home (befor i got to read the posts) & pick up a T-C selection Pillsner(apparently a true Lager yeast) with 500g light dried malt & 500g Glucose so hopfully that turns out ok. Any advice on adds to the recipe ect would be apreciated. Warra just saw your latest post to anna & can I say its good to have been to the HBS now & actually seen what corn syrup & crystal Malts look like ( i would never have guessed) LOL.
Cheers Chrisp
Cheers Chrisp
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Well, Warra and Bum, I'll once again add my heartfelt thanks to Chrisp's for clearing this up for me. Just when I was beginning to feel like a real brewer, it seems I'm only just touching the surface - and likely to remain that way! Think I'll stick to "Kits & Bits" for ever, especially after the compliments I received over the weekend on my Coopers K&K Dark Ale, with steeped Crystal Malt added (due acknowledgment to the good Doctor of course).
Chrisp - I know what you mean about losing your draft response - I've been caught a few times.
You type it all out, then go back to the forum 'cause you've forgotten a reference or two, and bingo, you've lost everything you just typed! Maybe someone could enlighten us both on how to "save" your drafts? 
Chrisp - I know what you mean about losing your draft response - I've been caught a few times.
You type it all out, then go back to the forum 'cause you've forgotten a reference or two, and bingo, you've lost everything you just typed! Maybe someone could enlighten us both on how to "save" your drafts? Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
If you wish to keep it simple and use kits then steeping some speciality grain,boiling hops is only a slightly more complicated method.
I cant advocate enough using the lightest coloured, flavoured kits and adding all the colour and flavour with steeped speciality grains, fresh hops (not the teabags) and some good quality dry yeast.
With a tin of Coopers Lager i was, in the last few months on my kit brewing career, making everything from english and american ales, dark ales, porters, stouts etc. The difference is huge.
Think of the Coopers Lager as a hopped tin of LME, nothing more and then build your recipe from there.
I cant advocate enough using the lightest coloured, flavoured kits and adding all the colour and flavour with steeped speciality grains, fresh hops (not the teabags) and some good quality dry yeast.
With a tin of Coopers Lager i was, in the last few months on my kit brewing career, making everything from english and american ales, dark ales, porters, stouts etc. The difference is huge.
Think of the Coopers Lager as a hopped tin of LME, nothing more and then build your recipe from there.
Re: newby needs help! is it stuck?
Yup, I've been caught out the same way a few times.Anna wrote:I know what you mean about losing your draft response - I've been caught a few times.
The options you have, as I see it:
· open up two internet sites and get them both onto O&G.Then, when you type your reply on one, you can toggle to the other to see the earlier posts.
· if you want to do it all in only one site, highlight and copy what you've typed so far. Then, when you return to the reply page, you can paste your work so far into the reply, and carry on from where you left off.
I'm no computer expert, others may have better ideas.
PS: I fully endorse what DrS posted about kits and bits brews. I only ever did a handful of kit and bits. Before going onto AG, I did a few unhopped extracts with specialty grains and quality hop pellets and liquid yeasts, which turned out excellently.