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Hi guys,

Firstly I have been reading the forum for a while without actually posting.(like some sick stalker I suppose..... lurking in the shadows watching, not saying anything!)
And just want to start by saying what a great forum and there is a true wealth of knowledge here.

I am relatively new to brewing, having done 6 or so Kit brews and I have just taken the next step and done my second partial extract.
Just wondering what some of the more experienced brewers think of my most recent effort and of any modifications, if any they would recommend.

Again great forum guys and look forward to posting more regularly.

1kg of German Pilsener steeped for 45 mins @ 66c
1.5 kg Morgans extra pale malt (into fermenter)
1kg Dry light malt into boil
30g Northern Brewer hops boiled 60 min
15g Cascade boiled 15 min
10g Cascade boiled 1min
Yeast Safale S-04 pitched at 22c
500g of Honey added to fermenter 2 days later.

Any idea of the SG for that?

And why did you add the honey after a few days?

And welcome to the forum (as a poster) too.

Chris wrote:Any idea of the SG for that?

And why did you add the honey after a few days?

Thanks for the welcome.

SG approx 1054 or so I think and added honey later as local HB guy (cheers Al) reckoned that he and other brewers
who had used honey found less of a "burnt caramel" taste when honey was added later in fermentation.
He is usually spot on so trusted his judgement i suppose.

Hopefully the finished product is as good as it smells

I have to disagree with your HB guy. Honey is basically sucrose, fructose and other flavour elements. The ugars will be fermented pretty cleanly, and the other flavour elements won't be greatly affected by fermentation (if at all). Adding the honey at a later stage will only increase the chance of introducing unfavourable bacteria and/or wild yeast. Plus, it never hurs to give the honey a good boil.

Just an update on the brew and a couple of follow up questions, if anyone can help.

Been in the bottle just about 2 weeks and just couldn't help myself, so opened one for a taste.

The carbonation is not quite there and I am presuming it has not had enough time yet.
A bit hopier (hoppier?) than planned but hopefully that will mellow out in time.
Other than that nice colour, great aroma and already a nice complexity about it that was lacking in my previous K & K attempts.
Also noticed with my previous partial,(and early signs for this one are good) that the head retention and body was also vastly improved.

So to the questions.

Should carbonation be more advanced at this stage than just the little psssstt (for want of a better description) that is released upon opening? Was just concerned that it may not carbonate at all.
And will the hoppyness mellow a bit with maturity and how long till it mellows?

Finally for anybody worried about leaving the kits behind (as I was), DO IT!
It was much easier than I expected and the improvement in the 2 partials I have done are make it worth the $13 I spent on a 12l stock pot.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

Angry wrote: Should carbonation be more advanced at this stage than just the little psssstt (for want of a better description) that is released upon opening? Was just concerned that it may not carbonate at all.

Probably just needs a little more time. Relax, don't worry etc.

Angry wrote: And will the hoppyness mellow a bit with maturity and how long till it mellows?

Hoppiness will mellow over time. How long is very subjective.

Cheers,
Greg

gregb wrote:

Angry wrote: And will the hoppyness mellow a bit with maturity and how long till it mellows?

Hoppiness will mellow over time. How long is very subjective.

Cheers,
Greg

Would you suggest recipe wise to alter the hops. ie. scheduling or amounts?
Or does the recipe otherwise fine?

Thanks

In relation to your "psssst" analogy, I have found that the size of the "psssst" on opening sometimes is not proportionate to the level of carbonation in the beer. Some big "psssst"'s can be quite flat when poured into a glass and vice versa.

Anyway, back to a real question with carbonation.
I did an anchor steam clone with TL's partial mash in the kitchen method, and noticed that it didn't carb up 100%, even though I carbed it with white sugar, to exactly the same proportions as my other 30 brews I'd made.
Does anyone know why I should/shouldn't add a tiny bit more sugar, say 10%-15% extra into partial mash beers?
Why didn't my beer carb as well as my K+K's??

A final update on the brew.

Best beer I have made.

The earlier carbonation problems have been solved. I think patience may have been the issue as it turns out the carbonation levels are perfect.
It's not working away crazily like some previous attempts just a nice stream of bubbles and good head retention.
The hops have mellowed and the complexity and aroma of the beer is great.

Don't think this one will last long but will be one to make again.

Cheers all for the help.