re: Homebrewing Thread: Volume II

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Any fermenting tips? I

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If a fermenting fridge or freezer is out of the question then make a swamp cooler. Go buy one of those igloo cube coolers. Cut a hole in the top to fit the neck of the carboy. Fill with tap water about halfway (remember displacement). Drop a floating thermometer in there with the fermenter. Freeze some water bottles and add 2 or 3 bottles or however many you need to maintain temp. I did this when I started and kept everything in the bottom of the pantry. If you live in BR you can have my old swamp cooler.

Also, look into making yeast starters. My first few brews I never made a starter and I had to play the “ is my beer fermenting” guessing game. Once I started making starters I never had to wait longer than 18 hours to see fermentation begin. How to brew book has a section on yeast starters.

ETA: just an FYI, you don’t need the igloo cube, really any ice heat large enough will do. I liked the cube because it fit the fermenter the best and allowed me to close the lid and maintain temps a little better.

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I will look into the igloo cube right now. I have a Northern Brewer one gallon big mouth bubbler, so I may be able to fit it in the cube.

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I keep thinking 5 gallon carboy. For a 1 gallon, any ice chest you can close the lid on is good.

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On the other hand for me, hitting my numbers is pretty important.

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I used to think this, then I realized it's still beer. And if you read enough of those Brulosophy exbeeriments, you realize that people can't tell the difference between beers with drastically different variables in blind triangle tests. How am I going to really notice if my pale ale ends up half a percentage point short on ABV?

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On the other hand for me, hitting my numbers is pretty important. For a beginner not so much.

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Same here. I'm a pretty detail oriented person. So being precise is part of the fun for me. If I miss my mark, I make notes, and correct next time. Doesn't take away from the fun of brewing.

And when it comes to mixed fermentation beers, precision goes out the window. It's more about patience and avoiding oxygen exposure than OG's and FG's.

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If this cream ale brew goes well, I will Probably get a second one gallon carboy is that I can make 15+ beers at a time.

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Just keep going man. Even if the first doesn't come out great. Repetition breeds confidence. Occasionally you will screw a batch up and it's a bit demoralizing, but usually that means the next batch is the best beer you've ever brewed.

When I started the mixed fermentation sour beer brewing, initially I wanted to do them all in 1 gallon glass demi-johns. But, if the beer was really good, then I only had a dozen or so of that beer. So I've been doing 6 gallon base batches, that I split in 3 gallon fermenters and experiment with different wild yeast strains, souring bacteria, etc... I'm also, able to do some experimental fruiting.

Brewing is a great hobby and is really fun, and sooner or later, you'll start to think about starting up your own brewery.

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Same here. I'm a pretty detail oriented person. So being precise is part of the fun for me. If I miss my mark, I make notes, and correct next time. Doesn't take away from the fun of brewing.

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That actually is the fun of brewing for me. No intended offense to the "Relax, don't worry" crowd at all but a big part of the enjoyment comes from being able to make a good beer and then make it again. Yes, I think I'd notice if I was a half a percent off on ABV. If it was a competition beer, for sure the judges would notice. I'm not saying you have to take it to that level to enjoy brewing but I get a kick out of seeing how good I can get at something.

However, "relax, don't worry" is good advice for new brewers so that they don't stress over every little detail. Malt wants to be beer; all you have to do is get it going in the right direction.

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And when it comes to mixed fermentation beers, precision goes out the window. It's more about patience and avoiding oxygen exposure than OG's and FG's.

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Whole different ballgame when it comes to funky and sour beers. In fact with these beers, it's almost more like making wine than beer.

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In fact with these beers, it's almost more like making wine than beer.

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It really is. I think that's why I enjoy it more. Speaking of which, I need to get another beer in the pipeline going. Probably will brew next Friday. 6 gallon split batch. Half will get Bootleg biology's funklandia blend, the other half will either get bootlegs's sour solera blend or I may use the Roselaire blend. Been wanting to use that one for awhile now.

Currently have 1 bottle of my first mixed ferm left, 2 bottles of Sanguis Ruber - mixed ferm sour with 3 lbs/ gallon of raspberries bottled with wine yeast, about 12 bottles of that same batch split with 2 lbs/ gallon of warren pears bottled with brett, and a couple cases of my lastest sour with muscadines. I also have a mixed ferm blend with blueberries in the fermenter which i'm going to add a brett strain to when I get home to ferment down lower.

I also have 2 sours (split batch) that were racked directly on top of existing sour dregs - generation 2. They dried out much quicker than the original batches. And I have 2 1 gallon glass demijohns that were poured on some other dregs as well that will either be used for blending or for propping up a whole batch. Problem is, is I didn't label those demi-johns, so I don't remember what's in them.

After the sour, i'll use bootleg's NEEPA yeast and try a brut IPA. They sound intruging. After that, may do a full 5 gallon batch of a brett saison and blend one of those 1 gallon sour unnamed demijohns with it.

Once I've used up my bootleg stores, I may try some stuff from other sour labs, like yeast bay, or east coast labs. Oh, and eventually I want to try out those Kveik strains.

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Bug, I love Roeselare.

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When I first started with mixed ferm sours, that blend kind of scared me. Heard too much about ropiness, etc... Now that I've been doing this for a few years, I want ropiness. I've never experienced a "sick" beer before. Though I know I've used pedio before, I may have just waited out that sick phase in the past. Who knows.

Stubby's has $2.95 flat rate shipping on orders over $20, ending Sunday night

txbrewing.com

if you order before noon (and sometimes before 3), they'll ship that day

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What a clusterf*ck of a website.

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I know, and typically I add that to any post I make linking it. Eye AIDS and whatnot. But $3 shipping is worth it for those of us without a LHBS and not willing to spend stupid amounts of money on craft beer