re: Homebrewing Thread: Volume II

Here’s a picture of the sours



2 - 6.5 gal fermenters
2 - 3 gal fermenters
3 - 1 gal demijons
2 jars I need to build up

What the frick is wrong with my beer? This is frustrating...

Everything looks good and ready and all carbed up... First 3 pours were watery, and had no head. Disconnected, checked all my CO2 hookups, everything looks good, hook them back up. I know I'm getting CO2 in there at a good pressure, and it should be carbed. Disconnected and checked my beer line, looks good so I reconnect. Next pour is a shite ton of sediment, and a ton of foam. Alright now I fixed it. Next pour, same thing except a little clearer. Next pour was back to being watery and had no head again... The beer tastes like uncarbonated bitter water, but I know it's getting CO2 for sure. What is happening?

No co2 leaks anywhere? Spray some sanitizer on your posts to check.

I just did a double batch today. It was a long day. Got a black IPA fermenting and an Ale that I plan on dry hopping. They Should be two interesting beers.

Merry Christmas fellas,
I'm getting ready to brew a neipa with my dad on Thursday and had a couple more questions about starters. I'm using Burlington ale from WL and my Og is 1.060. To ferment a 5 gal batch I need approximately 210 billion cells, so I need a starter.

My question pertains to which recommendations you guys follow regarding cell counts and yeast viability. Liquid yeast contains 100 billion cells but my yeast was produced in September, and online calculators seem to think there's about 42billion viable cells in the pack. Using the same calculators, I need to do two successive 1.5L starters (my starter vessel is a growler). I understand that those pitch rates quotes are based on repitching tires yeast from a previous batch.

On the other hand, the manufacturer of the yeast calls for a single 1L starter to be able to ferment a 5gal batch at 1.060. I'm sure the truth lies somewhere in the middle, but wtf should I do?

So far I have a single 1.5L starter with OG of 1.040. I shook it vigorously for a few minutes before pitching, am using tinfoil, and swirling every few hours. Should I do a second 1.5L starter tomorrow or leave it to finish until Thursday? I can't see through the growler very well so I'm afraid I won't be able to see when the yeast is done.

quote:

---

puffulufogous

---

I think your fine with the single starter. Especially if you’re starting it tonight and not pitching until Thursday, just swirl it every now and then until you’re ready to pitch.

Cheers and Merry Christmas!

Have any of you read any of this guy that has setup his Low Oxygen Brewing rig?

Basically in a mission to brew a German lager like the breweries in Germany, he and a group of people came down to oxygen being the culprit as to what fundamentally changes characteristics of the water, grain, hops, etc. He says he has made a lot of enemies along the way, one from people not liking his scientific findings, and two, he is kind of a pompous prick with how he presents his findings.

Anyway he has some interesting things he has found out and written about if you can get over his smugness.

quote:

---

He is an arrogant arse who says his way is the only way to make good beer.

---

Well i somewhat agree with his "theory" in respect to making those German lagers. but is his stance that ALL beers are supposed to be made like that?

Because there is about 5000 years worth of brewers that will beg to differ. I dont care what the bible book "written by professionals" says about restricting atmospheric contact with the beer. I mean beer was literally "discovered" by leaving some bread in a pot of water.

Update on the stout that never ends. Beer was stuck at 1.034 despite additional yeast pitching so lhbs guy recommends adding ultraferm, a product that usually added to make brut ipa to try to finish it up. I added it 9 days ago and have had consistent airlock activity since. Gravity is 1.024 today, tastes good. I'm going to leave it for a while longer and see what happens even though it's been almost a month since it was brewed.

On a brighter note I brewed a neipa on Thursday with my father and it went great. Used a starter and fermentation has taken off like a rocket. It's made from a kit and the instructions call for racking to a secondary before dryhopping for 9 days total. First dry hop is 2oz citra, 1 summit, and 1 Amarillo for 6 days. Then remove hops and add 2 additional oz citra for 3 days.

I don't want to do a secondary fermenter and would like to do biotrans hops. How would you guys alter the hops schedule? Just do the first hop addition today, day 2 of active fermentation? Then dry hop with the remaining citra at the end of fermentation? Thanks

So 2 oz citra now and then 2 oz citra, 1 oz summit, and 1 oz Amarillo when fermentation ends for three days?