What's fermenting now?
- Thread starter TN
- Start date
need some feedback from all you verterans:
a buddy is brewing a stout. he went to bottle last night, flavors were rather "off". not sure exactly how. i was trying to help him trouble shoot. FG only got down to 1.023, and that got him to 4.7% abv. Come to find out he only left it in primary for 2 weeks, and no secondary. He seems to think that 2 weeks is plenty long for fermentation. One of his responses:
"Ok mr. Expert, unless you're dry hopping, going HG, lagering, or adding fruit, 2 weeks is fine and secondary will only get you a clearer beer and less time bottle finishing."
thoughts? should he have let it go longer, and/or done secondary?
edit: come to find out he also double pitched
a buddy is brewing a stout. he went to bottle last night, flavors were rather "off". not sure exactly how. i was trying to help him trouble shoot. FG only got down to 1.023, and that got him to 4.7% abv. Come to find out he only left it in primary for 2 weeks, and no secondary. He seems to think that 2 weeks is plenty long for fermentation. One of his responses:
"Ok mr. Expert, unless you're dry hopping, going HG, lagering, or adding fruit, 2 weeks is fine and secondary will only get you a clearer beer and less time bottle finishing."
thoughts? should he have let it go longer, and/or done secondary?
edit: come to find out he also double pitched
Last edited:
I am no veteran but I find longer always equals better.
...also the more you move your beer the more apt it is to get an infection &/or oxidized. I only do a secondary if I need the space.
Maybe cuz he double pitched there are still some active yeast, doing things yeast do.
...also the more you move your beer the more apt it is to get an infection &/or oxidized. I only do a secondary if I need the space.
Maybe cuz he double pitched there are still some active yeast, doing things yeast do.
Weird. What temps was he fermenting at? The only time I've come across that slow fermentation was when the temps were too cold for the yeast to do their thing. Did he aerate it well after cooling? Pitch the yeast when the wort was too warm? Use old yeast?
As for a secondary, I mainly use that to clean all/most of the crap out of the beer. I've only skipped that step once (with a milk-stout) and the sediment clogged the hell out of my bottling tool. I'd get a couple bottles filled, and then have to clean all of the gunk out. Since that disaster, I've gone back to always doing a secondary. It might not be as important if you're kegging, but for bottling it was a nightmare.
Last edited:
dunno what temps, doubt he aerated.
i think he basically just wanted it to be ready in time for new years.
i think he basically just wanted it to be ready in time for new years.
I am of the belief that if the beer is good, the technique is good. There are many many opinions when it comes to making beer. Personally, two weeks is WAY to short of a time.
especially if he double pitched. What was his OG and what was his expected FG? Either way, he sounds like a jackass/know-it-all.
(where is that :nuts: icon dealy when I need it?)
especially if he double pitched. What was his OG and what was his expected FG? Either way, he sounds like a jackass/know-it-all.
(where is that :nuts: icon dealy when I need it?)
he was off his expected FG. expected was 1.015. only got to 1.023I am of the belief that if the beer is good, the technique is good. There are many many opinions when it comes to making beer. Personally, two weeks is WAY to short of a time.
especially if he double pitched. What was his OG and what was his expected FG? Either way, he sounds like a jackass/know-it-all.
also, apparently this was a milk stout.
i think & could be wrong about this, but lactose could mess with his gravity readings since it is an unfermentable sugar, any experts care to comment?
Wifey got me an imperial IPA recipe. 10.5% ABV and 102 IBU's! Crimeny. I'd start it today but we have a ton of Christmas crap going on. Next week I guess. Pics to follow.
Mashing my grains for the recipe below right now. My first lager & my first commercial clone attempt.
Lakefront Riverwest Stein Beer
3 gallons
OG=1.058
FG=1.016
ABV=5.5%
IBU=38
SRM=9
5.33 lb American 2-row
6.4 oz Carapils
6.4 oz Caramunich
1 oz Roasted Barley
0.5 oz Cascade (5.9% alpha, 120 minutes)
1 oz Willamette (4.6% alpha, 30 minutes) ---->SUBSTITUTED Fuggles
0.5 oz Mt. Hood (5% alpha, dry hopped)
WLP838 Southern German Lager yeast ---->SUBSTITUTED Wyeast American Lager
Mash at 155 F for 90 minutes. Boil 1 hours, adding hops per schedule. Ferment at 50 F for 2 weeks, then lager for a month at <40 F.
Prost!
Lakefront Riverwest Stein Beer
3 gallons
OG=1.058
FG=1.016
ABV=5.5%
IBU=38
SRM=9
5.33 lb American 2-row
6.4 oz Carapils
6.4 oz Caramunich
1 oz Roasted Barley
0.5 oz Cascade (5.9% alpha, 120 minutes)
1 oz Willamette (4.6% alpha, 30 minutes) ---->SUBSTITUTED Fuggles
0.5 oz Mt. Hood (5% alpha, dry hopped)
WLP838 Southern German Lager yeast ---->SUBSTITUTED Wyeast American Lager
Mash at 155 F for 90 minutes. Boil 1 hours, adding hops per schedule. Ferment at 50 F for 2 weeks, then lager for a month at <40 F.
Prost!
Found a turkey fryer on CL for $25. Think I am gonna pull the trigger today.
A tall Sam Adams winter lager @ red robins for lunch.
wrong thread ^^^^
Brewed up a lager yesterday. it's bubbling at 56 degrees now.
5# Pilsner
5# British 2Row
1# Wheat
1# Crystal 60L
1 teaspoon Brewing Salts
Mt. Hood and Hallertauar brought the IBU's up to 23
Safelager S-23
I now have 20 gallons of beer in my basement...
Brewed up a lager yesterday. it's bubbling at 56 degrees now.
5# Pilsner
5# British 2Row
1# Wheat
1# Crystal 60L
1 teaspoon Brewing Salts
Mt. Hood and Hallertauar brought the IBU's up to 23
Safelager S-23
I now have 20 gallons of beer in my basement...
wowzas
Yea, its blowing over in a big way right now. Very active fermentation.
i can imagine. how much yeast did you use?
I used just one of the Wyeast American Ale packages to start, but here in a day or two when it slows down a little I'm going to pitch another, just not sure what yet. I have concerns about fermentation sticking as high as the OG was.
With an OG like that, a starter would have been good to use.
Just got back from Northern Brewer. I had to swap out my gas tank & while I was there I got some grains, hops & yeast for a PM porter.
4# 2 row
1#carafa III
1# crystal 40L
1# munich 10L
1# flaked oats
3.3# amber LME
some fuggles & northern brewer hops & wyeast 1084 irish ale yeast.
in primary...amber lager and my brown ipa.
in the keg...kolsch bier.
gotta move some beer tomorrow.
4# 2 row
1#carafa III
1# crystal 40L
1# munich 10L
1# flaked oats
3.3# amber LME
some fuggles & northern brewer hops & wyeast 1084 irish ale yeast.
in primary...amber lager and my brown ipa.
in the keg...kolsch bier.
gotta move some beer tomorrow.
Last edited:
keep us updated.
Maybe. Although I seem to recall Wyeast claiming that the "smack packs" were almost as good for home brewing purposes. If I should be doing anything, its running O2 through my wort. Time will tell I guess.
diggity. keep us posted the next time you take a gravity reading.
brewing up a partial mash porter recipe right now. got about 4 gals. of wort outta my mash. waiting on my sample to cool so I can figure out my efficiency.
EDIT---looks like 69% did a.5 mash this time. still tweeking my biab method.
EDIT---looks like 69% did a.5 mash this time. still tweeking my biab method.
Last edited:
monstrous! i've got a burly ipa in the primary right now at 1.092og, with a half pound (5gal batch) of zeus & simcoe (will be keg hopped w/ a couple more oz). my iphone app indicates 189ibu; should be fun.
Clocked in @ 1.104
Racked to a secondary today. Pitched more yeast and dry hopped. Gravity today was 1.059, which if I remember correctly puts it already at damn near 6%abv. 
and yes, it was fvcking delicious.
and yes, it was fvcking delicious.
^does that beer mug have your used ID on it?
Yes. I've been using that moniker for a long time. That mug is probably 10 years old now, got it when I was on the central coast of cali and was stopping at Firestone Walker every friday.
Did you ever go to Jockos steak house in Nipomo?
Back on topic...kegging my winter ale tonight.
you might have to send me a bottle of thisRacked to a secondary today. Pitched more yeast and dry hopped. Gravity today was 1.059, which if I remember correctly puts it already at damn near 6%abv.
I'm trying real hard to not taste test the Imperial russian stout I bottled in mid december.
OG was 1098 FG was 1022.
Black as black can be, a veritable black hole!
I cant wait to see the difference between the bottled and the stuff I have aging in the oak ex Spanish sherry barrel..... Hand pump material I think, might be a bit on the sweet side maybe (provided no infections due to the breathableity of the barrel)?
Must hold off opening, but the temptation is getting strong!
OG was 1098 FG was 1022.
Black as black can be, a veritable black hole!
I cant wait to see the difference between the bottled and the stuff I have aging in the oak ex Spanish sherry barrel..... Hand pump material I think, might be a bit on the sweet side maybe (provided no infections due to the breathableity of the barrel)?
Must hold off opening, but the temptation is getting strong!
I hooked up the gas at 12-ish PSI and left it for 3 weeks....