bottled my mead that has been fermenting since last November. gonna start some beer after we move next month.
What's fermenting now?
- Thread starter TN
- Start date
Where ya goin'?
Wheat beers, from what I know, seem to explode with krausen.ah durr, honey is predominantly sugar.
I'm realizing that (although I wasn't sure whether it was the honey or the wheat), as it's still going with a TON of krausen 4 days after I brewed. My pale ale was done within about 36h hours of brewing, and everything had settled back down. Even temperatures dropping a little bit (68deg down to 63 this morning) didn't slow things down...
Dante - Read this. Some intresting stuff.
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/can-leaving-beer-primary-too-long-have-ill-affects-86608/
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/can-leaving-beer-primary-too-long-have-ill-affects-86608/
..... how much honey did you add....
Yeah, I've read quite a lot about autolysis and I'm not sure that I buy that it's a problem for home brewers who are following good practices. Maybe if you pitch unhealthy yeast, or way under-pitch, or leave it there for 3-4 months, but it seems like a whole lot of respected sources are of the opinion that autolysis isn't an issue under normal conditions.
2lbs, it's what came with the kit. Krausen's still up to the top of the fermenter, and still bubbling through the blow-off tube (couple/minute, but since it's a big tube it's big bubbles). Currently 4 days and counting so far, so will just let it do it's thing. Can't remember exactly the recipe, but think it was one container of LME (not sure which color), so it was 5.5lbs? 6lbs? Plus 2lbs of honey (and steeping grains).
2lbs? holy cow. Where'd you get the kit?
wineandhop.com, it's my LHBS. Just checked and it's still going, and what's worse is that it's cooled off in my house so the beer is now down to 61deg. Probably just means it's going to take longer...
still going....... currently almost 8 days since I boiled, krausen is still at the top and it's bubbling away. What's the longest you guys have had a primary actively ferment for?
not that long...... but I say let 'er ride man!
As they say, RDWHAHB.
Let it ferment. It'll finish when it finishes. There's nothing you can do to change the outcome at this point - if there are yeast and fermentables present, all you can do is wait until the fermentables are gone and/or the yeast have settled down.
Trying to interrupt it/change it will only result in excess sugars in your finished product and bottle bombs when it over-carbonates. IMO, anyway!
Let it ferment. It'll finish when it finishes. There's nothing you can do to change the outcome at this point - if there are yeast and fermentables present, all you can do is wait until the fermentables are gone and/or the yeast have settled down.
Trying to interrupt it/change it will only result in excess sugars in your finished product and bottle bombs when it over-carbonates. IMO, anyway!
I can't, since my first Pale Ale is still sitting in the secondary fermenter!!
As for letting it run it's course, that's exactly what I was planning on. Just curious since 8 days of vigorous bubbling seems a bit abnormal.
Bottled my Pale Ale yesterday, and it tasted decently well. Bitterness had definitely mellowed out some, and probably will be pretty tasty in another couple weeks after it's done conditioning.
Moved my honey wheat over to the secondary, so total time in the primary was 2.5 weeks (almost 3). Tasted... off, but it still has at least another couple weeks in the secondary and then bottling to go. (not off as in spoiled, but off as in... a little tasteless and cardboardy)
Moved my honey wheat over to the secondary, so total time in the primary was 2.5 weeks (almost 3). Tasted... off, but it still has at least another couple weeks in the secondary and then bottling to go. (not off as in spoiled, but off as in... a little tasteless and cardboardy)
Cooking up a small batch on the stove top today.
I was going to do a one gallon batch but screwed up my math and used 3 gallons of mash water. And the battery died on my scale so I'm not exactly sure of my grain bill...
I'm using about six pounds of grain. 5.5 of 2 row and .5 of Munich.
On a side note, I think the last beer I made is infected. It started bubbling again after being in primary for 3.5 weeks....
I was going to do a one gallon batch but screwed up my math and used 3 gallons of mash water. And the battery died on my scale so I'm not exactly sure of my grain bill...
I'm using about six pounds of grain. 5.5 of 2 row and .5 of Munich.
On a side note, I think the last beer I made is infected. It started bubbling again after being in primary for 3.5 weeks....
nope. it's been sitting in the same spot....
Bummer, time to give all of your gear a soak in some bleach solution before you brew again.
starting my first pratial mash next week. gonna be a kolsch bier.
I know it's not homebrew, but I'm pretty stoked that I got to brew a 25 bbl batch of my own Dubbel recipe at work on Friday. 20 bbls went in to a fermenter with Westmalle yeast and will be bottled later this month or early next. The other 5 bbls went in to our funky tank with 2 strains of yeast, 2 strains of brett., and 2 souring bacterias. It will go in to oak later this month, may see some fruit at some point, and will hopefully be bottled by next xmas. 
that's great. Now I want to try it of course.... both of them. oh and I am in PA so maybe I can come out and visit, would like to see the brewery.I know it's not homebrew, but I'm pretty stoked that I got to brew a 25 bbl batch of my own Dubbel recipe at work on Friday. 20 bbls went in to a fermenter with Westmalle yeast and will be bottled later this month or early next. The other 5 bbls went in to our funky tank with 2 strains of yeast, 2 strains of brett., and 2 souring bacterias. It will go in to oak later this month, may see some fruit at some point, and will hopefully be bottled by next xmas.
Have a porter sitting in the secondary, and just brewed another PA today. Homemade wort chiller cooled the wort down in about 1/2 hour (with about 3 of the 7 coils out of the wort) as opposed to an hour and 15min with the previous method (ice bath). Wort chiller is made from about 24' of 1/2" copper tubing, and total cost was about $35, not including the beer I bought for a friend to help with the soldering. If I can get all of the coils underneath the wort I'm hoping to cut the chilling time in half...
The brewing is fun, and getting quicker (full brew and cleanup took about 3.5 hours), but bottling still sucks....... Might ask for a tap setup for Christmas.
The brewing is fun, and getting quicker (full brew and cleanup took about 3.5 hours), but bottling still sucks....... Might ask for a tap setup for Christmas.
Finally got around to brewing.
My Rye P.A. is bubbling away in the cellar. It was my first PM. It went pretty good. I think I might have enough room in my brew kettle to do a stove top AG. Gonna get another few PM's under my belt first. It was nice using half the extract i usually do. I hope it tastes good.
^been 10 days in primary...I cant decide if I should rack it or just be lazy as usual. My last brew that had only a primary ferm was great....albeit a long primary.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
I can't remember the last time I did two weeks or less in primary. Longer time seems to be better, despite what the books written 30 years ago say.
The only real reason I secondary anymore is to help drop yeast because I can't cold crash.
I usually do 4 weeks or more in primary.
The only real reason I secondary anymore is to help drop yeast because I can't cold crash.
I usually do 4 weeks or more in primary.
Just put on a yeast starter for a hoppy brown ale I will be brewing on Sunday.
Next project will probably be a rye pale ale.
Next project will probably be a rye pale ale.
Brewed a black IPA yesterday. Woke up this morning to this:
Attachments
what is that, Meat Loaf's colostomy bag?
did my first AG recipe this saturday...just a 3 gal batch.
My OG was higher than expected so I think i got good conversion.
It is an all amarillo pale ale....should be tasty.
i just took a gravity reading of my Rye P.A. It is ready @ 6.8%. i just need to let it dry hop for a few days. the sample from my hydrometer jar was stellar. I cant wait for it to be in the bottles.
My OG was higher than expected so I think i got good conversion.
It is an all amarillo pale ale....should be tasty.
i just took a gravity reading of my Rye P.A. It is ready @ 6.8%. i just need to let it dry hop for a few days. the sample from my hydrometer jar was stellar. I cant wait for it to be in the bottles.
So, my brown ale leveled off at 7.3% alcohol 
. That's a pretty heavy brown ale.
I believe this was based off of a 6 gallon recipe that I did not do due diligence on to check. Guess I'm going to call it "imperial" and pretend it was intentional
. I've read a few bad things about adding water at bottling time to lighten it a little.
Anyone ever tried that?
. That's a pretty heavy brown ale.I believe this was based off of a 6 gallon recipe that I did not do due diligence on to check. Guess I'm going to call it "imperial" and pretend it was intentional
. I've read a few bad things about adding water at bottling time to lighten it a little.Anyone ever tried that?
I bought a corny keg this weekend. Going to NB on wednesday to pick the rest of my bits & pieces. Hopefully will be drinking home brew outta the tapper by my birfday.
L sez to me on the ride home from getting the keg "we are gonna need to brew more." <3
L sez to me on the ride home from getting the keg "we are gonna need to brew more." <3
holy smokes!
must spread rep!
nothing brewing at the moment. Gonna pick out a good stout or porter to do soon (quite possibly both depending on fermentation times. and whether or not I'm willing to spring for another car boy.)