What's in your fermenter? 2019

[Rowbrew]

6 hours ago, Beer Baron said:

Very nice looking sample. How was the taste??

Cheers Beer Baron, im really happy with the colour too. The taste is pretty good, I cant pick up distict fruits from it, but it has an overall fruity / hop pellet vibe. It does have a very slight spicy note towards the end but dissipates quickly. In my limited experience with these beers, the tropical fruit characters come out a little more and are a bit more distictive once its carbed up and conditioned for a couple of weeks

[Norris!]

Just added the lime and raspberry essence to the lime and raspberry cider from mangrove jacks. I only added maybe a quarter of the sweetener and it is nice and tart, with a slight sulphur aroma that has faded to unnoticeable once the essence was added. I am looking forward to this batch. 

[Otto Von Blotto]

I did my usual SG check after 3 days in the fermenter earlier today and it was only down to about 1.038-40. Probably left the starter in the fridge a little longer than usual before pitching, and also CBF oxygenating this batch. I didn't do the last one and it didn't behave this way but every batch is different I guess. Stuff isn't completely set up/sorted here yet so some things I'd prefer to be doing are being left out for now. 

I have the hydrometer sample sitting on the bar so I can monitor its dropping over the coming days at a warmer temp (getting up to low 30s in the house during the day). Given where the SG was today I decided against raising the temp and will do that tomorrow night instead. 

Not used to this slow fermentation crap!

[Walid]

Hi guys 

 

I see that everybody knows how to use the THE CRAFT RANGE LIGHT LME 1.5 KG but I dont'.

 

Can you please tell me what it is for and how I apply it in the fermenter?

 

Best regards 

[BlackSands]

Fermenting a hoppy British Golden Ale at the moment.  Actually it's already at 1.010 after just 3 days.  I've been mashing at 63.5 - 64ºC lately which seems to be making a notable, and desired difference...  lower FG's and hence drier overall.

• 1 x 1.7kg Coopers Lager
• 2kg GF American Ale Malt
• 200g GF Toffee Malt
• 25g UK Fuggles (10 min)
• 25g UK Golding (10 min)
• 50g NZ Golding (FO)
• Nottingham Yeast (slurry)

 

Sample is tasting light and hoppy...  not surprisingly! 

[Otto Von Blotto]

Mine is well, I dunno what it's doing. The sample on the bar was still at 1.030 this morning, it has cleared up quite a bit, almost like it does when fermentation stops, but is still bubbling away and the hydrometer is slowly dropping. Sunday will be 7 days since pitching and they're normally done by then but I think this one will still be around 1.020. I will take another reading to check it though. 

The only other thing I can think of is that the temp controller is out of whack and needs calibration again, but that doesn't explain the slow fermentation of the warm sample on the bar.

[#granted+brew]

Hi all,

Day 14 for my Czech Pils and it looks good. Nice and clear and seems to be finished at 1.012 Sitting at 10°C again yesterday after a slow ramp down from my 'D rest' temp of 18°C. I'll step it down to 4°C over the next 3 days and bottle on Wednesday.

Meanwhile my 'real cascade ale' is on day four, sitting sweet at 18°C. Krausen has dropped already. I'm just going to hold it there until day 9 then a straight drop to 3°C for a cold crash, bottle on day 14. 

Have a great weekend everyone. 

Cheers, Lee

[ChristinaS1]

23 hours ago, BlackSands said:

Fermenting a hoppy British Golden Ale at the moment.  Actually it's already at 1.010 after just 3 days.  I've been mashing at 63.5 - 64ºC lately which seems to be making a notable, and desired difference...  lower FG's and hence drier overall.

• 1 x 1.7kg Coopers Lager
• 2kg GF American Ale Malt
• 200g GF Toffee Malt
• 25g UK Fuggles (10 min)
• 25g UK Golding (10 min)
• 50g NZ Golding (FO)
• Nottingham Yeast (slurry)

 

Sample is tasting light and hoppy...  not surprisingly! 

Nice looking recipe BlackSands. How does the NZ Golding compare to the UK Golding?

[ChristinaS1]

22 hours ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

Mine is well, I dunno what it's doing. The sample on the bar was still at 1.030 this morning, it has cleared up quite a bit, almost like it does when fermentation stops, but is still bubbling away and the hydrometer is slowly dropping. Sunday will be 7 days since pitching and they're normally done by then but I think this one will still be around 1.020. I will take another reading to check it though. 

The only other thing I can think of is that the temp controller is out of whack and needs calibration again, but that doesn't explain the slow fermentation of the warm sample on the bar.

Did you already mention how many generations your yeast is? 

[BlackSands]

1 minute ago, ChristinaS1 said:

Nice looking recipe BlackSands. How does the NZ Golding compare to the UK Golding?

Price wise - they're certainly cheaper!  

It's hard to say as I haven't done a side by side comparison of course but I would say they're perhaps less 'earthy' than their UK counterpart.  The pellets are a somewhat different shade and their aroma is slightly different -  hard for me to describe that difference though!    It's the same situation with NZ Fuggles - again I feel they're perhaps not as 'earthy' as the UK ones and lean a little more toward "new world" type flavours. 

Probably not very helpful!

[Otto Von Blotto]

36 minutes ago, ChristinaS1 said:

Did you already mention how many generations your yeast is? 

No but it's pretty new, 2nd or 3rd generation. The sample in the hydrometer has now dropped to about 1.020 and is still bubbling away. Too busy today but I'll take a reading from the fermenter tomorrow and see what it's doing. 

I've never encountered something like this before. It's really weird. It's still fermenting but it's just so slow. 

[BlackSands]

1 hour ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

I've never encountered something like this before. It's really weird. It's still fermenting but it's just so slow. 

Happened to me once.   One brew a few years ago took around 17 days to get to FG  - for no apparent reason.   I kept thinking it had stalled at around 1.020 but the SG did continue to drop... about 1 point per day!         

[Otto Von Blotto]

Well I hope it doesn't take that bloody long! The sample is still bubbling and very slowly dropping. It's like the yeast have dropped out early but are still working.

[Titan]

29 minutes ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

Well I hope it doesn't take that bloody long! The sample is still bubbling and very slowly dropping. It's like the yeast have dropped out early but are still working.

They are waiting for penalty rates mate.

[Norris!]

I bottled a case of the lime and raspberry cider and kegged the remainder. Before I bottled and kegged I put the cider into my bottling bucket to help remove any remaining sulphur aromas from the yeast. It was an additional step and in the past the sulphur aroma goes away with time but I wanted to put another batch on and this was a nice short cut, mind you the aroma was slight so this should help.

I plan on using up the last of the briess lme, this one a Munich lme, in maybe a lager or something. Haven't decided, but something light.

 

[Beer Baron]

My pale ale is happily fermenting away. The clarity is awesome!!

[Otto Von Blotto]

My sample has dropped to about 1.012-14 or something, can't read it properly with the mini krausen it formed. Didn't end up taking a reading yesterday or today but I'll clean out the sample tube tonight and take one tomorrow.

[Shamus O'Sean]

Got two brews on this past weekend.  Both toucans, one by design and one by my choice.

Coopers Saison

• 1 x 1.7kg Coopers Australian Pale Ale
• 1 x 1.7kg Thomas Coopers Preacher's Hefe Wheat
• 1 x 500g Dry Wheat Malt (cause I had some) instead of 1 x 500g LDM
• 1 x 25g Saaz Hop Pellets (15 minute steep)
• 1 x 10g Mangrove Jacks French Saison yeast re-hydrated (what the LHBS had) instead of Lallemand Belle Saison yeast
• OG 1.049 (OG 1.049 & FG 1.010 IanH spreadsheet)
• ABV 5.5% Bottle carbed 

Inspired by Coopers Roger Roger Ale but I got a bit creative, hopefully for the best

• 1 x 1.7kg Australian Pale Ale
• 1 x 1.7kg Thomas Coopers Family Secret Amber Ale instead of 1 x 1.5kg Thomas Coopers Amber Malt Extract (will lead to a much more bitter outcome, but I liked the Family Secret Amber Ale)
• 1 x 200g LDM instead of 200g Dark Munich Malt Grains (the FSAA should make it dark enough)
• Changed hop schedule based on my inventory (subbed out 25g Cascade; 25g Chinook; and 25g East Kent Goldings)
• 1 x 25g Topaz Hop Pellets - 20 minute steep
• 1 x 25g Vic Secret Hop Pellets - 20 minute steep
• 1 x 25g Topaz Hop Pellets - Dry hop planned
• 1 x 25g Vic Secret Hop Pellets - Dry hop planned
• 2 x Brew can yeasts (re-hydrated) instead of US-05
• OG 1.044 (OG 1.045 & FG 1.011 IanH spreadsheet)
• ABV 4.9% Bottle carbed

Both fermenting away nicely.  Saison at room temperature around 20-23° and Toucan Roger Roger Amber Ale at 18° in temperature controlled freezer.

Edited February 25, 2019 by Shamus O'Sean

[Otto Von Blotto]

Checked the SG on my pale ale today, finally lol. It's sitting at around 1.011-12 at the moment, I'll check it again Saturday and see what it's doing. I'm guessing it's probably finished though. If it is then it'll be going into a keg next weekend.

[Norris!]

@Shamus O'Sean

Nice looking mix! What is topaz like?

 

[Naughty Corner Brewing]

Put down the Battleship Bitter recipe tonight in honour of @Titan and at the suggestion of @Beerlust last year.

The only change I made was swapping out the Nottingham yeast and using S04 which I got on special last week. I don’t think it should make a huge difference but I’m sure there will be some.

Looking forward to trying this one in a month. 

[Shamus O'Sean]

18 hours ago, Norris! said:

@Shamus O'Sean

Nice looking mix! What is topaz like?

 

Hi Norris

I cannot really describe Topaz as I have not used it on its own.  I have only used it once so far.  However, I got 400 grams a while ago, so I will be using it for a little while.

The time I used it was a dry hop:  40g of my own grown Cascade; 25g of Topaz and 25g of Vic Secret; in a 3.2% lager.  This combination is a nice blend, but exactly what Topaz brings I cannot describe, other than what you can get from Google.

I have done another lager with 25g of Topaz and 25g of Vic Secret (30 minute steep) plus 25g of Topaz and 25g of Vic Secret (dry hop) (6 days in the bottle). 

Also doing an Amber Ale (5 days in the fermenter) with the same hop additions (I also got 400g of Vic Secret).  When I did the dry hop last night I gave the two hops a sniff.  Both smelled nice, but one seemed twice as fruity as the other.  I forgot to note which one though.  They are supposedly sister hops.

Cheers Shamus

[Norris!]

@Shamus O'Sean

Cheers Mate! I would bet my bottom dollar the Vic secret was the extra fruity one but I think I might Google topaz some more and see what I find  I might just try some.

Good one growing those cascade hops, well done.

 

[Titan]

First time using the wine fridge for ale. Would you block out the light?

[Norris!]

I would, just to even ensure I did everything to make sure the beer came out ok, no need to add the risk of skunking it with light....but I have read some articles where a super hoppy beer that was left on the window sill versus one left in a dark place came out better, but that was just one experiment.