Newbie needing advice

[Liambeer]

Hi guys,

Just kicking off brewing again after 15 years hiatus and by gosh things have changed! I'm a simple man so want to Brew something familiar like XXXX Gold. But have a few questions if you guys would be so kind to give me a few tips

The old fella up the road brews and has offered to show me some tricks but his brews taste quite yeasty and home brewy if you know what i mean.

He uses a Gold clone, and the packet yeast, White sugar only to ferment, and also white sugar to carbonate. Sanitises with bleach. Does it real budget style cause he drinks a plethora of it.

I'm not wanting to go crazy with yeast and Hops and malts etc, but don't want crap beer either. so looking to find a happy medium. like $30-35 total for a brew

I also want to brew something like a Balter IPA for the missus, low in bitters but high in fruitiness

Lastly, I want to brew a ginger beer with good ginger bite and a bit of colour and want to mask the artificial sweetner taste. Old mate up the road brews one, but it lacks colour and is very thin and artificially sweetened(just be a standard kit one)

 

Looking to keep everything below 4% cause heavies play havoc with me!

 

thanks in advance guys

 

[Classic Brewing Co]

13 minutes ago, Liambeer said:

Hi guys,

Just kicking off brewing again after 15 years hiatus and by gosh things have changed! I'm a simple man so want to Brew something familiar like XXXX Gold. But have a few questions if you guys would be so kind to give me a few tips

The old fella up the road brews and has offered to show me some tricks but his brews taste quite yeasty and home brewy if you know what i mean.

He uses a Gold clone, and the packet yeast, White sugar only to ferment, and also white sugar to carbonate. Sanitises with bleach. Does it real budget style cause he drinks a plethora of it.

I'm not wanting to go crazy with yeast and Hops and malts etc, but don't want crap beer either. so looking to find a happy medium. like $30-35 total for a brew

I also want to brew something like a Balter IPA for the missus, low in bitters but high in fruitiness

Lastly, I want to brew a ginger beer with good ginger bite and a bit of colour and want to mask the artificial sweetner taste. Old mate up the road brews one, but it lacks colour and is very thin and artificially sweetened(just be a standard kit one)

 

Looking to keep everything below 4% cause heavies play havoc with me!

 

thanks in advance guys

 

Hi @Liambeer  You certainly picked the right place to get the answers to your questions & learn a whole lot more. We all have 'Old School' mates who do things the cheap way, I call them Supermarket Brewers. If it is brewed like, looks like & tastes like home brew it well & truly is.

There are lots of resources available & this forum is a good start. I will leave any comments from the more experienced brewers as I feel that is right.

Good Luck with it. Cheers.

[Malter White]

Hi @Liambeer
White sugar is OK to carbonate your bottles with but it'd be advisable to use brew enhancers or malts or dextrose (corn sugar) for fermenting.
That home brew yeasty "twang" is usually from the yeast fermenting at higher than optimum temperatures. Yeast is a living thing just like us and when it gets hot we perspire and give off odours.
If you can control your ferment temperature you will produce beers with cleaner flavour. Many of us use old fridges with a separate thermostat controller (Google "Inkbird" to get an idea of what they are). This might sound like too much extravagance to you and if it is there are cheaper methods such as swamp coolers - a fan on a wet towel or old shirt over the fermenting vessel. 

[Journeyman]

31 minutes ago, Liambeer said:

Hi guys,

Just kicking off brewing again after 15 years hiatus and by gosh things have changed! I'm a simple man so want to Brew something familiar like XXXX Gold. But have a few questions if you guys would be so kind to give me a few tips

I'm not wanting to go crazy with yeast and Hops and malts etc, but don't want crap beer either. so looking to find a happy medium. like $30-35 total for a brew

I also want to brew something like a Balter IPA for the missus, low in bitters but high in fruitiness

Lastly, I want to brew a ginger beer with good ginger bite and a bit of colour and want to mask the artificial sweetner taste. Old mate up the road brews one, but it lacks colour and is very thin and artificially sweetened(just be a standard kit one)

Looking to keep everything below 4% cause heavies play havoc with me!

OK, the basics are this...

Can of hopped extract - my goto is Coopers Real Ale can. For a standard beer the can yeast is fine - the cheaper range of Coopers all have an ale yeast. But to begin you might do better with the Draught or lager cans. (Even the lager can has an ale yeast) 

XXX Gold uses Gloden Cluster Hops - if you have an LHBS (Local Home Brew Shop) close they may have it or you can get them online. These hops are why I figure you might want to start with Draught or Lager - they have the least hops flavours to them AFAIK. 

Then you will want some LDME (Light Dry Malt Extract) - using some of this will avoid the 'thin' style of beer you can get from just sugar.

So for a first run I would try, 1 can Draught, 1 pkt can yeast, 500g LDME and fill to 23 litres - I would make a tea of 25g Golden Cluster hops - I use a coffee plunger, and fill it with 85° water and let it steep for maybe 20 mins, then add it to the wort. (unfermented liquid) Do it before adding the yeast and stir it in, then  cover and store where the temps will not change too much. Ideally it should ferment around 18° - 20°. Temps that vary too much are likely reason old mate up the road has 'home brew twang' to his beer.

That gives you a base you can build on to improve or get different results.

Best investment from here? A 2nd hand fridge with a temperature controller to keep the temps steady.

Rotsa Ruck there mate...

[Malter White]

Also @Liambeer, don't be afraid to ask questions here. The majority of respondents on this forum are very generous with sharing their knowledge. You won't be ridiculed for asking what you might think is a stupid question. 
I was like yourself 3 years ago. Had tried brewing rather poorly in the late 90s and gave it away. Took it up again 3 years ago and armed with the knowledge of the folks here I'm now making beer I genuinely enjoy. I'm far from an expert but I'm really happy with the progress I've made this past 3 years.
Happy brewing.

 

[Liambeer]

thanks so much for the speedy replies!

I have read a bit and watched youtube a lot and many talk of Cold Crashing before Carb, would i see less sediment doing this?

Also, what is best to use for the Carb? Drops, white sugar or other?

[Liambeer]

sorry.

 

Just saw Muzzy response on the Carb too,

 

thanks heaps guys!

[Worts and all]

Hi @Liambeer. Welcome back. I, too.returned to brewing a few years ago.with memories of open top garbage cans and terrible beer! Things have indeed changed. It is possible now to make not just good, but excellent beer quite simply. I will be surprised if the mention of 4x doesn’t bring a dismissive sneer to your face once you get to grips with the possibilities of brewing your own. Keep it simple at the start. Your old mate would make much better beer if he ditched the white sugar and replaced it with light dry malt, (LDM). It is a little dearer but improves the brew beyond recognition. Some here prefer liquid malt, but either is fine. With a Coopers kit of your choice and a kilo of LDM you can make an excellent beer well within your price target and alcohol level.You will probably wish to experiment with hop additions soon and the possibilities are endless. Meanwhile pay attention to hygiene (careful but not silly fastidious) and try to keep your brew temperature near the recommended level,and delicious beer will come! Good luck.

[Liambeer]

3 minutes ago, Worts and all said:

Hi @Liambeer. Welcome back. I, too.returned to brewing a few years ago.with memories of open top garbage cans and terrible beer! Things have indeed changed. It is possible now to make not just good, but excellent beer quite simply. I will be surprised if the mention of 4x doesn’t bring a dismissive sneer to your face once you get to grips with the possibilities of brewing your own. Keep it simple at the start. Your old mate would make much better beer if he ditched the white sugar and replaced it with light dry malt, (LDM). It is a little dearer but improves the brew beyond recognition. Some here prefer liquid malt, but either is fine. With a Coopers kit of your choice and a kilo of LDM you can make an excellent beer well within your price target and alcohol level.You will probably wish to experiment with hop additions soon and the possibilities are endless. Meanwhile pay attention to hygiene (careful but not silly fastidious) and try to keep your brew temperature near the recommended level,and delicious beer will come! Good luck.

yeah i thought the old XXXX would bring out a few out of towners comments, lol.

Would the LDM suit a Ginger beer also to add body and flavour?

[Journeyman]

23 minutes ago, Worts and all said:

and try to keep your brew temperature near the recommended level,and delicious beer will come!

@Liambeer- And when he says 'recommended' he is not talking about the temps on the can instructions.  None of us are quite sure why Coopers says such a high temp. 18° - 20° is just great for anything but a true lager and they brew best down around 10° - 12°.

[Journeyman]

30 minutes ago, Liambeer said:

Would the LDM suit a Ginger beer also to add body and flavour

I haven't made a GB but there are recipes for it in the other forums on the main page - check the 'Recipe Resource' forum or look further in this one.

I'd think LDME would add a bit of maltiness to it. If that's not to your liking, you can get extra body etc with maltodextrine - "They are flavorless, colorless, and non-caloric, but contribute to the body of the beer, as well as its mouthfeel and head retention."

There's a recipe elsewhere many seem to like called Kingsley's Ginger beer. I've attached it in case you'd like to try it.

Kingsley's Ginger Beer Recipe.pdfv1.pdf

[Liambeer]

13 minutes ago, Journeyman said:

@Liambeer- And when he says 'recommended' he is not talking about the temps on the can instructions.  None of us are quite sure why Coopers says such a high temp. 18° - 20° is just great for anything but a true lager and they brew best down around 10° - 12°.

those inkbirds are reasonably priced! i was thinking big bucks. i have an old fridge so might kick that off.

so disregard the 22-27c ish on the can? and stick with 18 all the time

[Classic Brewing Co]

3 minutes ago, Liambeer said:

those inkbirds are reasonably priced! i was thinking big bucks. i have an old fridge so might kick that off.

so disregard the 22-27c ish on the can? and stick with 18 all the time

Looks like you are up & running Mate. Go for It !! 

[Worts and all]

47 minutes ago, Journeyman said:

@Liambeer- And when he says 'recommended' he is not talking about the temps on the can instructions.  None of us are quite sure why Coopers says such a high temp. 18° - 20° is just great for anything but a true lager and they brew best down around 10° - 12°.

Yes,indeed. 18-20 deg.seems to be the Goldilocks zone for our friends the yeast cells. They will operate at higher temperatures ,but will not give of their best. If, like me, you are able to maintain that temperature without artificial means, well and good . If not, the old fridge and temperature controller is the go.

[Liambeer]

2 hours ago, Journeyman said:

I haven't made a GB but there are recipes for it in the other forums on the main page - check the 'Recipe Resource' forum or look further in this one.

I'd think LDME would add a bit of maltiness to it. If that's not to your liking, you can get extra body etc with maltodextrine - "They are flavorless, colorless, and non-caloric, but contribute to the body of the beer, as well as its mouthfeel and head retention."

There's a recipe elsewhere many seem to like called Kingsley's Ginger beer. I've attached it in case you'd like to try it.

Kingsley's Ginger Beer Recipe.pdfv1.pdf 333.24 kB · 1 download

that GB sounds like a winner for me,

How would you Carbonate bottles? i dont care for exploded bottles! 

[Malter White]

3 hours ago, Journeyman said:

@Liambeer- And when he says 'recommended' he is not talking about the temps on the can instructions.  None of us are quite sure why Coopers says such a high temp. 18° - 20° is just great for anything but a true lager and they brew best down around 10° - 12°.

I think it was retired moderator on here, PB2, who told us Coopers use a fairly broad temperature spread on the tins' instruction because the average punter isn't going to have a fermenting fridge when they first start out. Achieving low temperatures below 20C would be fairly difficult for a beginner without the extra equipment.

[Classic Brewing Co]

15 minutes ago, MUZZY said:

I think it was retired moderator on here, PB2, who told us Coopers use a fairly broad temperature spread on the tins' instruction because the average punter isn't going to have a fermenting fridge when they first start out. Achieving low temperatures below 20C would be fairly difficult for a beginner without the extra equipment.

Yeah I agree Muzzy, they have to paint a wider picture for those who have limited resources, some of those basic recipes are fairly forgiving until you start getting into the specialty brews.

Once you get set-up there is no turning back. A lifetime of learning & working out which works for you.

[Norris!]

For the missus, Balter, I would try the cerveza kit with 1kg of dry malt extract, 150g of dextrose and add 15g of each, Amarillo, centennial and citra, I think that is the hop combo, to the fermenter after 4 or 5 days and let sit in there for 3 days. That will be cheap and easy you can use whatever kit you like but I prefer the cerveza.

[Cee]

G'day @Liambeer

 

Fairly Newby myself

This is an ace place for questions - nobody has batted an eyelid at my Newbie questions they just answer them  

 

For Ginger Beer I have used the Morgans tin twice now (I make the "non-alcoholic" version and this tin creates that Bundaberg-ish flavour profile

I recommend tweaking the recipe. For this version it says to use 125 gm White Sugar - I swap that for Light Dry Malt and find that the malt does not overpower the flavour. But for alcoholic "hard" GB the amounts would be different and I dunno if I would find that too malty in a GB. Someone recommended using Maltodextrin - Maybe a combination of LDM and Maltodextrin then would be of use.

I dunno where to even begin with estimating amounts (to add alcohol volume without over-malting the flavour) I am too newbie to understand enough about that but maybe others here might have a better idea  

I started making GB for my housemate who doesn't drink beer and now I have 3 folk who have enjoyed it and requested another batch

 

Please share what recipe you end up using and how it turns out - I wanna improve mine too  

 

EDIT - oh yes carbonating. In the "non-alcoholic" version, the 125 grams sugar is what carbonises the drink in the bottles  That is why it is not a Pure non-alcoholic drink

 

Edited April 7, 2021 by Cee

[Liambeer]

thanks for all your tips!

 

i dropped a ginger beer and a pale ale on the weekend,

 

they are fermenting away now, 

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 minute ago, Liambeer said:

thanks for all your tips!

 

i dropped a ginger beer and a pale ale on the weekend,

 

they are fermenting away now, 

Good one @Liambeer  I hope they turn out for you. Just keep on eye on them & record everything & monitor the gravity, You will be enjoying your efforts soon.

[Cee]

How'are they going, @Liambeer?

 

[Liambeer]

Hi guys, the ginger beer bubbled away for the first 36-48 hours, then settled. The beer didn’t bubble so much through the airlock so hope that’s ok. Gravity was as can said. 
 

im hopeful I’ll get something worth drinking shortly