IainM2 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I am looking to brew a Pilsener, as the last brew was infected. Can you use Brew Enhancer 2 in a Pilsener? Will it intensify the drink? I know Brew Enhancer 1 is more ideal, however, I ordered the wrong batch by accident! Thanks for any advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I think BE2 would be better than BE1 in a pilsner. Pilsners tend to be a little more maltier than your 'standard' lager so the addition of malt in the BE2 would help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Probably obvious to you, but clean and sanitised that fermenter within an inch of its life, change the tap and make sure you get into the threads with boiling water and a no rinse sanitiser or you may end up with a second batch for the lawn, Sorry for your loss. What was the infection caused by? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainM2 Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 On the DVD, it said you could use the Fermenter 1st time without cleaning it. I think this was my mistake. I also got the temperatures wrong, as I had an unplanned hospital visit! Thanks again for responding. I am so excited by this project. To taste the fruits of your labor (especially the alcoholic variety) is pretty awesome! I just hope I have better luck this time! I prefer a hoppy beer, so I might go with BE2. How easy is it to venture out and use the equipment to make beers tailored to my own tastes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 You should definitely clean & sanitise. A little effort upfront will save tipping out a whole batch. If you are using the Coopers Pilsner kit then this comes with a 7g lager yeast. Pitch it at 20-22 degrees and then bring it down to around 10-12 degrees after a day and keep it there. If you can't maintain those low temps then you are better off skipping the lager yeast. Either brew a different beer style (ie. ale) or use a neutral ale yeast like US-05 or Nottingham and brew at 17-18 degrees. Also, BE2 won't make the beer hoppy; adding hops will. Once you learn the basics you can brew pretty much any type of beer that you like. Good luck with this batch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Just gonna add my 2c in here (since I found some money on the road earlier). Waiting for at least 2-3+ weeks after bottling is very important! I was going to throw out my first batch that I bottled a month ago but tasted it last night and it wasn't bad! (nothing great either). It was just the standard lager kit that comes in the DIY pack, and it was pitched at 32C, fermented at 28C in 4 days then bottled. Everything was wrong! I tried it after 2 weeks and it tasted like foot. Had one final try last night and it was good! So I guess the moral of the story here is that even if you think all is lost, don't give up. EDIT: Unless it's infected... [sick] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainM2 Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 You should definitely clean & sanitise. A little effort upfront will save tipping out a whole batch. If you are using the Coopers Pilsner kit then this comes with a 7g lager yeast. Pitch it at 20-22 degrees and then bring it down to around 10-12 degrees after a day and keep it there. If you can't maintain those low temps then you are better off skipping the lager yeast. Either brew a different beer style (ie. ale) or use a neutral ale yeast like US-05 or Nottingham and brew at 17-18 degrees. Also, BE2 won't make the beer hoppy; adding hops will. Once you learn the basics you can brew pretty much any type of beer that you like. Good luck with this batch. How long should I keep it at 10/12 degrees? 4-5 days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyG4 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 you'll get a more conclusive answer - but triple that timeframe (4-5 days). a lager yeast at about 12 degrees will ferment a lot more slowly. but that's why you do it, you get a much "cleaner" ferment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 You should definitely clean & sanitise. A little effort upfront will save tipping out a whole batch. If you are using the Coopers Pilsner kit then this comes with a 7g lager yeast. Pitch it at 20-22 degrees and then bring it down to around 10-12 degrees after a day and keep it there. If you can't maintain those low temps then you are better off skipping the lager yeast. Either brew a different beer style (ie. ale) or use a neutral ale yeast like US-05 or Nottingham and brew at 17-18 degrees. Also, BE2 won't make the beer hoppy; adding hops will. Once you learn the basics you can brew pretty much any type of beer that you like. Good luck with this batch. How long should I keep it at 10/12 degrees? 4-5 days? Until its finished fermenting. Probably around 2-3 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 On the DVD, it said you could use the Fermenter 1st time without cleaning it. I think this was my mistake. You still needed to at least rinse in hot water though. Also a touch of Starsan would have helped too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Personally I think they do more damage than good with those instructions, they would be better off with nust a note with www. Coopers. Com. Au, brewing blather on the top of the fv When o when will they get the idea of giving adequate advice woth their stirling product. Sigh rant over (again) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamH1525226084 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Can't remember if I rinsed mine out or not - I'm leaning towards not. I definitely didn't do any sanitising - and my first brew was fine. The bottles I did rinse, but again no sanitising. I have since sanitised my FV but not bottles as I bought enough to have three brews bottled at once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainM2 Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 you'll get a more conclusive answer - but triple that timeframe (4-5 days). a lager yeast at about 12 degrees will ferment a lot more slowly. but that's why you do it' date=' you get a much "cleaner" ferment.[/quote'] How long do I leave it in the fermenter? I pitched it at 22*C for a day, then moved it to somewhere more cooler. How long in the cooler area should it stay in the fermenter before i remove croizen collar? and then after that, when do i bottle it? Then how long should it remain in the bottles before its ready? Sorry for the amount of questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyG4 Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 you don't need to remove the collar. granted i haven't done that many brews yet, but i just leave mine in. i just don't personally see the benefit to taking the risk of opening the lid. use your hydrometer to know when it's done. without knowing the maths on your brew (i'm not that strong on the maths to begin with), a pilsener will probably get down to a FG of about 1006. using a lager yeast and brewing at about 12 degrees, it's probably time to start testing samples with your hydrometer after about 12 days. when you get the same reading two days in a row, you're right to bottle. disclaimer: i'm by no means an expert on this. in fact i've not even brewed with a lager yeast yet. but i've read this board a lot, listened to a lot of basic brewing radio, and i've taken a particular interest in how yeast works (the crazy, yet angelic little critters) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 So what temperature is it on now? Have you used a lager strain of yeast? Most of those questions are answered by the little booklet at top of tin if you can be bothered to read it. Otherwise if you look at other parts of this site there are many brewing facts ideas etc. But you only know when fermenting has finished after 2 stable readings over 2 days so if you arent taking readings it might pay to start. Have a little look on this site alot of info already there just need to look[rightful] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainM2 Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 congratulations on your response. there is a science to brewing beer, and the point of this forum is to feed off one another for advice. [rightful] rightful my ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Have a big sook about it dip s h i t if you spent a bit of time to read what info came with the can you wouldnt be asking the most basic things here. Yes it is good to feed off one another but if you are using this site there is more than chat. There are posts that say read this first if new to forum obviously u didnt read it. Or the Brewing Facts and frequently asked questions. I was reading all this for months before started in forum. Yes i sometimes have questions but not the most basic which are at least included in the can. Get a life stop crying and hopefully make some good beer and this [rightful] just looks cool wasnt meant to mean exactly what the undelining says when wave mouse over. [biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyG4 Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 to those asking questions, NEVER refrain from doing so on this site. the majority of people here are happy to help, because as some of our elder bretheren like Yob have said recently, the instructions that Coopers give you do more harm than good. the coopers kits will tell you to brew at 21-27 degrees, in 6 or 7 days. we know this makes bullet proof beer, not good beer. so ignore sir jimmimus maximus - the majority of us here want to get and receive good advice so we can make good beer. it's kind of the point of the thread - ill-confidence because he followed the Coopers instructions for his first beer and it got infected. maybe try and understand before hurling abuse at people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Hull Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Hear, hear Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Hull Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 As far as the Krausen Kollar is concerned, this is covered by the second answer in the Brewing FAQs in the "How to Brew" section of the website, and it is also covered by the DIY beer video (Introduction in "How to Brew"). Even if the CO2 layer protecting the brew is disturbed when the Kollar is removed on the third day, it will quickly be replaced as your brew is still fermenting. I find that it makes cleaning easier, and that suits me since I'm lazy. [joyful] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 you'll get a more conclusive answer - but triple that timeframe (4-5 days). a lager yeast at about 12 degrees will ferment a lot more slowly. but that's why you do it' date=' you get a much "cleaner" ferment.[/quote'] How long do I leave it in the fermenter? I pitched it at 22*C for a day, then moved it to somewhere more cooler. How long in the cooler area should it stay in the fermenter before i remove croizen collar? and then after that, when do i bottle it? Then how long should it remain in the bottles before its ready? Sorry for the amount of questions! Don't apologise for asking questions; there is always someone around here willing to help. You need to leave it in the fermenter until it finishes fermenting, probably around 2 weeks at lager temps. I keep mine in the FV for a another week after that (ie. generally 3 weeks for a lager). Lagers take longer to condition in the bottle. Really, you can start drinking once it is carbonated but the recommended time for a lager is at least 12 weeks [crying] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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