New Brewer

[Darren1525228545]

Hi guys im new to the website and to homebrewing. Ive opened my first batch of beer. Ones a bitter and turned out brilliant, the others a Cerveza which tastes like crap, think the wort temp was to high when fermenting because its has what ive been told is yeast bite! which is what the beer taste like, yuch!

 

Anyway im about to brew a coopers pilsner (brewmaster selction) and want to try honey in it. Ive been told by my local brewshop to just add about 500ml of honey at the start along with the sugar. And ive also read on many webpages to have the honey at 80c for 2hours to get rid of impurities ect. As a novice im not sure who to believe. Id like to hear from anyone thats added honey to the wort and how and when they did it. So any help would be greatly appreciated. Happy Brewing! :D

 

 

 

Also i have 650ml bottles does anyone use 2 of the coopers carbornation drops in these size bottles considering its 2 drops for a 750ml bottle?? If i use 2 in a 100ml smaller bottle will i get explosions!!

[PB2]

G'day Darren,

 

you might want to go to bulk priming if using 650ml bottles. Alternatively, you can buy a sugar measure (from home brew stores) with 3 scoops - 330ml, 500ml and 750ml. Use 2 x 330ml scoops for each bottle.

 

Another good option, if you prefer glass bottles, would be to get the Coopers 750ml glass bottles - designed for re-use by homebrewers and homemade sauce makers. Best to buy them with beer in them (Pale Ale, Sparkling Ale or Best Extra Stout). :wink:

 

Many people use honey as an adjunct in brewing. If it is off the supermarket shelf and looks nice and clean it proabably doesn't need to be pastuerised.

 

Our Pilsener, as with all brews, if you haven't made it before it is a good idea to stick to the recommended recipe first. It likes to ferment at temps below 20degC.

[Darren1525228545]

What is bulk priming?

[Darren1525228545]

Never mind i read what bulk priming is and after some reading for and against ill think ill give it a miss at this early stage in my home brewing escapades. just a question what would be better to prime with, castor sugar or dextrose. And i if use dextrose do i use more? aand how much. Ive heard it gives better head. And we all love better head! :D

[PB2]

Use a sugar that's easiest to handle.

 

 

 

Home Brewers use all sort of sugar sources for priming - Carbo Drops, Dextrose, White Sugar, Malt Extract, Honey, Birds-Eye Chilli, Black Jelly Bean, etc.

 

 

 

I prime my kegs with normal white sugar (caster sugar is white sugar, just smaller particle size). Many brewers think that caster sugar gives better head retention when, in fact, they have increased the priming rate - more caster sugar fits into a measuing scoop increasing the priming rate above 8g/l.

 

 

 

You will need about 9g/l of dextrose to achieve the same priming rate as 8g/l of sugar.

[Darren1525228545]

I want to try the honey priming technique. How much honey would i use for 650ml bottles?

[PB2]

Why make things hard for yourself?

 

 

 

Honey, as a dense liquid, lends itself to be used in primary fermentation or bulk priming - not single dosing of bottles. Although, perhaps you could microwave the honey to make it very runny and draw it up in a syringe for dosing into each bottle - joking!