jeremy-o Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Alright so I got impatient and cracked a couple of the off-cut bottles of the Thomas Coopers' Pilsner at day 7. The good news is: it doesn't taste skunked, and these were the two green bottles, and the ones bottled last. Carbonation was fine. It tastes very clean and it's nice and clear. I'll wait til next weekend at least to pass judgement on the final product, but maybe I'm starting to understand what this 'extract' flavour is - despite being a totally different style to the kit Amber Ale, it has a very similar treacly / molasses flavour. It'd be very convenient for me to keep going with extracts for a while but I'm starting to think I'm going to have to mash some grains to get the beers I'm aiming for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian.taylor4 Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 I'll wait til next weekend at least to pass judgement on the final product' date=' but maybe I'm starting to understand what this 'extract' flavour is - despite being a totally different style to the kit Amber Ale, it has a very similar treacly / molasses flavour. It'd be very convenient for me to keep going with extracts for a while but I'm starting to think I'm going to have to mash some grains to get the beers I'm aiming for. [/quote'] Sounds like we are at similar places on the journey Jeremy. Having put down a hopped IPA and a hopped Pale on the weekend, with a view to some speciality grain steeping for a future Porter, I still feel that there is plenty of things as an extract brewer I can do to enjoy the end product. To go to AG is a fair investment in equipment, and for me, importantly, is the time. Sure it costs a few bucks more for an extract can, and you have less control over the malt, but at the moment it's a great time saver for me. Kinda like buying a curry paste vs making your own. Cheers and beers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy-o Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Sure it costs a few bucks more for an extract can' date=' and you have less control over the malt, but at the moment it's a great time saver for me. Kinda like buying a curry paste vs making your own.[/quote'] Gosh. Why'd you have to put it this way. I faffed around making bad curries for half a decade before I started pounding my own spices and following authentic recipes. Now they're better than going out for it (at least within my limited range of styles). I think I've decided that I'd rather push myself with my process now while I'm reaching peak excitement about homebrewing. My budget is limited so it's going to be a cobbled together attempt but with three successful brews (touch wood) behind me I'll be ready for an all-grain experiment. I think I'm starting to understand the necessities and potential pitfalls - I've been reading a helluva lot in the last couple of months - and, in my favour right now, I have time. So let's do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Be interested to see what an unhopped IPA would taste like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porschemad911 Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 I think I've decided that I'd rather push myself with my process now while I'm reaching peak excitement about homebrewing. My budget is limited so it's going to be a cobbled together attempt but with three successful brews (touch wood) behind me I'll be ready for an all-grain experiment. I think I'm starting to understand the necessities and potential pitfalls - I've been reading a helluva lot in the last couple of months - and' date=' in my favour right now, I have time.[/quote']G'day Jeremy, If you're on a budget and want to give all-grain a go, I'd grab a 20 litre pot for $20 from Big W and a grain bag from your LHBS. This will let you do a few smaller BIAB batches (~10 litres into the fermenter) on the kitchen stove to get the hang of things. If you move on to a bigger setup, the 20 litre pot will always come in handy for heating up strike water etc and it's not too pricey. Cheers, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian.taylor4 Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Be interested to see what an unhopped IPA would taste like. IKR ! I read the basic recipe for the TC Brew A IPA on the website and it doesn't list any hops. What's an IPA without hops ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 IKR ! I read the basic recipe for the TC Brew A IPA on the website and it doesn't list any hops. What's an IPA without hops ! Yes' date=' well obviously they're in the IPA tin itself. Guessing a couple of the American "C" hops are in it going by the flavour descriptors. [img']wink[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koo wee brew Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Had a couple of pots yesterday arvo. This is my version of the Pac Sum Ale. Passion fruit beer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koo wee brew Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 https://www.coopers.com.au/coopers-forum/topic/14970/?page=13 Post 242 Yum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 They look like well balanced beers. Ba-dum-tish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy-o Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Well, I am sad to say that with colleagues over for a barbie this arvo I knocked off the last of my pilsners. It performed admirably - not bad for my second brew. Let's just say the two bottles of vino I bought weren't touched. Next up is the genmaicha beer, which should be ready for Saturday when the fam's down - and I don't anticipate them surviving past ANZAC day. One last picture for posterity. I gotta say along with everything else, priming with LME made for a fine head indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morrie Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Jeremy: I gotta say along with everything else, priming with LME made for a fine head indeed. How does it taste being primed with LME? Any different? I guess you did it by bulk priming? Has anyone else tried using LME or DME for carbonation? I've just whacked another Bootmaker into the FV and into the brew fridge tonight. Tomorrow night I'll do another one. It will be the first time the brew fridge has seen a double decker Bootmaker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy-o Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Jeremy: I gotta say along with everything else' date=' priming with LME made for a fine head indeed. [/quote'] How does it taste being primed with LME? Any different? I guess you did it by bulk priming? Has anyone else tried using LME or DME for carbonation? Hard to say. This brew has a much better mouthfeel and flavour all 'round compared to my first, which I carb-dropped, but that was a crappy expired all-in-one craft tin that came with the kit, without controlled temps. I don't bulk prime, I've been using the kind of medicine applicator that come with baby drugs (like this) to suck up 3mls of syrup per 330ml bottle. You could also get something like a marinade injector from woolies or a dollar store. It's very easy. edit: there's some talk about malt taking longer to carb bottles than sugar and that may be true, but in my experience a week has been long enough in either case - I think the suggested two week wait time is universally very conservative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morrie Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 I'm considering doing a LME carbonation also.... I have read somewhere that it gives a slightly better taste to beer.... I think that LME has unfermentables in it and a larger amount may be required to achieve the same level of carbonation as dex drops.... I need to determine actually how much. Does anyone have this information? Also wheat LME which is only 50% wheat may be better again as it is supposed to be better for head retention and mouth feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waylon Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Plain white sugar is the best for carbonating and way cheaper don't waist your LDM Bro its silly! Also cane sugar works better than corn sugar from what ive found! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy-o Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 I'm considering doing a LME carbonation also.... I have read somewhere that it gives a slightly better taste to beer....I think that LME has unfermentables in it and a larger amount may be required to achieve the same level of carbonation as dex drops.... I need to determine actually how much. Does anyone have this information? Also wheat LME which is only 50% wheat may be better again as it is supposed to be better for head retention and mouth feel. This is the tool I used to finesse the numbers. The nutritional info it's using seems to match the majority of brew-grade LME products. Going by the idea that 6 grams of sugar per litre of beer is a good lager estimate, 3mls (4 grams of malt, of which 2 grams is sugar) per 330ml bottle is pretty well perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 There is probably more to the two-week wait than just carbonation levels. I often try a bottle after a week just to see how it's progressing, and yes there is carbonation evident. It's not fully where it should be, though. After 2 weeks it's much better. The other thing is, bottles after a week usually don't taste the greatest, full of yeasty aromas and flavours, which settle down and disappear after 2-3 weeks in the bottle. I've never used malt for priming, only carb drops back in the dark ages of my brewing career, and then moved on to bulk priming with dextrose. However, I wouldn't discourage its use for priming, especially if you're making all grain beers, what else are you gonna use it for except maybe yeast starters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy-o Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 I mean, if we assume that scale doesn't really effect time in brewing, what you're doing in the bottle is starting another round of fermentation that should follow the same rules of ferment, clean-up, settle etc. Perhaps with a longer lag-time if the beer is quite clean of yeast particles. So yeah I understand that two weeks makes sense. But I think the fact that the majority of the work is already done in terms of establishing flavours, it tends to be masked if the beer's good. Basically I'd rather rush carbonation than primary fermentation... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Yeah, you won't find secondary fermentation ruining the beer or anything, even if it does happen a bit quicker than two weeks. That said, I can definitely taste a difference between a beer that has been kegged for two weeks and carbonated via the CO2 cylinder over the same beer that has been bottled for two weeks and naturally carbonated, and I prefer the kegged version. I know this is partly because it's in a keg and it will condition quicker due to that anyway, but I think the secondary fermentation in the bottles probably does contribute a little bit of difference, which in time does go away. It just takes a little longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morrie Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 OK....I'll play around with some numbers regarding LME bottle charge rates. I will be bottling in approx 3 weeks and will do some with LME and some with dex drops to see if the difference in taste and head retention is discernable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickc1525229722 Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Hey all, just on the carbonation, have any of you guys tried Krausening for bottling/kegging ? Here's a link I found : http://www.picobrewery.com/askarchive/krausen.htm I've thought about giving it a go but it seems like you have to get everything timed correctly and organised. regards mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Personally, nope. Never had any need to for ales or lagers. I don't lager my lagers long enough to make the yeast go dormant, and kegs are done by the gas cylinder anyway. I use a diacetyl rest to remove that and other off flavours before lagering as well. As a result I get nice clean crisp lagers without too much faffing around. I don't make the same batch over and over again either which doesn't help with that method; they have an option there for that situation but I already tie up enough fridge space with harvested yeast jars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morrie Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 G'day Kelsey - a couple of questions about kegging if you don't mind please. 1. After kegging , is it necessary for the beer to go under refrigeration or can it be stored at room temperature? 2. After kegging, is it necessary to apply CO2 for preservation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 One of Lusty's beers. His Galaxy and Ella Kolsch. Rather nice and crisp and refreshing. Candy on the nose with a fruity after taste and some lingering bitterness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 One of Lusty's beers.His Galaxy and Ella Kolsch. Rather nice and crisp and refreshing. Candy on the nose with a fruity after taste and some lingering bitterness. I'm glad they arrived there OK & the Kolsch has held up given I bottled it in September last year. I'm just enjoying a few Coopers DIY: Spirit of ANZAC Ale's from the keg. It's surprisingly smooth to drink' date=' & full of flavour. A very easy recipe to put together, & one that might get another look in over the winter months if I don't quite feel like a big Porter or Stout. It's very easy to drink. [img']smile[/img] Anyway, my glass is empty, so time for a refill. Barkeep!! Cheers, Lusty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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