Simple things that make HB better

[Drunkin Bunyip]

my brew has been fermenting 4 3 weeks and a couple days and its still bubling once every 5 mins or so i put 1 kg of brew enhancer 1 and 500g of ldm how much longer should i w8 to bottle
?????????????????

[rwh]

Bottle it now. The bubbling is just CO2 coming out of solution. The fermentation is complete.

Wait, how many times have I answered this question today?

[Zuma]

My new spa has made my HB better!

[phorist]

i only just started my first ever home brew the other day and was wondering if there is a time line (if any) in which things should be happening.

i am brewing a coopers bavarian lager with brew improver

any feedback, advice would be more than welcome

[rwh]

http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/vi ... php?t=3814

[phorist]

thanks man that is really helpful

[hbg]

i only just started my first ever home brew the other day and was wondering if there is a time line (if any) in which things should be happening.

i am brewing a coopers bavarian lager with brew improver

any feedback, advice would be more than welcome

The Coopers Bavarian Lager is EXTREMELY ORDINARY.

For a decent Europeon Lager, try a Brewcraft Dutch/Munich Lager. Add it with the equivalent of a Brewcraft # 15 with some Saaz (or Hersbrucker) hops. If this sounds confusing, goto a home brew speacialty store. It may cost more, but think of it ths way 30 cents for an ordianry beer, verses 50-60 cents for a much better beer. Just remember, if it's on a Supermarket shelf, don't expect a great result. Supermarket stores, quite often do not pay rent in a centre, so as to attract extra people to the area.

[tazman67]

Just an idea ?? could any of our learned brewmisters out there be able decipher the Brewcraft and Cooper beer converter kits for us beginners, Would be good maybe in the Stickys ???
Save a few questions at the home brew shop ?

[rwh]

I thought brewcraft were tight-lipped about their stuff.

Coopers Brew Enhancer 1: 250g maltodextrin + 750g dextrose.
Coopers Brew Enhancer 2: 250g maltodextrin + 250g LDME + 500g dextrose.

[Drunkin Bunyip]

wats the max temp that saflager yeasts can ferment at? And how much of a taste difference is it really going to make to the flaver if it ferments at fluxuating temps between say 17c - 22c? Is it worth useing this yeast in theese conditions or should i just stick with the suplied yeast?
and wat exactly is a starter is it some way to save on yeast money iv read bits and pieces but dont quit get it?

[Drunkin Bunyip]

Also its my understanding the suplied yeasts r no good and that i really should use a better lager yeast for my lagers etc but if i cant keep the temp down enough would it improve my brew to use a safale yeast?

[rwh]

wats the max temp that saflager yeasts can ferment at?

For the S-23, Fermentis recommends 9C-15C, ideally 12C. You can ferment up to ale temps fine, but you won't get a true lager flavour profile.

And how much of a taste difference is it really going to make to the flaver if it ferments at fluxuating temps between say 17c - 22c?

Do you mean fluctuating air temperatures or fluctuating wort temperatures? If your room temp was going to fluctuate that much, then it'd be absolutely ideal conditions for an ale. You have to remember that 23L or wort has a lot of thermal mass and will barely fluctuate at all if your ambient is fluctuating by 5°C. If the wort temp is fluctuating that much then you will probably start to get some funky flavours from the yeast adapting all the time.

As for if you ferment a lager at higher temperatures, you will start to see some of the ale characteristics sneaking in to your flavour profile. Things like esters (fruity flavours) might start to appear. Not that these are necessarily bad, just different, not in the traditional lager style. But have a read up about steam beers if you want to know what you'll get from fermenting with a lager yeast at ale temperatures.

Is it worth useing this yeast in theese conditions or should i just stick with the suplied yeast?

Well that's the million dollar question, isn't it? I happen to like the Coopers kit yeasts.

and wat exactly is a starter is it some way to save on yeast money iv read bits and pieces but dont quit get it?

A yeast starter is a way of increasing the population of your yeast. You can use it to take one sample of yeast, increase its population, and then split it up across multiple brews. A lot of people do this to make using a liquid yeast (which can cost up to $15) more cost effective. Another use for a starter is culturing up yeast from a bottle of beer, say a Coopers or Chimay, where you have a tiny population of yeast that needs to be multiplied many times before it can be used for brewing a complete batch of beer.

Here are some links on making yeast starers:
http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter6-5.html
http://hbd.org/uchima/yeaststart/yeaststart.html

If you are using dried yeast, you do not need to create a starter, as the sachets contain a huge number of yeast that have been metabolically optimised for pitching directly into the wort.

Also its my understanding the suplied yeasts r no good and that i really should use a better lager yeast for my lagers etc

Supplied yeasts are not necessarily no good, but you will probably get a more satisfying result if you use a higher quality yeast, and especially if you go to liquid yeasts (which are more difficult to use and more expensive, so you should do a few batches with dried yeasts first).

It is certainly advisable to replace a kit ale yeast with a true lager yeast if you have the capability to ferment at a low temperature.

but if i cant keep the temp down enough would it improve my brew to use a safale yeast?

Maybe. Why don't you give it a go and find out?

[Drunkin Bunyip]

cheers, cheers, cheers, cheers, cheers and cheers

[Throsby]

G'day everybody, I have been lurking around this thread for a couple of months - a little gobsmacked (and somewhat daunted) at the plethora of methodolgies for brewing beer.

I picked up a Coopers kit in December and I'm currently brewing my 6th Batch (Coopers Bav Lag). I'm yet to try anything daring - mainly because I have been incredibly happy with each of my batches thus far (lager, pale ale, dark ale, bitter).

The tips Chris has put on page 1 of this thread have got me thinking that maybe i can step outside the confines of the Coopers video, however. Thankyou Chris for keeping it fairly simple. I don't understand a lot of the jargon on this forum but I'm getting there. Is there a good (ie. reputable) HBS in Canberra? The only one i tried spent most of the time selling tobacco to minors so I haven't returned.

Thanks again for all the info on the forum guys.

[beersmith]

regarding filtering your water - been using pre filtered water you can buy can buy at k-mart or coles 10ltrs for less than $10

[Lats]

Install a rain water tank, get the council rebate, use said rebate to buy more HB Gear and only use the rain water in your brews, I only ever use rainwater when brewing.

[Chris]

throbber, the only one that is any good is Brew Your Own at Home down in Kambah. It's run by Colin.

Kambah is a bit of a pain in the arse to get to if you live up north, but there really isn't anything close to being a good HB store elsewhere (that I know of). The only thing, is that he is closed on Mondays.

[Throsby]

throbber, the only one that is any good is Brew Your Own at Home down in Kambah. It's run by Colin.

Excellent. Thanks a heap, Chris. You really seem to know your stuff. I'm over toward the east so Kambah's not such a mission. I might run out there this weekend and have a look. I'm very intrigued by this "racking" notion. I don't really understand what's involved (yes, i've read the threads) and will ask Colin for some advice.

By the way, my Bavarian Lager seems to have stalled. My OG was 1040 (as always) and in 5 days it went to 1020. Only problem is, after 11 days it is still hovering around that mark. What should i do? Shake it up? Add more yeast? Tip it into the garden?

[KEG]

give it a bit of a wiggle to get the yeast re-suspended, or if you're confident, use a sanitised mixing spoon to rouse the yeast from the bottom. don't splash it at all though.

on the other hand, if you're getting racking equipment and know-how, just rack it, it'll probably rouse it into action again

[Throsby]

Thanks heaps for the advice - gave it a fair shake and within about 12 hours it shifted from 1020 down to 1012. You lot are deadset some sort of collective genius.

Chris, I went down to the Kambah shop today but they are now closed on Sundays and Mondays so I'll have to try another time. Looked fantastic through the windows though - they really do have everything!

Thanks again guys - much appreciated.