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I've been getting back into homebrewing after a layoff of almost 2 years. It started with a batch of ginger beer for friends and family to enjoy over Christmas. And now I've got the urge to brew something serious. I managed to dig out all my old equipment and I've put an order in with Grain and Grape. In the meantime, I found an old tin malt shovel summer wheat and a tin of morgan's wheat extract. Mixed the two and topped up the fermenter to 15 litres. The malt shovel instructions only recommend 11.5, but it doesn't take into consideration the extra malt.

Pitched the yeast that came with the malt shovel, but nothing happened. So I grabbed the only other yeast I had, a packet from a Kmart tin of Cooper's Real Ale. Within a few hours, it was bubbling like crazy and it's kept that pace for the past few days. It's been pretty warm in Melbourne for the last couple of days, and the thermometer on the fermenter hasn't gone much below 24C.

So, I've combined old ingredients with an inappropriate yeast, and fermentation above ideal temperatures. But there are few sounds more satisfying the the steady bloop from a fermenter.

I'm back baby

It's all about the 'bloop!' That's unless you are a gladwrap man like myself. Then it's all about the monster krausen

Tyberious Funk wrote:So, I've combined old ingredients with an inappropriate yeast, and fermentation above ideal temperatures.

lol

Welcome back TF

sounds like you've made the perfect HB

And I would have to agree with Chris - there's no turning back once you go the glad wrap.

Chris wrote:It's all about the 'bloop!' That's unless you are a gladwrap man like myself. Then it's all about the monster krausen

I've never understood the appeal of gladwrap. My fermenter has a lid, why wouldn't I use it?

you can see so much more with gladwrap, that's why

Ash wrote:you can see so much more with gladwrap, that's why

But you can buy fermenters with a clear plastic lid. Maybe not quite as transparent as gladwrap, but enough to see what is going on. Besides, I don't really need to see what is going on inside the fermenter, I know what it's doing... it's making magic

Firstly, you never have to worry about the bloody lid not sealing.

Secondly, are you trying to tell me that you can see through a 'transparent' lid? Translucent is a better adjective. And it only gets worse with condensation- which is a lot easier to remove when using gladwrap.

And thirdly, I recon you get a lot out of being able to see the krausen. I think it's well worth it for that alone.

Not this discussion again. Why don't we talk about racking instead?

Ok then, I'm going to chuck my hygiene protocols out the window and use glad wrap for this weekends SNPA batch. I suppose I can use the rubber O ring in the coopers fermenter lid to hold down the glad wrap and a few pin pricks in the glad wrap will stop it from turning into a balloon?

I like to watch....

Cheers,
TL

I don't think the pin pricks are necessary. The gladwrap isn't fully impermeable to gases with molecules as small as CO2.

The proper glad wrap also has quite a bit of stretch in it! I am suprised how far out mine gets without any problems at all.

Yep, no holes needed. And just use a normal rubber band- you don't need to go the rubber seal.

Will do....it really annoys me to not be able to watch the krausen form thanks to the condensation on the inside of the lid.

Cheers,
TL

While we're on it, is the glad wrap also a way to stop those bugger vinegar flies from trying to get in?

I had vinegar flies in my brew fridge this time around. I paniced a bit and skipped the dry hopping because I was afraid one would get in and lay eggs or something

I could not find any evidence of flies getting through the glad wrap though! The rubber band was quite tight!

I don't think we have those pests here in Canbeera - I can imagine they'd be a bugger to keep away from the beer tap on the keg fridge too!

And for once, a shotgun won't solve the problem.

See http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/vi ... php?t=7249

Trough Lolly wrote:I don't think we have those pests here in Canbeera - I can imagine they'd be a bugger to keep away from the beer tap on the keg fridge too!

I use the little rubber tap covers that Ross sells, they work great!

Yep ive got me one of those 2