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I really want to try and make a TED's clone. Is using the Dry Enzyme really worth it? I have heard and read some bad stories.

Assuming you are using can kits, the dry enzyme is your best bet.
The whole idea of dry beers is to get your Fg down as low as possible, avoid adding malts as these carry over some body in the form of unfermented sugars, stick to Dextrose or pure Sugars.

Another way to get lower Fg's is with lager yeast although living in Townsville, holding youre brew at 10 - 12 deg's might be difficult.
Nice place Townsville, worked up there between May & August in 98' Would love to go back again.

Another, & the best method of control is going All Grain. (not that it is for every one, I was dead against it until I tried it )
Just for Info only- mashing grain just below 65 DegC activates the Amylise "A" Enzyme which will convert starch to short chain sugar molecules, These short sugar molecules are almost totally fermentable, leaving very little unfermented sugars in the finished beer giving that short, crisp, dry to the palate feel.
Mashing above 65 DegC activates Amylise "B" Enzyme which converts starch into long chain sugar molecules, less fermentable, hence leaving some unfermented sugars in the finished beer & more body.

Just my 2 bobs worth, no doubt some will correct me if ive got any thing wrong

Mick.

I agree with billybushcook.

The only thing I'd add is to make sure you leave your beer in the fermenter for long enough to enable the enzyme to exhaust its efforts.
I'd leave it at least 2 weeks, and preferably longer.
The enzyme will continue to work if you bottle too early, and will create bottle bombs.

Your hydrometer is your friend, and you should expect a low FG, 1.005 or less I'd say.

Thanks for that. I am about to move to the central coast of NSW. So getting the brew to a lower ferment temp shouldn't be a problem. I am waiting till I get to new location before atempting this. Would racking the beer help the enzyme work to it best capacity?

avoid adding malts as these carry over some body in the form of unfermented sugars, stick to Dextrose or pure Sugars

I thought adding LDM and the like would create a beter beer then just the pure sugars or this only when making a dry beer?

I wouldn't rack it, but I'm not normally a racking fan.
I think if the enzymes are doing their work, you'd need all the yeast you can get to have them ferment what is in your brew.
Racking would reduce the amount of available yeast, as you leave the original yeastcake behind.

LDME is not totally fermentable. It will leave some extra body and perceived sweetness in your beer. The enzyme will work on that to a degree, but it's still not what you wish for in brewing a dry beer.
Best to stick with the dextrose and pure sugars, which are 100% fermentable, thus giving you a drier beer.

Muppet , If its any help i had a go at a dry beer nov last year using a mexican cerveza tin as the base.
The recipe was :- 600g Glucose
400g LDM
200g Maltodextrin
500g L rice malt ( Japanese blond malt)

Saflager S 23
I couldnt get a hold of any improzyme liquid enzyme, so just used the dry enzyme with the tin
Volume of water was 21L

O.G 1.060
F.G 1.000
I left it in the fermenter for three weeks, I did have some trouble with keeping the temp down but all in all it is a good beer at the moment. Anyway ithink if you can find out what hops they use in the TED and modified this recipe to suit (remember the ABV is around 8.5%) And maybe used a can of Blond or Lager. Anyway hope this is a help.

chrisp

From reading the forums and advice pages adding grain seems to be the way to go. From Simple things that make HB better

Buy yourself a 125g bag of crystal (or whatever). Simply stick it in some hot water, and let it sit. Pour the contents into your boil, or the fermenter (straining out the grain husks). This adds a big new dimension to your beer. BIG. I highly recommend.

Can this be added to every beer you make? Just thinking I may add some to my Dry thats all.

You can add it to any beer you like - only thing is that the resulting beer might not be 'to style' (which is something I'd only be really concerned about is I was thinking of entering a comp). But spec grains will be adding something to your beer that will make it less dry. It will make it taste better, have better body/mouthfeel and possibly even look nicer - but it won't be dry.

If you do use specialty grains do not just put the steeped liquor into your fermenter - it MUST be boiled (grains removed from boil). Do some reading here about the process if you do head down this road.

muppet wrote:From reading the forums and advice pages adding grain seems to be the way to go. From Simple things that make HB better

Buy yourself a 125g bag of crystal (or whatever). Simply stick it in some hot water, and let it sit. Pour the contents into your boil, or the fermenter (straining out the grain husks). This adds a big new dimension to your beer. BIG. I highly recommend.

Can this be added to every beer you make? Just thinking I may add some to my Dry thats all.

Pale Crystal Malt will add a Caramel/toffee flavour & a deep amber colour to the beer, nice if that's what your after,
from the sound of it, you are looking for a more crisp, short flavoured beer more like the common commercial styles, Pale Crystal is not it!

but is a nice twist!

Mick.