For ye old home brewers.

[Pallet Pete]

I have been brewing for a long time now and used many books, recipes and kits. Recently my sister bought me a book and it turned out to be amazing ! This by far is the best book I have used so without further adoo The Brew Masters Bible the gold standard for homebrewers by Stephen Snyder. For you beginners this or How To Brew by John Palmer are excellent books to start out with.

Pete

 

[begreen]

Bottled our first brew on Friday Pete. It's a brown ale and carbonating now. Hope it turns out alright, the initial tasting shows promise.

I've been reading some Palmer. Will check out the Snyder book too. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Pallet Pete]

No prob BG ! let me know how it turns out good sour off tasting or otherwise.
I may be able to tell you why or why not something happened.

Pete

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Bottled our first brew on Friday Pete. It's a brown ale and carbonating now. Hope it turns out alright, the initial tasting shows promise.

I've been reading some Palmer. Will check out the Snyder book too. Thanks for the tip.

Set some aside in the basement and forget about it for a few months. A major problem with people starting out is that nobody could possibly wait to try their own beer (including me), but is gets soooo much better with a little age!

 

[Boog]

............................ A major problem with people starting out is that nobody could possibly wait to try their own beer (including me................................

I brewed for many years starting back in the mid 80's, although I have not recently. That was my constant problem. Your typical 5 gal batch would bottle up about 8 six packs. I would invariably have most of them drank by the time it was just coming on to its own! My constant goal was to replicate a "Labatt's Velvet Cream Porter". Best beer I ever had, used to run across the bridges to Canada (lived in Grand Island, NY) all the time to get it. Then they had a prolonged brewer's strike in Canada back in the mid-late 80's. Could not get it for awhile. When the strike was over and they started brewing it again it was just not the same. Changed the ingredients or lost the specific yeast culture, whatever............

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I brewed for many years starting back in the mid 80's, although I have not recently. That was my constant problem. Your typical 5 gal batch would bottle up about 8 six packs. I would invariably have most of them drank by the time it was just coming on to its own! My constant goal was to replicate a "Labatt's Velvet Cream Porter". Best beer I ever had, used to run across the bridges to Canada (lived in Grand Island, NY) all the time to get it. Then they had a prolonged brewer's strike in Canada back in the mid-late 80's. Could not get it for awhile. When the strike was over and they started brewing it again it was just not the same. Changed the ingredients or lost the specific yeast culture, whatever............

The secret is to brew a lot at the beginning. That way you have a couple/few batches to try out, and more that have a chance to live before they're cut down before their prime.

 

[jeff_t]

I recently found four bottles of a barleywine I made about six years ago. Oh boy

 

[Pallet Pete]

Something else I no longer bother with is secondary just leave it in the primary for 3 weeks then bottle. The third week lets the remaining yeast clean the beer of off flavors and it tasts far better. All secondary really does is make it have better clarity and in my experience does not help the flavor. Once bottled I don't touch it for at least 2 weeks then put it in the fridge for another 6 to 8 weeks before drinking it. This process makes very good beer every time !

Pete

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Something else I no longer bother with is secondary just leave it in the primary for 3 weeks then bottle. The third week lets the remaining yeast clean the beer of off flavors and it tasts far better. All secondary really does is make it have better clarity and in my experience does not help the flavor. Once bottled I don't touch it for at least 2 weeks then put it in the fridge for another 6 to 8 weeks before drinking it. This process makes very good beer every time !

Pete

Really? I always liked the secondary, but never tested one vs. the other. One thing I loved to do was to make up my second batch, cool and agitate, and pitch it right on top of the yeast cake from the last batch in the secondary. Get a wide blowoff tube and STAND BACK! Should only do that so many times, as the yeast degrades with successive generations, but I'd save vials of the first generation to step up later. hot damn!

 

[begreen]

I was wondering about that. It didn't seem right tossing out that nice yeast mother.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Just plan a nice full brewing day- bottle and put the airlock back on while you brew the next batch.

 

[jeff_t]

Fermenting on a yeast cake can be quite exciting. Like AP says, a blow off tube is mandatory. Just be sure the yeast is what you want, and don't try to follow with a lighter brew. Meaning, don't try to ferment a cream ale after an IPA.

Lots of info out there about harvesting and washing yeast.

 

[Pallet Pete]

Also I never even bother activating yeast anymore I just pour in the dry yeast and stir till it foams up. That works very well.

 

[begreen]

Fermenting on a yeast cake can be quite exciting. Like AP says, a blow off tube is mandatory. Just be sure the yeast is what you want, and don't try to follow with a lighter brew. Meaning, don't try to ferment a cream ale after an IPA.

Lots of info out there about harvesting and washing yeast.

Good to know, thanks.

 

[Highbeam]

I don't know, plenty of good beers are purposely served young. Manny's pale ale from our Georgetown brewery was quite proud of their "brew to belly in 7 days" policy. With my soon to be purchased kegging setup I have no intention of allowing the beer to sit around and get old.

Fresh beer is not bad beer. Do you think this has to do with the style of beer? Pale ales are fine young but scotch ales a bit older?

I too stopped racking to a secondary. No benefit and plenty of chances to screw up with aeration, infection, and certainly extra effort.

 

[jeff_t]

One of the best beers I made was a hefeweizen that was brewed and in my belly in seven days, bottle conditioned. Wheats are best served young. Heavy, malty, hoppy beers get better with age, for sure. All depends on the style.

I gave up on secondary, too, unless I knew it would be a while before I could bottle it and wanted to get it off the yeast. I never had a problem with 3-4 weeks in the primary.