Home brewing thread anyone?

[EbS-P]

Recently I have started brewing again after a maybe 11 year break. I got pretty good at partial mash extract brewing. At the peak we were buying malt extra in 5 gallon buckets, brewing a 10 gallon batch every two weeks or so. We were making beer cheaper than we could buy milk. I have never had a bad batch (wine kits, mead and hard cider from scratch). Bottling was to much work so I switched to soda kegs.

Now I’m back at my taste have changed. I find the current IPA craze completely over the top both Alcohol content and bitterness I think are just used to cover up the fact they are selling subpar beer. The current hard seltzer craze peaked my interest and I can say as an experienced brewer who could just make up a recipe in my head and execute it and all the substitutions after returning home from my local homebrew store that wasn’t very well stocked, has proven a challenge. Stuck fermentations seems to be the norm. It’s not as easy as add sugar boil cool add yeast. Wait keg.

So there the background. What’s you favorite homebrew? Have any hard seltzer tips you want to share? Any questions you answered?

Evan

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

I started to brew a few years ago. I mainly use LME and some additions, sometimes called kit and kilo brew. I don't brew that often, but mainly IPA's. My local homebrew supply store has a very limited inventory since the pandemic started.

 

[begreen]

I've been brewing on and off for the past decade. It started with apple ciders. We have so many good apples that I couldn't stand them going to waste. I then learned how to brew beer and usually do 2-3 five gallon batches a year. Last brew was a dry hopped, double IPA. It is pretty high on the IBUs, but very floral and tasty. Our summer brew will be an Irish red this year. I also do some wine from kits. Getting ready to brew a Montepulciano soon for the first time. But first I need to bottle last fall's apple ciders.

 

[EbS-P]

I had do some think as to what my favorite home brew was. It was an amber rye wheat lager. It was glorious. Malty, great body but very crisp and then had this rye note. I need to dig out the recipe for that one.

Next up this week is a dunkelweizen with a Hefeweizen yeast. Can of wheat LME, pound of dark DME and a pound of chocolate malt. 2 oz low AA Germanish hops. It will be darker than a traditional dunkel.

Evan

 

[Highbeam]

Stopped drinking this year for a while and we've gone through kegs of carbonated water. Same corny (soda) kegs that I used for beer but just straight water. Yummy. Add some gin, and you're off!

Might try that kombucha stuff.

 

[EbS-P]

We can go through a keg of soda water a week when it’s hot out. I just upgraded to a 20# CO2 bottle and nitrogen to pour coffee.

 

[EbS-P]

I’ve moved in to cold mashed non-alcoholic brewing.

I wrote all this down to share with a friend.

For anyone that cares I have a really easy and fast way to home brew a non alcoholic all grain beer.

I spent several day’s searching on line for a really good how too. I didn’t realize how technical (and techie) home brewing has become. I have always brewed with the KISS (keep it stupid simple ) philosophy


What you need for a 5 gallon batch.

A 2+ gallon induction pot.

3-3.5 pounds of malt (this isn’t a recipe but I can include one).

A larger mesh grain bag to hold the malt.

Induction cooktop

Thermometer

Way to keep the mash at temperature (I use a wonder bag (it’s a really well insulated slow cooking bag I turn upside down over my pot for the hour long mash)

Hops

Yeast

Brew bucket.

The process is called a non enzymatic cold mash. Basically add your grains (in the grain bag) to a pot of cold water and leave in the fridge for 24-30 hours.

Pull the grain bag out the less floury starch you can get in your pot the better but it’s not a big deal (the internet says otherwise) but using the induction cooktop solves the issue of burning the starch.

Bring the mash up to 155 F and hold for an hour. (It could go faster I haven’t tested it). Then bring to a boil and add you hops.

Boil for 45-60 minutes.

Chill (I have a wart chiller I made out of roll of 1/2” copper pipe two hose clamps and a cut washer hose. This isn’t necessary as list time I let it cool in the pot untill 150f degrees and dumped in the beer bucket with about 2.5 gallons of water and waited untill it cooled to 90 degrees

Pour or siphon into your beer bucket. Keep all the trub, cold break and hops you can out of the beer bucket.

Pitch yeast when temps are below 95F

Fermented for 3-5 days or until the krousen has fallen.

Keg or bottle.

Tips. Cleanliness really matters as you have very little alcohol to inhibit nasties from growing. Hence the very short fermentation time and no secondary fermentation.



I skim all the protein I can off the boil pot. This may or may not have any effect.



Hop light. If you don’t like hops. 0.2 oz if 4% with a dry hop with .1 oz in the fermenter makes a lightly hopped beer.

This was drinkable 1 day after kegging.

 

[djlew]

Thank you for sharing! I was interested in trying NA brewing for the week when I'm trying to stay away from alcohol. Does this process basically just give the yeast less sugar to feed on? I saw some debate online about even using yeast. Most of these NA big store brews have that classic ".5 percent ABV"

 

[EbS-P]

Thank you for sharing! I was interested in trying NA brewing for the week when I'm trying to stay away from alcohol. Does this process basically just give the yeast less sugar to feed on? I saw some debate online about even using yeast. Most of these NA big store brews have that classic ".5 percent ABV"

Yes the SG is really low. It’s less than 0.5 ABV. It really gives body to NA beers that I feel are lacking in the commercialy available options. Works well for stouts, wheat beers, and IPAs.

The other reason this works well is that it’s all grain. I didn’t do the math but I think you would need a small portion of a LME and it’s not impossible to store after you open but does have a shorter shelf life. DME would be ok to use but i didn’t do the math to see what you needed.

Here is one of my recipes

Brewfather

Powerful and easy to use tool for your brewing needs

share.brewfather.app

 

[djlew]

Yes the SG is really low. It’s less than 0.5 ABV. It really gives body to NA beers that I feel are lacking in the commercialy available options. Works well for stouts, wheat beers, and IPAs.

The other reason this works well is that it’s all grain. I didn’t do the math but I think you would need a small portion of a LME and it’s not impossible to store after you open but does have a shorter shelf life. DME would be ok to use but i didn’t do the math to see what you needed.

Here is one of my recipes

Brewfather

Powerful and easy to use tool for your brewing needs

share.brewfather.app

I am going to try this right after my planned cream ale brew day this week. I have little experience with all grain, but I am trying out brew in a bag for the cream ale. Hoping to hone in on a recipe so I can add some summer fruits to a few batches over the spring and summer.

 

[EbS-P]

I am going to try this right after my planned cream ale brew day this week. I have little experience with all grain, but I am trying out brew in a bag for the cream ale. Hoping to hone in on a recipe so I can add some summer fruits to a few batches over the spring and summer.

I end up with a good bit of flour in the bottom of the cold mash pot. I tried to let it settle out then decant. I don’t stress about it now. I just pull the bag and boil it. Will settle out before i dump into rhe fermenter or during the short fermentation. And I usually make a second batch the day I keg the first and reuse the yeast left in the fermenter.

 

[djlew]

Got some ingredients to attempt a clone of my local brewery's peach wheat ale. I can find some really nice local peaches so it'll be a fun experiment. Also continuing on the NA brewing, I may attempt the method of using the spent grains to get a decent NA brew. The cream ale I did over the winter turned out pretty good, not as hoppy as I'd like but family liked it. Spent grains made for good dog treats, she loved them! I am going to brew a smaller batch this time though.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Got some ingredients to attempt a clone of my local brewery's peach wheat ale. I can find some really nice local peaches so it'll be a fun experiment. Also continuing on the NA brewing, I may attempt the method of using the spent grains to get a decent NA brew. The cream ale I did over the winter turned out pretty good, not as hoppy as I'd like but family liked it. Spent grains made for good dog treats, she loved them! I am going to brew a smaller batch this time though.

I did some all grain brewing using pre-made kits from my supplier using the Brewzilla system. I moved and started just to use the Mangrove Jack kits as it's much faster and less cleanup. Maybe some day I'll get back into it? Good luck and I will be sure to follow.

 

[djlew]

I did some all grain brewing using pre-made kits from my supplier using the Brewzilla system. I moved and started just to use the Mangrove Jack kits as it's much faster and less cleanup. Maybe some day I'll get back into it? Good luck and I will be sure to follow.

It was hard for me to get back into it, but once I ordered the ingredients I was back! Sometimes that's all it takes. I am hoping they come by Saturday and I can brew either that day or next. I have a camping trip next month that I am hoping to bring some to so we'll see! Will document the progress!

 

[Whitenuckler]

It was hard for me to get back into it, but once I ordered the ingredients I was back! Sometimes that's all it takes. I am hoping they come by Saturday and I can brew either that day or next. I have a camping trip next month that I am hoping to bring some to so we'll see! Will document the progress!

One issue I have is I'd like to brew in my basement, but I don't have a working vent fan for my laundry/brew room. In my other place I used the dryer vent, but had to swap the pipe each time. Now I've used my in line fan for the pellet stove...I was thinking maybe in the spring/fall maybe in the garage. It sure is fun and makes you think as there are many steps and if you don't follow them it's bad news.

 

[djlew]

One issue I have is I'd like to brew in my basement, but I don't have a working vent fan for my laundry/brew room. In my other place I used the dryer vent, but had to swap the pipe each time. Now I've used my in line fan for the pellet stove...I was thinking maybe in the spring/fall maybe in the garage. It sure is fun and makes you think as there are many steps and if you don't follow them it's bad news.

I hear you. I am working on making my basement the brew area. I've been trying to convince my wife to let me get a utility sink and I need to split off from my reverse osmosis system to get a tap down there. I do have a simple electric cooktop and brew kettle that works nicely. I'd personally rather make a mess in the basement than the kitchen! It also helps for my wort chiller to have the output go to the sump. Always an upgrade to be made. The struggle does make the beer taste better though!

 

[djlew]

Successful brew day I think! Did a small 1 gallon batch as planned whole grain with a brew bag. Original gravity is 1.042 which I think is pretty darn good for what I'm aiming for. Used hop bags but still trying to find a good way to keep the hoppy color and residue out of the wort as much as possible. Probably need some better equipment. I'll spare you all the carboy and will update when I add the peaches during secondary fermentation.

Also featuring some spent grain dog treats! Every time I open the freezer the pup comes running now. I mix the spent grains with some peanut butter and put them in the freezer for a good summer treat.

 

[clancey]

Interesting thread and I enjoyed reading some of it...thanks..clancey

 

[Whitenuckler]

Successful brew day I think! Did a small 1 gallon batch as planned whole grain with a brew bag. Original gravity is 1.042 which I think is pretty darn good for what I'm aiming for. Used hop bags but still trying to find a good way to keep the hoppy color and residue out of the wort as much as possible. Probably need some better equipment. I'll spare you all the carboy and will update when I add the peaches during secondary fermentation.

Also featuring some spent grain dog treats! Every time I open the freezer the pup comes running now. I mix the spent grains with some peanut butter and put them in the freezer for a good summer treat.

Wow! Great, that SG is going to be good. The only thing I added later in the fermentation was hops, so adding fruit would be scary to me.

Kegland Stainless Steel Hop Spider - 14

www.ontariobeerkegs.com

I used a hop spider for the hops.

 

[djlew]

Wow! Great, that SG is going to be good. The only thing I added later in the fermentation was hops, so adding fruit would be scary to me.

Kegland Stainless Steel Hop Spider - 14

www.ontariobeerkegs.com

I used a hop spider for the hops.

I've heard of the hop spider! It was also an optional add on for when I got my hops. I've added fruit post primary fermentation before and it's turned out really well. Prior to this batch I actually soaked some of the fruit in vodka for a couple days before to sanitize and added it in. Couldn't even taste the vodka but the fruit was there. This time, and this is a new method I saw online, I was going to sous vide the fruit for a couple hours, let it cool and toss it in. We'll see how it goes!

 

[Whitenuckler]

I've heard of the hop spider! It was also an optional add on for when I got my hops. I've added fruit post primary fermentation before and it's turned out really well. Prior to this batch I actually soaked some of the fruit in vodka for a couple days before to sanitize and added it in. Couldn't even taste the vodka but the fruit was there. This time, and this is a new method I saw online, I was going to sous vide the fruit for a couple hours, let it cool and toss it in. We'll see how it goes!

Great..actually I never thought about the fact that you would need to kill all the bacteria before adding. It's possible the lower ph and alcohol might kill the natural yeasts/bacteria in the fruit, but not worth the risk for sure. The hops I added were always from the little pacs which are processed. I will be putting on a batch tomorrow, 23 liters or will bottle 32 750ml bottles. Maybe someday I will be able to brew 1 gallon and be content. If I last that long

 

[djlew]

Great..actually I never thought about the fact that you would need to kill all the bacteria before adding. It's possible the lower ph and alcohol might kill the natural yeasts/bacteria in the fruit, but not worth the risk for sure. The hops I added were always from the little pacs which are processed. I will be putting on a batch tomorrow, 23 liters or will bottle 32 750ml bottles. Maybe someday I will be able to brew 1 gallon and be content. If I last that long

Yeah, I've kept up on the debate that some people have success adding fruit to secondary and claim it has enough alcohol after primary fermentation to "sanitize" but I never chance it when it's pretty easy to sanitize a few ways. Keep us posted on your brew! Excited to see what you cook up. The gallon brew ended up being my easiest brew day by far. If the beer turns out pretty good I might make a bigger batch. That might be my new go to instead of having 30 or so bottles of subpar beer LOL.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Yeah, I've kept up on the debate that some people have success adding fruit to secondary and claim it has enough alcohol after primary fermentation to "sanitize" but I never chance it when it's pretty easy to sanitize a few ways. Keep us posted on your brew! Excited to see what you cook up. The gallon brew ended up being my easiest brew day by far. If the beer turns out pretty good I might make a bigger batch. That might be my new go to instead of having 30 or so bottles of subpar beer LOL.

There will be no update coming for my brew. I have gotten lazy and just make the same thing now. Mangrove Jack's American Pale Ale. It comes in a bag, which I really like. I have a big coffee urn, and boil about 5 liters of water. I put the bag of malt on the the top and leave it for an hour. The urn kicks into "keep hot" mode after it boils. That gets the malt nice and warm. Then add half the dextrose ie 500g. Gives me a lighter beer 3% and the taste is great as I get the full hop flavor/bitterness. Then rinse and repeat. I have two on the go all the time. Bottle one, start the next.