Jim's Beer Kit

I'm on IE 10, but can see your photos!

Guy

Yup, visible crisp and clear in both posts.

Guy

For the first time I've used hop pellets to dry hop in the keg. Until now it's always been whole hops. I was a bit nervous that the pellets might break up and get through the hop filter in the keg. The beer in the glass would then have loads of tiny bits of hops in it. No problem so far, to my great...

A quick check of Graham's water treatment calculator on here tells me you'd need 45.2ml of AMS/CRS to bring your 40 litres of water from 228ppm down to 20ppm. For some reason I occasionally find the amount calculated is a bit too much, reducing the alkalinity too far. In your case I'd add 40ml AMS, ...

Thanks Kev. Sensible and practical advice, as always. At the moment I dry hop with whole hops in the keg. About 8-10 days after pitching the yeast, usually. Next brew I think I'll just go for it and chuck some whole hops into the FV once the fermentation has got underway. After 24 hours, perhaps. I'...

For the second time in about six weeks loads of hydrogen sulphide is being produced during fermentation. This time it's with WLP051. Here's a link to the previous post when this happened at the end of September. The yeast then was WLP023. In the previous post RobWA suggested Zetolite 63 to clear it ...

May have jumped the gun a little there, as I was assuming you're doing the "pour the kettle on it" method I used to use! 85c+ for at least 20 minutes is "ok" sterilising, total sterilisation (not often required in brewing) needs 120c steam for 15 mins. Much easier to keep a bottle of no rinse steri...

Dry hopping in the FV seems to be a highly regarded technique. So I'd like to try it! Usually I dry hop in a King keg, but perhaps dry hopping in the FV as well as the keg would give much better results. Putting loose cones or pellets into the FV doesn't seem like the way to go. The former would pro...

Excellent news! Let's hope stuck mashes are a thing of the past for you now.

Guy

I collect WLP002 from the dump valve for baking bread; I break off chunks of yeast from the slab I collect. Interesting! How much yeast do you use for a loaf? My loaves use about 450g of flour. And do you have to do anything to the yeast before mixing it into the dough? I've only ever used fast act...

My last brew used WLP002. First time for me.

After seven days in the FV, then a day or so cooled to 12°C, there was close on 500ml of yeast slurry to harvest. The most I've ever had from any yeast!

Just shows how different yeasts yield different amounts to harvest. Fascinating!

Guy

JohnF wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 29, 2018 4:03 pm

Oh b****r. I will have to see how they do and will do what you say Eric if they do not work.

Any chance you can call the place you got the valves from before they are posted and ask them to swap them for the SS ones with the removeable pins?

Guy

Eric I have ordered 2x Hambleton Bard S30 pin valves and a pack of 10 8g co2 bulbs so will see how I get on with those. What bottles do you use where you can control the co2 output from the bottle? Thanks With the larger 240g cylinders you just tighten the cylinder onto the thread on the S30 valves...

Yup, looks like Jim may have identified the problem. Using the larger cylinders it's possible to give the keg a very short burst of gas. I've never used the bulbs, so hadn't realised you have to use them all in one go. As Eric says, with the beer conditioning in the keg there's really very little ne...

According to the Hambleton Bard site the new stainless steel version can be used for either 8g bulbs or the larger 240g cylinders.

Guy