Jim's Beer Kit

Sorry to hear you've lost a brew. It's always a bad feeling when a beer goes down the drain. My guess, like RWA, is infection from liquoring back. I've had infected brews where the gravity hasn't dropped. Probably because the nasties have overwhelmed the yeast then made it a hostile environment even...

Thanks all. Feel much happier now about the pH readings I'm getting. I'd thought 5.2-5.5 was the 'only' range, and the closer to 5.2 the better. From what you've said, Aleman, my usual readings of 5.4, with variances to 5.2 or 5.6, are absolutely fine. Good to know. And yes, killer, I think I have b...

Alkalinity as in the first post. This is the value in the HLT after using AMS/CRS. Not bothered with testing the liquor pH as I don't think it matters.

Guy

Definitely doesn't work. Shame, coz it's probably worth reading.

Guy

Aleman wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 09, 2019 1:55 pm

Calcium levels ??

102 ppm. Wallybrew analysis. No salts added to the liquor or the grain.

Guy

Getting the right pH for my mashes seems to be no more than a matter of luck. Data from the last 4 brews is given below. Alkalinity reduced using CRS for all brews and measured using a Salifert kit. Alkalinity given as ppm CaCO3. pH measured at 15-20 minutes into the mash using a Voltcraft PH-100ATC...

Thanks. 10kg of malt in 46l will give you a beer of about 5% . Perfectly respectable! My suggestion, if you have no other malts, would be to use the Challenger hops mainly for bittering, the Citra hops mainly for flavour and aroma. Perhaps using them like this, assuming a 90 minute boil; 50g Challen...

But how much malt do you have?? A bag could be 1kg or 25kg!!

Guy

How much pale malt do you have? How old is it, is it crushed, and do you have any other grains?

Guy

I think you have to have 6 posts under your belt before you can post pictures. You're close!

Guy

I don't know as I bought it S/H and I haven't seen any identifying marks. I could do that, but would prefer not to, besides what about if the wort was too cold? Thermostat!! Any chance of a photo to try to work out what make it is? Fermentation 'fridges are ok, but internal cooling is loads better....

What make of conical is it? Could you fit a cooling coil inside it and an insulating jacket?

Guy

A word of caution, the most recently published CAMRA book which is apparently by Andy Parker and Graham Wheeler is nowhere near as useful as the above two predecessors. Its focus is on more “modern” British beers. The font is small on coloured paper, which at least for me, makes it much more diffic...

I have found putting the ISBN number into this site extremely helpful over the last few years, often gives the best deal either here or in the States. Tempting fate, but never yet been charged import on books from the States. http://www.bookfinder4u.com Thanks for that, Kingfisher4. Just used the s...

It's a very long time (years) since I primed my beers. It gave me too much pressure in the King Keg, plus an unwanted sweet taste for a few days. My routine is now very simple. Once the bubbles are coming through the blow off tube into the bucket fairly slowly, about two or three times a minute for ...