Jim's Beer Kit

Hi All ... sorry whoever, can't find the relevant thread ... ... that's OK Meaty, but it was me, over there (link) :wink: ... wouldn't dry hopping be easier? Or is there some science I have yet to discover ... ... there's some science around, but mostly there's an overwhelming body of empirical evid...

Hi Meaty ... it's what Jim said ... To describe it another way (let's see if that helps clarify :wink: ) , you need to recognise that your efficiency at the end of the mash is as high as it is going to be and from that point forward losses of liquids (containing sugars from the mash) will only reduc...

Hi spook So I'm looking for a 'cheat' that will get me *similar* results without extending my brew day. ... I believe the more traditional "cheat" for getting those effects is to use a small proportion of Weyermann's Melanoidin Malt, which is kilned specifically to have more melanoidins, without the...

Hi Dave I thought it had a separate grain basket. Was I looking at the wrong picture? ... it does have a grain basket included, it says "Removable filter bin for easy removal of the spent grain" under the list of Properties and Dimensions :? ... overall, what with the immersion chiller included, loo...

Hi It was my understanding that barm was the term for the collected "worty/beery/yeasty mixture", particularly when collected for use in baking bread, rather than the stuff when it's sat on the top of fermenting ale :? ... you know, like when the wood is still part of a tree in the forest it's a 'br...

Hi Meaty Here's an alternative approach to late-hopping and steeping that you may want to throw in the mix, for consideration ... on brewday, proceed with your boil as usual but leave out all late hop additions in your recipe (anything in the last 15 mins, say, don't worry they'll get involved later...

Hi orlondo Ahhhh, now I understand where you were coming from :wink: ... for the record, I agree that starter supernatant/spent wort/fermented unhopped grain-juice doesn't taste like (good) beer ... but I still advocate tasting it after decanting off your yeast, it helps in checking for infections a...

Hi johnnyboy Good to hear you've found an approach that suits you and makes beer that you like :wink: ... Weighed out the required of LME (4200g) and brewed as usual. Normal hop routine, fermented as usual (SO-4 yeast) and bottled. ... it sounds like you've done a full-volume extract brew there, hav...

Hi Kingfisher To be clear, I wasn't "recommending" Graham's Beer Engine particularly ... I mean, I use it and like its simplicity, but it is already quite dated and with Graham's passing is very unlikely to be further developed :? ... and, as a Grainfather user I would imagine the "inter-connectedne...

Hi MTW They list the malts as extra pale Maris Otter, Rauch, dark crystal and special B and the beer is 6% and 50 EBC. ... From the malts listed, I can't see that they would get to 50 EBC without well over 10% (probably nearer 14-15%) of the grains coming from those two malts combined, even if you a...

Hi Adam ... wondering whether I should try chucking in a sachet of Gervins Ale yeast that I've got hanging around? If I do this, then should I stir it in or just leave it floating on the surface and hope it kick starts the fermentation process? ... there may still be time for the kit yeast that you ...

Hi Adam

2 kilos of DME, and no extra sugar or maltodextrin, will probably be delicious

Cheers, PhilB

Hi Adam Maltodextrin is an unfermentable sugar, it adds a bit of body and helps with head retention ... as explained over there ... To decrease fermentability, you would add ingredients to your recipe that yield unfermentable carbohydrates in the wort. Maltodextrin is one such ingredient. Maltodextr...

Hi adamzworld Here's what I've done with one of those kits a couple of times now ... I boil up 200-ish g grated ginger root, with the juice and rind of a lemon, a cinnamon stick and 15g of crushed coriander seeds, all boiled in a ltr or two of water for around 10-15 minutes ... all of that goes into...

Hi IPA Sounds like yet another internet myth in the making ... no, the diastatic power of dry-hops has been known about (by brewing scientists and brewers who read the Brewing Guardian, at least) since 1893, as reported in Ron Pattinson's blog there (link) :? ... it looks like the brewers in the lin...