Made my first 5 gals using a simple ESB res i got from the internet and using the extract method. Got fair result with a good tasting beer (albeit a bit on the bitter side for the wife). Thought i'd go the whole hog and go all grain without the full kit (just a large pan on the hob for heat). Problem is after 10 days of initial and two weeks in the keg it's a bit cloudy and thin!!
OK, now lets be hounest. No tun, no way to sparge properly, to way to test suger content, etc.(you get the picture) What i was supprised with was how little liquid was left with the grain after steeping the grain, is this normal? Also, is there anything to be done with the beer in the keg? If i leave it for a further 4 weeks will it improve?
FIRST TIME (BE GENTLE!!)
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pantsmachine
It won't do any harm to leave it for a few weeks. You could put some finings through it. I don't bother with finins myself as i bottle mostly not keg. Welcome to the forum, may i suggest a few photos for your next batch(helps you focus) and how did you filter the wort into the fermentation vessel? Also i have had beers which were a wee bit cloudy after 2 weeks of settling in a king keg. After 1 month offshore they were clear as a bell and very well carbonated. Your best bet is to read as much as you can on this site and build up the picture from there.
If you're going to go for an all grain brew again using this method, I would strongly recommend that you at least invest in a hydrometer. As it is, you have no way of knowing how much sugar you extracted.
I would leave the brew in the keg for a few weeks and see how it goes, but I have a few questions:
1. Did you get a vigourous fermentation?
2. Did you have a taste when you kegged it, and if so how did it taste?
3. Is it fizzy from the keg (and did you add priming sugar?
Re little liquid left, yes that's normal, but it doesn't mean you haven't left sugars behind stuck to the grain husks.
I would leave the brew in the keg for a few weeks and see how it goes, but I have a few questions:
1. Did you get a vigourous fermentation?
2. Did you have a taste when you kegged it, and if so how did it taste?
3. Is it fizzy from the keg (and did you add priming sugar?
Re little liquid left, yes that's normal, but it doesn't mean you haven't left sugars behind stuck to the grain husks.
Last edited by Jim on Mon Aug 25, 2008 5:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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the red devil
Re: To Jim
Sounds like all you need is to stick it in the coolest place you can find for a few weeks, then.the red devil wrote:Thanks Jim,
No i didn't get a vigorous fermentation but it did ferment!
I did taste into the keg and is was a bit thin then.
I added 2 oz of Sugar to the keg and it has a good head when i take a sample.
The thinness is probably down to a low starting gravity - what was your recipe?
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the red devil
OK, that amount of grain would give you a starting gravity of about 37 at 70% efficiency (which you may not have achieved), so you're looking at quite a low gravity ale, which might explain it's thin taste.
However, there's no reason why it shouldn't clear down reasonably well and be perfectly drinkable.
However, there's no reason why it shouldn't clear down reasonably well and be perfectly drinkable.