Newbie questions....

[Frothy]

This is a liquid yeast,it tells me to use DMA for the starter but i have none,so may use Muntons Beer Kit Enhancer

Kit enhancer would be A- ok. I actually use just dextrose for my starters, unless you're using a massive starter then it's not really going to dilute the flavour of your beer much which I believe is the reason people like to use Malt extract.

The point of the starter is just to increase your viable cell numbers so that you get a better attenuation (alcohol %)
yeast is my happy little friend & it makes me happy
Matt

[mr.c]

This is a liquid yeast,it tells me to use DMA for the starter but i have none,so may use Muntons Beer Kit Enhancer

Kit enhancer would be A- ok. I actually use just dextrose for my starters, unless you're using a massive starter then it's not really going to dilute the flavour of your beer much which I believe is the reason people like to use Malt extract.

The point of the starter is just to increase your viable cell numbers so that you get a better attenuation (alcohol %)
yeast is my happy little friend & it makes me happy
Matt

Thankyou Frothy,happy brewing all
im about to berw a FULLERS LONDON PORTER will post pics

[stevenhill]

Hi,

And thanks, Chaps.

I do like to own the new shiny things. I got my girlfried to get me an electrically heated mashtun for my birthday. My parents thought she'd tell me to p*ss off..but she was into it!!

i was surprised too.

She's not into the cleaning aspect of it though..

Frothy, It was a challenge.. and it still is, though talking to you lot and reading helps alot. It helps to know why you're doing each step and what the goal of each step is. I try not to think too much about the idosyncrasies of it as that's where the 'art' comes in. If i can just make something that won't erode the barrel it's stored in, then i will start tweaking to see how I can make it better.

You guys are right about those fecking flies. They love that wort, dirty creatures.

One more little question. When you're primary fermenting, do you guys skip off the brown stuff? if so, how many times and how often? I've done it once, with a sterilised spoon, of course (and with a few flying spectators looking over my shoulder..) but i wonder if it's worth doing it again.

Should I skim just before I transfer it to the second fermenter to avoid the brown stuff going with the wort?


Cheers

[stevenhill]

Thought I'd put a little update for you... sort of a sanity check, I guess.

I racked the wort into the secondary fermenter and checked its gravity. It was 1012, that's what the recipe called for so that's good.

I also moved some to a wine bottle to keep my eye on it.

It tasted ok, too. Well, it tasted like beer at least and was even a little carbonated.

I'll leave it for a couple of weeks and see what happens.


Cheers