Get advice on making beer from raw ingredients (malt, hops, water and yeast)
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Orkney_Rob
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by Orkney_Rob » Fri Dec 07, 2007 6:21 pm
Just want to check.
If I go for a brewday tomorrow or Sunday (weather dependant) - what will the effects be if I keg it next Saturday whether it has reached a stable gravity or not? Thing is that we have to leave the house Saturday afternoon/evening next week to head off on a monster holiday, and won't be back for a month! I want a keg waiting for me on return that is ready to crack open and drink, but my supplies only arrived 5 minutes ago!
On the same note - which of the yeasts would you suggest using for quick fermentation out of:
Safale S04
Girvin Nottingham
Danstar Windsor
The beer will probably be a Blacksheepish type brew, so nothing dramatic on the gravity side of things - just a nice bitter to revive the tastebuds after a month in LA, Auckland and Adelaide
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Orkney_Rob
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by Orkney_Rob » Fri Dec 07, 2007 6:32 pm
Cheers Daab - I have 2 packets of Safale so can double up if needs be... but planning around a 1040ish brew so should be okay with one! If it aint finished by Saturday afternoon (expect it should be....) will it do any harm to pop it in the keg and leave it to finish off and mature in there, or will I end up with sweet swill?
Speaking of which - had a bottle of Black Isles beer the other day - it was sickly sweet and foamed like nothing else when it was poured - seemed as though the yeast must have been dormant in the bottle, but on reaching air went berserk!
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beermygod
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by beermygod » Sat Dec 08, 2007 1:00 pm
Might be an idea to put it somewhere cold,once you have kegged it,I am presuming you want it to finish about 1010,If you keep it warm,the safale might keep on fermenting, and you will come home to a stronger thin beer.(I have noticed you are in scotland,so keeping it cold should not be a problem!!)
happy brewing.
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Orkney_Rob
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by Orkney_Rob » Sat Dec 08, 2007 1:45 pm
I am hoping it should be down to 1010 ish or near by Saturday, Safale seemed to get the job done quickly with the kits, reaching those sorts of levels after 3 or 4 days... so fingers crossed! Once it has done that it will go somewhere reasonably coolish to keep - I could even pop it in with my bikes in the shed outside for the next month... would that be a good plan, or am I better off in one of the cooler rooms in the house?
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Dan
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by Dan » Sat Dec 08, 2007 1:56 pm
This is only my own opinion
1: ferment at the top end of the yeasts range to make sure attenuation is complete in 3-4 days
2: give it 2 days extra in primary when activity has fallen off
3: stick the fermenter outside overnight to cool in our nice winter weather
4: transfer and leave the keg outside 2 weeks.
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Orkney_Rob
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by Orkney_Rob » Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:02 pm
Sounds reasonable to me! The house is pretty toasty at the moment so I can leave it to ferment away in my brewing cupboard - should be nicely in the 20 - 24 deg range at a guess. Can pop it outside Friday to cool overnight - guessing to persuade the yeast to settle out? Then into the keg Saturday morning, and pop that into the bike locker or shed and leave it there until we come back 4 weeks later to a fine keg of ale!!!!
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Dan
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by Dan » Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:07 pm
yeah. moving the fermenter outside the night before transfering will help settle the yeast. although If your using S-04 and giving an extra 2 days after attenuation has fallen off, there wont be much yeast left in suspension anyway. cant hurt though.
I used to do this with pressure barrels all the time and they turned out better than most of my bottled beers.
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Orkney_Rob
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by Orkney_Rob » Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:14 pm
Excellent - cheers!
Saturday will be spent cleaning the barrels to spotless! Shall avoid the Beersphere until I have worked out why it is not working properly! Bought another head, and float for it, and loads of washers... going to probably revert to the drum tap as although it is less good than the Dalex flippy jobs, it causes me less grief (so long as I remember to close it off!!!)
Oh aye - and once the barrels are clean, and the beer transferred I should probably get around to packing
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Dan
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by Dan » Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:17 pm
I hate sticky drum taps. but I have to say.. they do seal properly.
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Orkney_Rob
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by Orkney_Rob » Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:33 pm
Aye, it is timescales that I have a problem with at the moment - it HAS to be in the keg by this time next week! It is currently cooling and the starter is ready and waiting to be pitched....
That said, it doesn't need to be clear as it will go in the pressure barrel and can finish itself off in there... hopefully
It is looking good though - the colour is a nice ruby red and the hops have come through to make a nice well hopped bitter. Forgot to pop the chiller in to sterilise though so it is currently cooling in the damn chilly air outside!!!! Should be ready to pitch the yeast in a couple of hours or so....
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Orkney_Rob
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by Orkney_Rob » Sat Dec 08, 2007 7:08 pm
Cooling is going well - there is currently snow lying ontop of the boiler
Will bring it in shortly, then let it settle for an hour or so before opening the tap and letting it drop into the fv to provide suitable aeration, then in with the starter that is currently doing a good Vesuvius impression!
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beermygod
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by beermygod » Sun Dec 09, 2007 4:51 pm
Something to think about,if you are using plastic kegs,and you fit the taps when the kegs are warm,as they cool obviously they contract, and then the tap is no longer really tight,and you get seepage.seeing as you wont be there to keep an eye on it could lose a bit,(It has happened to me!!)
