Hi all,
While waiting for my bitter to condition in the bottles, thought I'd try a lager kit and came back from the HBS with a Tooheys Lager kit.
Has anyone tried this one before, any tips or advice appreciated.
I was planning to use bottle water, and instead of the 1Kg of sugar, Was going to replace half of this with 500g of light spraymalt... is it better to boil these ingredients with a few hundred ml of water or just add to the FV and stir like crazy.
The instuctions state to sprinkle the yeast on the surface of the liquid in the FV, would this be OK or is it better to rehydrate?
As for priming the bottles, the instructions state 1 rounded tea spoon per 750ml bottle... this sounds a little high to me... what does everyone else think?
Thanks in advance for your help. This is only my second brew but I feel loads more confident already thanks to the help I've had on this forum so thanks again.
Dave.
Tooheys Lager Kit
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Aleman
- It's definitely Lock In Time
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- Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2007 11:56 am
- Location: Mashing In Blackpool, Lancashire, UK
OK so its an Australian Lager . . . That means its an ale yeast 
I think that generally you will get better results from rehydrating. I would suggest that you actually make a 'Daabs Flying Starter' (Someone post a link please
)
Priming rate is a bit high, but not excessively so. Generally its 1/2 a tsp per 568ml, depending on what you bottle in, a rounded tsp in 750ml could be high . . . more or less in Belgian territory. I'd drop it down to a flat tsp per 750 ml
I think that generally you will get better results from rehydrating. I would suggest that you actually make a 'Daabs Flying Starter' (Someone post a link please
)Priming rate is a bit high, but not excessively so. Generally its 1/2 a tsp per 568ml, depending on what you bottle in, a rounded tsp in 750ml could be high . . . more or less in Belgian territory. I'd drop it down to a flat tsp per 750 ml
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mctoon
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daveyk
thanks
Thanks for the responses.
Actually since my original post, I've also order 2x Saflager yeast from the HBS. As i understand this will lead to a faster fermentation and at lower temps which I think are better for lager. I would have gone for the kit yeast but my 'brewden' (understairs cupboard) is a little cool.... this way i might be able to leave the FV alone a little more.
Glad to hear the other kits were good.... might try those also, I was after a lager kit anyway but bought this after speak to a guy from Austrailia and he said how good the draught beers were.... lets hope we can get somewhere close!
As for where in Durham, then I'm based in the City. Framwellgate moor.
Dave.
Actually since my original post, I've also order 2x Saflager yeast from the HBS. As i understand this will lead to a faster fermentation and at lower temps which I think are better for lager. I would have gone for the kit yeast but my 'brewden' (understairs cupboard) is a little cool.... this way i might be able to leave the FV alone a little more.
Glad to hear the other kits were good.... might try those also, I was after a lager kit anyway but bought this after speak to a guy from Austrailia and he said how good the draught beers were.... lets hope we can get somewhere close!
As for where in Durham, then I'm based in the City. Framwellgate moor.
Dave.
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daveyk
yeast
So.... the yeast has arrived.... i'm off to super market later so should pick up ithe required water....as soon as I have a little time, (about 2 years in march the way things have been this week!!) I'll be setting of the kit.
The instructions on the yeast say "sprinkle into wort". As i see it i have 3 options.
1) Sprinkle into the wort once everything else is well and truely mixed.
2) re-hydrate the yeast in a jug then pitch and mix
3) make a 'starter' as Daab describes on his pages.... presumably this is well mixed to the wort as in 2.
What method would give the best results.... i was planning on using 2 satchets of yeast.... is there anything else I should do?
Dave.
The instructions on the yeast say "sprinkle into wort". As i see it i have 3 options.
1) Sprinkle into the wort once everything else is well and truely mixed.
2) re-hydrate the yeast in a jug then pitch and mix
3) make a 'starter' as Daab describes on his pages.... presumably this is well mixed to the wort as in 2.
What method would give the best results.... i was planning on using 2 satchets of yeast.... is there anything else I should do?
Dave.
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daveyk
when to mix?
Hi,
Just wondering about the mixing method for this.... I was thinking of adding the spray malt to the mix early on with the extract and the hot water but I've also heard this can make the spraymalt clump together..... when should I add the spray malt and sugar....??
Is it better to boil it in water first? or add to the relativley cold FV??
Any suggestions welcome.
Dave
Just wondering about the mixing method for this.... I was thinking of adding the spray malt to the mix early on with the extract and the hot water but I've also heard this can make the spraymalt clump together..... when should I add the spray malt and sugar....??
Is it better to boil it in water first? or add to the relativley cold FV??
Any suggestions welcome.
Dave
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daveyk
when to mix?
Hi,
Just wondering about the mixing method for this.... I was thinking of adding the spray malt to the mix early on with the extract and the hot water but I've also heard this can make the spraymalt clump together..... when should I add the spray malt and sugar....??
Is it better to boil it in water first? or add to the relativley cold FV??
Any suggestions welcome.
Dave
Just wondering about the mixing method for this.... I was thinking of adding the spray malt to the mix early on with the extract and the hot water but I've also heard this can make the spraymalt clump together..... when should I add the spray malt and sugar....??
Is it better to boil it in water first? or add to the relativley cold FV??
Any suggestions welcome.
Dave
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daveyk
thanks daab
Thanks Daab, most useful as always.
What is the reason for boiling? is it just to make sure the solution is setrile? If i'm doing half sugar half DME then I assume I add the sugar at this stage too.
Dave.
What is the reason for boiling? is it just to make sure the solution is setrile? If i'm doing half sugar half DME then I assume I add the sugar at this stage too.
Dave.
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daveyk
Update
Sorry been too busy to post for a while but here is how i'm getting on.
I set the Tooheys Lager off over the weekend. Used 1Kg of spray malt in the end, inplace of the sugar.. stired like mad and got rid of the lumps. Also added 2x Saflager 32 yeasts in place of supplied.
My starting gravity was 1036 @22deg just after I pitched the yeast.
In the mean time the head that formed, has subsided and the yeast sediment in the bottom of the FV is increasing in size. Took another reading last night which was 1010 @16degs.
I do have a few questions at this stage:
1) the instructions say to aim for a final gravity of 1006. But will the added spray malt alter this reading?
2) I have a pile of old lager bottles which I was planning on using.... stella / calsberg etc... are these deemed to be ok for conditioning the lager in? I know they have held fizz before but the glass is not as thick as a brown real ale bottle.
3) I was wanting to reduce the amount of sediment in the bottles, (ideally to zero)... was wondeirng if decanting the brew into 5L plastic bottles for a couple of days prior to priming then bottling would work. I realise that sediment = yeast = fizz so would letting the lager clear be counter productive.... what i mean is "is the sediment a necessary evil"??
all help much appreciated.
for the record... I tried a little sample form the test jar as i took last nights reading.... VERY nice indeed... much better than my bitter was at this stage... this gives me high hopes for the outcome of this one.
Dave.
I set the Tooheys Lager off over the weekend. Used 1Kg of spray malt in the end, inplace of the sugar.. stired like mad and got rid of the lumps. Also added 2x Saflager 32 yeasts in place of supplied.
My starting gravity was 1036 @22deg just after I pitched the yeast.
In the mean time the head that formed, has subsided and the yeast sediment in the bottom of the FV is increasing in size. Took another reading last night which was 1010 @16degs.
I do have a few questions at this stage:
1) the instructions say to aim for a final gravity of 1006. But will the added spray malt alter this reading?
2) I have a pile of old lager bottles which I was planning on using.... stella / calsberg etc... are these deemed to be ok for conditioning the lager in? I know they have held fizz before but the glass is not as thick as a brown real ale bottle.
3) I was wanting to reduce the amount of sediment in the bottles, (ideally to zero)... was wondeirng if decanting the brew into 5L plastic bottles for a couple of days prior to priming then bottling would work. I realise that sediment = yeast = fizz so would letting the lager clear be counter productive.... what i mean is "is the sediment a necessary evil"??
all help much appreciated.
for the record... I tried a little sample form the test jar as i took last nights reading.... VERY nice indeed... much better than my bitter was at this stage... this gives me high hopes for the outcome of this one.
Dave.
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daveyk
thanks
Thanks for the help Daab. what is the rule of thumb for the increased gravity due to addition of spray malt?
Dave
I guess I need to ditch these then and not use them. I thought as long as the bottle had held fizz then they were OK to use.... I guess not. How does that relate to reusing PET bottles then?DaaB wrote: No, the pressures involved with bottle conditioning are greater than that of simply containing a fizzy lager.
Dave
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daveyk
so then
thanks again for the help.
So just to clear this up.... is it dangerous to use the super market sodl lager bottles for the home brew?
Has anyone else tried this with sucess or otherwise? i think I might have unknowingly put some of the previous brew in a similar bottle and got away with it.
Dave
So just to clear this up.... is it dangerous to use the super market sodl lager bottles for the home brew?
Has anyone else tried this with sucess or otherwise? i think I might have unknowingly put some of the previous brew in a similar bottle and got away with it.
Dave