Brewferm Christmas ale

[mh75]

Curious-Brew
What type of sugar did you use in the Coopers? or was it DME

Thanks

[frestonian]

PeteH

The beer originally spent 7 days in small, 330ml Duvel bottles at around 20 degrees.

In hindsight, if I hadn't been such a hysterical and over-anxious first-timer, I should have left a few bottles unprimed and compared them with the primed bottles nearer Xmas. Then I would've known whether the beer being flat after a week was part of the process, or whether I had screwed up somewhere somehwere along the line. (Trust me, if you knew me, you'd be plumping for the latter option too...).

The 1L PET bottles are - hopefully - only temporary too. As much as I like Belgian Xmas Ale, drinking a litre at a time probably wouldn't be the cleverest thing I've ever done, and despite being flat and a bit 'raw' tasting just now, I am absolutely gob-smacked at how close the flavour is to an authentic Xmas Ale, so I have absolutely no intention of sharing it come Christmas.. Besides, from what you suggest, I may be reduced to licking it off the ceiling anyway.

Would putting the Xmas beer back into small glass bottles be a worthwhile exercise, or would it be too risky and/or a complete waste of time? And if worthwhile, what's the best options?

[PeteH]

PeteH

The beer originally spent 7 days in small, 330ml Duvel bottles at around 20 degrees.

In hindsight, if I hadn't been such a hysterical and over-anxious first-timer, I should have left a few bottles unprimed and compared them with the primed bottles nearer Xmas. Then I would've known whether the beer being flat after a week was part of the process, or whether I had screwed up somewhere somehwere along the line. (Trust me, if you knew me, you'd be plumping for the latter option too...).

The 1L PET bottles are - hopefully - only temporary too. As much as I like Belgian Xmas Ale, drinking a litre at a time probably wouldn't be the cleverest thing I've ever done, and despite being flat and a bit 'raw' tasting just now, I am absolutely gob-smacked at how close the flavour is to an authentic Xmas Ale, so I have absolutely no intention of sharing it come Christmas.. Besides, from what you suggest, I may be reduced to licking it off the ceiling anyway.

Would putting the Xmas beer back into small glass bottles be a worthwhile exercise, or would it be too risky and/or a complete waste of time? And if worthwhile, what's the best options?

It might be a safer option to keep it in the pet bottles and share it out when it comes to opening 1. Like you say, 1litre is a lot in one go!
I think it was probably 6 weeks or so before I noticed carbonation!

Mind you, I wonder if you let it carbonate in the PET bottles for a few weeks, then transferered to glass ones would the sugar have been fermented therefore once in the glass only the slow fermentables from the kit would be left to carbonate?? Anyone clever know how this would work?

[bosium]

Hi

I think that perhaps your problems with carbonation are due to the yeast being 'tired'. This is a high-gravity beer, and by the time the yeast have finished fermenting the wort the alcohol content is high and the yeast will have used up all its reserves, and also all the oxygen in the wort. You're expecting a lot from it in these conditions.

Common practice in belgian breweries is to re-yeast at bottling, that is add fresh yeast, usually top-cropped from another fermentation (I make up an additional starter a few days before bottling). Another thing to consider is the temperature. A lot of belgian breweries have a warm room, where the beer can be kept around 30 deg C for a week or two. The beer shoud have carbonated within this time. It probably still needs to mature but it should be carbonated.

[mh75]

Had a quick check and my Xmas brew may be stuck at 1026 its only been 7 days but there has been no activity for 2 days now.

I was thinking that if it sticks at 1026 and I then bottle it with no sugar as instructed will it carbinate at all? Also I have some Gervin English Ale yeast which i could pitch in to help it along but since I'm going to give it a few more days should I maybe get some different yeast that might suit the brewferm better?

Any help so I can buy if I need to in advance.
Cheers

[Waffty]

Had a quick check and my Xmas brew may be stuck at 1026 its only been 7 days but there has been no activity for 2 days now.

That 2 better than mine i.e mine stuck at 1028 Mind you, it's been in the corny for 3 weeks now & it's actually 'looking' quite good i.e nice level of carbination it's just taking it's time to clear

Anyways, 1026 (to 1030) is becomming the norm for Xmas brew, so give it another day or so & get it keg'd or bottled

[Waffty]

Double post ...........