brewferm

[mikeyt]

How are you planning to do the Ambiorix? I just made up a batch using 800g light spray malt and 300g glucose instead of the specified 1075g sugar. It will be interesting to see how it turns out. It seems to be a real monster of a fermenter - it seems to be pretty much finished within 36 hours.

At the moment, I'm just planning on using the 1075g of sugar as per the instructions. the other two beers I have done and tasted have both tasted great - I think that the secret to these beers is time an patience. The longer you leave it, the better it is going to taste!



And thanks for the welcome, I look forward to reading and posting on here!

[pongobilly]

been over to flaggon and cak today and picked up this brewferm kit




ive seen this (below) on the brewferm webste but dont know where to get it from, it would be a good replacement for sugar for this beer i think, but cant find it anywhere



would the below muntons wheat spray malt be any good to use instead, if so how would i use it

[tubby_shaw]

PB you should be able to use the munton wheatmalt extract as a direct replacement for the brewferm wheatmalt extract.
Use it as you would normal spraymalt, dissolve it in preboiled water that has been allowed to cool and add it to the kit as a sugar replacement.
Check the SG of the kit before you add the yeast. If the gravity is lower than reccomended make up the shortfall with white cane sugar.

[discodave]

Thanks BarryNL for the reply...

It makes sense really, that the beer should remain hazy. I was just a bit curious as their own website shows a glass of clear Grand Cru, which mine is, but only at room temperature. Maybe they did a clear photo to give a better impact (it looks professional), although in reality Hoegaarden Grand Cru is hazy.

I had a glass in Leuven? years ago..Come to think of it, this beer tastes similar...The stength is definitely there, 1 bottle knocked my socks off on Friday...the missus ordered me to go back on the barrel instread!

Thanks again all, for advice.

Dave

(Currently drawing up my shopping list for Leyland Homebrew who I will e visiting on Saturday YeeHee!!!)..great shop ans staff...recommended.

[EasyBrew]

Brupaks also do a 1.5kg tin of wheat extract which would be good to use too.

[discodave]

The missus has gone out, leaving just daddy and the baby...

I've just cracked open a bottle of Grand Cru as this thread has got me thirsty...4 weeks in the bottle and it tastes great...I'm deffo leaving the rest now to mature as in only 1 week, it has gone from OK to 'Jesus Christ'..Tastes similar to the Special Hoegaarden of the same name..only I MADE IT..!!

More reports soon,

Dave.

[pongobilly]

going to start my brewferm tarwebier kit today and use wheat spray malt, as complete replacement for sugar, will using the brewferm yeast be ok, or shall i use another yeast

[discodave]

I've got the same brew in the primary now. (Lovely frothy head after 12 hours at 22 degrees)! I used a touch of Yeast-vit as an experiment after following threads here.

It'll be good to compare notes?

I used 500g brewing sugar and 200g light spraymalt.

I'll fill you all in when I get first tastes! Am I right in saying wheatbeer doesn't need bottle conditioning but can be drunk immediately?

Am I also right in thinking the supplied yeast isn't a Witbeer yeast, but the regular Brewferm Ale yeast? Hence, I shouldn't swill and add to the beer on pouring from the bottle?

Cheers,

Dave.

[pongobilly]

started my brewferm wheatbeer on monday, checked the gravity yesterday and it was 1020 and checked it again today and it looks the same, its around 19-20deg, is this stuck or just slow fermenting, i used the breferm yeast supplied, not sure wehter it was a wheat beer yeast or ale yeast

[discodave]

Mine reached 1010 after 3 and a half days. It has been in the primary for 7 days now, I'm going to leave for 2 weeks as all the rubbish is falling as I speak.

Kept temp to 20 degrees throughout, it fermented steadily until the end. Stopped within 12 hours!



I've had some 'sly sips' from the primary and it is VERY promising. I went to a Belgian wedding about 9 years ago and the local draught beer was a Witbeer. Lighter in style than Heogaarden and easier to drink, with a slightly sour taste. This tastes identical..I feel this is an ALE yeast, no esters of banana or similar here. I drink a fair few Wheatbeers and get no 'vibes' for this being a true wheatbeer yeast.

I'll bottle some and put the rest in a 2gall barrell. I've got a 'Ritchie Carbonator' which I'll use to fizz up some bottles poured from the barrell, should taste like the real thing.

I used mainly brewing sugar and a bit of Spraymalt. With all malt, the gravity may finish a little higher, but 1020 is deffo too high.

One tip I've felt to be useful is the one regarding Yeast-vit. I used it in this one and for the first time in ages I reached the correct FG.

Maybe filtered water (like mine) needs a helping hand? I know many breweries do RO Filtering then ADD nutrients back into the primary.

I'll fill you in once I've had the first official tasting anyway. I'll deffo be doing more of these kits, possibly the Gallia or the Old Flemish brown!

Dave.

[BarryNL]

started my brewferm wheatbeer on monday, checked the gravity yesterday and it was 1020 and checked it again today and it looks the same, its around 19-20deg, is this stuck or just slow fermenting, i used the breferm yeast supplied, not sure wehter it was a wheat beer yeast or ale yeast

I've learned not to get too hung up on the gravity figures Brewferm says you should be getting. The beers are great, but the documentation leaves a lot to be desired. If the gravity is stable for a few days - bottle it. Especially if you used DME instead of sugar the FG will be higher anyway. You might consider using less bottling sugar than they suggest too; the best result I had so far was using the same weight as they said but using a 50/50 mix of light DME and glucose instead of table sugar.

[pongobilly]

pitched some safale 04 into my wheatbeer that was stuck on 1020 yesterday morning, and there doesnt seem to be much activity this morning or change in gravity????

[pongobilly]

i dont have any yeast-vit, i have seen the youngs yeast nutrient in wilkos is this the same? if none of this works am i just going to end up with a 4% wheat beer as it started at 1052, or is it ruined

[pongobilly]

well ive been on couple of sites to see what my beer is in alcohol volume at its present gravity which is 1020 but all the sites say different, it started at 1052ish, i had a quick taste today. but i would say it didnt taste very alcoholic to me, a bit flat and thin if anything, but not off or anything, im a bit baffled with this beer, ive re pitched with safale 04 and ive added youngs yeast nutrient i will give it a couple more days till its had ten days and see what happens, im thinking its because i used all wheat spray malt instead of sugar???

[pongobilly]

at the moment i cant see it increasing, does it increase whilst bottle conditioning??