" Ditch's Stout " Master Class .....

[TonyT40]

Cheers Ditch, I'll see how it goes. Just my lack of experience showing I guess. there is so much info on this forum about sterilisation, contact for beer with the evil substance known as "air" , you can't help but to absorb some of it as a Newbie. I will chill out and enjoy

[tazzymutt]

Regards emptying a keg quick or not? It's really up to you. I would empty a keg inside a week. But, that's simply because I drink that much beer. However, no way would I suggest you have to. I'm of the view that ye better off Enjoying ye beer, at ye own rate and time.

If it should go over and ye wind up losing a few pints? So be it. Take note of what happened and learn from it.

Can't argue with any of this but, as I reported above, the keg I have just emptied was 23 weeks old and I had been having a pint now and then from it. I more or less ran out gas pressure about two weeks ago and did as Ditch suggests; I simply loosened the top, pulled a pint and then tightened it again. There was no evidence of the brew going past it's best, if anything it was getting better as it aged.

But, most of all; Relax. Beer's to be enjoyed. Not fretted over.

Those are probably the wisest words I've ever read on the web

Happy brewing,


Ian.

[hong]

Alright chaps! Just a question about sugar. I know Ditch uses organic sugar, but before I set a batch away, what does other brewers use? I looked iny local Fresco earlier, but didn't know which one to pick.

[Ditch]

Hong; I use organic sugar simply because it's the simplest option in my nearest town. There happens to be a shop, along my route, which sells only organic sh!t.

Frankly? I couldn't give two sh!ts whether my sugar is organic or what ever. As long as it's not white, or very dark. My advice is to avoid the extreme stuffs. Don't use that 'Silver Spoon' sh!t. Don't use Muscovado either. I feel that's probably a step too far in the other direction. It can be a bit Too dark and rich.

No. Demerara or Raw Cane sugar should do. 'Brown' sugar.

Don't let yeself get hung up over this. The amount ye putting in there is barely even significant. I just don't like putting crap in my beers

[hong]

Cheers Ditch, great anwser as usual! Like you say, the amount i`ll be adding is only a mug or so full. I would never use Silver Spoon, but once i started looking at the other sugars i was quite suprised how many there were. Demerara it will be.
Thanks again mate!

[hong]

Ditch, I know you use Iodine. I have been looking at using a no rinse sanatizer for a while now, would you recommend it? Where do you get it from? Ratios per water etc?

[WalesAles]

the amount i`ll be adding is only a mug or so full.

Hello,
Are you well Hong?
The Masterclass requires a `mug of sugar`. There is no `or so`. Don`t get the Wrath of Ditch on your back. Stick to the Masterclass and you will not fail with your Brew!
Don`t forget to read EVERY page of the Masterclass Post because it is very informative (and funny)!
Keep asking the questions, everyone is here to help.
Happy Brewing!
WA

[Ditch]

Ditch, I know you use Iodine. I have been looking at using a no rinse sanatizer for a while now, would you recommend it? Where do you get it from? Ratios per water etc?

Funny one here, Hong. I use iodine for part of my sanitation process. And I don't see any power in heaven or earth changing me on this, any time soon.

Crazy, isn't it? I use that " Iodifor ", or how ever they spell it. Used it for bloody years now. I have a mist spray bottle that holds a litre of water. I put about a third of a tea spoon of the gear in that. I probably add the same again about every two or three months.

This I use to spray on the work top I work from. All sorts go on that surface. I wouldn't imagine it's the most sanitary of places. However, the only beer making gear that actually comes into direct contact with it is my tin opener, gloves and paddle.

Those three items (four, if ye wish to be pedantic) I also spray with the brown stuff. Tin opener is of the stab the tin type. So that tends to touch the malt. Paddle most definitely goes deep into the whole lot and gets major contact with everything.

Nothing goes wrong!

And yet, strangely enough; Ask me if I'd use the same stuff on my FV's? I'd ask you if ye'd lost ye f**king mind! How weird is that?!

No rhyme or reason to it. It's just a 'superstition' of mine. Iodifor for the work top and tools. Bleach for the FV's, syphon tube and heaters. It has to be that way.

[hong]

As usual, great answer Ditch, cheers. I've just set away a 3 gallon batch, only difference is, I had to use medium spray malt instead of the usual dark. Think it will make much difference?

[Ditch]

Hong; I used to use Medium. Then, my supplier started offering complete packages, slightly cheaper, so I now buy them. And his default is Dark malt. I honestly couldn't say I notice any difference.

[Ditch]

All Hail Ditch, The Innovative! The Discoverer Of Cool Sh!t! The Bringer Of New Ways!!!

Yeah. Alright. I've partaken whilst I was makin'. With my blood alcohol levels then, I'd probably get busted for so much as looking at a car key!

But, no, seriously: I've just found out some cool sh!t! Just remember: You got it Here first!


Anyone who's paid attention will know that A/ I use an Artex Stirrer to mix the sh!t in my FV's. And, B/ That my trusty little drill, which I use almost entirely for this noble purpose, has only one speed: Dead fast!

Well, the snag there is that it tends to whip the stuff into a frenzy. Causes a sort of whirlpool effect which sends the liquid swirling dangerously close to the rim of the FV and beyond.

Thus I only really dare put three gallons in, hit that. Cause several inches of froth. Then wait half a day for that to subside, before I can top up to four. Bung in the heater. Next day the yeast.

Now, Ditch The Perfectly Open To Accepting The Nobel Prize For Services To Coopers Stout Kit Mastery And General Labour Saving Short Cuts For The Fellow Lazy Man, has come up with a f**king blinder!

Get this: Ye sling the malts in. Rinse the tin. Then, sling in the Full Four Gallon Mark Top Up! There ye have it. Four gallons of stuff, ready to warm up to yeast friendly temp's.

Oh! Only snag, yeah? It's got a solidified slab of undisturbed malts at the bottom. And it's pretty well starved of oxygen. And, putting a high speed paddle any where near that is gonna cause a f**king tsunami. Yeah?

Trust in Ditch, people! Shove that whisk deep. Brace your drill firmly to ye thigh. Set that little button to Reverse, and hit that f**king trigger!

[tazzymutt]

Shove that whisk deep. Brace your drill firmly to ye thigh. Set that little button to Reverse, and hit that f**king trigger!

Doncha just know that someone will forget that reverse button and all hell will break loose as the wife's shiny kitchen vanishes behind a gooey morass of perfectly good beer makings. Somehow I don't think "Sorry Dear, the floor's a bit sticky, but I'll soon have it mopped up" will quite cut it.

I reckon I've sussed out how Ditch makes a living; he gets a cut from all those divorce lawyers

Happy brewing,


Ian.

[WalesAles]

Sounds good Ditch.
I will try that on Saturday when I am next Brewing. My whirlpool effect only happens when the drill is right in the centre of the FV. Purposely done so that I can shout manically to Mrs Ales `Look at this, Look at this!`, where she shrugs her shoulders and says`Child`.
WA

[Ditch]

Sounds good Ditch. I will try that on Saturday when I am next Brewing.

Do, mate. And let us know what ye make of it. Be prepared to be caught off balance though. It's weird: It sort of sucks the drill down into the liquid!

[CJR]

Out of interest, how does the reverse help and not create a tsunami?