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

[hong]

Ditch, i dont have a heater or brew belt. I have just left it the kitchen where it is "warmish". Its not too hot or too cold, and its not standing next to a radiator. Will this be ok? I know it should be brewed at a constant temperature, and i`m just a little worried that it may f**k things up a bit. I will have to go out and get one of those fish tank heaters asap.

[Goulders]

Dong, brewed mine yesterday afternoon and no heating has been on. Last night no action, but this morning a good froth, ready to explode later today I reckon!

My kitchen is around 19-20 deg C. I reckon give it a day or so and it should be OK. Obviously if too cold I guess the yeast won't work. I saw some heaters on ebay quite cheap but haven't had to invest in one myself.

And when I say froth, I mean thick gloopy head like on the pictures here

[simo]

I bottled my stout nearly a week ago now and the ferment for me was very tame. Just came up to the lis sat there for 48 hours and then subsided and finished with a FG 1005.

I made it with BKE and topped up to 20 L.

Been drinking a bottle or too and i must say it does taste good already. Needs more time to carbonate a bit more to achieve a good creamy head.

Another week and i reckon it will taste even better.

Simon

[Ditch]

Guys; What ever ye do: Don't Buy Cheap, Chinese Heaters Off The Bay!

Go to a local, family run pet shop ~ if one still exists these days? Buy a 50 Watt one with integral thermostat which ye can very easily set by an external knob, while viewing a clear, sliding panel on the 'side', telling ye what temp' ye setting to.

Won't be half as cheap as Honk Kong Charlie's. But, nor will it be a piece of total crap!

Now don't say I didn't warn ye.

[hong]

Great advice Ditch will do. Just one thing, i noticed that you said you have your heater is set at 22, is this very hot, warm, cool etc.? Like i said i dont have a heater & i havent a clue of the temperature in the kitchen where my brew is, so i dont know if it is in the best place. Should it be in as warm as place as i can find or should the kitchen be ok? I was even thinking of wrapping a bed quilt around my FV to sort of keep it warm. The brew itself looks fine, it has a nice creamyish head and has a nice smell to it. I just need to know if it is best to have it as warm as possible, cool or steady if you know what i mean? Hope this makes sense, just really enjoying this whole thing, and dont wanna spoil my first ever beer.

[hong]

I bottled my stout nearly a week ago now and the ferment for me was very tame. Just came up to the lis sat there for 48 hours and then subsided and finished with a FG 1005.

I made it with BKE and topped up to 20 L.

Been drinking a bottle or too and i must say it does taste good already. Needs more time to carbonate a bit more to achieve a good creamy head.

Another week and i reckon it will taste even better.

Simon

Simo what is BKE?

[Beer O'Clock]

Simo what is BKE?

Beer Kit Enhancer.

[crafty john]

Great advice Ditch will do. Just one thing, i noticed that you said you have your heater is set at 22, is this very hot, warm, cool etc.? Like i said i dont have a heater & i havent a clue of the temperature in the kitchen where my brew is, so i dont know if it is in the best place. Should it be in as warm as place as i can find or should the kitchen be ok? I was even thinking of wrapping a bed quilt around my FV to sort of keep it warm. The brew itself looks fine, it has a nice creamyish head and has a nice smell to it. I just need to know if it is best to have it as warm as possible, cool or steady if you know what i mean? Hope this makes sense, just really enjoying this whole thing, and dont wanna spoil my first ever beer.

Get your self one of those stick on thermometers and stick it on your FV then you can be sure you have the right temp, 20c- 22c is perfect.

[Ditch]

Hong ..... (Sorry. I've been tied up elsewhere all night) ..... 22 is as high as ye'd ever really want to ferment, mate. 21 / 22 is the max'. Beyond that (up to 25) ye just Forcing the ferment and the taste quality would be anybody's guess.

Ye kitchen? Probably fine ..... Alright, I'm sort of guessing here. See, I don't live like what I've learned to consider " Normal people ". So, I only have this dim memory or what such peoples homes are even like. But, I'm guessing ye kitchen doesn't ice up at night? If not? Good a place as any. Especially in view of the potential 'Blow'. Ye don't want that sh!t kicking off over a carpet or laminate floor!

Don't put a quilt round the FV. For the exact reasons stated above. Just leave ye with a wet and stinking quilt.

" Steady " rules. Yeast knows where it's at when it's steady. Heater / Stat gives it steady. Brings it, gradually, up to optimum temperature. Then keeps it there. No fuss. It's part of what I do. And All that I do, I do to make my life easier.

" Geezah " will highlight the one, glaring exception to the above statement. He puts his heater into a bucket ~ of some sort ~ into which he pours some water. Then puts his FV into that water. Bane Marie effect. Leaves him without the heater / stat to clean up.

This, I'm sure, is fine too. I just can't get such buckets. If you can? How about it? Personally; I suspect it'll cost some level of control over the 'speed' of temp' adjustment. However, who's 'counting pennies' here? Damn beer'll be fermented by the time it all finds its rhythm anyway. And, if Geezah sent me half a dozen of those buckets of his .....

BKE / Beer Kit Enhancer need never concern ye, Hong. It's simply a mix of Dried Malt (DSM) and sugar. Note how my own, above, plan included both the dried malt and the sugar? Only on my terms. In my amounts.

That you about covered now, Hong? Time ye've read all this, beer'll be damn near ready for drinking! That's when ye'll realise ye really should own at least Two FV's and BK's

[hong]

Thats great, cheers Ditch much appreciated!

[Goulders]

Hong, the creamy head/brain has subsided in my FV, tho probably didn't help me taking a peak (to see how much I should warn the missus) and it was cooler last night so temp not as steady.

The aquarium heaters (not from HK) with external thermostats can be picked up on amazon for around £10, with external thermostat adjuster. There is a 50W for £8.99 that has a good review from someone who bought theirs for homebrew. May invest myself one day...

[EliteEvil]

I brewed my approximation of the Ditch's Stout about 24/25 degrees and for a week or so it tasted really bananany but then it calmed down and it tastes great.

[Ditch]

EE; Thanks for reminding me about the 'Banana Thing'.

Fact is, I actually spent a night here, doing what that sly fox, " Geezah " refused to take me up on. I.e. I've cropped All the relevant stuff from This thread, about this Banana issue, and have strung it into possibly the longest single 'Post' Jims might ever see.

Then I got pissed as a rat and forgot about it!

Really must dig it out and see what's to be with it

Fact is; I believe this " Banana Syndrome " to be an issue well worthy of discussion outside of this singular discussion of Coopers Stout.

I mean; Surely other kits can throw this? Other Coopers kits? Any kits? I just can't see it as being specific to Coopers Stout ~ done my way, or what ever ~ 'Left too long'. Why shouldn't 'Banana' take its place alongside " TCP " and " Vinegar ". As another of these 'recognisable' " Off flavours produced by a, probably, sussable process?

[Goulders]

Hmmm. The stout has appeared to have stalled fermenting.

Made up about 5pm saturday and on sunday a lovely thick foamy guinness style head like the photos on this thread right up to the lid. Monday morning had died right down and looked this evening and all the foam has gone. Don't think this is normal, so gave another thrash and wrapped FV in a towel. Surely it can't have fermented out already?

The missus has not had the heating on as much as normal so think about 18 deg and maybe the yeast has stalled. Hopefully the thick towel wrapped around will warm things up overnight and it will get going again. Not sure if I've caused this by checking the foamy head on sunday too much. I was worried there was going to be a big spew.

[Ditch]

Don't think this is normal, so gave another thrash

Goulders; No Where have I ever recommended 'Thrashing' the contents of a FV, once the yeast's in. This is because I have this 'Thing' about not stirring up what nature has decreed.

Sorry. Ye've strayed so far from the path there, I may have to consider pronouncing that FV's worth " Abree ". Outside and banished from the world of a decent drop of Ditch's

Unless .....

Surely it can't have fermented out already?

At " About 18 " ? Five days? Ye may well be surprised!

Listen; My personal reaction would be this: Shrug. Keg. Drink.

If the result isn't pleasing? Fine. Then search back through here and figure out where either A/ Ye've deviated from my own, exact method. Or B/ Where we've matched eachother, 'word for word', and I've Not said how my own stuff has turned out less that satisfactory ~ as, eg. it presently is, due to being kegged / served too cold.

Find anywhere we match, yet our results differ? Speak to me!

I do things very much my way. If others deviate and f**k up? Let's try to find How Far they went Before they fell.

FV Temperature interests me here, with you. What was the average / ambient temp? Ye don't Know, do ye? Because ye had no decent Heater / Stat, not Min / Max thermometer in the room, let alone ye FV. Ye Guessing!

This is no shame. I too simply proclaim that I'm BK'ing / Storing / Serving my stuff 'Cold as all hell' and so it tastes like sh!t. So, I too need to get a new M/M Thermometer and try to discover at just Which lower temp' " Ditch's " starts tasting like battery acid.

Someone said, only yesterday; " I must come round and taste some of your legendary stout! " Grimly, as I told her: " Leave it till summer. It tastes unbelievable then. Right now? In my place? It's like this Guinness we're drinking: Ice cold and 'tasteless' "

So; What's the optimum temp' for Ditch's? Dunno. Shall we try to discover this further truth? Together?