Stonch and Goon's Third Brew

[delboy]

This morning I checked the brew for a second time - its now had 36 hours.

Wow the head of krausen has completely cleared already, allowing a hydrometer reading - 1013 from a SG of 1042. Pretty fast! I wonder how low it'll go.

Although there are bubbles knocking around on the surface, there's very little in the way of residue/braun hefe, unlike our previous two brews. Is this good, bad, or irrelevant?

The smell was particularly pungent but am sure that's nothing to worry about.

What I AM worred about is the temperature reading on the stick-on thermometer - it's showing 26 degress, which is far too high if I'm not mistaken. The good weather we're having isn't good for brewing!

What was the smell like, at higher temps the yeast are more likely to produce the longer chain alcohols that can have a solvent like aroma.

I have to laugh when i hear about the summer hiatus for brewing, move to belfast we are currently enjoying a balmy 16C with the outlook for 14-15C for the rest of the week, i could probably brew lagers over here in what passes for a summer

[Stonch]

This morning I checked the brew for a second time - its now had 36 hours.

Wow the head of krausen has completely cleared already, allowing a hydrometer reading - 1013 from a SG of 1042. Pretty fast! I wonder how low it'll go.

Although there are bubbles knocking around on the surface, there's very little in the way of residue/braun hefe, unlike our previous two brews. Is this good, bad, or irrelevant?

The smell was particularly pungent but am sure that's nothing to worry about.

What I AM worred about is the temperature reading on the stick-on thermometer - it's showing 26 degress, which is far too high if I'm not mistaken. The good weather we're having isn't good for brewing!

What was the smell like, at higher temps the yeast are more likely to produce the longer chain alcohols that can have a solvent like aroma.

I have to laugh when i hear about the summer hiatus for brewing, move to belfast we are currently enjoying a balmy 16C with the outlook for 14-15C for the rest of the week, i could probably brew lagers over here in what passes for a summer

Yep, solvent would be a fair description of the smell

[delboy]

Im no expert stonch but its the higher order alcohols that are supposed to give you bad hangovers etc, i would imagine though that if you leave it to condition for an extended time (ie in primary with the big yeast cake) the yeast should run out of easy food and move onto the more difficult stuff like dextrins and also the higher order alcohols that were produced in that inital flat out fermentaion.
This might mean you have to leave it for an extra week or two after its hit final gravity to slowly clean up after itself.
Anyway good luck with it.

[Stonch]

Harsh alcoholic flavours don't tend to mature out but i've noticed that you can get a harsh alcoholic smell coming of the fermenter without the harsh alcoholic flavours. The brew may well be a bit fruity though, no bad thing sometimes.
It's definately time to plan a method of chilling the fermenter whether it be a modified fridge of a storage bucket full of water (and bottles of ice as required).

yep we're going to have to look into that for next brew - which will probably come on line soon.

If all goes to plan I'll be going down to Cheers the homebrew shop in Cheam on Saturday morning btw

[delboy]

Harsh alcoholic flavours don't tend to mature out but i've noticed that you can get a harsh alcoholic smell coming of the fermenter without the harsh alcoholic flavours. The brew may well be a bit fruity though, no bad thing sometimes.
It's definately time to plan a method of chilling the fermenter whether it be a modified fridge of a storage bucket full of water (and bottles of ice as required).

I thought it was during the conditioning phase that the higher order alcohols were converted into esters (fruityness) and so a longer conditoning time will git rid of the solvent taste/smells and convert them into fruity taste/smells.

[Stonch]

Well, who knows if this one is in trouble - we'll doubtless drink it anyway

[delboy]

DaaB, so the yeast can deal with some 'solventy-ness' ie the amount needed to generate a solvent nose/smell, but when it reaches the point of tasting the beer itself its probably too much and the yeast can't convert it all??

Makes sense

Its not a problem i've encountered or am likely to living over here in the frozen tundra

[Stonch]

its wretched here in london - very "muggy" as my mum would say. hot but not sunny

won't be doing my cheapo bitter brew any good at all, bah

[stevezx7r]

its wretched here in london - very "muggy" as my mum would say. hot but not sunny

won't be doing my cheapo bitter brew any good at all, bah

Well, i'm brewing a lager at the mo and it's 17C - been like that since I started it. Tastes ok if a bit bitter and adding some saaz hops has actually helped (either that or it was mellowing out anyway). I think I will dig out my old cooling recipes from way back when I used to liquid cool my pc...maybe use a big fat peltier...or dig a hole and burry my fermenter...wrap copper piping around it and pump cold water through it...fans, lots of fans...

I did see these ice blankets on ebay for a few quid. They soak up water then you pop them in your freezer then wrap them around your fermenter/keg. Could be a cheap and easy solution.

[Stonch]

I think your brew will be ok Stonch, going on what I experienced last yeat.

Lets hope so!

As I've just posted on my blog, if not the tramps might turn their nose up at this one!

[Stonch]

Cheers DaaB!

Just been reading the instructions that came with my latest kit, Coopers Stout. It says the ideal fermentation temp is 21-27 degrees celsius.

Now although I appreciate different yeasts prefer different temperatures, that sounds high for what I assume is a fairly bog standard yeastie strain. I thought 18-23 was about right.

Any thoughts?

[delboy]

I like the sound of 'Tramp Turnip Stout' as in your previous post 'even the tramps will turn-up their nose at it' .

Great blog BTW, genuinely funny , and interesting (like hens teeth that combinaton).

[iowalad]

Assuming your Coopers Stout has Coopers Yeast: Palmer reports Coopers dry yeast has an ideal temp range of 18 to 24C.
Medium attenuation and flocculation. It produces a complex woody, citrus-fruity beer at warm temperatures.

That being said I seem to recall a thread on another homebrew forum (in the States) where people were reporting good results with Coopers Yeast when brewing in the summer. Unfortunately I can't find it or recall what temps they were working under.

Time will tell.

If it is too noticeable just chill it down to almost freezing then you won't be able to taste what your drinking and your Fosters loving friends will beg you for more.

[Vossy1]

If it is too noticeable just chill it down to almost freezing then you won't be able to taste what your drinking and your Fosters loving friends will beg you for more.

[Stonch]

Well the weather's cooled right down (as you'll probably be aware!) so the brew temp. is back down to 23 degrees as it should be. The fermentation seemed to have stuck for a while at 1012, so I whacked in some Brupaks beer enzyme for the laughs and it seems to have kicked things off nicely.

Was in Colchester today randomly, and stopped at a Wilko. Picked up a narrower Young's 5 gall fermenting bucket - so now I've got two . Getting home I realised that it fits comfortably inside the black bin we brewed our first beer in - so I can put my next brew in that, and if necessary fill the gap with cold water to keep it cool. Excellent.

Also picked up a Geordie Mild kit for £4.99 (bargain) and 1kg Geordie beer enhancer for £3.29. Should be interesting - not expecting much, but at those prices you can't go wrong! Will probably kick it off tomorrow.

I'm addicted to this homebrew stuff and I blame you lot (he says while drinking a pint of Stonch Stout).