awesome, thanks. it would be the South Blvd. location.

And i'll let him know about the garage/fermentation temps.




are the alt. beverage guys helpful? Could he be able to let them know his plan about the garage and get some good advice? I'm mainly just along for the ride and a helping hand.

2/19/2010 11:57:10 AM

I just got my first batch of hard apple cider fermenting. I'm pretty excited to start, and I can't wait to start brewing my own beer.

[Edited on February 20, 2010 at 3:35 AM. Reason : drunk ]

2/20/2010 3:33:20 AM

they are really helpful. just take a list of what hops and grains and how much you need and they just fill the order as well. they should be able to give advice about the garage fermentation.

2/20/2010 10:17:37 AM

I'm bottling my Irish Red Ale tomorrow. Should be ready just in time for St. Pattys day.

2/20/2010 11:40:45 AM

Irish Red sounds pretty good. Where did you get the recipe or what recipe did you use?

I bottled my pineapple pale ale about a month ago. Tried it after 2 weeks and its still a little tart. Its going to need a little more time to mellow out, but it is still good.

My Bell's 2 Hearted Clone I posted about came out really good. Its not as hoppy/bitter as the original because I used more hops to dry hop it. It smells incredible.

2/20/2010 2:03:00 PM

Ended up getting the deluxe system from Alternative Beverage. Included two carboys and a blow-off system. We followed every direction to a T for our first batch including being extra anal regarding all sanitation. Hopefully it all works out. I didn't pick the first batch, another friend did but it's an Aussie Outback Ale. We'll see how it goes.

2/21/2010 11:39:58 AM

nm.

[Edited on February 21, 2010 at 12:03 PM. Reason : add]

2/21/2010 12:01:04 PM

i am extremely anal about the sanitation - i figured if i am going to invest in the brew, i dont want to ruin it. Too much time and money. However, i do sometimes wonder if i go overboard. I wash my hands constantly and use alcohol gel, i sanitize my carboy and buckets twice, etc.

Jeep - there is a guy over near Presby Main that has like 50 carboys he is trying to get rid of for $15 per. They are 7 gallons. They have never been used and still in their styrofoam capsule. He originally got them for making biodiesel, but had too many. If you are interested, just PM me and ill get you the guys email.

2/21/2010 2:35:41 PM

^raleigh or charlotte?

2/21/2010 7:21:41 PM

charlotte

2/21/2010 8:34:06 PM

I will definitely let you know. $15 is almost too good to pass up. We got a 5-gal and a 6-gal with the deluxe system.

2/21/2010 8:35:24 PM

Brewed today:

Chocolate Stout

1/2 lb. Crystal 120
1/2 lb. Chocolate Malt
1/2 lb. Oatmeal
1/8 lb. Roast Barley

1 oz Crystal Hops (60min)
1 oz Crystal Hops (30min)
1 oz Crystal Hops (5min)

8 oz Dutch Cocoa Powder (Unsweetened)
+ added at end of boil

California Pub Ale Yeast
(we substituted with Irish Ale Yeast)

BTW: the Holiday Cheer Beer i posted on page 5 came out RIDICULOUSLY GOOD!

[Edited on February 21, 2010 at 8:49 PM. Reason : ,]

2/21/2010 8:47:11 PM

fermentation has started. Definitely glad we got the blow off system.


I never thought i would get into this, always told myself i'd leave the hard part up to the craft breweries and just enjoy the final product, but man was i wrong.

2/22/2010 8:41:28 AM

When adding oatmeal, do you just toss it in there as you would with the malt?

2/22/2010 10:31:10 AM

yup, grain, malt, oatmeal gets milled all together for the mash/grist

oops, noticed i forgot the 7.5lbs of Light Malt Extract in the recipe above ^^^

[Edited on February 22, 2010 at 10:59 AM. Reason : .]

2/22/2010 10:55:08 AM

peakseeker, would you mind PM'ing me the guy's info with the carboys? It's almost too good of a deal to pass up.


Since it's a 7-gal carboy should it be used mainly for secondary fermintation since it has much more headspace? And keep using the smaller carboy as the primary fermenter with the blowoff system so more foam and CO2 get expelled?

and do these carboys have the same 1.25" diameter opening on them as my standard ones do?

[Edited on February 23, 2010 at 11:13 AM. Reason : ad]

2/23/2010 11:10:27 AM

You have that backwards. Use the bigger one for primary and the smaller one for secondary where you want to minimize headspace.

2/23/2010 12:19:51 PM

ok. why is that though? I'm curious because the system we bought came with a 5-gallon and a 6-gallon. The 6-gallon was included in the "two-stage blow-off upgrade" and all the paperwork and instructions referenced the 6-gal to be used as the secondary.

2/23/2010 12:23:56 PM

typically the more aggressive fermentation happens in primary, hence why i always used the extra headroom 6-gallon for primary and the 5-gallon for secondary.

i just use airlocks. the only reason you may need a blowoff is if you do primary in a 5-gallon carboy

don't over think it, it's just removing head that gets too high and helps prevent air from getting into the beer

either use a 5-gallon with blowoff, or 6-gallon with airlock, either or both are acceptable for either phase, though typically you'll want the blowoff w/ primary and just an airlock for secondary.

[Edited on February 23, 2010 at 12:54 PM. Reason : .]

2/23/2010 12:51:17 PM

Ok cool. That's what i was thinking initially, smaller carboy is better with blow-off so more foam is expelled. If i were just using airlock then 6 or 7 gal would be the better choice

2/23/2010 1:30:16 PM

just popped the top on a batch of joe's ancient orange mead...not beer, i know, but it's awesome stuff at 14%

2/23/2010 2:45:49 PM

dont overthink - i agree with prospero.

Jeep - im dropping a pm now. I found this guy through Craigslist. ill try to remember to post my pic of the carboy with brew in it tomorrow. i transferred my 60 minute clone this past weekend to the carboy. I got a rubber cap with hole for airlock at al bev thatll fit a 6 gallon, and the opening is the same in the 7 gallon.

wife is going out of town for two weeks later this week - time to start brewing!

2/23/2010 8:20:28 PM

Just got around to bottling my Irish Red Ale last night.

I used the preboxed Irish Red kit from American Brewmaster.

~51 bottles of Irish Red goodness will be ready for consumption just in time for my birthday and St. Pattys day.

2/24/2010 10:43:15 AM

I'll cheers with you since my birthday is the 27th.

Wanted to share an experience with everyone:


Recently, I had an encounter with infection. The beer wasn't that bad. Started off good about 7 days after bottling it. It was an english ale and it tasted delicious. Two or so weeks into bottle conditioning it started developing a sour/Lambic taste to it. I got very concerned and started drinking it quickly/giving quite a bit away but I also did an experiment where I took 7, 22oz bottles with the most yeast sediment in the bottom and put them in my wine fridge at cellar temp. After letting them age for a month I cracked one and noticed a slightly mellower acidity. This became a trend and after 3 months I just cracked my 6th 22oz and can detect no sour/lambic notes.


Now I can't say positively that the residual yeast outpreformed the bacteria/wild yeast and then cleaned up the beer. Or if it could just be chalked up to 55 degree temps for that long/uneven contamination but I think it may be something worth trying for those of you that run into a skunked batch. Obviously if you catch it in the fermentor you have more options. I've seen several posts online advocating the addition of another packet of yeast as well... Mainly I just wanted to give everyone food for thought because I know how upset I was when I tasted my first semi-skunked English Ale.

As another piece of info: after I found the infection problem I double cleaned all of my fermentors/siphons... etc. and used double strength Iodophore solution. I found a large clump of purple/oxidized stain in my bottling bucket spout that I now believe housed the million or so odd culprits that skunked my beer.

2/25/2010 5:16:43 AM

Can anyone explain the best times and easiest ways to take a hydrometer reading? We are using standard malt extract and two stage carboy system. Thanks.

2/25/2010 8:50:28 AM

^^Cheers! Mine's March 6...they'll have about 2 weeks to bottle condition. Should be drinkable at least.

^You need to take a hydrometer reading before you let it sit for fermentation...and then when you think it may be ready to bottle, take another reading to make sure. I'm a n00b myself, but you definitely have to make sure you take an initial reading before fermentation from what I understand.

[Edited on February 25, 2010 at 10:48 AM. Reason : .]

2/25/2010 10:47:10 AM

^that's what i thought. One of my friends had read that a hydrometer reading during your first few batches isn't really as necessary if you are using a pre packaged ingredient list. But we still will next time.

Now the second reading, before bottling. Do I take the measurement in the bottling bucket after i've siphoned out of the carboy??

2/25/2010 10:55:50 AM

^Well, ideally you'd take the 2nd reading from your fermentation bucket BEFORE you transfer to your bottling bucket...that's basically the whole purpose of taking the reading. The hydrometer reading will tell you if it's finished fermenting or not. If it IS done fermenting, then you can transfer to your bottling bucket and bottle your beer. If it's NOT done fermenting (according to the hydrometer reading), then you leave your beer alone for another few days or so to let it finish fermenting.


You should ALWAYS take a hydrometer reading, even if you're using a kit. Yes, the kits take most of the guesswork out of it, but you could still end up with a bad batch of yeast or something that would effect how long it takes for the beer to ferment.



An example is my 3rd batch of beer. Even though I followed the instructions to a "T", I just assumed that it was done fermenting since it had been like 2 weeks. I didnt take a hydrometer reading, and just bottled it. It turns out that it WASNT done fermenting yet (bad batch of yeast/fermentation temperature was too high), so I ended up with 48 bottles of ridiculously SWEET beer. I had to pour most of it out.

2/25/2010 12:10:53 PM

ok good deal. I suppose what i'm really asking is How do i take the hydrometer reading? I am fermenting in carboys and i know i'm not suppose to disturb the mixture as much as possible. So do i try and tie something to the end of the hydrometer and dip it in the carboy, or siphon out a sample into a glass or the plastic tube the hydrometer comes with? That's what i'm really trying to solve

2/25/2010 12:23:47 PM

I just use a turkey baster to steal some beer and I put it in a graduated cylinder I have.

Just make SURE everything that touches your beer is sterilized.

Also, when taking your first hydrometer reading, make sure you take the reading BEFORE you pitch your yeast.

2/25/2010 1:30:21 PM

bottling tonight!!!

3/12/2010 12:00:44 PM

I really want to make a ginger beer (something similar to Left Hand's Juju Ginger). I looked all over and didn't really see a recipe that I liked, so I think I may just take a base recipe and add some ginger in the last 10 minutes of the boil. What would be a good base beer to add this too? I am thinking maybe a golden ale.

3/12/2010 12:50:13 PM

I am going to crack open my 60 minute IPA clone tonight. Its been a week since bottling, so it should be aight. Itll be better next week.

It tasted awesome when i ws bottling. Flat, but awesome.

3/12/2010 12:57:25 PM

^i contacted that guy about the carboys but he had already sold out of them. Let me know if you happen to run across a similar deal sometime.

3/12/2010 1:06:55 PM

how long does it normally take to notice the appearance of carbonation after bottling?

we bottled two weeks ago, cracked one open this past weekend to have a taste between a few of us and it was still very flat. The basic instructions have said the beer can declared ready to drink 2 weeks after bottling and sitting at room temp. But i'm thinking it needs quite a bit more time. How long do you guys usually let it sit?

3/24/2010 4:24:38 PM

Usually by 2 weeks mine are pretty well carbonated.

How did you do the corn sugar? Did you boil it and mix it in with your wort just before you bottled? If so, did you stir it in well? It may not have been mixed very thoroughly....I dunno.

Are you keeping the bottles at room temperature?

3/24/2010 4:29:14 PM

i suppose it needs the rest of this week. it was only about 10 days.


Yes we boiled the sugar and added directly to our bottling bucket. We had a good system going and the batch was at a steady stir the entire time. Is there a such thing as using too little sugar? The kit gave us an entire cup of sugar, but the instructions were not very clear on how much to use. The home brew guide book we also had, as well as some other references we read said that less is better than more. so based on some of the calculations we ran from the references we used about 2/3 cup for about 4.5 gallons.

3/24/2010 4:40:46 PM

Yeah 2/3 cup should have been fine. Not sure what happened there.

3/24/2010 5:01:06 PM

What kind of beer did you brew? I doubt it was the problem, but sometimes high gravity beers need additional yeast added at bottling time. Also, around what temperature were your bottles sitting at? Were you using twist off bottles? These are the only problems I can think of. Mine are always good to go in 2 weeks.

3/24/2010 6:07:57 PM

Just a standard Aussie Amber ale. Bottles are pry-off only, sitting at roughly 70-72 degrees.

Like i said, i think we may have just tested a bit premature. I'm not too worried, but the others were a little bit.

3/24/2010 6:29:30 PM

tried it again this weekend and it was much better. definite carbonation. overall the beer was a lot better than i ever imagined it would be.

There wasn't much of a head, and zero head retention but overall it was very drinkable. i'll say a successful first attempt.

Now that we know what we are doing, we have a Fat Tire clone to brew next that will give us a chance to have a real side by side comparison. Should begin the brew process on that in a couple weeks.

3/29/2010 10:36:12 AM

^I can almost guarantee you that your beer will just get better. I have enjoyed every batch I have made more than the previous one.

3/29/2010 1:46:08 PM

what really makes the head of the beer? Does that get decided in the carbonation process, or a part of the beer/wort-fermentation process?

3/29/2010 3:52:28 PM

Yes, carbonation has a lot to do with it...as head is basically the c02 bubbles rising to the top of the beer. But there's a ton of factors that go into "good head" retention.

Here's a great article I read a while back and had bookmarked:
http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2008/06/25/enhancing-beer-head-retention-for-home-brewers/

3/29/2010 4:40:41 PM

w00t

bubbling has started w/my first batch ever. i was worried it wouldn't work

4/3/2010 2:33:44 PM

This is kind of a go-along with the gardening thread, but my cascade hops vine sent a bunch of shoots up a few weeks back, and I pulled a bunch and stuck em in water, and they've sent out roots. I've got zero plans to plant more vines when I don't even brew beer, so they're anyone's who wants 'em. I'm gonna put them in an 8" pot soon as I plant my garden veggies and free the pots up.

If anyone wants a hops vine of their own, send me a PM.

4/4/2010 10:16:15 PM

just opened first bottle of my first batch

and it's damn good. it's only been bottled for about a week so it should get better.

[Edited on April 25, 2010 at 5:58 PM. Reason : it's a belgian wheat, i think lol.. begonias bought it for me ]

4/25/2010 5:54:35 PM

bought a wort chiller this weekend. Going to bottle my Fat Tire clone in a couple weeks, letting it sit for awhile longer. Have a porter for the next batch.

4/25/2010 10:47:02 PM

just came back to post how unbelievably amazing the chocolate stout is

hey all, please POST YOUR RECIPES! i'm interested in hearing your favorites or what you got brewing.

i think my next beer is either going to be a brown ale or a hefeweizen.

4/26/2010 12:24:01 AM

ttt

5/5/2010 6:31:53 PM