A Chef's Beer

[Chad]

One assumes if they make a regular habit of this, they may do other "rounds" of brewing. Maybe others can join in at that point.

These guys are doing a heck of a job here though.

They are indeed doing a heck of a job. That's why I'm badgering them!

I have no idea how long the brewing/fermenting/whatnot cycle takes. But if y'all are up for another round at some point in the future, I'd like to join in.

Chad

[cdh]

When you're brewing an ale, like we are here, once the yeast goes into the sugar laden wort, it usually takes between a week and two for it to finish munching through all the sugar it wants to eat in the solution. Then a couple of days to settle and clarify are best before you bottle it. It then requires another two weeks for the bottle carbonation process to happen. So, we're looking at about a month from now before the tastings happen. Three weeks if people are using really quick yeasts. OR two, if anybody here is kegging and force carbonating rather than bottlling.

Edited January 13, 2004 by cdh (log)

[Jim]

Great fermentation pix!

I don't have a digital cam, so don't have any to share. Now that the temp has risen from 59F to 68F [i keep a floating thermometer in the ferment], which puts it in British yeast's sweet spot, the fermentation is briskly afoot, with mounds of creamy foam and a few islands of yeast cake floating on the top. This London ESB strain is very flocculent and when it's working right you get lots of these islands. I rouse the beer twice a day to keep the yeast working properly, my own version of the famous Burton Union system! The smells evolving from the barrel [i use a 6 gal plastic with tight fitting, drilled top fitted with a fermentation lock] are hoppy with a CO2 bite. Makes me thirsty!

Ah, the eternal question, when will the beers be ready & how to share, sample them. I haven't given much thought to this beyond forming the intention to botte about 12 in 12 oz. or 22 oz. bottles and to serve the rest "on cask". Since I'll be conditioning my beer with saved gyle from the brew, the refermentation should take about a month. Those conditioning with sugar syrup will get a faster conditioning, 2 weeks or so. I'm using gyle becasue I find the beer tastes fresher, though that may be a conceit, for I haven't done anything one would call proper testing. So, I'd say that my beer is likely to be ready to taste in about 5 or 6 weeks.

[theakston]

My beer is coming along well. Nice and foamy head appearing last night and this morning it had the slimy yeast cells climbing all over it as it krausened away. I took some photos that I'll try and post later (haven't done that yet).

I expect that the primary fermentation will be finished in a couple of days. Then I will rack it into a carboy to let it finish fermenting and for the sediment to settle and clear for about a week prior to bottling. After bottling it will take a couple of weeks to "bottle condition" - which gives the beer it's carbonation. So the first tastes will be about 3 weeks from now. Not to say that I wont steal a sip when I syphon it into the carboy.

As far as a regular habit - I haven't done this for a few years. It's fun and fairly easy. The only "problem" is you can develop quite a stash (especially if you like to collect other beers too!). I'd be up for another round next month.

Next time we may even attempt an "all grain" version - I've yet to try that myself - but all grain recipes are easy enough to convert to the extract versions that we are doing this go around.

[cdh]

Indeed. I'd love to try all grain. I just don't have the equipment to do a five-gallon batch of it, I don't think.

I've got a 5 gallon brew pot, which could probably do a half batch reasonably well... and if we're brewing again next month, then I'll only have bottles for a half batch available by then... so I'm all for giving an all-grain half-sized batch a try next brew.

[cdh]

Actually all of this talk of when the beer is done got me to thinking about another decision point that is encroaching upon us--

Carbonation. How much? Since this is an english style, I'm not planning on trying to get it really fizzy like I would for a Belgian. I'll probably use about half of the standard size priming pack of corn sugar, and hopefully end up with a very lightly carbonated end product. Since I'm playing catch-up since my yeast still isn't here, I may cheat and put some into my tap-a-draft wotzit (picture earlier in the thread) and force carbonate it after the primary fermentation and settling. The 15PSI that the wotzit's valves maintains works quite well for lightly carbonated drinks.

Edited January 13, 2004 by cdh (log)

[theakston]

I don't have the equipment yet either. Perhaps once we've got this lot together we could start a discussion of the stuff we would need to do an upgrade. Or just do another extract batch.

(i've seen all kinds of setups for all grain from a $30 converted coolerto a Beer Sculpture for $3,000!

[Jim]

Another option for a next batch would be an extract recipe that includes a mini mash of 3 to 5 pounds of grain. The grain soaking it looks like everyone did for the instant brew isn't really a proper, full mash, for we didn't use grain with the enzymes to cnvert starch to sugar but, instead, used grains that had already been saccrified by the malster.

The mini mash step is often a bridge to all grain brewing as it lets you try mashing without investing in a lot of equipment. For 5 gallon all grain brews, not all that much equipment is needed if you're willing to improvise and use your kitchen equipment. In my first all grain batch I used an old Tupperware flour bin that I had drilled holes in as the sparging vessel, an old ice chest to keep my sparge water hot and kept the mash at temp in my oven. The only additional equipment I bought was some iodine for the sugar conversion test! It turned out great, too. Home brewing is one of those hobbies that can turn you into a gearhead [not that there's anything wrong with that!], but it's worth knowing that you don't have to get a lot of expensive stuff to start.

[iain]

Those conditioning with sugar syrup will get a faster conditioning, 2 weeks or so.  I'm using gyle becasue I find the beer tastes fresher, though that may be a conceit, for I haven't done anything one would call proper testing.  So, I'd say that my beer is likely to be ready to taste in about 5 or 6 weeks.

This time around, I'm using sugar tablets for bottle carbonation. In the past, I've used corn sugar or powdered malt for priming. Does anyone else have any experience with these tablets? It seems easier than priming sugar.

I've got a 5 gallon brew pot, which could probably do a half batch reasonably well... and if we're brewing again next month, then I'll only have bottles for a half batch available by then... so I'm all for giving an all-grain half-sized batch a try next brew.

I'd be interested in moving to all-grain for the next brew - but I don't really have the space (or the money) to acquire any more equipment. Think this will be a problem?

It seems to me that this batch of brewers have all brewed in the past. Maybe for the next round, we should make a point to get as many first-timers as possible on board and do another extract brew. Then we could move on to the more complicated stuff. Or maybe someone could lead and eGCI course on simple brewing? Thoughts?

EDIT: Cross-post on the extract vs. full mash. I'd be up for a partial mash, but again, space is a premium around here.

Edited January 13, 2004 by iain (log)

[Jim]

The most typical advice for carbonation level is to use one half cup priming sugar boiled with a pint or a bit less of water. That usually results in British level carbonation. That said, Newcastle Brown is quite a bit more carbonated.

[cdh]

Tablets easier than powdered sugar? Hmm... Are you individually dosing each bottle?

My method is to put the desired amount of finely powdered corn sugar into the bottom of my bottling bucket, and then to siphon the beer into the bucket, give it a good stir, and then bottle. Evenly disperses the priming sugar without having to worry about putting anything into each individual bottle other than the beer.

As to an EGCI course, I like the thought. And getting some first timers involved would be a very good thing too.

Edited January 13, 2004 by cdh (log)

[Jim]

I never heard of the sugar tablest...can you give me more specifics, like who makes them, where available. They sound very easy to use.

[iain]

Tablets easier than powdered sugar? Hmm... Are you individually dosing each bottle?

Yeah...three tablets into each 12 oz. bottle. When I've used corn sugar or malt extract in the past, I've boiled it in water to dissolve first then put it in bottom of bottling bucket, then siphon, then bottle. The tablets are sanitary and supposedly I can bottle right from the carboy, eliminating the need for sanitizing (and dirtying) my bottling bucket. That said, racking from the carboy to the bottling buckets leaves some muck behind - a benefit I'd be losing by bottling directly from the secondary fermenter. Hmmm.

Edited January 13, 2004 by iain (log)

[iain]

I never heard of the sugar tablest...can you give me more specifics, like who makes them, where available.  They sound very easy to use.

I bought them from Northern Brewer with the rest of the ingredients. I was going to get corn sugar, but noticed these and figured why not give them a try. They're called "Prime Tab" and are made by Venezia & Company.

According to the label, 3 tablets per 12 oz. bottle approximates 1/2 cup corn sugar in 5 gallons (~50 bottles).

edited to add link to sugar page on NB and to fix a bad ampersand

Edited January 13, 2004 by iain (log)

[Jim]

If you really want to bottle from the secondary directly consider dramatically dropping the temperature of the now-fermented beer to 40F or less for a few days; this causes the yeast to drop out of suspension quite quickly and clears the beer nicely. Otherwise, I think there's a benefit to siphoning off the secondary into a bottling bucket in that you can focus more on leaving behind the muck. I usually put the mucky uncarbonated beer into a big jar, put it in the refrigerator until it's settled and enjoy some flat beer.

[Jim]

Thanks for the info on Prime Tabs, I'm going to check them out.

[iain]

I like the idea of drinking the flat murky sludge. I'm going to try that this time around. I think I'm going to rack into a bottling bucket in an attempt to get my beer as clear as possible. I think the tablet won't really be any more time consuming to use than powdered corn sugar and might actually save a little time and effort (mostly in cleaning, stirring, etc). Plus, I'd always read that aerating the brew while bottling is bad. I'm not sure why that is, though.

[Jim]

Oxygen causes the beer to deteriorate more quickly than otherwise. If you make good beer, however, and drink it quick, it's not much of a worry!

[theakston]

Here at last are some pictures:

Last night

First the foamy head appeared

Then this morning the yeasty slime was doing its thing

Unfortunately my brew bucket doesn't have the warning that babies might fall in and get drunk.

Edited January 13, 2004 by theakston (log)

[Jim]

The beer looks like it's progressing great!

With your name and that towel I'm surprised you aren't lobbying for the next brew to be Old Pequiliar.

[iain]

Unfortunately my brew bucket doesn't have the warning that babies might fall in and get drunk.

I always assumed, actually, that the baby was already drunk. Hence the falling in.

[theakston]

Well my beer looks like the krausen is dying down so I plan to move it to a carboy this evening. Fortunately no drunken babies were injured.

Iain have you racked yours yet?

CDH has your yeast arrived ?

Jim how's yours coming along?

I'd be interested to hear how the sugar tablets work out. I think I'm going to use good old fashioned corn sugar when I get to that stage. I still need to go to the store because I forgot to get any crown caps. Doh!

Edited January 15, 2004 by theakston (log)

[cdh]

CDH has your yeast arrived ?

No, dammit, it is almost a week late... but so are the printer parts I ordered that were supposed to be here last Friday too... I'm suffering from bad shipping mojo recently, it seems.

[iain]

Iain have you racked yours yet?

I actually just logged on to say that mine's about ready to be racked (as the pictures below show) but I can't yet because I don't actually own the carboy. A friend of mine is lending me one, but he's not around. Once I get if from him - probably in the next day or so - I'll be racking into the secondary.

Pictures as of last night:

Looking good

Smelling good

Edited January 15, 2004 by iain (log)

[iain]

A question:

Does anyone think there's a difference in the final brew if you steep grains and hops loose in the brew pot and then sparge, vs. steeping in muslin grain bags with no sparge? I've done it both ways and haven't really noticed much difference, but the brews were pretty far apart in time.