Renault on 16/7/2006 at 23:07
In a brash attempt to get this thread back on track, today was BREW DAY:
Here's the recipe (yes, it's from a book)
Mash these grains at 150 degrees for 90 min:
10 lbs Marris Otter 2 row pale malt
4 oz Belgian aromatic malt
8 oz Belgian Cara Munich malt
1 oz chocolate malt
Boil and add:
5.5 HBU Tettnanger hops
1.5 lbs Belgian clear candi sugar
At the end, add these:
1/4 oz Stryrian Goldings hops
1/4 oz Hallertau hops
Ferment, bottle, drink. And hopefully you will end up with something in the general vicinity of a trappist ale made by monks. Verification to follow in about a month. Some rather boring pics...
Ingredients.
Inline Image:
http://www.southquarter.com/BREW1.JPGMashing.
Inline Image:
http://www.southquarter.com/BREW2.JPGBoiling.
Inline Image:
http://www.southquarter.com/BREW3.JPGDrinking.
Inline Image:
http://www.southquarter.com/BREW4.JPGDone.
Inline Image:
http://www.southquarter.com/BREW5.JPGIt was a bit of a bitch today at 95 degrees, toiling over a boiling brewpot for several hours. But hey, it's all for the greater good.
I shall drink a Chimay (or four) tonite and toast my success. :cool:
Gingerbread Man on 16/7/2006 at 23:19
Sweet :D
Here's a question for you then... We've always used glass carboys for the fermenters, but at the moment we've got the whitbier in a plastic bucket like you're using there. Thing is, we're not entirely convinced as to the airtightness of the lid. The airlock has yet to bubble up after nearly 24 hours (I assume the vague seal of the lid is allowing the majority of the gas to escape without allowing air back in) and the foam is creeping pretty high up in there. Last I looked there was about 6" of foam, pretty much up to the lid. Hasn't leaked yet, though.
(ps 100 degrees here with windspeeds of ZERO... christ, it's horrible even in the shade)
Renault on 17/7/2006 at 03:48
If you're asking "carboy vs. plastic bucket," I go with the buckets because they're easier to clean.
In regards to the lid on the bucket, no O2 or CO2 should be passing through there, it should be only CO2 out of the airlock. If you don't get any bubbles after 2 days, something is definitely wrong. I believe you can try to add additional yeast at this point.
Gingerbread Man on 17/7/2006 at 08:09
See, the thing with buckets is that cleaning them can leave scratches and such which are awesome place for bacteria and other Shitty Taste Producing Stuff to breed, is all.
The bucket question really was about whether or not you're satisfied with the airtightness of a bucket as opposed to a carboy / stopper. I'm sure there's nothing WRONG with the bucket fermenter, but I think it's less controlled than a carboy / stopper combo is all.
Balboa on 18/7/2006 at 01:47
Since you've got 6 inches of foam, you've definately got a good fermentation going (and at 100 degrees in the shade, it's no wonder). If the bucket lid doesn't make an airtight seal, the CO2 given off by the yeast will leak out along the rim, rather than bubble up through the airlock. The pressure differential will still be sufficient to keep out airborn nasties, and the foam will act as an additional protective layer - thats why open fermenters work as well as they do.
If you transfer to a carboy secondary before the foam totally subsides, you should be ok. Adding more yeast at this point won't hurt, but it sound's like your fermentation is already well along.
Scots Taffer on 18/7/2006 at 02:11
I view whatever happens when I drink beer (hops allergy) similar to a certain spate of forum activity in the wee hours of the evening last night. There is a huge spattering of vomit, it gets quickly and efficiently cleaned away, it is forgotten about and is never mentioned again.
Strangeblue on 18/7/2006 at 02:41
What a cruel trick for Fate to play upon a Scots laddie. And then you moved to Out-stray-lia--land of hoppy beer. Man, you're fooked.
TBE on 18/7/2006 at 22:21
Homemade Chimay Bleu or Rouge would be heaven sent. I need to get into this brewing :(
