Toast Beer / Homebrew Thread

[Bingle_21]

As a (very) newby. If re-using bought beer bottles to bottle your brew, what brand beer bottles do you find best

 

[Bender_]

As a (very) newby. If re-using bought beer bottles to bottle your brew, what brand beer bottles do you find best

Weinstephaner for me.

 

[DanWCE]

As a (very) newby. If re-using bought beer bottles to bottle your brew, what brand beer bottles do you find best

Choose lots all the same height otherwise capping is a pain in the ass. Little Creatures ones are good. Use brown bottles as well, because they're less prone to spoiling when exposed to any light. Quite a few of the brown ones are the same height but there are others which vary mildly.

 

[Bender_]

Choose lots all the same height otherwise capping is a pain in the ass. Little Creatures ones are good. Use brown bottles as well, because they're less prone to spoiling when exposed to any light. Quite a few of the brown ones are the same height but there are others which vary mildly.

Good call - prior to jumping into homebrewing I found a bloke on Gumtree selling cleaned Little Creatures Pale Ale pints - I bought 120 off him with the idea of using some for my family's tomato sauce and some for HB. Turned out perfect as they're the best size for a beer - not too much or too little and we've since move onto champagne bottles for our sauce. Good quality and will last years. Only downside - if it really is one - is that you can't use carb drops for them.

 

[Bingle_21]

Choose lots all the same height otherwise capping is a pain in the ass. Little Creatures ones are good. Use brown bottles as well, because they're less prone to spoiling when exposed to any light. Quite a few of the brown ones are the same height but there are others which vary mildly.

Any experience with green ones? Got a 'slab of 15 x Hollander 650ml bottles to hopefully re use bottles. Then realised the carbonation drops all say for 375ml so not sure how X2 will work for them.

 

[FKASC]

Hit up the International Beer Shop - now better known as Cellarbrations Leederville. Used to be one of the few places you could get over-seas beers back in the day but is now more of a craft beer selection, similar size selection to Mane. Still have a few international beers though, grabbed a Kolsch, German Pils and a Helles. Easy drinking beers for lazy days.

View attachment 1030065

I’ve never tried a proper Kolsch before. Would be keen to try.

sad that IBS is no longer. Used to be such an epic place in west leedy before they moved to Oxford st. I blew my load when I first when there (also blew my bank account)

 

[Bender_]

Dude kept the cartons too:

 

[FKASC]

Any experience with green ones? Got a 'slab of 15 x Hollander 650ml bottles to hopefully re use bottles. Then realised the carbonation drops all say for 375ml so not sure how X2 will work for them.

Just work out the weight of white sugar you need and find something that will scoop that amount reliably.

you’ll want 4 grams of regular white sugar per 650ml bottle.

 

[DanWCE]

Any experience with green ones? Got a 'slab of 15 x Hollander 650ml bottles to hopefully re use bottles. Then realised the carbonation drops all say for 375ml so not sure how X2 will work for them.

Green ones are alright. I use a heap of Grolsch swing tops (when I'm brewing...)

 

[Bingle_21]

Green ones are alright. I use a heap of Grolsch swing tops (when I'm brewing...)

I was actually looking for grolsch but the bottlo I went to didn't have them.

 

[Here2tellyouwhy]

I still struggle to get those big hop flavours and aroma in my brews.
Is it from whirlpool additions or hop stands at a certain temp Or mostly dry hops? My last beer I did a 20min hop stand at 76° (I think). This one I forgot so just chucked the hops into the fermenter. I'm not sure if I can taste much difference.
Maybe using proper flowers gives it that fresh kick I'm looking for .

Yeah same with me. I’ve never managed a hop bomb even when I’ve used a bucket load in whirlpool, double dry hopped etc. And I have sealed fermenters and closed transfer into kegs. Just doesn’t seem to be my thing.

I think oxygen is ultimately the big killer for hop flavour but also I reckon the hops you buy from homebrew stores can’t be as good as the ones breweries use. I don’t think it has to do with whole flowers vs pellets though.

When do you guys add the dry hops?

 

[BigBirdz]

When do you guys add the dry hops?

Mostly on day 1 or 2. Or if I'm following a recipie I usually do when it says to.

 

[FKASC]

When do you guys add the dry hops?

Depends on whether I’m double dry hopping or not. But usually about 8-9 days in I’d say. Sometimes I dry hop in the keg

 

[Here2tellyouwhy]

I've always had the same problem so Ive given up on dry hopping unless its after final gravity and while I cold crash.

The C02 kills hop aroma and flavour IMO so I dont dry hop until the yeast is finished. Its better but still not like the craft brewers.
Maybe they use hop oil ?

 

[BigBirdz]

I've always had the same problem so Ive given up on dry hopping unless its after final gravity and while I cold crash.

The C02 kills hop aroma and flavour IMO so I dont dry hop until the yeast is finished. Its better but still not like the craft brewers.
Maybe they use hop oil ?

Yeah I used to do that then read this....

Another is to dry hop before the end of fermentation. …this gives the yeast an opportunity to enzymatically liberate aromatics and convert others. As an added benefit, adding dry hops while fermentables remain ensures that yeast will metabolize most of the oxygen introduced.”1

“What is happening during this enzymatic reaction is the release of a glycoside. These are relatively common, with one study of 150 plant species finding glycosides two to five times more concentrated than their volatile aromatic molecule.’2 No specific studies exist for hops but we can assume it is within this.” 1

so who the * knows

 

[Bender_]

I've always thought it was best just to dry-hop for the d-rest then remove before cold crashing.

 

[Here2tellyouwhy]

Yeah I used to do that then read this....

Another is to dry hop before the end of fermentation. …this gives the yeast an opportunity to enzymatically liberate aromatics and convert others. As an added benefit, adding dry hops while fermentables remain ensures that yeast will metabolize most of the oxygen introduced.”1

“What is happening during this enzymatic reaction is the release of a glycoside. These are relatively common, with one study of 150 plant species finding glycosides two to five times more concentrated than their volatile aromatic molecule.’2 No specific studies exist for hops but we can assume it is within this.” 1

so who the fu** knows

This just means we're not using enough hops

I might go back to fry hop on day 7 and day 14 type thing and see what happens. Either way I cold crash the thing to save kegging hops and blocking taps etc.

 

[Here2tellyouwhy]

I've always thought it was best just to dry-hop for the d-rest then remove before cold crashing.

This is what I do but i dont remove hops etc. Bugger that, just another infection risk plus Im lazy AF.

 

[BigBirdz]

I've always thought it was best just to dry-hop for the d-rest then remove before cold crashing.

Does it give you good hop aroma?

 

[Bender_]

Does it give you good hop aroma?

Decent, but nothing like a store bought beer. Have you tried fermenting and dry hopping under pressure yet?

 

[BigBirdz]

Decent, but nothing like a store bought beer. Have you tried fermenting and dry hopping under pressure yet?

Na not yet but I'm going to buy one soon.

 

[Bender_]

Last day before Brewmart shuts until the 4th - and a week and a bit left of leave for me. They finally got a shipment of liquid yeast in this week, today grabbed some White Labs German Lager and German Ale (to make a Vienna lager and Kolsch respectively), the grain for the Vienna lager and some DME. Going to make my first starter next week for the lager - have all the stuff ready to give it a real crack. Will add some photos etc as I go along.

Anyway, have a great Christmas guys. Hope you enjoy the time with your loved ones and get a chance to relax and unwind and gain a few kilos too.

 

[BigBirdz]

Last day before Brewmart shuts until the 4th - and a week and a bit left of leave for me. They finally got a shipment of liquid yeast in this week, today grabbed some White Labs German Lager and German Ale (to make a Vienna lager and Kolsch respectively), the grain for the Vienna lager and some DME. Going to make my first starter next week for the lager - have all the stuff ready to give it a real crack. Will add some photos etc as I go along.

Anyway, have a great Christmas guys. Hope you enjoy the time with your loved ones and get a chance to relax and unwind and gain a few kilos too.

You to mate

 

[Bender_]

So I've done my first starter, been about 36 hours since I've pitched it, left it on the stir plate for the first 18. I'm assuming I'm not supposed to see a great deal of action like a normal ferm? Even though it's a lager I've done the starter at 18 degrees - from everything I've read they've recommended that you just stick to room temp. Going to let it sit until tonight then chuck it in the fridge for use on Friday.

 

[Bender_]

Decided to leave the starter for another night and it was going off by the next morning, big krausen and nice yeast cake so left it another day until last night where it had settled a fair bit and chucked it in the fridge. It's still bubbling despite how cold it is but should be nicely ready for tomorrow - all set up for this Vienna lager!