Thanx to Home Distiller I've become quite the masher. Nary a failure, and that's a testimonial to this forum.
This mashing skill has also simplified beer brewing.
And once I got over a chloramine water issue, the beer is coming out great!
Now I can brew during stilling down & wait time, and it fills the hours well. Never a dull moment.
Red Riding Hood Red Ale is my lastest (READ: Second) success. (That's me commenting in the thread.)
No surprise flavors in this beer. Perfectly smooth and one of those beers where every time you reach for the glass, it's empty.
I'm not a big red ale fan --I made this primarily for my wife and brother who are. But this quaffs (READ: Guzzles) oh so easily.
WARNING: Unlike our distilling wares, this WILL hang you over! Hydrate yourself well if you imbibe!
Second-Ever Beer Success- Red Riding Hood
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Re: Second-Ever Beer Success- Red Riding Hood
Congratulations on that gorgeous red ale!! (it may be a little bit late for this, though)
I joined this forum a while ago to learn about distilling, but I actually let that aside temporarily as I came to think I should know how to brew properly first (understanding fermentation is key, and I´m a slow learner). The thing is I`m currently a very bad brewer. I always end up with poor-tasting, ugly-looking, dull beer that`s never even as strong or tasty as it should be. I don`t know what I`m doing wrong, and that`s quite frustrating. Is it a poor execution of the process? Is it the temperature? Is it the recipe or ingredients I´m using?
I see you`re, as me, relatively new to brewing, but you`re clearly doing great. Could you give me any tips or guidelines on how to improve my brewing skills?
Would truly appreciate it.
Thanks in advance!
Strat
(I posted this here as I saw you did so good being new to the craft and all, didn`t know if I should create a separate thread )
I joined this forum a while ago to learn about distilling, but I actually let that aside temporarily as I came to think I should know how to brew properly first (understanding fermentation is key, and I´m a slow learner). The thing is I`m currently a very bad brewer. I always end up with poor-tasting, ugly-looking, dull beer that`s never even as strong or tasty as it should be. I don`t know what I`m doing wrong, and that`s quite frustrating. Is it a poor execution of the process? Is it the temperature? Is it the recipe or ingredients I´m using?
I see you`re, as me, relatively new to brewing, but you`re clearly doing great. Could you give me any tips or guidelines on how to improve my brewing skills?
Would truly appreciate it.
Thanks in advance!
Strat
(I posted this here as I saw you did so good being new to the craft and all, didn`t know if I should create a separate thread )
Re: Second-Ever Beer Success- Red Riding Hood
Naw, no new thread. If I can help in some meager way, let it be here for you.
SANITIZE the sh!t out of everything that remotely has a chance of contact with your beloved beer.
Yes I'm new to beer, so my limited knowledge revolves around water, water, water.
If you can't use reverse osmosis water, use filtered bottled water (not distilled, for minerals are a beer's friend).
I still add a Campden tablet (chlorine neutralizer) to the hot water, as "bottled" only means it could be coming from someone else's tap!
Follow a proven recipe.
Double grind your grain, if possible. Two passes through the mill really helps beer.
I mash all-grain beer like I mash all-grain hooch: At 155°F strike temp for grain addition, and a level teaspoon of powdered alpha amylase (I use Brewhaus).
Insulate mash vessel with blankets for 90 minutes minimum. Boil length per recipe, maintaining hop schedule.
Cool quickly, and get it in that clean fermenter pronto to avoid contamination.
Aerate well, and pitch 2 sachets of rehydrated dry yeast, or if using liquid yeast, have your starter ready. (Follow recipe!)
Ferment for 3 weeks --no secondary ferment is necessary for at least ales. I bottle, so can't help with pressured kegs.
At the end of 3 week ferment, boil and cool 5oz. of priming sugar (corn sugar) and GENTLY stir into finished ferment. NO OXYGEN HERE!
Bottle for 3 weeks.
Chill for 8 hours minimum and serve. You will have beer!
Home Distiller here helped beyond belief for mashing. For questions dealing strictly with beer, I go here: HomeBrew Talk
SANITIZE the sh!t out of everything that remotely has a chance of contact with your beloved beer.
Yes I'm new to beer, so my limited knowledge revolves around water, water, water.
If you can't use reverse osmosis water, use filtered bottled water (not distilled, for minerals are a beer's friend).
I still add a Campden tablet (chlorine neutralizer) to the hot water, as "bottled" only means it could be coming from someone else's tap!
Follow a proven recipe.
Double grind your grain, if possible. Two passes through the mill really helps beer.
I mash all-grain beer like I mash all-grain hooch: At 155°F strike temp for grain addition, and a level teaspoon of powdered alpha amylase (I use Brewhaus).
Insulate mash vessel with blankets for 90 minutes minimum. Boil length per recipe, maintaining hop schedule.
Cool quickly, and get it in that clean fermenter pronto to avoid contamination.
Aerate well, and pitch 2 sachets of rehydrated dry yeast, or if using liquid yeast, have your starter ready. (Follow recipe!)
Ferment for 3 weeks --no secondary ferment is necessary for at least ales. I bottle, so can't help with pressured kegs.
At the end of 3 week ferment, boil and cool 5oz. of priming sugar (corn sugar) and GENTLY stir into finished ferment. NO OXYGEN HERE!
Bottle for 3 weeks.
Chill for 8 hours minimum and serve. You will have beer!
Home Distiller here helped beyond belief for mashing. For questions dealing strictly with beer, I go here: HomeBrew Talk
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Re: Second-Ever Beer Success- Red Riding Hood
Firstly, thanks so much for your help!!
Now, while reading your answer I realized there are some things I'm doing that may not be quite correct:
-I sanitize my equipment with alcohol (70%)
-Use tap water
-Don't rehydrate dry yeast before pitching
-Ferment just one week, then another one in the fridge at 40°F and around ten days after bottling
So I'm guessing one of these (or all of them) must be the issue, right?
I also have a really hard time finding ways to control the fermentor's temperature (during either winter or summer).
Now, while reading your answer I realized there are some things I'm doing that may not be quite correct:
-I sanitize my equipment with alcohol (70%)
-Use tap water
-Don't rehydrate dry yeast before pitching
-Ferment just one week, then another one in the fridge at 40°F and around ten days after bottling
So I'm guessing one of these (or all of them) must be the issue, right?
I also have a really hard time finding ways to control the fermentor's temperature (during either winter or summer).
Re: Second-Ever Beer Success- Red Riding Hood
Sanitize with Star-San in a 5-gallon bucket for dipping mixing spoons, whisks, etc. and also a spray bottle for things that won't fit in the bucket.
Star-San is 'no rinse' and ingestible, making it perfect for beer equipment. Otherwise you're going to go through a LOT of alcohol!
Your tap water COULD be fine, but make a small batch with it and see.
Yeast rehydration isn't set in stone, but it keeps the yeast happier so why not?
I should say I make ale, which only needs about 68°F to ferment, and a longer ferment makes for a cleaner beer.
Do you have a corner in a basement you can set it in? Otherwise you'll need a controllable, stable refrigerator.
The instructions I'm passing on to you were taught to me by some smart cookies, so stick with them as close as you can.
Star-San is 'no rinse' and ingestible, making it perfect for beer equipment. Otherwise you're going to go through a LOT of alcohol!
Your tap water COULD be fine, but make a small batch with it and see.
Yeast rehydration isn't set in stone, but it keeps the yeast happier so why not?
I should say I make ale, which only needs about 68°F to ferment, and a longer ferment makes for a cleaner beer.
Do you have a corner in a basement you can set it in? Otherwise you'll need a controllable, stable refrigerator.
The instructions I'm passing on to you were taught to me by some smart cookies, so stick with them as close as you can.
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Re: Second-Ever Beer Success- Red Riding Hood
I dont really have access to Star-san (nor alpha amylaze for that matter) where I live. It's trickier that way. But I strongly believe it's temperature thats causing trouble. Its winter here, so I was thinking about getting one of those heat blankets to control temperature. Dont know if it'll help much. Also, I think i'll start letting it ferment for longer, as you've said.
And just one more little noob question about yeast rehydration: how much water should I add and for how long do I have to let it rest before pitching?
And just one more little noob question about yeast rehydration: how much water should I add and for how long do I have to let it rest before pitching?