Bulldog, Evil Dog Double IPA

[stephen1546]

Gravity is down to 1.010. I’ll give it another few days. Seems to have hit FG within the instructions but that’s not what most people have experienced. Tastes quite hoppy but a certain cider twang to it which hopefully will disappear after conditioning.

Looks like things are going ok, i usually bottle then have a pint after 2 weeks to see how its carbed/tasting

 

[Waggy91]

Looks like things are going ok, i usually bottle then have a pint after 2 weeks to see how its carbed/tasting

Okay that’s good. I’ve taken another gravity and it’s static. Decided to cold crash until Saturday and I’ll bottle it up and bring it in the warm. Going to add 2 carb drops per 500ml bottle

 

[parpot]

Heres my data on this brew:

Started 30.04.19

Bull Dog Evil Dog Double IPA

23 Litres

1.062 Starting Gravity

1.006 Ended ABV

7.4% Strength

04.06.19 Date Finished

34 Days in FV

Ave Temp 22 degrees

Great Strong Brew, hoppy but not overly, Still have a few bottles and it is even better now!

 

[stephen1546]

Okay that’s good. I’ve taken another gravity and it’s static. Decided to cold crash until Saturday and I’ll bottle it up and bring it in the warm. Going to add 2 carb drops per 500ml bottle

Have never used carb drops, i batch prime using normal sugar and never had a hassle.

 

[Waggy91]

Heres my data on this brew:

Started 30.04.19

Bull Dog Evil Dog Double IPA

23 Litres

1.062 Starting Gravity

1.006 Ended ABV

7.4% Strength

04.06.19 Date Finished

34 Days in FV

Ave Temp 22 degrees

Great Strong Brew, hoppy but not overly, Still have a few bottles and it is even better now!

Mines fermented far faster than yours did, which is strange but it went fast in the first 4 days. Did you take any samples post fermentation to taste?

 

[parpot]

No, but I never do!

 

[Waggy91]

Bottled up tonight, got 45 500ml swing tops with 2 carb drops and I tried a few with a teaspoon of sugar just to compare. It’s not clear but that should mean some yeast left to ferment. I’ve done a small clear plastic bottle to track pressure by feel and colour changes. Ready for two weeks inside before another trip outside to clear.

 

[parpot]

As I remember mine was almost completely clear when I bottled it so I guess that's because of the fermentation time difference!

 

[Waggy91]

As I remember mine was almost completely clear when I bottled it so I guess that's because of the fermentation time difference!

This is my first brew so expecting teething issues. Cloudy doesn’t bother me, if I make a drinkable product I’ll be happy. Bit of sediment forming this morning

 

[Waggy91]

So 4 days of carbing and the PET bottle I filled is hard. No exploding bottles yet. Used glass swing tops. There’s a layer of debris on the bottles but it mostly stays in place when I rotate the bottle. Could be good as I had a hop bag explode before bottling. It’s cloudy too but as long as it’s drinkable I’m happy. Will leave it in the warm until it’s done 2 weeks then get the plastic one in the fridge for a sample. Anticipating this will take a while to condition based on others experience

 

[GhostShip]

So 4 days of carbing and the PET bottle I filled is hard. No exploding bottles yet. Used glass swing tops. There’s a layer of debris on the bottles but it mostly stays in place when I rotate the bottle. Could be good as I had a hop bag explode before bottling. It’s cloudy too but as long as it’s drinkable I’m happy. Will leave it in the warm until it’s done 2 weeks then get the plastic one in the fridge for a sample. Anticipating this will take a while to condition based on others experience

There’s no doubt that patience is a huge virtue when it comes to home brewing. My norm is now to secondary ferment for two weeks and then, as long as it has ‘carbed up’, to put it into the cold for a month before I even try it. I think it’s during this month that it will start to clear. It will be interesting to hear how the one you taste just after secondary fermentation compares to one you try a month later (if you’ve got any left by then!).

 

[Waggy91]

So 1 week into carbonation, it’s still very cloudy but carbonation is well under way. I turned this sample bottle upside down, loosening the lid and ejected some beer for a taste test. Decent carbonation but still very cider like. The alcohol edge has gone so hopefully after another week in the warm and a couple outside it will start to fast more like ipa than cider and it might drop a bit clearer!

 

[Waggy91]

In the interest of science I sampled the plastic bottle today to check on carbonation and gain some understanding of how the beer matures with age.

carbonation is perfect for me, nice fizz, good head and not bloaty. Taste why’s it still has a way to go, still abit sweet but smells very hoppy and it’s lost it’s edge.

going to give the bottles another week in the warm before cold crash outside but it’s looking positive for my first brew. I’ve put a Young’s ipa on the go today too, officially caught the bug.

will keep you listed as this matures!

thanks to those who have contributed advice, it’s very helpful

 

[dhendy91]

Hey Waggy, thats a nice looking pint :thumba: Don't worry your not the first to give in to drinking a beer early, especially when stocks are low! Looks like its starting to clear up nicely too, enjoy and I look forward to hearing about it once it has fully aged

 

[Waggy91]

Hey Waggy, thats a nice looking pint :thumba: Don't worry your not the first to give in to drinking a beer early, especially when stocks are low! Looks like its starting to clear up nicely too, enjoy and I look forward to hearing about it once it has fully aged

Thanks mate, yeah it’s getting there. I can see the bottles are clearer at the top so the yeast is on its way down. As long as it taste great I’m happy. I’d just finished a bottle of Cornish ipa and I couldn’t resist a sample.

 

[Waggy91]

last night I popped one of the glass bottles for research purposes.
Tastes way better than the plastic bottle and carbonation was amazing. Went with a right pop. BUT it still has a sweet twang to it.

Do I leave it in the warm and sample one a week until this fades or would cold conditioning in the shed be better?

advice appreciated.

 

[stephen1546]

How long has the beer been in the warm?

 

[Waggy91]

How long has the beer been in the warm?

Just under 2 weeks

 

[dhendy91]

Just under 2 weeks

When I bottled, 2 weeks warm then 2 weeks cold always worked for me

 

[Waggy91]

When I bottled, 2 weeks warm then 2 weeks cold always worked for me

Any issues with sweetness?