How to condition/prime

[Fritzpoll85]

Hi there

I'm about to strike out into all grain brewing after years of extract. I got a whole load of money to invest into equipment, and have ended up with a grainfather, the grainfather conical fermenter and glycol chiller

I've got the grains for the following recipe:

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/pils-jon-finch/

I can see how to get to the end if the ferment at 10degC but then it talls about conditioning for 4 weeks at 10 degC as well prior to bottling. Where should I condition it? I assume I should transfer to another vessel to get the beer off the yeast cake but I'm not sure in this case.

I guess in my case it would involve dumping the beer after fermentation into a secondary vessel and dropping it into a fridge for 4 weeks. But I want to check with anyone who has more experience so I don't end up transferring needlessly. Also not sure when to do the priming, though I guess it is still in the bottles...

Cheers for any advice - I'll try to post up a little thread of how I get on in case anyone us interested

 

[terrym]

There are two ways of carrying out the 4 week conditioning. You can either rack off the beer to a second FV. Or leave it where it is in the first FV. Each has its own pros and cons and there will be opinions supporting both methods I'm sure. My advice, for what its worth, is to select the method that suits you best.
And add priming sugar at bottling time.
Further dont forget to raise the temperature of the beer to about 20*C for 2 or 3 days for a diacetyl rest at the end of the fermentation, before returning to low temperature for the 4 week conditioning.

 

[Fritzpoll85]

There are two ways of carrying out the 4 week conditioning. You can either rack off the beer to a second FV. Or leave it where it is in the first FV. Each has its own pros and cons and there will be opinions supporting both methods I'm sure. My advice, for what its worth, is to select the method that suits you best.
And add priming sugar at bottling time.
Further dont forget to raise the temperature of the beer to about 20*C for 2 or 3 days for a diacetyl rest at the end of the fermentation, before returning to low temperature for the 4 week conditioning.

Thanks for the several bits of advice there. It's easier in a way to keep it in the fermenter, as I can keep the temperature nicely controlled. But I was worried about ending up with unpleasant tastes from the cake at the bottom.

I shall read up on the diacetyl rest as I've not heard of that before

 

[giampy]

I think differently. If you want to bottle the beer I think the best way is to do it at the end of the dyacetil rest. At 16/18 ° C. Siphoning the beer from the top of the fermenter. Priming in the bottle with a syringe. To calculate the necessary solution of water and sugar you can download this calculator. http://brewingbad.com/download/calcolatore-per-priming-in-bottiglia/ I'm sorry is the only one I know and it is in Italian. Otherwise you can do the percentage count manually. But it's pretty intuitive. The second fermentation process is meant to get your crystal clear beer. Moving around a carboy, and siphoning beer - after your clarification should be complete - only risks stirring up sediments. Unless you're bottling your beer in a meat locker, the transfer process will also warm your beer a bit. Combined with the agitation, you're creating the perfect conditions for it to re-absorb some of the solids that you've just worked so hard to eliminate. You only have to remember not to shake the bottle when you pour the beer. So avoid dumping the beer after fermentation into a secondary vessel. A different matter would have been if you had undergone the fermentation under pressure.

 

[dan125]

As you've got a conical can't you just dump the yeast out of the bottom after the D rest?

 

[terrym]

As you've got a conical can't you just dump the yeast out of the bottom after the D rest?

Good shout. I missed that one.

 

[Fritzpoll85]

As you've got a conical can't you just dump the yeast out of the bottom after the D rest?

Ok if I can do that, that makes sense. You'll have to forgive my ignorance - there's a lot to pick up - I'll have a look at how to do that.

 

[Justin Dean]

Write down each step of the process the day before, that way nothing gets forgotten and you get each but right.

 

[Hoddy]

I suggest you get yourself a good all grain brewing book. Maybe a John Palmer “how to brew” or such like as that will help teach you all the basic steps before you get into it. Also I suggest YouTube will be your friend and you find lots of Grainfather brewing videos to learn how to use your GF and the conical.

 

[Fritzpoll85]

I suggest you get yourself a good all grain brewing book. Maybe a John Palmer “how to brew” or such like as that will help teach you all the basic steps before you get into it. Also I suggest YouTube will be your friend and you find lots of Grainfather brewing videos to learn how to use your GF and the conical.

Yes, I've got some incoming but I've read up a lot about it and think I now need to 'fail' a bit to make more progress

Not expecting the first brew to go super smoothly

 

[Banbeer]

Yes, I've got some incoming but I've read up a lot about it and think I now need to 'fail' a bit to make more progress

Not expecting the first brew to go super smoothly

That's what was running around in my mind but apart from the minor mistakes all went well and a great beer was made, good luck and don't worry, if you make a half decent brew it will be good.

 

[Hoddy]

Yes, I've got some incoming but I've read up a lot about it and think I now need to 'fail' a bit to make more progress

Not expecting the first brew to go super smoothly

Well you couldn’t of picked a tougher beer to brew as your first that’s for sure. You’ll be doing allot of learning with that batch.

 

[Sinktipper]

Cooper's carbonation drops make bottle priming a doddle.

 

[foxy]

Hi there

I'm about to strike out into all grain brewing after years of extract. I got a whole load of money to invest into equipment, and have ended up with a grainfather, the grainfather conical fermenter and glycol chiller

I've got the grains for the following recipe:

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/pils-jon-finch/

I can see how to get to the end if the ferment at 10degC but then it talls about conditioning for 4 weeks at 10 degC as well prior to bottling. Where should I condition it? I assume I should transfer to another vessel to get the beer off the yeast cake but I'm not sure in this case.

I guess in my case it would involve dumping the beer after fermentation into a secondary vessel and dropping it into a fridge for 4 weeks. But I want to check with anyone who has more experience so I don't end up transferring needlessly. Also not sure when to do the priming, though I guess it is still in the bottles...

Cheers for any advice - I'll try to post up a little thread of how I get on in case anyone us interested

You may find this helpful in understanding conditioning.
https://www.morebeer.com/articles/conditioning

 

[terrym]

Cooper's carbonation drops make bottle priming a doddle.

But are expensive to buy compared to using table sugar, and you are restricted to the size of drops, which may not suit all styles of beer. If you prime by the bottle, it can't be much more difficult to use a funnel and a measuring spoon with table sugar.

 

[terrym]

@Fritzpoll85
Your OP talked about brewing extract beer for years. If you did that then you must have gained some experience along the way and brewed some reasonable quality beers or better, or you would have perhaps given up. I'm sure many do that, including former members. So since the basic principles of brewing are the same whether it's kit, extract brewing, partial mash or full AG brewing, in your case it's really just a case of familiarising yourself with new equipment set up you have, and getting to terms with AG brewing, before you are fully up and running. The rest should already be in place.

 

[Sinktipper]

If you prime by the bottle, it can't be much more difficult to use a funnel and a measuring spoon with table sugar.

I think it is. Had years of faffing around with spoons and granules until I discovered the joy of carb drops. More expensive, right enough.

 

[terrym]

I think it is. Had years of faffing around with spoons and granules until I discovered the joy of carb drops. More expensive, right enough.

Each to their own then

 

[Fritzpoll85]

I think it is. Had years of faffing around with spoons and granules until I discovered the joy of carb drops. More expensive, right enough.

The drops are a lot easier, but sometimes the doses in the bags are just a little lower than needed. Tricky stuff

 

[Fritzpoll85]

@Fritzpoll85
Your OP talked about brewing extract beer for years. If you did that then you must have gained some experience along the way and brewed some reasonable quality beers or better, or you would have perhaps given up. I'm sure many do that, including former members. So since the basic principles of brewing are the same whether it's kit, extract brewing, partial mash or full AG brewing, in your case it's really just a case of familiarising yourself with new equipment set up you have, and getting to terms with AG brewing, before you are fully up and running. The rest should already be in place.

I have, yeah. It's just nerve-wracking on new kit and with the all grain bit. I know the pils is tricky, but figured I could learn a lot in a single brew.