Hi guys, 3rd time brewer 1st time poster. I have tried a couple of brews so far with a friend which were less than satisfactory, the first we tried was just whatever came with the brew buddy starter kit, that tunred out drinkable but with a definate homebrew taste. We then tried a Broon copy which I think got infected as that was terrible. We did these at his house and so I decided to get my own kit and try for myself. I currently have Coopers English bitter going. It's finished fermenting but I am leaving it in the FV a bit longer until I can get a new cap for my KK this weekend. All in all it will have been in the FV for 2 weeks. I recently bottled off 3 bottles with different conditioning sugars to see if it makes a difference, 1 with plain white sugar, 1 with dark brown and 1 with honey. I'm hoping they will be ok in 2 weeks as that's my other halves birthday and I'd like to drink them then, but if they're not ready I'll wait. So far the brew is nice and definitely not infected. I'll probably do another few bottles so I can take them around to friends or the BYO curry houses but most of it will go in the KK. What I'd like to try next is a strawberry mild. Not a fruit blonde or even lager but an actual mild with strawberry. Does anybody know of a kit like this? Or a decent mild they think would work well if I was to steep and add the strawbs myself? Also can you confirm 1 thing for me? Conditioning and carbonation should be done at roughly the same temp as fermentation right? Around 21c ish? Then moved to colder places for storage? I will be conditioning for at least 2 weeks, when do you see clearing? Is that in conditioning periods or in the later cooling/storage periods? Cheers, Dan.
Newbie - help with conditioning plus advice on my next kit.
- Thread starter DanT
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The Coopers English is a great kit, a friend who is really into his beer just tried a bottle of a brew I made a few months back and absolutely loved it.
People have different opinions on exactly how long at each temperature but I do about 2 weeks total at 18C, then a few days at 21C, then drop to 12C for about a week before bottling.
Then back into the house at whatever temperature that is for 2 weeks to carbonate, then back into the cold for at least 2 weeks to condition.
Don't know about your strawberry question - sorry.
People have different opinions on exactly how long at each temperature but I do about 2 weeks total at 18C, then a few days at 21C, then drop to 12C for about a week before bottling.
Then back into the house at whatever temperature that is for 2 weeks to carbonate, then back into the cold for at least 2 weeks to condition.
Don't know about your strawberry question - sorry.
NickW
Landlord.
I would just add a strawberry syrup into your glass before pouring. Something like lowitz
I realise he asked, when do you see clearing?
Well, some would say only bottle when already crystal clear. That's the purpose of the week or so at 12C still in the FV before bottling. But even if it's not already clear then, it will usually either clear during carbonation, or during the bottle conditioning bit.
Well, some would say only bottle when already crystal clear. That's the purpose of the week or so at 12C still in the FV before bottling. But even if it's not already clear then, it will usually either clear during carbonation, or during the bottle conditioning bit.
Cheers guys, I think I'll leave these conditioning at 21c-ish until a couple of days before I want to drink them and then I'll put them in the conservatory to cool. Again though, I wouldn't want to cool them if they're supposed to be clear in the warmer conditioning stage...when should it clear? When condition or when cooler?
With regards strawberries, I think I will see how this kit turns out in it's basic form and see if the flavours will take strawb well. If so I think I will steep some fresh strawbs and add them to the wort, substituting them for sugar, but keep the spray malt in there.
With regards strawberries, I think I will see how this kit turns out in it's basic form and see if the flavours will take strawb well. If so I think I will steep some fresh strawbs and add them to the wort, substituting them for sugar, but keep the spray malt in there.
winelight said:
There is bacteria but hence the steeping/boiling up. You can follow the same routine that winemakers do when adding fruit to their wines. Some use a chemical that you add to the fruit which kills off all bacteria then you add it to the mix. I think I'll stay away from that though and go for steeping. It can be done...Fruli for example.
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