moto748
Landlord.
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2010
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I'm going back to making beer after a long lay-off. This is my second brew, and looks better than the first, which was a little too dark and round-tasting (too much crystal malt, I reckoned), and a tad cloudy (no Irish moss).
Anyhow, I tweaked the latest recipe, and it looks a big improvement.
Briefly, this is my method. I mash water, barley, and malts in a Burco boiler, putting the malts in a large bag. I use that 'stockingette' stuff they sell for polishing your car. It comes in a long 'tube': cut a length off, tie a knot in the end, and you have a bag. Then I put 3/4 of the hops in a similar bag and bring to boil for an hour ish, then the last 1/4 of the hops for a bit with Irish moss. I wash the bags through with jugs of cold water (wearing rubber gloves!). I drain off into bucket, onto some glucose. Next day I pitch yeast at a suitable temperature. Cover and leave for 5-6 days. Rack off into demi-johns under fermentation locks. Then bottle, priming with 1/2 tsp sugar, and crown top.
This method has produced pretty decent, crystal clear beer in the past.
But now I'm in a little doubt as to when to bottle. It has been in demi-johns about 8 days now. Have checked two of the four demi-johns, but seem pretty identical.
Beer is clear (but not crystal clear), very slightly fizzy. It tastes fine, insofar as beer at this stage tastes generally. Malty, hoppy, no nasty sour or vinegar-ey smells or tastes. All good. Gravity is 1010 as far as I can see. But it's been like this for days now. The fermentation locks are not 'plinking'. They didn't even when I first racked, although it was pretty fizzy by then. Actually, one (although not the other) is now plinking now that I've disturbed it by taking the hydrometer reading. I suppose just oxygenating it made a difference. The demi-johns are pretty full, perhaps that makes a difference?
Dammit, I think I'll 'disturb' the the other demi-johns in the same way!
My question is, should I leave it longer in the demi-johns, hoping the hydrometer reading will drop a bit further, before I bottle? Do you generally bottle when there's still a trace fo 'fizzyness' in the beer?
Anyhow, I tweaked the latest recipe, and it looks a big improvement.
Briefly, this is my method. I mash water, barley, and malts in a Burco boiler, putting the malts in a large bag. I use that 'stockingette' stuff they sell for polishing your car. It comes in a long 'tube': cut a length off, tie a knot in the end, and you have a bag. Then I put 3/4 of the hops in a similar bag and bring to boil for an hour ish, then the last 1/4 of the hops for a bit with Irish moss. I wash the bags through with jugs of cold water (wearing rubber gloves!). I drain off into bucket, onto some glucose. Next day I pitch yeast at a suitable temperature. Cover and leave for 5-6 days. Rack off into demi-johns under fermentation locks. Then bottle, priming with 1/2 tsp sugar, and crown top.
This method has produced pretty decent, crystal clear beer in the past.
But now I'm in a little doubt as to when to bottle. It has been in demi-johns about 8 days now. Have checked two of the four demi-johns, but seem pretty identical.
Beer is clear (but not crystal clear), very slightly fizzy. It tastes fine, insofar as beer at this stage tastes generally. Malty, hoppy, no nasty sour or vinegar-ey smells or tastes. All good. Gravity is 1010 as far as I can see. But it's been like this for days now. The fermentation locks are not 'plinking'. They didn't even when I first racked, although it was pretty fizzy by then. Actually, one (although not the other) is now plinking now that I've disturbed it by taking the hydrometer reading. I suppose just oxygenating it made a difference. The demi-johns are pretty full, perhaps that makes a difference?
Dammit, I think I'll 'disturb' the the other demi-johns in the same way!
My question is, should I leave it longer in the demi-johns, hoping the hydrometer reading will drop a bit further, before I bottle? Do you generally bottle when there's still a trace fo 'fizzyness' in the beer?
