Youngs American IPA

[Pope]

Pope
Did you brew with tap water?
If so what does it normally taste like?
Sometimes tap water can taste of TCP.
Thankfully mine doesn't and so I can brew with it :thumb:
And finally you have to be really unlucky or do something daft to have a brew go bad.

I live in Huddersfield, we have soft water and it tastes of nothing...as water should.

The chemical breakdown is on this link: https://www.yorkshirewater.com/household/services/water-hardness

I've been told by many people that for a brew to go bad is really unlucky...I have noticed with this particular batch that if I leave it overnight in the fridge, it is significantly better....god knows why that is.

 

[Russ146]

After sterilization Pope did you rinse everything with cold water?

You said it tasted off. Its very easy to ruin a brew by testing it and taking samples etc. I dont bother with any of that as its not necessary if you maintain the correct temp for fermenting and allow enough time to ferment completely. Dont even "give it a stir" as some recommend.

 

[Pope]

After sterilization Pope did you rinse everything with cold water?

You said it tasted off. Its very easy to ruin a brew by testing it and taking samples etc. I dont bother with any of that as its not necessary if you maintain the correct temp for fermenting and allow enough time to ferment completely. Dont even "give it a stir" as some recommend.

Yes rinsed with cold water.

I took the samples by turning the tap on at the bottom of the FV, rather than removing the lid and sticking my hand in.

 

[chuffer]

Maybe look at section 21 of john palmers how to brew, there's a whole section about common off flavours and their causes

 

[chuffer]

My water tastes like chlorine a bit so I boil the brew water with half a campden tablet to sort that. All cleaners and sanitizers I rinse off with boiled water, even star san (bit anal like that).....that should take care of any medicinal like off flavours

 

[BeerisGOD]

Ive just pitched not long ago with this kit, im at 20l but plan to top up to 23l after the predictable eruption. just hope I can transfer water for top off without splashing!
im thinking about a funnel stem deep inside the wort, then just pouring water through. do you think would work Terry?

in response to the 20g yeast, im going to say its this amount so that you get the recommended attenuation of 1.007. This is a fairly low figure so the extra yeast should achieve this, but im only guessing.

Has anyone managed to reach a FG of 1.007 with this kit?

 

[BeerisGOD]

does make me laugh that section. must have been a hell of a lotta infected brews to go thru for descriptions:-?

 

[BeerisGOD]

glad 1.007's achievable, couldn't see it happening myself when I looked at the instructions yesterday

 

[BeerisGOD]

What temp did you have yours at Russ?

Its so warm today ive left the fv with a coat over it, its on 21'ish and started bubbling after just 45mins! new world record for me. No stress tonight

 

[devexwarrior]

Just finished mine. It was very good. Once I'd got the keg lid off it was obvious that secondary had been massive, with krausen debris all the way up to the valve. Also the sediment is epic. I gave it three full weeks of fermentation but it seems it wasn't enough. If I do it again, which I might given how much I enjoyed it, I will give it two weeks followed by a very good rousing to make sure primary is fully complete.

 

[BeerisGOD]

wow, so four weeks primary would be a better bet devewarrior?, ill be following youre advise (and Russ's)

What I appreciate about this and the festival instructions is they don't seems to be rushing you with the end product. I think that's what makes them a great kit for the first time home brewer.

I can see the sugar has fallen to the bottom of my fv, hopefully the yeasties l eat that up soon!

 

[devexwarrior]

I cleaned out my King Keg today. There was yeast debris in the threads, under the seal and I think I'll strip out the valve to check the seals! No wonder it wouldn't hold pressure (I thought I'd not seated the seal correctly). Definitely 4 weeks fermentation next time.

 

[BeerisGOD]

ok well I've got Myn on a nice and steady 21 degrees. just a few hours over day two. I'm aware the first four days for temp control are crucial for flavours so lets hope I can maintain this.
did you manage to get the 1.007 FG ?

 

[devexwarrior]

ok well I've got Myn on a nice and steady 21 degrees. just a few hours over day two. I'm aware the first four days for temp control are crucial for flavours so lets hope I can maintain this.
did you manage to get the 1.007 FG ?

1008 - close enough

 

[BeerisGOD]

two half weeks in. 22c . had a Lil cold snap sat whilst at download seemed to stop bubbling but I think this sounds normal for (then)fourteen days in.
Im going for the four weeker but I'm still on the fence on loose pellets/muslin or loose and syphon plus muslin. I want maximum hop profile so its sounds the last option the best. I could even do a hop tea as my fill level was 20litre.
any suggestions be great

 

[Pope]

I've decided to throw the remaining bottles of mine down the drain. The taste hasn't improved and I've got other home brews in the shed now to keep me going.

This was my first brew...I suppose you win some, you lose some...

 

[BeerisGOD]

better luck next time pope. hope it hasn't put you off the kit completely

 

[BeerisGOD]

ok I've added the hops using a muslin and spoons (all of which sterilized and sanitized).
tad worried I added them at a too high gravity as the recommend is 1.010.
gave the beer a gentle stir and switched on the heat belt. (temp was 22, now 23)
planning on bottling sat so hoping the gravity has dropped to at least 1.010.
its lookin like I've had a sluggish one here going by previous threads but Im hoping the ramping of heat and agitation will get dormant yeasties farting for want of a better word
just a quick one, is it worth muckin about with the temp three and half weeks in or just leave it?

 

[Lordy]

Hi all

I have had this fermenting for over 3 weeks as stated by most people about this brew it takes much longer to ferment out than in the instructions.

I checked the gravity 1.010 and as per instructions dry hopped. However after 3 days the gravity is still at 1.010. The instructions recommend bottling at 1.007 or below.

My question is a shall I just bottle at 1.010? 0r should I wait longer for gravity to go down? I am just concerned the hops will be in too long and ruin the brew.

Thanks

 

[chuffer]

Do you mean 1.010? If so then it's near as damn it done particularly since it hasn't moved after 3 days