Youngs American IPA

[Wouter]

I don't know. Personally I wouldn't be too worried about it and just bottle without a cold crash. It'll be fine :).

And if you really like the brewing and want to meddle with temperature control (one the best ways to improve your brewing) you can do the cold step easily without moving the fermenter around. My own temperature controlled thingy cost around 10 euro to make and took less than an hour of fiddling around.
Just took an old fridge I was else going to throw out. Then I installed two power outlets in a wooden box with a thermostat (STC-1000 €6 from ebay, you can also buy a complete version of this: the Inkbird). In one you plug in the fridge, in the other a lightingbulb I put inside the fridge. And boom, you have perfect control of the temperature.
At the start of the fermentation I stick the temp probe to the fermenter and select 20 degrees. The light bulb produces heat if required and the fridge cools down if it gets too hot. And when I want to cold crash it I just put it to 4 degrees, and it automatically goes to 4 degrees within a day.

 

[terrym]

Thanks guys. It's just that I'm 8 days into the Youngs Amber kit and wondering when to dry hop. I dry hopped the IPA after 2 weeks but even that was a fraction too soon. When you leave it in the cold for a couple of days does it have to be a steady temp? I could leave it in the garage but I imagine the temp shifts a few degrees from day to night.

The Youngs American range have probably one of the best set of instructions you will get with a kit. I would generally follow those if you are unsure. For your Amber it says the fermentation should be over within 10days and to dry hop when the SG is below 1.015 so it looks like the FG will be 'high'. Personally I would give it 12-14 days to make sure (on the basis that I fermented around the recommended temperature), check the SG, and if it looks as if its done dry hop for 4-6 days, with the last 2 in a cold place. The 'cold place' temperature is not critical except to say if you can get it nearer 0*C then you have a better chance of dropping any suspended proteins. However since this is a kit that is less likely to be important. I put my FV in the garage in winter and its fine, temperature variations and all , and only in summer will it go in the fridge. Finally homebrewing is fun to do, you can make perfectly acceptable beer without spending £££s and having loads of equipment, you just have to work with what you have got, including the space in which to do it.

 

[Wouter]

Finally homebrewing is fun to do, you can make perfectly acceptable beer without spending £££s and having loads of equipment, you just have to work with what you have got, including the space in which to do it.

Yeah you're spot on! Most important part :)! Its all about what you like doing and what can do!
I enjoy upgrading my set up, but I don't have lots of money to spend. So I like to tinker around making my own stuff.
I rather spend £10 and a few hours on building a fermentation closet a bit shabby, then spend £40 on an Inkbird.

That being said, I would say that temperature control is most important improvement you can make fermentation wise.

 

[Bashley]

The Youngs American range have probably one of the best set of instructions you will get with a kit. I would generally follow those if you are unsure. For your Amber it says the fermentation should be over within 10days and to dry hop when the SG is below 1.015 so it looks like the FG will be 'high'. Personally I would give it 12-14 days to make sure (on the basis that I fermented around the recommended temperature), check the SG, and if it looks as if its done dry hop for 4-6 days, with the last 2 in a cold place. The 'cold place' temperature is not critical except to say if you can get it nearer 0*C then you have a better chance of dropping any suspended proteins. However since this is a kit that is less likely to be important. I put my FV in the garage in winter and its fine, temperature variations and all , and only in summer will it go in the fridge. Finally homebrewing is fun to do, you can make perfectly acceptable beer without spending £££s and having loads of equipment, you just have to work with what you have got, including the space in which to do it.

Thanks guys, it's interesting. I thought that the dry hopping period was included in that fermentation period ( eg 7 days fermentation plus another 7 with dry hop) but you're saying ferment for roughly 2 weeks then dry hop for 5 or six days?

 

[terrym]

Let the fermentation finish or almost finish then dry hop. If you add the hops before there is a good chance the fermentation CO2 will strip out some of the volatile oils that you are trying to infuse into the beer, which rather defeats the object of dry hopping. Anyway whats the rush??

 

[Wouter]

Thanks guys, it's interesting. I thought that the dry hopping period was included in that fermentation period ( eg 7 days fermentation plus another 7 with dry hop) but you're saying ferment for roughly 2 weeks then dry hop for 5 or six days?

Let the fermentation finish or almost finish then dry hop. If you add the hops before there is a good chance the fermentation CO2 will strip out some of the volatile oils that you are trying to infuse into the beer, which rather defeats the object of dry hopping. Anyway whats the rush??

But what is "almost finished" ? I would say already almost finished withnin 2-5 days. The main fermentation (70-75% of the sugars being fermented) only takes a few days, the secondary fermentation is much slower. Are you very strict on the timing of adding the hops?

I always wonder about the CO2 stripping out the volatile oils. I always follow this rule! Never add during the main fermentation. But I've never tested it myself.

 

[Bashley]

I'm in no rush at all. Will be happy to leave it for longer if it improves the quality of the beer!

 

[terrym]

I'm in no rush at all. Will be happy to leave it for longer if it improves the quality of the beer!

Good to hear. You are now ramping up the learning curve :thumb:

But what is "almost finished" ? I would say already almost finished withnin 2-5 days. The main fermentation (70-75% of the sugars being fermented) only takes a few days, the secondary fermentation is much slower. Are you very strict on the timing of adding the hops?

My rule of thumb is when it's hit the anticipated FG or thereabouts, the krausen has gone, there are only a few random bubbles appearing on the beer surface and its starting to clear, its done or pretty much done, and for me thats usually about 9-10 days in. Sometimes its longer, rarely shorter. However there no definitive rules, its down to OG, yeast used, fermentation temperature, and wort composition amongst other as we all know.

 

[Eight Ace]

So my taste test today. For a kit, 10 days conditioning in, this is brilliant. A lovely tropical smell, clean bitter taste with a hint of malt coming through (and not in the kit way).

33 Pet bottles and one Easy keg. Very decent return! At almost 7% I won't get through this in a hurry (though that first bottle was polished off far too easily!) Not bad for a gift.:Cheers:

 

[Bashley]

I'm not sure if carbing and conditioning are the same thing but I tested one today 10 days after bottling. Mixed feelings really. It's carbonated and has a decent aroma but it's very bitter - I'm used to very bitter beers. It has this bitter twang at the end which stays in the mouth a little. So I guess I'm wondering if A) Is that normal after just 10 days in the bottle? B) What has caused this? The hops were in there for 8 days. Just interests me as I have the amber ale ready to bottle and would like to not make the same mistake, if indeed I have made one.

 

[GhostShip]

I'm not sure if carbing and conditioning are the same thing but I tested one today 10 days after bottling. Mixed feelings really. It's carbonated and has a decent aroma but it's very bitter - I'm used to very bitter beers. It has this bitter twang at the end which stays in the mouth a little. So I guess I'm wondering if A) Is that normal after just 10 days in the bottle? B) What has caused this? The hops were in there for 8 days. Just interests me as I have the amber ale ready to bottle and would like to not make the same mistake, if indeed I have made one.

That’s interesting because it’s exactly what I’m getting. Opened a bottle tonight which has been at room temperature for three weeks since it came in from the cold. There’s the promise of a decent beer there, but the bitter aftertaste is very strong. I’m not getting any ‘home brew twang’ (second brew in a row - things are looking up!), but it’s too bitter. I’m getting a good hop taste, but it’s also not very clear. Maybe just needs more time?

 

[Eight Ace]

Mine was rather bitter thinking about it. Put that down to the lack of conditioning rather than anything else. Though was very drinkable. Might give another one a try in a moment for the sake of research.....

 

[Bashley]

That’s interesting because it’s exactly what I’m getting. Opened a bottle tonight which has been at room temperature for three weeks since it came in from the cold. There’s the promise of a decent beer there, but the bitter aftertaste is very strong. I’m not getting any ‘home brew twang’ (second brew in a row - things are looking up!), but it’s too bitter. I’m getting a good hop taste, but it’s also not very clear. Maybe just needs more time?

Is it your first bottle from this batch?

 

[GhostShip]

Is it your first bottle from this batch?

No - it's the second. I tried one about 3 weeks ago when I brought it in from the cold. I just assumed then that it was far too early, but it hasn't really changed in those 3 weeks.

 

[Wouter]

I'd say that such beer don't really become less bitter. Some other flavours might develop relatively quickly which can make the bitterness less noticable.

The bitterness itself also fades. But this happens way after hop flavour and aroma has faded. Which is a bit of a catch for an IPA...
In a long keeping low hop flavour style, like an Barley Wine, the bitterness might fade to your liking.

 

[Bashley]

Really strange, tried a couple tonight and they were pretty good. Shared them with some friends and they were well impressed. I compared it to the Punk IPA and there's really not much in it. I would say that my Youngs is not as carbonated and that has a big part to play - carbonation obviously hides the taste to a degree. It's possible that the bottle last night was not quite right. I really don't know but my wife said the same thing. One thing for sure, it's not infected or undrinkable by any stretch, so I'm pretty happy with that!

 

[terrym]

Really strange, tried a couple tonight and they were pretty good. Shared them with some friends and they were well impressed. I compared it to the Punk IPA and there's really not much in it. I would say that my Youngs is not as carbonated and that has a bit part to play - carbonation obviously hides the taste to a degree. It's possible that the bottle last night was not quite right. I really don't know but my wife said the same thing. One thing for sure, it's not infected or undrinkable by any stretch, so I'm pretty happy with that!

I believe that is what this beer is intended to turn out like. Whereas most beers are balanced with say a 50g dry hop this uses 100g which is, by some standards is quite a lot. In comparison the APA kit uses 60g hops (of a different sort) and that's on the limit for me. So some may find the AIPA just right when its young with the 100g hops, others may not get on with it. But in time the impact of the dry hop will slowly diminish, so you could continue to drink it and find out where it hits the spot for you in case you decide to do it again.
Finally Youngs advise that this beer can be consumed when clear, comes into its own after about one month, but is best drunk within 3/4 months, which bears out my experience of it.

 

[Eight Ace]

Finally got round to my second sample. I think you're right Bashley about the carb taking the edge off the bitterness. I'm still trying to work this one out. It's maltier than the Punk IPA (had one a few days back. Research.) which was almost watery by comparison, but it's all about the hops in the Punk.

Anyway......This is bitter, but the hops do a great job of complimenting this. Aftertaste is a dry malty bitterness but with a mellow fruityness that makes it rather pleasant. I had an AG APA just prior to this which was undoubtedly smoother (my first attempt) due to the lack of bitterness. But this is going down far quicker.

Ultimately It's a kit beer. That's touching 7%. Without twang. That is very drinkable. From my previous experience of one can kit's this is great. The Punk IPA comparison's are fair. It's not Punk IPA. But you can drink it as if it's one, and that's good enough for me!

Next stop, Mangrove Jack's Grapefruit IPA with and additional 100g hops based in Brewdog's recipe.

 

[GhostShip]

This is probably a really stupid question, but what is it in the process that gives a beer its head?

My AIPA is really growing on me - it's now a very decent pint, but there is no head at all. The carbonation is fine, however.

Have I done something wrong?

 

[tobyjrn6]

This is probably a really stupid question, but what is it in the process that gives a beer its head?

My AIPA is really growing on me - it's now a very decent pint, but there is no head at all. The carbonation is fine, however.

Have I done something wrong?

Haven't read the whole thread im afraid so I don't know what's gone into this brew but i believe maltodextrin (and some residual proteins) is what gets you good head retention so usually youll get plenty from base grains, even more if you add some steeping grains like carapils in particular or other crystal malts. As far as kit hacking for better head retention goes, people use carapils a lot because it doesnt really add colour or flavour