What are you brewing?

[nzbrewer]

Since this is the most popular thread on the RealBeer.co.nz forum I thought I would start it here just to see what happens

[Mark]

It seems like an interesting way to approach hopping, if it tastes good I might try it with a more extreme beer like a barley wine. I reckon it would be superb in something like an imp IPA

[Reviled]

I brewed my Rye IPA which is currently cooling to pitching temp in the chest freezer, and I also did a ginger beer using

30g ground ginger, 500gms Honey, 1.5kg white sugar, juice of 5 lemons, boiled it all for 15 mins and topped up to 21 litres, took an OG reading of 1040, and pitched about 200mls of S-05 slurry, but then this morning, nothing had happened yet?? :o( Do I need to add some kind of nutrient to ginger beer? Or will it be fine just take a bit longer to kick off?

[Mike Neilson]

Rye IPA, How did it turn out, Did the gummyness of the rye change anything in the biaab way? I suppose you did use the kettle finnigs with it? love to see if it will tidy up the wort?

[Reviled]

With BIAB it doesnt matter if you use a shitload of wheat or Rye cos youre not sparging through the filter bed, so there were no probs, went really smoothly.. I used the carageenen, but the wort still seemed quite cloudy (but I have a slight rip in the seam of my bag), in saying that, the final product may come out better.. Its still sitting in my kettle, going home at lunch to pitch so ill see then if its clearer than normal..

[Reviled]

I went home for lunch to get some yeast in this sucker, kettle had been sitting in my chest freezer at 2*c since 8am, when I dumped it into the fermenter, the temp was still at 24*c, so I topped it up to 21 litres with about 2.5 litres cold water which got it down to 20*c, pitched yeast... OG was 1050 which I was happy with...

I must say, the wort was cloudy still, but it looked like there were more visable solid chunks of break material than what I normally get, alot of it ended up going into the fermenter (really gotta get that tap sorted) so ill update when the beers in a keg... The Rye probably wont help me get a clear beer tho :o(

[James P]

I found BIAB is definately producing a cloudier wort than traditional (only three full traditionals so far) however with kettle finings and finings in primary things should clear a little more for BIAB.

[Reviled]

In saying that, I constantly keep blaming the bag im using, I had one of your AG pales the other night James (last case swap bottle) and it was bright! Crystal clear straight out of the chest freezer!

[James P]

I truely miss the case swap beers.... It made me pull up my socks a little more. Have to get another brew done very soon and bottle condition...

The kegs are not lasting as long as they should.

[Reviled]

lol damn kegs, too easy to drink a batch quickly :oP haha

Actually, that reminds me, should start organising case swap 2, prolly go for end of march??

[Mark]

If you want a dry ginger beer add some nutrient and ferment out before bottling, otherwise bottle straight away and let it firm up in the bottle (or keg) then chill. If you don't chill it, fermentation will continue until your bottles smash, showering ginger beer everywhere and almost killing your flatmates (at least that's what happened to me).

[Reviled]

I definately want it to ferment out, and im going to keg it, not brave enough to bottle it :oP

So do I need the nutrient? Or will it work without it?

[Mark]

The times I've done it it works fine without it, but takes quite a while to dry up (probably 2 weeks or so).