Questions On Stuff I don't Understand???

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Hey guys just going over a recipe for my First IPA!! and if I am to do a 23L batch of Beer then my calculations are for a 6Gallon batch? and if so is it ok just to add the 5Gallon + 1Gallon ingredients together to work out a 6Gallon batch?

Second question...If dry hopping is optional and says "you can add a handful" what measurement is that? and always with about 4-5 days left in fermentation left you do it?

Third question.....How do you work out the IBU (bitterness?) level if not stated in recipe?

Last question......How many packets of dry yeast US.05 would you use? basing it on adding the 5G + 1G together, it would be 1 and a half??

Cheers Guys appreciate it. 

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Ok gotcha on don't ferment outsider the fridge especially over summer, now is fine, and then do one at a time in fridge till bottle day. Did you see the photos I uploaded on a previous page with the 2 fermenters in it, you see they fit but would have to use blowoff tubes instead of airlocks, I know the fermenter heats up during very active fermenting in first few days, i noticed that, however if it is to be in between the temp of 18-20C then surely if this temp is maintained if will suit both one that has been fermenting for a week and one that is just starting? my concern is that with 2 fermenters in fridge room is kinda cramped, see photos, and will this give an uneven temperature distribution? I would sensor the fresh batch, have a heat-pad to the side like Ben does and fridge will kick if need be too. Stock piling sounds good but it's not like my main reason is to have lots of beer so I don't have to make any, i like making it.Maybe another fridge or do a 60Litre fermenter with 40Litre batch of beer? or do two 30Litre fermenters same day so at same stage when going in fridge? 

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

I'm at my first time dry hopping day today! I will check but I think it's a 42gram dose. Now I am using same hops i used the on (shit just took them out of the freezer). they are cascade pellets, my question is this should i be using a hop bag? i don't have one yet, and won't be using one today but do i need one for pellets? and do you let bag float around or have it tied up and maybe coming out of the lid the string attached to bag. Do I take a hydrometer reading day before bottling day to check my FG and again on bottling day to see if stable?

[Grant R Baker]

Hop bag is optional... if left long enough the will sink to the bottom. Cold crashing always helps them go to the bottom....

BUT, if you are bottling of the fermenter there is a greater chance of bottling some hops, so a hop bag might be useful.

 

Correct on the hydrometer.

[Grant R Baker]

Two is fine if targeting the 18-20C range. Is only an issue if you are doing a high temp fermentation beer (say 24-28C wheat beer) then adding a fermentor of ale would be such a good idea (or a lager).

Some people have connected 12V computer fans to blow the air around in the fridge, I haven't bothered but my fridge is a bit bigger than yours.

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

I don't know anything about cold crashing really so might skip it, and I am bottling on Saturday too. yeah might pass I think on fan in fridge but could check the temp on both separately using the sensor to see they are staying at the same temp then doesn't matter too much about room?? at this stage only doing ales. can I strain the crud out of fermenter when bottling? like transfer the whole lot to a bottling bucket which would be a fermenter with clip on lid and tap, then just transfer thru a tube and sieve to it and then bottle it? Scrub that just read that I would add too much oxygen to the beer. I am going to use one of the tubes that you stick up the tap and you place tube in bottle and when the bottom of tube touches the bottom of bottle then releases the beer, I'm hoping that I don't transfer too much shit thru tube or tube gets blocked???? help?

[Ryan Perkins]

Cold crashing is pretty simple Darren, all you do is put the fermentor in fridge for at least 2 days at 4 degrees.  All the junk settles down to the bottom and your beer will be much clearer.  The only downside is there will be less yeast in your bottles so carbonation is a bit slower, still fits in to the 2-3 timeframe for conditioning though.  I wouldn't stress too much about a little bit of sediment getting into the bottles either, during conditioning it generally all drops out and compacts at the bottom with the yeast.  As long as you don't shake your bottle before serving it should stay there.  You are right about oxygen pickup with bottling buckets, not worth it in my opinion.

Unless you have put a shit load of dry hops in, your bottling tube shouldn't block.

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

I put in 42grams of cascade dry hops bottle on Saturday maybe I should put in fridge now at 4C I did dry hop today will that effect the aroma much?

[Ryan Perkins]

If you can be patient (I know it's hard on the first brew!) give the dry hops at least another couple of days then cold crash.  This will give the hops a better chance to release their aroma.

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

bugger I just moved my fermenter in to the fridge and set it for 3.5C with a variance of 0.5C but you are right so I'll change setting back to 19C only be on for 15min. cold crash on wednesday, can I still bottle on saturday or should I do it Sunday?

[Ryan Perkins]

Sounds like a good plan.  Either day, what ever suits...it can be quite a time consuming process getting all the bottles cleaned and sanitised etc.

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

If I use a little more grain than recipe calls for what effect will that have on the result? I'm talking this much more

63 grams more!!

[Craig Howard]

I have to say to you Daza

I certainly admire the fact  you have gone into this new "hobby..." balls to the wall"..."boots and all".  Especially straight into grain brewing.  Wow.  Big balls. ;-)

But with respect...  I do think you have also kind of gone in a bit under done!  ie under prepped and under researched.

You certainly have made things fairly complicated for your self for first brews and trhe one problem I see is that you have not done a "baseline brew".  By this I mean you have so many things happening in these early brews that you will never be able to work out where it worked out good..or bad...and you wont be able to repeat it.

A baseline brew is a very simple brew but it its value is..you have a starting point to reference from for the following ones.

I am newbie brewer but each brew I add a new technique or "addition" and one thing I have as an absolute is constant/precise  temperature during fermenation.  (each brew/yeast  has had different ferment recommendations and my Pilsner eaen had a stage to raise temp for a D-Rest).  

All my 5 breews have turned out great.  All are kits and extracts. Later ones had hops added.  Same hops...not varied.  I now know what Citra and Fuggles respectively bring to the brew.

Lecture over. Sorry just my 2 cents worth.

  Hey if you are dry hopping ..use a bag if you wnant a clean brew in the bottle.