It’s Beer Thirty FReepers! Time For The Homebrewing/Wine Making Thread #8 July 20, 2012

Free Republic | 7-20-2012 | Red_Devil 232

[Red_Devil 232]

Good afternoon/evening FReepers. Yep, it is Beer Thirty Time Once Again!

Happiness is a bubbling airlock!

 

BEER

Good evening/afternoon brewers and winemakers. Nothing brewed at the Red Devil Brew house this week. Just enjoying a few home brews.

Tip: If you have ever been disappointed with your homebrews not developing a nice long lasting head or they seem to be over carbonated and really heady when you pour a glass of your homebrew you might want to try cleaning your glass or mug. Use a mixture of equal parts of Baking Soda and salt then add a little water to make a paste. Use this paste to scrub the inside and while at it the outside of your glass. Rinse well and let dry before using. You might be surprised at the results next time you pour a glass of your homebrew.

I hope all of you and your Brews and Wines are doing well. Stop by and share what you are brewing or let us know what your favorite brew, wine or spirit is.

[OCCASparky]

Just finishing up a batch of Raspberry Wheat--started off with a Witbier, and when transferring from the primary to secondary fermenter, added a can of raspberry puree to the wort.

Came out less tart than Harpoon UFO Raspberry Wheat and a LOT less sweet than Shock Top Raspberry. Easy drinking, good for a warm summer day, figured about 5.2% ABV.

Next batch will be an Amber Ale, and after that I'm going to brew another batch of Oatmeal Stout.

[OCCASparky]

Please also add me to your pinglist.

[OCCASparky]

I got a kit from Brewer's Best as a gift last Christmas. I added the secondary fermenter, a thermometer, wort chiller, and a little nicer siphon for not much extra money. They also do "kits" of beer complete with grains, LME, hops, yeast, priming sugar, and enough bottle caps to do a 5-gallon batch with very easy to understand and follow instructions.

However, I'd recommend when you get sanitizer, there's a liquid sanitizer called STAR that is very effective--1/2 an ounce will be enough to sanitize all your equipment and bottles each time you make wort, transfer, or bottle your beer.

www.brewersbestkits.com

And correction to last--I used Weizenbier, not Witbier. Slight difference.

[Tainan]

At 0750 on an 86 degree/95% humidity Saturday morning....a beer would be good.

[Red_Devil 232]

You have been added. Was the Munich yeast a liquid yeast?

[wyowolf]

just getting into this wonderful hobby of home brewing, please add me to your list.

[WXRGina]

HomeBrew PING! Mr. Beer is calling, Honey! :-)

[Red_Devil 232]

Added.

[Red_Devil 232]

I like the Star San also. Do not fear the foam!

[Red_Devil 232]

Added. Yep, I do like a very fresh tasty cold homebrew!

[goodwithagun]

Helluva day. Drinking home brewed sav blanc from a kit. I might kill the whole bottle tonight!

[WXRGina]

Mr. Red Devil, please add me and my husband, logitech, to your HomeBrew ping list! Thanks! :-)

[Red_Devil 232]

Y’all have been added!

[Red_Devil 232]

Yum. Sounds good! Don’t go out driving around.

[Red_Devil 232]

I am having one of my last Honey Ales. I only have six left! They are so good! I started them last month and bottled on June 20. Yum!

[Red_Devil 232]

What is for breakfast? Beer!

[Mechanicos]

The Honey ales are good. Only problem is they don’t last long....

Remember the lager I had to pull out of the lager fridge awhile back because I needed the refrigerator? To try and save the ferment we stuck the bucket over a floor AC vent with a heavy blanket over it until ready to bottle. It worked! Popped the first bottle yesterday and its like there was no problem with temp.

[goodwithagun]

Lol both the kids in bed so that isn’t happening! I love them more than words can express, but some days I just want to walk out the door and not come back for a few days! We’ve had rain for three days and my kids are constant movers. My son hasn’t taken a regular nap since he was 16 months. They both sleep 8-8, but not being able to go outside and burn off energy officially got to them today. It got to me also.

[OCCASparky]

One question regarding the StarSan, however...when I wash and sanitize the bottles prior to bottling, I know it says not to rinse them, but I’d rather not have as much foam and I do a SMALL rinse with them. I’ve had no problems with contamination but am I taking an unnecessary risk? Or is there something I can to (like drain the bottles upside down) to minimize the amount of foam in the bottles prior to putting beer into them?

[OCCASparky]

Popped the first bottle yesterday and its like there was no problem with temp.

And lagers make me wish I had kept my little dorm-style fridge from back in the day. Would be perfect for a 5-gallon bucket or PET. I do my brewing, transfers, and bottling in the kitchen, and the fermenting and bottles age in the basement. Now during the summer it's no problem keeping the basement at 68 degrees, but during winter/spring it gets a bit chilly down there (like 58-60.) How much time should I add to allow for proper carbonation if a "normal" time is 10-14 days?