Home Brewing / Micro Brewery / My own beer

[EtienneK]

Hi All
I just started my first brew with a copper tun starter kit. It has been in the fermenter since Sunday 19th - so 4 days now. Problem is, I don't see anything happening with the bubbler. There are no bubbles coming out. The temp is around 22-24 degrees. I opened the fermenter yesterday, it does smell a lot more like beer than it did on Sunday, but I am concerned that nothing is happening. OG was 1045 - will check it again this evening and post the result.
I hope it has been doing it's thing...

Could be that the fermenter is leaking air. Take a gravity reading. If it keeps going down, you're good. Else you may want to try and shake your fermenter and move it to some place warmer. If that fails, you might have to pitch some new yeast.

 

[Dimpie (COMPUTEK)]

My copper tun fv was also leaking air at first ....

they make the hole too big for the grommet, so the airlock fits way too loose.

I got rid of the grommet & replaced it with a silicone bung.

 

[Kamut]

Hi Guys - will check for leaks ASAP, but the SG this evening is 1015 - down from 1045 so it looks like something is happening at least.

 

[Gothan]

Also learned it here, don't trust the bubbling, trust the reading

 

[Shnorkiller]

hi guys, opened my first weiss beer today (has been sitting in the bottle for a week now) and as i popped the lid the entire beer just foamed out and poured everywhere!!

What would have caused this?

 

[SukkaFoo]

hi guys, opened my first weiss beer today (has been sitting in the bottle for a week now) and as i popped the lid the entire beer just foamed out and poured everywhere!!

What would have caused this?

You probably over carbonated it. Did you use those little tablets or batch prime in the bottling bucket. My suggestion, use one of the online priming calculators and batch prime. Much more accurate, and you can carbonate according to style. Also a lot cheaper. Finally was the beer cold? Cold beer holds carbonation much better than warm beer,... No huge surprise.

 

[Shnorkiller]

You probably over carbonated it. Did you use those little tablets or batch prime in the bottling bucket. My suggestion, use one of the online priming calculators and batch prime. Much more accurate, and you can carbonate according to style. Also a lot cheaper. Finally was the beer cold? Cold beer holds carbonation much better than warm beer,... No huge surprise.

I batch primed using one of the online calculators, I put about 293g of sugar in (used table sugar), for a 23 litre batch. Do you think that is too much?

 

[Necropolis]

That sounds like a lot! Most I've ever used is about 130g of dextrose

 

[SukkaFoo]

I batch primed using one of the online calculators, I put about 293g of sugar in (used table sugar), for a 23 litre batch. Do you think that is too much?

Ja, that would take you to about 4 volumes. BJCP guidelines for a weiss is 2.5 - 2.9, so ja, that probably more than double what you'd want. Don't toss it, but there isn't much that you can do now. Live and learn, this hobby is a bit of a bugger like that.

 

[Sneaky Pete]

Pop the lid, let it settle for a few minutes and drink the sucker. My second batch was pretty much the same. After about 3 months it settled a little. Not sure if yours will do the same, but keep opening them just to be sure.

 

[MrR]

I batch primed using one of the online calculators, I put about 293g of sugar in (used table sugar), for a 23 litre batch. Do you think that is too much?

I got the same "problem" with the online calculators when priming a weiss.
They all state that a 3.5+ CO2 saturation requires between 240g to 265g for 23 liter batch at 22C.
IIRC I averaged it out to 255g

Have found that around week 6 it becomes less carbonated.

 

[SukkaFoo]

I got the same "problem" with the online calculators when priming a weiss.
They all state that a 3.5+ CO2 saturation requires between 240g to 265g for 23 liter batch at 22C.
IIRC I averaged it out to 255g

Have found that around week 6 it becomes less carbonated.

Sheesh guys that's some properly high carbonation to aim for... Must be properly spritzerly. As I say, check the bjcp guidelines, we all wanna be rebel brewers, but the guidelines are there because they work.

 

[Shnorkiller]

Hi all, thanks for the feedback!

Unfortunately i was following an online calculator - trying to achieve 4.0 CO2 as per recommendations. But i live and learn, next weekend its time for my first IPA to get brewed!

 

[Necropolis]

I bottled an IPA yesterday and used 100g of Dextrose - but then again I'm not a fan of beers being too fizzy.

Got the GF to help me out with the bottling - I must say it goes one hell of a lot quicker with 2 people involved.

 

[Dimpie (COMPUTEK)]

I also find those calculators stating ±3.5 volumes for Wheat/Weiss, but I find it way too fizzy at those numbers. ... I have since opted to never go over max 10g/Lt

You standing at ±12.7g/Lt, so don't "manhandle" those bottles if they're glass, as the chances of a "bottle-bomb" is high.

EDIT: Before I knew about CO² volume calculators, I used to prime all my beers at ±8g/Lt and I must say, they all seemed carbonated perfectly fine

 

[Necropolis]

4.0 for C02 is one hell of a lot.

 

[Sneaky Pete]

I have done about 12 batches since June and I have never used a calculator for my bottling. I always use glucose which I buy from the chemist. I aim for about 2 to 3 g per 330ml bottle. With Ales about 2g. The one I did wrong was an IPA and I used about 4 to 5g and hence was way too fizzy.
Using online calculators for CO2 is waaaay too complicated for me. I am a home brewer and just doing this for fun. I just throw things together and hope for the best, and it usually works out. I do make note of what I do just in case I want to make the same beer again, but right now I am having too much fun trying new things to do that.

 

[MrR]

I know! Luckily didn't have a single bottle bomb!

I checked multiple sites/calculators and sources (microbrewers, supplier, books) before I committed to the prime. Even John Palmer's book recommends a minimum of 3.3. The lowest that I came across was 2.8 and highest was 5.x. Rather crazy.

Can't find any specific BJCP guidelines on the C02 saturation, but the following stood out regarding carbonation:

Appearance: Very pale straw in color. Clarity ranges from clear to somewhat hazy. Large, dense, white head with poor retention due to high acidity and low protein and hop content. Always effervescent.

Mouthfeel: Light body. Very dry finish. Very high carbonation. No sensation of alcohol.

 

[MrR]

To add on to previous post:

-------------------------------------------
Beer style Volumes CO2
-------------------------------------------
British-style ales 1.5 - 2.0
Porter, stout 1.7 - 2.3
Belgian ales 1.9 - 2.4
European lagers 2.2 - 2.7
American ales & lagers 2.2 - 2.7
Lambic 2.4 - 2.8
Fruit lambic 3.0 - 4.5
German wheat beer 3.3 - 4.5
-------------------------------------------

**sorry about formatting :/

 

[Shnorkiller]

To add on to previous post:




**sorry about formatting :/

yeah i think this is what i read. But then again, my bottles keep champagne-ing when i open them.