Irish Ale

Brewing processes and methods. How to brew using extract, partial or all-grain. Tips and tricks.

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Liquid Blur
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Irish Ale

Post by Liquid Blur »

Hi Everyone,
Just an update on my First Batch. ABV is 4.3% Following Brewer2001's advice it was in the fridge for a while. I moved it out from the fridge the today. On Friday I'll be bottling. I got to go to The Brew Hut in Aurora, CO and get a bottling bucket. The kit I used contained 3/4 cup of Corn Sugar. Just a question, do you guys think I should buy some DME instead of using the corn sugar? You guys have any instructions on how to use DME for carbination? Is it like you would with corn sugar? Thanks for the info. Blur
jayhawk
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Priming

Post by jayhawk »

I mainly use corn sugar (dextrose) for priming (carbonation). I have used DME as well, but only for special beers. I find DME to be very expensive, so I stick with dextrose that I can buy bulk at the grocery store. DME does produce a slightly finer, less fizzy carbonation with smaller bubbles. DME is kind of nice too because your beer will contain all malt, no adjuncts. DME does take a while longer for the yeast to convert, so you will have to leave the bottles an extra week or two before opening. With dextrose, my beer is usually carbonated after 5-7 days. The advantage with DME is that it prevents premature sampling and depletion of the batch. It is worth it if you can hold off and let the bottles sit for a few weeks as the beer will really come around during bottle conditioning. I am impatient, so the batch is usually half gone before it reaches its peak.

If you use DME boil it for 10 mins. I think this is to permit a hot break of the proteins found in the malt. You will want to use 1.25 cups per 19L (5 us gal) according to the Home Brewer's Companion by Papazian.
Chris
stumpwater
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malty malty malty

Post by stumpwater »

Grats on getting going Blur! I hope you keep up with this rewarding (hic) hobby.
In my extract brewing, I really liked using all malt in the beers because I prefer malty ale. It made the beer a little more expensive, but it made the results more to my liking. I would use two cans of liquid extract in my 5 gallon batches. Once, I switched to one can liquid, one kilogram of DME with very similar results. Some of my pals made similar beers but with corn sugar. They saved money and made fine beer, but the beers were more to what comes out of main stream commmercial breweries. ( thinner for sure, but not bad)
Somewhere in the archives of this forum is info on canning extract made with DME. The idea is to brew a volume of it, sterilize it and jar it. (similar idea to canning jam) I don't remember the specific quantities to use but I made a dozen pint sized jars up this way and used that for priming. It is always readily available and easy to use. I suppose you could do a dextrose and water solution up this way as well. Makes priming on bottling day much simpler as you don't have to get the priming solution ready.

Stefan
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Geriatric crew watching U

Post by Freon12 »

I am proud that the young Jedi has come this far.

I also must agree with Jay and Stumpy on this, but as soon as humanly possible, go to a partial mash and corni kegs.
This will allow force carbonation and no more bottles, bottle washing, bottle capping, bottle bucket, air intrenchion, buying caps, cleaning shipon hoses, waiting two more weeks, clearing faster, sanitary concerns, pesky freinds that don't return bottles, less room for beer making, and a hop storage place.


Steve
jayhawk
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Making the case

Post by jayhawk »

You make kegging sound so inviting. What about CO2 bottles, regulators, expensive kegs. Somehow I can't see going over to my buddies place for a few with all that gear in tow.
Liquid Blur
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Kegging

Post by Liquid Blur »

Of course you could always bottle a few for such a special occasion.
Liquid Blur
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And all this at 20

Post by Liquid Blur »

Uhhh...I mean 21. Probally the youngest on the foroum. Ok so I wanted to get a head start on homebrewing. This is such a fun and although I haven't been able to enjoy a finished product, rewarding hobby. Again, thankyou for all of you great info. I've seriously been contemplating kegging. Really what I wanted to do was go straight to all-grain and kegging but I figured that I probally should have a perfect understanding of the basics before I jump into anything a little more advanced. Take it easy guys. Blur
HardcoreLegend
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Bottle cleaning

Post by HardcoreLegend »

I know you will all think I am crazy for saying this. I enjoy cleaning bottles. I find it to be very relaxing. And because I only brew about once a month or so, bottling and cleaning isn't such a big chore really. I have nearly three cases of bottles that still need to have labels removed and cleaned. And I have a bunch of bombers I need to clean too. I think its kind of like a mechanic putzing around in the garage with his muscle car. It's time just for me. I don't answer the phone or anything, just clean those bottles til they are nice and shiny. Weird huh?
jayhawk
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You Freak!

Post by jayhawk »

You are crazy :)
jayhawk
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Don't wait too long

Post by jayhawk »

I started @21 too, and a year later I am an all grainer. I have no regrets, I brew !@#$ good beer, life is good. Just charge right in and keep trying to get better. Good to see I am not the only young guy who likes to brew.
Chris
Brewer2001
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I think you could....

Post by Brewer2001 »

Hardcore,

I understand. I think you could become a craft brewer. Some of the oldest breweries still bottle condition their ales. Some of the guys in my class were trying to work up a business plan to make Belgian Abby ales and make money doing it (monks work cheep and have low overhead). I want to brew 'real' English cask conditioned ales. People always scoff at that idea.

I found an ad on the job board for a brewer on the island of Palau, Micronesia (north of Guam). They stated that the brewpub was associated with the local hotel and supplied beer for the patrons and planned on some outside distribution. Ok, here is the rub. "We currently hand bottle our entire production and expect to purchase a bottling machine soon (some day). I grew up on Guam. Given their ideas on life the bottler may arrive by 2086.

Steady on,

Tom
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cask conditioned

Post by stumpwater »

Hardcore, you are a freak :)
Jayhawk, the keg in the back seat of the car rolling to yer buds house is a really good natural high. (and not too bad as far as work load goes ;)
Tom, thanks for the link to the malt page. I will check it out soon.
By the way, Freon is absolutely correct about kegging. My brewing went to new heights I could not have imagined when I got my first keg. A restaurant cleaned out 6 corni kegs to me for 15 bucks each. The CO2 system was only $200 more. Merry Christmas I say!
Wellington County, a brewery close to where I live makes true cask conditioned ale. They market it to pubs that are willing to set up a beer engine. Great beer! I love their imperial stout and for that matter, all their beers. www.wellingtonbrewery.ca

Stefan
IrishRed
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Cask, Bottle, and Keg....either way it will be consumed

Post by IrishRed »

Cask conditioning...I have thought about doing that at home. Man I would love to do that. I had some Mead from my father-in-law (the only good thing about the guy, but man is it good), that was cask conditioned. IT ROCKED!! I would love to throw my beer in there. But I don't know if I could wait long enough for it to do it's magic!!

Hardcore...I think there is still help for you. I understand time to yourself but really there has got to be something better.

Jayhawk all I can say is jockey box!

On the note of kegging: I am with Freon and Stumpwater I don't know how to drink a porter or stout without Nitrogen ( a fab~boo present for my birthday from the better half). Now that you can't do with a bottle!! And if cleaning is what does it for you Hardcore, buy used kegs and clean them...it will take a while.

Happy Brewing and Cheers,
HardcoreLegend
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I know, I know!

Post by HardcoreLegend »

I know man! It's just weird. My wife was teaching college tonight, so I cleaned some bottles to have ready for my mild brown ale on Saturday. I took special care of an old flip top wine bottle that I got out of an estate sale. It looks like a huge grolsch bottle without all the embossing. It is probably about a half gallon in size. I am also going to use a unique bottle from St. Peters brewery. It is shaped like a flask, but is bottlecapped. I'm afraid there is no hope for me.
jayhawk
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Only know about lacrosse boxes

Post by jayhawk »

Jockey box? Is that the same as a party pig?
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