Newbie Help

Dec 21, 2005 3 Replies
H

Hi, I am very new at homebrewing, I just finished my first batch. I have a couple questions about this brew as well as my next planned brew.


  1. My last brew cam out with a bit of an odd taste. I used a considerable amount of bettering hops: 1 oz. Columbus hop pellets (for

5 gallons). How bitter should that be? What is that comparable to commercially? (I think it tastes a lot like Sam Adams Boston Lager) I am pretty sure I can pick out a little bit of astringency along with the bitterness. I used crushed specialty grains and didn't have a thermometer but I don't think I got it much above 160F. How likely is it that the astringent flavor is from the grains? I put the grains in a Muslin bag and tossed the bag after 10 min at 160F. I have read about rinsing grains at this point, is that something I should do? Should I use a Muslin bag or just heat/steep then strain?


  1. I plan on doing a stout, porter, or scotch ale for my next brew, in a couple weeks. Does anyone have any particularly good recipes (using extract)? A clone would be excellent, to be able to compare.

  2. I do not have a secondary fermentor, I know that a secondary fermentation is not necessary but would you recommend with these types of beers? Could I, instead of buying a carboy, use my "bottling" bucket for primary then use my "primary" for secondary (they are essentially the same buckets) leaving my bottling bucket free at the end of secondary to bottle? I know I risk oxidation, but I don't plan on leaving in for very long, 7-10 days.


  1. For the future...does anyone know of someone who has made an ale that is similar to a bock? Bocks are my buddies' and my favorite brew but living in an apartment in Louisiana does not make it easy to brew a lager. A bock recipe with a Steam Beer yeast?



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W

Odd tastes often come from problems with cleanliness of equipment. Everything from primary fermentors to bottles should be clean and sterilized with sodium metabisuphate obtainable at most homebrew suppliers. Don't use clorox, it may leave an aftertaste.

In brewing scrupulous cleanliness is a must. Don't forget to clean siphoning tubes and equipment, air locks and such secondary equipment. Before use, scrub everything very well with hot water and plenty of detergent. Rinse very well with good hot water, traces of detergent can destroy a batch of beer totally. Finish with a rinse of a Sodium M. solution.

Other odd flavors can come from using old hops, old yeast or from a contaminated yeast starter.

Most American beers are notorious for not using much hops. A little hops can go a long way and you can get far more bitterness than you are used to easily enough.

Be conservative with your hops and work your way up to desired bittering levels. Measure carefully and take notes!

Google for recipes. There are a million on line, bocks, double bocks, ales, clones, whatever you want.

For a secondary, I long used a 5 gallon glass jug I got from a homebrew shop with a good airlock. Smaller jugs fit in refrigerators easier. Get a good funnel while you are at if you elect to do so. I like glass because it will not retain odors and is easy to clean. Its also easier to see what is going on in a nice glass bottle. Overall, a small investment if you are going to brew. I recommend glass secondaries with a proper airlock. You are less likely to get contaminated or bad beer this way.

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S

Another good sanitizing alternative is idophor, which is an iodine derivative.

Scott Lothrop

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C

Sodium Metabisulfite is a cleanser, not a sterilizer. Use Iodophor (as a follow-up to SM) to sterilize . It's available at most homebrew shops and online.

Bleach is fine, as long as you rinse correctly. Watch out for chlorine in your municipal water supplies, too.

Head retention can be directly affected by the use of detergents. Suggestion : don't use detergents, and ESPECIALLY don't use detergents with any type of scent.

Iodophor should be your final rinse, maybe followed by clean cold water.

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