The Home Brew Thread

I thought there was a beer thread on here, but I couldn't find it, so here is the homebrew thread. I thought there was a few brewers on here, so share recipes, set ups and epic failures.

I'll get the ball rolling with todays brew from The Dirty Grommet Brewery.

Out of Gas American Pale Ale
46 IBU
19.7 EBC
5.8% ABV

5kg Pale Malt (2 row)
0.5kg Wheat Malt
0.5kg Caramunich Malt (T1)
40g Cascade (7%) for 60mins
80g Cascade (7%) for 10mins
Whirlfloc
Wyeast 1450 Denny's Favorite 50 yeast

I'll post up in a few weeks when I know how it turns out.

looks like it would be delicious! can't go wrong with a recipe like that!

I made this american brown ale recently - was very happy with the results:

5kg pale
1kg munich I
1kg caramunich I
400g pale chocolate malt

mashed at 63 degC(ish).

45g magnum (13%) for 60 minutes
30g centennial and 30g cascade for 10 minutes
30g centennial and 30g cascade for 1 minutes
30g centennial and 30g cascade dry hop

OG : 1.064
FG: 1.013 (6.7% ish)
fermented at 19 degC with US05.

I might give that a go. I did a brown ale last brew and while its nice, its not what I was hoping for. Its missing something that I just can't quiet put my finger on. Not entirely convinced that the temps didn't go a bit high during fermentation.

if you give it a go let me know what you think!

if i had my time again i might just knock back the pale chocolate to 200g or so (to get the colour more to style - it's very dark). i'm pretty happy with the hop profile though.

Definitely going to give it a go. I love a good brown, but have never quiet got it right when I have brewed one. I'm thinking the current yeast re-pitched instead of the US05.

What volume are you making with 7.5kg of grain?

Sorry, that was for a 20 litre batch although i think this one turned out to be 21 or 22 L (which, along with my imprecise brewing techniques, probably accounts for the slightly low efficiency).

denny's favourite will be fine - brewed my finest imperial ipa with it! (i'm yet to be convinced that the different varieties of american ale yeasts are that different anyway!).

Thats why I usually go for the US05. Cheaper and same results. Not sure if its true, but I have read in a few places that US05 and 1056 are the same yeast strain.

yeah homebrew folklore seems to indicate that US05 = 1056. i normally just use US05 for pretty much anything these days (except belgians, lagers and wheat beers).

I'm a tin can guy, might give the mash a go one day. Wondering if anyone has tried the new Coopers fermenter. I bought one but don't like it, stuffed 2 brews up from yeast dying I think. Gonna get one with a gooseneck.

Haven't seen them but I have heard of people having trouble with yeast settling in the tap and also with there being too much of the beer left over in the bottom. I probably should look into a new fermentor though. Mines starting to get a bit old.

Yeast dying doesn't sound like a fermentor issue. Have you been checking the gravity? One of my two fermentors never bubbles through the airlock and you have to really monitor the gravity to know when its done, that said I don't use the bubbling as an indication of fermentation stopping. Yeast dying sounds more like a temperature issue.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sammydog

Yeast dying sounds more like a temperature issue.

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or just bad yeast. where are you getting your yeast from?

i had problems with some "aussie brand" yeast a few years ago which was supposedly re-packed fermentis stuff, but gave me the only two infections i've ever had. never used it since and never had an issue.

I've always used the bubble method Sammydog, first time I've used SG method and I couldn't get it the same reading for 2 days straight, so I kept leaving it, and I think the yeast died. No gas in bottles after 6 months.

Yeast dying sounds strange. I have left my beer in the fermentor for long periods after the bubble stopped, particularly when dry hopping. If it stays sealed you shouldn't get an infection due to the CO2 and alcohol, but you will get funny flavours from the beer sitting on the yeast cake.

I also bottle yeast from the yeast cake, refrigerate it and use it months later.

What are you using to prime the bottles? What temp are the bottles stored at?

The yeast that comes with the can is what I have been using but I'm going to try a specialty yeast next time. Usually prime with caster sugar or dextrose but the new fermenter came with drops so I used them

Bumping this thread back up. Anyone brewing at the moment?

Here is a shot from The Dirty Grommet Brewerys latest batch. Had a bit of an experiment making a Chocolate Porter. Turned out to be pretty good, not nearly as strong as I was expecting and very drinkable.

Threw in a few Vanilla Beans during the ferment as well.

http://www.newcastlefootball.net/for...5&d=1407288224

Did a Double IPA the day before, stuffed up my volumes, feared the worst but in the end I got a really nice IPA that I probably can't replicate because of all the stuff ups in the brewing process. Going to have another crack at it though.

Anyone have a Grainfather? Really keen on picking one up in the New Year. Have heard nothing but good things, but thought I'd canvass opinion on here

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WolfMan

Anyone have a Grainfather? Really keen on picking one up in the New Year. Have heard nothing but good things, but thought I'd canvass opinion on here

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Been wondering the same thing.

Well, brewed what will hopefully be my last kits and bits today before I move on to all grain and the Grainfather.

A Stella Artois clone, which I've timed to be ready for bottling when I return from Honeymoon mid February.

FWIW, I've been getting all my supplies from the Newcastle Brew Shop on Maitland Road, Islington.

Anyone else have a favourite store?

I order my grain from the guy that took over Marks Homebrew. Comes within 2 days in the mail and postage is cheap.

As a side note - for any all grain brewers; a Scottish craft brewery that started out of a shed has made available all their recipes (over 200 I think) for absolutely nought.

Link - https://www.brewdog.com/lowdown/blog/diy-dog-v20

Really looking forward to testing these out over the next year or so

Bit the bullet on the Grainfather. Picked it up with a Mangrove Jack's all grain kit for Helles Lager and the Sparge Water heater for $1,476 delivered