Welcome New Members

[mashani]

2 weeks in the bottle warm gives it time to fully carb and then also clean up the little bit of acetaldehyde that is produced by the sugar being eaten by the yeast in the bottle. Toss it in the fridge before that's gone and you will get a cidery/green apple tasting beer and that flavor will never go away unless you warm it back up and get the yeast woken up again (they "eat" it as pre-hibernation fuel). YMMV depending on your taste perception, but I certainly would taste it.

Different kinds of sugar can affect flavor but not so much in the bottle priming amounts. You would have to use at least 1/2# if not 1# or more (some Belgian beers it would be as much as 2#) depending on the type in a 5 gallon batch to really notice it. Also the darker and more flavorful (like actual dark colored sugar syrups) the more so. Belgian and old school British beers use dark inverted sugar syrups for these reasons, but they use them in larger amounts like I am describing, not the little bit for bottle priming. That said, if you want to avoid the 2 weeks above due to acetaldehyde, then corn sugar (dextrose) will reduce the amount of work the yeast have to do to ferment it and create less acetaldehyde, so it could carb a bit quicker, get the carb dissolved in solution sooner, and effect flavor and/or the perception of "finer bubbles" for those who are impatient. But if patient it will make no difference. Corn sugar/dextrose is basically the same as invert sugar as far as the yeast is concerned, they can just eat it directly. Yeast actually produce an enzyme called "invertase" to well... invert... other types of sugar like cane sugar. Yeast is good at doing so, but it is more work, and the less work they have to do the more time they can spend fermenting and less stuff like acetaldehyde gets produced and needs to have more time spent cleaning it up.

Lots of people use star-san for sanitation, personally it trashes my skin so I just stick with one-step (same powder stuff that came with your kits) or "Easy Clean" (same thing but half the price). There are lots of other options as well.

[TwoBy]

Wow! Thank you. I have a lot to learn and am looking forward to the journey... and the beer!

[John Sand]

Welcome aboard!

[Disasterdave]

Hey guys! I’m am newbie here. Not really a pandemic brewer but maybe since I am getting started into this realm during the pandemic.

My girlfriend bought this kit for me for Father’s Day and just now slowing down enough to give it a shot. Never realized what a huge amount of things actually went into the beer we drink. Not only the time it takes to make beer but the craftsmanship of it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. My ultimate goal is a nice peanut buttery stout. But I know I need to figure out a lot of other things first. So links, tips, general knowledge will always be appreciated!

Welcome, New guy here too (third kit bottled and fourth in fermenter. Read all the instructions of your kit, lay everything out and just go for it. Spend alot of time on sterilization, then make the beer and wait (hardest part

Have fun

[HerbMeowing]

Spend alot of time on sterilization, then make the beer and wait (hardest part

Just a brief point of clarification about cleaning ... sanitation ... and sterilization.

Sterilization is not necessary but equipment and utensils coming on contact with wort or beer must be clean of debris and sanitized properly; otherwise ... you risk contaminating - all too often referred incorrectly to as 'infection' - your beer.

I clean using an unscented ... clear dish detergent and sanitize with no-rinse Star San. Some sanitize with One-Step ... some use Iodophor ... and still others use bleach. Each works as well as the others but each has their own method. Whatever you do ... don't use bleach on stainless steel!

[TwoBy]

Yes waiting is hard! I am ready to be tasting!

So on my dishwasher I have a setting that says Sterilize... would that be good enough? Or should I use one of the above named cleaning / sterilization substances?

Also your thoughts are important... should I stick to the kits for a bit or should I try some of the different recipes found here and other places? Or what would all y’all recommend?

[HerbMeowing]

So on my dishwasher I have a setting that says Sterilize... would that be good enough? Or should I use one of the above named cleaning / sterilization substances?

What piece of equipment would be run through the dishwasher? Glass bottles? Certainly not the BD fermentor. Non-plastic utensils; yes ... but I'd still give them a a sanitizer dip before letting them come in contact with the wort.

Also note when you make a batch of Star San sanitizer (1.25 teaspoon mixed with a gallon of water) it's good for multiple brew and bottling sessions. In other words ... it's not 'use once and throw away.' I brew every other week .. bottle on the off-week and re-use the sanitizer solution for two months.

Also your thoughts are important... should I stick to the kits for a bit or should I try some of the different recipes found here and other places? Or what would all y’all recommend?

Not sure how many batches you're done to date. Maybe you're ready to move a rung up the ladder. IMO ... stick with kits for now until you get your routine down ... then move to the next step up the ladder whether it's steeping 'crystal / caramel' grains for a kit or brewing other extract recipes or running a partial / mini-mash or so-called 'all grain' by brew-in-a-bag (BIAB) or a mash lauter tun (MLT).

[bpgreen]

Yes waiting is hard! I am ready to be tasting!

So on my dishwasher I have a setting that says Sterilize... would that be good enough? Or should I use one of the above named cleaning / sterilization substances?

Also your thoughts are important... should I stick to the kits for a bit or should I try some of the different recipes found here and other places? Or what would all y’all recommend?

Different people take different approaches to brewing. One of my brothers started brewing in the 80s. I don't think prehopped extracts were a thing back then, but I'm pretty sure he used extracts. I think he's still using extracts, but doing partial mashes.

His son started brewing all grain right of the bat.

I started with prehopped kits, started adding partial mash to them, then started creating my own recipes using lme, grains and hops. I'm now doing all grain, but it took me a decade to get here.

Some people add steeping grains to hopped extract kits.

Some people brew with the prehopped kits and are happy.


Three are no rules about what you should do. Don't pay attention to people who say you're not really brewing if you don't do x,y, or z.

Brew the way that makes you happy.

[TwoBy]

Hahaha drinking beer makes me happy and I am going to enjoy experimenting with my own brews. Like I said my ultimate goal is to make a rest peanut butter stout.

A brewery that is in my home town makes an amazing one but I have yet to find one in my current location.

Until that point I will experiment, and get better. First batch of beer is underway for me so I know I have a long way to go an a lot to learn.

Thinking of a cider kit for my next run. Saw a few good kits on Brew Demon I want to try.

[berryman]

Wow a lot of new members lately and that is good. Sorry I haven't welcomed you all personally but don't have much time to come here much in the summer. DPalmer004, that is my name also well atleast not the 004. where you from?

[hopstring]

Just wanted to say that I'm very happy to be aboard. Been drinking beer for 40 years(don't tell Dad) and I thought its time I learned how to do it. Wanted first to say thank you to all of the men and women who post to this forum because without your vast experience I might have not succeeded with my first batch. I did spend quite a bit of time researching the many years of wonderful information that is available and can proudly say(with your help) that my first batch of One Evil Pilsner is fermented, bottled, having its quiet time in the basement, and is continuing to age. Followed the 3 week fermenter, 3 weeks bottles, 1 week in fridge and it came out clear, carbonated and tasted oh so good in last night 1st sample. 2nd batch Dante Delight Weizenbier in my BD fermenter with one week to go. Plan to follow that up with the Vienna Lager. I'd like to experiment in the future with adding additional hops as I started perhaps backwards by growing several varieties hops to see what would grow in my neck of the woods. Having moderate success with growing the hop rhizomes but its my first year so time will tell. Look forward to bending your collective ears in the future as I branch out and try new recipes, equipment and techniques. All the best - cheers!

[brap]

Hello all. New guy here. Just making introductions. I've taken up home brewing to help keep my mind, belly and tastebuds occupied during this COVID work at home.

I have had 2.5-gallon batches of something brewing non-stop since I received my Brew Demon fermenter in April of 2020. I've made Pilsner, multiple batches of hard cider, multiple batches of Irish Stout, a Belgian Tripel, an IPA, and an American Ale. So far they have all turned out to be good to exceptional. Having a lot of fun with it. Currently getting ready to bottle an apple cider with blended strawberry.

Eager to learn more about brewing tips. Also am a big fan of keeping it simple too. One thing I have learned is patience pays off in bottle conditioning. It always tastes better after at least a few weeks. The problem is having the patience to wait to crack one open! I am circumventing this by just getting more bottles and keeping more in the conditioning phase so I never feel rushed.

Much love,

brap from the Bronx.

[Beer-lord]

Welcome to the Borg brap! Looks like you're off to a great start too.

[John Sand]

Welcome aboard Hopstring and Brap! Nice to meet you, glad to hear your brewing is going well.

[Beer-lord]

Welcome to the Borg Hopstring. Sorry I missed your post yesterday.
As a hop nerd/sicko/hoarder, I like your logo and am envious of your hop growing. Just can't grow them where I live. So I just buy em. Lots and lots of em!