Homebrew thread

[Ferris]

In my experience it's also a lot like cooking because you omit a step or ingredient, realise it's too late to do anything about, continue anyway and then  not notice a difference and get away with it.

Also yes.

Also you still have to read recipes otherwise you rely on your usual crutches of fried jalapeños, onions and garlic with smoked paprika and ground fenugreek as the base for fucking everything.

(For brewing, substitute "Maris otter/chinook & simcoe hops/US-05" for those ingredients).

[Blue Jam]

Also you still have to read recipes otherwise you rely on your usual crutches of fried jalapeños, onions and garlic with smoked paprika and ground fenugreek as the base for fucking everything.

Fenugreek is fucking ace.

Trying a new recipe for "tandoori" chicken as I type- yogurt-based marinade, whack the oven up to get it nice and crispy in the absence of a fucking tandoor etc. Slightly concerned about the complete lack of fenugreek and the presence of cinnamon is making me nervous but you've got to try new things haven't you?

Thinking of getting a red ale kit to try next and adding maple syrup and some kind of almond flavouring. Got to be almond extract I reckon, almond butter is too oily and would inhibit fermentation. Might substitute the yeast with a low-attenuation strain and halve the amount of hop pellets.

Going to have to get a 5 gallon boiling pot when we eventually move to a bigger place. Starting to feel a bit constrained by the kits.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Amazed at the difference between ground fenugreek and leaves (kasoori methi).

[Ferris]

The amount of fucking effort it took me to restock my ground fenugreek here was ridiculous. I bought 1lb of it when I found it a local spice place so I never have to go months without it again. Invaluable for curries, and I put it in soups and chillies (fried with the onions and other base spices, I wasn't kidding about using it for everything).

Re: maple syrup red ale, sounds dead good (I think they'd go together really well) but have a google around using it. I seem to remember it ferments really clean unless you can get the lower grade stuff which is a bit of a pain here, and I'm surrounded by maple trees in syrup season - not sure how doable it would be in the UK? You can get an extract which would do the job though, and pour some of the regular syrup in so's you can say it's in there.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I was looking into artificial sweeteners that yeast won't touch when I was looking into some of the ginger ale stuff. Apparently xylitol is quite common but if you put too much in you'll spend the next day sat on the throne apparently.

I also saw some people 'back sweeten' by chucking sugar in and killing the yeast or stopping it working by shoving it in the fridge early. Seems a bit of a faff.

[Blue Jam]

Amazed at the difference between ground fenugreek and leaves (kasoori methi).

I have seen a lot of recipes that call for fresh methi leaves but I have also never seen them on sale anywhere. The only way I have ever obtained them was to grow them myself. Buy some fenugreek seeds from the spice section of your local supermarket, chuck 'em in a pot and they'll grown like bastards, job's a good' un. Then roughly chop the leaves and mix them with butter then shove all that under the skin of a chicken's breasticles before you roast it- winner winner methi chicken dinner.

Re: maple syrup red ale, sounds dead good (I think they'd go together really well) but have a google around using it. I seem to remember it ferments really clean unless you can get the lower grade stuff which is a bit of a pain here, and I'm surrounded by maple trees in syrup season - not sure how doable it would be in the UK? You can get an extract which would do the job though, and pour some of the regular syrup in so's you can say it's in there.

Got some Sainsbury's maple syrup in the fridge right now- "No. 1 medium grade" whatever that means. I had never considered maple extract before, and given how expensive maple syrup is that sounds like a good idea, cheers.

I remember you made a maple syrup ale that your fragile hydrometer decided to ruin, did you use maple extract for that?

After my attempt at a tonka bean/chocolate ale I'm not worried about authenticity. I used high grade organic roasted cocoa nibs for that one and while the chocolate flavour was strong at first it has since faded even more than the hop bitterness. I still have a very nice chocolate tonka bean milk stout here but I really could have done with MOAR CHOCOLATE and may just go for the extract like the pros do next time.

[Ferris]

The fucker with back sweetening is if you don't quite do it enough and leave some active yeast in there then your bottles explode (or that's my fear anhway).

I've used xylitol in the past (it was fine? Don't even remember it tbh) but yeah it can be a laxative I think, ended up chucking it in the bin when I left Toronto so probably some raccoons had an interesting few days shitting that out their system. I've added lactose and treacle in the past and all, with mixed results.

These days, I just don't bother. It's not alcopops, no sweetener for you.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I have seen a lot of recipes that call for fresh methi leaves but I have also never seen them on sale anywhere. The only way I have ever obtained them was to grow them myself.

The recipes I do usually call for dried. Which you can find in some South-Asian grocers. I know some places that sell it near me but I couldn't be arsed cycling for half an hour so paid twice the price to have it posted to me from ebay last time I ran out.

[Sebastian Cobb]

The fucker with back sweetening is if you don't quite do it enough and leave some active yeast in there then your bottles explode (or that's my fear anhway).

I've used xylitol in the past (it was fine? Don't even remember it tbh) but yeah it can be a laxative I think, ended up chucking it in the bin when I left Toronto so probably some raccoons had an interesting few days shitting that out their system. I've added lactose and treacle in the past and all, with mixed results.

These days, I just don't bother. It's not alcopops, no sweetener for you.

Yeah, what happened was I was a twat and forgot to peel the sachet of combined yeast and sweetner off the bottom of the pouch (rather than tin) kit I was using and was uncertain whether I'd killed the yeast* so replaced with plain unsweetened yeast off of eBay, I shoved in some extra ginger, cayenne and chilli leaves and it came out quite dry and fiery which is what I wanted so the sweetening stuff was moot in the end really.

* I still don't know if this would've harmed dried yeast... everything on the web talks about yeast dying when it comes into contact with hot water. But I figured it wasn't worth bothering with, you'd need a couple of days to see if it kicked off and if it didn't get going then that's two days for other stuff to start growing in the brew so not really worth the bother for the sake of a £2 kit.

[Ferris]

Buy some fenugreek seeds from the spice section of your local supermarket, chuck 'em in a pot and they'll grown like bastards, job's a good' un.

Has no idea this was viable, will be one for my spring/summer gardening adventure.

Got some Sainsbury's maple syrup in the fridge right now- "No. 1 medium grade" whatever that means. I had never considered maple extract before, and given how expensive maple syrup is that sounds like a good idea, cheers.

I remember you made a maple syrup ale that your fragile hydrometer decided to ruin, did you use maple extract for that?

I think the syrup grades go down in letters here (with like... C being the "coarsest"?), but we've reached the end of what I know about it.

I am still gutted about my lovely maple stout that went kaput - that one had regular syrup in it (had no idea what I was doing back then so wasn't thinking about what would ferment clean or whatever). If I was going to do it again, I'd use extract but also not too much so it isn't overpowering (because I'd tell myself it tasted synthetic even if that was total bullshit) and I'd add a few 100 ml of syrup in there so I can say it's a syrup ale without adding the "...^{though it's actually not really syrup...}..." caveat in there.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Hold up are you supposed to refrigerate syrup? It's in me cupboard next to the honey.

[Ferris]

Yeah, what happened was I was a twat and forgot to peel the sachet of combined yeast and sweetner off the bottom of the pouch (rather than tin) kit I was using and was uncertain whether I'd killed the yeast so replaced with plain unsweetened yeast off of eBay, I shoved in some extra ginger, cayenne and chilli leaves and it came out quite dry and fiery which is what I wanted so the sweetening stuff was moot in the end really.

Oh yeah I remember you saying.

Glad it came good - if that was me I'd claim the dryness from the cleaner fermentables was entirely by design to anyone who'd listen.[nb]"quite dry isn't it? Works though, for the style I mean? Yes glad you noticed, you see - I knew a higher OG wort would work well with these adjuncts so I........." until everyone falls asleep or politely pretends they have to check if the oven's on or whatever[/nb]

[Ferris]

Hold up are you supposed to refrigerate syrup? It's in me cupboard next to the honey.

Yeah when it's open I think? We keep it in the fridge.

Fake edit: yeah it's in the fridge, but the honey is in the cupboard next to the cooking oil. No consistency. Ridiculous.

[Blue Jam]

Hold up are you supposed to refrigerate syrup? It's in me cupboard next to the honey.

Apparently, but it's just sugar innit? Not likely to go mouldy. I have wondered if I should just shove it in the cupboard next to the honey.

[Ferris]

Entirely unrelated, but the default bottle shape for honey in Canada and the US is a little bear.

Different brands have different bears, the cheap stuff has a bear but minimal detail on its little face/ears, and they all have different hats/lids. Jars are for twats.

[Sebastian Cobb]

As you both say it's just sugar. We don't refrigerate treacle (it took me years to realise that this was more-or-less what we call MOLASSES) or golden syrup, I'd worry it'd set but it is runnier to begin with.

I've just got Clarks stuff which is probably an insult to Canada but works adequately in hot buttered rum at christmas.

[Calistan]

Bit of a disastrous morning starting my Coopers Irish stout kit. It was all going hunky dory (I even sorted out the clumpy spraymalt problem I had making the same kit back in October - adding it in tiny increments before the malt extract) until at the very end after adding the yeast and sealing the lid shut I noticed a tiny leak coming from behind the tap. It's a relatively new bucket from Get Er Brewed so fairly annoying it's only lasted two brews. Anyway the leak was small but alarming. Cue a mad dash to locate, clean and sterilise my other fermenting bucket. By the time I had all that sorted and transferred over I'd lost roughly two litres and figured it was all a lost cause anyway since the cleaning process was so rushed I was bound to have contaminated it along the way. However, it's now 9pm and the airlock is starting to gently bubble - maybe it's alright after all?!

[Ferris]

Bit of a disastrous morning starting my Coopers Irish stout kit. It was all going hunky dory (I even sorted out the clumpy spraymalt problem I had making the same kit back in October - adding it in tiny increments before the malt extract) until at the very end after adding the yeast and sealing the lid shut I noticed a tiny leak coming from behind the tap. It's a relatively new bucket from Get Er Brewed so fairly annoying it's only lasted two brews. Anyway the leak was small but alarming. Cue a mad dash to locate, clean and sterilise my other fermenting bucket. By the time I had all that sorted and transferred over I'd lost roughly two litres and figured it was all a lost cause anyway since the cleaning process was so rushed I was bound to have contaminated it along the way. However, it's now 9pm and the airlock is starting to gently bubble - maybe it's alright after all?!

Definitely leave it and see - nothing that grows in beer can really be dangerous and once the alcohol is over a percent or two (24hrs?) it's basically sterile as far as microbes are concerned.

Interesting you brew in a bucket with a tap, I usually do a non tap for primary then transfer to tap bucket for priming and bottling. Bit of a pain but avoids the leaks with the tap!

[ASFTSN]

Think I might give this a go for the first time soon...I have AN QUESTION(s) that probably relates to me already fucking it up before I started.

My brother gave me some of his used bits of kit about 2 years ago (bucket, long stirring thing, airlock, hydrometer, pressure barrel) and a brewing kit. I've realised that I've had all this stored next to a radiator in the hall with a brew kit inside the bucket for all that time. The brew kit still says it's best before October 2021, but will having stored next to a radiator have fucked up the contents of the kit? (it's an otherwise completely freezing flat that gets about two hours in the sun a day I hasten to add, to the point I'm a bit worried I might have to get an immersion heater if I do this).

Also - since I have the pressure barrel, should I just use that for my first batch rather than trying to fuck around with bottling? I'd be making a ruby ale.

Finally - I live in London where the tap water is as hard as nails. Presumably worrying about that sort of thing is something I should avoid for my first try?

[Sebastian Cobb]

The only thing I'd consider replacing is the yeast if you've had it a while. It's only a couple of quid on ebay for some sachets so worth it to avoid disappointment imo.

[Blue Jam]

London tap water is disgusting so I'd consider getting a water filter or just buying some 5l bottles of water. The hardness shouldn't affect the brewing process but all the nasties might affect the taste.

As a resident of Scotland I am a bit spoiled when it comes to tap water, mind.

[ASFTSN]

Cheers both....I've never really got the whole "London water tastes rank" thing but I've probably just lived here too long - more importantly I might actually notice it when it comes to beer...

[Ferris]

Yeah what they said. Only thing to add - if you're worried about your place being too cold then a cheap stick on thermometer thing is like 2 quid online. If it's really cold, you can get a heater strip thing to go around your brew bucket which is very effective. Unlikely to be necessary though.

[ASFTSN]

Thanks Ferris, ordered a few other bits and got a stick on thermometer thing as you advised...hopefully won't be necessary to do anything else as the weather starts to get a bit warmer.

[Sebastian Cobb]

The DIY ginger brew I listed is taking a very long time to brew. I pitched it with a refractometer reading of 1.044 on the 29th march. I've been checking it weekly over the past few weeks and it's gone to 1.024, 1.019 and 1.016.

I thought it may have gotten cold during a cold snap and stuck so I shoved a immersion heater in to keep it at 22c. The yeast I used was two sachets meant for 10 litres each, I was brewing 24 litres but I've used the same packets on 23L brews in the past with no issue, so I don't think it's that. I did wonder since there's no grain or malt involved the yeast might not be getting enough nutrients but the yeast sachets claimed they included that.

It tastes nice and is slowly going in the right direction, but any pointers on how to prevent this in the future would be helpful!

Is it possible the yeast has 'dropped out'? I clinked the bottom of my trial jar off the bottom of my bucket and there was a cloud of sludge so it is doing normal brew stuff.

[Ferris]

I know higher alcohol stuff takes longer because the increased abv in the wort can slow the yeast down, but beyond that I don't really know.

If I had to guess, I'd say the larger particles in the wort from all the adjuncts meant it filtered the yeast out (it's something to do with particles attracting due to static electric or something? And stuff clumps together and gets heavy and drops out?) but I'm grasping at straws a bit there. Stir it round after a week or two if you notice it slow down and that should get it going again.

[Sebastian Cobb]

That's the thing, there's not really a "wort" as such (compared to a tin full of treakcle-like stuff). It's pretty much a mixture of lemon juice, honey ginger, chilli flakes then a load of dextrose. That's why I was wondering if adding a bit of nutrient might help.

I doubt it's ABV since it's about 3% by my reckoning at the moment. I'll try giving it a stir though and see if that helps. I gave it a quick shake when I put the immersion in and I think that might've helped more than the heater - the brew only got to ~16c so not REALLY cold and the one next to it continued without help.

[MojoJojo]

Honey ferments slowly, it's full of natural antibiotics apparently, but I'm not sure if that recipe has enough in it to explain a slow ferment. The other issue with honey is that it varies a lot, and one size fits all recipes can struggle a bit because of that.

RE: Maple syrup. It has a lot of water in it compared to treacle or golden syrup, and I have had it go mouldy in the cupboard. In the UK, bottles labelled maple syrup are mostly Carob Fruit Syrup with a small amount of maple syrup mixed in.

[edit] actually looked a bit, and you can get proper maple syrup, but there are bottles labelled maple syrup which are mainly carob fruit syrup. If it doesn't have an ingredients listing you're probably best off assuming it's got at least some fruit syrup[/edit]

[Sebastian Cobb]

It'll have been ~180ml of cheap asda honey. But it will have had a few kilos of dextrose to get through; I can't remember how many I chucked in, but it was a few, presumably because the cans have a lot of sugar in them already.

[Ferris]

Yeah I doubt it's the lack of sugary stuff that's slowing it down. Might be temperature, 16c is a bit too cold really. Won't kill the yeast or anything, but will deffo slow it down.

Stir it up, leave it somewhere warm and you're laughing.