Homebrew Underground

The Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams Beer) is sponsoring the 2008 LongShot American Homebrew Contest. Entries are due between April 15, 2008 and May 1, 2008. Visit this url for rules, instructional videos, ordering supplies and details: http://www.samueladams.com/promotions/LongShot/

Recently, I tried to find American Cascade hops from my local homebrew supply store and I couldn’t find any. I was lucky to get Cascade hops from Argentina. The last time I was able to get good domestic Cascade hops, they had an Alpha (bitterness) value of 6.9. The Cascade hops from Argentina that I was able to buy recently only had an Alpha units value of 3.2. I asked the store owner about it and he said there was a worldwide shortage of hops and I wouldn’t be able to get any domestic Cascade hops for another 2 years.

I checked into this and found out that there is a shortage of not only hops but also malted barley. That explained the rise in price I had to pay for bulk malt extract. You can read more on this story at the OregonLive.com blog: Hops, Barley supply tightens and your pint will get pricier

Many people have asked in some of the homebrew forums how to remove labels from beer bottles. I have read the messages from users who recommend soaking the bottles in PBW™ solution and others using WD-40 to dissolve the glue, but I found a really easy way. The labels will soften up and come off by filling up a large basin (about 7 to 9 gallons) of hot water with about 2/3rds to 3/4ths of a cup of Tide laundry detergent (or other brand of strong powdered laundry detergent). Let the bottles soak for at least an hour, then use a single sided razor blade or utility knife blade and scrape off the labels, then place the bottles back into the detergent solution for a few more minutes to soften up the remaining glue, then wipe off the remaining residue with a dry towel.

After you do this step, the bottles must be cleaned as usual with PBW and a bottle brush to remove any trace of the laundry detergent solution.

In an earler post I wrote about keeping the fermenter cool during fermentation. In that example the fermenter was wrapped with a couple of wet towels. I also mentioned you could use a T-shirt instead of towels. Below is a shot of the fermenter in a tray of water using a T-shirt:

Using a T-shirt is a little more convenient because you can just slip the T-shirt over the fermenter (slipping the open end of the T-shirt from the bottom of the fermeneter). It will stay in place by itself. When using towels, I found I had to pin them together with safety pins to keep them from falling off the fermenter.

The T-shirt may be able to cool the fermenter more efficiently because it should be a tighter fit than the towels and the wet fabric will be in better contact with the fermenter. In theory, when water evaporates from the T-shirt, there should be better heat exchange with the fermenter. I haven’t been able to confirm this, though.

Don’t forget to fill the tray with ice. It will keep the fermenter cooler than when using only plain water. As the ice melts, the fabric will wick up the water.

By the way … that last batch of beer that was kept cool with the towels came out pretty good. I noticed one more benefit, too. When I transferred the beer from the fermenter to the carboy it was almost fully clarified. I think that was due to the fact that the beer took 7 days to ferment. In earlier batches when I didn’t keep the fermenter cool, the beer only took 4-5 days on average to ferment.

You may find when transferring beer from the fermenter to the carboy that you have more beer than will fit into the carboy. Like many homebrewers, I have a 5 gallon carboy and my fermenter holds slightly more than 5 gallons. Recently, when making a batch of beer, the recipe called for just over 5 gallons. When I transferred the beer from the fermenter to the carboy, I needed somewhere to put that extra beer. No way was I going to throw it away!

I also make home made liqueurs and I will often use a 2 quart Mason Jar. I got the idea that just maybe I might be able to convert one of my Mason Jars into a carboy. All I needed was a hole in the metal lid just big enough for an air lock. I punched a hole in the lid and inserted the body of a plastic air lock, then I used clear silicone rubber sealant to seal the gaps on the outside between the metal lid and the stem of the plastic air lock. Shown below is a photo:

Silicone rubber sealant comes in a tube and is available at most hardware stores. Allow the sealant to dry overnight. Use common sense and be careful not to allow any silicone to come into contact with the inside of the carboy where it can come into contact with the beer. You can sanitize the lid and glass Mason Jar before using it in a batch of brew.

The “mini-carboy” works like a charm.

When making ale, it is a good idea to wrap the fermenter with some wet towels (or a T-shirt) to keep it cool during fermentation. Fermentation tends to raise the temperature because heat is generated by the fermenting yeast. The principle of using wet towels or a T-shirt is like an evaporative cooler. When the water in the towels evaporates, it cools the towels, and the heat is transferred from the fermenter into the air via the wet towels. This can lower the temperature as much as 10 degrees below room temperature. The effect can be enhanced by blowing an electric fan on the fermenter.

Fermenting at too high a temperature will cause noticable off-flavors in the beer. It is most critical to establish a cool temperature within the first 8 hours to set a slow, even pace of fermentation. Off-flavors can occur at this time if the fermentation is too hot and too fast. You don’t want to slow down the start of fermentation, either, so it is best to wait about 5 to 6 hours after pitching the yeast to allow a quick start of the fermentation, then slow it down by cooling the fermenter. Keep it cool for the duration of the fermentation (about 4 to 8 days).

Ideally, you want the temperature of the wort to be 70° Farenheit when pitching the yeast. Also, if you are rehydrating dried yeast, it is a good idea to prime the yeast at the same temperature as the wort. The yeast will experience little or no shock this way and will stand the best chance of a rapid start of fermentation. When you pitch the yeast into the wort, aerate it thoroughly with a stainless steel whisk to bring oxygen into the wort. Yeast needs oxygen to get fermentation started.

It is best to keep the fermenter in a cool place during primary fermentation. Although the recommended fermentation temperature can vary depending on the brand of yeast, generally, the ideal fermentation temperature will be 60° F. During fermentation, the beer heats up, so even though you may have a room temperature at a chilly 70 degrees, the fermenting beer will tend to be hotter than the surrounding air.

Below is a shot of the fermenter with wet towels wrapped around it. The fermenter is placed in a tray filled with water and the towels are allowed to soak up the water. Wicking action causes the water will rise to the top of the towels and keep them wet. You can also cause the water to be cooler by placing ice in the tray. The melting ice will make cooler water. See the equipment page for a photo of the tray. The one I bought is called a "terra tray" or "Planterra Tray". It can be purchased from a local nursery supply or Home Depot.

It ain’t pretty … but it does the job!

Drinking Your Homebrew!

After bottling, waiting 3 to 4 weeks before sampling your homebrew will seem like the longest wait, ever. Chill ‘em in the refrigerator and when the time is right, pop open a bottle and pour it in a glass. It should have a nice head on it and it should taste goood!

This batch is mellow amber ale … not too light and not too dark … just right!

Sweet!

Next, we want to siphon the beer from the carboy into the fermenter. Because we cleaned and sanitized the fermenter and Auto-Siphon in the previous step, we are all set and ready to go. But before siphoning the beer into the fermenter, you will need to prepare the priming sugar.

Add The Priming Sugar

As stated in a previous post, the purpose of the priming sugar is to carbonate the beer in the bottles. There is still some life in the yeast and the sugar will provide enough "food" for the yeast to produce the necessary gasses while under pressure inside the bottles. Here is a shot of the priming sugar that came with the brewing kit:

Follow the instructions exactly, here. In this case the recipe calls for 3/4ths cup of priming sugar per 5 gallons of beer. In my case, I have 4 1/2 gallons of beer in the fermenter. It’s time to do a little math. You have to calculate the exact proportion of priming sugar you need to add. Too much sugar and the bottles can explode … too little and the beer will be flat (not enough carbonation). Here is the equation I used:

3/4ths cup = .75 cup

      .75 cups / 5 gallons = x cups / 4.5 gallons

Cross – multiply the equation:

      5 times x = (.75 times 4.5)

      5 times x = 3.375

Now divide both sides of the equation by 5:

      x = .675 cup of priming sugar

So now I carefully measure out .675 cup of priming sugar. Whaaa?? what is .675 of a cup? Well, 2/3rds of a cup is .666 of a cup – pretty close … so I start with 2/3rds of a cup and I add a smidge more … okay? Good enough.

Dissolve the priming sugar by adding it to 8 oz of boiling water. Let it cool, then pour it into the empty fermenter. We don’t want to whisk it into the beer after it is siphoned into the fermenter because we don’t want to aerate the beer and introduce oxygen which can cause off-flavors. We want the temperature of the priming sugar and water to be at room temperature because we don’t want to shock the yeast. The water used to prepare the priming sugar was boiled to keep everything sanitized and to prevent infection.

Once the priming sugar is in the fermenter we are ready to add the beer. Setup the carboy on a raised surface and begin siphoning the beer into the fermenter:

Get the siphon started then gently place the end of the tubing all the way into the bottom of the fermenter. DO NOT SPLASH. The siphoning action will mix the dissolved sugar into the beer.

While the siphon is going, add some of the beer to one of the plastic tubes that the thermometer or hydrometer came in. Fill it about 3/4ths full with beer and insert the hydrometer. Make the final hydrometer reading:

At this stage the beer is much more clarified than before. Continue to siphon the beer until you reach near the bottom of the carboy. Stop the siphoning process before reaching any of the inactive yeast that has formed as sediment at the bottom. We don’t want any of that going into the bottles. Keep it as clear as you can.

Boil The Bottle Caps

At this point, place a pan of water on the stove and heat it to boiling. Add the bottle caps to sanitize them. It will take awhile for the water to start boiling, so this is a good time to set it on the stove. Boil the caps for 5 minutes:

Okay, now let it settle for a couple of minutes and we’re ready to bottle the beer! Place the case of clean, sanitized bottles on the floor and start the Auto-Siphon … this time with the filler tube on the other end:

When you press the filler tube against the bottom of the bottle, the little valve on the end will cause the beer will flow into the bottle. When you release the pressure, the beer stops flowing. Pretty cool! Fill each bottle about 1/3rd up the neck. Move from one bottle to the next untill all the bottles are filled, then start the next case. Here’s a closeup of the siphon tube with the filler tube in the bottle:

The brewing kit comes with a really good bottle capper. Put a filled bottle on the counter and place a sanitized cap in the capper, then press down firmly on both of the capper handles:

Well, there it is, your first bottle of beer:

Store the bottles for 3 to 4 weeks to give it a chance to develop the carbonation and flavor. Store the cases in your garage or basement. It is a good idea to throw a towel over them, just in case one of them blows up! This is the hardest part because you have to wait before you can drink your homebrew!

Continue to Beer Making – Part VI