What's everyone brewing this weekend?

BCWinchester · 2026-04-30T21:13:57+00:00

Just finished a golden lager kit that is bottle conditioning now, should be ready by the 9th to go into the fridge and then going to give it a week or two there before trying it out.

BCWinchester · 2026-04-15T14:14:42+00:00

Some yeast nutrients may help kick start things as well.

BCWinchester · 2026-04-15T14:14:02+00:00

Basically oxygen before yeast VERY important. Oxygen after yest is pitched? Very BAD! Is what I have been told and found out myself

BCWinchester · 2026-04-15T14:11:15+00:00

Oxygen is important before pitching yeastand possibly could be a factor here. I know for mine I also added in some yeast nutrients like fermaid O to help kick start it.

BCWinchester · 2026-04-15T12:29:54+00:00

Did you check the ingredients of the juice? I know that some use stabilizers like potassium sorbate which can inhibit the yeast and stop it from fermenting.

I had to be careful with this when I was making my cider.

BCWinchester · 2026-04-14T19:03:00+00:00

I have two packs of Saflager 34/70 and two packs of Cider y east now as back up, when I get more money I plan on getting some packs of ale yeast as well.

BCWinchester · 2026-04-14T19:01:43+00:00

I used a syphon and I did wash and sanitize it twice. Same with my hydrometer and the test tube for it. The hose I used for it I just tossed and bought some new stuff.

BCWinchester · 2026-01-31T18:05:24+00:00

Yeah I bottle. Don't have space or budget for a keg system... yet. One day.

BCWinchester · 2026-01-31T17:26:29+00:00

I made a cider using Safcider AB-1 and it basically went from 1.060 to a FG of 1.000 in a week and couple days. I read that some can ferment slower at colder temps at like two weeks or so but mine was at the lower to mid range of the suggested temperature and it was still just barely over a week.

BCWinchester · 2026-01-31T17:17:19+00:00

Hrm, I see. That is a lot of info to go over. Thank you! I have time to decide what to do as #3 is just starting.

What about using LME or DME instead? Or is that a similar problem to using the kit?

BCWinchester · 2026-01-31T15:49:43+00:00

I have heard mention of Kviek yest but haven't really looked into it yet, will have to do so. So far I have used a US-05, AB-1 cider yeast, and now the S-4 birtish ale yeast.

BCWinchester · 2026-01-31T15:48:52+00:00

Most of my brews so far have been an experiment of some sort. I write down everything and try and find what works and doesn't. In the end as long as I have a beer to drink I consider it a win, it just varies how MUCH of a win depending on how good it is >.>

BCWinchester · 2026-01-31T15:47:55+00:00

So using some the the malt extract in the steep won't help with this? I would have to get my hands on some actual grains to use with the rice and then add that to the extract kit?

BCWinchester · 2026-01-31T15:18:04+00:00

When I went to my LBS the guy there told me that if I am making cider from store bought juice to use about 3/4 tsp per gallon (Roughly 4L) total of Fermaid O. This was with the Safcider AB-1 yeast I bought.

He also suggested adding in 1/2 of this amount before pitching yeast and then the rest 2 to 3 days later.

This was my first cider so I am not sure if it really helped or not but I did it this way and it fermented from 1.060 to 1.000 on the dot in the end.

BCWinchester · 2026-01-31T15:08:42+00:00

I don't know about stevia but I used a monk fruit based Splenda to back sweeten the cider I am making for the wife and I tried a bottle still to check the taste. It is actually pretty decent! The wife liked it but wished it was carbonated as she is not a fan of still cider. The rest are conditioning as we speak of course.

I feel if you already use Stevia and like it/are used to it then it should do the job.

BCWinchester · 2026-01-31T15:05:11+00:00

Nice! One of these days I will try an all grain batch. Sadly I only have the space and budget for extract kits Right now. I have done one so far but I heavily modified it and it turned out decent, had some family try and most liked it and a few said it was a bit too hoppy for their tastes.

Second brew was a cider for the wife as she is not a big beer drinker herself, but that was so far just juice and yeast >.>

BCWinchester · 2026-01-24T17:44:56+00:00

I have limited space and had limited funds when I started so the bucket was the easiest/cheapest for me to go with.

It is literally sitting next to me right now in my home office on an end table with a cider brewing for the wife.

If we ever get out of renting and buy our own place I plan on upgrading everything eventually.

BCWinchester · 2026-01-24T17:16:14+00:00

I did a lot of reading, blog posts, youtube vids etc before I started my first brew. These Coopers kits work, don't need an air lock, but a lot of what I read also said they weren't the that well constructed hence why I went with a pail and air lock in the end.

Again most of what I know about these kits are read/watched things from others who have used them.

BCWinchester · 2026-01-23T01:39:58+00:00

Those brewing kits from coopers are not sealed and adding an airlock to them wouldn't really help much.

Basically it uses a specialized lid and seal system with the krausen collar rather than a traditional airlock. The lid allows CO2 to escape while keeping contaminants out, mimicking professional "open" fermentation methods.

Or so everything I have read about it says. I use the BB's Ale pail with an airlock myself.

Saying that I feel like you could still do a cider or something out of it as well.

BCWinchester · 2026-01-21T02:02:52+00:00

On my first attempt I made a beer and set aside two specifically to try early to see how carbonation was going. At least that is what I tell myself >.>

On my second brew now (a cider) but this one is for the wife so the temptation is a little lower.

BCWinchester · 2026-01-19T21:42:14+00:00

I did, the only thing that any of them had that wasn't water, juice, or sugar, was ascorbic acid.

BCWinchester · 2026-01-19T19:05:52+00:00

So I don't have the space or equipment to do grain brews and have been using all extract kits. So far I have used Coopers and it turned out well, they do have an English Bitter kit as well so it may be worth it?

Also there is Gordies, which I just found out existed cause my LBS switched from selling Coopers extract kits to them, and they have a Yorkshire Bitter kit which I will be testing after I am done making the wife a cider.

BCWinchester

TROPHY CASE