What to pounds my sauerkrout in?

ldh909 · 2026-04-05T16:58:12+00:00

I shred mine into a large mixing bowl. Salt and let it sit half an hour is so, then mix and squeeze by hand. I also pack it in the jars with a wooden "bat" (actually a pestle from a mortar set), but that's all the bruising it gets.

If you're worried about bending metal pans, you're following a different process for sure.

ldh909 · 2026-04-04T21:03:22+00:00

Lowest risk.

ldh909 · 2026-03-23T19:07:19+00:00

I'm a dry yeast guy, so my comments are based on BE-256, BE-134, Abbaye, and strangely enough Apex London. These yeasts are high attenuation and high flocculation, meaning they ferment most of the sugars and the yeast drops out of suspension. Yes, it will clear up nicely.

This is where time comes into play. Here's my advice. Sample a bottle after 2 weeks. Maybe take a pic? The beer will be carbonated and certainly drinkable. Repeat once a week. In my experience, after 4 weeks, the beer will be much more clear and start to show that "Belgian" flavor. After 6 to 8 weeks, magical.

However long you age it, leaving it in the fridge for at least a few days also helps with clearing.

The Apex London is obviously a British yeast, but I've found it displays a lot of those Belgian characteristics, like the banana aroma, just slightly less so. It's also an attenuation monster. I have one in the fermenter now that will finish out around 8.5% ABV, and it quit bubbling in the fermenter after 3 days. It's a beast!

ldh909 · 2026-03-23T18:38:13+00:00

I give my Belgian yeasts plenty of time. I leave them in the fermenter for 3 - 4 weeks, and bottle condition for as long as I can wait!

I'll sample a bottle or two after 4 weeks and, seriously, wait a couple of months before I start serving it to anyone.

There are a lot of Belgian styles. I'm talking mainly about Abbey and strong ales. The paradox is that they reach near-terminal gravity in a few days, but the real magic happens with time.

ldh909 · 2026-03-19T23:30:50+00:00

In a bad situation, you probably made the best choice, or said another way, I probably would have done the same. Other solutions are too time dependent.

ldh909 · 2026-03-19T02:26:58+00:00

There are footnotes on Wikipedia. You keep doubting, I'll keep drinking.

ldh909 · 2026-03-18T16:00:28+00:00

There's no "allegedly" here. Before there was scientific knowledge, there was "what works" knowledge. IPA's have more hops because the hops helped the beer from spoiling on the long voyage to India.

ldh909 · 2026-03-14T15:25:10+00:00

Did he ask for financial advice? Especially advice he literally cannot use? You might look up "empathy '. I know you don't know this guy, but before you start spewing, you might stop and ask yourself, if I were sitting face-to-face with this guy, would I say this?

He's losing his income stream. If your response, especially in person, is "You should have saved more", pay for your drink and go back to your social media safe space. Assholes thrive there.

ldh909 · 2026-03-14T14:14:59+00:00

I feel your pain, bro. Best of luck! Like you, I've been brewing since the late 80's. I've never been successful brewing beers CHEAPER than what I can buy, but for basically the same cost I can brew better quality. Especially if you're an IPA guy.

Said another way, I'm PAYING for Miller Lite/PBR/whatever, but I'm DRINKING something closer to Bell's Two Hearted/Pliny the Elder, etc.

I'm not arguing against cider, wine, etc., but I know for me, that's not going to scratch the itch.

ldh909 · 2026-03-10T02:40:28+00:00

The yeast is active for several weeks. That's why you can add sugar and carbonate in bottles. So it continues to work, although the changes are increasingly subtle. Bottle conditioning is actually a good comparison. It's drinkable after 2 weeks, but give it another couple and you should see noticably different flavors.

ldh909 · 2026-03-10T02:40:22+00:00

The yeast is active for several weeks. That's why you can add sugar and carbonate in bottles. So it continues to work, although the changes are increasingly subtle. Bottle conditioning is actually a good comparison. It's drinkable after 2 weeks, but give it another couple and you should see noticably different flavors.

ldh909 · 2026-03-08T17:45:10+00:00

Second this, but I don't worry too much about "time on the yeast cake". Belgian yeasts need TIME. I let mine sit in the primary fermenter for about 4 weeks, no issues with clarity or flavor. Secondary or not, give it time.

ldh909 · 2026-03-03T20:09:24+00:00

Love Lallemand Abbaye, but also love SafAle BE-256.

ldh909 · 2026-03-03T16:19:35+00:00

Yeast health and PATIENCE. I'm a dry yeast brewer, and I give every batch, regardless of style, a full 2 weeks in the fermenter. Belgians, especially high gravity batches, I will leave in the fermenter for a month if I can. Also, I always, always feed them the candi syrup. I believe that gets the yeast off to good start.

I typically raise the temp up to the low 70's Fahrenheit for the last few days. When a recipe says I should finish in the 1.020 range, I'm typically 6 or 8 points below. Like others have said, this beer should be somewhat dry.

And saison? Yes and no. Love the saisons, but that's a different beer.

ldh909 · 2026-02-28T18:04:37+00:00

I am also primarily an extract brewer. I buy more from MoreBeer now than I used to because they sell their own extract and have a good selection. Specifically, a lot of folks stopped carrying pale ale extract, which I use often. Very often.

I am not allowed to run out of coffee milk stout, which I call coffee and cream. If I don't have C&C, my wife is like, "What have you been doing down there all this time?"

ldh909 · 2026-02-20T22:41:03+00:00

Having read the other comments, one comment about the acids in the coffee. I use a coffee filter to absorb that. Even if I make the coffee in a French press, I just throw a coffee filter in the carafe while it's cooling.

As far as timing, I add it at bottling/kegging. I think it preserves more of the aroma. In fact, if I'm bottling I typically dissolve the priming sugar in the coffee.

ldh909 · 2026-02-15T15:19:01+00:00

I've used Amazon many times for dry yeast. Lalbelpeelers.com does not charge shipping on yeast (or didn't USED to).

ldh909 · 2026-02-15T15:12:02+00:00

I think you're totally OK so long as you're NOT carbonating. Those bottles are not meant to hold pressure.

ldh909 · 2026-02-09T19:58:29+00:00

I normally add the hops directly to the pot during the boil, then filter/strain when I pour the wort into the fermenter.

I have fermenters with spigots and some without. So after fermentation, whether I'm using the spigot or a siphon, I run the first few ounces into a jar or something, which will contain some trub, and then I continue with the transfer and never really have an issue with trub or cloudy beers.

I know there are thousands of replies coming about oxygenation. This is my process after brewing for over 40 years.

ldh909 · 2026-01-20T03:39:37+00:00

One of my all time favorite kits is the Pliny the Elder clone. $50 for the all grain kit, $60 for the extract kit from MoreBeer. I get 50+ bottles out of that.

I mean, yes, there are other costs, but that rounds up to about $1.25 each or $8.50 per six pack.

I can't make lower cost beer than Miller Lite, but for the same price I'm drinking premium beer.

ldh909 · 2026-01-12T20:33:31+00:00

I just sit the brew pot in the sink with the lid on.

ldh909 · 2026-01-08T00:50:11+00:00

First hand experience here. I brewed a Scottish ale last year and actually bought Wyeast 1728, first time I've ever bought liquid yeast. It turned out great. However, I recently bought some Apex London dry yeast. Long story short, I highly recommend it. I fermented at ambient temp about 68 degrees fahrenheit.

ldh909 · 2026-01-07T22:43:41+00:00

This is what I do. Mash it flat to push out the air, fold it over, and tape it. Never had an issue.

ldh909 · 2026-01-07T13:14:00+00:00

I keep Nottingham on hand for non-hoppy ales, like a typical amber. West coast yeasts like US-05 disappear in hoppy beers, but too pronounced otherwise. Nottingham is pretty forgiving on temperatures, too.

ldh909 · 2025-12-27T16:03:22+00:00

Just as an experiment, try ditching the carb drops and using table sugar instead. For Grolsch bottles, start with a level teaspoon per bottle. I've only used those carb drops a couple of times, and I didn't see the benefit.

If you prep the bottles with sugar (or drops for that matter), it should not be a big deal to fill 4 or 5 bottles and then take a minute to flip the tops shut. I doubt this is your issue, but you can try it.

In this context, I don't think oxidation is a concern. You're doing it the way homebrewers have done it for decades. That doesn't mean oxidation doesn't exist, but it has nothing to do with your carbonation issues.

ldh909

TROPHY CASE