Random small questions

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

Anyone that spots a cheap option in CTN area, give me a shout ... i need a 2nd cylinder.

[RudiC Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RudiC]

I need some expert opinions please. Different beer styles age differently and I understand some of it.

My question is regarding the best ageing for beer in general that's been bottled. I've not been brewing very long and only now starting to have beers that's been bottled for a few months. To me it seems my beers get better with age.

I try my 1st beer of a batch around day 7 after bottling and expect it so be slightly under carbonated. Not always the case and I know everyone would suggest 15 to 21 days before one tests, but I'm too curious to wait that long.

I brew mostly lighter beers and have Blonde ales and British Golden ales atm. They are a few months old and to me they are better now than when they were say a month ago (I'm reasonably sure).

What would you say is the best time to leave fresh beers before they'd be at their best?

At what age do beers generally go off and/or start degrading? I know some beers are better aged like some darker beers, but I'm talking mainly of the lighter ales that I prefer brewing. Also talking about bottled beer if that also makes a difference.

Thanks

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

In short, my rules (with the usual exceptions) are:

1. Light lagers and all typical lager beers - Lager them, in bulk. If you can't, store them in bottles, upright, as cold as possible. Fridge preferred.
2. Regular ales, like pale and blonde ales - Bottle them at least 14 days after pitching the yeast, 21 days preferred. Get them as clear as possible before bottling. They peak for me around 4~6 weeks after bottling.
3. Dark beers, like stouts and porters - Let them sit in the fermenter at least 14 days. Clarity doesn't matter. They peak for me in the period of 4~12 months after bottling, depending on the ABV and flavour profile of the beers.
4. Hoppy beers, like IPAs and heavily hopped alternatives - Ferment for 10~14 days, dry hop for 3 days and bottle. Clarity doesn't matter. Bottle them with as little O2 as possible, and store them cold and dark. Drink ASAP, they tend to peak around 7~10 days after bottling and then they lose hop aroma FAST. These do well in a keg.

[AlexBrew Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close AlexBrew]

Ditto that. I find that beers smooth out over time - especially good for dark strong beers, then longer the better - unless of course there's an oxidation issue - of which there is always a chance off. Hoppy beers be consumed sooner then better.. from 2 weeks is good .. unless it's a over the top hoppped beer with too much alcohol taste, then letting it idle for a while will smotth it out again and the hop and alcohol whon't be that noticible .. or less noticible.

I once made a 9% IPA (BeerGuevara's Missiones IPA) with added sugar - one of my first brews - you know the time whan you when strong and dumb.. almost undrinkable at first (learned my lesson here re making high abv beers) anyway, luckily it was a small-isch batch .. though after couple months it was quite enjoyable and smooth .. like if all the sharp edges have been removed - if that makes sense.

[Chris_za1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chris_za1]

Noobie question. I will be brewing the below this coming weekend. Tried looking for the answer online but not getting clear feedback.

Basically it says after mash for 60min, increase temp to 68 and hold for 30min, and then heat again to 76, add dark malts and then recirculate. My question is in these 2 steps while raising temp, should I keep the pump on? Or should I switch recirculation pump off and only back on when doing the dark malts?

Thanks!




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[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

I see no benefit in adding malt past 70°C. You can add dark malts earlier and save yourself the risk of burned malt in the kettle. You also risk extracting tannins from the husks by heating the malt to higher temps, so I would change that to a 64°C mash on all the malts, finished with a bit of boiling water added at the end of 60 minutes to raise the temp for the mash-out. That would be it.

NFP's processes has always been a bit primitive, so you could really improve on that. Some of their earlier recipes read something along the lines of "boil water and add malt, hold for 60 minutes and pour off the wort, ferment."

[Jitters Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jitters]

for dark malts there is a new train of thought that you just want to extract the color and none of the harsh roast character, dark malts also make your mash PH more Acidic so alot of people counter that by not mashing it at all. they either steep it at the end of the mash to get the color, or they cold steep it in the fridge the day before.

When to add roasted malts to mash | HomeBrewTalk.com - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Community.

It feels like a lot of work for me, so I just use dehusked malts think Carafa special that don't add the harsh roast character. YMMV but alot of people think it has a positive impact on the end product.

[Chris_za1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chris_za1]

I see no benefit in adding malt past 70°C. You can add dark malts earlier and save yourself the risk of burned malt in the kettle. You also risk extracting tannins from the husks by heating the malt to higher temps, so I would change that to a 64°C mash on all the malts, finished with a bit of boiling water added at the end of 60 minutes to raise the temp for the mash-out. That would be it.

NFP's processes has always been a bit primitive, so you could really improve on that. Some of their earlier recipes read something along the lines of "boil water and add malt, hold for 60 minutes and pour off the wort, ferment."

So based on that recipe, would you recommend

1. Mash at 64 degrees for 60 min
2. Add dark malts at 64 degrees for 30min and recirculate? (i can adjust the temp on benoni brew without adding water)


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[SykomantiS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SykomantiS]

I would mash all the malts for the whole 60 minutes @ 65°C.
Or mash all at 65°C and add the roasted malts after 30mins, but I've not tested if this will make a difference in my own brews

[BeerHolic Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BeerHolic]

I have always mashed my dark malts for the whole 60 minutes.
However I have reseached stepping the dark malts.
The arguemnts is that mashing the dark malts there is a possibilty of extracting bitter tannic compounds.
Steeping them for a shot period of time in hot water is sufficient to extract the flavour and body.

Might try this one day, but have yet to taste the bitter tannic compunds mentioned.

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

Noobie question. I will be brewing the below this coming weekend. Tried looking for the answer online but not getting clear feedback.

Basically it says after mash for 60min, increase temp to 68 and hold for 30min, and then heat again to 76, add dark malts and then recirculate. My question is in these 2 steps while raising temp, should I keep the pump on? Or should I switch recirculation pump off and only back on when doing the dark malts?

Thanks!

i will just answer the question

My answer = YES

[Chris S Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chris S]

Guys. Anyone know where I can get food grade o-ring lubricant?

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

Guys. Anyone know where I can get food grade o-ring lubricant?

https://www.vaseline.com/za/en/produ...-original.html

Screenshot_9.jpg

[Chris S Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chris S]

https://www.vaseline.com/za/en/produ...-original.html

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3341[/ATTACH]

I was worried about getting bacteria in it after a while.

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

Bacteria in what/how ?

Brewers have been using it for ages ... why would it be different for you ?

What do you want to lubricate ?