Newby question - (first of many)

[Treeman]

I had 3 pineapples going begging (started with 10), became obvious we were not going to get them down before they went off.
So having a still I I put 1.5 pine apples in each 20 lt bucket and 3.5 Kg suger to help it along. This is now bubbling happily.
A bit surprised as I thought I may battle with P/Apple.

Question is, when this lot has fermented, what do I make with it ?

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Let me try again.
I had 3 pineapples going begging (started with 10), became obvious we were not going to get them down before they went off.
So having a still I I put 1.5 pine apples in each 20 lt bucket and 3.5 Kg suger to help it along. This is now bubbling happily.
A bit surprised as I thought I may battle with P/Apple.

Question is, when this lot has fermented, what do I make with it ?

[groenspookasem]

********************
Let me try again.
I had 3 pineapples going begging (started with 10), became obvious we were not going to get them down before they went off.
So having a still I I put 1.5 pine apples in each 20 lt bucket and 3.5 Kg suger to help it along. This is now bubbling happily.
A bit surprised as I thought I may battle with P/Apple.

Question is, when this lot has fermented, what do I make with it ?

This is South Arfica - so it'll be brandy. You could also make some pineapple liqueur, should be tasty. You can use pineapple bits and soak it in your distillate or dilute your distillate down with pineapple juice? Actually sounds refreshing for summer

[Treeman]

Please do superficially talk me through how you would go about the brandy.

[Langchop]

For someone starting the AG journey, how do you find something to brew that you'd like? May seem like a weird question but hear me out. I get pulling recipes off the net and making them... but 20l batches can be expensive in both time and money if it's not to your liking.

Is making smaller batches the answer; although that still seems like a lot of time/work for just a "taster".

Maybe a tasting afternoon somewhere? Any recommendations in the JHB area... but will they share the recipe?

If you aren't yet completely familiar with the common styles and what tickles your fancy, I would definately start off with craft beer... At a craft brewery. Most of them have taster boards where you get small glasses of 4 or 5 variants. Most breweries do the same typical set of styles in their range. In fact just up the road in Kya Sands there are two breweries in the same office park and I think they have once monthly joint open days. Agars and OC Brewery I think it is?

[BruHaha]

If you aren't yet completely familiar with the common styles and what tickles your fancy, I would definately start off with craft beer... At a craft brewery. Most of them have taster boards where you get small glasses of 4 or 5 variants. Most breweries do the same typical set of styles in their range. In fact just up the road in Kya Sands there are two breweries in the same office park and I think they have once monthly joint open days. Agars and OC Brewery I think it is?

Ah excellent... very closeby.

Will reach out to them. Thanks!

[groenspookasem]

Please do superficially talk me through how you would go about the brandy.

oof, i've never made brandy, too sweet for me. The process is the same as whiskey though. there's a distilling thread on here somewhere which outlines the process for a potstill and reflux still. you'd definitely use a potstill for the brandy. the trick would be in the aging and charring of your french oak.

[Langchop]

Ah excellent... very closeby.

Will reach out to them. Thanks!

And in other news... my wife lets me out of the cage on some Fridays.

[Treeman]

Today I popped the first on my 7th batch of beer, and for the first time I can say I made a faultless beer - not its perfect,best beer ever, just it has no after taste or off notes.
The beer is by luck right up my taste street, light in taste with a hops after note.
Strangely enough I learnt that i like hops in my beer thats as close as possible to the way it smells, I do not know if that makes sense. I like the green taste.
How do you get the hops more to the taste front, my common sense tells me add it later in process ?, at moment it goes in early and boils half hour.
If I add hops at end of boil and let it stand, will that hops green taste smell be stronger ?

[JIGSAW]

Yes, add some of it later or after boil and let it stand (whirlpool) ... you could even add some as a dry-hop

[Langchop]

Definately agree with the dry hop. You will probably love a saaz pilsner too though I reckon