Comments on: The Brew Guru

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:01:18 +0000

RE: Low Alc Beer,

G’day Paul,

You are on the right track. The less fermentable sugars you have the lower the alcohol will be.
Here is how to calculate your alc content yourself:

Calculate approximate alcohol
percentage by subtracting the
Final Gravity (FG) from the Original
Gravity (OG), divide by 7.46 then
add 0.5 (this allows for the secondary
fermentation in the bottle),
e.g. (1038 – 1008) / 7.46 + 0.5 =
4.5% ABV.

Cheers
The Brew Guru

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:41:30 +0000

Hi Guru
I have today begun the journey of home brew and purchased a starter kit today. I am keen (strange I know but it is on medical guidance) to keep alcohol content down as low as possible but still try different types of beers made at home. Is it simply enough to reduce the dextrose etc that I put in or is there more I can do to keep alcohol content down. I would like to try and get below the normal 2.9% where possible.

Thanks

By: Brew Guru

Brew Guru — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 23:39:32 +0000

G’day Ian,

Ignore the bubbling airlock. Always use your hydrometer to check your brew gravity. If you get the same hydrometer reading 24 hours apart you know it is finished.

Cheers

The Brew Guru

By: ian

ian — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 04:16:22 +0000

Gday im new to the home brewing i done my second brew and it only bubbled for the first 2 days .
I let it sit at a temp between 20 and 25deg for 6 days before i bottled it will it still be ok

By: John

John — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:09:25 +0000

G’day, I’m new to brewing. Just a quick question, what happens if my ale brew sits around 20 degrees. Will it still ferment? And at what temperature will the yeast stop working at all?
Cheers.

By: Sean

Sean — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:52:32 +0000

Hi,

I have been brewing for a while now, and I am just making the switch to a “brewing fridge” (a chest freezer with an electronic temperature control unit).

With this setup I am able to set and control the exact temperature for fermenting, carbonating, and conditioning. This leads me to my questions:
1. Where a temperature range is given, should I set the temperature to the middle of the range or to the bottom (eg Coopers Heritage Lager advises pitching temperature “22-24°C”, fermenting temperature “20°C or less / as low as 13°C”, carbonating temperature “at 18°C or above”)?
2. If I carbonate in the “brewing fridge”, should I carbonate at 18°C, or should I carbonate in the same way as the initial ferment for the brew (e.g. for Heritage Lager – 22-24°C, reducing to 13°C)?
3. How long should I keep the brew at carbonating temperature?
4. After carbonating, what temperature should I store the brew at?
5. If I want to store the brew in the garage, rather than in the “brewing fridge”, should I give the brew an initial “conditioning period” in the “brewing fridge” before storing at garage room temperature, and for how long?

I would be obliged to receive an indication of the range, as well as the ideal, in answer to the above questions.

I am also making a shift to kegs (19L Cornelius), but will be using natural carbonation for the kegs, and will continue to use bottles for the un-kegged portion of the brew, and for some brews in their entirety. Does the same advice apply to the kegs as to bottles?

Thanks.

By: trev

trev — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:26:10 +0000

hi guru how you gong just reading through the last fews years of questions , im doing my first brew today im going to use a keg system im brewing morgan aus larger i bought a package from the local shop brew shop im following the instructions on the can , i live in sydney metro ,ive just used tap water have i just made a mistake, ive done 23lt the first 2 lts hot water put the can in , dex n malt then 21lts cold water in a 35lt fermentor put the yeast bag on top of the lot the put the lid on tight with an air lock ,after say 7 days once ive tested it with the glass thing he gave me i will empty in the keg seal it up in a fridge for a week then carbinate with regulated bottle i got .what do you think really i have know idea just giving it a go.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:24:30 +0000

RE: Dark Lager
G’day Andrew,

Can you tell me the date on the cans? Extract can darken with age and high temps.

Cheers
The Brew Guru

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:21:52 +0000

RE: Kegging
G’day Chris,
Can you tell me some more info please?
Was it force carbonation or natural conditioning?
What was the head pressure from your gas bottle?
What was the length and diameter of your beer line?
Cheers
The Brew Guru

By: The Brew Guru

The Brew Guru — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:17:25 +0000

RE: Cluster Hops/ Extra Dry Recipe
G’day scott,

Use the Morgan’s/Ellserslie finishing hops – steep in a cup of boiling water as per the instructions.

Cheers
The Brew Guru