-----
--- 2593775
Previous thread: >>2567754 →

OK anons, show us your brew plans for springtime. 

Pic related is 17 liters of Chocolate Stout. 

General calculators:
https://fermcalc.com/FermCalcJS.html (the best one)
https://thebrewhut.com/resources-recipes/brewing-calculators/
https://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/home-brewing-tools-calculators

Others: https://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/
https://www.brewersfriend.com/hydrometer-temp/
https://www.brewersfriend.com/stats/

List of wine defects with description of symptoms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_fault
Cider faults: https://www.bjcp.org/education-training/education-resources/cider-faults/

MLF primer (any fruit wine/mead) - https://pricklycider.com/2020/11/07/hard-cider-tip-28-malolactic-fermentation/

Sur-lie aging (wine/mead) - https://morewinemaking.com/articles/Sur-lie_aging

Beginner FAQ with some questions from last thread: https://pastebin.com/Q3712A61

Some helpful do’s and don’ts for mead making (from mead anon): https://pastebin.com/6NJ3wkSU
--- 2593782
>>2593688 →
>is there anything to stop me from using malt extract like honey and making mead beer?

Don't quite understand the question here. Of course you can use malt extract like honey, but the result is still just a beer, depending on what style of LME you get.
When combining the LME and honey, you'll get a Braggot, or Honey Beer.

Pic related is the official White House Honey Ale recipe, brewing tradition that Barrack Obama started when he was in office.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Honey_Ale
--- 2593784
>>2593782
Ive never done beer, only cider wine and mead. wasn't sure if I just mixed malt extract with water and pitched my yeast if it would be any good.
--- 2593809
>>2593784
That's why pre-hopped Liquid Malt Extract (LME) Kits are popular with the not-so-seasoned homebrewers. It's basically exactly like making a mead but with LME instead of honey:

>Heat up water
>Add LME
>Bring to boil for 10 minutes
>Cool down
>Add to fermenter
>Pitch yeast
>Wait
>Prime with sugar
>Bottle
--- 2593831
I tried making wine, its too sour tasting for now
Also, it leaves purple dust wherever it dries
--- 2593859
>>2593831
>its too sour tasting for now
Chances are very high that it's not too sour.
Chances are very high that it's dry, dryness is the absence of sugar.

From cooking courses we learn:
>Sourness can be balanced by sweetness

In wine that's utter bullshit, sweetness and sourness co-exist and you can regulate both values independently.
As for the dryness, fill a glass of your wine and add a spoon of sugar. Wait until it's dissolved and give it a try again.

>Also, it leaves purple dust wherever it dries
That's quite normal, the same happens with store-bought wines when you left the glasses on the table before going to bed and then collecting them in the morning.
--- 2594291
Update on my DDH DIPA

>Estimated FG: 1.015
>Real FG: 1.014
>Attenuation: 82.7%
>ABV: 8.8%

Just added the first Galaxy and Motueka Dry Hop. Totally excited how it'll turn out, it smells fantastic.
--- 2594292
Apparently the fruit of cashew nuts can be juiced and fermented do you know much about it?
--- 2594296
What's something cheap and tasty I can make with shit I can get at Aldi? They sell 3 packs of yeast there for like 80 cents, meaning it would only top out at like 5%, but that's no problem for me. Some type of fruit wine? Cheap mead? Fruit juice and yeast would I guess count but I'm looking for something a little more involved.
--- 2594309
>>2594296
gallon of water 
2 or 3 ounces of graded ginger 
the zest and juice of a lemon and two limes.
3/4 pounds of white sugar 
bring water and sugar to a boil, kill the heat and add the aromatics in. I tie them in a cheese cloth I dont have to strain. let steep until cool, pitch yeast and let ferment.
--- 2594311
>>2594292
Never heard of that fruit before but a quick search tells me some important facts:

>11g of carbs per 100g of fruit
Implying that 100% of the carbs are sugar (highly unlikely) that's like an apple so it'll turn out around 5-7% ABV like a cider

>Very tart/sour
Might need a lot of back-sweetening, sour fruits tend to be almost undrinkable after fermentation

>Rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C, highly anti-bacterial properties
Might imply that it'll be hard to get a proper fermentation going but it's just a hunch


>>2594296
Try a Melomel. (Fruit Mead) Buy some Blueberry juice or Black Cherry juice (Only go for 100% juice, absolutely no additives (except Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)) and some glasses of honey and get a mead started. Bakers yeast is the same type of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae that every Ale Brewery on this planet uses and my own experiments showed that a regular store-bought bakers yeast is well capable of going higher than 10% ABV.
Just go for it, only think about proper sanitation and don't use any non-professional-food-grade chlorine based cleaners/sanitizers, residue might kill your yeast.

If you're completely new to home-brewing, you might start with this video, it's really comprehensible and the pair is funny to watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0W7K5yBK-g [Embed]
--- 2594320
>>2594311
As far as I know from one youtube vid they made a sort liquor out of it. I think they aged it in a lake.
I'll try to find it again.
--- 2594344
>>2594320
I think this is what I watched before, they make a drink called Feni
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0o65tMtoB8 [Embed]
--- 2594372
>>2594344
OK, that's a liquor created by distilling the fermented Cashew Apple, thus leaving the tartness/sourness behind and only keeping the fruity aspects.
Interesting nonetheless.
--- 2594374
>>2594372
Do you have much interest or experience with other types of fermentation such as soya sauce?
--- 2594391
>>2594374
Nope, unfortunately not. I'm interested technically (Same Koji fermentation like Sake) but I can't replicate the process at home due to too high ingredient costs.
Maybe one day I'll try it but at the moment I'm planning to invest into expanding my brewery next year and go semi-pro with a 1 hektoliter brew-house.
--- 2594404
>>2593775 (OP)

I saw a video of a raccoon putting cotton candy in water and it gave me an idea of making kilju out of cotton candy sugar.
--- 2594512
how long can I store yeast that I saved from a ferment in the fridge?
--- 2594514
>>2594512
There is no general answer to that. I had dry yeast and liquid yeast (originally packaged) which was over 3 years old and after 24 hours of creating a starter I had vigorous activity as well as yeast that was one year old and was completely dead.
Exactly the same is true for harvested yeast for me, except there I already had yeast that was completely dead after 4 months as well as about 50% of all my harvested yeast is dead after a year.
--- 2594747
Still need an answer sirs. I need a connector that connects this male to an identical piece. About 6’ long. Now.
--- 2594751
>>2594747
Do I just need pic rel and RTD wire?
--- 2594802
>>2594747
You didn’t post a model number or anything. That could be an xlr connector for all we know. 

>>2594751
Probably
--- 2595014
>>2593775 (OP)
Brew is a little under 48 hours in, like 42 hours.
It started bubbling within 12 hours and was at a bubble every 2 seconds then. This morning (after >36 hours) it was bubbling once every 5 seconds. Now just a few hours later it stopped completely. How normal is that? I haven't brewed in a while but what I remember is that the bubbling gradually slows and sometimes would have a few days where it bubbles once or twice per minute. But this went from once every 5 seconds to completely stopped in just a few hours.
Is something wrong or can the beer really just stop like that?

Also can I rack to secondary already? I want to start another brew this weekend
--- 2595018
>>2593775 (OP)
take this to /ck/
--- 2595044
>>2595014
Don't waste your time counting bubbles, get an hydrometer, some are shock resistant now. Meanwhile your brew can wait in the fermenter.
--- 2595102
>>2595018
they dont make food or drink on /ck/. they gust debate witch goyslop is best. brewing is way to much work
--- 2595122
>>2595014
airlock activity is only a somewhat decent indicator for activity if you have a proper seal
you probably have leaks. so do mine except one, so they all appear "dead" even though there is obviously still fermentation going on
--- 2595123
>>2595018
i get where you're coming from but this is a slow thread on a slow board
i've seen brewing threads on /ck/ and they all 404 withing hours or only a few days
these threads usually last over a month, so like 10 replies/day
--- 2595216
>>2595014
Not enough information.
>What kind of brew is it?
>What was the original gravity?
>Which yeast was used?
>What was the fermentation temperature?
>What type of fermenter do you use? 

Depending on your answers, the answer to your question ranges from "Absolutely normal" to "Your brew is ruined".

>Also can I rack to secondary already?
Not if you don't know what is going on with your brew.
--- 2595222
>>2595018
Homebrew has more to do with /diy/ than your daily discussions of
>Torx is better than Phillips
>No Philips is better than Torx
--- 2595311
Is it cheating to use artificial flavoring?
I feel like a fraud using pic-related
--- 2595343
>>2595311
Try it out. If it tastes good, it's good. If you serve it other people, tell them there's added flavor and check for allergens.
If it's shit, don't use it anymore.

>Mango
Most craft beer breweries use mango pulp for flavoring but that's of course more expensive. Still a natural alternative if you're sceptic towards artificial flavoring.
--- 2595895
Anon from earlier here with an update, I'm actually doing it. I was able to add about 3 cups of cotton candy sugar to a gallon of water before it wouldn't dissolve anymore. Now i'm just waiting for the yeast to activate so I can pitch it.
--- 2596094
>>2595222
>flathead supremacist
feelsgoodman
--- 2596273
I can smell a sulphury smell from my fermenter's airlock. What do?
--- 2596296
>>2596273
That's Hydrogen Sulfate.
What brew is it? Are fruits present?
Did you shake in air before pitching yeast?
--- 2596304
>>2596296
Beer (pils, munich, chocolate malt)
No fruits, no
I stirred the bucket vigorously before closing it
--- 2596334
>>2596304
Hydrogen Sulfate activity should die down soon.
But stirring is not enough, next time when filling the wort into the fermenter, let it really splash into it, let it froth.
Additionally you can shake the fermenter while holding shut the hole of the airlock.
Oxygen in the beginning is crucial.
--- 2596464
I see these 2 gallon ice tea things for sale every summer for like $5. 
Any reason I couldn’t use one for fermentation and bottling, ala Mr Beer keg?
--- 2596466
>>2596464
Can't speak generally but one anon bought one of those from IKEA and wasn't happy with it.
And to be honest, 30 Liter buckets with faucet are like 14 bucks, that's a better investment.
--- 2596612
>>2593775 (OP)
How strong should good mead be?

I'm unsure if i want to make it 6% like cider or 14% like wine
--- 2596659
>>2596612
it's literally honey wine
why would you want your wine to be 6%. the only scenario i can think of where you'd want an abv below the yeast's alcohol tolerance is if you want to carbonate
but you sound like a beginner so you're presumably not aiming for that
--- 2596662
>>2596466
you still haven't shared your favourite eurobeats
>i love them all
everyone has a favourite. personally i like over drive, english version of maybe tonight, and impact blue
--- 2596689
>>2596659
I prefer carbonated but yes i am a beginer

I made apple cider at 6% and it was great so i dont see why honey cant be great at 6%
--- 2596716
>>2596689
become a bigger number makes by brain funnier and i want to forget the bane of existance
alcohol is god's apology for making us self aware
--- 2596719
>>2596689
meadman will probably give you a more elaborate answer but this is also why i dislike tripfags. 
maybe he knows his shit but tripfags are the sign of a thread that is degenerating into a circlejerk
and he doesn't share his favourite eurobeats, fucking cunt
--- 2596858
>>2595895
lol hell yeah
--- 2596859
>>2595311
i used to infuse everclear and add it to the batch before bottling. it's certainly cheating but effective.
--- 2596861
>>2594296
just buy better yeast and get more bang for your buck. wine yeasts often go to 12-14%. just brew apple juice and sugar to its max alcohol tolerance. even with flavorings my yield is like $1.50/liter
--- 2596865
>>2594391
Have you tried much at the kitchen scale?
--- 2597082
>>2596612
>>2596689
Cider needs to be dry and crisp, mead needs to be full bodied.
Mead with less than 10% ABV tends to be watery and weakly bodied but there are certainly brands like that on the market which means there are people who like it that way. It's not my jam, I don't like the American and Canadian sparkling dry meads, either. I prefer sweet and still meads with an ABV of 12 - 15%.

Since you're a beginner and you don't seem to know what exactly you want, all you can do is go for it and try it out. Nobody here will be able to tell what suits your tastes and what doesn't.

But I'd like to warn you about pasteurizing carbonated bottles, so at least make up your mind if you'd like a sweet and still mead, or a dry and sparkling one.
--- 2597121
>>2596662
>>2596719
I have 220 Super Eurobeat albums on my server, it's not easy to pick just a couple of favorites from that.

>Mega NRG Man - Express Love
>Wain L - Make up your Mind
>Dr. Love - Doctor Love
>Mr. Groove - Night & Day
>Dave McLoud - Streets of Fire
>Mega NRG Man - Get me Power
>Niko - Night of Fire
>Lolita - Hold me Tight
>Nathalie - Heartbeat
>Leslie Parrish - Remember Me
>Valentina - I love you like you are
>The Spiders from Mars - Fly me to the Moon & Back
>Neo - Go Go Money
>Mega NRG Man - Supertonic Lady
>Dave Rodgers - Beat of the Rising Sun
>Mako & Sayuki - Wings of Fire
>Derreck Simons - Station to Station
>Chris Stanton - A Perfect Hero
>Leslie Hammond - Run and Run
>Daniel - Frontal Impact
>Sara - Crazy for Love
>Manuel - Let's Go, Come On
>Jay Lehr - Bright Time
>April - Hanami
>Queen 26 - You are my Wonder
>Ken Blast - When the Sun goes down
>Jager - I won't fall apart
>DJ Space'C - Danger Zone
--- 2597132
>>2596865
I started out at kitchen scale with 10 liter HD-PE camping canisters, but that was in about 2013.
With time you naturally expand, it's an upwards spiral.

For me the hobby just turned into a passion and finally into an obsession, an obsession to be part-time self-employed with my own brand, brewing my own prototypes on a 1 hektoliter scale and having the big batches kegged and canned at a brewery, using their spare-capacity on contract-brewing.
--- 2597141
>>2596716
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUpQwiOGtng [Embed]
--- 2597148
>>2597121
our likes in music appear to be different
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho9rZjlsyYY [Embed]
this is the best i've ever heard but my sister said it's ugly noise
second one would probably be dies irae
on topic the passata wine is surprisingly good but the endless shit you have to filter makes it tiresome. literally half the carboy is tomato pulp. but they don't even sell passata anymore in the local aldi so i guess the issue solved itself
got inspired by
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-njh-1A35E [Embed]
but he has the issue of not making follow up videos. mix passata and sugar and then the end result transforms itself into an aged bottle. citystead videos are a lot better in that regard, with high consistency and not being elitist twats. the guy talks too much but in their later videos there is a lot more interaction with his wife instead of her being a piece of the background
but i checked out their other channels and they have a gardening channel as well where the wife does all the talking so i had to change my view of them for the better
for some reason tomato based wine is something they don't cover though. it's not even bad and it's one of those that makes grape look like niggers
--- 2597149
>>2593775 (OP)
Has anyone here ever brewed Root Beer?
--- 2597160
>>2597148
To get the pulp properly under control you should always use pectinase. The enzymes will break down the cell walls of the pulp particles, releasing more juice and causing the pulp to sink more compact/compressed.

On the topic of music, Eurobeat is only one of many genres that I'm listening to and I even have a heart for classical music, especially string quartets.
--- 2597166
>>2597148
>this is the best i've ever heard but my sister said it's ugly noise

I'm not that into classical in general, but you should probably just disown your sister.
--- 2597170
>>2597160
it's a shitload of pulp though so even more compressed pulp is still a ton of pulp
i made a post recently about tomato paste. the hope is that i have to deal with less pulp bullshit for similar results but it's still hazy and pumping out CO2
the passata wine cleared nice on its own though. honesly if it wasn't so much work i would have explored it significantly more
it's good. tomato ferments very quickly. it's a lot of work. trade off i guess
--- 2597172
>>2597166
i think it's one of those pieces where you need an analytical mind to appreciate it
she really sucks at math but her language skills are beyond me. luckily english is fairly close to my native language so i don't get called an esl retard all the time
--- 2597174
>>2596662
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJFZaZMv46w [Embed]
--- 2597186
>>2597170
btw half the fermenter being filled with pulp is not an exaggeration
--- 2597187
Are these things just a waste of time? 
Used it 2 weeks ago
> failed several bottle caps, crimped but fell off
> bottles are in fridge now, can remove lids with bare fingers
I’m just not getting a good clamp. Not sure if it’s the caps, the bottles, or if design just sucks and I need to get one that pushes straight down on whole bottle.
--- 2597191
>>2597172
she the teacher and me the aspie engineer
we're both walking stereotypes
--- 2597252
>>2597187
I have a lever one that pushes down on the whole bottle. The exact one in pic related 
I can't fault it, it has lasted me ages and is always a good seal once you get the height adjusted correctly
--- 2597257
>>2597187
I had one and it worked fine. Held on so good my.bottles.all exploded because I put too.much carbonation sugar in
--- 2597263
Don't expect anyone to know this.
Can an ispindel be housed in a rapt pill housing?
Rapt pill housings (price + postage) are cheap where I live and are a bit more sanitary.
--- 2597286
>>2597160
you are german
aldi is a shitshow
please apologise
--- 2597344
>>2597286
Linked wrong posting?
--- 2597390
>>2593775 (OP)
my wine carboys are getting light strike - not quickly, but assuredly i think.

i need a film or cover to block the uv. any other similar experiences / solutions? i make between 5 - 10 carboys a year, chardonnay and cabernet
--- 2597469
Hey guys. I'm wanting to try out brewing. At a very small scale (lack of space). I'd like to do about 4 liters of moonshine per batch. 

Could you point me to your best resources?

thank you.
--- 2597533
where can I get good silicone tube? the amazon and ebay listings look like shit
--- 2597627
>>2597390
Where do you store them? As long as they're out of the sun the effect should be absolutely minimal to non-existent.

If you still fear the effects, any barrier will do, even a cardboard box.


>>2597469
4 liters of moonshine (~50% ABV) = ~20 liters of mash (~10% ABV)
If that is still small enough of a scale, every 30 liters fermentation bucket will do, they're mostly between 10-20 Euros/Dollars depending on where you live.
As for stills, can't help you there.


>>2597533
Most silicone tubing comes from the same manufacturers in China, so no matter where you buy, chances are very high that you get exactly the same products as from other online shops or from AliExpress.
There are EU manufacturers of silicone tubing but they cost double to triple of what the Chinese ones cost. As long as the Chinese silicone tube has a food-safety certificate of your region and your ministry of health, you're allowed to use them for 24/7 gastronomy service. Using them for a brewday per month doesn't do any harm.
--- 2597636
>>2597627
naw, something serious is happening. might be air. ive given all the carboys paper wraps.
i think its light strike - the fruit character of both the chard and the cab is degrading, leaving them each with a fruitless, alsmost tootsie roll taste. lightstrike seems to be the closest thing i cam find to describe it. i should probably deal with my oxygen issues from always popping them open and drinking them i guess too. i need a cellar.
--- 2597639
>>2597132
No I understand that you entered into brewing that way, I meant things like onions sauce since all you need is a tray and a couple of jars
--- 2597640
>>2597639
>onions sauce
cursed mods and their filters
soya sauce
--- 2597663
First pressure fermentation. Using a fermzilla conical fermenter with corny keg deal, it is rated up to 2.4 bar. Hoping no explosions and will report back.
This does seem too tall to put into a kegerator, what's a way of externally chilling this? Ice blanket?
--- 2597668
>>2597636
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_fault#Oxidation

For me your symptoms sound like oxidation.
Why don't you bottle your wines? That way only one bottle at a time oxidizes, when you want to have a drink.
--- 2597670
>>2597639
OK, I understand what you mean.

The only "kitchen-related" things I'm making is:

>Kombucha
>Fermented Chili Sauce
>Mixed Pickles
>Sauerkraut

I'm moving into a new house at the end of June, which will be a huge financial burden, which also means that I want to reduce brewing cost for the time being.
When I stabilized I'll try Söy Sauce and Sake, just to get to know the processes first-hand. But to be quite honest, I doubt that I'll be able to create something that even comes close to the classic Kikkoman at its price.
--- 2597674
>>2597663
>what's a way of externally chilling this?
Cooling coil:
https://brouwland.com/en/other/10577-fermzilla-temp-twister-cooling-heating-coil.html

But you'll need a Glycol Chiller for that which is very costly.

>it is rated up to 2.4 bar. Hoping no explosions
It has a PRV, that will trigger before the vessel bursts.

What is your verdict for the Fermzilla? I was always intrigued by them, especially the V3 which you have but I found the price really off-putting.
--- 2597694
>>2597668
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_fault#Oxidation
DMS / lightstrike seems the best descriptor for the fault.

id have to check my notes when i last racked and cleaned the carboys. am a somewhat exprinced newb. i can make the wine pretty good, now ontp preserving it. learning by error i guess.
--- 2597822
>>2597674
>What is your verdict for the Fermzilla? I was always intrigued by them, especially the V3 which you have but I found the price really off-putting.
I have used it once before for a beer that I racked to a barrel for aging, and overall I think it's worth the expense. It is very difficult to open without grip tape, and a pain in the arse to clean, but as vessels go, it's been great for a traditional airlock fermenter. I'll give you the verdict on fermenting under pressure.
As it so happens I found airlock bungs that fit my 20L barrels so I'll be doing all my primaries for oaked meads directly in barrel now. So I'll be playing with pressure fermentation with my Fermzillas. I have a v2 and v3. V3 is much easier to work with.
--- 2597938
>>2597082
My last mead batch ended up becoming incredibly dry to the point of tasting off. In the last general you mentioned backsweetening mead to reintroduce sweetness and honey flavour to the batch. What exactly is the process that you use? Do you reintroduce honey while it's fermenting or once you rack it?
--- 2597961
>>2597938
nta but introducing sugar while it's fermenting will probably only lead to more alcohol in the end product (unless you introduce so much that the yeast is unable to ferment it all)
--- 2597999
>>2597663
>>2597822
I advice you to ferment your mead with the valve open, so that when you open it to collect the yeast it won't make big bubbles that will disturb the cake and make you wait longer. Also if you pressure ferment using the PRV as a pressure relief valve it will be way too carbonated, I mean full geyser when you open it. Also it depends of what you're after but pressure fermenting usually mute the aromatic notes the yeast can give.

>>2597674
It's breddy gud, for beer brewing it greatly facilitates dry hopping, closed transfers and yeast harvesting.
--- 2598000
>>2597999
I meant using the PRV as a spunding valve
--- 2598021
My raspberry / cranberry brew is almost done in primary and a lot of stuff has dropped. Now I noticed there’s some pulp+yeast still floating, but when I touch the vessel some of it drops usually. Is it a good idea to give the vessel a shake and let it all drop quickly, or better to wait until it does so by itself (if ever)
--- 2598059
>>2597999
>I advice you to ferment your mead with the valve open, so that when you open it to collect the yeast it won't make big bubbles that will disturb the cake and make you wait longer. 
I'll try that next time, thanks for the advice. As it happens, since I'm using a ball float, I was going to basically drink the non-lees portion, and when I'm down to dregs, THEN I'll open the valve. There's a lot of stuff in there - I ferment my pu ehr meads with the tea in situ. I'll try your approach next time. 
>Also if you pressure ferment using the PRV as a pressure relief valve it will be way too carbonated, I mean full geyser when you open it.
Its not using the center PRV for spunding.There are two corny keg ball valves. One is hooked to the ball float and the other has a butterfly spunding attachment with a pressure gauge.
--- 2598236
SO, I committed a funny recently and used cabbage water from boiling instead of normal water for sauerkraut fermentation because that's how I roll, changing shit up every time. Everything went according to the usual script, except the last 4 days when I forgot all about the remaining kraut I've been chipping away at and today took a peek...

On the surface, not touching the walls I've found weird, wrinkly, leathery, white umbrella shapes instead of normal kahm yeast scum. White except for the very middles that sunk a bit and turned more grayish color, brownish verging on almost greenish but not really. There was a couple square millimeters speck of actual green mold away from the surface, on the wall of the vessel, but I dunno if those were actually related. That shit was bright green. Still have two bowls of kraut that I fished out of the thing... Is leathery and completely non-fuzzy still a mold possibly? I haven't seen yeasts like that before but I wanna eat the kraut. Again: zero of that usual powdery scum that sometimes pops up when you wait too long. It felt papery to the touch. Can't really make photos, don't have anything to do them with. Did I get penicillium camemberti to grow on my cabbage or something?

pic is a fuck huge arctic microbial mat that reminds me of those lil lilypod things lul
--- 2598240
>>2597822
Thanks anon, much appreciated.


>>2597938
My process with mead is different from most here, since I'm using a cellulose plate filter with pump for sterile filtering.
But let's go step by step:
>Do you reintroduce honey while it's fermenting or once you rack it?
I add honey when fermentation completely finished and the mead rested for at least 2 months. Reintroducing honey into a just finished fermentation can kickstart the fermentation again in a few minutes.

As a rule of thumb I add 40g of sugar per liter, which conveniently is one glass (500g) of honey (80g sugar/100g) per 10 liters.
But that strongly depends on what type of honey the mead is made of and if it's a Melomel or Metheglyn. Experiment for yourself where your comfort zone of sweetness/dryness lies.

After you added the honey, give it a proper stir, bottle the mead and pasteurize the mead by heating the closed bottles in a 74°C hot water bath for at least 10 minutes.
--- 2598249
>>2598236
PS after thinking about it I conclude it had to be some kind of white penicillium. But no fuzz on both sides, no nothing. This article
http://fermentationpodcast.com/five-questions-mold-food-safety/
suggests it's safe-ish, I guess? Thoughts before I get a ride from the ambulance? There was maybe two tablespoons of those lil shitters in there.
--- 2598516
What's the entirely clear slime-esque stuff that seems to float?
--- 2598550
>>2598516
we're gonna need more info than that anon
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>>2598516
Often a bacteria colony, for me it’s usually acetobacter or wild LAB
 

In my case it’s usually vinegar
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>>2598516
Seconding this >>2598550

But as a first guess, depending on the yeast you used it might be Glycerin.
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>>2598550
Dunno what to say, it's almost entirely clear, appears on the top, the reason I notice it at all is because small bubbles seem to get stuck in it
>>2598575
The homebrew was mead, the yeast used was D47
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>>2598577
Then it's most likely Glycerin, should be a layer about 0.5 to 1.0mm high and it's really viscous.
That's actually a good thing, Glycerin is a byproduct of fermentation and is a natural flavor enhancer. It makes the mead stick to your palate and throat and thus releases aroma after swallowing a sip, which increases flavor.

Bacteria, especially LAB is more milky-white-ish and forms patches which look like ice floes.
--- 2598740
The airlock activity on my cyser has slowed down to 1 bubble every 1:30 minutes. Should I wait some more or am I cleared to bottle?
--- 2598798
>>2598740
Fermentation is finished if no activity is detected whatsoever. That's why I'm always recommending to buy a hydrometer to see if the gravity is still changing.

If you're not pasteurizing after bottling, you're asking for an uncontrolled amount of carbonation in your Cyser and for possible bottle bombs.

Keep us updated on how it turned out.
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>>2594291
Update on my DDH DIPA

2nd Dry Hop went in 3 days ago, just put it into cold crash.
Will keg it on saturday.
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wanted to see how cheap I could go so I made a plain sugar wash with bread yeast and it kinda smells like dog poop
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>>2598740
it's a good indicator for fermentation speed but when the airlock is nearly dead but not completely you can possibly still have significant fermentation going on with a leaking airlock or it's degassing. if you have a proper seal then it's probably the latter
like the sneedman said do some hydrometer readings
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>>2598798
btw there was some discussion a while ago about temperature and pressure and you said you would put a pressure gauge on a bottle to see how accurate some calculations actually are but you never made a follow up post about it
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>>2598876
Yep, didn't make any cider since then because I knew that I'll be moving in 5 weeks. Didn't want to take active fermentation vessels with me, that's why I completely shut down production of brews that take longer than beer since the beginning of the year. My DDH DIPA is the last brew that I made before I move.
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Anyone know who this youtuber is? He has a recipe Im trying to find and I havent watched him since like 2017
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>>2598888
formerly chuck's 
checked
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>>2598740
>>2598872
> it's a good indicator for fermentation speed

It is but if fermentation is stuck, racking can potentially restart it. It’s a good indicator of speed but not of current sugar/potential. I second >>2598798 but with the side notes that if SG is under .998 you’re usually safe and unpasteurised imo tastes better
--- 2599088
Has anyone had success cultivating their own brewing yeast at home? There's only one homebrewing distributor in my area and they charge a stupid high delivery fee which I don't feel like paying outside of the occasional large order. Basically if I feel like brewing and am missing yeast, I don't want to pay 3x the cost of the yeast satchets simply for the delivery fee.
Can you cultivate brewing yeast DIY? In my pantry I have baking yeast, some unfiltered commercial beer and a couple bottles of an unfiltered homebrewed Belgian abbey style beer. Can I cultivate a yeast strain from these sources that would tolerate higher alcohol % (14-16%)? How would I store it for future use, or would I have to brew with it ASAP?
Also tangentially related, has anyone succeeded in cultivating yeast strains with desired qualities through selective breeding? Like is it possible to breed a champagne or lager yeast from a yeast used to brew ale over time?
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>>2599088
> cultivating their own brewing yeast at home
Limited experience. Never did more than one generation. You can buy 1 sachet and yield like 10-20x that for your next brew. After the second generation the properties are very variable and it’s hard to predict what you’ll get

> Can you cultivate brewing yeast DIY? In my pantry I have baking yeast
Will probably go 8-10% maybe more unless it’s this very specialised bread/cake strain, then you may get as little as 4%. Haven’t tried but I’d be amazed if you can get a >2% tolerance increase without lab stuff and a very very long process. 

> would I store it for future use, or would I have to brew with it ASAP?
Sterile, air tight, in the fridge, 6 months is doable.
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>>2599092
>After the second generation the properties are very variable and it’s hard to predict what you’ll get
What do you mean by this? Off-tastes? Variable alcohol/temperature tolerances?
>Will probably go 8-10% maybe more unless it’s this very specialised bread/cake strain, then you may get as little as 4%. Haven’t tried but I’d be amazed if you can get a >2% tolerance increase without lab stuff and a very very long process.
More or less what I expected. Most online sources say that baking yeast dies out around 4-6% ABV but from experimenting with it in brewing (due to aforementioned delivery fees) I suspect it's gotten as high as 8 or 10%
--- 2599135
>>2599115
>but from experimenting with it in brewing (due to aforementioned delivery fees) I suspect it's gotten as high as 8 or 10%
That's very likely. Like I said like a thousand times already, bakers yeast is exactly the same type of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae like all ale breweries on this planet use and I already had brews with bakers yeast that easily went above 10% ABV.
All of those "Dude believe me, bakers yeast dies at 4%!" can never name any source for their claims and never tried it themselves, because nowadays everyone is scared of proving themselves wrong.
Also, yeast always produces ethanol and CO2 in the same ratio, claiming "bakers yeast doesn't create enough ethanol" is claiming "bakers yeast doesn't create enough CO2" at the same time, which for baking is pretty counter productive. 

As for harvesting yeast, I'm doing it but since I have not nearly enough knowledge about the matter, I'm only storing one generation and a lot is trial and error. Thus all the info that I can give is very vague and nothing can be said for certain. I had yeast completely dead after 6 months and I had yeast which I was able to reactivate after 3 years, so nothing concrete on the maximum duration of storage. The majority claims that you shouldn't store longer than 6 months.
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>>2599135
I know you’re very adamant about this point but consider this

Bread yeast packets from supermarket almost never state an optimum temperature on the package. So many people screw up by assuming it’s the same as their ec1118 or safcider or whatever they use normally, they ferment at wrong temperature and then complain that it won’t work well. Fleischman is popular in the US and has an optimum temperature of 37-40(!!!) celsius.
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>>2599135
>That's very likely. Like I said like a thousand times already, bakers yeast is exactly the same type of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae like all ale breweries on this planet use and I already had brews with bakers yeast that easily went above 10% ABV.

The last brew I made was strong enough that 2-3 glasses got me the drunker side of tipsy and I have a pretty high alcohol tolerance. I would've guessed they were about 10% or even a tad higher. I also didn't notice any "bready" taste that online sources allege it imparts on your brew, maybe they're just drinking their homemade mead or wine without giving it time to settle and clarify.
--- 2599294
does starsan stop working if it sits in a spray bottle for a long time
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>>2599294
They say 3 weeks somewhere in the manual. When it goes bad it turns cloudy so you can check before you use it
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>>2599260
> The last brew I made was strong enough that 2-3 glasses got me the drunker side of tipsy and I have a pretty high alcohol tolerance.
Tangentially related question: does anyone experience a fast drunk/tipsy feeling when drinking homebrew that has a lot of fusel/heavy alcohols? Like if you make apple cider and it smells like acetone, you take 1-2 small glasses and already feel really tipsy? I’ve had it a few different times when ‘testing’ a green cider but I’m not sure if it’s real or placebo.

> didn't notice any "bready" taste that online sources allege it imparts on your brew
Bready taste is most if not all times a result of letting the brew sit on top of the dead yeast cells for too long in primary, or leaving too much yeast in the bottle while aging
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>>2599369
>Tangentially related question: does anyone experience a fast drunk/tipsy feeling when drinking homebrew that has a lot of fusel/heavy alcohols?
YES. I am glad I'm not the only one.
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>>2599365
okay thanks
--- 2599465
>>2599088
i have heard more than once that the yeast they use for carbonation is different than the one used during main fermentation but "i have heard" is not not the best source, i know
i've done it a few times with chimay, worked without exception, but there is a chance i got to work with discount yeast
also yes bread yeast that supposedly dies at 4% is a complete myth. in fact you have to search very hard to find a yeast with a tolerance that isn't in the double digits
if you want to save cost then reusing a yeast cake is very easy to do. in fact it saves a lot of effort as well, but i understand that not cleaning a carboy before fermentation might look sloppy to a lot of people, but if your brew isn't infected then why would the nex gen be?
there was a youtube video of a guy literally doing 20+ gens to see what happens but i can't find it right now
--- 2599913
Every time I try to make a hop heavy beer it ends up absolutely clinging to my palate and the bitter aftertaste just lingers way too long. Using columbus and cascade hops.
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>>2599913
try hallertau
--- 2599941
Alright /hbg/ bros, redpill me on using assorted laundry and kitchen/cooking bags for BIAB. Picrels are various items from my local Chineseum emporium. Help me decide on which of these to buy to BIAB approximately 1kg of malt for a 5L batch. 
The first is a fine nylon bag used for washing laundry. It's dimensions seem quite large and it has a zipper down the middle but the nylon mesh seems fine enough
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>>2599941
Second is a wider netted nylon bag that seems to be used for cooking vegetables. Seems somewhat ideal but the gaps in the net seem quite large
--- 2599972
>>2599088
Fleischmans
--- 2600102
>>2598240
Update on the pressure fermentation using the fermzilla v3:
>Bit of a rough start since the rubber gaskets on the inside of the corny keg attachments were not seated properly so was losing pressure.
>In addition, the PSI meter on my blowtie 2 spunding head was broken.
I opened and reseated everything and retightened and we are good now. The rubber grip tool provided isn't sufficient, you will need a pipe wrench. I got a Blowtie 1 and the PSI meter is good. We are happily sitting just around 2.3 bar. You need to push down on the tap head to get a constant flow, but that's a minor inconvenience. Good carbonation. As this is mead less head retention then beer but still good.
As for the mead itself, it's pretty delicious. The interplay of the pu-ehr tea and szechuan peppercorns gives it a flavor somewhere between cola, ginger ale and root beer. Carbonation helps lighten it on the tongue. I look forward to future taste tests. More to follow.
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>>2600102
Sounds good anon, make sure to keep us updated
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>>2597187
I used one of those for years, never had any problems at all. 
Maybe yours is just fucked up somehow? Are the crimping jaws fucked or or something?
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>>2599941
First one looks good but there is no telling on the durability of it, I guess it depends on the price if it's worth a try.
The second one is no good, the holes are way too big.
--- 2600729
>>2595895

Update! Its only been about a week but the bubbling has been very slow. Gonna add yeast nutrient. (Forgot at beginning) Did a taste test and it tastes like a watered down Faygo Red Pop.
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>>2600729

Forgot pic.
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>2595018
It belongs on both boards. I really hate giving you a (you) so I'll cut a carrot out, but you'll still see this.