Daily Q & A! - December 28, 2024

[u/AutoModerator]

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[u/Saskbeerdrinker]

So brother in law got me a beer kit for a Christmas a low gravity brown cream ale and he was pumped he paid extra for liquid WLP001 yeast however he did not refrigerate the yeast for a few weeks. Is it worth trying the yeast in a starter or should I scrap and use an us-05 I have laying around? Didn’t have the heart to tell him.

[u/PM_me_ur_launch_code → u/Saskbeerdrinker]

I mean you already have it. Can't hurt to make a starter and try it out.

[u/Saskbeerdrinker → u/PM_me_ur_launch_code]

Any chance for off flavours though if it does come to life?

[u/PM_me_ur_launch_code → u/Saskbeerdrinker]

I don't think you would assuming it wasn't stored above room temp. I mean you're gonna ferment it at around room temp as it is so it should be fine.

[u/Saskbeerdrinker → u/PM_me_ur_launch_code]

Pitched 36 hours ago and see some little bubbles on the surface is this usually a good enough sign to consider viable?

[u/PM_me_ur_launch_code → u/Saskbeerdrinker]

Is there a small yeast cake on the bottom? Or is it cloudy like fermenting wort or clear like unfermented wort?

[u/Saskbeerdrinker → u/PM_me_ur_launch_code]

Cloudy with a cake on the bottom… did not notice the cake this morning.

[u/PM_me_ur_launch_code → u/Saskbeerdrinker]

Then I'd say it's working. If it was a big starter and the yeast was partially dead next time do a step up starter so it doesn't have to work as hard to ferment the large batch.

[u/Saskbeerdrinker → u/PM_me_ur_launch_code]

Thank you I’ll give it a go and see, I was more worried about the potential of ruining the batch could always smell the starter as well and see

[u/Jrw53932006]

There's a Brewzilla 35L Gen 3 for sale in my area. Listed at $200, is it worth upgrading? Ive recently switched to 3 gallon batches , BIAB on a propane burner.

Pros and cons?

[u/PM_me_ur_launch_code → u/Jrw53932006]

I personally love my AIO. I she. An anvil foundry but they're pretty similar. Definitely nice to be able to brew inside. It's nice for doing 5 gallon batches but you can do 3 gallon in it for sure.

$200 isn't a bad price assuming it's used but I'd offer $170 and see if they take it, but I'm a haggler on marketplace.

[u/a8amg]

I’ve started using Sodium Percarbonate to clean my equipment, do I need to sanitise after or just rinse with water?

[u/beefygravy → u/a8amg]

Yes use a no-rinse sanitiser afterwards like star san or similar. Clean->rinse->sanitiser

[u/Background_Tax_9545]

I've noticed on a few batches recently that after bottling, I'll get a decent amount of yeast settled at the bottom after they consume the bottling sugar.

What i am confused on is if I dont shake or stir up the trub, and then pour the beer it's thin and flat as well as poor tasting, but if I shake and mix in the trub the beer is more carbonated and flavorful.

What is going on here? Just another reason to start kegging? Thanks.

[u/xnoom → u/Background_Tax_9545]

It doesn't make sense that the beer would be more carbonated. If anything, it would be less carbonated, because shaking it would knock some CO2 out of solution. Are you judging carbonation by how big the head is when you pour?

As far as the flavor, maybe you just prefer the taste of suspended yeast?

[u/Ok-Yogurtcloset-4922 → u/Background_Tax_9545]

Good morning. You can add the priming sugar in some boiled water so it dissolves inside and you don’t have this sediment on the bottom. Another thing you can do is, to ferment in a keg or all rounder fermenter and force carbonate your beer.

[u/chino_brews → u/[deleted]]

I'm happy to have helped, but I don't know why you didn't just heed the advice I gave you and then post my commented procedure, rather than your incorrect procedure with shallow understanding, simply reformatted.

You lack understanding of the terminology, the reason for why we do certain steps, and the details that matter.

Yes, the general steps in broad strokes are fine. But why 4.7 kg of malt. Exactly which malts? Which hops? How much bitterness will you specific bag of hops give you if you add one ounce (28.3 g)?

So I'm still suggesting you read a book. See the New Brewer FAQs in the wiki. It has a "what should I read?" FAQ in there.

[u/beefygravy → u/[deleted]]

Wait for kettle to cool- are you actively cooling it? Like with a wort chiller. If not it's gonna take like 10 hours to cool

[u/hikeandbike33 → u/[deleted]]

Hops go in during the boil. The grains by itself will steep in the hot water usually for an hour