brewing in this heat

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done a coopers draught was in the FV for two weeks until yesterday,no sign of any visual activity so kegged it.hydro says1050 down to 1017:-? and brix says 9.2 to 5.1 bloody high FGs and upon kegging tasted a bit sour:eek: but im sure itll be fine,just this time of year
 
Brewing this time of year in our house is ok apart from the b****y fruit flies everywhere. Temperature in our living room is currently a steady 18c so that's not an issue, even when it's pushing 30 outside. The benefit of thick stone walls.

Got a black IPA in the FV at the moment and am thinking I'd be better off barrelling it as that's easy enough to keep the flies off while I'm doing it.
 
I think members who have been saying lager is sheep dip haven't had a proper lager. They're really nice if brewed properly. A lot of the commercercial mass produced lagers are definately in the sheep dip category though. I tried a Peroni for the first time the other eve. It was disgusting
 
I think members who have been saying lager is sheep dip haven't had a proper lager. They're really nice if brewed properly. A lot of the commercercial mass produced lagers are definately in the sheep dip category though. I tried a Peroni for the first time the other eve. It was disgusting
A lot of new lagers are hopped now,WHY? Its just like a DH pale ale ffs
 
I think members who have been saying lager is sheep dip haven't had a proper lager. They're really nice if brewed properly. A lot of the commercercial mass produced lagers are definately in the sheep dip category though. I tried a Peroni for the first time the other eve. It was disgusting

You may well be right! Any recommendations?
 
A lot of new lagers are hopped now,WHY? Its just like a DH pale ale ffs

Tbh, a lager can be like a hopped pale ale, the difference being that a hopped lager will be cleaner and smoother than a pale ale.
Also another couple of differences between a pale and a lager is that in general lagers use nobel hops whereas a pale ale wont. A second difference is that a lager will usually have lower bitterness (IBUs), one of the main reasons I like them as I'm not much of a hop head. But all told their are some close releations between a lager and a pale ale (kissing cousins if you like). It's one reason a pale ale is often used to get a lager drinker into ales
 
I agree that saisons and belgians are good styles to brew on this heat, but then the conversation turned crazy with all this lager talk! Let's clear some points.

Saison is a style of beer that can be better unsderstood with the BJCP definition:

25B. Saison
Overall Impression:
Most commonly, a pale, refreshing, highly-attenuated, moderately-bitter, moderate-strength Belgian ale with a very dry finish. Typically highly carbonated, and using non-barley cereal grains and optional spices for complexity, as complements the expressive yeast character that is fruity, spicy, and not overly phenolic. Less common variations include both lower-alcohol and higher-alcohol products, as well as darker versions with additional malt character.
Aroma:
Quite aromatic, with fruity, spicy, and hoppy characteristics evident. The esters can be fairly high (moderate to high), and are often reminiscent of citrus fruits such as oranges or lemons. The hops are low to moderate and are often spicy, floral, earthy, or fruity. Stronger versions can have a soft, spicy alcohol note (low intensity). Spicy notes are typically peppery rather than clove-like, and can be up to moderately-strong (typically yeast-derived). Subtle, complementary herb or spice additions are allowable, but should not dominate. The malt character is typically slightly grainy in character and low in intensity. Darker and stronger versions will have more noticeable malt, with darker versions taking characteristics associated with grains of that color (toasty, biscuity, caramelly, chocolate, etc.). In versions where sourness is present instead BJCPof bitterness, some of the sour character can be detected (low to moderate).
Appearance:
Pale versions are often a distinctive pale orange but may be pale golden to amber in color (gold to amber-gold is most common). Darker versions may run from copper to dark brown. Long-lasting, dense, rocky white to ivory head resulting in characteristic Belgian lace on the glass as it fades. Clarity is poor to good, though haze is not unexpected in this type of unfiltered beer. Effervescent.
Flavor:
Medium-low to medium-high fruity and spicy flavors, supported by a low to medium soft malt character, often with some grainy flavors. Bitterness is typically moderate to high, although sourness can be present in place of bitterness (both should not be strong flavors at the same time). Attenuation is extremely high, which gives a characteristic dry finish essential to the style; a Saison should never finish sweet. The fruity character is frequently citrusy (orange or lemon), and the
spices are typically peppery. Allow for a range of balance in the fruity-spicy characteristics; this is often driven by the yeast selection. Hop flavor is low to moderate, and generally spicy or earthy in character. The balance is towards the fruity, spicy, hoppy character, with any bitterness or sourness not overwhelming these flavors. Darker versions will have more malt character, with a range of flavors derived from darker malts (toasty, bready, biscuity, chocolate, etc.) that support the fruity-spicy character of the beer (roasted flavors are not typical). Stronger versions will have more malt flavor in general, as well as a light alcohol impression. Herbs and spices are completely optional, but if present should be used in moderation and not detract from the yeast character. The finish is very dry and the aftertaste is typically bitter and spicy. The hop bitterness can be restrained, although it can seem accentuated due to the high attenuation levels.
Mouthfeel:
Light to medium body. Alcohol sensation varies with strength, from none in table version to light in standard versions, to moderate in super versions. However, any warming character should be fairly low. Very high carbonation with an effervescent quality. There is enough prickly acidity on the tongue to balance the very dry finish. In versions with sourness, a low to moderate tart character can add a refreshing bite, but not be puckering (optional).
Comments:
Variations exist in strength and color, but they all have similar characteristics and balance, in particularly the refreshing, highly-attenuated, dry character with high carbonation. There is no correlation between strength and color. The balance can change somewhat with strength and
color variations, but the family resemblance to the original artisanal ale should be evident. Pale versions are likely to be more bitter and have more hop character, while darker versions tend to have more malt character and sweetness, yielding a more balanced presentations. Stronger versions
often will have more malt flavor, richness, and body simply due to their higher gravity. Although they tend to be very well-attenuated, they may not be perceived to be as dry as standard-strength saisons due to their strength. The Saison yeast character is a must, although maltier and richer versions will
tend to mask this character more. Often called Farmhouse alesin the US, but this term is not common in Europe where they are simply part of a larger grouping of artisanal ales.
This is from the BJCP guideline of beers

Tbh, a lager can be like a hopped pale ale, the difference being that a hopped lager will be cleaner and smoother than a pale ale.
In my opinion, the only ales capable to taste similarly to a regular clear lager (that means, not taking into consideration black lagers) are blonde and cream ales, which can taste a little crispier than other ales, like pales.

Also another couple of differences between a pale and a lager is that in general lagers use nobel hops whereas a pale ale wont. A second difference is that a lager will usually have lower bitterness (IBUs)
First part is partly true, although there are people who brew lagerss with american hops, is actually like a trend in America.

Regarding the bitterness, I've tasted a couple of India Pale Lagers, which also goes to show that we are in de midst of a new generation of brewers and styles.
 
Im not brewing atm as i cant drink due to meds, but generally i would stop brewing between june and the end of sept anyway, but my brewing the rest of the year would provide plenty of supplies to keep me going, as i keep suggesting to everyone i always stash at least 1/4 of any bottled brews and when kegging all the surplus bottles(23-5l brews 19l cornies..)..

years ago when bin bags were thick n substantial I did once use a binbag inside a sleeping bag to insulate the brew and drop 2 x frozen bottles of 2l of ice in as an exchange on a daily basis.. i maintained the regime for one brew successfully but failed 2 days in a row with the 2nd which was a BIG FAIL as a result. So If meticulous in habit it can be done ...

But if you keep a regular brew schedule during the cooler months of the year, the summer can be a time to chill and drain the supplies soon to be replenished come autumn ;) tho that does depend on your pals to some degree, quite a few times before becoming a home owner ive gone for a stash to find hosemates have been and raided it, but they never found em all ;).. .
 
I agree that saisons and belgians are good styles to brew on this heat, but then the conversation turned crazy with all this lager talk! Let's clear some points.

Saison is a style of beer that can be better unsderstood with the BJCP definition:

This is from the BJCP guideline of beers

In my opinion, the only ales capable to taste similarly to a regular clear lager (that means, not taking into consideration black lagers) are blonde and cream ales, which can taste a little crispier than other ales, like pales.

First part is partly true, although there are people who brew lagerss with american hops, is actually like a trend in America.

Regarding the bitterness, I've tasted a couple of India Pale Lagers, which also goes to show that we are in de midst of a new generation of brewers and styles.

Read enough threads and you'll realize that it's the norm rather than the exception for threads to go off piste (then leave the ski resort all together for a little drive in the country) here :lol:

We've had this discussion about styles before. I think the forum concluded that with the new generation of brewers it's really hard nowadays to pin a style down because people keep inventing new ones or blurring the bounderies between styles. It's almost getting the point where style names are becoming irrelevant. Unless your entering a comp and even then the BJCP are struggling to keep up . My comments to Godsdog were kind of a rule of thumb in this era of 'non-styles' else I'd have had to also add a long list of exceptions and caveats.
 
I now have a fermenting shed, I can ferment 200 litres ,before I made my cool room I used to ferment in the bedroom. The glug glug of the fermenting beer was enough to put me to sleep, and with 5 fermenters going I had the additional adrenalin rush of wondering if I would wake up in the morning with the amount of CO2 in the room.When my wife would say goodnight I would reply good luck, easily got permission off SWMBO to build my cool room.
 
If you can track down a can or bottle of Marble Brewing Your Betrayal you'll get a taste of what a Pils can be. Flavoursome and hoppy without being removed from style.

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I've said it so many times Im bored of saying it. Put your FV into the water with a t shirt over it. The t shirt will wick the water at the right rate for it to evaporate which cools the water, FV and all. Towels are too thick so dont work well, ice is too labour intensive and needs checking and changing. When Ive used a t shirt, which has the added benefit of it fits over and has a hole for the airlock, it has always kept my brew at 20°.
 
how do you brew in this heat
I have tried everything to keep temp right
with dust bin full of water with the fv in and still to high a temp
not only that how can you brew a beer with the rolling boil going for 60-90min at a time
I am done in by the end of a full day brewing


Is a brew fridge out of the question ?


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Have you considered brewing a saison? That yeast was made for the heat (well really the heat made the yeast!) but it means you can make use of the summer heat. It's a very versatile style as well, so you can do a hoppy saison, black saison, wheat saison etc.
 
I think members who have been saying lager is sheep dip haven't had a proper lager. They're really nice if brewed properly. A lot of the commercercial mass produced lagers are definately in the sheep dip category though. I tried a Peroni for the first time the other eve. It was disgusting

I agree with this

After discovering Ale about 5 6 years ago I abandoned lager for the most part and this carried through into my HBing, however since doing some AG lagers has made me really rediscover my liking for the style (not to take away from the ales of course) but a proper light clean crisp with those subtle hops can be delightful even as it warms up... try drinking a can of carling at room temp.
 
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