Bunglebrewsbeer
Landlord.
I had mine in a keg on work top for just over 6 months. Kept giving it a blast of co2 and it stayed fine for me.
Bulldog, Evil Dog Double IPA
- Thread starter alymere
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Fantastic! All is good then. Now onto making some wine!
Looks goood to me, mate!
I made this back in May and FG was about 1002, if I recall correctly, so you look bang on track.
Of course, you should ensure that the FG remains stable for 2-3 days before you decide it's stopped fermenting.
I made this back in May and FG was about 1002, if I recall correctly, so you look bang on track.
Of course, you should ensure that the FG remains stable for 2-3 days before you decide it's stopped fermenting.
I started my Evil Dog on Friday and it's bubbling away furiously. I can't wait to get stuck into it. My first Bulldog brew, I've made a few Brewferm kits which I'm very impressed with, currently working my way through the Abdij. I did brew Coopers Heritage lager which turned out dreadfully bad. Not quite sure what I did wrong with it, chalking it up to experience. Thankfully more success than failure at the moment.
RobShamrock
Active Member
Just put on my evil dog tonight too. I've done the red cat couple months ago it turned out good and strong too. I've also done the coppers heritage lager it was only ok I'll drink then All but won't be doing it again
Linalmeemow
Landlord.
I bottled this one back in June and I'm drinking it at the moment. Not terribly impressed with it - I followed the instructions to the letter including the hop addition, but it now tastes nothing like an IPA with barely any hop flavour at all. It tastes like a very poor attempt at a Duvel clone. It's still drinkable (and packs quite a punch - more than a couple and I'm messy!) but it's not what I was expecting and not one I'll do again.
I agree. I had high hopes for this, but found the flavour changed extremely quickly and it tasted like a poor facsimile of a Belgian brew. This was possibly due to pitching yeast at too high a temperature, which has caused it to take on a plumb or banana type flavour. It's still drinkable. but not what I was expecting. I still have about 8 pints left in my PB. I tried giving it to my 18 year old and her mates, but they've given up as well (although I think that's down to the high alcohol content and not the taste)
Hey you guys, think I might need some quick advise. I've read the entire thread, might have missed something, anyhow I got some questions!
I started my kit following included instructions. It started of good and the water lock was in rapid action within 24h, maximum 5s between the bubbles. Within just few days, the smell of it was real tempting.
At day 8 the water lock activity was at about 40s in between. Did a reading, 1015, so tossed in the summit hops, and figured I'll wait as long as possible before adding the Simcoe. Can the hops be in for too long? I mean in the way that they give the beer a bad taste or something? Should I pick it up if I dont bottle soon? Today its day 11.
At what water lock activity/frequency do you guys consider the fermentation done? Or do you mostly go by alcohol readings?
Im also wondering about gelatine and temperature. I dont have any good possibilities of cooling down my brew before adding the gelatine, does this come with any risks? Beside from it not doing a complete job.
Water lock activity at about every 65s. When is it considerd "low enough"?
Thank you! :
I started my kit following included instructions. It started of good and the water lock was in rapid action within 24h, maximum 5s between the bubbles. Within just few days, the smell of it was real tempting.
At day 8 the water lock activity was at about 40s in between. Did a reading, 1015, so tossed in the summit hops, and figured I'll wait as long as possible before adding the Simcoe. Can the hops be in for too long? I mean in the way that they give the beer a bad taste or something? Should I pick it up if I dont bottle soon? Today its day 11.
At what water lock activity/frequency do you guys consider the fermentation done? Or do you mostly go by alcohol readings?
Im also wondering about gelatine and temperature. I dont have any good possibilities of cooling down my brew before adding the gelatine, does this come with any risks? Beside from it not doing a complete job.
Water lock activity at about every 65s. When is it considerd "low enough"?
Thank you! :
Don't rely on your airlock. FV lids leak, mine do for sure, and so CO2 can bypass the airlock and give you the wrong message. Safest way to tell if it's finished is to use your hydrometer. The same gravity reading on two or three consecutive days will be the best sign, and also using your eyes to see if it still looks active. I don't know this kit but your reading of 1015 looks like it is still going especially as others have gone a lot lower.
If I were you I would leave it until its definitely finished as above, before adding the rest of the hops. Those you have already added shouldn't cause any serious problems to your brew. If it's any help I usually dry hop for five to six days after the primary finished.
Not sure about gelatine finings. Others will have to advise you. I don't fine my homebrew, never have. Just let gravity, nature and time get on with clearing the beer.
Ok thanks, I'll just leave the added hops alone then! And I can absolutely understand you about the gelatin, anyone else though.. what about the relations between gelatin and and temperature, I'm still curious.
I know the brew is supposed to be ice cold, but what about temperatures about 12-13 Celsius? Can it to damage to the brew?
I know the brew is supposed to be ice cold, but what about temperatures about 12-13 Celsius? Can it to damage to the brew?
I agree, use the hydrometer. Mine was at bottling point for about 4 days before I bottled. I added the hops after about 10 days, it was bottled at 15 days. I've had a couple of tester bottles and I'm not disappointed at all. It's going to be hard to let it mature
Ok, did a reading today at 1012, figure I'll do another on monday or so (today saturday afternoon). About adding sugar to the brew, can I add it at the same time as I decide to add the last hops, and let it be for 2 days before bottling?
Are there risks of adding sugar water to the brew, compared to adding sugar to each bottle? Seems to be a better option, infection risk wise, to add cool, boiled sugar water to the brew. :wha:
Are there risks of adding sugar water to the brew, compared to adding sugar to each bottle? Seems to be a better option, infection risk wise, to add cool, boiled sugar water to the brew. :wha:
Looks like your brew is still going. You can't hurry it along, its ready when it's ready. Just keep using your hydrometer from time to time.
As far as adding your priming sugar, you should not add it until you are ready to bottle. The reason you add a precise amount of priming sugar to your bottles (or keg) is to get the right degree of carbonation for your beer. If you add the sugar to the FV a while before you bottle/keg you will restart the fermentation and the CO2 created will be lost and will not carbonate your beer as required.
You can add priming sugar - in the correct amount - direct to the bottles, there is virtually no chance of infection, provided you are using clean dry equipment to add the sugar. This is what I do, and many others.
If you want to bulk prime however, then you need to use a second FV or similar, or a bottling bucket, into which you siphon off your brew from the original FV, and then you add the sugar. I don't do this, so others will have to advise you on the best technique.
RobShamrock
Active Member
I did this brew as my christmas brew for 2015, I left it in F/V for three weeks in total, hopped it 4/5 days before bottling, got 34 500ml swing tops from brew, bottled on 20 sept. its crystal clear in bottles already from warm conditioning, I have high hopes for this brew, next stage I'm going to stash down in my dads garage away from my house and temptation, kept a couple bottles to test late october but the rest I'm keeping for christmas time,
final gravity was about 1.012/14 or so from a start of 1.082/4 so going to be strong 8.5% + I'm guessing.
final gravity was about 1.012/14 or so from a start of 1.082/4 so going to be strong 8.5% + I'm guessing.
Godsdog
Landlord.
Hiya,newby here,homebrewer of 40 odd years standing.
Just started this in fv 2 days back,got it on a heating tray with a tempeture sticker on the fv,bubbling along niceley although the temperature sticker says 30 i do most brews on the tray when autumn turns cold and its never harmed them at a slightly higher fermenting temperature,will this do it any harm though? Gonna stick it in a corny keg without priming sugar when fermented out and gas it up, anyone done that without the priming sugar as that's really the idea of cornys,does this kit really take upwards of 6/7 weeks to ferment out? Ta
Just started this in fv 2 days back,got it on a heating tray with a tempeture sticker on the fv,bubbling along niceley although the temperature sticker says 30 i do most brews on the tray when autumn turns cold and its never harmed them at a slightly higher fermenting temperature,will this do it any harm though? Gonna stick it in a corny keg without priming sugar when fermented out and gas it up, anyone done that without the priming sugar as that's really the idea of cornys,does this kit really take upwards of 6/7 weeks to ferment out? Ta
colliefish
Regular.
I did this a while back a couple of times. Once for me and once for a mate. I'll dig my book out tomorrow and check the times. 30 deg is high. I've read it can cause off flavours but can't remember the science. It's on here somewhere.
As for kornies. I gas mine. Seems ok. I just need to learn not to get too carried away and end up with fizzy pop.
As for kornies. I gas mine. Seems ok. I just need to learn not to get too carried away and end up with fizzy pop.
BeerCat
Landlord.
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This was a lovely beer. Mine came out at 8% but i found the hop aroma faded quickly. It was best after 2 weeks in the bottle.
Godsdog
Landlord.
Think its a constant 27 rather than 30 not an exact science with a temp sticker and a thermometer held against the fv with an elestic band lol ,cornys? Had mine about 5 years IMO a lot more hard work than a kingkeg,I never gas more than 30 to start with as you will get a glass of foam you can always shake it down before leaving it to stand but I don't bother with doing that very often unless I'm in a hurry to drink some out of it which is rare as I run two kingkegs with it
