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DocAnna said:

thought the advice isn't always consistent

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Jabber1 said:

Hi All,
I'm a novice brewer in the west of Ireland. Done about 7 brews with mixed results, I'm hoping to get some advice on how to get more consistent brew results. Looking at some of the advice in the threads I've come to the right place

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Obadiah Boondoggle said:

Hi J

Consistency is one of the hardest things to achieve because there are so many factors that can make a difference. What would be on that long list of factors depends on whether you are brewing kits or all grain and also what equipment you are using

The west of Ireland - what a beautiful place - Galway or further South/North?

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Jabber1 said:

About 30 mins north of Galway but I commute there twice a week for work. Great city when the sun shines....
Ive not attempted an all grain just doing kits. I'm using bog standard plastic fermentation bucket but I've noticed the temp gets up to and stays at around 22°C during the brew so I'm thinking this is too high and affects the end product. I'm wondering if investing in a better FV might be a good step?

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Jabber1 said:

About 30 mins north of Galway but I commute there twice a week for work. Great city when the sun shines....
Ive not attempted an all grain just doing kits. I'm using bog standard plastic fermentation bucket but I've noticed the temp gets up to and stays at around 22°C during the brew so I'm thinking this is too high and affects the end product. I'm wondering if investing in a better FV might be a good step?

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Cwrw666 said:

22 isn't too high but don't go over 25 as you can get unpleasant fruity flavours. I'm assuming you're doing ales or stouts. You can do a lot of temperature control by simply moving your fermenter to a suitable temperature place.

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Obadiah Boondoggle said:

Depending on the yeast, 22C shouldn't be an issue. Does the kit tell you which variety of yeast, what style of beer are you brewing? Lagers do need to ferment at a lower temperature but, what do the instructions advise re temperature?

I have been brewing for the best part of 30 years (which I find surprising as I am only 27 now) but still use plastic buckets

How are you controlling your mash temperature? - this is critical

What has been wrong with the worst brew you have done?

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the baron said:

You can always use Kveik Yeast in the hotter months thats what I do, its quicker, no lag and does not need to clean up like most standards yeast where a lot of off tastes can come from( Bottling, Kegging too early)

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Jabber1 said:

I'm just doing kits at the minute, the one I'm doing now is MUNTONS FLAGSHIP HAZY IPA the yeast is Safale-04, I activated it before pitching.
I get a kind of wait for it..... Wet cardboard taste.. from a good few of the brews, my brother thinks it's the fermentation temp. I'm bmvery careful about measurements and temps when doing the brew but most of them just seem to have an off taste.

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Obadiah Boondoggle said:

S-O4 is an easy going yeast and a temp of 22C would not upset it

I think the issue might be oxidisation. Prior to fermenting, you want to get as much oxygen in the wort as possible, as this will aid fermentation.

Post fermentation oxygen is a definite no no - particularly for hoppy beers. Too much oxygen will cause a wet cardboard taste

You should set up your bottling/kegging operation to minimise oxygen getting in there - so keep the end of the tube as far into the beer as possible as you fill your bottle or keg

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Ale House Rock said:

If you are using PET bottles, squeeze the air out of the head space before capping tightly. Your bottles will re-inflate with CO2 in the head space and much less oxygen in there. Use a filling wand to reduce bubbling/frothing and introduction of oxygen when filling your bottles.

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Obadiah Boondoggle said:

S-O4 is an easy going yeast and a temp of 22C would not upset it

I think the issue might be oxidisation. Prior to fermenting, you want to get as much oxygen in the wort as possible, as this will aid fermentation.

Post fermentation oxygen is a definite no no - particularly for hoppy beers. Too much oxygen will cause a wet cardboard taste

You should set up your bottling/kegging operation to minimise oxygen getting in there - so keep the end of the tube as far into the beer as possible as you fill your bottle or keg

Click to expand...