Quick question for the homebrewers, I know there

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

I bought a dried hefe yeast, but I also have a nottingham ale yeast. What I was going to do, was another batch of the brown ale (it turned out really really good), but this time, I was going to substitute the ale yeast with the hefe yeast, to try to produce the banana/clove esters and flavors of a hefe, while maintaining the other qualities of the brown ale. I think the beer itself would lend itself to that taste/aroma very nicely.

However, I am not using any wheat extract as it's not a hefe.

Does hefe yeast need wheat to produce those esters, or do you think I should be good to go?

Thats what I'm going to love about homebrew, making my own stuff up. I am doing this tonight, then I'm going to get up to the shop saturday and get some more ingredients, and do a 2nd batch next week when I get this one into the 2ndry fermentor.

Probably do a lighter ale, or an IPA this time, something different.

Anyway, if you know about the yeast thing, I would appreciate the help.

Cheers

And a second question for this. I intend to start another batch as soon as I have this brew (which I will do tonight) in the secondary fermentor.

What I am looking for, is suggestions for a decent beer, that will ferment well, but I can have ready to drink within 3 weeks, if possible (looking for about a 7-8 day ferment, and about 2 weeks to carbonate in the bottles using priming sugar)

Anyone have any answers on the yeast and recommendations on the quickbrew...

[Oberon 0]

You should be OK with the yeast, but it would be a good question for a brewing forum, or the guys at your local homebrew store if they're worth a damn.

If you want something good in three weeks, I would avoid the IPA - mine typically took longer than that. Some sort of milder pale ale would probably be your best bet. Good luck, and if you really love homebrewing, don't have kids.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

I was thinking of an american ale, but I'm not gone on the taste, compared to the IPA's or the brown ales.

My last batch I fermented for 10 days (7 in the primary, 3 in the secondary), and then sat for 2 weeks in bottles before tasting, then for another week to finish, and it came out well.

I just have some friends from home coming in mid september, so if I get a batch on now, and another on at the weekend, I can have 2 brews ready for when they are here.

[acollette49 0]

adding a hefe yeast to a brown ale would be interesting. i dont know how it will work. but, i dont think the hefe yeast needs wheat to produce the banana/clove notes...i think thats just a by-product of the hefe yeast strain. im all for experimentation, so id give it a go.

also, id start using pitchable yeast. http://morebeer.com/search/102172

there is less chance of "dead" yeast. unless you are making a starter.

as for the quick ferment...id do something like a mild or bitter. they shouldnt have to finish for more than 2 weeks...

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

First, Oberon, thanks for the forum link, thats a great resource.

Acollette, I used a dry yeast. I picked it up from the local home brew shop. The owner said no one round here has used it yet, because its the first time they got a dry hefe yeast.

He also said it would be interesting, and wants a report on how it turned out, as well as how the yeast worked. He said he used the brand before, just not the yeast itself.

Anyway, brewed it all up last night, had to sit to about 12.30 am to get it cool enough, I posed the question on the northernbrewer forum oberon listed, and was advised to pitch the yeast at 55-60 degrees, I had previously added the yeast when I got the wort down under 75 degrees.

My gravity reading was lower this time to, 1.052, but was within a couple of points, so I think it should be good to go.

Fingers crossed, I'm going to transfer to the secondary probably next tuesday or wednesday, so should get a rough idea at that stage

[Oberon 0]

Good luck, I'm curious to hear how it turns out. I've never actually dug through that forum (it has come into existence since I last brewed), but Northern Brewer is my favorite local homebrew store. Support your Local Homebrew Store!

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Good luck, I'm curious to hear how it turns out. I've never actually dug through that forum (it has come into existence since I last brewed), but Northern Brewer is my favorite local homebrew store. Support your Local Homebrew Store!

I agree, this is my LHS, http://www.mylhbs.com/

Only 10 minutes from my house, former brewer with Potomac Valley Brewing, it's his own recipe of doublenut he formulated when he was with them that I made.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Batch number 2 now in the secondary, a brown ale with a hefe yeast.

Batch number 3 is being boiled tomorrow, a speckled hen clone, mmm, lotsa beers

Batch 2

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

Your first stuff was gooood.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully they will get better with experience.

[tbintexas 0]

Gavin et al... I used to make liters and liters of home-brew wine, but it always tasted like home-made wine (even if I used the premium kits). I can't drink the stuff anymore...

How does the beer compare or taste vs the store-bought stuff? I'm not talking Bud light here of course...

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Gavin et al... I used to make liters and liters of home-brew wine, but it always tasted like home-made wine (even if I used the premium kits). I can't drink the stuff anymore...

How does the beer compare or taste vs the store-bought stuff? I'm not talking Bud light here of course...

I think I have a bias, but I think it tastes pretty good. I sent JR a couple of bottles, so he might be able to give a more objective opinion.

What I made first was a doublenut brown ale. It's sort of half way between a ruby brown ale, and an ESB (extra special bitter).

I didn't use a finishing ingredient, such as Irish moss, so the beer wasn't as clear as store bought, and I fermented at a temperature a little higher than I should have, so it's got a little bit of sweetness/caramelly taste to it.

But I think it holds up well as a solid drinkable beer, not just a homemade get you drunk beer (although it's about 5.7%, so it will get you drunk)

This is how it came out....

Looks alright to me :lol:

[acollette49 0]

Gavin et al... I used to make liters and liters of home-brew wine, but it always tasted like home-made wine (even if I used the premium kits). I can't drink the stuff anymore...

How does the beer compare or taste vs the store-bought stuff? I'm not talking Bud light here of course...

to me, this is the difference between all grain and extract/partial mash brewing. all of the partial mash beers ive made have had an underlying sweetness to them. they havent been bad, just not close to commercial beer.

the all grain is a different story. maybe its because we havent been drunk while brewing, but the beers have been quite good...and im very critical of the stuff weve made. i know the saison we did can stand up to any commercially available american saison. im very proud of that one. if the smoked porter rounds out a bit...that one will be fantastic. if not, it can be fixed.

that said, ive had some very nice extract and partial mash beers...just none that ive made.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

acollette, the step to going all grain, how long did it take from extract to AG for you?

I've been told I should get right into it, but I'm still in the learning process, so am heistant.

Is it an expensive jump, do I need much more stuff?

[acollette49 0]

allsmoke,

i think we moved to all grain 3 or 4 batches in. i now wish wed gone all grain from the start. there is so much more control and freedom in all grain. i suppose its good to learn the basic process with extract...

if you are up for a bit of diy, itll be pretty cheap to go all grain. we got 2 10ish gallon rubbermaid coolers for the mash tun, and thats pretty much it. you can use the carboy and ale pail for fermentation. we installed a spigot and filter ourselves...there are instructions on how to convert coolers on the interweb. if i still have the link ill send it to you when i get home.

we are going to brew an ipa and a pale on saturday. should be interesting...

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Here is what's going on in my kitchen tonight...

Batch Size: 17.0 L (4.5 gallons)

Ingredients:

2.16 kg Dry Light Extract (4.752lbs) upped to 5lb

0.31 kg British Crystal 55°L (0.682lbs)

0.21 kg Cane Sugar (0.462lbs) ½ lb Lyles golden syrup to replace cane sugar

0.1 kg Dry Wheat Extract (0.222lbs)

25 g Challenger (8.0%) - boiled 60 min (0.881 oz) upped to 1 oz

13 g East Kent Goldings (5.0%) - boiled 15 min (0.458 oz)

13 g Challenger (8.0%) - boiled 15 min (0.458 oz)

1 tsp Irish Moss - boiled 15 min

25 g East Kent Goldings (5.0%) - boiled 1 min (0.881 oz)

WYeast 1028 London Ale

The stats:

Original Gravity: 1.063

Terminal Gravity: 1.014

Color: 23.0 (6.0 - 18.0)

Alcohol: 6.47% (4.6% - 6.2%)

Bitterness: 41.86 (30.0 - 50.0)

This is my second batch on, in the past week. First batch put into the secondary last night.

This was originally an attempt at a cloned speckled hen I got from another forum, but it's apparently a little sweeter, and not quite as hoppy.

I also made a couple of modifications for myself (since I want to try to get off a rigid path, so I can get a better feel for my own beer).

An exchange with the guy who posted the recipe said the wheat extract was for mouthfeel and head retention, I don't think it's neccessary, and I'm subbing in the lyles so I don't get the dryness or bitter aftertaste from the cane sugar.

Oh yeah, by tomorrow morning I will have close to 11 gallons of beer fermenting here.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

My label from my first batch...

Madra is the Irish word for dog

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

another batch ready, and a third conditioning, this is addictive

This is my ESB