A few questions to answer please

[steve5815]

Introduced myself last week after doing a brew following Jims recipe and instructions, batch now in barrel, hopefully secondary fermenting, put a small ammount into plastic lucozade bottle and that produced a fizz when opened today. What temperature should the barrel be stored at for optimum secondary fermentation? I`ve barrelled 23l into a 9 gallon cask which i have modified to take a ball valve and fittings as i intend to deliver my brew using a beer engine, i have set up a co2 cylinder with a low pressure regulator (0 - 20psi) set at 5psi to put a blanket of co2 onto the brew to prolonge life, when should i introduce my blanket of co2? is there any problems with such a big air space?

Yesterday i started a strong dark ale which is now fermenting well.

I intend to do some 5 or 10 litre brews to experiment with different recipes, do i need to scale down eqiupment to minimise losses? Are mash, sparge and boil times less for a lesser quantity of grain and liquor? Is it possible to put grains in hop bag when mashing and sparging small ammounts?

I think i have got the brewing bug! Just need to get my wood burner set up in the garage now winters coming.

[WishboneBrewery]

If you filled your 9 Gallon cask as best you could with co2 before you racked your beer into it, you have a fair chance your beer will be alright.
If you didn't, I'm not too sure.... maybe someone else will have a better idea of longevity.

[Tom_D]

I intend to do some 5 or 10 litre brews to experiment with different recipes, do i need to scale down eqiupment to minimise losses

Your boil-off rate will be the same regardless of your batch size e.g. I lose 3 litres per hour whether I'm doing 19L or 8L.

What size is your primary fermenter? I brew 12L batches in a 20L better bottle for primary and have no problems but then I don't bother with a secondary. If you were looking to ferment 10L in 9 a gallon vessel it may be problematic.

Are mash, sparge and boil times less for a lesser quantity of grain and liquor? Is it possible to put grains in hop bag when mashing and sparging small ammounts?

Mash, sparge and boil times will be the same regardless of batch size. You can certainly use a bag, I'd recommend BIAB (brew in a bag) with a square of voile curtain. It works a treat!

[steve5815]

Thank you for information, I ferment in a 6 gallon bucket but am going to get some 3 gallon buckets to ferment my smaller batches, then i can get 2 in my warm cupboard.

Can i stir my brew during primary fermentation?

Why dont you secondary ferment? Is your primary fermentation left longer?

My 9 gallon casks are for 23l+ batches, I am looking at smaller casks for my trial brews.

Do you have a recipe for a stout that can be brewed in time for christmas? as recipes ive seen seem to take 3 to 6 months to mature.

[dave-o]

Can i stir my brew during primary fermentation?

Best not to, unless you have a good reason, e.g. rousing the yeast on a stuck fermentation.

Why dont you secondary ferment? Is your primary fermentation left longer?

There is no need to do a secondary fermentation. Usually one week fermenting and then 5 days ro so clearing with gelatine and it's ready for bottling.

Do you have a recipe for a stout that can be brewed in time for christmas? as recipes ive seen seem to take 3 to 6 months to mature.

Your standard stout is something like:
3500g pale malt
1000g flaked barley
500g roast barley
Bittering hops to 30ish IBU
(23l)

This is a good place to start and will be ready to drink a week after bottling.

[Tom_D]

I've only been brewing for about a year myself so I'm also learning a lot from these guys. From what I've heard, the yeasts that are available today are far better than those that were available in the past which makes secondary fermentation less of a necessity.

[JammyBStard]

Just a point I've picked up on recently:

There is secondary fermentors (fv) and secondary fermentation.

Racking to secondary which is what's been disscussed here is moving the beer to a second vessel to get it away from the yeast floc and trub and also to let it condition in it's packaging.

Secondary fermentation is is adding suggars or fruit or somthing after the yeast has munched it's way through the maltose to start a second round of fermentation.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, it's just somthing that confused me for a while because the two terms are so often mixed up.

[Tom_D]

Racking to secondary which is what's been disscussed here is moving the beer to a second vessel to get it away from the yeast floc and trub and also to let it condition in it's packaging.

Secondary fermentation is is adding suggars or fruit or somthing after the yeast has munched it's way through the maltose to start a second round of fermentation.

Good call JammyBStard, I should have clarified that. Racking to a secondary is less crucial these days but you do want a small secondary fermentation in your bottles or keg.

[steve5815]

Dav-o

Re - Secondary fermentation and finishing from Jims instuctions says

"The beer containing the sugar and gelatine is mixed into the beer in the barrel, which is then sealed. During the first week or so, secondary fermentation converts the added sugar, producing enough carbon dioxide gas to create condition and promote head formation. The beer will not be ready to drink straight away, though; first it needs to mature. The maturation process takes at least 4 weeks, but I prefer to leave it for six weeks or more. The flavour improves during maturation, as some of the undesirable yeast by-products from primary fermentation break down over time."

Are you saying that once barrelled the beer will be ready after 5 days in the barrel?

[dave-o]

It looks to me like that is describing fining and priming in one, in a barrel.

I like to fine before barrelling/bottling as that will mean there is as little sediment as possible in the beer. This is probably less important when barreling than bottling (you won't be tilting the barrel when you pour) but for the sake of a few days i would probably still do it.

[steve5815]

Thanks Dav-o for the answers, I keep checking beer in barrel and its clearing and and tastes good.

For the stout (and others brews) do you use a set time for mashing or do you alter mash times for different ingredients and quantities?

Going to have a go at stout next week when my present brew has finished fermenting.

[dave-o]

A standard mash schedule will be fine for a basic stout.