Beer Buzz: Home Brew

[carltonplace]

Done it.  Tasted icky.  

I was in college when I pulled that stunt, and the beer was so bad that we loaded it all into a home made still my roommate and I had and distilled it into beershine.  Still tasted bad but you could knock it back much faster.

I hate to hear that. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[Gaspar]

I hate to hear that. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

The hangover was legendary. 

[carltonplace]

The hangover was legendary. 

for the Distilled Beer, I bet. I'd try it on a dare.

My OG was 1050 and I'm hoping for a FG around 1010 so I'm not expecting a high ABV.

[Gaspar]

for the Distilled Beer, I bet. I'd try it on a dare.

My OG was 1050 and I'm hoping for a FG around 1010 so I'm not expecting a high ABV.

If I remember correctly the bread yeast produced a very high ABV for some reason.  It also produced a bitter yeasty flavor that was hard to shake.

[Red Arrow]

So I brewed 5 gallons of stout and dropped it to 70 degrees and pitched my brewer's yeast and...nothing. No activity for a full 24 hours.

Then I did something crazy: I used bakers yeast and within an hour fermentation had gone wild. I started to worry that I might have messed up my batch and after searching the web where consensus is: "they are the same strains of yeast...but have different credentials. Don't swap them".

Then I ran into this: http://en.sevenload.com/shows/Basic-Brewing/episodes/DeDcrKR-09-28-07-Basic-Brewing-Video-Trading-Places-Beer-and-Bread-Yeast

Outcome: in a pinch you can swap brewer's and baker's yeast. I'll post after racking, bottling and conditioning and report if the stout is any good and if it has any carbonation.

Let us know if it tastes like stout.  It may be OK but taste like entirely something else.

[carltonplace]

Let us know if it tastes like stout.  It may be OK but taste like entirely something else.

If it's good I'll give you a six pack.
If it's bad it will be used as garden fertilizer.

[carltonplace]

Lesson Learned: Do not add Bread yeast to a coffee stout. 

I made a new batch and the WYeast Irish Ale again did not begin fermentation. Went out to HG and bought a new pack from them and fermentation began post haste.

Additional Lesson Learned: Do not buy yeast on line...drive to the center of H.E.Double Hockey sticks to visit High Gravity to buy yeast.

[TeeDub]

Additional Lesson Learned: Do not buy yeast on line...drive to the center of H.E.Double Hockey sticks to visit High Gravity to buy yeast.

Get yourself a couple of mason jars and fill them with the trub from the bottom of your primary fermenter.   Solids are okay.  They will keep for months in the fridge and save you from having to buy new yeast for each batch.   (Remember that each yeast tastes a little different so use appropriately.)

[rdj]

Lesson Learned: Do not add Bread yeast to a coffee stout. 

I made a new batch and the WYeast Irish Ale again did not begin fermentation. Went out to HG and bought a new pack from them and fermentation began post haste.

Additional Lesson Learned: Do not buy yeast on line...drive to the center of H.E.Double Hockey sticks to visit High Gravity to buy yeast.

Does Mecca on Brookside not sell brewer's yeast?  I thought they sold homebrew supplies?

[carltonplace]

Does Mecca on Brookside not sell brewer's yeast?  I thought they sold homebrew supplies?

I've never seen liquid yeast there. They do have brewing kits and some supplies, but I stopped using kits awhile back.

[carltonplace]

Get yourself a couple of mason jars and fill them with the trub from the bottom of your primary fermenter.   Solids are okay.  They will keep for months in the fridge and save you from having to buy new yeast for each batch.   (Remember that each yeast tastes a little different so use appropriately.)

I've seen this process: Put the trub in sterilized ice cold water in a mason jar and let the yeast settle and pour off the excess water, then feed to reactivate.

[TeeDub]

I've seen this process: Put the trub in sterilized ice cold water in a mason jar and let the yeast settle and pour off the excess water, then feed to reactivate.

That sounds like effort...   I just poured the trub and all back into the next batch.   Like a sourdough starter.    Never had a problem with off flavors or anything else.