Ask a Question
12/15/2012 -- I'm looking to buy your Deluxe kit for my son for Christmas, and he'll need a brewpot. What's the advantage to having a spigot? I don't want to buy him junk, and none of us has ever brewed our own beer before. Aside from the brewpot and bottles, what else would he need to get started?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Our Equipment Kits are really quite complete. As you say, a large brewpot is necessay, as well as bottles.
A spigot in the brewpot is a "convenience" type of product. It just make the job easier than lifting up a hot, heavy brewpot. A 5 gallon batch of beer weighs more than 40 lbs. Just opening a drain valve (spigot) makes the job easier and safer than muscling it around.
No other items (aside from our Kit) are really necessary. We design it that way.
Don't forget the BEER ingredients though! We make that convenient as well. Simply figure out what kind of beer you like to drink, and choose an Ingredient Kit from that category (link provided below). They are all brewed in a similar way, so just pick a favorite style of brew and get with it!
http://store.homebrewheaven.com/beer-ingredient-recipe-kits-c33.aspx
5/2/2012 -- I am new to this brewing my own beer soda & wine. Your kits only have the brewing tools & not the mixing ingredients right?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Welcome to our hobby/obsession!
Yes, we sell the brewing equipment kits (tools) separately from the ingredients for making beer/wine/sodas. The Equipment Kits are a one time purchase, and you can choose the type of beer you like from our Ingredient Kits. We put together about 15 different recipe kits that get you started in the right way.
It's a good way to start, and many people "graduate" from using our kits to finding/formulating their own recipes. We feature a huge variety of malts, grains, yeasts, hops etc so the possibilities are endless. Fun stuff!
3/18/2012 -- can you ad cherries to your belguim ale kit to make a kriek style?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Certainly.
Use fresh cherries (no preservatives!) and crush and remove pits from them before adding. Best way is to wait until active fermentation is going then THEN the cherry "mush/juice). A nylon straining bag is useful for containing the skins etc.
Another way of achieving the same thing is to use our fruit flavorings (see link below). These are simply added to your beer just prior to bottling.
9/6/2011 -- Are you going to offer the hop goblin kits this year? If so, when will they be available for purchase?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Absolutely! This popular seasonal kit will be available on October 1st! (to brew in time for Halloween)-NOW AVAILABLE!
5/17/2010 -- what is your phone number?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: We can be reached at (425) 355-8865
Our toll free order is (800) 850-2739
2/25/2010 -- I'm brewing my first batch of your Belgian Ale. My starting gravity was 1.054 and 1.018 when transferred to the secondary. I tasted the beer out of the hydrometer and it tasted great. The only problem I see is that it is not very clear. I know this will improve during the time in the secondary fermentor but how clear should the beer be when finished? Should it be somewhat cloudy?
Thanks, your website is great!
Response From Homebrew Heaven: How clear should your beer be before botting? A difficult question to answer completely.
You can't judge that well by looking thru the carboy. If you aren't satisfied with the clarity of your hydrometer sample, my advice would be to wait a while. There is never any harm in this. Keep in mind that your beer is just getting better during this (short) wait. Your beer should be quite clear before bottling.
The desire to bottle and DRINK your beer is great, I know. Patience in brewing is indeed a virtue.
2/18/2010 -- I have my stout in the primary, just about to transfer to the secondary. I added oats to the boil and am thinking about putting some coffee and a vanilla bean into the secondary. What would be the best way to do this and do you think it would be too much??
Response From Homebrew Heaven: The best way to add coffee is to brew some up, and use that in place of water in your fermenter. If your beer needs a little "topping up" you could still do that.
Vanilla is easily added by throwing the whole bean into the seconday fermenter for about 1-2 weeks.
All these additions sound good, but it's probably best to just go with one, or at most two, in order to judge the effect for following batches.
9/3/2009 -- Is it possible to hop a bock beer more to give it a more balanced taste? and if so which hops would give such a end result? P.S. not a computer savvy guy, e-mail address is my wife cut me some slack on the name.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, it IS possible to add more hops to a bock. Add perhaps 1 oz of a good nobel hop to the boil, such as Hallertaur, Saaz or Tettnanger. Those are traditional "aroma" hops, but will also add some balancing bitterness. Yum!
Hah! Are you sure you want your WIFE learning about your beer brewing? Mine woulld just roll her eyes, but...
8/1/2009 -- I just finished my first batch of wheat beer and have transfered it to the primary, it's been about 28 hours and i've only noticed about 1 bubble per minute in the airlock. Is the yeast doing it's job or should I add another packet? Also a solid layer of sludge has formed on the surface of the beer, is this normal? Cheers!
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, it is working.
No, it doesn't need any additional yeast, and yes, the layer on top is entirely normal.
Hang in there and enjoy!
11/3/2008 -- is the belgian ale dark or light? It says both in various places in the decription. Is this close to a dubbel, or is it a more traditional ale?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: The color rating for this kit is approximately 9 SRM. Most people would call it "copper", but here is a better, more visual desription:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/wrucksterpage/color.htm
9/7/2008 -- I am a big fan of your ingredient kits but have noticed that the selection has been very low lately. Why are some of your best ingredient kits no longer available?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: We are big fans too! We even like selling them...
The real problem is product availability. There is currently a worldwide HOP shortage, believe it or not, and getting the proper varieties in the quantities that we need has been a real challenge. We're hoping the situation will resolve itself by the end of the year, but it may not. Big breweries, microbrews and home brew supply places are scrambling to buy whatever they can right now. We have been fortunate, actually. Many places cannot (and do not) sell hops at all now. Often they limit quantities to very small amounts.
We have chosen to limit the supplies of our ingredient kits and still offer some hops to home brewers out there. When we CAN offer more, we certainly will!
4/27/2008 -- what are the pros and cons of the dry yeast included in your ingredient kits vs the optional wet yeast culture? i'm especially interested in whether one produces more alcohol over the other and viability of the yeasts after shipping, and i welcome any other info you care to share.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Both dry yeasts and liquid yeast cultures are excellent products. Generally speaking, you would use a liquid yeast culture if you are trying to replicate a particular style (or brand) of beer. This is especially so with specialty beers, like hefeweizens, bocks, or lambics for instance. To give all the pro/cons for all styles would be a huge task.
A good source of information on liquid yeast cultures is the Wyeast website. It gives a rundown of all their cultures and viability information. Here is a link to their product selection section. For more alcohol, you would select one with a high attenuation value. That means it is capable of consuming more malt sugars (the yeast has a higher alcohol tolerance).
http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain.cfm
Liquid yeast cultures are fresh, and normal shipping is not a problem for them. If the shipping route crosses a very HOT area, it may make sense to add a frozen gel pack to your order to keep the liquid yeast cool for the trip. After it arrives you should put it into the refrigerator until the day before you brew.
3/12/2008 -- On the directions to your kits it is stated that the beer will get better with aging. I've brew a few of your kits and I would like to know the proper way to age the beers. I've brewed the west coast blonde Ale, Diamond Knot IPA, Steadfast scottish Ale, and the Kangaroo Tail Ale.
Thank You,
John Newman
Response From Homebrew Heaven: With ALL beers, it is important to age them away from strong sunlight or florescent light.
For ales (like those you brewed), room temperature storage is just fine.
For lagers, it is BEST to let them sit at room temperature for at least 2-3 weeks, and then store them in a cool area, like a basement. 42-55 deg F is ideal for that. If you can't find a place like that, no worries. Your lagers will be just fine at room temperature storage also.
2/19/2008 -- i purchased the brown ale, followed the directions but it's ben over 10 days and im still not getting any bubbles through the air lock. Beer temp is aprox 68 to70 degrees,what do you think?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I think you should take a hydrometer reading.
A hydrometer reading of your specific gravity will tell you what the condition of your beer is (done, still fermenting, not done etc), so you can THEN decide what the next step is. Time does not do this. Specific gravity reading do. Bubbling is an indicator, but a hydrometer reading tells the real story.
For me to tell you what to do at this point would be shooting in the dark.
1/26/2008 -- I live about an hour (if traffic is good) from the address on your website. Do you have an actual store or is everything here based solely online?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, we have an actual brick-and-mortar store in Everett, WA. People actually walk in and buy stuff!
Our address is:
Homebrew Heaven
9109 Evergreen Way
Everett, WA 98204
Here is a video of our shop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1a5fKvv8XI
Heck, you can actually call us on the phone, too! It's 425-355-8865. A person will actually answer as long as it's business hours!
6/25/2007 -- I am eager to bounce into the world of Home Brewing. What type of beer should I attempt to brew first, if I am a rookie at this? Should I attempt bottling first, then move onto kegging? Thanks, and Happy Brewing!
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Welcome to our world!
The best of type of beer to make is the kind you like to DRINK! All beers are made in a similar manner, so there is really no such thing as a "starter" beer. We encourage people to select a favorite beer style kit from our lineup in the Beer Ingredients (Recipe) section. Here is a link to that category:
http://store.homebrewheaven.com/Category33
These kits make great beer, and most importantly, they get you brewing the RIGHT way. Each has complete instructions that walk you right thru the process.
Yes, I would recommend bottling your beer at first. Kegging is a great way to go, but it's not for everyone. Even seasoned "keggers" make use of the bottling equipment in our kits every now and then.
Enjoy!
3/26/2007 -- I have recently made you Belgian ale kit and it was fantastic. I have another on hand and would like to add an all grain mash to make a Dubbel. Do you have any reccomendeations?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Easy. In a separate pot, steep about 2 lbs of crushed 2-row in about 3 quarts of 148 to 155 deg F water. Hold it for about 45 minutes at that temp, then drain and rinse the grains to collect all the sugars. Add this wort to your brewpot, and proceed brewing up the Belgian Ale as before.
Technically, this is called a "partial mash" recipe, because you are also using the extract from the kit.
1/25/2007 -- My first brew! First fermentation took 3 days. Been in carboy now for 4 days - no more activity - so I took a hydrometer reading - now at 1.010 original was at 1.042. Could it be ready for kegging? Seems crazy fast. This is the American Pilsner by the way. Great site!
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Why worry? Hydrometers don't lie. It may seem crazy fast to you, but it happens all the time. Fermentation time doesn't mean diddly. Hydrometer readings do. Lots of commercial breweries are on a 7 day brew-to-keg schedule.
It's ready to keg!
1/25/2007 -- Hello, I just received the Nectar of the Gods Mead kit with the Sweet Mead Yeast #3184 and I cannot wait to get started. My question is do I add the #3184 in WITH the packets of yeast that came with the kit? Or do I get rid of the packets that came with the kit and just use the #3184? I have the same question, but with the Belgian Ale Wyeast #1214. Use with or instead of? Thanks again, love the site!
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I would just use the liquid yeast cultures. They will give your brews the characteristics of that particular yeast, which is what you paid extra for. Keep the packets of dry yeast for a future batch!
Yeast is full of nutrients, too, so some people like to boil them in their beer wort. This of course kills the yeast cells, but adds nutrients to the beer. You would still add the liquid culture after it cools, of course.
1/15/2007 -- I just brewed your St. Pete's Pilsner, needless to say, I'm getting impatient waiting to try it. But my question is as follows: I would like to know the weights of the malts, grains, hops, irish moss, and yeast used to make batch. Could you inform on that? I am trying to keep a record and I failed to do that myself. Thanks.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Sorry. That is something that we do not do.
Our kits are proprietary recipes of Homebrew Heaven. We are justifiably proud of them, having won many awards and honors. Even commercial breweries have asked us for our recipes, and we've given the same answer.
1/12/2007 -- Just finished brewing your Belgian and noticed that when I got it cooled down and in to the fermenter it got thick and layered looking. Just wonder if ths will have alot of trub or will this disapate durng fermentation?
Love the site and the products! Great Job guy's!
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, it will layer (stratify) prior to fermentation. No cause for concern. During fermentation, it will mix thoroughly, and then after fermentation it will all settle out again, leaving you with clear beer.
Thank YOU for the kind words about our site and products. We put a lot of effort into it!
1/8/2007 -- I just brewed my first batch (St. Peter's Pilsner) and I think my impatience got the best of me. I placed the primary fermentor in my basement with a room temp at 55 degrees (approx. 6 days). I misread the directions as to when to switch the beer into the secondary fermentor. There was one bubble every 40 seconds, I didn't wait for the one bubble/minute or less. Is it ruined or is there something that I can do about it?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Absolutely NO reason for concern here.
We give time guidelines like "one bubble per minute" reluctantly, and the only reason we do it is because people insist on using a clock as a measure of how "done" their beer or wine is. They hate using a hydrometer. Clocks are more familiar, I guess. It is completely an artificial yardstick. Yeast cells don't wear watches, and if they did, they certainly wouldn't care about our "bubbles per minute".
In other words, your beer will be just fine! No need to do anything at this point except wait for fermentation to finish. When THAT occurs, well, it's up to the yeast cells...they do the work, we just take the credit!
1/6/2007 -- My batch of Vanilla Wiezen has been in the secondary fermenter for about a week now and I have not seen any bubbling. Is it possible that all the fermentation took place in the primary? What kind of reading am I looking for in the Wiezen prior to bottling? My first reading was 1.042. Thanks for the help.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, it is entirely possible.
This is the time to take an "ending gravity" reading, using your hydrometer and test jar. This reading should be (approx. 1.008 -1.014), according to your instructions for this kit.
1/3/2007 -- I see you get questions refering to this quite a bit. After 3 days we haven't seen any bubbling, and I made sure my seal was good again after reading, and it seems to be. I still ask because we had to alter the procedure a little to accommodate our indoor equipment. I could only use 2 gallons of water initially, but other than that followed everything else exactly. We also used the Wyeast Scottish Ale Yeast. After transfering into the primary fermentor we added enough cold water to bring it up to 5 gallons then took a reading, which came out to 1.037(I noticed you said this would come out low if you added water). So after reading, I sterilized the hydrometer again, took another sample, and now the reading is 1.040. Does it seem things are going ok? How do I wait for it to drop, and at that point, what do I do?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, we do get these kind of questions. People are anxious about their new hobby, and usually just want some assurance that they haven't screwed it up. That is SELDOM the case.
I will assume that the yeast was added after all the water was in there, AND that you ruptured the inner pouch on the yeast pack, and allowed it to swell up. If all that was done, you should have no problem. I also assume there is water in the airlock.
There may be a delay of a day or three, due to adding cold water to it. The yeast likes room temperature, not cold. Keep your primary fermenter up off of cold floors, and you should see activity soon.
After the reading drops to about 1.022 or so, siphon off the good stuff into your carboy and allow it to finish. Follow the directions from there...
12/30/2006 -- I have started brewing a batch of Shamrock Irish stout, it has been 72 hours and I have seen minimal productivity in the primary fermenter (1 major bubble from the air lock). The temp in the area of fermantation is approx. 68 degrees, my starting SG was 1.046, i am worried that nothing is occurring. should I transfer to carboy or take a reading first and then transfer? also, what's the best procedure for taking a reading from the primary without contamination?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Worrying never improved a beer.
My guesses at this point (in order):
1) The fermentation already occured, you just missed it
2) The lid on your primary fermenter is not sealed 100%
A hydrometer reading will tell you what is up.
There is no harm in opening up your bucket, and siphoning off a sample into your hydrometer test jar. A little air is not going to ruin a batch of beer. Just keep things clean, is all.
If your hydrometer reading is less than your starting reading, then fermentation HAS been occuring. Now it's a matter of how much has occured, and whether/not to transfer to your carboy. As a guide, transfer when the reading is about 1/3 to 1/2 of your original reading. In this case, the reading should be about 1.020 before transfering. This is NOT hard and fast number, as I say, it's just a guideline.
12/17/2006 -- I recieved the Belgian Ale kit as a gift. I would like to alter the recipe a bit and make the beer a bit "bigger". Can you tell me what style of Belgian Ale this is or give me a commercial brand that is similar so I can be creative. Also can you tell me the approx ABV of this beer based on the kit. Thanks!
Response From Homebrew Heaven: This kit will yield about 5.5% ABV as is. It is very much like an "abbey" style Belgian ale. To make it a BIG Belgian, try adding about 1 lb of dry malt extract to the boil. Enjoy!
11/5/2006 -- I live in Seattle, can I come and pick up the bottles in Everett? Do you have a "brick and mortar" store?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: You sure can. It is literally made of bricks and mortar, in South Everett. Our address is:
Homebrew Heaven
9109 Evergreen Way
Everett, WA 98204
425-355-8865
Hours are 10-6:30 M-F
and 9:30-5 on Saturdays
Here is a video of the place:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1a5fKvv8XI
Take a look around!
10/26/2006 -- mmm this kit turned out wonderfully i put a little corriander in it but nixed the orange peels regretfully but nonetheless it turned out to be my favorite batch ive made so far. my question is acctually about fermenters is it bad to use a 5 gallon alhambra waterbottle as a fermenter and if so why? thanks you guys kick ass
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Glad to hear your brew is coming out so nicely.
Sorry, but I really don't know what and alhambra bottle IS. A plastic carboy maybe? If sp, they CAN be used, they are just not ideal IMO. They are usually a smaller volume, and the plastic material is not as "sticky" as clean glass, and doesn't seem to cause as much sediment to settle out.
8/21/2006 -- hi i recently brewed the belgian ale on friday the 18th but to the t except i added a jar of mollases and put wyeast and a half packet of nottingham ale yeast in. the starting gravity if im reading it right was .o62 or 9% abv 16 balling. it was a bubbling away until sunday then was going very slowly(less than one per min like on the instructions)so i took a reading and it said .o20 2% abv 5 balling and waited until today and it says about the same so i siphoned it into the glass carboy to do some clearin but im gettin no airlock action at all it seems. soo my question is im wondering if its that extra yeast did the trick extra fast and if my bottles will explode if i bottle it now? oh thanks for the quick answer last time
Response From Homebrew Heaven: This all sounds very normal to me. There is absolutely NO problem with using additional yeast. Yes, that will make it ferment faster, which is a good thing. There is no reason to believe your beer will do anything other than taste good.
Let it clear, and bottle away!
8/11/2006 -- hi im thinking about buying your belgian ale kit but i dont have a cooler or anything so i was wondering if this beer would do ok fermenting at room temperature.also how long would it take to ship to california? thanks
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Ales ferment just fine from about 60-80 deg F. It takes about 3-4 business days to arrive in CA.
4/9/2006 -- With your recipe kits, what would happen if i added the hopped extract to the water in the at the same time i added the specialty grains and started heating? I don't really like moving 6 gallons of boiling water off a cooker to prevent scorching the extract and thought adding the extract right at the start would help.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: You can do that, however the dry malt extract will take a while to fully dissolve in the cold water.
You will find that dry malt extract tends to float on the top of the water until it dissolves, therefor scorching is less of a problem than with liquid (syrup) malt extracts that fall to the bottom.
4/4/2006 -- I am a big fan of the Belgian ale varietal, particularly the trappist ales similar to Chimay Grand Reserve. I live in Texas, and ambient temperatures here do not allow for the 55 degree fermentation recommended for this type of beer, especially in the spring and summer. I usually ferment my beers indoors, and the temperature is usually in the 75 degree range. What effect will this have on the finished product when brewing Belgian ales?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I don't know where you heard that 55 deg is ideal, because it is NOT. Belgian ales are commonly fermented at 70 deg and higher. Not a problem.
3/26/2006 -- I brewed Procrastinator Bock at the end of last year, and I'm really enjoying the fruits of my labor. I'm down to about 12 bottles... :(
Anyway, I want to brew another batch, but I'm ready to try a little bit of manipulation of the original recipe in order to tweak it. Do you have the original recipe quantities so I can modify it slightly?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: That's one thing we don't do (give out our recipes). Sorry.
We have put a lot of development "work" (fun actually) into our kits, and many people, other brewshops and even commercial breweries have tried to copy them. It doesn't make business sense to release that information. They are tried and true, they are our products, and we're proud of them! We have no problem with customers altering our kits to their tastes, and we encourage brewers to do that. We just don't make the recipes available outside of Homebrew Heaven.
3/26/2006 -- Delayed fermenting question...For three days, my IPA was happily bubbling along when we got a cold snap.. Then there was a decrease in fermenting for a good 2 days or so, even though I moved the primary fermenter inside from the garage. Will this affect taste adversely? Should I rack it into the secondary fermenter earlier/later or anything? Or toss the whole batch and start fresh?
Thanks and LOVE the seaturtle bottle caps!
Response From Homebrew Heaven: The most common question we get is:
"My beer/wine is not fermenting (according to the schedule) like I think is should...is it ruined?" People think it is either fermenting too slow or too fast, or has stopped prematurely or won't quit fermenting (again,... according to their schedule). This question falls into the same category.
My answer to these questions is always:
1) Yeast cells don't care about your schedule. They don't have brains or wristwatches. They respond to other things, like sugar levels, competition from other yeast, temperature, nutrient levels and LOTS of other things instead. Trying to get them to adhere to your schedule is futile. Sometime they just behave differently than expected.
2) Given the above, recipes that say things like "ferment for 10 days and bottle" make no sense. What does? Hydrometer readings. Without beginning and current hydrometer readings you are guessing based on the calender. At LEAST 95% of the time, there is no real problem with the brew. Without taking a reading, you don't know if your beer is done fermenting. It may very well be...I can't say without that reading. It is almost NEVER a good solution to toss out a batch based on a what it is/is not doing with regards to your schedule.
Will a few days of cool fermentation ruin your brew? Not very likely. Extended fermenation of a ale at very low temps is not good, but most of your fermentation (maybe all of it?) took place at the correct temps.
If it was me, I would go ahead and trasfer to your carboy now, and get a hydrometer reading to see where you are.
2/20/2006 -- I just finished the ESB kit. When I put the wort into the primary I had to add water in order to bring the level up to 5 gallons. So I added the water and took a SG reading and only got about a 1030 reading. Do you think that I grabbed some of the water in my sample and that is why the reading is low?
Is there anything I should do now? The batch seems to be bubbling away nicely.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Absoutely. Even if you stir it well, it will not completely mix, and will give you low readings.
It does not affect your beer, however. No need to do anything.
8/7/2005 -- I just started and this is the first beer I have brewed. Being a beginner, I of course made a mistake. I didn't put in the Irish Moss, but everything else I did according to the directions. What kind of effect will this have on the beer?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Very minor; not to worry.
Irish moss is a natural clarifier. It aids clearing by causing proteins to settle out prior to bottling.
The worst you may notice is that when you chill your beer, you get a slight haziness (called chill haze), but it will not affect the flavor of your beer at all.
6/20/2005 -- I've transfered my batch of your Belgian Ale into my secondary fermenter (a glass carboy) and I see no fermentation action. I'm particularly concerned because of the problem I ran into while siphoning the brew from my primary fermenter into the carboy. I brewed this batch with coriander and orange peel. Both of which were added 2 minutes before the end of the boil. I left the bits of orange in the wort while it fermented. When I tried to siphon the beer, the bits of peel plugged up the siphon tube. So I sterilized a strainer and poured the beer through it into a sterilized bottling pail. Using the spigot on the bottling pail I finally transfered the beer into the carboy. Is my batch ruined?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I'll bet you $100 it's NOT. Just because you see no signs of fermentation doesn't mean it's ruined. Take a hydrometer reading. It may be done, or very nearly so.
5/16/2005 -- i just asked a question but forgot to ask about your kits. Do the kits come with all the ingredients that i need or do i need to buy other ingredents to make my beer? and thanx again,i noticed that you don't try to sell people needless products when they ask you questions about home brewing. you just want to help people make better beer at home.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Homebrew Heaven Ingredient Kits come with everything you need except water; they are pre-measured, and ready to go with complete instructions.
Thank you for your comment; we try to be helpful. In the long run, that is best for home brewers, and best for our business as well.
2/13/2005 -- Hello, great site.
When tranfering the wort from brew pot to fermenter, do I tranfer everything to the fermenter(hops and anything else that is not liq) or do I filter that stuff out? These thing seem to get in the way somewhere down the line, in hoses and such. Whould this have an affect on the final taste or does it not mater?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Honestly, it doesn't matter that much. If you can rack it away from the "crud", that is good, but if you can't, just let it settle out. No problem. There is little or NO effect on the final taste. It LOOKS nasty, but there is little harm.
2/3/2005 -- Hi - we are first time home brewers, using your belgian kit. We bottled 4 days ago...I think we did pretty well, so far, except we forgot to add the Candi Sugar - is that a problem? My assumption is that the beer will just be slightly less sweet, and less strong - both of which are ok.
Next issue Our first fermentation was 5 days, second was 9 days. Is that too soon? The beer had fully stopped bubbling during the second fermentation, so we stopped. I am worried about how quick it was, especially after reading others on this site comment about a 5 week fermentation. Are we in for a bummer?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: It will be less stong (the sugar converts to alcohol), it has nothing to do with sweetness.
As I always say, yeast cells don't carry wristwatches. MANY things go into the fermentation time, like temperature, nutrients present, oxygen level at pitching, type, amount and freshness of yeast...and lots of others as well. In other words, no, you are not in for a bummer. A short fermentation time is a GOOD thing.
1/21/2005 -- WELL THIS MAY BE SILLY BUT I HAVE TO ASK.
I WILL SOON BE MAKING THE BELGIAN ALE I WILL BE USING THE LIQUID YEAST ,
I ACTIVATED THE YEAST BY SLAPPING IT
AND NOW THAT IT HAS SWELLED THERE FEELS LIKE THERE IS THIS SPONGEY LUMPY THING IN THERE
1. IS THIS NORMAL
2. WHEN I ADD THE YEAST TO MY WORT DOES THE SPONGEY MASS GO IN TOO?
3. HOW LONG WILL THE ACTIVATED YEAST BE OK LEFT IN THE SWOLLEN POUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO WAIT FOR MY ANSWER BEFORE GOING AHEAD WITH MY BREW?
AND THANK YOU THIS IS A GREAT RESOURCE. IT MAKES THIS HOBBY SO MUCH MORE FUN KNOWING THAT THERE ARE PROS OUT THERE FOR ME TO TURN TO WITH MY QUESTIONS.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: 1. Yes, this is normal.
The yeast, before your smacked it, was inside a small plastic pouch inside the larger package. Smacking it ruptures the inner pouch, and the yeast mixes with nutrients, causing it the large pouch to swell. No problem.
2. No, just pour out the liquid, and leave the plastic pouch behind.
3. Leaving the yeast for a couple of days, maybe a week, shouldn't be a problem.
1/18/2005 -- I got your Belgian Ale and also followed your suggestion of the extra DME, candi sugar and hops, and it's looking good so far, the initial gravity was in the 1.064 range, and it's fallen to 1.022-24. The bubbling has completely stopped, but I'm a bit nerveous about bottling it with the gravity so high. would it benefit me to add some champagne yeast or is it done now?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I'm guessing it is done, but I would take a hydrometer reading for (at least) 3 days, and if there is no further change, go ahead and bottle. I doubt if the champagne yeast would do anything.
12/20/2004 -- If you are kegging after the secondary fermentation and allowing the beer to condition or age does the keg need to be in the fridge or is it alright to store it in a cool dark place until you are ready to tap it?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: No, it does not need to be refrigerated. Storing can be done most in any cool spot. No need for darkness...light won't penetrate that keg!
11/2/2004 -- My friend and I have recently purchased your Belgian Ale kit. We followed all the proper steps to ensure a good brew, things were going well until the onset of Hurricane Ivan. Our brew was in the first stage primary fermentation. It has been there for a little over a month and a half. Can we proceed normally from here and actually produce a good product or should we consider this batch- botched and start again?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: A Hurricane is no match for BEER! Really, it should be fine.
As long as the airlock remained in place, I would pick up and go with it. Now you know what to name it: Ivan's Belgian Ale.
5/16/2004 -- I noticed in the recipes from "Capturing Beer" that the author recommends using less bittering hops when brewing up a full 5 gallons (instead of boiling 2-3 gallons and adding water to the primary). Do you recommend tinkering with the bittering hops of your kits (St. Pete's, etc) when boiling up a full 5 gallons of wort in the brewpot?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: No. Our kits are designed for a full 5 gallon boil (or more). That is the best way to make beer, and that the way we recommend doing it.
Using a concentrated wort (partial boil volume) doesn't properly utilize the hops (or malt) in the kit. It will still make good beer, but it is better to boil it all. Actually, I like to start with 6 gallons, to allow for evaporation during the boil, thus yeilding 5 gallons.
If you DO boil less than 5 gallons, it is possible to compensate for hop bitterness levels by adding slightly MORE hops, but that still doesn't address the poor breakdown of the malt, or the carmelization (darkening) that occurs from a concentrated boil. As I say, in general it's a bad idea. Get a bigger brewpot, and make better beer!
4/9/2004 -- I have your St Peter's Pilsner kit but desire some info not found in kit. Two questions....
Is there a full 5 lbs of the dry malt in the package ??
What bitterness rating may I expect using your recipe exactly to the best of my ability ?? I've 8 years brew experience.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: The expected bitterness is 16 IBU's, but we don't give out the actual ingredients, weights etc for our Homebrew Heaven Ingredient Kits.
3/25/2004 -- I am returning to home brewing after about 10 years off - don't ask! I made several batches of a kit called something like "Irish Ale" which was suggested by the retailer where I bought my original supplies. It was amber colored and well received by all. My understanding was that pilzners and ales could be made without cooling, lagers and stouts required cooler temps. (50 deg or so). Could you please give a breakdown as to pilzners, ales, stouts, porters and lagers as far as special temperature requirements during fermentation. Also, could you suggest a full bodied, strong dark beer.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Welcome back!
There are two primary types of beer, ales and lagers, based on the type of yeast used to ferment them.
Typically, lagers are the following styles:
pilsners
bocks
marzen/oktoberfest/vienna beers
Ales have many different styles:
stouts
porters
weizens
pale ales
IPA's
belgian ales
The above listing are generalities, of course, and there are a few "crossovers". There is nothing saying you can't make a bock using an ale yeast, for example.
Lagers are best fermented and stored at cool temperatures, in the range of about 40-50 deg F. They can be done warmer, but generally they become smoother with lagering.
Ales are typically fermented at about room temperature.
There are MANY full bodied, strong dark beers. For a lager, my favorite is our Procrastinator Bock. For an ale, try the Scuttlebutt Porter or Belgian Ale.
3/23/2004 -- I am a beginning homebrewer and I am trying to determine the Alcohol by Volume of your beer kits. How you you go about using the specific gravities (starting/ending) to determine the alcohol by volume?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: You can approximate the % alcohol by taking the starting gravity and subtracting the ending gravity. You then divide this value by 8.
For Example:
Start Gravity (OG) = 1.050
Ending Gravity (FG) = 1.012
Difference in gravity "points" = 38
38 divided by 8 = 4.75% alcohol by volume
This is a handy (easy) way to do it. There are other, more accurate ways but for most purposes this is close enough.
3/13/2004 -- 1. For a first time home brewer, is there a recipe that is cheap and easy, like only one thing to mix with the water? I want to have a test run to make sure I have the steps and the sterilization right, even if it makes a run of the Mill(er) style beer. I do not want to waste $30 on a good ale kit and turn it to vinegar as a learning experiment when I could just waste $5 of malt syrup!
I have a plastic-glass set-up and scotch ale ingredients that someone gave me, that is why I ask.
2. What is the success rate for first time brewers, and if I do make vinegar, should I run away crying?
3. Should I be trying to filter out the Irish Moss when I put the wort in the primary fermentor?
4. A comment: you have the only site on this subject that is both user friendly for shopping, and informative on the process!
Response From Homebrew Heaven: 1. We try to make really, really EASY, and the first time success rate is 100%, as far as I can tell. I'd recommend our Back to Basics Ale Kit, tho, if you want to be cautious. It is only $22.50 and makes a very good beer. The instructions are good...they walk you thru step-by-step.
Here is a link to it:
http://www.nexternal.com/hombre/?Target=products.asp&ProductID=956
2. See above. Success is expected. If, for some reason, you make something undrinkable, we'll refund your $$ on that batch. End of problem.
3. No, the irish moss should be left in. It helps proteins and other stuff settle out later. You will see it happen after the fermentation stops.
4. Thank YOU, Gill. We work hard on our website, and it just keeps getting bigger and better. We hear that people appreciate the variety of products and the advice. People keep coming back, too.... sneeky aren't we?
2/20/2004 -- what ingredient kit do i have to buy thats
close to the taste of coors light or bud light?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: That would be the American Pilsner Kit.
Here is a link to it:
http://www.nexternal.com/hombre/?Target=products.asp&ProductID=992
1/4/2004 -- I have started a batch of this beer (St Peter's Pilsner) and have the primary fermatation going in a cool place, but at what temparture should the secondary take place.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: The temperature difference between the primary phase and the lager phase should be roughly 10°F. I guess I'd say the ideal temperature would be 45 deg F., but remember, nothing is absolute. Brewing is both a science and an art! Lower temperatures will extend the time required to finish, but will result in a clean, soft finish that is characteristic of true lagers.
12/27/2003 -- A while back you answered a question about adding blackberries to make a blackberry wheat. How about adding cranberries for a cranberry wheat?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Heck yes. I've found that the only thing limiting you is fear and common sense. Thankfully, I have little of either. About the only advice I can give is add too little, rather that too much. Sneak up on the amount you use.
FWIW, we plan to introduce a vanilla wheat beer kit soon. So much for common sense.
11/30/2003 -- Is it possible to modify this or any other recipe as to gain a higher gravity or alcohol content in a lighter ale?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, by adding more fermentable sugars to the boil. This is often done with corn sugar or malt extract. Corn sugar is ok within limits, but using too much will add a "cider-like" taste. Malt extract is a better choice, but it will add some color as well. With Belgian ales, it is common to use clear candi sugar (rock candi). This keeps the color light, and adds alcohol.
11/26/2003 -- I recently bought Shamrock Stout. The bubbles were down to under a minute within 2 days, which is when I transferred to the secondary carboy. The bubbles aren't apparent now... which leads me to believe I should add more yeast. The temperature was 78 f at initial yeast introduction, yet now I am concerned that the yeast was not good... Should I add another packet now, or am I thinking too much about this? Thanks HBH!!!
Response From Homebrew Heaven: It sounds just fine to me. A fast, vigorous fermentation is a good thing! It indicates good, fresh yeast and ideal fermentation conditions. This kind of thing is more common in summer months, but it sounds like you have it in a warm place.
I assure you that even if you don't see them, plenty of yeast are still in there. I would just let it completely stop, and for the "crud" to settle out before bottling. It is a good idea to take a hydrometer reading to make sure, but it sounds like you could be bottling soon.
Not to worry...our motto is "More Beer, Sooner!"
11/15/2003 -- I AM INTERSTED IN BREWING A BELGIAN ALE. I TRYED A ORVAL AND REALY ENJOYED IT IS YOUR KIT SIMILAR TO THAT? AND WHEN I BUY YOUR KIT IF I WANT TO RAISE THE ALCHOL TO AROUND 7.5 PERCENT OR SOMETHING A LITTLE STRONGER THAN IT COMES IN THE KIT. WHAT CAN I DO WITHOUT TAKING A WAY FROM TRUE TASTE OF THE BREER OR NOT RUINING IT?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Orval is a very very good Belgian beer alright. Our Belgian ale is darker in color, but still distinctively Belgian. More of a trappist style actually.
Raising the alcohol content is easy. To this kit, try adding an additional 1 lb. of light dry malt extract AND and additional 1/2 lb of Belgian candi sugar (available in our Beer Additives category). The trick, in order to balance this extra malt, is to add just a little more hops, as well. I would go with about 1/2 oz of Goldings in the beginning of the boil. Hope this helps!
11/9/2003 -- What is the life span of the beer (period of expiration)
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Not very long at MY house! Seriously, tho, if you store your homebrew properly, it should last for at least a year. Some, like the heavier, darker beers just get better with age. I have had some that was over 4 years old and it was excellent!
10/12/2003 -- I FELT LIKE THE BREW KITS I'VE BOUGHT IN THE PAST LACKED A PUNCH (ALCOHOL CONTENT). WILL USING DME INSTEAD OF SUGAR LOWER THE ALCOHOL CONTENT? HOW STRONG SHOULD I EXPECT MY BEER TO BE BREWING YOUR KITS, I.P.A.AND ST.PETERS PILSNER, ALSO APPROXiMATELY HOW MUCH LONGER TILL DRINKABILITY OR CARBONATION THAN CORN SUGAR? THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP TODAY PLANNING ON ORDERING MY EQUIMENT AND BEER KITS AFTER YOUR RESPONSE.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Using DME in place of corn sugar will lower the alcohol content slightly, but I doubt if you could measure it. It is more a matter of finer bubbles, and additional flavor from the DME.
Each of our Homebrew Heaven Ingredient Kits is designed to make a beer that is true to the style...in other words, it varies kit by kit. For example, the St. Peter's Pilsner will be very much like a pilsner style beer, and lower in alcohol (St. Pete is approximately 4% alcohol by volume). The Diamond Knot IPA is over 5.5% ABV. Others, like Procrastinator Bock are higher (6.9% ABV).
In other words, there is no single "correct" alcohol level for the many different styles of beer.
9/20/2003 -- I ordered some of this with the liquid yeast here recently. When in the initial brewing stage, I mixed in the liquid yeast as per instuctions, and 24 hours into the brew, I saw no action at all in the check valve, so I removed the check valve, and added the dry yeast I had that also came with the package. Upon entering the secondary fermentation stage, there seems to be a slightly different odor than my first batch, slightly less sweet....reminescent of a German lager.
Did I mess up my beer by adding the dry yeast? IS there anything I should worry about? I did a taste test, and so far, it seems ok, but until the first bottle is opened, you truly never know.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Nothing to worry about at all! I'm certain it will turn out just fine. Many people, when using liquid yeasts are unaccustomed to the longer "lag" time they experience comparded to dry yeasts. This is entirely normal.
For your next batch, however, I would wait for the liquid yeast to kick in. It will, it just takes longer.
You can avoid this longer lag time by building a "starter culture" prior to adding to your wort. Very easy to do, and makes sense especially with lagers and high gravity beers.
8/2/2003 -- What is the approx. amount of alcohol content in these beers? Just so I know what to expect when I brew it.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: The alcohol content varies with the beer kit. For the Golden Eagle, it runs about 4.5% ABV. Other beers, like the Procrastinator Bock, are higher; some, like the American Pilsner are lower. We try to keep the alcohol level appropriate to the style of beer.
Ask a Question
