Read Complete Questions & Answers
|
Ask a Question
3/16/2013 -- Could I get the recipe for shamrock stout so I can bye it in bulk?
I have tried lots of other recipes but that box of shamrock stands out.
Thank you a loyal customer
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Hi Steve. We think the Shamrock Stout is outstanding too.
We have a long-standing policy of not revealing our HH recipes, however. In the past we have had competitor shops, non-customers, as well as breweries who simply want the information to duplicate them. We consider them proprietary to Homebrew Heaven.
That said, we are happy to . . .
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 . . .
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. . . .
12/20/2011 -- Hello, I am ordering the Shamrock Stout kit and wish to add some flaked oats.
Can you tell me how much oats to add by weight to yield nice traditional oatmeal stout? Also is it correct that the oats are simply added to the grains bag and included in the initial heating of the water?
Thanks, Bill Costa
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Try using about 1/2 lb of flaked oats per 5 gallon batch.
Correct, simply add to your grain bag during the initial heating of the water.
Enjoy!
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!
6/8/2011 -- I noticed that you shared some recipes from Rogue Brewery. Is this the same yeast used in the Chocolate Stout you make? And will you share that recipe too. Thank you.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Some time ago Rogue introduced these recipes that were scaled down for home brewers. The PacMan yeast is featured prominently.
Our Homebrew Heaven Shamrock Stout recipe has been developed/perfected over many years, and is proprietary to Homebrew Heaven only. We DO offer the PacMan yeast as an option to this kit, however, and it makes a . . .
7/2/2010 -- I have made DBB several times, like it a lot. my wife says it reminds her of Guinness and wants it to have a creamier head like Guinness. first, is there some kind of nitrogen keg kit I can use. second, is there a kit that tastes like DBB, but has lower alcohol so she can drink more than 1 beer?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: It sounds like our Shamrock Stout Kit is one for you! Creamy head, tastes VERY much like Guiness and has lower alcohol. No need for a special nitro tap with this one! Here is a link to that product:
http://store.homebrewheaven.com/shamrock-stout-kit-p666.aspx
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
4/30/2010 -- Got a yeast question for ya guys. I got the shamrock stout recipe for xmas with Wyeast Irish Ale #1084 liquid yeast culture. I was deployed and told my wife to put it in the fridge till I got back. well from dec till march she had the yeast in a closet. she put it in the fridge at the end of march. I made a starter today for the yeast. Am . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: My guess is that the yeast is fine (not dead), BUT will be slow to react.
IF you ruptured the inner pouch, and the pouch was allowed to swell up before making a starter, the starter should bubble and be viable.
If all of that wasn't done, I would go ahead and use the dry yeast packet.
4/13/2010 -- Im about to brew the Shamrock Stout with Irish ale 1084. I got this kit and yeast because I wanted a guinness like taste. Well, I want to change it up a bit. I was thinking of adding some chocolate. My question is how much and what type of chocolate should I add during the boil? and how much would the chocolate increase the alcohol. Thx guys . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Chocolate can be a nice addition to porters and stouts, but you have to be careful about how you do it.
First off, DON'T use sweet, buttery chocolate(like we like to eat). The oils in that type of sweet will kill the head of your beer, and the preservatives (if any) can interfere with the fermention of your beer.
To add a touch of chocolate . . .
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 . . .
1/9/2010 -- I recently purchased a Shamrock Stout kit and was wondering what the best way to store the different ingredients is until I'm ready to brew. I've heard that I can freeze the hops but was unsure of what to do with the grains and malt. I'll probably be brewing in 2-3 weeks.
Thanks
Andrew Weaver
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Our ingredient kits are really quite stable, 2-3 wrks at room temp would cause no harm.
The BEST storage would be in a freezer, except for the liquid yeast. Simply refrigerate that if you are using it.
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!
6/20/2009 -- Started this batch out with a specific gravity of 1.063. My ending gravity is sitting at 1.018. Its been pretty consistent the last three days, starting at 1.020 and now it is at 1.018. Do you think that the higher starting gravity will result in a higher ending gravity? I'm just wanting to bottle as soon as possible because I have an . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Wihout a doubt, your volume is less than 5 gallons. That is why your gravity (both initial and final) is higher than expected.
It is also ready to bottle. If you like, you can add about 1/2 gallon of water before doing so. If not, your beer will be consideraby stronger (but less beer than you expected).
11/30/2008 -- wanting to try another coffee stout brew, and was wondering about adding to 2ndary. Instead of brewing/cooling 48oz, how about just grinding 4oz of beans and suspending them muzlin bag in your 2ndary for a day or two?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Have never tried doing it that way, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work.
Give it a go!
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 . . .
7/12/2008 -- What could i use to give my beer a better head?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: We like to use dry malt extract in place of corn sugar, especially for a stout! Creamier head that way.
If you mean MORE of a head/carbonation, use MORE priming sugar or DME. In a 5 gallon batch you should be able go as high as 1.25 cup corn sugar, or 1.75 cups DME.
Stouts, however are traditionally lower in carbonation.
ALSO...if . . .
7/5/2008 -- I have done several of your kits and was setting up to do the shamrock stout and age till winter. My question was if I could add brown sugar or molasses to the mix without overcarbonating or wrecking it, and at what point in the boiling process I would do it? Thanks, Bret.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: As long as it's added to the boil, you won't over carbonate your beer. It gets fermented out that way, and adds to the alcohol level.
Don't add it when you bottle, is all.
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 . . .
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 . . .
3/7/2008 -- I brewed up the Shamrock Stout yesterday and today it's bubbling away nicely. I do have what seems like a lot of...well...gunk (trub?) in my primary. As of this morning it was settled down to about the 2 gallon mark. Is this something I should worry about? Or will that settle down enough so I don't lose half my beer to the sediment trolls? . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: No worries. As the bubbling subsides, the sediment will compact down and settle on the bottom. After that, you siphon off the good stuff to the secondary fermenter (carboy) and get the rest of it out.
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 . . .
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 . . .
9/27/2007 -- Im fairly new to brewing. Have my 2nd batch (St. petes pilsner) in the secondary now and have the Shamrock stout kit ready to brew as soon as its finished. I was recently talking to a buddy of mine, (bar owner), about beer, (natrually) and he mentioned that guinness is dispensed with a 70%/30% nitrogen Co2 mix and thats what gives it it's . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: To do it the same as Guiness (which I don't find necessary) requires mixed gas, a special regulator and a special tap.
I suggest trying your Shamrock Stout without all that nonsense and see how you like it. It comes out very close to Guiness, and if you use DME to prime it, it has a nice creamy head as well. If you really want to go the . . .
9/5/2007 -- What do you recommend as serving temperature for the Shamrock Stout? I am kegging the beer and will be force carbonating, but need to know what temperature to dial in my fridge. A related question, I also have the Brewnet Brown fermenting currently, and will likely be put in the beer fridge along with the Stout next week. I believe I have . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: To me, much of the fun in homebrewing comes from making the beer that I like, and serving the way that I like it. In other words, make yourSELF happy. Personally, I like my beer COLD. Very cold. Yes, I know that stouts are often served warmer than other styles, but I drink it cold. Not much help, am I?
I am certain that 52 deg will be just . . .
8/21/2007 -- what's in the 'clarifier tablet' needed to clear the beer and how does it work?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: It is called a Whirlfloc tablet, and it contains irish moss, a special type of seaweed. Irish moss is also called carageenan, and is used in lots of foods, like ice cream.
It works in the kettle by causing proteins to attach themselves to it, and to settle out in your brewpot and/or fermenter.
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 . . .
6/6/2007 -- Hi, I am considering ordering your Shamrock Stout, however I have brewed it before (it was really good!) and I want to try something different. I have been reading about adjuncts on your website, and I was thinking about buying lactose and flaked oats for a "milk (sweet) and oatmeal" flavor on top of the regular Shamrock ingredients. Furthermore . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Heck yes! About 1/2 lb of each (lactose and oatmeal) makes for a nice sweet oatmeal stout.
The Wyeast Irish Ale #1084 would be a good choice for this brew. It is the Guiness strain of yeast. The light DME for priming will also add a creaminess to your brew, which just seems right for this beer. Use about 1 to 1.25 cup in 5 gallons for . . .
3/26/2007 -- I usually purchase the liquid yeast with my kits. Is it to any benefit or harm to add the dry yeast which comes with the kit along with the liquid yeast?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Well for my money, if I pay extra for a liquid yeast culture, I like to USE it. These cultures are carefully selected for that particular beer style.
There is no HARM in using a dry yeast along with it, but the benefits of that particular culture are "diluted" somewhat by the introduction of the dry yeast strain(s).
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!
1/15/2007 -- 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.
1/8/2007 -- 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 . . .
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 . . .
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 . . .
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 . . .
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 . . .
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. . . .
12/8/2006 -- i orderd the shamrock stout and i was wondering if i could set aside 1.25cups of DME from the kit to prime the bottles. or do i need to add the whole package to the boil. thanks dave
Response From Homebrew Heaven: You could do that, but be sure you don't get any hop pellets mixed into your priming DME. Frankly, I would just get some additional DME for priming purposes.
11/16/2006 -- I am going to buy your Shamrock Stout in a few days. If I use DME in place of priming sugar for a creamier head, how much longer on average will it take to carbonate?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Maybe a few days to a week.
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!
9/28/2006 -- I plan to make the Shamrock Stout the next batch I order and really like the idea of using DME instead of corn sugar to get a creamier head (like Guiness). In my case, however, I plan to keg the batch, and so wouldn't need to prime for bottling. Would I still add the DME anyway for a creamier head, or would it not have any noticable affect? . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: You could add it, but don't pressurize. Let the malt sugars do the carbonation. Then use CO2 to dispense. That's about the only way.
If you add the malt extract, and then force carbonate, you will have a sweet tasting stout. Not necessary bad, but sweet tasting. Don't know if it would affect the head or not this way.
8/1/2006 -- I've currently got the Shamrock Stout fermenting in the primary. Do I really even need to transfer it to a secondary since it's dark as night anyway? I'm taking a 2 week brewing break, so why not just leave it in the primary and then bottle and rule out any possible contamination?
Thoughts?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: You could do that, but leaving beer to sit for an extended time on top of the trub (dead yeast, proteins etc) can cause your beer to pick up off flavors.
7/17/2006 -- I just ordered the Shamrock Stout. I'm limited where I live to beer supplies and am wondering are bottle caps included?
Also, is there a way of tweaking the recipe to more of a Russian Imperial?
Add more brown sugar for extra 'buzz' and that's it?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: No, sorry, bottle caps are not included with the Shamrock Stout. Just the ingredients. Many people keg their beer, and have no need for bottle caps.
For an imperial stout, I would add about 1 lb. of additional dry malt extract, and perhaps another 1/2 ounce of hops as well. If you like it kind of "creamy" you can add about 1/2 lb of oatmeal . . .
5/4/2006 -- With your beer ingredient kits (like the shamrock stout for example) can you leave out a few things that I already have plenty of? Such as irish moss and priming sugar? And of course I mean leave it out and reduce the price, not just "sure I'll pay for it, I just don't want it"! ;)
Response From Homebrew Heaven: No. The kits are pre-assembled, and ready to go. The cost of those items is insignificant anyway.
4/30/2006 -- Just made a batch of your shamrock stout last thersday morning. On the second day the air lock was going off like a percolator. Saterday it slowd to a bubble every minute and a half. So I transford it to my secondary fermentor and it only bubbled for about 12 hours. This is Sunday three days later, did I kill my yeast? Should I go ahead and . . .
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 . . .
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.
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 . . .
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? . . .
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 . . .
3/19/2006 -- When should you add oatmeal to the Shamrock Stout and how? Does it go in the grain bag or into the water with the malt? Does it go in at the begining, middle or end?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: It goes in the grain bag with the other grains that come in the kit.
Put the grains into the cheesecloth grainbag and tie a knot at the top of the bag (leave some room for the grains to "swish around" within the bag). Add water to your brewpot and throw the grainbag into the water. We like to start with about 6 gallons of water. This allows . . .
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? . . .
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.
1/12/2006 -- I bottled a batch of Shamrock Stout 16 days ago. The only changes I made to the instructions were using DME to carbonate rather than corn sugar and I used SafeAle S04 yeast. I have opened 3-4 bottles over the last week and they have all had little to no carbonation. Should I give this beer some more time in the bottles or is there another . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: More time in the bottles, and make sure the temperature is room temperature (or a little higher). Ales need warmer temperatures to properly carbonate.
This is assuming you used 1.25 cups DME. You need to use more DME than you would corn sugar.
1/2/2006 -- Just brewed very first batch of beer -- shamrock stout. Right now it has been in the secondary fermentor about 2 days. I am some what confused over secondary frementation vs. conditioning? The instructions say to keep it in the seondary fermentor for at least a week - but the homebrew books say darker, more complex beers benefit from longer . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Terminology is confusing alright.
Usually, when your beer is in the secondary fermenter, it is still fermenting. It slows down, and stops in there, it's true.
The term "conditioning" is usually used after the beer has been kegged, or bottled.
In truth, there is little difference. Conditioning is just aging, and if it takes place . . .
11/5/2005 -- The instructions for the Shamrock Irish Stout suggest using 1.25 cups of DME when priming instead of sugar. Can I put aside this amount of the DME (which has hops added) that comes with the kit and use that for priming? Or do I have to order aditional DME for this?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, you can do that. Just make sure the DME that you use to prime doesn't contain any hop pellets (sift thru).
9/15/2005 -- I tried something called milk stout once and liked it alot. I am wondering what exactly "milk stout" is, and how would I go about making some? Would I be able to modify one of your kits somehow?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: A milk stout actually has some milk sugar (lactose) in it! You can easily modify our Shamrock Stout kit by adding about 8 oz (more or less) of lactose to the boil. Here is a link to that product:
http://www.nexternal.com/hombre/Product477
8/31/2005 -- I have had your shamrock stout kit in the primary fermentor for one day. I can't keep the airlock on because the rubber stopper keeps on getting blown off every time I put it on. There is foam spilling out on the lid as well. What is causing this, and has the beer been contaminated, as I have had to remove the lid to clean it?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: It sounds like you have an active, healthy fermentation going. The stopper gets blown off? You should have an airlock going thru the stopper. It needs to relieve the pressure. If the airlock is filling with foam, no worries, you can just push a length of siphon hose thru the stopper, and put the open end into some water. This will allow the . . .
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.
6/7/2005 -- I love the dry stout, but I tasted an "English Style" stout, and liked that also. Is there a kit for an English stout, or a good way to modify this kit? Thanks.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I have have dry stouts, and milk stouts, and imperial stouts, and oatmeal stouts...but have never heard of "English Style" stouts. Not sure what the difference is, sorry.
5/27/2005 -- About 6 months back, I made your Scuttlebutt Porter and added espresso to the secondary fermentor, which really made for a nice brew. I was wondering, however, if there is anyway to boost the chocolate flavor in darker beers? I am getting ready to make a batch of your Stout, and would really like to intensify the chocolate taste. I have . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, you can add a distinct chocolate flavor using the powdered, unsweetened baking cocoa. Try using two large tablespoons added to the end of the boil.
5/21/2005 -- I was given a large supply of empty guinness draught bottles that have the plastic widget in the bottle. As long as I clean the bottles well should this be ok to rebottle stout?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: As long as you clean and sanitize them well, they should be alright. If you are priming with sugar, however, the widget may disturb the sediment somewhat when pouring...but hey, it's a stout, you shouldn't be able to see thru it anyway!
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 . . .
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.
4/21/2005 -- I ordered the stout kit as my second try at homebrew ( the first is conditioning, and I am going stircrazy). Will adding 1/2 pound of Lactose and 1/2 pound of maltodextrin make a lot of difference? I also plan on conditioning with DME. I should have enough beer from the first kit to give me the patience to wait this through.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, the lactose will make it sweeter, and the maltodextrin will give it more body. The Shamrock Stout already has a lot of body, so it probably doesn't need the malto.
3/19/2005 -- Our stout is currently in the secondary fermenter (glass carboy). It is taking a while to finish fermenting and a LOT of sediment has collected at the bottom. Probably at least a couple inches.
Since I have another glass carboy that is currently empty, I was thinking of siphoning the stout into it to get it away from all the trub and allow . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: That would be a good thing to do. No harm at all!
3/10/2005 -- Can you recommend a good beer kit or recipe that would benefit from aging 2 months in the secondary? I will not be able to attend to it and wanted to take advantage of the time. I have read some of the darker beers need a month plus. Thanks, I have learned a lot from your web site.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: The Shamrock Stout or Scuttlebutt Porter would be good if you like ales. If you have a cool spot for a lager, the Procrastinator Bock is a good choice.
2/4/2005 -- tomorrow i plan on brewing some shamrock stout .
1)i will be using the liquid yeast should i activate it tonite?
2)in the product descriptions they say 5 gallons or more.if i wanted to have an end product of 7 gallons and used the appropriate 8 gallon boil would this have any adverse effect on alcohol content or taste?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: 1)Yes, activate it tonight.
2)Yes, your beer will be "watered down" by approx 30%, so your alcohol level will be lower. It will still taste just fine, however. To maintain the same alcohol level, you would need to add more dry malt extract (maybe a pound).
12/30/2004 -- I purchased your deluxe brew kit and the shamrock stout. I've done exactly what the dvd and book said to do. The starting specific gravity was at 1.052. I did add about a half a pound of brown sugar to boost the alchool content. I started with 6 gallons to allow for evaporation, and I waited to until the the air bubbles slowed to once a minute . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, I would add that 3/4 gallon of water. That will lower the specific gravity considerably. After adding, let it sit for (at least) a few days, and you should be fine for bottling. No worries.
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 . . .
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.
6/22/2004 -- I recently brewed the Shamrock Stout, today I noticed it wasn't bubbling much from the air lock so I transfered from my primary to a carboy. I took the specific gravity wich was pretty high 1.032, so I no there is still plenty of sugar to be femented. I also left behind most of the settled out yeast, would you expect fermentation to pick . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I would expect it to pick up some, but to remain slow for a while longer. No worries! You have not botched it.
Time is never a very good indicator for when a beer is "done". There are way too many factors, like temperature, nutrient levels, yeast used, actual volume in the fermenter and many others. A dark beer like this is just getting . . .
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 . . .
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 . . .
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 . . .
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 . . .
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 . . .
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. . . .
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
2/5/2004 -- I'm brewing my first batch of homebrew and have the Shamrock Stout in my primary fermentor. I have a keg fridge with a CO2 bottle that I'm going to use instead of bottles. Do I need to prime at all for carbonation, and if not will it affect the taste of the beer?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: No, you can "force carbonate" your beer by putting it into the keg, refrigerating it, and turning up the pressure to about 25-30 psi. Let it sit overnight, shake it a bit, and the CO2 will go into solution. Just be sure to turn the pressure down to perhaps 6-8 psi (and relieve the pressure on the keg) before dispensing your beer. There is . . .
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 . . .
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.
Read Complete Questions & Answers
|
Ask a Question
