The off flavor question: I have seen that people don't really brew the same recipe in iteration enough to find out if the recipe or the fermentation is at fault. Excellent video!
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
This is true! Thats the best way to narrow down a root cause.
@renegade674711 ай бұрын
I hope to see more FAQ videos. I been watching for years and finally decided to try my hand at home brewing. Thanks again for the years of knowledge you have posted.
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Really glad to hear that people enjoy this idea, I will start collecting more to do another one!
@michaelfeeley435111 ай бұрын
Lol the “if you’re still with us” at the end had me chuckling. I’m both among the living and love your videos 👍🏻
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@Erik_Swiger11 ай бұрын
1. Pitch more, pitch cooler, ferment cooler - makes perfect sense 2. Spent yeast absorbs off-flavors, but you still remove trub, right? So it happens more in the secondary? 3. Adding fruit to beer, using stabilizers, that's new to me, I'd like to hear more, please
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
The yeast metabolizing early off flavors really happens with the yeast still distributed in the beer moreso than the trub sludge so that doesn't really matter if you dump trub. As far as stabilizing its pretty straightforward. You add potassium metabisulfite and potassium sorbate to stob the yeast from reproducing and then you can add fruit to the secondary without worrying about extra fermentation.
@FermentationAdventures11 ай бұрын
Great info! I’m amazed by the people who buy a new Spike 3 vessel system having never brewed before. It does happen.
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
I know! Thats so much money to throw at something that might not work out
@TheBruSho11 ай бұрын
Great topics and great video!
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Thank you Trent!
@codyhvac606711 ай бұрын
When I started I wish I would have gotten a bigger boil kettle. Now I need to upgrade to do bigger beers and bigger batches.
@afhostie11 ай бұрын
How big do you mean?
@codyhvac606711 ай бұрын
@@afhostie I should have stated I’m a BIAB brewer. I have an 8 gallon kettle that came in a kit. Which works fine but it gets sketchy mashing in a big beer and I’d like to start doing 10gallon batches of my staple brews. So 15-20 would be great.
@cmcurran511 ай бұрын
I recently had a beer get something in it and mold formed. Definitely wasn’t very careful during dry hopping. I had to try it just to learn more about off flavors.
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Its never fun when that happens but hopefully you can avoid that happening in the future!
@alexbaumgartner44111 ай бұрын
Just had a beer where the FG according to Tilt was 1.016 and wasn't going down, checked with an ordinary hydrometer and the actual FG was 1.010
@kommi197411 ай бұрын
Those Tilts are garbage. Unreliable and just a gimmick. Nothing beats a hydrometer.
@RegicideBrewing11 ай бұрын
good Q&A here. I usually recommend people start with extract kits to see if they like brewing. Then if they do, I would usually recommend a brew in a bag. If they still stick with the hobby, I then recommend moving forward with more expensive equipment and what not. Extract kits tend to be a great intro to brewing.
@FrankGenoBruno11 ай бұрын
As a owner of a Anvil Foundry, I highly recommend it. Easy to use!
@twiliteturtle49511 ай бұрын
As an addendum to the off-flavour question...my advice is before you start troubleshooting your fermentation as to why your beer tastes like X...LEAVE IT THE HELL ALONE and store it for a couple of weeks. A lot of what people perceive as fault will age out nicely, especially in anything with ABVs above the 6% spectrum. Of the three best beers I ever brewed, two were decidedly mediocre a week after fermentation finished and the other was nearly a chuck job that was fixed with six months on Brett Brux. Be. Patient.
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
1000% agree! Time heals most wounds
@kommi197411 ай бұрын
Distilled water is literally cheaper everywhere in Portland, OR. I get it for $1.25/G. Spring water runs $1.75 or more.
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
You have it lucky!!
@adamgorka36811 ай бұрын
look, im gonna be honest: you rule, steve
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Thanks man, you rule too!
@beeroquoisnation11 ай бұрын
Good video Apartment . Some of these suggestions I wouldn't have any reference for, as I have never tried them. Things like nuances of Kwiek. Well rounded and informative. There is something for everybody in this production. Cheers.
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Glad you appreciated the video, cheers!
@terryt-rexhanke74611 ай бұрын
Thanks! Lots of good info here!
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Glad to help!
@perrymattes428511 ай бұрын
Always like your advice I went down a rabbit hole when i started and built everything myself. I do brew in a bag with a variable pressure fermentor. Of my own design.
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Thats awesome!
@afhostie11 ай бұрын
I've had no issues getting distilled water at Walmart for very cheap
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Depends on where you live, that is definitely not the case for me.
@lafamillecarrington11 ай бұрын
Great tip to hold off pitching the yeast until the temperature is below the fermentation temperature. I'll definitely be trying that on my next brewday.
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
It's cheap insurance!
@curtpick62811 ай бұрын
Good answers Steve. Here's one for you. If you weren't given the Clawhammer system, would you pay the price since it's on the higher side for the type of system it is, and competition is less for the same system? Don't get me wrong. I think it looks like a wonderful system.
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
I honestly think I would. It is competitive in its tier of EBIAB systems and still costs less than similar systems like the spike solo/blichmann breweasy compact/brewtools. I say that because I dont think the anvil foundry/brewzilla are really in the same tier since they are more all-in-one solutions, plus the clawhammer 240V is 5500W which is no joke.
@tommanning733711 ай бұрын
Very cool man!!! 😎👍🏻👍🏻🍺🍺🍺🍺
@losdaghost768811 ай бұрын
Great info as always!
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
@jt418011 ай бұрын
I use a tilt in every batch. They are never accurate for FG. I only use it to track fermentation & know when it’s done. My final readings come from an Anton Paar Easy Dens. I would of liked to hear you talk about whirlpool. You make it seem so easy. Your transfer to fermenter seem so clean. You never seem to have any issues. Most of my troubles are during the whirlpool. I have the ClawHammer 5 gallon system with their new whirlpool arm. It will not create a cone. I have to use a filter (that clogs) when transferring to fermenter. It also considerably reduces the flow rate through the pump/exhilarator. I’ve tried to whirlpool many different ways & I always seem to have trouble. I’m to the point now where I don’t believe it’ll ever work properly in a single infusion unit. It’s been a little frustrating, I’ll probably go back to using a hop filter/basket. Your videos always skip over the details in this area. Any tips?
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
The easydens is a phenomenal tool! As far as the whirlpool, are you turning the pump OFF after you whirlpool it for a however long you are? The cone will never form if the pump is always running.
@jt418011 ай бұрын
@@TheApartmentBrewer I’ll whirlpool for 10-15 minutes then turn the pump off & let it settle for 10 minutes. When I transfer to fermenter, the first gallon or so is always full of hops. I’ll usually filter this out through a strainer. I’ve never been able to form a good cone with the 5 gallon system.
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Hmm that's basically the same process I use. Not sure if it's a bazooka screen that you use but that may actually be messing with the cone forming in the kettle center. I got rid of that to keep the flow rate high. Still have yet to clog that pump. I'd also look into making sure the whirlpool arm is staying tangential to the kettle and not pointing inward
@jt418011 ай бұрын
@@TheApartmentBrewer I don’t use the bazooka screen. Yeah, ClawHammers new whirlpool arm does have a lot of play/wiggle room. As soon as you turn on the pump it moves to wherever it wants. I’ll have to rig something up to hold it in place so it’s not pointing towards the middle and give it another shot.
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
I usually wedge it next to the thermowell to help it stay in place. Good luck!
@markgarner983211 ай бұрын
Good video, thanks.
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
@nrhurley11711 ай бұрын
I won a statewide brewing contest with my NEIPA in June. Had to put that “can you brew a great NEIPA on basic brewing equipment” convo we had in the comments to the test.
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Congratulations!!!
@minhlouis375011 ай бұрын
Even though the water where i live is good for saisons and hefes (lol), i still hooked up a RO system. I think most homebrewer's suffer from brewer's paranoia, you don't need much apart from the fundamentals to brew good beer.
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
That's very true!
@natsellar898211 ай бұрын
I've been told by professional brewers that a refractometer won't give an accurate reading after fermentation. It's only good for measuring your wort. Is that true?
@williamcaddy138611 ай бұрын
The SG/Brix readings on a refractometer only accurately correspond to the actual (hydrometer) values when alcohol is not present. After fermentation has started, you can take readings using a refractometer, however those values will need to be adjusted using a refractometer calculation, most brewing websites and brewing apps will do this calculation for you.
@benjacobs382011 ай бұрын
I made that mistake when I first got a refractometer. I wondered why everyone was getting so hammered off my 3% beers!
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
This is correct, the presence of alcohol will skew the readings and you'll need to convert. Some digital refractometers will actually do this for you though so that is another option.
@jamesjobe43078 ай бұрын
Question: How long can you store/refrigerate your bottled beer before it gets "skunky"?
@TheApartmentBrewer8 ай бұрын
If refrigerated you can get many months to years out of them if they have been packaged properly.
@benjacobs382011 ай бұрын
Do you have any good tips on cold crashing? Especially for those not able to pressure ferment!
@cmcurran511 ай бұрын
Depends on your fermentation vessel. When i was using buckets I bought a cheap mini fridge. When my fermenters got bigger I found a cheap refrigerator
@benjacobs382011 ай бұрын
How did you stop the oxygen being sucked back in through the airlock when the beer cooled down? I've tried the balloon trick, but it wasn't very successful!
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
If the balloon trick isn't working for you I would honestly say don't even bother with cold crashing, it's not worth the oxidation risk if you're not set up for it. If you are kegging, just transfer to a keg and it will cold crash in the keg. If not, let your bottles store cold after carbonating until they clarify.
@TheChemicalOli11 ай бұрын
Good one! I appreciate especially the honest advice to beginners. Even if ur sponsors may not appreciate as well…
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
They'll be just fine haha. Don't want people to spend ludicrous amounts of money on something they may not enjoy
@nerdaccount11 ай бұрын
What is the expensive doodad did you buy and it really made a difference?
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Gonna have to go with the Anton Paar EasyDens/SmartRef. I can't quite describe how much more convenient it is to take measurements and track fermentation
@Sibula11 ай бұрын
I wish it was that hard to get infected.... Most of my brews so far have been infected, mostly by pediococcus I think, no matter how well I try to clean and sanitize everything. I'm starting to think it might be the plastic fermenters even if they don't seem to be scratched.
@raymondtele11 ай бұрын
That’s terrible and must be very frustrating. Even if you aren’t 100% sure, if your beer is chronically infected get rid off of anything plastic, like buckets, tubbing, siphons, etc, and get new everything. Metal gear must be broken down, clean well with PBW and then treated with boiling water to kill everything. Valves are tricky though, just get new ones. It’s painful, but necessary. Good luck!
@Sibula11 ай бұрын
@@raymondtele Thanks, yeah, I pretty much just have the plastic fermenters and a siphon, the rest is stainless. One thing I've considered is the tap on my AIO, but I've brushed it with PBW as well as I could each time and ran the 5 liters of PWB water through it after circulation cleaning the pump in it. I really hope swapping the fermenters will do the trick, luckily it's only like 30€ for two plus another 10€ or so for a new siphon.
@GREEENZO11 ай бұрын
@@Sibulaif it’s a ball valve, definitely take it apart and soak it for 4 hours or overnight in hot PBW, then rinse well, then sanitize for at least 30 seconds (Starsan needs 30 seconds of contact time which people seem to forget). Critters can definitely hide in the crevices of ball valves. Hot wort SHOULD sanitize everything the wort touches but it isn’t unheard of for that to be a source of infection
@Sibula11 ай бұрын
@@GREEENZO I'll try that next brewday, thanks
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
I think this was pretty well answered above, I would still guess its on your cold side. Not sure how you're chilling but if you use a plate or counterflow chiller this could be a potential source as well.
@leroygross914411 ай бұрын
Do you butter using yeast Nutrient?🤔
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Not exactly sure what youre asking here...
@leroygross914411 ай бұрын
You do know wyeast beer Nutrient blend, I'm wondering if you ever use any or any kind of yeast Nutrients at all?
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
I do use wyeast beer nutrient as a yeast nutrient in every brew
@charlespartak24359 ай бұрын
Ive got a question for you. Im subscribed to your channel. I have watched your monk beer vids. Have you ever tried harvesting yeast from a bottle of chimay ?
@TheApartmentBrewer9 ай бұрын
I haven't tried harvesting yeast from any bottle yet but it's an interesting idea!
@-Spasser-4 ай бұрын
How long would a keg Last after you intruduce it 2 co2 Thinking 5 gallons off beer take more than a week to kill So Can draft systems. Make sense '
@TheApartmentBrewer4 ай бұрын
If you are careful about your packaging and you don't expose it to oxygen during packaging or after, theoretically a keg can last as long as a bottle.
@askaryambus11 ай бұрын
Mold, yeast, bacteria, micro organism... any germophobes or hypochondriacs in the crowd? 🙃 Thank you for posting tho!
@GREEENZO11 ай бұрын
Only thing to be afraid of is boiling liquids honestly!
@TheApartmentBrewer11 ай бұрын
Microorganisms make beer what it is!
@theimpatientbrewer11 ай бұрын
I'm always still there at the end of the videos. I have learnt so much from watching your videos.