Welcome Beginning Brewers!

[JohnSand]

Thanks John for the reply!! Man, I feel waaayyyy behind the power curve now if you were brewing as a kid!

LOL! I've been brewing a bit over five years. When I was a kid, we would just let local cider sit on the counter and ferment with the yeast present on the apples. The lid was slightly cracked to let the co2 escape. When it cleared it was ready to drink. Looking back, I'm surprised that mom let us. I guess we never drank enough to be affected by it. It was probably safer than our secret efforts to make fireworks.

 

[williepete]

Has anyone tried to use like a berry pie filling as the priming sugar for bottling, like blending it to a liquid?

 

[NGD]

Has anyone tried to use like a berry pie filling as the priming sugar for bottling, like blending it to a liquid?

Seems like it could work as ling as you properly calculated for all the sugars in the mixture. Otherwise you’ll either end up under-carbed, over-carbed or BOOM!

You’ll likely have a boatload of sediment in the bottom of each bottle.

 

[davidabcd]

That is a new one, to me, at least.
Sounds like you want berry flavor? I would do extract drops (at bottling, adding incrementally until desired flavor is reached) or add fruit after primary fermentation and back-sweeten if needed.
My reasoning is how much can you rely on sugar content information in that situation? Like was said, over or under carbonation. And to get flavor from fruit, you need a significant amount (pounds and not ounce).

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm wrong; there is so much to learn about brewing.

On a separate note, I do blend canned, cherry pie filling to make a delicious dipping sauce for jalapeno poppers.

 

[williepete]

I did think it may be a different way to get a berry flavor but I didn't know if it was tried or if it was even feesable

 

[williepete]

Also thought kinda kill two birds with one stone lol feed yeast and flavor

 

[NGD]

Also thought kinda kill two birds with one stone lol feed yeast and flavor

@williepete I like the idea and some of the best batches I’ve had were experiments just to try something new. I think if your going to try it, do a small batch as a test.

Most likely you’ll end up with varying levels of carbonation in each bottle unless you get the filling liquified. Likely quite a bit of sediment with not as much fruit flavor as your expecting.

 

[williepete]

Maybe I'll try it in a blueberry wheat but that would be in like three batches from now already got next two planned lol

 

[ncbrewer]

If you try it, treat the bottles as if they're hand grenades. Wear gloves, goggles, etc., and store them where they will be safe.

 

[Pappers_]

If you try it, treat the bottles as if they're hand grenades. Wear gloves, goggles, etc., and store them where they will be safe.

I'm with @ncbrewer , I think the chances of getting bottle bombs is very high with this method.

 

[GnenieGone]

It won't be enough flavor for the amount you need to carb. Your best bet is extract to flavor then sugar to proper carb levels.

 

[williepete]

I would deff whach carbination and cold crash or pasturise

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Has anyone tried to use like a berry pie filling as the priming sugar for bottling, like blending it to a liquid?

People have expressed a few concerns already, I can tell you I used fruit juice concentrate, cherry in a wheat beer to prime in a mini keg... It did carb and didn't taste bad, but it was nasty looking. I can only imagine that the starches added to pie filling would make it less predictable and possibly even nastier. If your goal is to get fruit flavor I suggest adding purée to the fermentor. Or adding natural flavor extract when bottling.

 

[williepete]

Ok thank you for the information

 

[GnenieGone]

Brewer's Best brand has the best extract. IMHO. LHBS should have a variety.

 

[williepete]

I got another noob question... So the color of the beer comes from the grain or fruit and flavor from hops?

 

[Toxxyc]

Colour comes 95% from grain, and the hops imparts the hop characters - bitterness, hop aroma, etc.

I have my own question - when does one stop being a "beginner"? I have 5 batches under my belt and I consider myself a very, very n00b beginner still.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

Colour comes 95% from grain, and the hops imparts the hop characters - bitterness, hop aroma, etc.

I have my own question - when does one stop being a "beginner"? I have 5 batches under my belt and I consider myself a very, very n00b beginner still.

That’s so funny, when I had made only 3 batches I asked the same question.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/batches-time-period-until-im-not-a-beginner.569671/

I am now at 20 batches and 3 years, that may seem slow, but is about right for me. It takes about 6 weeks in my process grain to glass and I rarely brew while I have a beer in the fermentor. I’m very hands on while the beer is fermenting and bottle, so it is quite an ordeal on packaging day too. I don’t feel like I’ve been a beginner for at least a year, maybe a little longer.

 

[NGD]

Like so many other things. The more I learn about this hobby the less I know.

 

[Metalchef1]

Yes, we experienced brewers have to think of when we started an what stupid things we did, think about it... and then reply.

New brewers - you may get a snarky response. I have seen some where the "snarky" response was in jest but the new brewer did not have the lingo or experience to see this. The new brewer went off the rails because of that remark and didn't really listen or take any advise given by others.

Also be advised that even newer brewers will also give advise sometimes not really good advise. Older brewers will give advise based on wrong or outdated knowledge.

Read all the responses, look for consensus. If only one person suggests something and everyone else does not corroborate, take that advise with caution.

As Yooper said, ask questions. The worst one is the one not asked.

And Welcome.

Wait.... You don't do stupid stuff anymore? What's your secret?
I've been brewing for about 17 years..
I bottled 3 batches last weekend... But for some reason I only carbed 2 of them.

 

[kh54s10]

Wait.... You don't do stupid stuff anymore? What's your secret?
I've been brewing for about 17 years..
I bottled 3 batches last weekend... But for some reason I only carbed 2 of them.

I try to pay attention so my stupid stuff results in minimal problems. I have started a transfer to the bottling bucket, and realized that I had no priming sugar ready. Thankfully I thought of this right at the beginning. The biggest problems lately was somehow stopping my timer. Then trying to estimate how much time had elapsed. The beer was good.

 

[Metalchef1]

I try to pay attention so my stupid stuff results in minimal problems. I have started a transfer to the bottling bucket, and realized that I had no priming sugar ready. Thankfully I thought of this right at the beginning. The biggest problems lately was somehow stopping my timer. Then trying to estimate how much time had elapsed. The beer was good.

I think I need to drink less while playing in the lab... My years of brewing has made me more cocky than I should be...

 

[JohnSand]

I make sure to ruin at least one batch a year to remain humble.
That's the reason, really.

 

[MAW74]

I'm a noob here, and I look forward to learning great tips from the "Masters." LOL. I just got into brewing, and so I'm still learning the basic techniques.

 

[Dland]

Probably will never be a master brewer, but as OK homebrewer:^^^My advice is to brew a simple ale for your first batches. Try out making some basic beer before you try to make some flavored concoction.

Kits might be a good way to start, if I recall I did a couple of plastic pale extract kits before I started all grain. Never will get the depth of flavor out of extract, but a good way to learn basic process one step at a time.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

Probably will never be a master brewer, but as OK homebrewer:^^^My advice is to brew a simple ale for your first batches. Try out making some basic beer before you try to make some flavored concoction.

Kits might be a good way to start, if I recall I did a couple of plastic pale extract kits before I started all grain. Never will get the depth of flavor out of extract, but a good way to learn basic process one step at a time.

I think people are biased against extract because all grain is sexier. I definitely like to do all grain because this is a hobby for me and mashing seems kind of magical and fun, but there are plenty of gold medal extract beers the defy the idea that extract can’t cut the mustard.

 

[Dland]

I think people are biased against extract because all grain is sexier. I definitely like to do all grain because this is a hobby for me and mashing seems kind of magical and fun, but there are plenty of gold medal extract beers the defy the idea that extract can’t cut the mustard.

I switched to all grain because I could not attain flavor or attenuation I wanted with extracts, no sexiness involved with decision. If someone can make the brew they want with extracts, power to them, it is a lot easier.

 

[balrog]

I'm only 5 years in, 113 batches, and learning to make exciting new fantastic catastrophic blunders all the time.

I second the notion of making simple brews first, amber ales to hide any irregularities in process. Only then can you get that confident stride going wherein you learn to bottle a whole batch without priming sugar, or set up a ferm chamber and forget to plug in the cooling side, or keg something so early that you make a giant krausen ceiling Pollock painting.

 

[Metalchef1]

I'm only 5 years in, 113 batches, and learning to make exciting new fantastic catastrophic blunders all the time.

I second the notion of making simple brews first, amber ales to hide any irregularities in process. Only then can you get that confident stride going wherein you learn to bottle a whole batch without priming sugar, or set up a ferm chamber and forget to plug in the cooling side, or keg something so early that you make a giant krausen ceiling Pollock painting.

I've never had a batch explode before until 2 weeks ago.
Put a stout in my ferm chamber... Nothing out of the ordinary except the only carboy I had was 6 gallon... The airlock was just touching the inside of the lid.
2 days go by and everything is fine and I used extra fermcap just to be safe...
Well day 3 the krausen plugged the airlock, which couldn't blow off because of the lid of the freezer..
I didn't hear bubbling and went to open the freezer lid.... 3 of my 5 gallons came erupting out like nothing I have ever seen before.
Fun times.

 

[JohnSand]

I'm a noob here, and I look forward to learning great tips from the "Masters." LOL. I just got into brewing, and so I'm still learning the basic techniques.

Welcome aboard! Study and practice will yield great beer. Keep us posted.

 

[imnotcassie]

New here.
Popped open the first bottles from my first brew. Turned out better than expexted.

Cassandra

 

[ncbrewer]

New here.
Popped open the first bottles from my first brew. Turned out better than expexted.

CassandraView attachment 602515

That's a great looking beer. Congrats.

 

[kh54s10]

New here.
Popped open the first bottles from my first brew. Turned out better than expexted.

CassandraView attachment 602515

Sampled a few before posting???

 

[imnotcassie]

Sampled a few before posting???

Of course. [emoji6]

 

[JohnSand]

Nice looking beer!

 

[imnotcassie]

Thanks for the boost of confidence.
One thing I have noticed ... lack of consistency between bottles. For the most part they have been close in carbonation, clarity, and flavor but today I popped open my first cloudy bottle. I'm hoping this improves was I get more practice in.

 

[JohnSand]

Study and practice will produce great beer, and the voyage is interesting.

 

[ncbrewer]

Study and practice will produce great beer, and the voyage is interesting.

and never-ending.

 

[Clarky259]

Hey guys just a quick question I’m brewing a dry lager at the moment it’s just about finished furmenting and it has green floaties in it any clue to why and will it be okay if I put the a sift?

 

[kh54s10]

Hey guys just a quick question I’m brewing a dry lager at the moment it’s just about finished furmenting and it has green floaties in it any clue to why and will it be okay if I put the a sift?

Hops? Without further information we will have no clue whether it will be okay. And what is a sift?