Beer Making

[Pittfan4Life]

I started making my own beer in March of this year. My friend Sheldon taught my how to do it. The only problem is. Mine keeps coming out creamy lots of foam almost too much foam! Sheldon on the other hand his keeps going sour and flat? “We have the same equipment, and I believe we make it the same we just can’t figure out what he is doing different”.
So I would appreciate any suggestions from any beer makers out there.
Oh we both have tried malt powder and syrup, and doing the same recipes with the same results!



why do I get alot of foam?



and why does his go sour and flat?

 

[Badcop]

1. what carbination process are you using? suger or CO2?
2. are you boiling hops or using the syrup?
3. what kind of yeast is being used, dry or wet, active or inactive?

If your getting alot of foam your probably using TOO much yeast, I always stick to the pre mix wine yeast and order it from Bader's in vancouver wa, they have a site if you google it.

If your using dry ingredients, boilng, then straining, then you may be cooking it too long or too hot to get the sour taste in it. I do at times use the canned syrup, its quick and easy and already boiled down, you do have to boil it again but not as long or have to strain it.

If your friend is using suger, he may be using too much, switch to CO2, set the regulator to 50lbs and make sure the batch is REALLY cold before doing it, and never ever use dry ice.

Im no expert by any means but have made a few hundred batches with only a couple going bad.

 

[Pittfan4Life]

1. we use sugar
2. we have done both
3. liquid active
Those are some helpful tips we been discussing going to CO2.

 

[Badcop]

From what I have learned not only the hard way but the expensive way is Co2 is the only sure way to guarentee proper carbination.

is he getting foam only from the hops batches or both? did you keep your yeast out of the sun? is the beer when suger carbing in the sun or in a cool dark place? I always used my basement bathroom to not only ferment but to carb in.

 

[Badcop]

i forgot to add that sunlight is the kryptonite to beer brewing, so is bad yeast.

 

[Pittfan4Life]

we both us a basement closet's for fermentation and aging. Ones that don't get used and don't get opened. He doesn't get foam either way. I get foam both ways with the syrup I get alot of foam with dry malt and hops
I get about the right amount of carbonation.

 

[bobdog]

1. what carbination process are you using? suger or CO2?
2. are you boiling hops or using the syrup?
3. what kind of yeast is being used, dry or wet, active or inactive?

If your getting alot of foam your probably using TOO much yeast, I always stick to the pre mix wine yeast and order it from Bader's in vancouver wa, they have a site if you google it.

If your using dry ingredients, boilng, then straining, then you may be cooking it too long or too hot to get the sour taste in it. I do at times use the canned syrup, its quick and easy and already boiled down, you do have to boil it again but not as long or have to strain it.

If your friend is using suger, he may be using too much, switch to CO2, set the regulator to 50lbs and make sure the batch is REALLY cold before doing it, and never ever use dry ice.

Im no expert by any means but have made a few hundred batches with only a couple going bad.

I actually would consider my self an expert and sorry I have to say that everything you have posted is wrong. First there is no such thing as too much yeast. The more you pitch the better the beer will be period. Do not use Wine yeast for beer. Second. the longer the boil the better up to a point ( I would add that the more volume you can boil the better also and a full boil instead of adding water after is best. I brew all grain but when I started I used extract and I have no idea what you are talking about when you say boil strain and then boil again. One boil that is the procedure. No difference between dry and liquid extract except that you have to be careful not to let the dry get burned on the bottom of the pan before you stir it in. I agree that artificial carbonation using CO2 is best but he may not be set up to keg yet. 50 psi is way to much 12 to 15 is what you want. 50 and foam is all you will ever see.

I would bet what is happening is either poor sanitation or more likely incomplete fermentation in the fermenter (probably caused by pitching too little yeast, very common with liquid yeast, They say the amounts in the vials are pitchable but in truth a starter is needed to step up the cell count) If the beer is not done fermenting when primed for bottling it will over cabonate in the bottle.

 

[TRNDRVR]

One of you guys need to but my Pepsi container kegerator.......

 

[Pittfan4Life]

Thanks Bobdog,
I believe I do cook mine longer with more quantity then what my friend does
I do believe that I may bottle mine to soon which is where my extremely carbonated beer comes in. Mine does taste great other then the high carbonation!
So I will tell my friend to cook longer cook more and Sanitize better hopefully we will fix his sour, flat beer problem. Thanks for your input!