/diy/ - Do It Yourself

[Anonymous No.255496]

/diy/ i just started a gallon of mead. i don't expect anything amazing from my first try, but i had some questions for round two.

-if i make a larger batch do i need more yeast? (eg. 1gal to 5gal)
-if i add more yeast to the same sized batch, will it ferment faster?
-what abv am i looking at with turbo bread yeast?
-is there a yeast i can buy at giant or safeway that will yield higher abv?
-what kind of stores could i find empty glass wine bottles?

might think of more, but any help is appreciated.

also general questions/answers on home-brewing

[Anonymous No.255497]

bumping with cheap/easy home brews

[Anonymous No.255499]

napkin doesn't work, but the recipe does

[Anonymous No.255502]

also, does the balloon airlock work?

i used a plastic tube into a glass of water for the one gallon, but the 5 gallon might not work as well with that method.

[Drobeis !!FAXJ2gIiq+R No.255580]

My first batch of mead still had sediment in it when I went to bottle it. I tried using coffee filters and pouring it back and forth into different jugs, cleaning each one out as I did so. What's the best way to not get sediment in the secondary fermentation / racking / bottle stuff? I heard somebody say charcoal filter, but no further elaboration on that.

[Tepache !aO5Mv7EC6. No.255766]

>>255502
>also, does the balloon airlock work?

Yes, they work and work pretty effectively.

The plastic tube into a container of water is actually the very best method for an airlock. Those are known as blow off tubes.

>>255580
When you say sediment, do you mean stuff that is floating around or stuff laying on the bottom? If it is on the bottom then don't worry about it. Just siphon (rack) the upper liquid off and leave the sediment behind. If the sediment is suspended then you need to clear it before racking. There are a variety of means to clear a brew. the most common method is time. Wait longer. After that doesn't work you use a clarifying agent based on what type of sediment you have. A clarifying agent is known as a "fining" and there are several you can use, Irish moss (carrageenan/red sea weed), egg whites (albumen), gelatin, casein, isinglass, bentonite (clay), and several more,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finings

I'd recommend trying things in this order, time; wait it out, cold; put it in the fridge for a long time, bentonite; so you won't be putting anything in that might be an allergy problem for someone, then egg whites if everything else fails.

I recommend staying away from Irish moss because carrageenan is actually pretty bad for your intestines and can cause lesions and malignancies along the intestines. (note that carrageenan is widely used in dairy products now in order to give it mouth feel for the now missing cream).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrageenan#Health_concerns

[Anonymous No.255774]

I have a carboy of thick mead down in the basement (18lb of honey and 6 lbs of strawberry)
it was cloudy for about 3-4 months, but it has cleared up beautifully.

I also used irish moss( i don't like the idea of being fish guts or bone stuff in my brew)

if you do a larger batch, you don't need a huge amount of yeast - it grows exponetionally.

I don't know the abv using turbo yeast, probably not too high, but hard to tell.

i think all of your answers will be found at a homebrew store - either brick and mortar or online.

you can get either champaige yeast(which allows for higher abv because the yeast can survive it), and you really only need one packet that will cost appx 1$ - the yeast is the one thing that i don't skimp on - it is the action in the drink

the bottles you can try to get from a bar or friends who drink wine. I found mine at yardsales.

good on you, i wish i knew more people who brewed around here

[Anonymous No.255782]

>>255499
What to use instead of the napkin? Newbie to brewing here, would like some easy, cheap preffered starters

[Anonymous No.255784]

>>255782
A balloon with about 5 pin pricked holes in it. It should stand up when the brew starts to outgas. Air will escape through the tiny holes in the balloon. Once the balloon starts to fall again, the brew should be nearly done fermenting. Too many holes will mean the balloon won't stand up properly.

[Radiofag No.255822]

>>255502
The rubber is not food grade and may leech toxins.

Your best bet is a rubber cork with a hole in it, with some 1" tygon tubing (food grade clear plastic tubing) stuck into the hole, then routed into a 1 gallon jug of water. Mild bleachwater, or vodka with water is fine.

The blowoff tube is actually a great idea for beermaking, especially if you aerate your brew with 99% O2 after pitching...That oxygenation tends to cause extremely vigorous fermentation for the first few days.