A few months back, I brewed an American IPA that looked great on paper. After a month in bottles, I had a beer that was very flawed. It was hoppy, sure, but it was also a bit too fruity in a struggled-to-ferment-well kind of way (I used US-05). The bottles were also inconsistently carbonated. I don't brew very often (maybe three times a year when I'm productive), but I've been doing this for seven years, so you'll understand that I went into this feeling like I knew what I was doing. I need to revisit my methods. My idea is to formulate a kind of blank recipe, something drinkable but also transparent enough that off flavors and other red flags are easily detectable. Also, when I adjust my brewing methods and keep my recipe the same, I'd like to notice the difference as well as I can. Do people do this? Is there a best practice for how to do it best?
What is your procedure for activating your yeast? Yeast starter? Do you have temp controlled fermentation? What is your procedure for carbonation/bottling? Base recipe suggestion for 5gal 8# pale LME or 7# light DME or 11# 6row pale malt (@ your normal mash temp) Any neutral bittering hop @ 60min for less than 20-30IBUs Use US-05 as you normally do
Great questions. Normally I prime the yeast in a pyrex measuring cup covered in saran wrap. Since I usually use dry yeast (except for with my dunkelweizen), I haven't made a starter in years. I do have temp controlled fermentation, but it's really low tech. I have an Igloo Ice Cube cooler that fits my glass fermenter with an inch or so clearance all around. I fill that space with water that I cool with ice packs. I monitor the temperature manually with the probe of an indoor-outdoor thermometer. Once I get the temp to where I want it, it's really easy to keep it there. When I bottle, I rack to a bucket with a spigot, and I prime based on how much liquid goes into the bucket (the size is metered). I use table sugar or corn sugar, boiled into a syrup and cooled. The priming sugar goes straight into the bucket, and then I stir it with the racking cane.
US-05 is pretty neutral in the low 60's. I didn't ask about ferm temp or oxygenation. Assuming Temps are in the range for the yeast, sanitation, and oxygenation isn't the issue, I would investigate yeast freshness and cell count (try making a starter). If you are doing no oxygenation, that could be it also. Boiled wort has little to virtually no oxygen in it. Are you racking for bottling once it has reached your targeted final gravity? Assuming you have an accurate determination of the proper sugar to add, Inconsistent carbonation with sugar sometimes can be attributed to not stirring well enough. Sugar syrup is very dense and sinks until it distributes itself. Hope this helps.
Thanks, this is very helpful. A few more answers: I always ferment US-05 at 62-65 degrees. I don't check for gravity after pitching yeast (unless it's after I've already racked for bottling), but I always leave my normal-strength beers in the fermenter for at least three weeks to a month. The last time I oxygenated my wort, "Hips Don't Lie" was still on the radio. I've got a wand and a tank in a box somewhere. Usually I just shake the carboy a little. A simple ale with just base malt, bittering hop, and dry yeast would be very budget friendly. This is something I could afford to make once a month, no question. If I start now and keep brewing this through, say, September, taking good notes and tweaking my process each time, I think I'll improve a lot as a brewer.
Enough yeast and oxygenatation seems like those would be the first 2 things to test. Good luck and good beer...
