10 replies to this topic

[VanessaQ]

Finally got to the Albuquerque HBS and stocked up on a number of things too heavy to mail order. We also picked up our first extract stout kit (Munton's Export Stout).
I'm quite happy with my better bottles but I didn't want to pass up a chance to carry home a glass carboy so we got a 5 gal one for the stout.
While reading the directions, I realized the kit was for 5 UK gallons and I have a 5 US gal carboy. I think I have a free 6 gal better bottle but I wonder if I should make it to 5 or 5.5 US gal. That is, might it be better that way? If so, then I suppose I adjust the initial sugar to the recommended OG and reduce the priming sugar for my actual volume.

Would it be unwise to mess around with it this way? (I'm feeling adventurous!)

[gregmg]

5 imperial gallons is 6 US gallons, or more precisely 6.00475211 US gallons. Why not use your 6 gallon Better Bottle? Whether or not it would be better made to 5 or 5.5 gallons is a question I can't answer.

Greg G.

(BTW, Google is handy for conversions like this. Just enter "5 imperial gallons in US gallons" and it will spit out the result.)

[cpfan]

And that's why I prefer to talk in litres. 18.9 litres (5 USG) or 23 litres (6 USG).

You could use the 6 USG Better Bottle if you wish. I don't like to use plastic carboys & primaries for beer and then switch back to wine because the taste/flavour may cling to the plastic.

I don't know about making the Muntons kit to a smaller size.

Steve

[Brian_Lundeen]

Steve, I (and many others) have been making both wine and beer in a plastic primary for years. Wine tastes like wine, beer tastes like beer. This one really should be put out to pasture.

As for the original question, making a beer kit to less volume is perfectly acceptable, some manufacturers (such as BrewHouse) even encourage such experimentation. Your alcohol will go up about 1% alc/vol which in looking at the Muntons specs for this kit, would actually be a good thing style wise. The kit made per directions is on the low side for an export stout. The beer is quite bitter to start with, and you will see a noticeable increase there of about 10 IBU. The downside of course is a higher cost per bottle, but a more intense overall product. If you decide not to reduce the volume, I would recommend boiling up some additional malt extract (or sugar for a slightly drier finish) to get the original gravity up in the 1.050-55 range.

Brian

[Fishnwine]

Steve, I (and many others) have been making both wine and beer in a plastic primary for years. Wine tastes like wine, beer tastes like beer. This one really should be put out to pasture.

As for the original question, making a beer kit to less volume is perfectly acceptable, some manufacturers (such as BrewHouse) even encourage such experimentation. Your alcohol will go up about 1% alc/vol which in looking at the Muntons specs for this kit, would actually be a good thing style wise. The kit made per directions is on the low side for an export stout. The beer is quite bitter to start with, and you will see a noticeable increase there of about 10 IBU. The downside of course is a higher cost per bottle, but a more intense overall product. If you decide not to reduce the volume, I would recommend boiling up some additional malt extract (or sugar for a slightly drier finish) to get the original gravity up in the 1.050-55 range.

Brian

I own and operate a FOP. My beer primarys definetly smell of hops and malt and the wine primarys defienitly smell like wine. I can not see how these aromas would not transfer to aouther product IE a beer flavored wine. It is the oils in the hops that coat the inside of the vessel used to ferment in. I do have customers I know would pick up any strange flavor present.I have one I have tried with a couple blind tastings with different wines that can tell if the wine was fermented in a plastic carboy or a glass one. I guess it depends on how sensitive the palate is.

[rpage53]

I haven't found any problems switching between beer and wine in a plastic fermentor but beer requires lengthy cleaning. I use Diversol, hot water and elbow grease. One of our FOP recently switched to all glass carboys because they found the plastic (HDPE not BB) too time consuming to clean. I don't use carboys for beer because I want to get my arm in for cleaning.

The Brewhouse (RJ Spagnols) provides instructions on the impacts of changing the volume of a kit. Look under Adjusting the Level of Fermentable Extract.
http://www.thebrewho..._techniques.htm

Rick.

[Joe_Sallo]

Finally got to the Albuquerque HBS and stocked up on a number of things too heavy to mail order. We also picked up our first extract stout kit (Munton's Export Stout).
I'm quite happy with my better bottles but I didn't want to pass up a chance to carry home a glass carboy so we got a 5 gal one for the stout.
While reading the directions, I realized the kit was for 5 UK gallons and I have a 5 US gal carboy. I think I have a free 6 gal better bottle but I wonder if I should make it to 5 or 5.5 US gal. That is, might it be better that way? If so, then I suppose I adjust the initial sugar to the recommended OG and reduce the priming sugar for my actual volume.

Would it be unwise to mess around with it this way? (I'm feeling adventurous!)

Does this have any grain or is it hopped extract only? I can send you a good partial grain recipe for next time. You need a 7 gallon carboy regardless once this gets going; you need headspace to ferment in. You could just use two 4 liter jugs for the excess. I realize you only have a 5 so maybe make it to 5 and pull out a gallon into the fermenters once it starts.

I'm like Brian, but I ferment in glass and ferment beer and wine in the same carboys.

[Fishnwine]

With glass is the best. There is not transfer of anything with glass. Just clean and sanitize good to go. The head space issue is important. With this being a prehopped extact a blow off tube woud work very nicely to handle any foamming issues. These munton kits are low foaming. The ones I made have all been clean and quick. these do not foam up like a BrewHouse kit. I quite often have these lift the lid on a 46 liter primary.

[VanessaQ]

Lots of great input! Thanks!

We're actually going to ferment in a new 7.5 gal primary tub which I'll either clean well or keep for beer if there is an aroma. Then we're going to transfer to the carboy. Whether we use the 5 gal glass I bought or the 6 gal BB is still up in the air. I'm going to check out Rick and Brian's link, though. Even the Munton's instructions under the lid encourage experimentation. If we do, we won't have anything to compare it to but we will be able to say if we like the result!

I have been very impressed with how well the BBs clean up. Today, I scrubbed hard water deposits off the outside of a glass jug - tough stuff! - and just WIPED them off the BB. Well, that's a big plus. So is the lighter weight, easier storage and lower price. If I need separate ones, so be it. Beer isn't anywhere as long in the carboy anyway.

Joe, you sure could send me your partial grain recipe. Not going that way yet but I see it's inevitable!

[rpage53]

I have been very impressed with how well the BBs clean up.

I edited my original answer to clarify that the FOP was using the milky white HDPE carboys. Better Bottles really do clean up easily. Tim Vandergrift had a BB badly stained aging rhubarb wine, but it cleaned right up with a little percarbonate (Oxy Clean and similar).

Rick.

[VanessaQ]

Sweetie says he feels better NOT messing with the first batch so the BB it is. After that, we'll see!