# Just Made My First Brew



## loikar (14/2/09)

Hey Guys,

Just made my first Brewcraft JSAA Kit  
All went well, although im a little paranoid about infection....but thats probably natural.

At the moment I have the fermenter sitting in a 1/4 filled esky of water with some big ice blocks floating around in it.
I need to pitch my yeast at 20deg but it seems to be taking a while for it to drop down from 30deg.

Does it matter how long the wort is sitting there before i pitch my yeast?
Should I take a gravity reading before or after i pitch my yeast?
these are the final things I need to do, just not 100% sure.


Cheers all.


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## FreemanDC (14/2/09)

(a ) For the Pitching, The quicker you pitch the less chance of infection, that being said if your san'ing is up to scatch you shouldn't have alot to worry about.

(B) i allways take after, but i don't think there is a big issue there ( just make sure you let the first bit out of the tap, as extract can build up in there and give you a false reading.


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## buttersd70 (14/2/09)

BeerFingers said:


> Hey Guys,
> 
> Just made my first Brewcraft JSAA Kit
> All went well, although im a little paranoid about infection....but thats probably natural.
> ...


take grav before pitching imo. As freemasha said, clear the tap. I prefer to take the sample before aerating the wort. Easier to read, imo. But don't forget that if it's higher temp, that will effect the grav reading...so note the temp as well. (a cheap digital stick thermometer is an essential piece of kit, imo, even in the early stages of doing k&k. To me its a non negotiable must-have item.)

Should be OK to sit for a bit for the temp to come down. But let common sense prevail. It will take a bit of time for the temp to come down, because it's a large volume of liquid....should be right in a couple of hours, i would have thought....if it's being _real _slow coming down, pitch it in the mid 20s and continue to reduce the temp. There will be lag time anyway, so as long as it's down by the time thats over with, it'll be fine.
Just before pitching, give it a big arsed stir up with a sanatised spoon just before pitching. Go all Basil Fawlty on it, to aerate it, then pitch.


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## loikar (14/2/09)

Cheers Guys, Pitching is done.

Gave it a big arsed stir and temp dropped to 22deg.
Took a reading of 1.045 and had a taste....what a slap in the face!, nice finish though 
made a quick starter and dumped in my yeast at 21deg and gave it another stir I think i popped my hops T-bag though..... :huh: 


Cheers guys for the advice.

Butters...you're a gun!


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## FreemanDC (14/2/09)

A handy thing for getting your wort down to pitching temps is to go out and buy a couple of coles 11lt containers of spring water, drink the water ( or use it brew ) and put them in the fridge a day before, you'll have some ice cold water to bring the temps down quick.


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## loikar (14/2/09)

Freemasha said:


> A handy thing for getting your wort down to pitching temps is to go out and buy a couple of coles 11lt containers of spring water, drink the water ( or use it brew ) and put them in the fridge a day before, you'll have some ice cold water to bring the temps down quick.



Yeah that's a fair call.
I was thinking of freezing about 5L of water and dumping my warm wort on top of that next time.
I guess a bit of both would be perfect....that's going in the diary.


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## loikar (15/2/09)

Guys, 

It's almost 24 hours and I have not has any action in my fermentor.
this is ok yeah?

it's been on about 18 deg for most of this time except for when i pitched at 21 deg.

am i over reacting here?


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## mwd (15/2/09)

Yes give it another 24 sometimes they can be a bit slow getting going


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## wambesi (15/2/09)

BeerFingers said:


> made a quick starter and dumped in my yeast at 21deg and gave it another stir I think i popped my hops T-bag though..... :huh:



I'm guessing you actually mean you rehydrated your dried yeast, as if your doing a starter it's not quick and stepped up usually over a few days to "grow" the yeasties.
Not being picky but it's good to get your terminology right 
Don't worry about those hops, they'll settle. I throw pellets in my fermenters all the time loose and have never had "floaties". 



BeerFingers said:


> Guys,
> 
> It's almost 24 hours and I have not has any action in my fermentor.
> this is ok yeah?
> ...



My last brew took about 48 hours for signs of fermentation.
But what type of action are you looking for? DONT rely on the little "bubbler" going as a lot of times it wont bubble at all even though it's all doing what it should be - there maybe a little leak somewhere - this is nothing to worry about, hardly any of mine bubble anymore.

Look for other signs such as condensation on the lid and a krausen (foam) formed ontop of the wort.


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## buttersd70 (15/2/09)

BeerFingers said:


> It's almost 24 hours and I have not has any action in my fermentor.
> this is ok yeah?



If by action, you mean airlock activity, I'm going to drop everything I'm doing, come over to your house, and choke a kitten in front of you as an object lesson. h34r: 
Airlocks are meaningless....look for other signs. Condensation inside the lid (usually this is the first sign), foaming on top of the wort, krausen ring forming on the fermenter at the fluid level, and of course drop in SG......

But, as others have said, there is always a lag time....this can vary from a couple of hours to 48 hours....in this case, I would expect it's likely that you'll start getting signs of activity, maybe later this afternoon/tonight. (given that you aerated the wort, giving it a damn good thrashing. The more you do, the better.)


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## loikar (15/2/09)

ok cool,

Cheers lads!

Yeah theres a little condensation and the foam is starting to thicken up on top.
So I'm a bit more relaxed now.

you know, first brew in over 10 years and all, just want it to turn out nice  

edit:


> I'm guessing you actually mean you rehydrated your dried yeast



Yep, just mixed it in with some cooled boiled water.
cheers wambesi


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## buttersd70 (15/2/09)

BeerFingers said:


> Yeah theres a little condensation and the foam is starting to thicken up on top.



It's off and running, then.


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## loikar (15/2/09)

buttersd70 said:


> I'm going to drop everything I'm doing, come over to your house, and choke a kitten in front of you as an object lesson. h34r:



as long as its a kitten and not the chicken!


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## loikar (16/2/09)

Just took a gravity reading, its dropped from 1045 to 1035 in just 2 days!
its been kept at a regular 18-19 deg due to the coopers shirt wrap-around and the esky.

Started worrying again.....but then I tasted it!

The bitter slap in the face has gone and it has a really sweet taste to start off with.
that moved into a big malty finish....im getting excited!!


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## chappo1970 (16/2/09)

All sounds good BeerFingers... Well done Mate! No looking back now.


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## bj42brumby (16/2/09)

WooHoo.. well done. I tasted my first bottle from my very first homebrew on the weekend. At least you've had experience 10 years ago, if my understanding is correct.


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## loikar (16/2/09)

bj42brumby said:


> WooHoo.. well done. I tasted my first bottle from my very first homebrew on the weekend. At least you've had experience 10 years ago, if my understanding is correct.



Wicked...what was it?, how was it?

10 years ago I was buying a can from coles, throwing in a kilo of table sugar and the yeast from the lid, cooking that at 24-27deg for a week, bottling it and drinking it 2 weeks later.
back then I drank to get drunk.....these days in my ahem..._maturity_...i drink for the taste....and getting drunk is a consequence of that :beer:


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## bj42brumby (16/2/09)

My first home brew kit from KMart.. and to all those who spurn the name.. Brigalow.. I tasted the beer just before bulk priming and bottling.. alongside with a warm flat VB as the man in the homebrew store recommended. No comparison. The VB was vile. I could have kept drinking the homebrew..
Suffice to say, my guinea pig.. er.. close mate and I gingerly opened the first few on the weekend.. and it was good enough to be planning the next batch.
Hope you have as brave a mate as I do Fingers


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## loikar (16/2/09)

bj42brumby said:


> Hope you have as brave a mate as I do Fingers



I got a mate who buys box's of VB in cans *only *because they come in 30 packs.
He'll be at my door bang on drinking day. I figure even if it tastes like it was squezed from a ferral cats arse and mixed up with a bottle of turps, he'll still think it's magic!


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## chappo1970 (16/2/09)

BeerFingers said:


> I got a mate who buys box's of VB in cans *only *because they come in 30 packs.
> He'll be at my door bang on drinking day. I figure even if it tastes like it was squezed from a ferral cats arse and mixed up with a bottle of turps, he'll still think it's magic!


 :lol: 
Sounds delightful! Got a recipe for that one?


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## loikar (16/2/09)

Hey All
Changed the water in my esky (that's where my fermenter is sitting) as it was starting to discolour.
chucked a 2 litre block of ice in there to cool the water back down to 18deg and some sanitiser.
Came back an hour and a half later and my fermenter was at 14deg.

Not that I'm to concerned as I assume that having it that bit cooler for time is better than having it warmer, its a JSAA pack from BrewCraft and I've been brewing a couple of degrees under the recommended 20-22 on the pack anyway.

But it's sparked my curiosity as to what temp fluctuations of say 5 deg either way have on the brew in the fermenter.
My first thought that it just a faster\slower ferment, but then what diff does a few degrees make, if any?

I understand steeping temps and fermenting at a consistent high\low temp, but flucuations in the fermenter?

cheers guys,


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## buttersd70 (16/2/09)

BeerFingers said:


> Hey All
> Changed the water in my esky (that's where my fermenter is sitting) as it was starting to discolour.
> chucked a 2 litre block of ice in there to cool the water back down to 18deg and some sanitiser.
> Came back an hour and a half later and my fermenter was at 14deg.
> ...


As you said, too cool is generally better than too warm, so it's not a major issue. Warm ferments lead to an increase in flavours from yeast biproducts, some good, some bad. Fairly rapid fluctuation can cause similar things to occur. In simple terms, the yeast gets confused. When it starts to cool down, it will start to think it's time to floculate out, when it warms up again, it thinks it's time to go gangbusters. Poor little beggars don't know if they're arthur or martha. Gentler changes to temperature allow the yeast to slow down/quicken up, whilst acclimatising to it's new surrounds, so it handles the change much better, with little stress. Thats one of the reasons why crash chilling works to drop the yeast out...the rapid change makes it drop, as opposed to secondary fermentation, where the temperature is gradually dropped, which slows the yeast down, but it continues it's activity, albeit at a more sedate pace.

Either way, don't be overly concerned, just let it come back up to temperature naturally of it's own accord.


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## loikar (18/2/09)

Afternoon lads,

Just a quick question.

Heading over to Sydney for a few days on Sunday 'till Tuesday night with my father-in-law to consume approximately a cow and a massive amount of Beer and Schnapps (He's German).

Come this Saturday, my Brew would have been in the Primary for 7 days.

Would I be better off Racking it to the Secondary on Saturday before I leave and letting it sit for the rest of the week, or would It be better to leave it in the Primary and rack it when I get back?

Cheers lads


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## WarmBeer (18/2/09)

BeerFingers said:


> Afternoon lads,
> 
> Just a quick question.
> 
> ...



Personally, I'd let it be. As long as you've got good even temperature control, and you're not expecting another series of 40+ degree days, there's nothing wrong with leaving it in your fermenter for another week or two. It will give the yeasties a good chance to clean up after themselves (untidy little buggers that they are  )

And before anybody scream the "A" word (rhymes with "snort-olysis"), the general consensus is that you can easily get away with 3-4+ weeks before autolysis (oops, sorry, said it) becomes an issue in any but the lightest of beers.

Cheers,

Brett


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## chappo1970 (18/2/09)

Sorry mate but your question is one of those err... it a depends kinda thing. Tomato Tomatoe thing...

Me I would rack to secondary and fine it only because of your pending trip away. I usually wait till the hydro has given me the same numbers for consecutive days but it's not overly neccessary.

Other like to leave it on the trub for flavour and taste.

2c worth


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## buttersd70 (18/2/09)

Don't confuse secondary fermentation with racking once fermentation is complete...different animals altogether. 
I would rack to secondary for a _proper _secondary fermentation......This is when you rack before fermentation is finished, maintain fermentation temperatures to allow the yeast in _suspension _to clean up the fermentation biproducts, without the excessive yeast on the bottom (and trub etc etc). _Then _you crash chill to drop bright. The rousing of the yeast from the racking aids the yeast to finish the fermentation more effectively.


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## loikar (18/2/09)

buttersd70 said:


> Don't confuse secondary fermentation with racking once fermentation is complete...different animals altogether.
> I would rack to secondary for a _proper _secondary fermentation......This is when you rack before fermentation is finished, maintain fermentation temperatures to allow the yeast in _suspension _to clean up the fermentation biproducts, without the excessive yeast on the bottom (and trub etc etc). _Then _you crash chill to drop bright. The rousing of the yeast from the racking aids the yeast to finish the fermentation more effectively.




yep, All over that Butters.

I was thinking the same as warmbeer but as you and chappo advise and because the Mrs will be looking after it: 
On Saturday I'll rack it to my secondary fermenter and add my finings and just make sure that the Mrs keeps it at 20-22.

Come back on wednesday and take over the reins.
now, if I'm planning to bottle on the Saturday after that, how long and how cold should I crash chill for?


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## Gavo (18/2/09)

I usually crash Chill for 24 hours, Gelatin and sit chilled for another 24 hours, polyclar and sit for 48 hours and then bottle. If you are going to just crash chill and then bottle, I would leave chilled for at least 48 hours for the yeast to drop (or longer depending on when I got around to bottling).

Cheers
Gavo.


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## loikar (18/2/09)

gavo said:


> I usually crash Chill for 24 hours, Gelatin and sit chilled for another 24 hours, polyclar and sit for 48 hours and then bottle. If you are going to just crash chill and then bottle, I would leave chilled for at least 48 hours for the yeast to drop (or longer depending on when I got around to bottling).
> 
> Cheers
> Gavo.



Cheers Gavo,

I reckon I'll chuck in my finings on Saturday when I rack to my secondary fermenter, then I'll crash chill the following Thursday night until I bottle on Saturday.

How much finings should I use for 20 litres?

Sorry, I did do a seach on this but I couldn't find anything on quantities....


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## Gavo (18/2/09)

BeerFingers said:


> How much finings should I use for 20 litres?
> 
> Sorry, I did do a seach on this but I couldn't find anything on quantities....



Link. I use just one teaspoon of Gelatin for my batches which range from 16 - 23 litres.

Cheers
Gavo.


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## loikar (18/2/09)

gavo said:


> Link. I use just one teaspoon of Gelatin for my batches which range from 16 - 23 litres.
> 
> Cheers
> Gavo.



No worries, thanks for the link Gavo! I love this forum!

Took my 3rd gravity test today (day 4), now sitting at 1020 from 1035 on Monday
tasted a little watery to be honest, the sweet initial hit has gone as well as the big malty finish.....was all a bit of a let down, but I'm not using this as a prediction on the final product. It's just pretty cool seeing how the taste changes every couple of days.

Cant wait to drink it!!


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## buttersd70 (18/2/09)

BF
with the finings, different people use slightly different amounts..gavo uses 1tsp, the article says 2, I use about 1 and a half (subject to ish). The main point is, with geletin (or any other fining), less is sometimes more....it _is _possible to overfine. Instead of neutralising the electric charge on the yeast (which is what allows it to floc together), it can reverse the charge entirely....so the yeast becomes mutually repelling again. So don't use too much...2tsp max.


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## loikar (18/2/09)

buttersd70 said:


> BF
> with the finings, different people use slightly different amounts..gavo uses 1tsp, the article says 2, I use about 1 and a half (subject to ish). The main point is, with geletin (or any other fining), less is sometimes more....it _is _possible to overfine. Instead of neutralising the electric charge on the yeast (which is what allows it to floc together), it can reverse the charge entirely....so the yeast becomes mutually repelling again. So don't use too much...2tsp max.




Cheers Butters, you're a legend, 1.5 it is!

Now...about my Airlock...should I be getting a glooopgloopglooooooop kinda sound or a gloop....gloop....gloop kinda sound.
I tried choking the chicken, but that made a completly different glooping sound (I tried it a few times to make sure)....im confused, yet satisfied.


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## bozzy (18/2/09)

BeerFingers said:


> Now...about my Airlock...should I be getting a glooopgloopglooooooop kinda sound or a gloop....gloop....gloop kinda sound.
> I tried choking the chicken, but that made a completly different glooping sound (I tried it a few times to make sure)....im confused, yet satisfied.



chicken?? i thaught it was kittens your supposed to be choking while watching the airlock.

is there beers/brewing echniques that are more prone to being cloudy than others? my first brew (k&k) isnt cloudy at all after sitting for a few days. (sediment has settled at the bottom) its a mexican cervenza if that makes any difference. im going to make a dark ale next and am wondering if i should use finings in it as id rather make an uncloudy beer. (total noob sorry in advance if my questions are stupid)


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## buttersd70 (18/2/09)

It depends a lot on the yeast...some beers are more flocculant than others (meaning it clumps together better, which makes it heavier, which makes it drop out due to gravity). Some beers are deliberately cloudy, as some beers are based largely on the character of the yeast (such as hefeweizen, or even coopers pale ale). Others need to be clear.

Fining isn't always necessary, but it gives you a more consistant clarity. Sods law states you'll do 3 in a row that are perfectly clear, and decide that you don't need to fine....the next one is almost guaranteed to refuse to clear on its own.


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## Gavo (18/2/09)

BeerFingers said:


> Cheers Butters, you're a legend, 1.5 it is!
> 
> Now...about my Airlock...should I be getting a glooopgloopglooooooop kinda sound or a gloop....gloop....gloop kinda sound.
> I tried choking the chicken, but that made a completly different glooping sound (I tried it a few times to make sure)....im confused, yet satisfied.



Cheeky Blighter isn't he eh?



bozzy said:


> chicken?? i thaught it was kittens your supposed to be choking while watching the airlock.
> 
> is there beers/brewing echniques that are more prone to being cloudy than others? my first brew (k&k) isnt cloudy at all after sitting for a few days. (sediment has settled at the bottom) its a mexican cervenza if that makes any difference. im going to make a dark ale next and am wondering if i should use finings in it as id rather make an uncloudy beer. (total noob sorry in advance if my questions are stupid)



And yet another cheeky Blighter. :lol: 

I find that kits tend to clear fairly easily. When going to using grain in extracts, and partials I have needed to pay more attention to clearing. My one AG I have done would have to be the clearest yet.

Cheers
Gavo.


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## bozzy (18/2/09)

gavo said:


> And yet another cheeky Blighter. :lol:



thats the closest thing ive heard to a complament in quite some time. B) 

i must admit i have spent far to much time staring at my airlock over the past couple of weeks. damn thing is almost hipnotic. (i make all my decisions based on the SG readings though. of corse thats not a guarantee of me doing the right thing though)


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## loikar (21/2/09)

OK, just racked to my secondary 25L bunnings fermentor with 5g of finnings in it! all went pretty well.

My gravity had dropped from 1020 on Wednesday to 1017 yesterday arvo and my airlock has slowed down considerably so it looked like everything was slowing down and coming to an end, it has been 7 days after all.

few things i did notice.

There was still a thick layer of krausen on top of the beer.
the beer was fairly dark, kinda like a deep redwood colour, not sure if this is normal for an amber ale.
there wasn't much of a yeast cake at the bottom, maybe half a cm thick.

Is this anything to be concerned about?
the videos iv'e watched have a fairly thick yeast cake and a thin layer of krausen.

So just thought I would run this past you blokes first.

Cheers lads


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## Steve (21/2/09)

BeerFingers said:


> OK, just racked to my secondary 25L bunnings fermentor with 5g of finnings in it! all went pretty well.
> 
> My gravity had dropped from 1020 on Wednesday to 1017 yesterday arvo and my airlock has slowed down considerably so it looked like everything was slowing down and coming to an end, it has been 7 days after all.
> 
> ...



1017 and a thick layer of krausen. I would have left it.
Leave it in secondary until your readings are a lot lower and consistent. Usually when its done the surface is clear of krausen.
Cheers
Steve


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## loikar (21/2/09)

Steve said:


> 1017 and a thick layer of krausen. I would have left it.
> Leave it in secondary until your readings are a lot lower and consistent. Usually when its done the surface is clear of krausen.
> Cheers
> Steve



Yeah, I was hesitant when looking at it initially, but with a trip to Sydney tomorrow for 3 days I thought it would be ok.

Gravity readings were dropping well over the week until yesterday eg: OG 1045 then on Mon 1035 then Wed 1020 and yesterday was 1017. So it appeared as things were coming to an end.
I plan on leaving it in the secondary until Thursday night, then I'll crash chill and bottle on Saturday.

Do you think that by racking it today there will be any adverse effects?


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## Steve (21/2/09)

BeerFingers said:


> Do you think that by racking it today there will be any adverse effects?



No way - it'll be fine. Cant believe you've got anything left after all those readings :lol:


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## mwd (21/2/09)

Don't forget that ale yeasts are generally 'top fermenters'. They float on the top when they are working then fall to the bottom when they have done.

That is why you do not have a thick carpet on the bottom of your primary.

Racking should not have any bad effects it should just continue to FG in the secondary.
You will need an airlock or gladwrap on your secondary though or you may come home to a giant bottle bomb.


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## loikar (21/2/09)

Steve said:


> No way - it'll be fine. Cant believe you've got anything left after all those readings :lol:



Wicked, Time for a beer then!

Yeah, since it's my first brew, I have been tasting it along the way to see how it changes in the fermenter.
I started off with 21.5 Litres....I'm down to 20


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## loikar (21/2/09)

Tropical_Brews said:


> Don't forget that ale yeasts are generally 'top fermenters'. They float on the top when they are working then fall to the bottom when they have done.
> 
> That is why you do not have a thick carpet on the bottom of your primary.



Cool, cheers alls good then.



Tropical_Brews said:


> Racking should not have any bad effects it should just continue to FG in the secondary.
> You will need an airlock or gladwrap on your secondary though or you may come home to a giant bottle bomb.



Yeah, drilled a hole in the lid and fitted an airlock, SHMBO will be looking after it in my absence.....god love her!


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## buttersd70 (21/2/09)

All is good, BF. You beer will be better for having racked it...it will have a proper secondary ferment, so it should atteuate out fully....by the time you get back, it'll probably be the ducks wotsits.
Once the fg has fully stabalised, just crash chill the beggar for a few days, and then should be good to go.


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## smollocks (21/2/09)

Won't the finings that have been added retard the amount of secondary fermentation that can take place?


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## buttersd70 (21/2/09)

possibly. it might make the yeast floc out early, but at fermentation temps (instead of cold), there should still be ample in suspension anyway. And secondary fermentation is meant to be at a slower rate than primary fermentation. (although, having said that, I wouldn't have added the finings untill fg was reached...but it should be OK).


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## loikar (21/2/09)

buttersd70 said:


> possibly. it might make the yeast floc out early, but at fermentation temps (instead of cold), there should still be ample in suspension anyway. And secondary fermentation is meant to be at a slower rate than primary fermentation. (although, having said that, I wouldn't have added the finings untill fg was reached...but it should be OK).




Butters.......fkn legend!


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## buttersd70 (21/2/09)

BeerFingers said:


> Butters.......fkn legend!



Of course I am.... :lol: 

Point is , don't stress it. It's not f*n rocket science. If its off a bit, it's not the end of the world.....I was brewing today....missed my strike temp. Buggered up my sparge as a result....efficiency was down...but, what me worry? (insert Alfred E Neuman grin here.)....no, of course not. I know that the beer I've made today won't be exactly what I was planning on.....but it will be a nice beer, nonetheless. And that's the _whole _point.  Just as an FYI.....traditional secondary (from an English perspective).....when 3 to 4 points over projected FG, the beer is racked, then crash chilled to 8C to drop some (but not all) of the yeast. Temp is then risen back to just under primary ferment temp. Less yeast + slightly cooler = slow finish to FG, which smooths the beer. (no point realy in doing this as written with a k&k, you won't notice the quality lift EDIT....not trying to denegate kit beers, but just stating a fact. No flaming from Extract aplogiststs, please. B) ). A;so bear in mind that this type of beer is meant to be drank within 21 days of primary finishing, which can't be done either in the bottle, or with a kit.  
But it's something to aspire to...........

BF, check out the SA K&K swap....


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## loikar (21/2/09)

buttersd70 said:


> Point is , don't stress it. It's not f*n rocket science.


Cheers mate, I hear ya.

It's more of me getting an understanding of the process, the changes that occur within the fermenter and basically the reasons why its better to do "X" rather than "Y" to get a better beer (that's where you come in  ). 
I can read info and watch videos until the cows come home and bugger off again, but as with most things, it's not until you're doing it that you actually get a grasp of what's going on or the fundamentals behind it.

Mate, don't tell the Mrs, but I plan on traveling the road to from K&K to AG, but when I get there, I want to be able to know the ins and outs as well as be able to make great beer.

So if drongo up the road reckons he farts into the airlock before filling it to get rid of any oxygen and he churns out good beer, I wanna know why and how, or if at all, maybe he's just full of S*it....pardon the pun



buttersd70 said:


> BF, check out the SA K&K swap....



yeah mate, I reckon I'll do one more K&K and a ginger beer for the boy (get him off my back), then I'll be moving onto extract. But I still might go check it out.

Cheers for all your thorough info mate, it's nice to know the science behind "X" and "Y".


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## bozzy (21/2/09)

buttersd70 said:


> It's not f*n rocket science. If its off a bit, it's not the end of the world



its lucky for me that that's true (cause id have a snowflakes chance in hell in making something drinkable)



BeerFingers said:


> I can read info and watch videos until the cows come home and bugger off again, but as with most things, it's not until you're doing it that you actually get a grasp of what's going on or the fundamentals behind it.
> 
> Mate, don't tell the Mrs, but I plan on traveling the road to from K&K to AG, but when I get there, I want to be able to know the ins and outs as well as be able to make great beer.
> 
> Cheers for all your thorough info mate, it's nice to know the science behind "X" and "Y".



+1 I'm exactly the same. although i think ill continue to ignore the drunken locals around here.


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## loikar (25/2/09)

NOT HAPPY!!

Got back from Sydney last night and took a gravity reading.....1015!! from 1017 on Saturday.

Spoke to SHMBO today about it and she said she saw our 13yo boy squeezing the fermentor to make the airlock bubble...
Spoke to the boy and he's confirmed this...he also said he's been topping the airlock up with the water that the fermenter is sitting in (which also has sinitiser in it)...so, it appears as though sanitiser has been sucked into wort.

So, now that I have removed my foot from his arse and cooled down a bit......do you reckon he's stuffed my beer?

Cheers lads,

P.S. Resches....FARK!....do you NSW'ers brew that shit with Salt Water???


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## buttersd70 (25/2/09)

Gawd.
I wouldn't worry too much about it, whats done is done.
Give the fermenter a gentle swirl to resuspend the yeast (without splashing), then raise the temp up to 20 (if it's not already there), and give it a few more days, then check it again. Sometimes they can be a wee bit slow at the end, it looks like this is one of those times.....it is still dropping, though, so thats a good thing. Check it again on, say, friday pm.


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## loikar (1/3/09)

Just got done bottling!
Exactly 2 1/2 cartons!

Bottled at about 10C after 24hrs cold chilling and then racking onto my dextrose.
Tasted Great!!, if anything a little watery. I reckon a could have nailed a sixer today!

Cant wait for sample day in 2 weeks and then blotto day in 4 

Hey Butters!, thanks for all your help mate! :beer: 
Looks like my first brew is going to be a treat!!  

I'll let you know in 2 and 4 weeks


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## mckenry (1/3/09)

BeerFingers said:


> Cant wait for sample day in 2 weeks and then blotto day in 4
> 
> I'll let you know in 2 and 4 weeks



Better get brewing again :super:


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## buttersd70 (1/3/09)

BeerFingers said:


> Hey Butters!, thanks for all your help mate! :beer:
> Looks like my first brew is going to be a treat!!


A pleasure....you spawned one of the funniest threads on here in ages, gave me a great idea for updating my sig, got me off my arse to finaly write an article about priming, and made the mistake of offering me a beer (given that we live in the same city, and I drink like a f*kin fish....offering me a drink gets the same results as pouring your whole batch on the garden. :lol: ). All in all, a good result.

btw, what part of town are you in?



mckenry said:


> Better get brewing again


100% agree.....nothing worse than running out.


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## loikar (1/3/09)

buttersd70 said:


> A pleasure....you spawned one of the funniest threads on here in ages, gave me a great idea for updating my sig, got me off my arse to finaly write an article about priming, and made the mistake of offering me a beer (given that we live in the same city, and I drink like a f*kin fish....offering me a drink gets the same results as pouring your whole batch on the garden. :lol: ). All in all, a good result.
> 
> btw, what part of town are you in?



There ya go mate, win-win!
Mate, drink as much as you like, but if you DO tip it on the garden, you better bring some of your own  'cos fish 'aint got sh*t on me 

Down south mate, About a 10min walk from the Onka river mouth.


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## buttersd70 (1/3/09)

BeerFingers said:


> There ya go mate, win-win!
> Mate, drink as much as you like, but if you DO tip it on the garden, you better bring some of your own  'cos fish 'aint got sh*t on me
> 
> Down south mate, About a 10min walk from the Onka river mouth.



What I meant was, I'll drink you dry.....Muckey is an expert at having Butters over, then mysteriously running out of beer! :lol: 

opposite end of town, though...


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## Gavo (1/3/09)

buttersd70 said:


> What I meant was, I'll drink you dry.....Muckey is an expert at having Butters over, then mysteriously running out of beer! :lol:



Yeah, what I understand is that it takes butters at least half a keg to brew a keg.  

Cheers
Gavo.

Edit: and watch out for your fridge if he has a marker on hand.


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## loikar (1/3/09)

buttersd70 said:


> What I meant was, I'll drink you dry.....Muckey is an expert at having Butters over, then mysteriously running out of beer! :lol:
> 
> opposite end of town, though...



Yeah I got that after re-reading your post, after i already posted my reply......must be the 6-pack i had for lunch. :blink: 

Yeah, funny that....from what i can tell, I'm the only South rAdelaide Brewer on AHB. :super: 
So cheers to that.....time for afternoon tea (AKA - Beer)


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## loikar (1/3/09)

buttersd70 said:


> What I meant was, I'll drink you dry.....Muckey is an expert at having Butters over, then mysteriously running out of beer! :lol:
> 
> opposite end of town, though...



Yeah I got that after re-reading your post, after i already posted my reply......must be the 6-pack i had for lunch. :blink: 

Yeah, funny that....from what i can tell, I'm the only South rAdelaide Brewer on AHB. :super: 
So cheers to that.....time for afternoon tea (AKA - Beer) 

Edit: OK SO IM PISHED!, Piss off!!


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## loikar (14/3/09)

SO....here it is!

After all that, she is an absolute CRACKER!!

Thanks for all your help BTW butters....if you ever come down south....drop in for a brew!


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