# First brew tinglers



## Beil (23/11/16)

Hey, figured jump right into a question and intro, from what I've read on here everyone seems happy to help each other out and a bit of banter.
Haven't frequented a forum for a few years so it'll be good to have somewhere to learn aswell and not just post random shit.
I'm here in Adelaide, originally from UK until 8 years ago.. eventually I want to brew a Newcastle Brown Ale clone .

I've read and am currently re-reading john palmers how to brew, which is all good except does anyone have a metric resource for the calculations I can read?

I'm just going to go through my plan, please anyone correct or chastise me for anything I'm thinking wrong. If you can provide any calculations as to what would happen then please, I'm all ears.
Basically I'm here to learn and have no problem being told I'm wrong and shown the correct way.

I do not know what I am doing, I'm just picking ingredients at random, until I know what each will do, just like cooking.


So I've just bought the starter kit from brewcraft, 30l fermenter etc.
It came with a tin of Black Rock pilsener blonde, I figure I may aswell use that as my first base but discard the 5g yeast that came with.

My plan is to go straight to KK or kits and bits, reading is all well and good but I need to just do it.


The kit came with 1kg brewcraft brew enhancer (75%dex.. 25% malt..).

I will be purchasing the following:
(All from brew craft)
1 kg band dried light malt.
1kg crystal malted barley.
11g safale us05 yeast
25g Amarillo hops.



First I will fill the FV with 20l boiled water to allow it to cool

I will steep 250g crystal malted barley in 5l water for 1 hour. (Assume 3l remaining at end)
At 15 mins before end add 10g Amarillo hops in bag. At one hour: flame out and mix in 1kg light malt and 250g dex/malt powder.
Then add the tin of pilsener.

When all mixed together, cold crash in the sink.

In meantime add 11g yeast packet to cup boiled water that has cooled to room temp.

Add wort to FV, ensure temp is about 20deg. C then add yeast.

Close lid, airlock, put somewhere.. maintain temp about 20deg. C.



I'll get into priming and bottling later.


Cool, so please, pick this apart, this is my plan anyways


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## Brewnicorn (23/11/16)

Good luck and all the best Beil! I'm not an expert by any stretch but that sounds like a good set up. I'm sure folks will dive in after hours!


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## Coodgee (23/11/16)

The kit came with 1kg brewcraft brew enhancer (75%dex.. 25% malt..).

I will be purchasing the following:
(All from brew craft)
1 kg band dried light malt.

**Use either the malt or the brewcraft brew enhancer. Depends what you want. the malt will make quite a malty beer that might have a bit of residual sweetness. The brew enhancer will give a drier, possibly crisper taste.
1kg crystal malted barley.
11g safale us05 yeast
25g Amarillo hops.



First I will fill the FV with 20l boiled water to allow it to cool

I will steep 250g crystal malted barley in 5l water for 1 hour. (Assume 3l remaining at end)
At 15 mins before end add 10g Amarillo hops in bag. At one hour: flame out and mix in 1kg light malt and 250g dex/malt powder.
Then add the tin of pilsener.

** Firstly, make sure the crystal is crushed. Then, steeping doesn't mean boiling. What you want to do is boil some water in your jug. 2L should be enough for 250 grams of crystal. When the water is less than 77 degrees, add the cracked crystal either in a sieve or cloth to keep it contained. or just add it loose and sieve it out at the end. Let it steep for a while, I think 20 minutes is probably enough. try to keep it between 70 and 75 degrees approx but this is not essential. Just no higher than 77 degrees or you might extract tannins from the grain. After this time, strain the grain and the resulting sweet liquid can be boiled for an hour. At flame out, throw in the hops. put the whole 25grams in. 10 grams will do Sweet F All. then stir in the malt and the tin and poor into your fermenter. Give it a good stir to get some oxygen in there. Try to get the brew under 20 degrees before you pitch the yeast. 


When all mixed together, cold crash in the sink.

**yep.

In meantime add 11g yeast packet to cup boiled water that has cooled to room temp.

**yep

Add wort to FV, ensure temp is about 20deg. C then add yeast.

**yep

Close lid, airlock, put somewhere.. maintain temp about 20deg. C.

**yep


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## damoninja (23/11/16)

Down the slope  always good seeing new people getting in to the hobby. 
I'm certain there'd be a newcy brown recipe out there somewhere when the time comes!

First tip from me - shop somewhere other than brewcraft... What part of Adelaide are you in? There's several better and cheaper places in most necks of the woods. 

Those brewcraft packs are good but _offensively _overpriced


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## Beil (24/11/16)

Brewnicorn: Cheers .

Coodgee: yes, thats exactly what I was hoping someone would do, thanks.

In regards to the malt and BE, you say use either, do you mean literally one or the other? 
Or it really doesn't matter except that different values will give different attributes?

Ah yes, I'm going to have to suss out the terminology, or read Palmer's book to confirm something, simple mistake as trying to remember something wrong, in this case would lead to me boiling the grains.
I will have to crack the grains myself with a rolling pin as I've already asked at my local brewcraft about be crushed grains and they said they didn't sell too good so discontinued.

Boiling the grain wort for an hour, will this have the hot break I need to watch for? 

No need to boil the tin? Doing so will boil off any hop oils already in it?

Under 20 c to pitch yeast, got it ... the yeast will raise the temp of the wort so better to be on the lower side at this point I guess?

Everything else looks like it should be good.

Thank you.

Damoninja: I stopped smoking weed years ago otherwise I'd probably be having a go at growing that instead of this, alas my missus wouldn't approve haha. I've got my veggie patch atleast.
I had a look after you post and found one  
I'm in Salisbury, so the main north road Salisbury one is closest so figured use that as local.
I will have to do my research or atleast buy a few brews so I can compare anyways


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## damoninja (24/11/16)

Beil said:


> Damoninja: I stopped smoking weed years ago otherwise I'd probably be having a go at growing that instead of this, alas my missus wouldn't approve haha. I've got my veggie patch atleast.
> I had a look after you post and found one
> I'm in Salisbury, so the main north road Salisbury one is closest so figured use that as local.
> I will have to do my research or atleast buy a few brews so I can compare anyways


Make your way to beerbelly, more stuff, better stuff, cheaper stuff!

If you went to the brewcraft at Modbury you would have probably driven past beerbelly and weren't too far from Brew Maker which is also on NE road


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## Matplat (24/11/16)

When you get to a Newcy Brown clone, you only need maybe 50g of pale chocolate, and 200g of special roast (on the assumption that you make a standard 23l batch).

This is probably a bit specific for your current stage of brewing knowledge, but I brewed the northern english brown ale in the book 'Brewing Classic Styles' (highly recommend getting a copy) expecting something similar, and it came out way too roasty from how I remember Newcy Brown.

This is just an anecdote I have stored in my memory next time I get to making a brown ale....


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## Crakkers (24/11/16)

damoninja said:


> Make your way to beerbelly, more stuff, better stuff, cheaper stuff!


Yep, you're not too far from Beerbelly in Salisbury. I only use Brewcraft in an emergency, or occasionally Country Brewer - they're both pretty expensive.
Even though Beerbelly is a long way from where I live, it's still worth the drive out there if I need a big stock-up. For smaller amounts their delivery service is excellent and only $6 or so in metro Adelaide.


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## pablo_h (24/11/16)

US05 yeast and amarillo hops won't make a a newc brown, also 250g crystal and a pilsner blond kit either.

You can do what you've said and make a pale/golden ale though, nothing wrong with that.
If you want to experiment further, replace the LDME with a can of amber liquid malt extract, add some choc grains to steep (50-100g), use a british ale yeast (anyone out there tried the new danstar english ale yeast - I bought a pack but haven't used it yet), otherwise windsor, s04 or one of the mangrove jacks yeasts, and ekg or fuggles hops. I don't think newc has a hoppy flavour or aroma, so 20g should do in a 10min boil (none at flameout)

E:
BCS malt bill is (roughly):
pale/light malt 2kg (so your can and the kilo of LDME should do it)
220g med crystal
170g dark crysal
100g choc malt
57g black patent malt
25g EKG hops (boil only, no aroma or flavour late additions)
s04 yeast

Or like I said, use the kit can, amber malt can, crystal malt (200g max since you're using amber malt) ,100g choc malt. Save the kg of ldme for a different brew

E2: Don't forget to buy a grain bag, have a grain mill, blade grinder or rolling pin to use, accurate scales etc
Cleaning stuff! Sodium percarbonate and starsan, and a clean trigger spray bottle (to spray utensils etc) and bottle brushes.

I don't boil the top up water anymore, I fill the fermenter with ~17L clean tap water and let stand overnight with 1/4 campden tab to get rid of chlorine and cholormine. (some use vit C tabs instead, or potasium metabisulphate powder)
Then I steep the grains at ~65C-70C for 30-45min.
In the meantime filling and boiling the kettle again
I raise the temp slowly to 70C over another 15min if it has dropped (lower temp better for flavour/sugars, higher temp better for colour)
Pull the bag up and rinse with that kettle water I boiled 30-45min ago
Bring to a boil, add the malts, dex and boil for 20min or so depending on recipe, add hops as required for flavour and aroma
Add cans contents, (so now we are talking about 5-6L), cool in the sink for 45m-1hr with 3-4 water bath refills gradually reducing temp to ~35C, then pour into my fermenter for 21-23L total volume (depending on recipe)


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## Beil (26/11/16)

Damoninja/crakkers: I know research road, so beer belly would make a good after work stop as I work like 5 mins from there.

Pablo: not trying to make newcy brown this time so all good 
Be good to get round to making that, I know some other geordie expats who would appreciate it.

I went and got everything today, only thing I forgot was the spray bottle, but woolies tomorrow can sort that. Already have some digital scales and digital thermometer I bought for my other hobby/craft.
And a 19L crock pot, figured get the biggest I could so I don't need to re-buy at a later date if I got a small one.

I also downloaded a 'wort homebrew calculator' to try and help me get my head around stuff.
Based on that (it said my IBU would only be 8 after I entered all the ingredients) I bought some topaz hops aswell as I'm liking really hoppy stuff, had a pint of Hop Heaven today and when looking it up saw it had an IBU of 41, I thought I'll get some strong bittering hops to add.

Not sure if those calculators are any good, but if it gives me a rough idea of what I'm making then great


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## Beil (27/11/16)

All went well today, took longer than I thought though.
Boiled 10L for the FV which took long enough (ended up with 9 in the FV) and decided to use 14L in the pot for everything else. Took ******* ages to get the temp up-to 100 after steeping grains for 30 mins at 70 (cooled to 62 over the half hour).

I missed the hot break, I was expecting more foaming boil, it sort of just built up in pieces and there was a thin layer of foam, I reckon I boiled it for another 15 mins before I figured that must have been it :/.
Added 13g of topaz (17%) at 60; Then 17g at 30. Then 13g Amarillo (8-5%) at flame out. Got another 20g to add day 5 of ferment.

Tried to cold crash it in the sink, but the sink was too small for the 19L crock pot so there wasn't much water around it which heated up pretty damn fast with ice blocks packed in too, swapped them/water out like 4 times.

Just poured it into the FV which ended up sitting at 30 for ages, tried to get it under 20, but could only get it to 22 before having to spend time with missus (after spending most of the day on this) so pitched the yeast and filled the bath up to out the FV in, hoping to take a few degrees off over night.

FV has 21L in it. Lost 2L in the boil. 
Ended with an OG of 1.049 @25deg. C (adjusted reading for temp)
Tasted bitter as **** lol.

Going to look at camden tabs instead of boiling the water to speed the day up. And not boiling a 14L wort!!


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## Beil (28/11/16)

I was worried I couldn't see bubbling in the airlock, even though I've read to not take the airlock as a sign of anything. But 24hrs after pitching and there is a good 10-15mm krausen, funky looking stuff.
Double tightened the lid incase I hadn't actually tightened it fully, squeezing the FV moved the water in the air lock. The water in the S bend seems to be getting pushed further to the top, so I'm just going to assume there is a lot of space for the extra CO2 to build up pressure in before actually bubbling though.


(Ignore my multiple posts, and put it down to excitement at beginning a long journey)


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## pablo_h (30/11/16)

Yeah I got cheap thin walled SS 15L, 20L, 40L pots back when I thought about doing AG or BIAB, but lack the heat source to use them, (or finances for an upgrade now).

For extracts all you need is a top quality 8L tri-ply stock pot. Nice and thick construction, gets up to temp quicker than the thin walled large pots and the whole process takes less time, especially skipping boiling all the water.


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## Beil (30/11/16)

Atleast I can use this big pot for crabs aswell, good timing I guess


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## mosto (30/11/16)

Hi Beil, congrats on the first brew. Just a couple of suggestions to make life a little easier. When doing kits and bits, you only need steep grain in ratio of about 10:1 water, ie for 250g grain use about 2.5L water. No need to boil the rest of your water, if you drink it without boiling it normally, no need to boil it for brewing. Steep grains at the temps suggested earlier for about 20 min. Then you only have to boil that liquid for about 20 min, long enough to kill any nasties from the grain. With the pre-hopped cans, ie Coopers, Blackrock etc, they've already added the bittering hops, so no need to do 60 min additions, 10-15 min for flavour/aroma is plenty. That's why it tasted bitter, you did a bittering addition and added it to something that's pre-bittered. All part of the learning curve mate. The pot you've bought is a bit big for you're needs at present, but will serve you well when you move to using unhopped extract (then you need 60 min boils) and all grain.

Cheers,


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## Beil (30/11/16)

Hi Mosto, thanks for those.
In regards to water, it's just from the tap, not even filtered. I do drink it as is, but would you not boil even to try and flash off the chlorine? As was mentioned above, Camden/vit c seems like the go if I want to remove Cl without boiling?

Haha, yea maybe I shouldn't have added the bittering hops, I guess I'll find out, either way I'll drink it, got 15g of Amarillo to dry hop still to go in on Friday/Saturday (day 5/6). I'm sure I'll be onto unhopped extract, this just used up the tin that came with the FV, but as this is a cost saving excercise aswell as taste exercise, cheap tins of coopers extract with new yeast and a few extras will no doubt come into play.

As for rookie error: I had saved a shit load of 330mm stubbies to use, like about 60, I hadn't washed them out so soaked them to remove labels then went through and bottle brushed the gunk out of them, got to within the last dozen before cracking the shits and dumping the lot and vowing to just buy some big 650mls to bottle in so I don't have to ******* clean the bastards in massive numbers (also to wash as I go!)


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## Garfield (1/12/16)

Congrats on your first brew!

Sounds like these guys all had on the right track so I'm sure you'll do well.

When I was back in the KK days, a had major attenuation issues do to a few factors.

Kits can have poor fermentability due to generic choice of mash temp at their factory. One solution is to mix the can (as well as the DME/LME/BrewEnhancer) with some or all the brew water (in your 40L pot) and use this for your sixty something degree grain infusion. The enzymatic power in the grain will boost fermentability in the manufactured malts while it conversion rests for 20-45mins. Then you can boil it all and due your aroma/flavour hop additions. This would work even better with a bit of base malt as well as the crystal, since base malt has much better enzyme action.

Also remember to aerate your wort once cooled.

How's fermentation looking?

Garf


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## Beil (1/12/16)

Hi Garfield, I've got a 19L pot, filling this with 14L took soo long to boil so I'd hate to try and boil 20+L.


Would including the tin and BE/malt with the brain steep, not overload (over saturate?) the water and mean that less sugars were extracted from the grains? Depending on volume of water. (Terminology is probably all to pots there, Thursday night beers)

When I poured the wort into the FV with the existing water, I put the lid on and rocked the shit out of it, so I reckon it's well aerated  (although temp would have been between 30-40 I think..

I believe ferment is going good, I couldn't help myself and popped the lid two nights ago to look at the krausen, (I thought I could see black patches when I shone my torch through the lid) I couldn't; was just shadows on the krausen.
Going by the profile view through the side of the FV it's a steady 10mm now.
I've had a water bath with rotating ice packs going with a digital temp stuck in it, the readings have varied between 18-19.5 deg. C since I started it last Sunday night, which I'm lead to believe is spot on for US-05..? Water is up to the 10L mark on the FV, with a 21L fill, wrapped in a towel I've been saturating each morning. 
I'm dry hopping some Amarillo's tomorrow so could always snaps a photo for the craic.
Still never seen a bubble through the airlock however, I almost wish I did, like a right of passage or some shit.

I'm tempted to buy a 25L water container from bunnings; so I can rack ready for cold crash in a week (that would aim to be 2 weeks primary, couple days secondary up-to a week (more like a week so I do it on a weekend), before cold crash for a few days (all dependent on what we have in the fridge and if it's at the beginning or end of our veggies) and get another brew on the go (and do a KK+B following a recipe, instead of going off on an uninformed tangent like with this one)

As long as I sterilise and use a tube to exclude splashing, is racking as dodgy a process as I've read?


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## Beil (1/12/16)

As a little note to myself, I checked up on the IBU of the black rock pilsener is 16 IBU.
I calculated what I added as 44 IBU, so a total of 60 IBU doesn't seem too bad, I have been worrying that the first taste at OG sample was disgustingly bitter ha... maybe it will be still :/


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## pablo_h (2/12/16)

Bitterness is going to die off. Won't be too bad but you may have to wait many many weeks to be able to drink it.
A few people swear by coopers kit stout toucans which is like 80 IBUs, but you have to wait months...
I don't personally like over bitter beers, I once did an IPA with a toucan coopers draught kit cans, extra hops and dry hopping. I had to wait 6 weeks in the bottle before it was drinkable.
These toucans often use kit yeast, but the good news is personally I find US05 has a sweeter finish as it not only lets hop flavour shine but I think it brings out more malt flavour and sweetness too, so it may be drinkable quicker for you.


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## Rocker1986 (2/12/16)

Garfield said:


> Congrats on your first brew!
> 
> The enzymatic power in the grain will boost fermentability in the manufactured malts while it conversion rests for 20-45mins. Then you can boil it all and due your aroma/flavour hop additions. This would work even better with a bit of base malt as well as the crystal, since base malt has much better enzyme action.


That's not quite true. Crystal malts have no diastatic power (read: no enzymes, or denatured enzymes anyway), so even if you steep them in the brew water with the kit, they won't break down any dextrins that are still there. It would be a complete waste of time doing that. It could be done with base malt though, but you would want to make sure the temp was in the low 60s. Then the issue of boiling the kit comes into play, which may do more harm than good.

I was always able to get kits to ferment down to around 1.008-1.012 when I was making them, which I wouldn't exactly consider to be poor fermentability.


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## Rocker1986 (2/12/16)

Beil said:


> As a little note to myself, I checked up on the IBU of the black rock pilsener is 16 IBU.
> I calculated what I added as 44 IBU, so a total of 60 IBU doesn't seem too bad, I have been worrying that the first taste at OG sample was disgustingly bitter ha... maybe it will be still :/


Don't worry too much about what it tastes like at the OG sample. The flavours and bitterness and shit are all separated from each other and the wort often does have a nasty bitter bite to it. After the yeast works its magic though, it all melds together nicely and yes you might have to wait a number of weeks for it to mellow more, but it should still taste a lot better than it does when it is unfermented.


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## decr (2/12/16)

Beil said:


> dumping the lot and vowing to just buy some big 650mls to bottle in so I don't have to ******* clean the bastards in massive numbers (also to wash as I go!)


For the record I use 2l soft drink PET bottles. The beer is for drinking and not keeping it for years in a cupboard right... Sure the last pint is a bit cloudy as the yeast sediment is disturbed but I think it only adds to flavour . YMMV.

Sanitising 12 2l bottles takes like 5 minutes, hell I even threw them down the stairs (empty) last time wrestling with a baby gate due to lack of hands. Yeah, try carrying 12 of those things and open a gate. Next time, get a bag, or make two trips...

I'm sure most will frown on using 2l bottles but my time is limited and it works for me, not ideal but everything seems like a compromise now days.

Happy brewing!


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## pablo_h (2/12/16)

As much as I'd love to, I can't bring myself to use them.
Luckily I have plenty of old beer bottles though.
My favourite are the old twist top 750ml. I only re-use the twist top caps for 2 batches as the tops go a bit rusty after 2x applilcations of cleaner and starsan, but still come in handy to reseal the bottles while cleaning, sanatizing, and storing them dry. Problem is newer commercial twist tops are very thin and light (some being 360g or less). I only use the old coopers 420g ones or old swan ~400g ones.
Try find some buy posting a wanted to buy here, other brewing forums, searching the net for adelaide/SA brew clubs, or gumtree etc.
I use these crates for them:
http://www.bmhe.com.au/products/plastic-storage-containers/crates/display/215-hobby-crate
Fits 16x 750ml twist top bottles perfectly, can colour code batches, can stack them high as you want because the bottles won't take any weight. Cheaper crates without the horizontal ribbing don't fit 4x4, also aren't tall enough to stack.
I have a heap of old coopers crown seal bottles, but PITA sealing them (need to wrap in alfoil all the time, and at bottling time make sure lids aren't falling off), need a bottle opener when drinking and obviously can't re-use caps. Also they are too high for even the good crates linked above

If I was starting from scratch and not making too many brews I'd probably pay a little extra for bottles with flip top "grolsch" type flip top caps. Pay more for the bottles but save the money on a $70 bench capper and buying crown seals all the time. Plus like I said about the twist tops, be able to seal when soaking, when sanatizing and when dry which is a PITA with crown seal bottles.

On another note, start a brewing diary in word/open office, eg:
*NAME*
DATE

_*Ingredients: *_ 
_*Brewing:*_ specialty grain steeping time and temp. Boil order and times of additions, water treatments etc
_*Fermentation:*_ yeast pitching temperature, fermenting temp, had to move fermenter? Rouse it? activity such as krausen (how long, how big), secondary? Dates of everything
_*Bottling: *_ temp, priming method, adjunct used, what bottles/what Label/sharpie ID, how many from x amount of litres
_*Tasting at bottling time: *_ Give it a test, note colour and bitterness
_*Drinking time review: *_ Date, review, how long in the bottle, how long in the fridge?
_*Following Updates (date): *_ Do weekly until run out of beer. Getting more or less bitter? Comments on malt flavour /sweetness, hop flavour. Head retention, lacing properties, Is it carbing up better, pouring clearer etc. Helpful to know because you might think on slight changes for the next similar batch. 

E: Also have to add, if you're keen on brewing over summer, look to brewing saisons, wheat beers, ginger beers. Less hassle in the warmer months with temperatures.


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## Beil (2/12/16)

I think I'll have to figure out storage, smaller amount of bigger bottles and ease of closure.
When it comes to cleaning: rinse as I go, then before bottling just rinse with no rinse sanitiser?

Pablo, I've got a notebook I'm keeping process notes in and a folder I'll be keeping those printout brewday notes in.
But I'll be adding your suggestions to it.



I sussed out the gravity tonight, thought I'd just add notes in my book as it progresses.

Day 5 gravity, 1.022.
OG was 1.049.

So if I worked it out correct, it's sitting at about 3.5% alc. with 54% attenuation.

Could anyone comment on if this seems slow/normal/fast?

Tastes less bitter than last time, which is good. 

I guess leave it until atleast next Sunday: for 2 weeks fermentation and take readings then to see if it's steady?


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## Rocker1986 (3/12/16)

I used to soak my bottles in sodium perc after each use (when I built up enough empties to fill the laundry tub). I found just rinsing in water didn't cut it after a while; they built up a scummy/scaly looking layer on the inside.

That fermentation is a bit slow, but it is moving at least. What temperature is it sitting at? YOu could probably bump it up a few degrees if you want. I would leave it for another week though, yes.


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## Beil (3/12/16)

Sitting in water bath at 18-19 degrees.


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## pablo_h (3/12/16)

I found over winter when brewing with us05, at 18C it takes 3 weeks (almost 2w to get to FG, 1 week to even start clearing up). At 20-21C it takes 2 weeks (1w to get to FG, 1 week to start clearing up)


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## Beil (3/12/16)

Ah wow, a couple degree's makes a shit load of difference then.
I guess stop changing the ice packs in the water and remove the wet towel to see if I can bump it up a few... keep an eye on it that it doesn't reach ambient which is about 25 at the moment in the house.
Or leave it and wait..


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## Beil (3/12/16)

I dry hopped the rest of the Amarillos today, here's a photo of the krausen

http://imgur.com/a/gSuNq

Next time I think I might just do the clingwrap jobby, I opened the lid once just to have a look this brew and a second to dry hop. I'd rather just open the one time if I have to.

I took the towel wrapped around off, the temp gauge on the side of the FV has moved from 18/19 to 20. It's just one of those stick on things so who knows how accurate, but the digital temp in the water bath is saying 19.8.


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## Beil (3/12/16)

Damoninja and crackers: 
You guys weren't half right in regards to going to beer belly instead of brew craft.
I just did the maths on the next recipe I'm going to follow (link below)

Working it out to actual amount, ie. Cost per amount used not how much to buy everything.

From beerbelly it will cost $44.82.
From brewcraft it will cost $80.31.

The cost for the malts are like twice as much at brewcraft!


http://aussiehomebrewer.com/recipe/1153-golden-ale/


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## Rocker1986 (3/12/16)

pablo_h said:


> I found over winter when brewing with us05, at 18C it takes 3 weeks (almost 2w to get to FG, 1 week to even start clearing up). At 20-21C it takes 2 weeks (1w to get to FG, 1 week to start clearing up)


Even that's slow as a wet week. US-05 at 18C for me takes about 4-5 days to reach FG.


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## pablo_h (4/12/16)

Home brewing taught me patience, I don't even check SG for a week or more.
Of course temp control is more variable for some of us, or thermometers less accurate and so on, and no crash chill option.
So we just sit and wait for 2 weeks to finish and clear  E: especially for us05 as I don't like a lot of trub in my bottles
I'm a bucket and bottles guy, nothing more fancy than a few fermenters and a few bottles.


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## Coodgee (4/12/16)

Rocker1986 said:


> Even that's slow as a wet week. US-05 at 18C for me takes about 4-5 days to reach FG.


Same. 5 days is pretty standard


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## Beil (7/12/16)

Tested last nigt, down to 1.015 so going to rack to a cube before the weekend to free up the Fv for another brew to be put down Saturday so it's at a stage to cold condition by xmas (we go away for 6 nights on the 28th, so I am hoping to cold condition the FV while we're away).

Beer belly had a special, 100g millennium hops for $5.5. So I bought them to keep for stock bittering hops.
If I'm going to buy 100g of finishing hops to keep as stock, what would people suggest? I was just going to get Amarillo, but tempted to buy citra instead.


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## damoninja (7/12/16)

Beil said:


> Tested last nigt, down to 1.015 so going to rack to a cube before the weekend to free up the Fv for another brew to be put down Saturday so it's at a stage to cold condition by xmas (we go away for 6 nights on the 28th, so I am hoping to cold condition the FV while we're away).
> 
> Beer belly had a special, 100g millennium hops for $5.5. So I bought them to keep for stock bittering hops.
> If I'm going to buy 100g of finishing hops to keep as stock, what would people suggest? I was just going to get Amarillo, but tempted to buy citra instead.


10 days in now I wouldn't be too concerned bottling / kegging now  dry hops have been in 4 days so I would perhaps leave til tomorrow or Friday, 12 days is plenty of time, less hassle too. 

But no _need_ to rack to secondary in my opinion. 

If you want to clear it up a little, cold crash over the next few days before packaging.


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## Beil (8/12/16)

I cleared out the fridge tonight to put the FV in, checked the gravity (1.012) and was going bottle either tomorrow or Saturday... but now I've chickened out that it hasn't really reached FG/fridging too early/making a mistake... so abandoned the fridge until I test FV tomorrow and am certain that it has atleast infact reached FG (and filled my head with pros/come for leaving it on yeast cake for longer)
This is probably me being impatient AND wanting to drop another brew in the FV sat/sun whilst wanting to cold crash it before bottling.


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## Jack of all biers (9/12/16)

Beil said:


> You guys weren't half right in regards to going to beer belly instead of brew craft.
> Working it out to actual amount, ie. Cost per amount used not how much to buy everything.
> 
> From beerbelly it will cost $44.82.
> ...


Welcome to the forum Beil. At least by using this forum you only had to make the mistake of forking out hand over fist once. I live south of Adelaide, but still use Beer Belly for all brews (although Brewmaker at Holden Hill are also okay, but slightly more expensive for some things)



Beil said:


> I cleared out the fridge tonight to put the FV in, checked the gravity (1.012) and was going bottle either tomorrow or Saturday... but now I've chickened out that it hasn't really reached FG/fridging too early/making a mistake... so abandoned the fridge until I test FV tomorrow and am certain that it has atleast infact reached FG (and filled my head with pros/come for leaving it on yeast cake for longer)
> This is probably me being impatient AND wanting to drop another brew in the FV sat/sun whilst wanting to cold crash it before bottling.


Good call to wait for your FG, but test again tomorrow and if it's still 1012 after 24 hours you can bottle if you want. Although Pablo is correct, you can wait an extra week after reaching FG for the yeast and trub to settle in the fermenter, which will give you less crap in the bottle (your's will mostly be yeast and hops). But if by tomorrow (24hr) your gravity is stable at 1012 then you can cold crash and bottle on the weekend.

Welcome to the hobby and here's to many more brews for you. 

Plenty of brown ale recipes out there, but you can't go wrong with an english ale can (pick your brand, but quality in, quality out), 1kg 50/50 dex/light dried malt mix, 400gm medium crystal malt and 35gm chocolate malt for a 23L brew (no extra hoping needed so simple as to brew). That should get you something similar to a AG recipe (from a CAMRA recipe book) I have for Newcastle Brown. Aiming for roughly OG 1044, FG 1007 though with the above ingredients those figures will be slightly different. Use either Safale S-04 to keep it easy or something a little more expensive and go liquid yeast (Yorkshire type or any English ale yeast, Beer Belly has a vast range of the Wyeast smack packs that are straight forward to use and they can offer good advice in this area).


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## Beil (10/12/16)

It was still 1.012 yesterday so into the fridge it went. The FV is coming in at 6 degs still, but even now it seems clearer. The bitterness has mellowed off aswell.

I've filled up the 25L Jerry with water and 1/4 camden tab to sit over night so I don't need to boil and cool the bulk of the water for tomorrow's brew #2.

I also rigged up a 24L food grade bucket (with lid) from cheap as chips with a tap to use to bulk prime, could also be used as a secondary I guess. $12 from cheap as chips, $2 plastic tap and $1 20mm brass nut from bunnings (plus one 18mm o ring from a mix bag from fixing the kitchen taps.) Not bad for $14 and a bit of elbow grease to cut a perfect circle through the plastic.


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## Beil (11/12/16)

So I've just put down my second brew, and I'm a bit confused.

I followed the ingredients from here http://aussiehomebrewer.com/recipe/1153-golden-ale/
Changed the FWH, but that shouldn't affect what I'm confused about.
(Basically 2.5kg LDME, 1kg wheat DME, 300g 60L caramel grain steep for 30mins if u don't want to click link)

I took a gravity reading, and it's 1.112
The recipe says calculated gravity of 1.058. Even the homebrew calc I'm using says it should be 1.058.

I did a 60 min 8L boil with 1kg LDME and 0.5kg wheat LDME (after learning about hop utilisation in another thread here and not doing the boil with the whole fermentable bill), after a 30min steep of the crystal grain.
5min left of boil added half a whirlfloc tablet.
At flame out I dumped the rest of the malts into the pot, stirred in and cold crashed. Strained into FV through muslin, ended up with 7L of wort then topped up to 23L.

I took a photo of the reading incase I was tripping but my ******* phone didn't save it for some stupid reason, I've attached a photo of where the reading was, I'm definitely reading this right yeah?!
http://m.imgur.com/Tbbib1b


I've just pitched some danstar Nottingham yeast.

Edit: been googling: I shook the Shit out of it to mix it more just in case and the reading is 1.11, so I didn't just get some dense wort from the bottom albeit it might have not been mixed too great to change by 0.002

The LHBS person said not to bother rehydrating he Nottingham like I did the US-05 so I didn't... she said its a vigorous ferment and is best just sprinkled on top.

I would have had to use about twice as much malt as I did to get a reading that high according to the calc, so I'm stumped.
If it is that high I **** g hope the Nottingham yeast can hack the possible high alcohol levels before conking out :/


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## Jack of all biers (12/12/16)

There is no way you got a 1110 gravity from 3.5 Kg dried malt and 300gm cara malt in 23 L, so firstly you need not worry about the yeast not getting through your batch (unless there are more ingredients that 'accidently' found their way it like a couple of kilos of sugar? 

Each Kg of dried malt should give you ~1015 per 25L, so either your hydrometer is out, thermometer is out (did you test the temp of your sample before reading the OG?) or you read it wrong twice on two different samples (not likely)?

Even being out by 50C would only put the gravity 10 points higher, so that's probably not it.
You reading two samples at the wrong level is possible, but not plausible (so don't doubt yourself yet).
So that leaves the only realistic conclusion, my dear Watson, that your hydrometer may be out. Or someone slipped a mickey into your brew when your back was turned. SWMBO? :lol: Had your life insurance renewed lately? h34r:

You will need to do a two or three point calibration for this. First test against water (tap is fine) which should read 1000 . Then test against a known sample of 1050 (35gm white sugar in 250ml water) and finally against 1100 (77.5gm white sugar in 250ml water). To ensure your samples have the sugar dissolved, either heat and stir, then cool again to 20C or just stir until it is fully dissolved. Ensure all your samples are tested at 20C or if out by a few correct (for every 5C over +1 or under -1. 

EDIT - 77.5 gm or 155 gm in 500 ml water is easier unless you have accurate scales. Or just HB it and round up or down. The exact reading is not hugely important, but if your hydro is way out with these measured known quantities then you know that is your problem.

2nd EDIT - You didn't buy a 5kg dried malt bag and absent mindedly put the whole thing in instead of just 2.5kg right?


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## Rocker1986 (12/12/16)

Interesting comments on the yeast from the lhbs, the technical data sheet thingy from danstar recommends rehydration of the yeast. It'll still work, but yeah.


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## Beil (12/12/16)

Hi Jack, thanks for your reply.
I did test my hydrometer in water and got a 1.000 reading at 20deg. C.
I thought maybe I damaged it, even though I've been careful with it.
I will test the other ratios tonight.

I bought 1kg bags not 5kg so didn't space out there.


Rocker, yea I was even unsure but took their word after saying it had a slow ferment with US-05


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## Beil (12/12/16)

Also, Jack, I took a total of 4 readings as it was doing my head in, I shook the FV a second time; like leaning it almost all the way to the ground and then forcefully bringing it up to get a massive swirl/wave on the go.

The calculations don't add up, so I guess I'll just do all I can do: leave it alone, see if the FG gets to below 1.02..

I guess test it in a few days to see if by some anamoly I got 4 readings of dense wort and the yeast have mixed it all together by then?

The yeast have a foam on top this morning, atleast something is going as planned.


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## Beil (14/12/16)

I tested the hydrometer in the 35g/250ml water solution and got 1.05.
So yea, I guess I managed to fluke it and get 4 readings of dense wort even after shaking it twice.
Lesson learnt, maybe add water,then wort, then more water..

I tested the gravity today and got 1.02, the lessen has come and gone, and it definitely didn't taste like a 12% beer which it would be of my ready was correct. Seeing as I used a recipe I'm going to use the estimated gravity as OG (1.058) so at the moment it's 5.0% which seems ok.

I had trouble keeping the FV as cool as I would like, with the two hot days we've had recently here in Adelaide, the bath water was sitting at 21-22. The bubbling has stopped now, I just hope it didn't ferment too quick. Last night I had the idea to fill all of our takeaway containers with water and freeze before dumping them in the bath this evening, now it's 19. 
Another lesson learnt, look at weather and plan ahead with frozen blocks to cool everything.

Can anyone confirm that the photo in the link below are yeast floaties and nothing to be worried about,sample tasted fine.

http://m.imgur.com/5gvzJ1N


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## Rocker1986 (14/12/16)

Or get a fridge to ferment in so you don't have to faff around with frozen blocks and water baths. If space is available of course.

Fast fermentations aren't a bad thing unless they're fast because the temperature is way too high; from the temps yours appears to be at though, it shouldn't be an issue, in fact it's a good thing.


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## Beil (14/12/16)

Space for an actual fridge is not available atm. I have toyed with the idea of building an mdf panelled chamber with spray foam filling the cavities to basically be a custom esky that fits a FV. Would still have to use frozen 1.5L water bottles, but I figure it would still be more efficient than a water bath. *(not too worried about the effort of building it, cost wouldn't be too much either)

We aren't planning on being in this house for more than a few more years, next house I will have either a powered shed/garage and be able to have a permanent set up (extension cord to shed atm for my power tools etc. So no permanent power


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## Rocker1986 (14/12/16)

Bugger. Gotta work with what you've got I suppose though.


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## Beil (15/12/16)

True, this is working an SWMBO said that if the bath is working just use that rather than build something. We have an old ex-trust house with a stupid square tub thing, can't even call it a bath tbh, the only use we have for it is washing the dog in it (and now this). Bit of reno/landscaping and make a few quid hopefully for our next home though


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## Rocker1986 (15/12/16)

I'd be wary of sitting a fermenter in a water tub used for washing a dog. Seems like there might be a higher chance of a bug getting and hiding in the tap on the FV or something assuming it is submerged in the water. :unsure: Might be worth building that chamber after all. 

I remember when I was with an ex a couple of years ago and was gonna move in with her, she had a laundry tub in her garage that she used for washing her dogs, no way in the world was I putting any of my brewing equipment near it.


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## Beil (15/12/16)

Hmm,didn't think of that.
I did wash it out with dettol and hot water before doing anything in there.
I was concerned with the tap being submerged, but there wasn't really anything to do about it.
The FV is in there so nothing to be done this round. Maybe I spend a day making it over Xmas.


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## decr (15/12/16)

Dog wash and water bath for a FV? No thanks, unless you get rid of the tap and seal it, then siphon the beer out. 

My tap threads were stuffed after 5-10 brews on my (new) crappy plastic fermenters from the LHBS anyway so sealed them up and I use them like I did overseas as I'm used to siphoning anyway (the overseas ones didn't have taps to begin with).


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## Beil (18/12/16)

I couldn't help myself (like I'm sure most new brewers can't) and cracked one of the 6 stubbies from my first brew I bottled for testing purposes.
It has only been in the bottle for a week, so only 4 weeks from being brewed.
Notes, little to no head, not carbonated enough and it didn't hold it's carbonation (expected)
It is bitter but fine for drinking, but there is not enough aroma for my liking, will dry hop a lot more or multiple times.
The malt flavour and the bitterness both come through which is good.
Not crystal clear, but no floating bits. I'm happy with the look.

Will test another bottle next Sunday.


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