# First brew Bootmaker



## HitmanAU (10/5/16)

So all my new kit turned up on Monday and I'm going to do a boot makers Pale ale for my first brew.
I also got it with the light malt extract can




In the instructions I got it says to empty the cans straight into the fermenter with hot water but I though i would have to boil them with some water for a time. I don't have any extra hops to put in, just the cans. Should I get some cascade for it?

I'm guessing because of tha malt I shouldn't need extra Dex or sugar and for this round I'll just use drops to carbonate.

After just a little advise with what to do with this to get me going. I e done a couple of ubrewit so have an understanding of the process and I've read books etc but still new to this.


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## peekaboo_jones (10/5/16)

Gday hitman,

I've just made exactly that recipe. Hopefully bottling over the weekend.

Just peel the labels off and put both tins into the clean sink or large pot with hot water from the tap for 10-15 mins (softens the gloopy malt)

Pop the kettle on.

Empty both tins into your sanitised fermenter, use a small amount of kettle water to rinse the tins out (use a tea towel to handle it'll be hot as) and then fill the fermenter with cold tap water to 23L.
Leave overnight if the temp is above 20, then pitch the yeast the next day. I do this all the time, never a problem if all is clean.

No idea if this needs extra hops but it wouldn't hurt!
I'm thinking of adding 25g cascade and 25 Amarillo dry hop myself but kind of want to see how this comes out standard.

Goodluck, any questions fire away


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## Grott (10/5/16)

Hi, good brew for the first. Now you don't need to boil the ingredients. Just boil a kettle, about 1.7 litres most of them are and pour into fermenter, add the malt and dissolve in the water ( swirling the fermenter helps) and then use the spoon. Heat some more water and stir into empty malt tin to get the rest. Leave that and open pale ale tin and add that to the fermenter again dissolve. Now pour the liquid from the malt tin into the pale ale tin and stir to get remainder and then add to fermenter. Need now only to add water to 23 litre mark ( have chilled water in fridge to get temp arount18-20 degrees.) Stir mixture for aeration then add yeast. 14 days later all should be ready.
Cheers hope that helps.


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## Morrie (11/5/16)

Hitman - I have done several Bootmakers and have done short hop boils for 10 mins with 500g of LDM + 5 litres of water and added to what you have listed. I wouldn't do any hop boils with the Bootmaker until you find how it tastes re bitterness in its standard form. It is quite bitter and equivalent to OS real ale and I find it a little too bitter after a few bottles. The extra 500 g of LDM will take the %ABV to about 5.6 when bottled along with the 1.5kg of LME. I currently have 2 bootmakers in the brew fridge ATM. I would first try just dry hopping which will not add any more bitterness but some nice hop flavours and aromas. I have done 90g and 60g dry hopping with the bootmaker. The 2 that I am doing now are getting 115g dry hop. One is getting cascade and the other amarillo. It is important to brew at between 18 and 19ºC for ales and I don't pitch yeast in any more than 22ºC. I brew for 2 weeks usually and then crash chill at 0.5ºC for another week before bottling. I don't use any sugar for fermentation and only carb drops for bottling. Below is my latest bootmaker recipe. I have done a 250g steep of crystal grains to try and smooth out the bootmaker bitterness a bit.

Kit: Coopers Bootmaker Pale Ale 
1.5 kg of LME Wheat 
0.5 kg of Light dry malt powder (LDM) 
[SIZE=12pt]250 g of pale crystal grains cracked and steeped[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]115g Cascade dry hop[/SIZE]


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## wynnum1 (11/5/16)

If you have a stock pot use that if not get one sanitise by boiling water in the stock pot remove labels preheat the tins in hot water pour hot water in stock pot open tins with sanitised can opener "can opener may be dirty " Pour into stock pot and rinse tops of cans in the hot water that is in the stock pot then fill tins with hot water stir and pour into stock pot .
When the tins are clean put stock pot lid on and put in water bath of tap water. the hot stockpot will cool Quickly change the water in the water bath this will cool to room temperature quickly and when cool enough pour into fermenter best to have some water in fermenter first to help mixing and then pour fresh water into stock pot to rinse out and pour into fermenter .


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## Beersuit (11/5/16)

Get yourself a better yeast. US05 works best. Try and keep it under 18℃.


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## Morrie (11/5/16)

Coopers have fixed the issue with their lazy yeasts (suspected BRY97) they had in some of the TC range. I suspect that the kit yeast for a bootmaker maybe US05 now anyway. I wouldn't discard the bootmaker kit yeast now.


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## wynnum1 (11/5/16)

Bootmaker kit yeast what quanity do they supply .with the kit yeast they do not supply enough yeast and get better results with 2 packets.


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## Morrie (11/5/16)

Coopers kit yeasts are all 7g to the best of my knowledge. US05 is sold in 11g satchets. I propagate and harvest my own yeast. I prefer to pitch at least 200 billion cells into a wort if it is around 1.050 SG.


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## HitmanAU (11/5/16)

Thanks for the help guys.
So some hot water into the fermenter,
Then heat up the cans to melt the extract,
Tip extract into the FV then Do the same with the Bookmaker,
Pour boiled water into the cans to get the rest of the goo out then tip all that into the fermenter,
The. Fill with chilled water to 23L


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## TwoCrows (11/5/16)

HitmanAU that is correct so far.

Fill up to 23 litre mark with the wort temp at around 18 degress C
Then aerate the wort with the spoon ( big foam head) then add the yeast supplied.
I leave the spoon in until the yeast is rehydrated and stir it in to the wort and then remove the spoon
Put the fermenter somewhere cool to hold steady at around 18 degressC .
Do not open the fermenter , leave it for up to two weeks.
It should ferment out In 7 -9 days and the other days to allow for the sulphur and dead yeasties to clean up.
Put the fermenter in a fridge for a day or two , this allows the wort to flock (settle all suspended particles) this helps reduce the junk that will settle on the bottom of your bottles.
Then bootle with coopers lollies , easy.


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## HitmanAU (11/5/16)

Thanks TwoCrows.
I thought an ale yeast would need to ferment around the 20-24 mark though, I guess I'm incorrect there.
I have a perfectly working fridge in the garage that has been turned off and will be used for the beer. It holds temp right now as it is at 24 with no ice bricks or powered temp control (might look into that off needed).

I'll crash chill it at the end. I'll also let it sit after fermenting to help yeast clean up its crap. I'm in no hurry to get it done as I'll just continue to buy slabs until it's ready to go.

I have about 240 glass bottles to bottle into as well which is good. They've all
Been cleaned with dish soap though so I'll give them another clean in Brewers detergent then sterilise them.

Any tips on setting the height of Superautomatica bench capper?


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## HitmanAU (14/5/16)

Well it's down. Used 3.4L of water at 80 degrees then topped up with 3L of 3 degree filtered water and then filled to 23L with cold filtered water.

Just waiting for the temp to drop a little so I can pitch the yeast.
It's currently on about 22. I'll let it drop to 20 then pitch and take a hydro reading.


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## indica86 (14/5/16)

wynnum1 said:


> If you have a stock pot use that if not get one sanitise by boiling water in the stock pot remove labels preheat the tins in hot water pour hot water in stock pot open tins with sanitised can opener "can opener may be dirty " Pour into stock pot and rinse tops of cans in the hot water that is in the stock pot then fill tins with hot water stir and pour into stock pot .
> When the tins are clean put stock pot lid on and put in water bath of tap water. the hot stockpot will cool Quickly change the water in the water bath this will cool to room temperature quickly and when cool enough pour into fermenter best to have some water in fermenter first to help mixing and then pour fresh water into stock pot to rinse out and pour into fermenter .



What?


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## indica86 (14/5/16)

Beersuit said:


> Get yourself a better yeast. US05 works best. Try and keep it under 18℃.



Why under 18°c?


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## indica86 (14/5/16)

HitmanAU said:


> It's currently on about 22. I'll let it drop to 20 then pitch and take a hydro reading.


I'd pitch now and let it drop...


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## HitmanAU (14/5/16)

It was 20-22 so I have pitched the yeast.
The starting Hydro reading was 1044 (silly me had airlock in when I turned the tap on do it got some water in there)


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## Rocker1986 (15/5/16)

It doesn't NEED to be at 20C or whatever to pitch the yeast. It may be preferable to pitch the yeast into wort at the temperature that you intend to ferment it at, but it isn't gonna ruin the beer if this isn't done. Lagers are a little different but irrelevant in this case.

I don't brew kits anymore, but in the warmer months I regularly pitch yeast into ale worts sitting at 25-26C and then bring them down to 18 in the fridge with no problems at all. If the flavour is cleaner pitching it at fermentation temps, I can't really tell with ales. I do prefer pitching yeast into lagers at fermentation temp, but it still won't ruin them if it is pitched a bit higher and brought down quickly.


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## Beersuit (15/5/16)

indica86 said:


> Why under 18°c?


I just think you get a cleaner flavour fermented at 16 to 17. Have you tried it?


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## indica86 (15/5/16)

Beersuit said:


> I just think you get a cleaner flavour fermented at 16 to 17. Have you tried it?



No but I have not had any untoward flavours from it either.


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## HitmanAU (15/5/16)

So fermenter is sitting pretty at 20degrees stable but no fermentation has started yet :/


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## HitmanAU (16/5/16)

Still nothing on the fermenting front. I'm a bit worried now. Surely there should be some sort of action by now or do I just need to leave it longer?


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## Yob (16/5/16)

You have done a gravity check?


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## HitmanAU (16/5/16)

Not since The OG which was at 1044


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## HitmanAU (16/5/16)

Didn't want to open the FV and risk any bad things happening


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## HitmanAU (16/5/16)

Disregard last comment, I forgot i just have to pour it out of the tap to do a SG test...
Derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
What a noob


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## HitmanAU (16/5/16)

What should I be looking for with the SG?


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## peekaboo_jones (16/5/16)

If the yeast is working the gravity me the liquid will be lighter. Water has an SG of about 1 for reference


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## HitmanAU (16/5/16)

Ok so my SG should be higher than the OG? Or lower but higher than 1?


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## wynnum1 (16/5/16)

Have a look at the coopers instructions 1042 is the expected OG for a can plus a can of malt but that can be different if water is not measured accuratly or has not been fully mixed.
1000 is the gravity of water but beer does not go to that because it has unfermentable sugars if it looks like its fermenting do not need to test gravity until it nearly finished.


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## HitmanAU (16/5/16)

That's the thing, it doesn't look like it's doing anything.
No foam, no movement in the wort and no bubbles from the airlock.
Hoping I don't have dud yeast


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## Beersuit (16/5/16)

Which yeast did you use?


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## HitmanAU (16/5/16)

I had to use the kit yeast as I didn't have time to go to a HBS and get anything different and wanted to put it down on the weekend.

Update: I just got home and there is the start of foam on the top but it's mm thin. I took a sample for a hydro reading (silly me forgot to take the airlock out again so it pulled the water into the FV a little), it's in a cleaned and sanitized new fridge so shouldn't be any nasties in there.

Anyway the reading was 1040-1042 and it's got tiny tiny micro bubbles going through it which is cool. So seems it's doing something but is just a little slow. Should I give it a swirl or anything?

I tasted it and it tastes like sweet wort no bad tastes.

I'm thinking it's going to be at least a week to ferment.


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## HitmanAU (16/5/16)

Guessing I had a very slow starter. It's bubbling away quite happy now. I also swapped out the water in the airlock with some vodka just in case I suck it into the fermenter again lol


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## peekaboo_jones (16/5/16)

Cool, goodluck with this one. If it forms a good layer of foam just leave it and check gravity 10-12 days from today. No point wasting beer + checking if it's still going!


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## HitmanAU (16/5/16)

Now that I know the yeast is at least doing its thing I am a lot happier.
I won't do another reading until at least 7 days from now.
Let's see if the krausen forms thicker than it is.
There's a fair bit of sediment on the bottom of the FV too but I'm assuming this is normal.


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## HitmanAU (16/5/16)

Edit double post


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## HitmanAU (17/5/16)

Spoke to Coopers and they said it's likely I got the old yeast that has low viability 
He said it may ferment out still but may have gotten infected in the time it took to get going.
They are sending me a care package with some extra yeast in it as well.

They said to get some more yeast into it asap and it may save it.

Questions I have just though of?
Which yeast should I use? They recommended any of their international or original ales from supermarket cans. Or should I go to a LHBS and get something else or a liquid?
How much should I use? 
Do I tip it in through the airlock hole or open the FV and stir it through?
Would that increase of yeast raise the likelihood of bottle bombs?


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## wynnum1 (17/5/16)

If its working may be best to let ferment if it where infected new yeast would be a waste. Airlocks are not a good indicator the seal on the fementers leak.


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## Rocker1986 (17/5/16)

Increase of yeast won't change the likelihood of bottle bombs. If you do add extra yeast just open the lid and throw it in there, no need to stir it or anything. Use all of it. However, it may be better to let it go for a bit first and see if it ferments out properly. If it stalls you can throw more yeast at it if needed, but if it doesn't then you can save that yeast for another brew. B)


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## HitmanAU (17/5/16)

Rocker1986 said:


> Increase of yeast won't change the likelihood of bottle bombs. If you do add extra yeast just open the lid and throw it in there, no need to stir it or anything. Use all of it. However, it may be better to let it go for a bit first and see if it ferments out properly. If it stalls you can throw more yeast at it if needed, but if it doesn't then you can save that yeast for another brew. B)


How would I know if it ferments out properly? Should the foam on the top be thick? Or does it not really matter.
The guy at Coopers seems to thinking could be okay even though the yeast is lazy.

He said smell and taste it before bottling, if either is bad then toss it but if not then bottle it up.


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## sp0rk (17/5/16)

Via reading your gravity
A good practice is to leave it to it's own devices for 2 weeks, then check your gravity over 3 consecutive days
If it is sitting at the same gravity over those 3 days (most ales will usually sit in the range of 1.013-1.009) it should be good to bottle
Also just relax and let it run it's course, if it's a dud batch bottle her up anyway and see if the bugs that (possibly) got in make a decent sour beer


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## HitmanAU (20/5/16)

So the care package Coopers sent me arrived today.
It has a new Bootmakers can in it, 2 boxes of dry pale malt extract, 4 sachets of Brewers yeast and a pack of carb drops!
I was not expecting all of that! Was just thinking he sent me the yeast. Totally stoked.
At least if this first brew goes balls up I have a replacement.

I'm thinking I won't add the extra yeast. Thoughts?


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## HitmanAU (27/5/16)

Bottling day is Sunday
I took a FG tonight and it's at 1018
Smells like beer, tastes like beer.
It's dropped to 16-18 fermenter temp last 2 days so should I bring it inside? Shouldn't the FG be lower than that?
I'll make sure it's stable the next 24 hours.


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## HitmanAU (28/5/16)

Any advice? I didn't think I should be bottling higher that 1015


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## TOF (28/5/16)

Hitman, Do not bottle yet as it hasn't finished fermenting, get the temperature of your FV up to 20 degrees and your final gravity should finish around 1.010 to 1.012.
Gravity is the best guide to when you bottle not what day of the week that you can fit it in. See if you can find "Siborg", he lives at Doreen and a talk to him will help you sort out when to bottle, Cheers, Ken.


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## HitmanAU (28/5/16)

Okay, I've bought it inside from the fridge I think it's maybe stalled, sitting at about 16 degrees. I gave it a small swirl as well. I was just planning to bottle tomorrow as its been fermenting for 2 weeks. Not fussed when I do it as have all next week off work.

FV now in the laundry to heat up, it's a rather nice 22 in my house so should be good.


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## HitmanAU (28/5/16)

Warming it up slowly. This should help it from getting cold overnight



Yes the fermenter is in there.


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## TOF (29/5/16)

Great Hitman AU, now open the insulation during the warm periods in that room and close it during the night, don't be afraid to give it a good stir to equalize the temperature through out the whole FV. I have a heat pad inside my fermenting fridge and a fan to circulate the air plus a thermocouple in a well in the FV ,which gives very stable temperature control plus you can raise and lower the temp. to suit conditions as they change, low temp puts yeast to sleep so a stir as it warms up will help, keep on reading and all the answers are here just ask, Cheers, Ken.


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## HitmanAU (29/5/16)

Nice!!! Well. At 18 already, I managed to convince the wife that it needed to sit in the hallway so it's not going to get as cold overnight now. I block one side just to keep the daylight out of it.

By stir you mean just swish it around with FV still closed yeah? There's no longer any foam on top.

Also I did another hydro test today, it's down to 1016 so getting there. It tastes fine too, not sour or anything.


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## Grott (29/5/16)

IMO I wouldn't be stirring or swirling anything. Sometimes you just have to let things do their own thing and be patient. 16 18 20 degrees your not going to have any real trouble - sit back and relax.
Cheers


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## TOF (29/5/16)

As above, the beasts are awake and starting to clean up the remaining sugars, give it a week and take a gravity, if it is down to final reading put it back into the fridge and start lowering the temp. This will allow it to drop clear, you are back in charge, Cheers, Ken.


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## HitmanAU (29/5/16)

So what final reading should I be at? 1010 or 1012?


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## Grott (29/5/16)

I would say that if it sat on 1012 for a couple of readings (day apart) you would be good to bottle.


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## HitmanAU (30/5/16)

Thanks grott


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## HitmanAU (31/5/16)

Tested just now and I'm at 1014 so it is dropping.
Still smells and tastes good.
Also it's cleared up a heap.


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## HitmanAU (2/6/16)

Still at 1014. Does this mean she's good to go now?


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## peekaboo_jones (3/6/16)

Should be very close. With your hydrometer sample, push it to the bottom and mix up the sample wort then see it balance out again, sometimes this helps get a better reading. 
Are you bottling into plastic or glass?


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## HitmanAU (3/6/16)

Yeah I did that and also let it sit for 10 minutes and knocked all bubbles off.
I'm bottling into glass crown seals


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## HitmanAU (3/6/16)

I'll check again this arvo and if it's all the same I might clean and sanitise the bottles


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## HitmanAU (3/6/16)

Another question I had was with the carbonation drops, should I crush them at all to aid in their mixing or just dump a lolly in each bottle and invert in a couple of days?


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## sp0rk (3/6/16)

2 lollies in a longneck, 1 in a stubby
drop the lolly in whole and leave it to do it's business


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## peekaboo_jones (3/6/16)

Nah don't crush them, they will be fine! I always use the carbonation drops..
Just make sure you put them in prior to filling with the beer.
1 per stubbie
2 per longneck


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## Grott (3/6/16)

HitmanAU said:


> and invert in a couple of days?


no need, after two weeks fridge a couple and sample. will be better the longer left, "if you can" 
Cheers


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## HitmanAU (3/6/16)

Thanks guys! Far out where would a new brewer be without help from you blokes on here. [emoji106] 
Looking like its bottling time if the SG is still at 1014 today.


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## HitmanAU (6/6/16)

Okay so SG was steady at about 1013 for 48 hours apart.
I bottled today.
Getting the bottles ready




Sanitised



Got just shy of 3 slabs out of it, 64 X 330ml but a couple were 345ml




Still tastes okay too so let's see how it goes. 

Batch number two will be started maybe this weekend.

I need to get myself a bottle tree or some fastrack too, dishwasher drawer is too hard basket lol

Can't wait to try this stuff, hopefully no bottle bombs.


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## HitmanAU (18/6/16)

Just shy of 2 weeks in bottles and it's come out pretty darn good. It's very very clear but is quite dark for a pale ale.
Flavour is good but I think the lazy yeast has suppressed carbonation a little as I'd like it a bit more bubbly.

First bottle



Second bottle


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## Digga (18/6/16)

Tis a bit dark for a pale I do think that most kits come out a couple of shades darker than the original though.
This is a real ale with 1kg of dex and DME and around 2g per L of hops it comes out great!
Comes out at 6% and that easy to drink it's not funny!! Have done numerous different types of hops and they are all good in there own way!!


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## Digga (18/6/16)

Don't forget the pic


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## DREWBREW (20/4/17)

I've noticed on the TC Bootmaker Pale Ale can that it is recommended to be brewed with 1.5Kg of Light Dry Malt. Question is, is there any difference in results between using LME over LDM?


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## jackgym (22/4/17)

sp0rk said:


> Via reading your gravity
> A good practice is to leave it to it's own devices for 2 weeks, then check your gravity over 3 consecutive days
> If it is sitting at the same gravity over those 3 days (most ales will usually sit in the range of 1.013-1.009) it should be good to bottle
> Also just relax and let it run it's course, if it's a dud batch bottle her up anyway and see if the bugs that (possibly) got in make a decent sour beer


I simply leave my brews to ferment out for 14 days and then bottle. I don't think there's any need to check the gravity after that period, in my opinion.


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## Grott (22/4/17)

If kegging then no problem but bottles........
14 day ferment doesn't guarantee fermentation has been complete, could be slow, gone to sleep etc.
Potential bottle bombs not worth the risk for such a simple check.


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## Rocker1986 (23/4/17)

I second what grott says. For the minimal effort it takes to check the SG is stable, against the total pain in the arse of cleaning up and possibility of injuries from bottle bombs, I know which one I'd prefer.

I check the FG not just to confirm fermentation is finished but also because I like to know the ABV of what I'm drinking, and to a lesser extent a curiosity of how long the fermentation actually takes (approximately). It also aids in deciding when to cold crash/keg the beer. If for some reason it ferments out in 3 days then it can be crashed after 7 and kegged after 14, rather than the 17/18 days they usually take from pitching to kegging. Over 2-3 batches that's a time saving of a week and a half, which doesn't sound like much but could be the difference between supply being kept up or being out of beer for a week.


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## DREWBREW (27/4/17)

Morrie said:


> Hitman - I have done several Bootmakers and have done short hop boils for 10 mins with 500g of LDM + 5 litres of water and added to what you have listed. I wouldn't do any hop boils with the Bootmaker until you find how it tastes re bitterness in its standard form. It is quite bitter and equivalent to OS real ale and I find it a little too bitter after a few bottles. The extra 500 g of LDM will take the %ABV to about 5.6 when bottled along with the 1.5kg of LME. I currently have 2 bootmakers in the brew fridge ATM. I would first try just dry hopping which will not add any more bitterness but some nice hop flavours and aromas. I have done 90g and 60g dry hopping with the bootmaker. The 2 that I am doing now are getting 115g dry hop. One is getting cascade and the other amarillo. It is important to brew at between 18 and 19ºC for ales and I don't pitch yeast in any more than 22ºC. I brew for 2 weeks usually and then crash chill at 0.5ºC for another week before bottling. I don't use any sugar for fermentation and only carb drops for bottling. Below is my latest bootmaker recipe. I have done a 250g steep of crystal grains to try and smooth out the bootmaker bitterness a bit.
> 
> Kit: Coopers Bootmaker Pale Ale
> 1.5 kg of LME Wheat
> ...


Just wondering how this turned out?


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## wynnum1 (28/4/17)

jackgym said:


> I simply leave my brews to ferment out for 14 days and then bottle. I don't think there's any need to check the gravity after that period, in my opinion.


If you bottle after cold crashing there may be more carbon dioxide present and that can lead to over carbonation.


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## Rocker1986 (28/4/17)

There might be a tad more carbon dioxide present but it's really no worth worrying about. I cold crashed and bottled dozens of brews with the same amount of priming sugar as I did when they were at ferment temps and didn't have one batch over carbonated.


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