Brigalow Kits.

[chappo1970]

I reckon your about done. Give it another 24hrs it won't hurt then if the same result start washing up bottles. Remember yeasts are natural breathing organism. They can't read instructions or follow computer programs they do their own thing when they want how they want. Sometimes as expected sometimes not.

 

[Jonez]

... if the same result start washing up bottles...

The bottles!! that's right!.. I had forgotten about them!... I was planing to transfer to a second fermenter (bucket) tonight and chill in the fridge. Just before doing it (after all the cleaning) I realised the tap was leaking. No transfers then.

 

[chappo1970]

At least you remembered the tap... I once gave the brewery floor a free drink due to racking to a fermenter which didn't have a tap... Drunk_Chappo's fault (loser <_< ).

 

[Jonez]

At least you remembered the tap... I once gave the brewery floor a free drink due to racking to a fermenter which didn't have a tap... Drunk_Chappo's fault (loser <_< ).

That would have been heart breaking,, how many litres?

 

[Matplat]

Morning all,

I'm resurrecting an old thread rather than starting a new one as I have some related questions.

I am about to start my first brew using the brew kit my dear wife bought me for christmas, which happens to be a brigalow 'lager' can.

I have been reading up on John Palmers website, and his instructions conflict fairly wildly with those on the side of the brew can, and it seems from the previous posts in this thread that everyone on here agrees with Mr Palmer!

So, as this is a 'lager' brew, should I be aiming for a ferment temp aroung 15°? I get the feeling that this brigalow kit won't be a lager in the true sense of the term, so perhaps 20° is sufficient? I will be using an esky as my cooling medium so i'm not too optimistic about being able to achieve consistently low-low temps as the ambient temp in Dalby is 30-35 at the moment.

What hop additions would you all recommend? I have literally no idea which to choose apart from the whether its a bittering or finishing hop!

I don't expect to produce the perfect drop first time round, but it would be nice to at least have 23l of something palatable!

I humbly await your learned opinions

Cheers, Matt

 

[Grott]

Hi Matt, Sorry to say but if your not able to control your fermentation temperatures I'd leave the lager until you can or until the colder winter months. Lager is not forgiving with "off flavours" with poor brewing temps. (why homebrew kit Companies provide a lager with their kits is beyond me when most kit purchases are bought by people just starting out). Personally look at the Coopers home brew cans and start with what you like other than lager. Follow Palmer's advice and this forum, lots of top help/information.
Enjoy your brewing, ask questions and enjoy. Cheers

 

[Matplat]

Okey doke, thanks grott.

I'm keen to get something going this weekend, so i'l just have to see what else Woolies has on the shelf....

I am yet to experiment with exactly what temperature I can achieve with a few freezer blocks... but I guess I'l leave the lager for now... or maybe not even bother with it at all if it is as bad as people say it is.

Cheers, Matt

 

[stux]

Ferment the "lager" as an ale. The goo won't know the difference.

Add 1kg of dried malt extract (DME)

Saaz hops are the traditional Pilsner/lager hop
Pride of ring wood is the traditional Aussie lager hop
Cluster = xxxx
Fuggles and east kent goldings = English beer
Hallertau is a traditional German hop

Grab a packet of us05 from your lhbs, ferment as cold as you can manage, but above 16C. I target 18C personally.

Hop as per this thread

 

[wynnum1]

How big is the esky have a chest freezer and can get to 15° air temperature with a 5 liter and 3 liter plastic ice bottles .

 

[Feldon]

Hi Matt, Sorry to say but if your not able to control your fermentation temperatures I'd leave the lager until you can or until the colder winter months. Lager is not forgiving with "off flavours" with poor brewing temps. (why homebrew kit Companies provide a lager with their kits is beyond me when most kit purchases are bought by people just starting out). Personally look at the Coopers home brew cans and start with what you like other than lager. Follow Palmer's advice and this forum, lots of top help/information.
Enjoy your brewing, ask questions and enjoy. Cheers

The lager kit comes with an ale yeast, not a lower temp lager yeast.

Companies usually include lager with their starter kits because most people come to homebrewing from years of drinking tasteless commercial megaswill. Robust malty and hoppy flavours in their first homebrew will probably turn a lot of new brewers off. The supplied lager is meant to meet the customer's pre-existing expectations.

 

[Matplat]

My esky is 68l, it fits the fermenter almost perfectly with a bit of space on top for an ice block, so maybe I will be able to go low enough...

Either way, I think I need to start with something simpler, just to get my head around the whole process, and then add from there.

Looking through the recipes on the coopers DIY website, there looks to be some tasty brew to be made without too much fuss, provided you have a good starting point (which I seemingly don't at the moment!)

Thanks for all your input.

 

[squirt in the turns]

The lager kit comes with an ale yeast, not a lower temp lager yeast.

Companies usually include lager with their starter kits because most people come to homebrewing from years of drinking tasteless commercial megaswill. Robust malty and hoppy flavours in their first homebrew will probably turn a lot of new brewers off. The supplied lager is meant to meet the customer's pre-existing expectations.

The decision making process that leads the kit manufacturers to think including a "lager" can is good idea is beyond my understanding. Probably the marketing department have something to do with it. It makes sense, I suppose, for the purpose of selling as many starter kits as possible, but the fact that it's basically impossible to make anything remotely like your favourite megaswill using the supplied yeast and instructions means they're unlikely to win themselves any repeat customers. Maybe it doesn't matter as the majority of them are probably fathers' day and Christmas presents that end up unused, gathering dust in a cupboard.

 

[Grott]

My esky is 68l, it fits the fermenter almost perfectly with a bit of space on top for an ice block, so maybe I will be able to go low enough...

This should work fine, have a look at the topic on "Fermenter temperature control" to give you some ideas and encouragement.
Cheers

 

[Nizmoose]

The decision making process that leads the kit manufacturers to think including a "lager" can is good idea is beyond my understanding. Probably the marketing department have something to do with it. It makes sense, I suppose, for the purpose of selling as many starter kits as possible, but the fact that it's basically impossible to make anything remotely like your favourite megaswill using the supplied yeast and instructions means they're unlikely to win themselves any repeat customers. Maybe it doesn't matter as the majority of them are probably fathers' day and Christmas presents that end up unused, gathering dust in a cupboard.

Totally agree, I think coopers is on the right track, homebrewing is perfect for making a cloudy sedimented pale ale somewhat like a coopers and I think people starting with a Coopers Pale Ale kit hoping for a Coopers Pale Ale would be a LOT less disappointed with the results.

 

[panzerd18]

In terms of ranking between Coopers, Morgan's and Brigalow kits, who would you rank best to worst?

 

[Nizmoose]

In terms of ranking between Coopers, Morgan's and Brigalow kits, who would you rank best to worst?

Coopers all the way with insanely large bias because I'm south Australian, but still, coopers.

 

[Matplat]

Totally agree, I think coopers is on the right track, homebrewing is perfect for making a cloudy sedimented pale ale somewhat like a coopers and I think people starting with a Coopers Pale Ale kit hoping for a Coopers Pale Ale would be a LOT less disappointed with the results.

Funny you should say that, I went out yesterday and bought a pale ale kit!

I'm going to do it in the complete 'newbie' fashion, without boiling the wort just to keep it simple first time round.

 

[Nizmoose]

Funny you should say that, I went out yesterday and bought a pale ale kit!

I'm going to do it in the complete 'newbie' fashion, without boiling the wort just to keep it simple first time round.

Good to keep it simple the first time if you are able to keep fermentation at 18-20C you should definitely make a drinkable beer my first beer was great and used a 5 minute boil and some grain, a great next step, if you'd like me to pm you the recipe and methods let me know

 

[wynnum1]

Coopers website has free shipping orders over $100 .

 

[ASYLUM_SPIRIT]

Anyone used the brigalow Cup airlocks, by any chance?