First time brewing need help

[philrob]

If it's still the same SG tomorrow, go ahead and bottle.
It won't be a true lager, as you won't have lagered it but. hey, it's what I did for my first brew 16 years ago.

 

[pch]

If it's still the same SG tomorrow, go ahead and bottle.
It won't be a true lager, as you won't have lagered it but. hey, it's what I did for my first brew 16 years ago.

Thank you for the help, what would you suggest I do do for my next brew?

 

[MHB]

Take a close look at your hydrometer, most home brew hydrometers are 2,4,6... rather than 1,2,3... so your 3-4 would be 6-8 (Oh well 1.006-1.008 really).
Which sounds much like you would expect.
Mark

 

[rude]

Next brew make sure you clean well , taps , threads of your fermenter, everything really , use sodium percarbonate with hot water , then rinse off well
Then sanitise with no rinse sanitiser ( ask your Home brew shop )
When I did Kits I always used a kilo of malt with my Kit Tin of choice 5% Tin only 3.5%
All malt finished at 1012, your sugars ( enhancer ) will be lower, ferment for 2 weeks then cold chill to drop out and clear beer
Temperature control it using an old fridge controlled by an inkbird temp controller ales around 18 c
Use a better yeast from Home Brew shop , maybe concentrate on ales first and pitch 2 pkts per 23 Litres for 5% 1pkt if you are going for you're light beer , rehydrate your yeast ( there's a can of worms debate ) or just sprinkle
Then you are well on the way down the slippery slope down to the rabbit hole , then it starts , good luck

 

[pch]

Take a close look at your hydrometer, most home brew hydrometers are 2,4,6... rather than 1,2,3... so your 3-4 would be 6-8 (Oh well 1.006-1.008 really).
Which sounds much like you would expect.
Mark

I just looked at it and it is 1 per mark. It is the plastic one that comes with the Coopers 23L brew kit.

 

[pch]

Next brew make sure you clean well taps threads of your fermenter, use sodium percarbonate then rinse off well
Then sanitise with no rinse sanitiser ( ask your Home brew shop )
When I did Kits I always used a kilo of malt with my Kit Tin of choice 5% Tin only 3.5%
All malt finished at 1012 your sugars will be lower ferment for 2 weeks the cc
Temperature control it using an old fridge controlled by an inkbird temp controller ales around 18 c
Use a better yeast from Home Brew shop maybe concentrate on ales first and pitch 2 pkts per 23 Litres
Then you are well on the way down the slippery slope good luck

Thanks for the reply, It has been at the lower end of 21c the whole time.

 

[Drubbing]

Take a close look at your hydrometer, most home brew hydrometers are 2,4,6... rather than 1,2,3... so your 3-4 would be 6-8 (Oh well 1.006-1.008 really).
Which sounds much like you would expect.
Mark

THis sounds more likely, but my cooper hydro was binned years ago.

I just looked at it and it and it is 1 per mark. It is the plastic one that comes with the Coopers 23L brew kit.

Are you sure? I've never had a kit brew get down that low. It's rare mine have gone under 1010. Even so, 8 days fermenting is going to be done. Brews don't take 2 weeks, even though some brewers will leave them all that long regardless.

 

[pch]

THis sounds more likely, but my cooper hydro was binned years ago.

Are you sure? I've never had a kit brew get down that low. It's rare mine have gone under 1010. Even so, 8 days fermenting is going to be done. Brews don't take 2 weeks, even though some brewers will leave them all that long regardless.

Thank you again for all the help. Is there a hydro you would recommend?

 

[MHB]

Most look a bit like this, I would look for an Alla made in France, not too expensive and usually pretty good quality.

Lots say they are a three scale hydrometer but home brewers mostly use the S.G. scale.
It should say the temperature that its calibrated at, usually 20oC.
If you jump on youtube there will be plenty of vidieos on how to use one properly.
This one for a start
Mark

 

[pch]

Most look a bit like this, I would look for an Alla made in France, not too expensive and usually pretty good quality.
View attachment 123448
Lots say they are a three scale hydrometer but home brewers mostly use the S.G. scale.
It should say the temperature that its calibrated at, usually 20oC.
If you jump on youtube there will be plenty of vidieos on how to use one properly.
This one for a start
Mark

Thank you Mark, I will check it. Cheers.

 

[Maves]

Read your hydrometer in tap water @ 20C. Any offset from 1.000 is your error margin for future readings. My Coopers hydro was out by 0.02, reading 0.998.

 

[pch]

Read your hydrometer in tap water @ 20C. Any offset from 1.000 is your error margin for future readings. My Coopers hydro was out by 0.02, reading 0.998.

Thanks Maves, I will do that.

 

[livo]

I now have 3 Cooper's plastic hydrometers that I keep in the drawer for emergencies only. The thing to look for is when the gravity stops dropping. If you get the same reading for 24 hours, or even wait 48 hours, it is done. I recently made the Beermakers Old that was meant to get down to 1.010. It stopped at 1.016 and stayed there for nearly 1 week, which was a waste of fermenter fridge time and potentially damaging to the beer. 5 batches of the same beer since then have repeatedly gone to 1.016 / 1.017 so I bottle it when I get a stable reading for 2 days. I find it usually takes 5 - 7 days depending upon which kit it is. Simply saying leave it for 2 weeks and then bottle is a mug's approach.

There is no point in "lagering" kit Cooper's Lager (maybe the Thomas Cooper series Crown Lager) as it is not a lager.

 

[pch]

What's the best way to get all of the brew extract out of the tin? I have tried filling it with hot water multiple times but it just seems to froth up and I feel that I'm not getting it all out. What do you guy's do?

 

[Drubbing]

What's the best way to get all of the brew extract out of the tin? I have tried filling it with hot water multiple times but it just seems to froth up and I feel that I'm not getting it all out. What do you guy's do?

Submerge the unopened tin in hot water for 15min or so, it will be more liquid and you'll get more out. Empty it into the fermenter then top up with hot water, stir and pour.

 

[pch]

Submerge the unopened tin in hot water for 15min or so, it will be more liquid and you'll get more out. Empty it into the fermenter then top up with hot water, stir and pour.

Thanks once again for the help Drubbing, much appreciated. Cheers Mate.

 

[Naboo]

What's the best way to get all of the brew extract out of the tin? I have tried filling it with hot water multiple times but it just seems to froth up and I feel that I'm not getting it all out. What do you guy's do?

As @Drubbing said, submerge in got water before opening.
When you open it, keep the lid nearby. Once you've poured all of it in, fill the can about 1/3 with boiling water. Place the lid back on top and leave for a few minutes before tipping that in too. This will help get all of the last bits out and the can will be pretty clean.

 

[Naboo]

As @Drubbing said, submerge in got water before opening.
When you open it, keep the lid nearby. Once you've poured all of it in, fill the can about 1/3 with boiling water. Place the lid back on top and leave for a few minutes before tipping that in too. This will help get all of the last bits out and the can will be pretty clean.

I forgot to add - use an oven glove or tea towel. The can will be really hot to touch!
Of course it will be hot, but some people (me) forget that.

 

[pch]

I forgot to add - use an oven glove or tea towel. The can will be really hot to touch!
Of course it will be hot, but some people (me) forget that.

Will do Naboo, I'm stupid enough to have not thought of that. Cheers.

 

[pch]

What does everyone do with there bottles after you have emptied them? Do you clean them straight away or just rinse them with hot water until it's time to make another brew and then clean and sanitise them? I know this may sound like a stupid question but I'm trying to learn as much as I can.

 

[philrob]

I've only ever bottled in 16 years of brewing. The only bottles I use are Coopers longnecks. Once empty I simply swirl a little cold tap water to rinse it, and repeat that 3 or 4 times. Then simply drain it upside down. I store them in a crate, on their sides.
Before use I swirl a little Brewman sanitiser solution to coat the entire inside of the bottle, drain it, fill and cap.
No need for hot water etc. Never had an infection nor a bottle bomb doing this.

 

[stevonz]

What he said. Rinse and invert.
Sanitise prior to bottling next time.... I moved onto kegs after a few batches.

 

[pch]

I've only ever bottled in 16 years of brewing. The only bottles I use are Coopers longnecks. Once empty I simply swirl a little cold tap water to rinse it, and repeat that 3 or 4 times. Then simply drain it upside down. I store them in a crate, on their sides.
Before use I swirl a little Brewman sanitiser solution to coat the entire inside of the bottle, drain it, fill and cap.
No need for hot water etc. Never had an infection nor a bottle bomb doing

 

[pch]

I've only ever bottled in 16 years of brewing. The only bottles I use are Coopers longnecks. Once empty I simply swirl a little cold tap water to rinse it, and repeat that 3 or 4 times. Then simply drain it upside down. I store them in a crate, on their sides.
Before use I swirl a little Brewman sanitiser solution to coat the entire inside of the bottle, drain it, fill and cap.
No need for hot water etc. Never had an infection nor a bottle bomb doing this.

Thanks philrob, I may have get myself a bottle tree so I can drain them as I live in a small cabin and dont have much bench space. Cheers.

 

[pch]

Thanks philrob, I may have get myself a bottle tree so I can drain them as I live in a small cabin and dont have much bench space. Cheers.

What he said. Rinse and invert.
Sanitise prior to bottling next time.... I moved onto kegs after a few batches

 

[pch]

What he said. Rinse and invert.
Sanitise prior to bottling next time.... I moved onto kegs after a few batches.

How soon before Bottling is best to sanitise?

 

[philrob]

I do it at the start of my bottling session. When drained I prime them all, then fill, then cap.

 

[pch]

I do it at the start of my bottling session. When drained I prime them all, then fill, then cap.

Thanks mate, just wasn't sure if you had to wait for them to dry before bottling. Cheers.

 

[pch]

I do it at the start of my bottling session. When drained I prime them all, then fill, then cap.

Does it matter if they are not fully dry (using no rinse sanitiser) when you bottle your brew?

 

[Drubbing]

Does it matter if they are not fully dry (using no rinse sanitiser) when you bottle your brew?

No, just draining is fine.