Frequently Asked Questions For The New Brewer

[warra48]

Quick question about malt extracts.

How do you avoid it "glooping" up when it goes into the fermenter?

I've been experimenting with the Muntons' spray malts but hate the swilling and stabbing to break up the rocks of malt. I figure I must be doing something wrong and that there must be a better way.

Thanks.

I only use dry malt for my yeast starters, but find it dissolves quite easily in cold water. I add the malt first in a pot, then add cold water on top. It will dissolve itself without me needing to do anything. If you want, you can give it stir, but I only do that a half hour later, when I bring it to the boil to sanitise it.

As fish13 said, predissolve it, then add to the fermenter.

 

[yum beer]

dry malts dont seem to l ike hot water,

when doing kits i always added dry malts to fermenter before anything else, 1-2 litres of water, swirl for 10 seconds, all good.
The lumpy bits will ferment out in the end anyway.

 

[bacardi]

I've just loaded a batch of Munton's Gold Continental Pilsner into the choofer.

I understand the yeast is not a specific lager yeast.

Should I ferment this at 12-14C as if it were a lager with a lager yeast, or go with 18-20C suggested on the box?

Cheers.

 

[yum beer]

I've just loaded a batch of Munton's Gold Continental Pilsner into the choofer.

I understand the yeast is not a specific lager yeast.

Should I ferment this at 12-14C as if it were a lager with a lager yeast, or go with 18-20C suggested on the box?

Cheers.

I may be wrong but I would think Muntons would have supplied alager yeast with that kit..albeit probably nowhere near enough....
play it safe and go about 15, not too high for lager and not low for an ale.....should be fine....ideally get an extra pack of lager yeast into it.

 

[Bax]

Hi all,

I'm about to do my second brew, and I've got a question regarding sanitizing. I went to my HBS today and picked up a few things for my next brew, and as an afterthought I grabbed whatever sanitizer they recommended me. Ultimately I wanted starsan - but they didn't have any from what I could see.

So in the end I got Bounty, it's a pink powder, cleaner/sanitizer, and I was told that a quick dip and rinse would suffice. I thought I'd do some googling before I actually started anything - apart from not being able to find "willow" anywhere, the only pink powder solutions I can find recommend a long long soak and a thorough (3 times) Rinse. It's a 1 tsp per 1L of water gig.

Can anybody shine some light on this? I was hoping to get some sanitizing done tonight so I could put down a brew.

 

[citizensnips]

im guessing its a rinse, just mix up a solution of what it recommends, leave what ever soaking in it for 10 minutes or so and then just rinse with cool boiled water and bang gadang your done

 

[Bax]

I think it may be Diversol.

What's the best way to do 30 bottles? Was hoping for something I could fill, lid, shake, pour into another bottle, repeat. How would I go about it if they need to soak? Dump them all into a large plastic tub with 10L of solution and let it soak?

Thanks btw, appreciate the help

 

[manticle]

im guessing

Indeed you are.

 

[Crumpet]

I picked up what is possibly the same stuff from my LHBS today. A pink powder called PSR "pink stain remover" containing chlorinated trisodium phosphate. If it's the same stuff the instructions on mine are "1 level teaspoon per 5 litres of warm water and soak for 30 minutes, rinse well with cold water". It also states that it is not recommended for stainless steel.

 

[dr K]

Pink, sounds like something I was sold about 16 years ago, if it is its something like neo-pink which is or was based on tri sodium phospate, its highly alkaline, work great as a paint stripper (joking) and like Sodium Metabisulphite not really suitable for brewing, it certainly needs rinsing, it screws my lungs up and is generally bad news, but it is cheap.
I take it you are bottling...a quick rinse of your bottles after draining should be sufficient to remove any possibility of gunk build up, a dishwasher is great as a bottle sanitiser just before you package.
I keg (basically one big bottle, I just rinse then before refilling use Oxonia or you could use a Phosphoric Acid/Sulphonic Acid blend sold around the traps (comes from Keg King it is no-rinse @10ml per 5 litres and is re-usable so long as the pH is below 2,5 and its cleanish, I find it great great in conjunction with Caustic Soda, but not mixed!)

K

 

[Bax]

Yeah im bottling.

They said they use it for general cleaning around the house, toilets and bath etc. I think I'll get some starsan and use the pink stuff in the loo.

It's done the job for now though.

Thanks

 

[Josho]

Hi Fellas,

Just a quick questino, with kits and KISS, whats the best way to get a fairly yummo brew, tell me if im wrong.

I would normally do the regular thing tin hot water Brew enhancer and then use some better yeast than the tin yeast and just add in some tea bagged hops tea.

Just reading through the site some of the guys here spend some serious money on their brews,

I have been reading through the coopers website - as the kits are so redily avail here at Big W, and they have a few simple recipies there also- based around thier tins.

 

[James85]

i have brewed two batches of Coopers Canadian blonde and used the instructions as per can ,both have been excellent.. :icon_offtopic:

 

[James85]

I have been brewing coopers kits as per the instructions on the can for 5 years now. Mainly because I don't have the time or space to do any other types if brewing and I have never had a bad brew yet.

 

[Yob]

Define bad. It's interesting that you don't say that they have been great, acceptable or fantastic..

Not dropping poo, I just gave my next door neighbour a Canadian blonde.. And a double dry hop.. He was down to 17 liters before he bottled on Sunday... lol.. He clearly rekons it's a good drop

 

[alfadog]

how do I stop the yellow text, it burns like fire

 

[beerdrinkingbob]

how do I stop the yellow text, it burns like fire

and i highly doubt the OP did it.....

 

[James85]

Define bad. It's interesting that you don't say that they have been great, acceptable or fantastic..

Not dropping poo, I just gave my next door neighbour a Canadian blonde.. And a double dry hop.. He was down to 17 liters before he bottled on Sunday... lol.. He clearly rekons it's a good drop

 

[James85]

Personally I think the coopers kits are a fantastic drop. A lot better than brigalow or Coles/Woolworths brand kits thats for sure. I can't keep my mates hands off them during a BBQ that's for sure

 

[Yob]

My personal favorite used to be the pale ale, did some wicked beers with that's as a base.