Getting started

[Thommo81]

G'day guys,

Few questions for you about starting out , im very keen to get into home brewing but I work a four week on one week off roster , just wondering if I can make it work so I put a brew on before I go back to work and leave it for four weeks then come home and bottle / keg it etc. how often does it need to be checked ? I may need to train my wife up a little to do the checking for me.

Cheers Thommo

 

[shacked]

Hey Thommo,

Fermentation for an ale is usually done in a week to ten days. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

Four weeks on the yeast is probably the maximum that you'd want to leave it but if you ferment in a fridge with temp control, you could probably put a ferment on and have your wife step down the temp to 1C after say 2 weeks. You'll come back to a fermented and cold conditioned brew ready for kegging!!

You'll need to take a hydrometer sample after about 5 or so days and then again 2 days after that to see if fermentation is done. I'd say the less samples you take the better.

The other option is to use a yeast like danstar Nottingham (aka 'notto'). This yeast can rip a ferment to completion in a couple of days. You could ferment on your week off, transfer to keg and then gas and chill the keg while you are away.

Hope this helps mate. Get into it!!!