Help For A Newbie With Frst Brew

[husky]

Hi guys,
I have been lurking around for a while gathering information and last weekend finally picked up a kit.
Went for the brewcraft gear that comes with a Munich Lager tin.
I was hoping i could note what I have done so far and get some comments.
here goes:
Cleaned everything and put the brew on Tuesday night.
The contents of the kit was sitting at 26 degrees after all the ingredients were andded and mixed. So I put a large block of ice(pre boiled water) in the fermenter which dropped the temp to 24-25. I was hoping to cool it to 22 before adding the yeast but I got impatient.
so yeast was added about 25 degrees however the fermenter cooled to 24 degrees withing half hour of the yeast going in.
Still wasnt happy with the temp so yesterday I covered the fermenter in wet towels anp put the fan on it with a few ice blocks.
This morn I wake up and temp is 18 degrees.
Does it pose any probs dropping the temp a few days into fermentation?
Also, I used the kit yeast, is it better to buy a seperate sachet of yeast even with the kits?
I didnt rehydrate the yeast either, just sprinkled on top.
Anyways airlock started bubbling after 16 hrs and has been ever since.
Cant see any froth or build up on the bottom, it this normal at this stage?
SG when yeast added was 38. Im going to bottle after 2 weeks.
Any comments or advice?
cheers

 

[thanme]

Shouldn't pose a problem with the temperature drop as far as I know.

I think the general consensus is to ditch the kit yeast, (I did with my first kit), but people have used the kit yeast with no dramas.

Sounds like it's cranking along nicely.

Only advice is to wait until you get 3 consistent hydro readings before bottling. It should be done in 2 weeks, but it helps to be sure.

 

[np1962]

Hi guys,
I have been lurking around for a while gathering information and last weekend finally picked up a kit.
Went for the brewcraft gear that comes with a Munich Lager tin.
I was hoping i could note what I have done so far and get some comments.
here goes:
Cleaned everything and put the brew on Tuesday night.
Cleaned and sanitised?
The contents of the kit was sitting at 26 degrees after all the ingredients were andded and mixed. So I put a large block of ice(pre boiled water) in the fermenter which dropped the temp to 24-25. I was hoping to cool it to 22 before adding the yeast but I got impatient.
so yeast was added about 25 degrees however the fermenter cooled to 24 degrees withing half hour of the yeast going in.
Still wasnt happy with the temp so yesterday I covered the fermenter in wet towels anp put the fan on it with a few ice blocks.
This morn I wake up and temp is 18 degrees.
Does it pose any probs dropping the temp a few days into fermentation?
Definitely would of been better to get the temp down within a few hours of pitching but you will still get beer, you may get some 'hot' alcohol flavors but the kit yeasts are fairly tolerent, have more ice/ice water ready next time
Also, I used the kit yeast, is it better to buy a seperate sachet of yeast even with the kits?
Non kit yeasts are better quality but it is probably more important to get your processes right before you start experimenting too much.
I didnt rehydrate the yeast either, just sprinkled on top.
No Problem
Anyways airlock started bubbling after 16 hrs and has been ever since.
Cant see any froth or build up on the bottom, it this normal at this stage?
Only sure sign of fermentation is dropping SG take a reading if you are concerned. Other signs vary with the yeast used.
SG when yeast added was 38. Im going to bottle after 2 weeks.
Check your SG for 3 days prior to bottling to be sure fermentation has finished although 2 weeks should be OK.
Any comments or advice?
cheers

Cheers
Nige

 

[boingk]

Ditto what Nige said above. Only thing I'd add is that the best ale temps are generally 18-20'c for most yeasts, and I've used stock kit yeasts at these temperatures with excellent results. Its all about the process - if you drive a Ferrari and a Barina hard into a wall you're still going to have a wrecked car, am I right? Same thing goes with beer.

Anywho, keep at it and don't be discouraged if your first attempt isn't what you'd hoped. Its sounding pretty good so far, though. Hellava lot better than mine anyway...it was terrible.

Cheers, and good luck - boingk

 

[husky]

Yes, sanitised as well. Madi us a 5L batch in the fermenter, swirled around upside down etc then soaked all the bits I could for an hour.
I then stored 2 out of the 5 litres in a 2L milk container in a hope to reuse some of it on bottling day, possible? or make new stuff?

 

[np1962]

Yes, sanitised as well. Madi us a 5L batch in the fermenter, swirled around upside down etc then soaked all the bits I could for an hour.
I then stored 2 out of the 5 litres in a 2L milk container in a hope to reuse some of it on bottling day, possible? or make new stuff?

Without knowing what you use for sanitiser I couldnt say, I beleive most brand name sanitisers keep but check to be sure.
In my case I use a bleach/vinegar solution and it is only effective for 8-12 hours so I make a batch up each time I need it.
Cheers and good luck
Nige

boingk- yes ales are best fermented at 18-20 degrees, yeast depending and with some exceptions.

 

[husky]

It is a no rinse sanitiser(brewcraft brand)

 

[roverfj1200]

You will make beer. And how goods that.. :icon_cheers:

 

[Pennywise]

It is a no rinse sanitiser(brewcraft brand)

It'll keep for a bit, I used to use that stuff and kept a bit for next time on a regular basis. About 2 weeks in a sealed container and it sanitised fine (thats assuming the container your storing in is clean enough). I think the BC sanitiser is the same sort of thing as iodofor(sp), it's an iodised sanitiser.

 

[husky]

Ok, so last night after 15 days in the fermenter I bottled. SG was stable @ 1.011 for three days. Instructions said it would get down to 1.008-1.010 but it wasnt dropping. A couple of queries I have:
I used alot of 330ml corona bottles and used 1 carbonation drop. Will this be ok as the drops are to suit 375ml?
I also used some 450ml Grolsch bottles and only put 1 drop in. Does this mean the coronas will be over carbonated and the grolsch under?
I also used 2 drops in some 640ml Jim Beam bottles.
I put a handfull of bottles straight in the fridge and the rest in the same place the fermenter was @20 degrees. Are the ones in the fridge going to carb much?(I did drop the fridge temp as low as it would go)
Do many peoplejust rince their empty bottles as they go so they only have to be sanitised on bottling day?

Sorry for all the questions,
cheers

 

[Pennywise]

Your 330ml bottle will be a little more carbed, but they should be ok (this is assuming that fermentation has actually finished), and the 450ml bottles will be a little undercarbed, again, should still be ok. Take the bottles out of the fridge, they wont carb up in there at all, they need to be at room temp for the yeast to stay awake and eat up the sugaz.

Edit: Rinse the bottles straight away once you've poured the beer out, nothing worse than having to scrub crusty dried up **** off the bottom of the bottles

 

[phinnsfotos]

Ok, so last night after 15 days in the fermenter I bottled. SG was stable @ 1.011 for three days. Instructions said it would get down to 1.008-1.010 but it wasnt dropping. A couple of queries I have:
I used alot of 330ml corona bottles and used 1 carbonation drop. Will this be ok as the drops are to suit 375ml?
I also used some 450ml Grolsch bottles and only put 1 drop in. Does this mean the coronas will be over carbonated and the grolsch under?
I also used 2 drops in some 640ml Jim Beam bottles.
I put a handfull of bottles straight in the fridge and the rest in the same place the fermenter was @20 degrees. Are the ones in the fridge going to carb much?(I did drop the fridge temp as low as it would go)
Do many peoplejust rince their empty bottles as they go so they only have to be sanitised on bottling day?

Sorry for all the questions,
cheers

So I've only done about a dozen brews my self so I'm hardly the expert, but here goes.

I think 1011 would be fine, the important part is that it was consistent over three days.

Does this mean the coronas will be over carbonated and the grolsch under?
Probably a little on both counts. But I've got a mate that swears by his 330ml bottles, and reckons he gets a better carbonation than the 375mls

The Jim Bean bottles are scaring me a fair bit. Are they just spirit bottles? Or were they designed to take a carbonated drink? If they're just spirit bottles then they could be very dangerous. I'm not sure because I've never heard of any one using spirit bottles before, but unless you hear otherwise I'd be getting some safety goggles and gloves on, and opening them up, and poring the into something else, maybe just the sink.

You should probably leave the bottles out of the fridge for a week or two so that they can carb up. I think that if you put them straight in the fridge then nothing will happen as the yeast is pretty much asleep.

I just rinse bottles as I go, then sanatise on bottling day.

Hope that helps

 

[Pennywise]

I have used spirit bottles in the past and never had any problems, but, I don't as a fact that they are safe, I've just never had any issues myself

 

[phinnsfotos]

Cool, I wasn't sure. I've often wondered about using screwtop wine bottles.

 

[husky]

The beam bottles were the premixed variety, not the straight spitit type so they should be ok for carbonated beer.
One thing I did notice with these bottles was they produced a fair bit of CO2 very quickly. After filling with beer and putting the carb drop in, I sit the cap on top. I do this to all bottles then go around and use the bench capper on them all. While filling the remainder of the bottles I could see the lid popping up as the CO2 is released. I wouldn't have thought they would produce so much so quickly.

 

[Pennywise]

I used to get that all the time when I bottled, I think it's more co2 being disturbed from the initial ferment, not really the co2 from the carb drops. I could be wrong though

 

[husky]

After only being bottled for 8 days, I decided to try one last night so I can identify the changing taste and carb levels. It had carbed up more than expected and had a hint of fruit as an aftertaste. I would assume this is due to the high ferment temps? Or is it also possibly due to the yeast?(It was an unmarked kit yeast)
Overall very happy with it.
It tasted alot like it smelt as I was mixing it(surprise surprise). That being the case, brew 2 will be great as it smells sensational through the airlock atm.

 

[wynnum1]

330ml corona bottles are not the greatest bottles broke a couple cleaning and there too tall and clear some of the trist tops better.Bottles with a curve in the side and squatter seem to cool quicker

 

[stm]

and had a hint of fruit as an aftertaste. I would assume this is due to the high ferment temps?

More than likely. You had it for about three days at mid 20s, so it would have pretty much fermented out during that time (at those temps). It's tough to keep it down to 18 at this time of year without a dedicated fridge (or 100 can cooler etc).