Hi, just bought a Coopers kit bout 3 weeks ago now and just wanted a few tips.
1. I've read a couple of post's about US-05 yeast, just wondering if this will enhance the quality of my beer a great deal, I just used the one coopers provided?
2. Is 20 C the best temperature to ferment at? I made mine way too high if this is true.
3. Just not sure on exactly what to do after fermentation is finished? I read in a couple of post to let the brew sit in there for 2 weeks? Should I do this? And at what temperature?
4. Last question, what is the best way to sanitize the big plastic barrel? Can't really soak the whole thing overnight like the label says.
Thanks, look forward to making a new brew with the help from here!!!
As far as kit yeasts go, Coopers are generally better than some, depending on the age of the tin. Obviously if you can buy quality fresh yeasts from a homebrew shop or online service then that's better. Also Kit yeasts tend to be quite small (7g) whereas the better dried yeasts are usually around 11 or 12g. Don't throw the yeast away if you don't use it. When you get to the next stage of brewing and you're boiling, you can throw an old kit yeast in to the boil and it will help with nutrients. (I hope I'm not incorrect in this - it's what I've been led to believe).
Sanitising options are discussed in this article:
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...;showarticle=18
I use sodium metabisulphite which is supposedly at the bottom of the pile but if you're just using a plastic fermenter and doing KK it works fine. The bleach and vinegar mix as mentioned above is another option (cheaper and easier probably). If using sodium met, you need to rinse all equipment with the appropriate concentration (I always use way over) then let the equipment stand for at least 60 mins. The fumes do the sanitising. Then rinse everything in cold water just before you use it.
As for leaving your brew before you bottle - you tend to get a better flavour from beer if you don't try and rush it. Primary ferment should take a bit of time at the right temperature. After that you have a couple of options.
You can transfer the beer to a different vessel and let it sit. This is called racking to secondary and will result in a slightly clearer and sometimes cleaner tasting beer. It can also be a pain, especially if you are a new brewer and there are advocates for and against. I tend to do it but I would not recommend it for your first few brews.
You could leave it in the same vessel and stick it in a fridge (crash chill/cold condition) which will also help clean it up and make it clearer. You can also add finings (usually gelatin or isinglass) 2 or 3 days before you bottle.
You can do any one or all three of these.
You can also do none of them, bottle your beer when primary is finished, then if you're not 100% happy with your brew, think about trying them for your next so you know what each process does. You won't make the world's best beer first or second time around anyway and learning how it all works is really valuable knowledge. Just don't get disheartened if your first kk doesn't taste like your favourite beer at the pub. keep going, learning and enjoying because it's great fun.
