Kit Converter Error

[dannybzr]

Hi all,

I am after making what I think is a stupid mistake when using a kit converter.

So, I have a beer Kit(Brewcraft Mugen Lager) made by Muntons. I decided that I would use the kit converter that has recommended in a book that I have(Brewcraft #60 - German Lager). I also decided not to use the kit yeast and went with Safale US-05. I didn't go for the real lager yeast as I'll have problems keeping the temp as low as is needed.

So here is my problem. Because this is my second time brewing, the first time was just a standard kit and nothing different, I assumed that using the kit converter would just replace the 1kg dex that I used in the first brew. I emptied the kit tin into the fermenter and added 2liters of boiling water and then added my kit converter. It was at this point that I saw the back of the packet where there are instructions saying that I needed to boil the contents of the kit converter in water first and then let sit for 10 min before adding to the fermenter. Obviously I couldn't do that now, so I decided to leave the kit converter in the 2ltrs boiling water that I added to the fermenter and leave sit for 10 min and then fill with cold water up to the 23ltr mark.

So, is my beer ruined and only worth throwing out or will things be alright...?

Thanks,

Dan

 

[DUANNE]

boiling the converter kit is probably recomended just for sanitation purposes. my first ten brews with kits i just threw every thing in the fermentor with boiling water to mix and had no infections made some real ordinary beer but no infections.just relax it will turn out fine.

 

[dannybzr]

So there is no difference in terms of flavour etc? Its just a matter of eliminating the risk of infection?

 

[thanme]

Shouldn't be any difference at all.
I always at the remainder of my dry malt at flameout, so it never really boils at all. It just helps to dissolve it.

 

[manticle]

So, is my beer ruined and only worth throwing out

No.

or will things be alright...?

Yes

 

[Andrew Coleman]

"pats on shoulder" hehe dude its all going to be alright, wheater you boil ur kit or not it will taste the same in the long run, but its a good habbit to get into just so you know there will be no infections, you just started brewing your own yeh? you should practice using coopers beer kits at the supermarket with recomended brew enhancer, and then add more malt dextrose, or other fermentables like honey etc. for taste, its a much cheaper place to start and the quality aint to bad, just good to practice with and if you screw it up no big loss of the munies! Always buy a good quality yeast from your brewshop though and practice good sanitisation and use this site as a guide a lot, its helped me heaps!

 

[dannybzr]

Thanks for the responses everyone, I'm happy knowing now that I haven't stuffed up the kit. I guess you learn from your mistakes and I wont be making this one again. At least it is good to know that it is really only for sanitisation purposes that the kit converter is boiled..

It's all part of the learning curve but I'm loving it at the moment, mistakes or not, I just hope the beers that I have started out on are ok to drink!!

 

[manticle]

At least it is good to know that it is really only for sanitisation purposes that the kit converter is boiled..

Should be pretty sanitary out of the packet unless you've already opened it. Even then I wouldn't go too crazy worrying. Chucking it in boiling water or boiling it will both likely kill anything unwelcome that is clinging to your dried sugar. As someone mentioned earlier, it's as much about successfully dissolving the sugar as anything else.

 

[Pennywise]

I'd aslo invest in a better book I had to un-learn alot of bad habbits from poor information taken from a certain book when I started brewing. And none of the recipes turn out anything like they're supposed to, oh, except for one, Sam Smiths Taddy Porter, they get close with that one. Either way I think you'll have a very drinkable beer in a month or so, if you can hold out that long

 

[dannybzr]

I'd aslo invest in a better book I had to un-learn alot of bad habbits from poor information taken from a certain book when I started brewing. And none of the recipes turn out anything like they're supposed to, oh, except for one, Sam Smiths Taddy Porter, they get close with that one. Either way I think you'll have a very drinkable beer in a month or so, if you can hold out that long

Any idea what the first book was?

 

[QldKev]

Hi all,

I am after making what I think is a stupid mistake when using a kit converter.

So, I have a beer Kit(Brewcraft Mugen Lager) made by Muntons. I decided that I would use the kit converter that has recommended in a book that I have(Brewcraft #60 - German Lager). I also decided not to use the kit yeast and went with Safale US-05. I didn't go for the real lager yeast as I'll have problems keeping the temp as low as is needed.

So here is my problem. Because this is my second time brewing, the first time was just a standard kit and nothing different, I assumed that using the kit converter would just replace the 1kg dex that I used in the first brew. I emptied the kit tin into the fermenter and added 2liters of boiling water and then added my kit converter. It was at this point that I saw the back of the packet where there are instructions saying that I needed to boil the contents of the kit converter in water first and then let sit for 10 min before adding to the fermenter. Obviously I couldn't do that now, so I decided to leave the kit converter in the 2ltrs boiling water that I added to the fermenter and leave sit for 10 min and then fill with cold water up to the 23ltr mark.

So, is my beer ruined and only worth throwing out or will things be alright...?

Thanks,

Dan

From memory those kits do contain hops. The difference by boiling the hops (in the convertor pack) for 20mins will take them from being an aroma hop addition to a flavour hop addition. So there will be a difference in the overall beer.

It does not mean that it is ruined, but will not be 100% to style. You may even like the aroma hops better!

QldKev

 

[dannybzr]

From memory those kits do contain hops. The difference by boiling the hops (in the convertor pack) for 20mins will take them from being an aroma hop addition to a flavour hop addition. So there will be a difference in the overall beer.

It does not mean that it is ruined, but will not be 100% to style. You may even like the aroma hops better!

QldKev

Yeah there was a hop bag in the kit and that is not in the fermenter with the rest of the kit. So will this give me a more hop flavor or aroma?

 

[QldKev]

Yeah there was a hop bag in the kit and that is not in the fermenter with the rest of the kit. So will this give me a more hop flavor or aroma?

By not boiling, it will give less flavour and more aroma.

Normally I would leave the hop bag in the malt, and tip the lot into the fermentor.

QldKev

 

[fergi]

QLDKEV has the right answer here dannybzr, there is a small pkt of hops in that kit which needed to be boiled for the ten minutes, this would bring out the hop flavour in your beer making it closer to the style. you can taste the wort that you have going now and if you like the flavour/taste of it ,dont worry about the hop bag, however if you think it needs a bit more hop flavour pour the hops into a sterlised cup, add 500 grms boiling water and let it sit there for 10 mins, then pour the liquid through a very fine strainer into your fermenter with the rest of your brew. gently stir for about 10 seconds with a sterilised spoon, that should give you a better hop profile in your finished beer, so remember the packs really have to be boiled for that ten minutes to get all the flavour profiles happening

fergi

 

[manticle]

Didn't realise the kit came with hops. That changes things a bit, as suggested above.

 

[Pennywise]

Any idea what the first book was?

I'll take a stab and say Brewing Crafts? If I'm wrong then ignore me :icon_cheers: