New to hobby

[3136]

Hi guys,
this is my first attempt, I have bought two fermenters and a tap a draft system from ibrew in Qld, which came with 4x 6 litre pet kegs.
I have one batch at about 10 days now it is morgans Australian blonde, it was kept at 24 deg, I did a reading of 1008 today.
The airlock has pretty much stopped bubbling now after a furious amount earlier on.
What concerned me though is it isn't very clear or tasting very good. I know it will improve with age though.

 

[MastersBrewery]

That hydro sample is pretty clear, in that it has just finished fermenting. If you have a spare fridge throw it in there and chill down to 2c to have remaining yeast drop out then bottle, as per instructions, should be good for drinking in around 3 to 4 weeks.

MB

 

[boybrewer]

Welcome to the obsession. Let it sit for a few days that will help the yeast to clean up after itself and will help clear the beer . Your temperature is a little high which tends to give off unwanted flavours. It needs to ferment at around the 18-20* C mark this will give you better tasting beer . However once it is in the keg let it sit for a couple of weeks this will help with the carbonation and maturity of your beer.

Cheers .

P.S. I live around the corner from you and I brew All grain . Your most welcome to P.M. me and catch up on a brew or two .

 

[3136]

Thanks for the help guys, the fellow at the brew shop told me to aim for 24, I just read the sticky here and it said a lot lower, will do that next time.

 

[boybrewer]

The bloke at the brew shop would say that cause it ferments quicker you drink it quicker and therefore have to buy more ingredients more often . Its called turning a profit . Read , read and read , this forum is a great place to learn . John Palmers book How to brew is a great start , google it online its free.

 

[verysupple]

Firstly, welcome aboard the HMAS Expenditature, setting sail for Port Brokeville.

Secondly, as others have said, it'll clear with time/cold temps. For a first brew it looks like you're doing pretty well. You had the sense to take a gravity reading and you hit a reasonable FG in good time. Now you're ready for the hard part - not drinking it too early. I still struggle with that bit.

BTW 24 C isn't ideal as you now know, but it's not going to ruin your beer either, assuming you used a "standard" ale strain (E.g. US-05 or similar). I'm sure it'll turn out alright and you've already discovered one way to make your beer better. Onwards and upwards!

 

[3136]

Yeah that's a bugger regarding the temp. Even the kit can suggests an ideal temp of 25.
That's ok I'll learn, thanks for the input fellas, much appreciated!

 

[Midnight Brew]

Welcome to the obession. Also like beer belly, I too brew all grain and live around the corner. So if you ever have any questions dont hesitate.

There's a caseswap in July at Yob's house. Basically a bunch of like minded fellows all catch up, drink beers, trade beers, eat large amounts of meat and brew all in one day. Good chance to chew the ears of the brewers that have been doing it for years and to put faces to names.

Check it out:
http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/78403-2014-vic-xmas-in-july-case-swap/

 

[3136]

Thanks mate, I feel at home here already!

 

[Spiesy]

Sounds like you've fermented your beer at the controlled temp you were advised, particularly by the can - nice one, fermentation temp control is very important.

Some people are advising about different target fermentation temperatures, I don't know what yeast came with your 'beer kit' but I'd just like to add that all yeast are different, and different yeast thrive at certain temperatures and sometime do really interesting things (sometimes desirable) at other temperatures.

In answer to your first post… adding Irish Moss or BrewBrite 10mins before end of boil, whirlpool, full fermentation and reasonable crash chilling are your friends here…. rocking all of these sets will give you your best 'natural' chance of clarity.

EDIT: I prefer dark over milk chocolate.

 

[3136]

Thanks for the encouragement fellas.
Midnight Brew, I'll be out of town for that piss up, sounds like a lot of good info to miss out on.... bugger!,
Thanks also for the advice offer, I would love to check out yours and BB's equipment set ups.

So from the advice I will still give it 2 full weeks, which is only two more days (with lower 18 c temp), then put the fermenter in the garage fridge to drop to 2c so it settles more, then keg?


Spiesy, you refer to "whirlpool" could you elaborate? I'm not sure what yeast it came with, it was a plain foil pack with no markings or expiry at all on it.

 

[Yob]

When you get to the end of the boil a strong stir to whirlpool will make all the hops and break (less in extract brews) settle in the centre of the pot allowing you to draw off nice clear wort.

Cheers

 

[3136]

Thanks Yob, the instructions on my can didn't have a boil step, I just did exactly what the can said.
PS I ripped the top of the label off the can so I could sterilize it, but it is a Morgan brand

I used a beer improver pack from the local store which had dextrose and some malt.

 

[3136]

Ok thinking about it I may have stuffed up as I added the improver pack from the LBS instead of a sealed can of brewing sugar.
So I should have boiled it then?

 

[yum beer]

Brewing sugar, improver pack, brew enhancer...all the same thing....sugars to add to your brew.
Better option is to use malt if you can or a mix of malt, dextrose and maltodextrin. Coopers Brew Enhancer 2 is a good option, gives extra flavour to your brew without giving 'weird' flavours that high amounts of simple sugar can create.
Cans of liquid malt are an even better option...then before you know it you'll be adding hops and steeping grains and create your own recipes.
Leave your brew 5-7 days after fermentation has finished(have hit target OG) then leave it 6 weeks in the bottle before drinking.
If you can put your bottles in the fridge for a week before drinkingthat will help to keep the yeast 'sediment' on the bottom of the bottle and will be clearer and taste cleaner.

Patience, cleanliness, sanitation and some more patience.

 

[3136]

Thanks for the advice, but should I have boiled all the can contents and the beer improver pack?

 

[boybrewer]

No as you are just making as a kit recipe there is no need to . When you start doing kits and bits there maybe some steeping of grains and a boil depending on the hop regime you may have in the recipe . Eg bittering hops you may want to boil for say anywhere from 30 - 60 min flavouring around 10 min and aromour from a min or two , there is also flame out additions for flavour as well and dry hopping .

Cheers
BB

 

[3136]

A big thank you to Beer Belly!
Michael invited me over to show me how he does all grain, and he even sent me home with my own batch in a fermenter, wow didn't expect that!
Thanks again mate!

It was surprising how simple it actually was, if it wasn't for space constraints I'd be buying all the gear now, however at the moment I have to hang tools/ model planes/stuff from rafters in the garage.

Well that morgans blonde got cold crashed at 2c for 3 days and it's in kegs and the left over in bottles. I'm not terribly hopefull of it though as it was too warm in the ferment stage.

I also have on the go a batch of mangrove jacks pear cider for the wife, better keep her on side. :icon_cheers:

I have a mangrove jacks lager and blonde larger pouches too http://mangrovejacks.com/collections/traditional-series/products/traditional-series-lager
I was thinking of tarting them up a bit and maybe tossing the yeast and using 34/70 yeast and ldme instead of dextrose and possibly dry hopping some hersbrucker hops. How does that sound?

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

If you're looking for a temporary fix for space (and do-able on the stove), look at the "all grain under thirty bucks" thread and the "2 pot stovetop AG" - both apartment and kitchen friendly (but more labour-intensive as a result).

It'll get you onto the AG path with mostly existing equipment and for little $$.

 

[3136]

I think the time taken on a proper set up is about all the spare time I have, as I have a young family.
Adding to the labour time really isn't an option in my case, but thank you for the suggestion.
I'll have to stick to kit cans till we move.