Well i've just got into the home brew game after being given a kit with the new Coopers Pale Ale. A friend sent me to this site, and i've got to say i've probably got more questions than i know how to ask!
So far i've completed 3 brews - the coopers Pale Ale, a Morgans ginger beer (keep the better half happy about my new obsession) and an attempt at a Kilkenny type brew consisting of Morgans Royal Oak Amber Ale, Light Malt 1Kg, and Tettnanger & Goldings finishing hops.
Not having tasted any yet, i hope they aren't all disasters!
Anyway, i've been googling like mad to try to find out some tips, and am even more confused then when i started. I certainly don't trust any of the US sites, having tasted many of their "excellent" micro brewery beers, and not being very impressed.
Hopefully some of you brew masters might be able to clear up some of my questions.
a) Secondary - i gather that this involves taking the brew and transferring it to a seperate fermenter for some period of time. When exactly do you do this, for how long, and what exactly is the aim? Do i need to add more sugar / malt etc ?
b ) SG readings - my readings off the hydrometer seem to be all over the place, i can never get two readings the same. Should i be bothering at the moment? Several people have told me not to bother, and just to wait till the airlock stops bubbling...
c) Carbonation - i've read some bad opinions of carbonation drops on this forums, and i gather that i should be bulk priming, but wouldn't this require stiring of the brew, and thus stiring up all the crap at the bottom back into the brew? And what do i use? Dextrose, sugar, malt?
d) Body - i really want to make a brew that tastes as thick as Kilkenny, what exactly can i add to thicken up the beer? I've been told to use corn syrup, but i read here that is is useless. Is using Malt enough, or do i need to do something else?
Thanks in advance
So far i've completed 3 brews - the coopers Pale Ale, a Morgans ginger beer (keep the better half happy about my new obsession) and an attempt at a Kilkenny type brew consisting of Morgans Royal Oak Amber Ale, Light Malt 1Kg, and Tettnanger & Goldings finishing hops.
Not having tasted any yet, i hope they aren't all disasters!
Anyway, i've been googling like mad to try to find out some tips, and am even more confused then when i started. I certainly don't trust any of the US sites, having tasted many of their "excellent" micro brewery beers, and not being very impressed.
Hopefully some of you brew masters might be able to clear up some of my questions.
a) Secondary - i gather that this involves taking the brew and transferring it to a seperate fermenter for some period of time. When exactly do you do this, for how long, and what exactly is the aim? Do i need to add more sugar / malt etc ?
b ) SG readings - my readings off the hydrometer seem to be all over the place, i can never get two readings the same. Should i be bothering at the moment? Several people have told me not to bother, and just to wait till the airlock stops bubbling...
c) Carbonation - i've read some bad opinions of carbonation drops on this forums, and i gather that i should be bulk priming, but wouldn't this require stiring of the brew, and thus stiring up all the crap at the bottom back into the brew? And what do i use? Dextrose, sugar, malt?
d) Body - i really want to make a brew that tastes as thick as Kilkenny, what exactly can i add to thicken up the beer? I've been told to use corn syrup, but i read here that is is useless. Is using Malt enough, or do i need to do something else?
Thanks in advance