New To The Homebrew Scene

[Gulf Brewery]

Hi Oddball

You hydrometer is your friend now. Wait until you get 3 consecutive days of the same SG reading (should be 1.012 or less) and then chat to us about bottling.

Cheers
Pedro

 

[Wortgames]

Oddball - you are miles ahead of many brewers, you've made the effort to find out more and you've come to the right place - welcome to the brethren! (and sistren...)

You should become familiar with the first rule of brewing: Relax, Don't Worry, Have A Home Brew (RDWHAHB). You will always make beer, it's just a question of how good it will be, and that's a matter of attention to detail. You can't get it all right from the start, so - you guessed it - RDWHAHB.

Rule number 2: sanitation is king.

Rule number 3: use good ingredients.

As for when to bottle, use the hydrometer to make sure fermentation has finished (always sanitise everything) - alternatively you'll be pretty right if you bottle 2 weeks after fermentation started (except in cold conditions or if the yeast were dead).

Get your bottles organised soon, if they are a bit crusty you'll want to soak them in bleach for a couple of days.

Your first brew is all about getting familiar with the process, but my tip would be to get yourself a second fermenter. This is handy for two reasons - you can get your stocks up (you don't want to be drinking your beer too young all the time, so it's good to do a double batch from time to time to get the cellar stocked - you can also use it for 'bulk priming', which makes bottling a bit quicker and easier.

Finally, read lots, and ask lots of questions. You'll soon be teaching your mates how it's done!

 

[ODDBALL]

once again I am amazed at the depth of knowlege and the quality of replies on this board, thanks.

What I need to know now is what should I be doing in preperation for bottling? I was going to purchase some bleach today to soak my bottles in but had second thoughts...Would this be the right thing to do? or should I use a specialist product? Napisan? so many questions but I want to get good at this homebrewing and am a perfectionist.

all advice will be lapped up gratefully.

 

[pint of lager]

The bottles need to be perfectly clean. You can soak in napisan, or bleach, or automatic dishwashing detergent, or neopink. Depending on what you soak in, how long for and how dirty the bottles were, you may need to use the bottle brush. Rinse thoroughly. Inspect. Use your favourite sanitiser. Bottle the beer.

 

[ODDBALL]

Sorry to be a pain..But...

My bottles have never been used, they are brand new and came with my kit which I only bought last weekend, they are brown PET bottles.

Do they need cleaning? if so what do you mean by sanitiser? I thought it would be a case of a soak in bleach then a thorough rinse with cold (tap) water...Am I off the money here guys?

 

[pint of lager]

What do the instructions say that came with the kit?

 

[sosman]

I don't believe they need to be washed first up. Of course if they have been sitting open and collected dust then ymmv.

 

[Steve Lacey]

First use of the brown PET bottles: just give 'em a quick rinse with tap water and then use the sanitiser that came witht he kit according to the instructions. There are many different types of sanitizer in use. The best ones are no-rinse variety. Iodophor or one of the peroxide/silver ion based ones. If you use bleach you need to rinse the bottle afterwards, which is an extra step PITA.

 

[KillerRx4]

Cant remember if it was the intructions or the video that said the bottles come pre sterilised but dont believe it.
Rinse & sanitise them before you use them!

Iodophor, oneshot or sanitize are my preferred products.

 

[ODDBALL]

Thanks guys I will follow your advice and give them a clean. Where can I buy these cleaning products? Coles? or a specialist HB shop?

 

[wee stu]

Coles will probably only sell sodium metabisulphate, which you want to avoid, especially if at all asthmatic or respiratory challenged.
Go to the homebrew shop for your sanitiser.

 

[sosman]

Most supermarkets carry that pink powder

 

[pint of lager]

Is there a homebrew shop in Ipswich?

 

[jgriffin]

There's one in Wacol, but i assume it carries the same as the other Brewers Choice stores - i.e not very much.

Don't let anyone sell you Sodium Met!

 

[ODDBALL]

There is not a homebrew shop in Ipswich (To the best of my knowledge) and getting any equipment will probably mean a drive towards Brisbane.

Which is the best HB shop on the southside of Brisvegas?

 

[wee stu]

Most supermarkets carry that pink powder

[post="55500"][/post]​

Not in my neck of the woods, sadly.
Never seen it at a coles, the very odd woolies might stock it though.

 

[Bozza]

I'm also new to the home brew scene. Would it be okay to wash the glass bottles in dishwasher?

 

[Jazman]

nope as the rinse aid is no good for beer witht he film it leaves

the santize no rinse stuff ok but i like ortho phosphoric acid

 

[ODDBALL]

My first brew is now in bottles all lined up in the kitchen cupboards.

When I checked the brew with the hydrometer tonight after work it was 1012, the same as it was yesterday - and it had stopped bubbling through the airlock - so I rinsed the bottles out with household bleach and rinsed 3 times with tap water before bottling.

I primed half the bottles with the Coopers Carbonation Drops that came with my kit and the other half with plain old household white sugar and filled with the brew. I then tightened the plastic screw on tops as tight as I could (I have a blister on my palm to prove it) and give the bottles a bit of a shake then labelled which was sugar and which was the drops and stored them in my kitchen cupboard.

Have I done good? The learning curve is steep and I have learnt loads already, both from the practical skills involved in actually doing it and the theory I have picked up on this forum.

What should I be doing with the bottled beer now? What temp should it be stored at? anyhting else I need to know?

Thanks in advance for all your help.

 

[Bozza]

I've wondered where do u store the beer after bottling?