Now What?

[Robbo2234]

I skipped bottling I remember my dad cleaning bottles for hours, I couldn't see the logic in that.

so got my self a kegerator and a co2 bottles and off I went!

I am a bit of a beer enthusiast I went to Germany just to drink beer! so the logical step is to make my own, At the moment the beer I make is average.

I am Looking forward to making some realy good beers!

 

[Jimboley]

Speedie...?

I'd have thought it was pretty much beyond dispute that these kits that sit on the shelf in clear bags for as long as it takes for them to sell would provide nothing but stale ingredients. I guess not. Enjoy my apologies and your fresh as fresh can be beers.

Some shop do this, But my steeping kits are generally made to order, are kept in foil under vacuum and are VERY FRESH.
They are by far the best way to improve any K&K

 

[bum]

Some shop do this, But my steeping kits are generally made to order, are kept in foil under vacuum and are VERY FRESH.
They are by far the best way to improve any K&K

I apologise for tarring all LHBS with same brush - your efforts to improve these kits should be commended.

Regardless, I still maintain that they are not "far and away the best way to improve any K&K" - a much better way would be to know what you're using, how much, why and hopefully to your own tastes. And even then it is debatable whether sound fermentation and sanitation techniques might see greater improvements for your average (broader community) k&k.

 

[Robbo2234]

In a very short discrption its the same as a kit and kilo but i add a pot of boiled grain water to the fermenter before sealing up?

 

[DU99]

more than boiled grain water...you add a brew can into it also..

 

[Robbo2234]

Ok lets give this ago!

what sort of equipment do I need?
I am guessing that I need a few muslin bags and a large stock pot.

what size pot would I need?
25 litre?? or can I do a smaller boil in a smaller pot and add the extra water to the fermenter?

 

[Gormand]

If your doing smallish grain additions a 19L stockpot from Big W for about $20 is likely the way to go.

Edit : Should prob add more things. I picked up some Voile from Clegs for almost nothing that can be used for bags for mashing and hopping. Grab some bulldog clips to attach it to the pot easily. With a pot that size your home stove should be enough just make sure the bag isnt touching the bottem of the pot while the heat is on.

 

[Jimboley]

Ok lets give this ago!

what sort of equipment do I need?
I am guessing that I need a few muslin bags and a large stock pot.

what size pot would I need?
25 litre?? or can I do a smaller boil in a smaller pot and add the extra water to the fermenter?

You can get 12-18L pot from $2 shops like crazy Clarks or red dot for under $20
Muslin/grain bags are re usable and they cost about $1.50- good steeping kits come with the muslin bag in them
Yes you top up the fermenter with water as per normal, you only boil the grain liquor with any DME.
You certainly can boil the full 25L volume (a good thing to do for sanitation and chloride & bacterial removal) but you'll need a immersion or plate chiller to drop the temp after the boil or else you run the risk of a post boil infection....unless you do a no-chill method....but that's another story for another time.

Cheers!
PS one of my customers uses gladbake/silicon paper on the base of his pot to avoid the bag burning and catching on the base....

 

[Nick JD]

Ok lets give this ago!

what sort of equipment do I need?
I am guessing that I need a few muslin bags and a large stock pot.

what size pot would I need?
25 litre?? or can I do a smaller boil in a smaller pot and add the extra water to the fermenter?

I don't often spruik this, but:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=44264

And your beer will be better than the beer you drank in Germany unless you drank it from de blonde fraulin's navel.

If you want to convert that to a nice Euro lager, use Weyerman Pilsner grain and NZ Hallertau hops like this:

12g for 60 minutes
12g for 20 minutes
12g for 10 minutes

 

[Robbo2234]

Well it wasn't her Navel!

ok so I think the best plan is to get a a 20 + litre pot and only fill it up half way that saves boil overs! and can use it for other beer stuff down the track.

I suppose the question is would I ever need a 25 litre pot for any beer stuff?

 

[Nick JD]

I suppose the question is would I ever need a 25 litre pot for any beer stuff?

You'd need a 40L pot ideally.

 

[Gormand]

You'd need a 40L pot ideally.

Thats what I thought so I went for a 50L one to give myself a bit more room for big beers, and then had everyone on the forums telling me I should be going for a 70L one instead(For double batches). But I picked up a 50L one for $50 off ebay and look forward to putting it in action soon.

 

[Robbo2234]

Thanks All

Might stick to a 20ish litre pot and convert a keg later, when I need something bigger.

 

[Robbo2234]

Ok got the 19 litre stock pot from big W and going to try and fire it up the weekend!

any one know of a good recipe?

I wouldnt mind one where i can steep some grains too

at the moment i can keep my fermenter around 20 - 22 deg

 

[Camo1234]

Ok got the 19 litre stock pot from big W and going to try and fire it up the weekend!

any one know of a good recipe?

I wouldnt mind one where i can steep some grains too

at the moment i can keep my fermenter around 20 - 22 deg

Mate if you like Little Creatures Pale Ale have a look at this recipe: LCPA Extract Recipe

I am only knew to this game as well so this is a very easy to follow recipe and you can learn from my newbie questions added in this thread...

I put this one down 2 weeks ago and its ready for bottling this weekend.. Fermented at 18c and crash chilling as we speak... It tastes AWESOME out of the fermenter at the moment! Don't know how I am going to wait 3 more weeks till I can open the first bottle!

 

[pimpsqueak]

Mate if you like Little Creatures Pale Ale have a look at this recipe: LCPA Extract Recipe

I am only knew to this game as well so this is a very easy to follow recipe and you can learn from my newbie questions added in this thread...

I put this one down 2 weeks ago and its ready for bottling this weekend.. Fermented at 18c and crash chilling as we speak... It tastes AWESOME out of the fermenter at the moment! Don't know how I am going to wait 3 more weeks till I can open the first bottle!

I don't want to start a whole new thread for my question on dry hopping, so I'll try it here...

In the LCPA recipe with regards to dry hopping, it says:

20.00 gm Chinook [11.40 %] (Dry Hop 5 days) Hops -
20.00 gm Cascade [5.00 %] (Dry Hop 5 days) Hops -

Now, is it 5 days after pitching the yeast, 5 days after FG is reached, 5 days after racking to secondary or for 5 days ie. 5 days before bottling? (or some other "5 days")?

 

[manticle]

I don't often spruik this, but:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=44264

And your beer will be better than the beer you drank in Germany unless you drank it from de blonde fraulin's navel.

Big call.

 

[going down a hill]

In the LCPA recipe with regards to dry hopping, it says:

20.00 gm Chinook [11.40 %] (Dry Hop 5 days) Hops -
20.00 gm Cascade [5.00 %] (Dry Hop 5 days) Hops -

Now, is it 5 days after pitching the yeast, 5 days after FG is reached, 5 days after racking to secondary or for 5 days ie. 5 days before bottling? (or some other "5 days")?

I'm pretty sure it means 5 days after pitching the yeast. The yeast can eat up some of the aroma of the hops when the yeast is getting busy with the malt, so if you add it 5 days after pitching the yeast the fermentation is starting to wind down and you get to keep the aroma.

 

[Silo Ted]

Big call.

It's a big thread.

 

[Camo1234]

I don't want to start a whole new thread for my question on dry hopping, so I'll try it here...

In the LCPA recipe with regards to dry hopping, it says:

20.00 gm Chinook [11.40 %] (Dry Hop 5 days) Hops -
20.00 gm Cascade [5.00 %] (Dry Hop 5 days) Hops -

Now, is it 5 days after pitching the yeast, 5 days after FG is reached, 5 days after racking to secondary or for 5 days ie. 5 days before bottling? (or some other "5 days")?

It is Aargon's recipe and he said to dry hop right as the initial fermentation has died down.... this is typically 5 days after pitching the yeast in his brew shed... you want to wait till the end of the initial ferment so that the CO2 doesnt kill the aroma. I wasn't home arond this day so did it on the 6th day....

This was my first liquid yeast, didnt use a starter as ran out of time before brew day but it went off like a rocket and i had to replace the airlock a couple of times due to krausen sneaking through! Finished by the end of the first week at 1.010... Will bottle this weekend