Pale ale

[JDOGG2]

Just starting out here, on my third brew using the coopers kit.

I purchased a pale ale "little critters" recipe pack from AHB.

The OG is showing as 1.037. Does that seem right or have a stuffed this brew up?

Cheers

 

[indica86]

Depends on what you put in there. Ingredient list will help.
Also what temperature was it at as that has some impact on gravity readings.

 

[JDOGG2]

Contains Black Rock Pilsner Blonde 1.7kg plus an medium bodied malt blend and Wheat malt. It is flavoured with a combination of American grown Cascade and Willamette Hops. Safale US05 yeast.

 

[JDOGG2]

Temp was 25 degrees when I put the yeast in

 

[indica86]

If your hydro is calibrated to 20° you get about an extra point. 1038.
How much did the malt / wheat malt weigh?

 

[indica86]

If it was 1kg of malt extract then you are looking at an OG of 1.036 and a bottled ABV of 4%.

So yes, it's fine.

US05 recommended fermenting temperature is 18°

 

[JDOGG2]

Yeah it was 1kg of malt extract. Ok so nothing to worry about then. Cheers.

 

[indica86]

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/29655-kit-and-extract-beer-spreadsheet/ is what I used to work it out.

 

[yum beer]

most kits start around the 1036-1040 mark. Seems all good.

 

[JDOGG2]

I can't get the fermenting temp to below 22 degrees, it's v warm here in Melbourne at the moment. Do you think this will ruin the beer?

 

[nosco]

I had the same problem with temps with my first 2 brews. They tasted sour due to overly high temps. I finally bit the bullet and hooked up an stc-1000 controller to an old bar fridge. Dead easy to wire up after watching a vid on you tube (look for homebeerbrewry). Making great beer every time now. I found 18-21 are the ideal temps.

 

[mosto]

US05 will handle 22 deg ok, but try to avoid big swings in temp. An old fridge, even a dead one, will help with this. When I started out I used an extra large ice box that could fit my fermenter in. Anything insulated is excellent. If you have, or can get, an old working fridge all the better because then, as nosco said, you can wire up and STC100 temp controller or, as I did, buy one pre-wired online, and you ferment at what ever temp you want.

 

[OzPaleAle]

I've found even keeping my fermenter on the concrete floor rather than on the bench in my garage helped a little with stabilising the summer temps, still sits about 21-22C but better than the 24-25C it was getting up to on hot days.

 

[Dan Pratt]

To help keep the fv cool. Wet a towel and lay it over the fv, grab your fan and direct it at the fv.....the air combined with the cool water within the towel will bring the temp down.

Maybr ring the towel out a little or throw it in the bath or laundry since.

Best advice is to get a fridge and stc 1000 and you will be sweet for future brews.

 

[indica86]

I can't get the fermenting temp to below 22 degrees, it's v warm here in Melbourne at the moment. Do you think this will ruin the beer?

How do you know it is 22?

My strip thermometer read 18 when the wort was 14

 

[JDOGG2]

I don't know for sure that it's 22 but that's what it says in the strip thermometer so I can only presume it's correct.

 

[nosco]

Keep in mind that at the height of fermentation your beer will be a few degrees higher than ambient temp. If your fermenter is sitting on a bench thenthe strip therm will not be spot on