So This Is My First Brewing Attempt...

[Interloper]

As others have said you need better sanitation.

I use 40ml of unscented bleach and 40 ml of white vineagar (don't mix them directly together) in a 25L fermenter filled to the top with water, let stand a few minutes, then just empty and allow to drain. No rinsing.

25L filled to the top and then turfed? Dude that is a hell of a waste of water. I hope you put that on the garden.

I prefer sodium precarbonate, about 4 litres of water. Scrub any crud with a soft cloth, let stand for a few hours. Rinse with a litre or so of water and then some no rinse dairy sanitiser.

 

[petesbrew]

25L filled to the top and then turfed? Dude that is a hell of a waste of water. I hope you put that on the garden.

Dunno if the garden likes bleach & vinegar solutions...

 

[Stagwa]

Hi anon,

My Coopers fermenter didnt seal when I first got it. It appears to have been caused by the seam in the plastic not being even where the rubber seal meets the fermenter. Using a stanley knife I shaved the top of the seam making for a better seal (also do this with the airlock seam). The lid seal was a lot better but still not 100% (due to some cowboy shaving). If I use that fermenter I apply a drop or two of olive oil to the lip of the fermenter where the rubber seal will sit, perfect seal every time.

Cheers,
Stagwa

 

[Scruffy]

Ah! the benefits of olive oil in a brew - could run into pages!!

I reckon persevere - Good luck with it - they get easier the more stock you build up (you're not as eager to tamper/taste it if you have other bottles knocking about!)

 

[peas_and_corn]

Ah! the benefits of olive oil in a brew - could run into pages!!

I reckon persevere - Good luck with it - they get easier the more stock you build up (you're not as eager to tamper/taste it if you have other bottles knocking about!)

:icon_offtopic: Whenever I see that you're the last poster on a thread I expect your post to be 'second'.

Anyway, please continue...

 

[anon]

Success!

Fermentation day was a Sunday, and bottling was on the Monday. Fermentation temp leveled at around 22, then fell to 18 on the last day or so. Ambient was about 18. SG moved 1 point from the Saturday to the Sunday, so I put the heater on in the store to maintain about 23 and kept it fermenting for another day.

Come Monday the SG hadn't moved from the previous day so I started bottling. The little bottler was a POS, the end valve fell out in the first bottle, so when I pulled the bottle out, beer pissed all over the floor, much to the love of our puppy who who got sprayed with beer and went on to start licking it up. I fished out the valve from the bottle and threw the contents down the drain.

I then proceeded to fill the bottles with just the tap, with a strategically placed puppy under the tap catching the drips.

It filled 27 out of the 30 bottles. I would've thought 28 were the go, given less 1 for the bottle down the sink and 1 for SG readings.

Bottles stood in the store in plastic crates (given stories of exploding bottles, I thought best to put them in crates to minimize the damage from any exploding beer covering the store and stinking out the carpet for years to come), with the heater on to maintain 23C. I relaxed after a few days, happy that the heater on in the store wasn't going to burn the house down. A week later, the heater was turned off and the bottles left to sit at around 16-17C.

Tasting night was last night and I was firstly impressed with the head, it wasn't over the top nor was it flat. The bubbles too were quite fine (I was expecting more soft drink size bubbles). First taste and I found it to be a bit acidic and bitter, but this improved with inebriation. Overall it's beer, made by the hands of man. I can appreciate the comment that with this kit it will make 'beer', but theres more to making a 'good beer'. The taste was quite one dimensional, although a good drink, lacked some character.

I'm looking forward to getting the next beer under way which will probably be early spring. I'm very much looking forward to trying something a bit different.

 

[shark]

Hi anon,

I also had my first tasting night of my first brew the other night. Pretty much noticed all the same signs that you did. Good head, good bubbles, etc.
It was an ESB Australian Draught which I found to be rather bitter.

Might get better with time.

Now I have a Morgans Canadian Light brewing which tastes damn so far. Cant wait to try that one.

 

[LLoyd]

Nice report anon. Great to see lots of measuring and tasting!
There's plenty of folks round here be happy to answer, or direct you to an answer, to any queries you have.
All the best for what sounds like your new obsession!!

Lloydie

 

[lczaban]

Good work Anon - it reminds me that it is about 1 year since I first followed a similar path of behaviour and put my first can of goop into a fermentor. I'll probably crack the last stubbie of this brew on the first anniversary of the great bottling event to commemorate this great occurence and be thankful that it was the last bottle... I have learnt a huge amount in the time since and I am sure you will too. Try not to drink your brew too quickly and appreciate the way it changes in the bottle over time. Read up and research better ways of doing things to help imporve your brew. Ask questions if you can't find the answers, and make sure you enjoy your new pasttime/obsession - cheers! :beer:

 

[seemax]

Sounds like it hasn't quite finished fermenting just yet... what did you add to the Coopers kit, just dextrose?

+1 for the glad wrap method

+2 for the bleach/vinegar.. and i never fill it up to the brim with water... i use maybe 10mL bleach for 4L water, then add 10mL vinegar, using a soft cloth i wipe all the surfaces, let it sit for 5mins, then drain and rinse few times with HOT water.. and also drains some out the tap. Never had an infection to date.

Good luck and hope the brew turns out well!