Things Scaring Me Off My First Brew

[NewBeerBoss]

Hey guys i been buying my homebrew shit and am about to get ready to do first brew i dont have the empty bottles saved up yet whic is a piss off. And im yet to pick my Wort or whatever you call it the Stuff in the 1.8kg can. I VERY NEW AT THIS. I dont my first to be too shit so im studying first i know that temperature is a problem. What temps am i looking for? I live in australia and my brew kit is in a large shed which doesnt get hold and doesnt get hold but about 22degrees. Do i do it inside?
My other thing holding me back is cheap products and me buying them not knowing any better i know already to replace the sugar with liquid malt which i shall do. But like over here u can buy the cans of coopers and wander and shit from the supermarkets but are they any good? Or am i better starting with the best possible stuff? I just bought a beer brewin book so i can read it and not ask so many dumb questions. Cheers people.

 

[Andrew Clark]

Welcome aboard Newbeerboss
If your brewing a kit just follow the instructions on the can, the only change to make is to replace the 1 k of sugar with 1 k of dextrose or malt. Ferment wherever you want but the temp for ales should be under 25 deg Celcius and above 18 celcius.
As far as cheap products go it's up to you. You pay for what you get.
However, you will always get good advice from your local homebrew shop and a better and bigger range of ingredients. I don't think the checkout chick at Coles knows much about brewing
The one big thing to do is SANATISE everything you use to make your beer.
Regards
Andrew

 

[RobW]

G'day NBB & welcome. If your temperature is going to be up around 20oC you should stick to ales & keep away from lagers, pilseners etc until you can control the fermentation temperature. Many people make excellent beer with supermarket kits & the Coopers is certainly a top product. To start off why not do a fairly simple brew. Try this:

1 can of coopers draught
1 kg of malt extract (liquid or dry)
1 packet (28g) of hops (maybe Northern Brewer, Fuggles or Goldings)

Dissolve the contents of the Coopers can & the malt in 4 litres of boiling water in your fermenter. While that is happening put the hops in a clean stocking or similiar to make a hop tea bag & let that steep in a litre of hot water for 15 - 20 minutes then add to your fermenter. Top up to 20 - 23 litres with cold water, stirring well and splashing to get as much oxygen into the wort as you can. When the temperature is under 25oC add the yeast, put on the lid and leave to ferment. After fermentation stops, rack the beer off the yeast into another barrell without splashing (to avoid oxidation) and leave it for another week. Prime with about 180g of sugar dissolved in 500 ml of hot water (let it cool before you add it) & bottle immediately. Should be ready to drink 2 weeks later & will improve with age.

Good luck & let us know how you go.

 

[Andrew Clark]

ken
Just a note to add to your last post, It might be less confusing to take out this step
>>>Prime with about 180g of sugar dissolved in 500 ml of hot water (let it cool before you add it) & bottle immediately<<<

and to just add a level teaspoon of sugar to each bottle before filling.
your method is great but if you haven't brewed before the new brewer could be a little vigorous in the stiring and accidently aerate the beer or not viorous enough and the sugar solution will not be distibuted properly Regards
Andrew

 

[RobW]

Yeah, point taken Andrew but I hate spooning sugar into bottles. I probably should have said to rack it onto the sugar solution or else stir it in well without splashing.