Home Brew Forum

First brew (Brewmaker IPA) bottled last night, highlights below.

When cleaning FV with chlorine based solution I could still smell it after several washes, have since read Camden tablet can neutralise it after washing and adding to actual wort can reduce tap water chlorine too, will do that next time.

Initially when I pitched yeast the wort was 30 degrees, when nothing happened after a few hours I thought if killed it so dashed to LHBS and purchased some Muntons dried yeast.

6 Hours later checked again and it was ok so now I’ve spare yeast.

All went well generally and new ATC 800 works well controlling my brew belt. Had set at 20 degrees with 2 degrees differential so it turned off at 20 degrees rising and turned on at 18 degrees falling. Is that ok.?

One minor issue was whilst I was cleaning up I thought “hey ho what’s that bag if sugar doing there” OMG I’d not put it in. Imagine that.

So now I added the sugar on top of yeast covered foam and then stirred it in, afterwards it looked very flat and still, another reason I thought I’d messed it up.

Any way left it for 10 days, with the odd sniff every other day. Bubbling well out of air lock.

Now in the kitchen I cleaned 45 grolsch bottles and hose etc in 10 litres of water in sink with 12ml of Videne solution, gave quick rinse as I wasn’t standing them for long then off to garage…

I was bottling direct from FV and what a mess, hose was too stiff to nip and I’ve no valve so was a case of fill bottle, spill to next one then repeat. Ill be purchasing second 25 litre bucket for decanting FV and addition of priming sugar syrup.

Wort all over the joint and stinking of beer

During one of my siphon sucks (over hand) got a taste, sensed alcohol but was a little bland.

The instructions on tin where very basic but did not ask for priming sugar but most forums do so I added 1 tsp to half of the bottles and ½ tsp to the rest???

Will keep you posted but I’m not expecting great things, I've since bought same kit but his time ill use Camden tablet in wort and beer enhancer instead of sugar plus a little more technique!

Sounds like a typical first brew experience. Despite the setbacks and mess, I bet you had a great time! Quick tip re the campden. Dont add to the wort, but the water before you add it to your fermenter. Fill a spare fermenter with 25L of water, half a campden tablet with your fingrrs, use 2 teaspoons to crush the half tablet into powder and put it in the water and stir. (remember and sterilise the spzre fermenter and stirrer first). Oh and if you got the same kit, try using spray malt instead of sugar. It can make bland kits so so much better.
G.

HI G

I was going to use spray malt but was 3.50 ish per 500g and LHB shop suggested enhancer as its a mixture of spray malt and dextrose at 3.70ish for 1kg, as a fan of IPA I intend to buy same kit AGAIN (3rd time) and use 2 x bags of spray malt to see difference (monitoring changes as i go). Using kit at £8.99 and 2 x spray malt at £7 its getting towards 2 can kit price (my 4th project I think).

escapizm

escapizm
have you started to drink it yet? i did mine early jan as my first brew as well, i made many mistakes like you i think this is down to why the beer isnt great. I just wondered what you made of the kit, i was thinking of doing it again when i am a more seasoned brewer.

Mark

Mark
No not drank it yet, I'll consider it about end of MARCH ish, gonna put same brew on again this weekend with extra TLC.

Folks am I correct in thinking its preferable to bring bottles in from garage to house approx 18 degrees or so for 1 week t for carbonation then another 5 weeks back in he cold? Also if I leave in the cold will they still carbonate but just take longer (how long)?

A week in the warm then a minimum of a week in the cold for every .010 of starting gravity is good practice.

Those bottles with a whole tsp sugar priming in could get lively

Lively i can handle, exploding bottles is another issue as bottles in spare room / soon to be nursery and the smell could be an issue.
SWMBO would go mental...

Mark

Snook a taste last nigh (3 weeks earlY).

Is the "green" taste people refer to the slighltyt acidic taste. Was drinkable but was a little tart/sharp.

Will try another in weeks time and so on to get a base for the improving taste...

I'd recommend just drawing a half espresso cup (a small amount - say a couple of mouthfuls) every 4-7 days (depending on the target length of conditioning). You'll learn how the beer changes over time. Initially it may be really bitter or over hopped but as it matures this mellows and the hopping hits the target.

Good Plan Nick

But as i bottled it will have to be a bottle a week

escapizm wrote:Good Plan Nick

But as i bottled it will have to be a bottle a week

Tis a Cunning Plan m'lord..

escapizm, mine didnt turn out well, i think it was a case of the new brewer sindrome. i might do it again when i get better. cheers for the updates pal
mark

Sounds like fun... I seems to make a mess on the kitchen floor every time I do a brew.
Fingers crossed for my latest brew today with a Wheat yeast, it didn't froth up when rehydrating like an s04 would have...

Tried IPA kit I put on about 5 weeks ago at the weekend, definitely has a little funny taste about it that I think may due to the fact I used table sugar or is that because it still green?, I also tried the Woodford’s wherry kit I put on about a week ago just to check it had not undergone any early onset of bacterial infection and it tasted much better that the nearly ready kit, much fuller and hoppier than the IPA. Can’t wait till it’s cleared and ready to go. I shall only use DMA or premium kit now

Does the taste resemble TCP? If so then it's due to the tap water chlorine. If it's an extract kit it could be the extract 'twang'.