First brew! Muntons Continental lager.

[Robbo78]

Made it all up as per instructions last Wednesday evening. It is now approaching the time stated to syphon from the fermenting bin I made it in.

Instructions claim 4 to 6 days is enough but the man in the home brew shop I bought my beginners kit said leave it a full week.

I wanted to put it into a keg with a tap which I havent bought yet instead of bottles. Although I may make up about 10 to 12 bottles and then keg the rest for people to help themselves over the festive period.

Anyway my questions are...

1. If I were to take a reading with my hydrometer on Wednesday night and was happy that the reading was fine and stabilised can I then syphon to a keg?

2. I have a small bottle of "heading agent" stuff to keep a head on your pint do I just add the few drops of this to the keg whilst syphoning?

3. I have heard different theories on what to do at this next stage. The man in the home brew shop said just bottle/keg your brew, leave at room temp for another 48 hours then chill and drink after a further 5 days. Other tips ive heard of require me to add more sugar at this stage and prolong the fermenting process. Would this make it stronger? Is this what you refer to as "priming"?

4. What is the best way to go from here to make sure my brew tastes nice and puts plenty of smiles on peoples faces in the near future?

5. A mate in college told me that after the first 8 pints in a keg they all pour off flat with little or no head to the pints!? Is this true is there a way around this problem?

6. Will my brew be ready for xmas day? The man in the homebrew shop mentioned a week fermenting and then a week in bottles/keg then drink. Does this seem too quick or the usual time permitted?

Sorry for all the questions but would appreciate your expert opinions.

Many thanks.

PS. Nice forum and website, glad I found the place.

[Robbo78]

Thankyou for the speedy reply DaaB.

Ah right then, bottle it I shall !

When you say add a teaspoon of sugar per bottle, should this be the same brewing sugar that came as part of my starter kit?

Doesnt this lead to bottles exploding or is a teaspoon full not enough to cause this?

Does it matter if I add it before or after I syphon the lager into the bottles?

I saw at my homebrew shop a range of different bottles. There were 1ltr plastic screw top bottles, 500ml glass bottles which required addition caps and a "capping" tool or glass 500ml ones with the sort of Grolsch style rubber seal tops which seem nice if a bit more pricey. Any advantages/disadvantages to using the different ones? Or is it just personal preference and how much you fancy spending?

Needless to say, once I remove my brew from the fermenting bin in a couple of days time I will then have a free bin to brew again in. Im a bit keen on my lagers. What ones do you recommend?

Many thanks once again.

[scollist]

Hi Robbo

As Daab says the coopers kits are good. I have done the Coopers basic lager, Heritage lager, Mexican Cervaza, Stout and the Sparkling Ale. Wasn't that keen on the mexican one.
I have also done the same one you are doing which was ok too.

I highly recommend you try the sparkling ale. Make it up as per coopers suggestion with 1.5Kg of Liquid Malt Extract (LME) and 500g of Dry Malt Extract (DME) use the light or extra light and 300g of brewers sugar.
I bottled mine with about 100g of normal sugar added to bottling bucket.

Everyone who has tried it loves it.

Cheers

Steve

[Robbo78]

Sorry for not replying back sooner everyone.

Thought I should let you all know that my Christmas brew (Muntons Continental Lager) was a roaring success. I ended up bottling it all into 1L clear plastic bottles that I bought from the homebrew shop.
My Dad, brother in law, father in law and my uncle all shared some over the festive period and needless to say everyone enjoyed it.

I was so pleased, I had visions of it being un-drinkable and look and smell revolting. It proves that home brew being disgusting is a myth or thing of the past. It turned rather dark, more like a light ale than a lager, but tasted lovely and each pint poured kept its head all the way down the glass.

This was my first brew! I was so pleased with myself.

Anyway the last bottle was drunk New Years Day. By the 3rd of Jan I was back up the home brew shop and purchased Coopers Australlian Lager as per your recommendations. I also took your advise and used 250g brewing sugar to 750g light spray malt. Its been in bottles now for a week. Ive noticed this is alot lighter than the Muntons (like a lager should). Is this because of me introducing spray malt?

A mate of mine who used to brew his own told me that 2 weeks is no where near long enough once bottled to when able to drink?! He recommends months?! I only left the Muntons 2 weeks before Christmas and it was bloody lovely, so is there really need? The Coopers would be in bottles 2 weeks this friday coming (25th), I was gunna crack one open then!

I called in the homebrew shop yesterday and picked up a John Bull Country Cider kit with 1kg of brewing glucose sugar as recommended by the guy who runs the shop. Any hints/tips on cider making before I do this kit later on today?

Gunna give my fermenting bin a cgood clean now and then ive got shopping duties with the wife but i'll be back later to make it up.
Will check on here before in case any of you want to share your wisdom with a new, but deeply hooked home brewer!

Happy drinking chaps!

[Robbo78]

I made it up without the apple juice and have since seen the posts in the other forums for Turbo Cider.

Maybe I will see how this goes and then make one with apple juice and compare.

The instructions said make up 40 pints for a 5% cider or 32 pints for a 7%. I made up 40 pints but am concerned now in case I have lost quality in flavour by diluting that extra 8 pints to get more in terms of quantity? I used 1.3kg of glucose sugar to use up some end bits of another 1kg bag.

Gravity reading was 1040

[Robbo78]

If I make it up with apple juice do I need to substitute all the water with it or just part?

I'll let you know how it goes. The Coopers Lager is looking nice and clear up my shed. Cant wait to get my taste buds on it !

[Robbo78]

Just been reading some old threads in another forum about turbo cider, wish id made it that way now.

Damn.

Never mind, all part of the learning process I bet.

Will this John Bull Cider ive made still prove drinkable do you think?

[Robbo78]

Cheers DaaB

[Robbo78]

Just to let everyone know my Coppers Auzzie Lager kit I made with 750g light spray malt, 250g glucose sugar has turned out bloomin' brilliant if I dont mind saying.

Friday and Saturday nights have seen me drinking this gorgeous pint after pint. Im off for a few more now.

Just like to thanik DaaB and the others for their advice this kit turned out much better than the Muntons and lighter like a lager too - I imagine this is down to the spray malt.

Now as the bottles of it get drunk my only real concern is...

What lager next?

[Robbo78]

I may just do another Coopers - its great. However I would enjoy to try new kits and get my tastebuds on some other lagers.

Daab, how much sugar/spray malt could I add to a lager kit to make it slightly stronger? Instead of 1kg could I use 1.2 or 1.4kg etc to bump up the alc level? Or is there a point where the yeast will just have enough and now be able to cope with it all?

[Robbo78]

Okay doke mate.