Well the first brew went surprisingly well, tho there were several blunders along the way, but I can't stop drinking it even tho it initially appeared to be a bit light on body and heady on alcohol!
So now I'm ready for brew number 2. Looking at fixby gold. Will buy some yeast, and have intended to go for safale 04. also thinking about getting myself another fermentation bin in which to treat my tap water with a campden tablet before I pour it into the wort. Is this necessary, or would it be ok to pour direct from the tap via sanitised funnel and syphon tube? Last time I just repeatedly filled a sanitised saucepan straight from the tap. It seems to have produced no ill effects. Having bought the campden tablets I kind of want to use them, but I don't want to make the process anymore complicated than it needs to be.
2nd brew. Fixby Gold
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ade1865
so I should sanitise both fermenters, then rinse and treat with small amount of water with 1/2 campden tablet to remove chlorine left over from the sanitising. then add my water to the spare fermenter and put 1/2? campden in that and wait til it dissolves? then attempt to pour from height into primary on top of wort? then stir vigourously before adding yeast.
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ade1865
Right, looks like brew day today! 
So I just want to make sure I've got all this cleaning/sanitising etc down pat, so this i what I intend to do:
Drill hole and fit tap to fermenter 2.
Clean everything with 20% bleach solution. then sanitise with 1/2 cup bleach in 5L. Leave for 20 mins. Open tap on ferm2 to sanitise inside of tap.
Rinse all with pint of boiling water with 3 campdens tabs crushed in.
[do i need to rinse with tap water again?]
Fill Ferm2 with water, add 1/2 crushed campden.
Rehydrate yeast with 1/3 cup pre boiled water at or below 30 C.
wipe cans with sterile cloth, place in hot water for 5 mins, so the pans need to be sterilised?
open with sanitised can opener, pour into ferm 1, rinse cans with boiled water and add. add water from ferm2 from height and stir. Check temp with sanitised thermometer and add yeast. Lid on and wait...
So I just want to make sure I've got all this cleaning/sanitising etc down pat, so this i what I intend to do:
Drill hole and fit tap to fermenter 2.
Clean everything with 20% bleach solution. then sanitise with 1/2 cup bleach in 5L. Leave for 20 mins. Open tap on ferm2 to sanitise inside of tap.
Rinse all with pint of boiling water with 3 campdens tabs crushed in.
[do i need to rinse with tap water again?]
Fill Ferm2 with water, add 1/2 crushed campden.
Rehydrate yeast with 1/3 cup pre boiled water at or below 30 C.
wipe cans with sterile cloth, place in hot water for 5 mins, so the pans need to be sterilised?
open with sanitised can opener, pour into ferm 1, rinse cans with boiled water and add. add water from ferm2 from height and stir. Check temp with sanitised thermometer and add yeast. Lid on and wait...
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ade1865
Ok, I was only going to use bleach for the cleaning cos I had to go out to get bleach for sanitising anyway, so I'll try and pick up some sod crystals instead. cheers DaaB, I'll let you know how I get on, hopefully with a few photos!
So I take it i'm using the right amount of campden tablets as I don't have the sodium metabisulphate powder, and its not dangerous, so I don't need to rinse it off?
sorry for the pedantic, worry ridden scribble!
So I take it i'm using the right amount of campden tablets as I don't have the sodium metabisulphate powder, and its not dangerous, so I don't need to rinse it off?
sorry for the pedantic, worry ridden scribble!
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ade1865
right, all done. Cor blimeey that metabisulphate clears yer lungs! 
thanks for yer help DaaB, I'll keep you posted. hopefully I managed to keep cockups to a minimum. though I did manage to rather make a mess of drilling th hole for the tap and had to make an emergency washer!
Liquer going into wort from height, plus one of jr's socks!
thanks for yer help DaaB, I'll keep you posted. hopefully I managed to keep cockups to a minimum. though I did manage to rather make a mess of drilling th hole for the tap and had to make an emergency washer!
Liquer going into wort from height, plus one of jr's socks!
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ade1865
yep, I also stirred for about five minutes, getting all the wort mixed together well and hopefully keeping all the air in there.
I was wondreing about taking the OG. I took it by dipping the measuring tube into the wort, which had the yeast pitched in and stirred. I was wondreing if it was better to do this before the yeast is in, and would it give a different reading. And how important is it anyway? I think the reading was about 1.040 to 1,045, but it was really difficult to tell as the hydrmeter wouldn't sit straight. So basically I'd dipped the ends of me pinkies in the brew whilst holding the tube. Will that cause any problems?
I was wondreing about taking the OG. I took it by dipping the measuring tube into the wort, which had the yeast pitched in and stirred. I was wondreing if it was better to do this before the yeast is in, and would it give a different reading. And how important is it anyway? I think the reading was about 1.040 to 1,045, but it was really difficult to tell as the hydrmeter wouldn't sit straight. So basically I'd dipped the ends of me pinkies in the brew whilst holding the tube. Will that cause any problems?
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ade1865
Seems to be looking good after 45 hrs:
One question: you see how much head ther was on the wort after filling the fermenter from a great height. Is it good practice to tip the yeast straight onto that head? You see, after I'd paddled for 5 minutes, it wasn't anywhere near as frothy? do I need to paddle more vigourously and splash a little too?
Smells like a brewery anyway. OOh, I'm so excited. It's like christmas when you were a kid!
Oh, that's the nappy bin down to the left by the way. Maybe a LITTLE too close for comfort...
One question: you see how much head ther was on the wort after filling the fermenter from a great height. Is it good practice to tip the yeast straight onto that head? You see, after I'd paddled for 5 minutes, it wasn't anywhere near as frothy? do I need to paddle more vigourously and splash a little too?
Smells like a brewery anyway. OOh, I'm so excited. It's like christmas when you were a kid!
Oh, that's the nappy bin down to the left by the way. Maybe a LITTLE too close for comfort...
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ade1865
just read the instructions that came with the kit again, and realised that it says to dunk the bag of hop pellets in one of the tins that you're rinsing with boiled water. That's something I didn't do 
got too excited!!!
It also says that their extract is treated with hops, so I'm hoping that the bit that I missed out is an extra measure, and that the beer will turn out fine anyway.
However, I was also thinking, that as a remedy, I could dry hop in the King Keg, with the fishing float or ping pong ball method as described on another thread. Would this alleviate the problem, if there is one, and is there a need to use a float if I'm using the KK with the tap near the top? Will this make the beer at the top, and hence nearer the outflow, more hoppy than I need, or want?
got too excited!!!It also says that their extract is treated with hops, so I'm hoping that the bit that I missed out is an extra measure, and that the beer will turn out fine anyway.
However, I was also thinking, that as a remedy, I could dry hop in the King Keg, with the fishing float or ping pong ball method as described on another thread. Would this alleviate the problem, if there is one, and is there a need to use a float if I'm using the KK with the tap near the top? Will this make the beer at the top, and hence nearer the outflow, more hoppy than I need, or want?
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ade1865
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ade1865
FG is a cracking brew 
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ade1865
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ade1865
Time for an update. Brew has been in the fermenter for 8 days. the gravity is about 1018/16, I'm not yet totally comfortable with my skills reading the hydrometer. I THINK it is still slowly going down , but this may be wishful thinking. this is what it looks like:
the yeast head is very thin, and i can see lots of bits in suspension just undr the top of the liquid.
Question/s:
Is it worth gently stirring to rejig the yeast or should I wait? Is it time to add more yeast and vit?
What does anyone think is happening, if anything at all?
On a slightly different track, when it comes to priming, how much sugar, in solution, should I use?
the yeast head is very thin, and i can see lots of bits in suspension just undr the top of the liquid.
Question/s:
Is it worth gently stirring to rejig the yeast or should I wait? Is it time to add more yeast and vit?
What does anyone think is happening, if anything at all?
On a slightly different track, when it comes to priming, how much sugar, in solution, should I use?
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GTATTY