As for the kit you use to make AG, my gear is all carried over from when I kit brewed so if I can do it, anyone can
Another New Brewer....probably making every mistake!!
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stevezx7r
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Prozac
Been back to Wilkinsons and bought some campden tablets, a 2nd FV, and a Coopers Australian Bitter ....... not sure what to expect, I've read some high praise of the Coopers kits on here ..... so I though I'd give one a go.
As for Campden Tablets ...... I'm under the impression you use them to kill yeast and, debateably, remove chlorine. Presumably you'd not use them prior to bottling as you want a 2ndary fermentation to occur.
With the 2nd FV I'm planning on siphoning the Beer that's ready for bottling into the it, leaving the sediment behind, then adding the priming sugar to the whole lot, getting a more uniform priming, then decant to the bottles.
As for Campden Tablets ...... I'm under the impression you use them to kill yeast and, debateably, remove chlorine. Presumably you'd not use them prior to bottling as you want a 2ndary fermentation to occur.
With the 2nd FV I'm planning on siphoning the Beer that's ready for bottling into the it, leaving the sediment behind, then adding the priming sugar to the whole lot, getting a more uniform priming, then decant to the bottles.
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stevezx7r
The Campden tablets are used to remove chlorine/chloramines from your unused water.
So, you fill your FV with say 5 gallons of cold water, add half or one - if you can't be bothered to chop one in half - tab of campden, that will treat your water. Now you need to boil a small amount of the water to add to the can after you open it to rinse out the last of the malt as it will stick to the inside. You'll need oven gloves to hold the can
Not heard of using campden tabs to stop fermentation, I would use the cold to stop it.
You should sterilise the caps but I didn't
Will find out if that was a good thing to do in a month or so.
So, you fill your FV with say 5 gallons of cold water, add half or one - if you can't be bothered to chop one in half - tab of campden, that will treat your water. Now you need to boil a small amount of the water to add to the can after you open it to rinse out the last of the malt as it will stick to the inside. You'll need oven gloves to hold the can
Not heard of using campden tabs to stop fermentation, I would use the cold to stop it.
You should sterilise the caps but I didn't
Will find out if that was a good thing to do in a month or so.-
Prozac
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Prozac
I guessed after having same reading for 3 days , it'd be fine to bottle so I have.
Had a small glass left over so I had a tipple..... even at 9days old it tastes bloody good!!!!! Very Pleased!!!!!
I've put in the lounge @ 23C ...... how long should it stay there? I only left the lager there for 2 days. It'll go out to the fluctuating temperatured garage to condition.
Cheers
Martin
Had a small glass left over so I had a tipple..... even at 9days old it tastes bloody good!!!!! Very Pleased!!!!!
I've put in the lounge @ 23C ...... how long should it stay there? I only left the lager there for 2 days. It'll go out to the fluctuating temperatured garage to condition.
Cheers
Martin
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Duncndisorderly
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BeerBloke
- CBA Prizewinner 2008
- Posts: 94
- Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2007 9:16 pm
- Location: Southminster, Essex
- Contact:
Prozac.
Hello and welcome to the crazy world of brewing!
I've read through your posts and thought I'd add my couples of pennies worth.
The 'lager' kits aren't really lager so don't worry about them fermenting any differently to the ale ones. The yeast in the sachet will be the usual ale stuff probably Nottingham so fermenting between 18 and 25degC will be ok. the warmer it is the more 'fruity' the flavours will be.
Using the 2 tin kits will always be better, you want to use as little cane sugar as possible. When I saw the SG reading of 1.003 I choked on my pint but then it's been a while since I brewed a single tin kit (About 17 years!)
Sterilizing everything including the caps is the way to go. You'll struggle to keep beer liong term in PET bottles or even plastic kegs so keeping it clean will help. Best to make them and drink them young to be honest. Bottling and keeping them dark will help. Clear bottles and even opaque kegs will allow UV light to react to the hop oils and cause skunking. This was tested at our last local CBA meeting and you could pretty much say on a sunny day the bottom of your pint of beer was skunked ('orrible smell) by the time you drank it.
Campden tabs are used in wine making (1 per gallon IIRC) to stop fermentation so they didn't turn out too dry. In homebrew they are useful for helping loose any chlorine taste/aroma from your water.
If the SG hasn't shifted in a couple of days then bottle it. You will need to prime and even add fresh yeast if you want carbonation in the bottle.
In my experience THT or 'That homebrew taste' was more to do with using cane sugar and fermenting warm with cr@ppy dried yeast. The stuff in the non descript kit packs is best replaced with a couple of sachets of a branded one or even better a dollop of some from a local brewery.
Hello and welcome to the crazy world of brewing!
I've read through your posts and thought I'd add my couples of pennies worth.
The 'lager' kits aren't really lager so don't worry about them fermenting any differently to the ale ones. The yeast in the sachet will be the usual ale stuff probably Nottingham so fermenting between 18 and 25degC will be ok. the warmer it is the more 'fruity' the flavours will be.
Using the 2 tin kits will always be better, you want to use as little cane sugar as possible. When I saw the SG reading of 1.003 I choked on my pint but then it's been a while since I brewed a single tin kit (About 17 years!)
Sterilizing everything including the caps is the way to go. You'll struggle to keep beer liong term in PET bottles or even plastic kegs so keeping it clean will help. Best to make them and drink them young to be honest. Bottling and keeping them dark will help. Clear bottles and even opaque kegs will allow UV light to react to the hop oils and cause skunking. This was tested at our last local CBA meeting and you could pretty much say on a sunny day the bottom of your pint of beer was skunked ('orrible smell) by the time you drank it.
Campden tabs are used in wine making (1 per gallon IIRC) to stop fermentation so they didn't turn out too dry. In homebrew they are useful for helping loose any chlorine taste/aroma from your water.
If the SG hasn't shifted in a couple of days then bottle it. You will need to prime and even add fresh yeast if you want carbonation in the bottle.
In my experience THT or 'That homebrew taste' was more to do with using cane sugar and fermenting warm with cr@ppy dried yeast. The stuff in the non descript kit packs is best replaced with a couple of sachets of a branded one or even better a dollop of some from a local brewery.
What's so unpleasant about being drunk? Ask a glass of water!
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stevezx7r
It's best to leave it to mature for at least two weeks (that's the hard part of brewing) in the warm i.e. the same temp it was brewed at. Then, transfer to a cool place for another week to help it drop bright i.e. about 12C is ideal for an ale or less if its a lager (about 5C). It's this last bit of messing on that most people skimp on then complain that the beer they made was "ok" instead of been at least really good.Prozac wrote:I guessed after having same reading for 3 days , it'd be fine to bottle so I have.
Had a small glass left over so I had a tipple..... even at 9days old it tastes bloody good!!!!! Very Pleased!!!!!
I've put in the lounge @ 23C ...... how long should it stay there? I only left the lager there for 2 days. It'll go out to the fluctuating temperatured garage to condition.
Cheers
Martin
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Prozac
Excellent replies lads!!!
I'll see how long I can get away with leaving the IPA to 'mature' in the lounge ...before SWMBO notices it's been there too long
(actually she's bloody good about it, even to the point of helping out with the bottling 
).
Next up is the Coopers Australian Bitter..... will try that with 0.5 campden tablet and spray malt .... I'm planning on making it next Weds evening/Thursday and leaving it in the FV with an airlock on while I'm away in Holland, should be ready for bottling on the monday, 12 days later....
Thinking about it this'll give me a chance to leave the IPA where it is as we'll be away
That'll give me the 'lager' at over a month bottled to see me through to the IPA coming ready ...... I like it when a plan comes together
I'll see how long I can get away with leaving the IPA to 'mature' in the lounge ...before SWMBO notices it's been there too long
(actually she's bloody good about it, even to the point of helping out with the bottling ).Next up is the Coopers Australian Bitter..... will try that with 0.5 campden tablet and spray malt .... I'm planning on making it next Weds evening/Thursday and leaving it in the FV with an airlock on while I'm away in Holland, should be ready for bottling on the monday, 12 days later....
Thinking about it this'll give me a chance to leave the IPA where it is as we'll be away
That'll give me the 'lager' at over a month bottled to see me through to the IPA coming ready ...... I like it when a plan comes together
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Prozac
Back from Holland now.....
Good head and lovely and clear. Didn't seem too strong either which is a good, and a bad, thing.
.... I then had to de-label, wash, sterilize and rinse the 32 Grolsch bottles I bought home, empty 
from Holland. I must be the only person bringing two crates of empty beer bottles back from the continent
The OG was 1040 and todays SG was 1002 so I'm hoping for about 5%....
It smelled a bit sulphurey when in the FV but was better once moved to the 2ndry FV for bottling.
This has now been secreted in the dining room for a week or so......
I supposed I need to start planning my next beer, not really sure what to go for.......
Just moved it into the garage tonight..... had a couple chillin slightly in the fridge for when I got home...... verrrrry niiiice!!!!Prozac wrote: I'll see how long I can get away with leaving the IPA to 'mature' in the lounge ...before SWMBO notices it's been there too long
Good head and lovely and clear. Didn't seem too strong either which is a good, and a bad, thing.Had a fairly hectic evening..... after mowing the overgrown lawn and trying to rescue my veg plot from being swamped by weedsProzac wrote:Next up is the Coopers Australian Bitter..... will try that with 0.5 campden tablet and spray malt .... I'm planning on making it next Weds evening/Thursday and leaving it in the FV with an airlock on while I'm away in Holland, should be ready for bottling on the monday, 12 days later....
.... I then had to de-label, wash, sterilize and rinse the 32 Grolsch bottles I bought home, empty from Holland. I must be the only person bringing two crates of empty beer bottles back from the continent The OG was 1040 and todays SG was 1002 so I'm hoping for about 5%....
It smelled a bit sulphurey when in the FV but was better once moved to the 2ndry FV for bottling.
This has now been secreted in the dining room for a week or so......
I supposed I need to start planning my next beer, not really sure what to go for.......
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BlackBag
You'll have to let me know how the Coopers Australian Bitter turns out. It's one of the many kits I've got my eye on.
Working out ABV I use this link
http://www.liquorcraft.com.au/wa.asp?id ... etails=106
Should make your brew about 5.6%.
Why not try a Geordie Scottish Export? Don't sound very exciting, but it comes out fantastic. It was the first kit I tried when I got back into this a couple of month back. I didn't use any malts, nowt fancy, I just made it with 1kg of brewers sugar and up to 36 pints. Took a while to ferment (my own fault, I used the supplied yeast), and I put in a pack of finings the day before bottling. Tried a bottle just over a week ago, the nicest homebrew I've ever made! Tastes like a cross between Old Speckled Hen and McEwans Export. Looks the part too, very light amber colour, crystal clear.
Working out ABV I use this link
http://www.liquorcraft.com.au/wa.asp?id ... etails=106
Should make your brew about 5.6%.
Why not try a Geordie Scottish Export? Don't sound very exciting, but it comes out fantastic. It was the first kit I tried when I got back into this a couple of month back. I didn't use any malts, nowt fancy, I just made it with 1kg of brewers sugar and up to 36 pints. Took a while to ferment (my own fault, I used the supplied yeast), and I put in a pack of finings the day before bottling. Tried a bottle just over a week ago, the nicest homebrew I've ever made! Tastes like a cross between Old Speckled Hen and McEwans Export. Looks the part too, very light amber colour, crystal clear.
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Prozac
Will do...... I'll look into the Geordie Scottish Export, cheers..... is like a Heavy? http://www.muntons.com/homebeer/countri ... ghland.htm
Am tempted by ....... http://www.muntons.com/homebeer/countri ... ilsner.htm
I've heard it's very good......
Am tempted by ....... http://www.muntons.com/homebeer/countri ... ilsner.htm
I've heard it's very good......