first brews :)

MrO · Post by **MrO** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:37 am

Hi folks, im getting pretty excited as i could be making my first brew today

Ive got 2 kits, a coopers real ale and a brewferm xmas beer.

Im thinking of doing the coopers first. Anyone got and top tips as to what i should add... ive got brew sugar, but i see people talking about brown sugar as well...

Also am i right in saying that i need to have the FV (get me using the lingo

) in the position i want to bottle from or can i move it before bottling?

Cheers for any advice and fingers crossed

mrmojorisin · Post by **mrmojorisin** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:58 am

Malt or BKE (beer kit enhancer, half malt half sugar) is the preferred choice for fermentables, that said, brewing sugar is a good start. For your first kit KISS, just do the kit plus sugar as per instructions, once you're happy and have a few brews under your belt then you can start to mess about.
1 suggestion though is to brew short, top up to 20l not 23, this will improve body and flavour.

Good luck and welcome to jims.

EDIT, I move my brew to bottle it, just move it the day before bottling and don't swing it sbout

AceMcAce · Post by **AceMcAce** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 12:15 pm

Yo yo MrO!

Welcome to the party!

+1 to mrmojorisin. Make your first kit with just the sugar, then you'll be able to see the real difference from using malt in your following kits, and any additions that you might put in.

I move my FV prior to bottling from the garage to the kitchen, which is a ballache. Then I tranfer to a second FV and mix in the sugar/water to batch prime.

Post by **Monkeybrew** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 3:10 pm

Welcome MrO!

++1 to both of the above.

-Also take your time to sanitise and rinse anything that will come into contact with your brew, I even do the tin opener and also peel the label from the beer kit tin and then give it a dunk into the sanitiser too

- When topping up your FV with water to the brew volume (20L is best for Coopers), start checking the temperature from about 15L onwards, to make sure that it ends up between 20-25C for pitching the yeast.

-Don't be surprised if it takes 24+ hours to show signs (foaming) of fermentation, and then try and leave it alone for 7-10 days at around 20C ambient to do its thing.

-Lastly (should be firstly), remember to take a hydrometer reading of the full brew volume before you add the yeast. This reading is called the OG (Original Gravity), and will help you work out the ABV % of your brew before bottling/kegging.

Good luck and enjoy!

MB

john_drummer · Post by **john_drummer** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 4:08 pm

agree with all the above BUT if the kit says to use Beer Kit Enhancer rather than sugar, use what the kit recommends

I'm about to put on a Coopers IPA as per the kit (i.e not adding any extra hops, except maybe 20g cascade dry hopping after fermentation); when I bought it I bought a kilo of BKE assuming that's what is required (as it is for many of the Coopers kits). But the kit says 500g Light Dry Malt & 300g dextrose, so off to the brew shop I go...

oh and another thing. The kit instructions may say it'll be ready in 4-6 days. IGNORE that. It'll be ready when it's ready. I've seen a two-can kit ferment out in 3 days in the summer, and I've just done an Australian Pale Ale that took 2 weeks. The only thing that tells you it's ready is a hydrometer reading steady for 2-3 days in a row below 1010.

MrO · Post by **MrO** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 7:10 pm

Thanks for the info guys

just one more thing...what is the chance of anything coming over the top of my FV? Dont know if i should expect anything or not

Post by **Monkeybrew** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 7:18 pm

MrO wrote:Thanks for the info guys

just one more thing...what is the chance of anything coming over the top of my FV? Dont know if i should expect anything or not

I think you will be ok with the real ale kit, the stouts and dark ale can be troublesome though!

MrO · Post by **MrO** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 7:34 pm

Thanks... i'll have to keep a close on on the Brewferm Xmas Ale then

but i suppose with only 7litres there is a lot less in the FV...

Just realised ive forgot to get a catering tub of vaseline so i cant start brewing tonight..

john_drummer · Post by **john_drummer** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 7:52 pm

vaseline?

Post by **Monkeybrew** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 8:41 pm

You only need a little bit of vasoline when you are kegging a brew, you just smear a little on the pressure barrel lid seal and threads.

It wont add any flavour or ABV if you chuck it in the FV

john_drummer · Post by **john_drummer** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:19 pm

I knew about lubricating the screw threads on the barrel. Just wondered why he needed it for brewing

MrO · Post by **MrO** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:22 pm

Seems like im trying to confuse my self and everyone else....

I thought i needed to put it on the tap thread on the FV?

oldtom · Post by **oldtom** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:47 pm

lee1977 wrote:Vaseline - Lubrication

vaseline . It could just be MrO's thing

If MrO likes the stuff that`s fine by me!

Paul.

john_drummer · Post by **john_drummer** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 10:55 pm

on the tap???? no, leave that well alone

MrO · Post by **MrO** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 11:27 pm

ok i'll leave alone.....

thinking about it i suppose i dont need to get the tap undone when ive screwed it on.....

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