Help please - putting fermenter together.

[GalootUK]

Hey everyone - I'm Tim from Kent, UK and I just got my brew Kit today so I'm a complete noob. I've been lurking in the back ground reading the forums for a while and now I have a few questions . If anyone can help that would be fab as I don't wanna ruin my first batch!

I bought a complete kit from Home Brew Online shop with the St Peters Golden Ale beer.

1. I'm just putting my fermenting bucket together and the back (inside) part of the tap as shown in the photo below is obviously designed to go either with the hole at the top or the bottom. I'd imagine with the hole at the bottom it would pick up sediment when used but the other way around it would leave liquid in the bottom of the bin? The hole in the bucket isn't right at the bottom its like half a centimetre up from the bottom. So I'd guess at the tap hole being at the highest point what do you think?

http://i62.tinypic.com/4qn80l.jpg

2. The short guide I got with the kit suggests using petroleum jelly or Vaseline to put on the O ring of the tap to help it seal - I don't have any of this so should I wait or will I be able to get a seal without it do you think?

3. The guide also says to fill the fermentation bin right to the top to soak it for 20 minutes in the cleaning\sanitising solution. Can I not just 1/4 fill it and swill it round every 5 minutes for 15 minutes or so? It seems a waste to fill it to the top and so much VWP sanatiser all in one go? And also it's missing handles so it's bloody heavy and a bit flimsy when full!!

Thanks in advance for help - it's appreciated.

Cheers

Tim

[GalootUK]

P.S Link to photo doesn't seem to have worked so might have to paste it in!

Edit: Changed the linky above thanks for tip...

[Ditch]

Tim; Fancy a quick break to Eire? I'll sort ye sh!t out in an hour. Lot less drama.

[Hopping_Mad]

Hi Tim,

Nice choice of kit for your first go!

I also got the homebrew online kit when starting. I presume this bit you are trying to fit is the lug that goes in the back of the tap on the inside? If so, I've always had it face down and it's been fine. I forgot once too, and that was fine also!

Never Vaselined my o ring. Just make sure it's on the outside of the vessel with just the nut on the inside.

Chlorine based sanitisers like VWP must be in contact with the bucket for the recommended time scale. Swilling won't cut the mustard and risks infection of the beer as not all the germs might be done in! You can get no rinse sanitisers that work on contact and be 'swilled'. They are slightly more expensive per 'batch' of beer. The latter are good for bottle washing/smaller items of kit as you can dunk then stand for a few minutes before using.

HBO have this...

http://www.home-brew-online.com/equipme ... 240g-p1347

Keep calm, have patience, maintain temperature.

Come back on when you have steady gravity readings.

[GalootUK]

Hey thanks for getting back to me so quickly

Yeah it's the lug on the back with the D shaped hole, I'll just bung it in then and not worry about it thanks.

I did actually buy a pack of the Brewsafe sanitiser you linked to as i was going to use it for my bottles. So if I use this in the fermentation bin I can get away with swilling it round instead then?

Edit: On seconds thought I should probably just stop being a skin flint & fill it up right with the VWP stuff! Yeah I'll do that Lets just hope I don't drop 33 litres of water on the floor trying to lift the flimsy bin after hahahaha.

[Hopping_Mad]

You can use the Brewsafe percarbonate stuff, but you needs to make sure all the lid, hydrometer, spoon etc are fully coated.

I just bung em in with the VWP and fill it at the outside tap/hose! I have the worlds most hygienic spray nozzle!

Spray nozzle is then good for rinsing out the chlorine smell!!!

I reckon VWP and the cost of 5 ltrs of water is cheaper for the big jobs than no rinse.

What you using for the liquor (top up water to you and me?)?

Do you know what tap water is like in your area?

[Hopping_Mad]

You can use the Brewsafe percarbonate stuff, but you needs to make sure all the lid, hydrometer, spoon etc are fully coated.

I just bung em in with the VWP and fill it at the outside tap/hose! I have the worlds most hygienic spray nozzle! doesn't natter if I spill either!

Spray nozzle is then good for rinsing out the chlorine smell!!!

I reckon VWP and the cost of 5 ltrs of water is cheaper for the big jobs than no rinse.

What you using for the liquor (top up water to you and me?)?

Do you know what tap water is like in your area?

[Hopping_Mad]

Was that an echo?

Reminds me of a rude joke!

[Ditch]

Was that an echo?

Reminds me of a rude joke!

Says the man who just bought us:

Never Vaselined my o ring.

Tim; Hot solution of Caustic Soda Crystals swilled about in ye FV will get the 'Factory' out of it and allow chlorine based sanitisers to do their work better

[GalootUK]

Echo joke - you can't beat the classics eh and I almost spat out my tea when I read the line vaseline my O ring (yes I am that juvenile).

Well I stopped messing around and just filled it to the brim and shoved in 5 teaspoons of the VWP stuff with 5 gallons and then chucked in everything else that will touch the beer (including the lid) - it sticks doesn't it! Stupidly I gave it a big whiff from the tub yup I am an idiot. Leaving it to soak for 30 minutes now before rinsing it several times. I don't have the luxury of a hose (I was gonna say large hose but though that sounded wrong), or a massive sink so I'll have to fill it by hand with clean water and a 2 litre jug to rinse... argggghh.

I'll save the posh steriliser for the bottles and the caps eh.

So for the liquor (thanks for the lingo tip) I'm using Kent's finest H20 and I bought some campden tablets so I was gonna chuck in half of a tablet as the water in this area is pretty hard (we go through a kettle every 6 months). Although I did read that lots of people don't bother with them and don't have any issues?

I'm guessing I'll need to fill the bin with the tap water, then use the campden tablet, wait a bit, then chuck in the two tins of yummy beer goodness and then the yeat and hop stuff last. Whir it up - advert break and here's what I made earlier.

Thanks again for advise you lot!

[Linus]

Hey everyone - I'm Tim from Kent, UK and I just got my brew Kit today so I'm a complete noob. I've been lurking in the back ground reading the forums for a while and now I have a few questions . If anyone can help that would be fab as I don't wanna ruin my first batch!

I bought a complete kit from Home Brew Online shop with the St Peters Golden Ale beer.

1. I'm just putting my fermenting bucket together and the back (inside) part of the tap as shown in the photo below is obviously designed to go either with the hole at the top or the bottom. I'd imagine with the hole at the bottom it would pick up sediment when used but the other way around it would leave liquid in the bottom of the bin? The hole in the bucket isn't right at the bottom its like half a centimetre up from the bottom. So I'd guess at the tap hiole being at the highest point what do you think?

http://i62.tinypic.com/4qn80l.jpg

2. The short guide I got with the kit suggests using petroleum jelly or Vaseline to put on the O ring of the tap to help it seal - I don't have any of this so should I wait or will I be able to get a seal without it do you think?

3. The guide also says to fill the fermentation bin right to the top to soak it for 20 minutes in the cleaning\sanitising solution. Can I not just 1/4 fill it and swill it round every 5 minutes for 15 minutes or so? It seems a waste to fill it to the top and so much VWP sanatiser all in one go? And also it's missing handles so it's bloody heavy and a bit flimsy when full!!

Thanks in advance for help - it's appreciated.

Cheers

Tim

Try that use the url not the img

[Hopping_Mad]

I could have said "Ditch just lets the excess gas seep out of his rim" but really would have set you off!!!

Got Campden tablets. Good call. Gets rid if the chlorine in the water supply.

Invest in a second vessel and you can put your liquor in there, add the Campden, then drop it in from a height (kitchen work surface for me!) and that aerates your wort.

[Ditch]

At least Ditch has never been known to let his gas bubble through a f**king air lock! He has been known to make use of a damp towel though. But, let's not go there!

Tim; Have a look at my own thread, up under the stuck stuff and what have ye. Ye'll get a Lot of labour saving stuff out of that. I'm probably the laziest bastard on this site. I've dedicated my years to saving myself work while producing gear.

It's a ridiculously long thread, granted. Can't help that. But, it genuinely is full of nuggets.

Sadly; I really Could demonstrate and explain the whole f**king process, well inside an hour, in my kitchen. Maybe I should run classes?

[GalootUK]

Cheers ditch - I'll take a look at the thread now.

I just chucked every thing in apart from the yeast & dried hop sachet. I think it's a bit hot for the yeast after adding the boiling water (just about to Google the ideal temp).

It smells a bit wierd! Not beer like, more like a Sunday roast gravy hah.

When I was stirring like a mad man I splashed it up my hands & wrists a bit oops! How OCD should I be about sanitising as I didn't sanitise my hands and arms with the VWP obviously (although I did wash them with normal soap!). Maybe a silly question but I'm now wondering if I have contaminated it already.

[GalootUK]

P.S After having a look about most people recommend the wort to be room temp before adding the yeast? Mines about 26c at the moment but I don't wanna wait till 1am for it to cool down! Ya reckon it's safe to add when it's at like 24 or 25c in half an hour or so if it doesn't drop much more?