Homebrew Beer Howto

irish_goat · 30-04-2011 12:56pm

The Mulk wrote: »

I was up there at 11:30 am on Tuesday 26th and not a dicky bird in the shop, no numbers to ring and the people in the taxi rank were none the wiser about opening hours for the shop.
Anyone have any details, because i'd like to embark upon a home brew career.
This shop would have been very handy.

I was in about 3 weeks ago and the guy said business in that location wasn't going great and that they'd be switching to a delivery service until they can find something better. Can put their phone number/website up when I get home and find their leaflet.

The Mulk · 03-05-2011 4:17pm

irish_goat wrote: »

I was in about 3 weeks ago and the guy said business in that location wasn't going great and that they'd be switching to a delivery service until they can find something better. Can put their phone number/website up when I get home and find their leaflet.

Thanks for the reply, I went the mail order route and got one from the West. First attempt under way, a Canadian Blonde!
Hopefully this will be just the start. A local shop would have been handy though.

Thanks.

Wallacebiy · 14-06-2011 3:54pm

Lads
Annual Brew it yourself exhibition is on Saturday week in Cork

Anyone interested in homebrewing should pop along , it'll be a great day out

steinone · 18-06-2011 8:11pm

Quick question, I got my real ale coopers kit on wednesday, the bubbler acitity was low so I checked the gravity, the alcohol content is about 5.6%vol(i think) at the moment(ie og1.046 to 1.012) is this very quick or is it just me?
Now im wondering should I transfer it to the secondary container now or should I wait?
Thanks.

Donny5 · 18-06-2011 8:29pm

steinone wrote: »

Quick question, I got my real ale coopers kit on wednesday, the bubbler acitity was low so I checked the gravity, the alcohol content is about 5.6%vol(i think) at the moment(ie og1.046 to 1.012) is this very quick or is it just me?
Now im wondering should I transfer it to the secondary container now or should I wait?
Thanks.

I don't bother with a secondary for Coopers' kits, but 1.046 to 1.012 would be about 4.5% ABV, would it not?

steinone · 18-06-2011 8:31pm

Sorry, typo 4.6% is what I got.

Donny5 · 18-06-2011 8:52pm

Ah, that sounds right. Do you always put Coopers' kits into a secondary or is this especially for the Real Ale? I usually just let them sit in the primary for two weeks and then bottle, but I have a Real Ale kit I plan on putting down next weekend and I'm wondering if it would benefit from a secondary?

steinone · 18-06-2011 9:58pm

This is my first one but since I used unrefined cane sugar and its dark already I though it might benefit from the clearing up.
Correct me if im wrong of course, im new to all of this.

Donny5 · 19-06-2011 11:15am

steinone wrote: »

This is my first one but since I used unrefined cane sugar and its dark already I though it might benefit from the clearing up.
Correct me if im wrong of course, im new to all of this.

I don't know, to be honest. I'm still new, myself, seven kits in. I'm sure one of the old salts around here will have the answer, though.

kierank01 · 26-06-2011 5:36pm

Hi, I got a brewing kit, and brupak IPA kit in the Franciscan Well on Saturday.

I have been looking at various guides, and it seems that I do not have any priming sugar.

Is it ok to use normal table sugar or should I get some special sugar on the net?

BeerNut · 26-06-2011 6:33pm

You don't need priming sugar until you bottle, and normal sugar will do as you're only using a tiny amount.

Do you have spraymalt for topping up the kit fermentables?

kierank01 · 26-06-2011 6:45pm

BeerNut wrote: »

You don't need priming sugar until you bottle, and normal sugar will do as you're only using a tiny amount.

Do you have spraymalt for topping up the kit fermentables?

Cheers, I know, I am just making sure I have everything ready.

spraymalt? hmm, according to the beoir a-z, this is dry malt extract, so my answer is no.

BeerNut · 26-06-2011 10:48pm

kierank01 wrote: »

spraymalt? hmm, according to the beoir a-z, this is dry malt extract, so my answer is no.

Ah, it looks like the Brupaks kits are all-malt with no need for extra fermentables, so you're laughing.

Good luck, any questions let us know, though the answers are likely to be
Yes, it's fine
and
Ignore the airlock, it doesn't tell you anything useful.

kierank01 · 27-06-2011 4:07pm

BeerNut wrote: »

Good luck, any questions let us know, though the answers are likely to be
Yes, it's fine

Cheers

BeerNut wrote: »

Ignore the airlock, it doesn't tell you anything useful.

I was thinking this might be the case, although, I thought it might be more use on a second fermentation, where there would be less co2 produced.

I won't be starting my brew for a while yet, I need to source bottles.
I was reading that screw tops are not a good idea, why is that?

I got a sanitiser with the kit, saw that people use bleach and vinegar.
What ratios are these used in?

BeerNut · 27-06-2011 9:17pm

kierank01 wrote: »

I was reading that screw tops are not a good idea, why is that?

The brown glass screwtops don't hold the cap well, apparently, and have a tendency to snap as well.

kierank01 wrote: »

I got a sanitiser with the kit, saw that people use bleach and vinegar.
What ratios are these used in?

30ml of thin bleach and 30ml of vinegar added to 20L of water. That can be scaled up or down. Always add the bleach and vinegar to the water separately, never mix the two directly.

Denis7 · 02-07-2011 6:03pm

I bought my last Coopers kit in the Fransican Well last saturday - Real Ale. I say my last kit cos I wanna have a bash at brewing from malt extract, hops and adjuncts in a week or two. I wouldnt mind making some Porter, does anyone have a recipe? I'm gonna be boiling up in the kitchen and the wife reckons I'll stink it out....will I?

BeerNut · 03-07-2011 12:04am

My first porter recipe:

2.5 kg DME
.5 kg Chocolate Malt (steeped 20 mins)

40 g East Kent Goldings (Whole, 5.58 %AA) boiled 50 min
20 g East Kent Goldings (Whole, 5.58 %AA) boiled 30 min
20 g East Kent Goldings (Whole, 5.58 %AA) boiled 10 min
Safale S-04

15L
OG 1.052
FG 1.018
ABV 4.5%
Carbonation: 50.5g of dextrose, for 1.7 volumes of CO2.

Turned out fine.

Stink, no. Steam, yes.

Denis7 · 03-07-2011 8:16pm

Thanks Beernut, steam I can deal with. I was thinking about using up the rest of my coopers carbonation drops and bottling straight from the primary fermenter. Maybe now's a good time to invest in a bottling bucket eh?
Its good that people are willing to share knowledge with those of us starting out, thanks again.

"Don't be in a hurry to condemn because he doesn't do what you do or think as you think or as fast. There was a time when you didn't know what you know today." - Malcolm X

BeerNut · 04-07-2011 9:32am

Denis7 wrote: »

Maybe now's a good time to invest in a bottling bucket eh?

Yup. Buy two, in fact. You'll find yourself wanting needing to have two beers on the go sooner than you think.

Denis7 · 04-07-2011 1:34pm

I know it. I'm waiting patiently for the coopers ale to finish so I can get that porter into my only fermenter, so I think the time has indeed come to get another one, space is a bit of a problem but I can manage two fermenters.
Thanks again.

Hellrazer · 06-07-2011 1:29pm

irish_goat wrote: »

I was in about 3 weeks ago and the guy said business in that location wasn't going great and that they'd be switching to a delivery service until they can find something better. Can put their phone number/website up when I get home and find their leaflet.

Ever find their details??Living in Maynooth so would be handy to start getting into this.

Bugsyboy1 · 07-07-2011 8:24am

The Mulk wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, I went the mail order route and got one from the West. First attempt under way, a Canadian Blonde!
Hopefully this will be just the start. A local shop would have been handy though.

Thanks.

Just wondering if you were happy with your brew? Did it turn out like you expected? I bottled my first beer brew (Canadian Blonde this weekend).
Paul

Denis7 · 07-07-2011 8:04pm

I put a batch of Coopers Real Ale on 6 days ago, I used a kilo of light spray malt, 100g of dextrose and pitched Muntons Premium Gold yeast. SG was 1044 and last nite and again tonite I got a reading of 1018 which sounds a little shy of what I thought it would be (1010 or thereabouts). For the first two days the temp was 26c so I dropped it to 22c. It smells and tastes good from the hydrometer jar but I still think a FG reading of 1018 doesnt sound right, plus I expected the ABV to be a bit stronger than what it is, am I right?

oblivious · 08-07-2011 1:48pm

Denis7 wrote: »

I put a batch of Coopers Real Ale on 6 days ago, I used a kilo of light spray malt, 100g of dextrose and pitched Muntons Premium Gold yeast. SG was 1044 and last nite and again tonite I got a reading of 1018 which sounds a little shy of what I thought it would be (1010 or thereabouts). For the first two days the temp was 26c so I dropped it to 22c. It smells and tastes good from the hydrometer jar but I still think a FG reading of 1018 doesnt sound right, plus I expected the ABV to be a bit stronger than what it is, am I right?

You could gently rouse the yeast with a long sanitized spoon , this may kick-start the yeast again to drop a few more points.

Denis7 · 08-07-2011 2:59pm

oblivious wrote: »

You could gently rouse the yeast with a long sanitized spoon , this may kick-start the yeast again to drop a few more points.

I'll try that, thanks.

homerjay2005 · 09-07-2011 1:40pm

any able to recommend a good starter kit for me please?

Saruman · 09-07-2011 2:42pm

Depends on the beer you like. I will take a shot in the dark and suggest this. They are not too far from Dundrum so perhaps pop in and ask some questions.

Try and go for a kit that does not require additional sugars and if it does, use light DME (spraymalt) instead.

Donny5 · 09-07-2011 3:06pm

If you do go to My beer and Wine, call them first to see if there's anyone there. I popped over to them yesterday and they weren't open during their opening hours. I won't bother with them again.

Denis7 · 09-07-2011 10:48pm

oblivious wrote: »

You could gently rouse the yeast with a long sanitized spoon , this may kick-start the yeast again to drop a few more points.

That seems to have done the trick alright, give it a bit of a stir last nite and tonite its down to 1016 from 1018, nice one!!

merc230ce · 13-07-2011 11:01pm

So did anyone here buy the My Beer And Wine CityDeal for the Beermaking class? I'm going next Thursday and plan to do my first brew that weekend :-)

I see they sold 880-odd vouchers! That's 44 classes with 20 people in each, and the vouchers have to be used in 90 days, so they're going to be busy boys!

Homebrew Beer Howto

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