about to start my first brew... brewing for dummies?

BeerNut

I_am_LOST wrote: »

Im very worried!

Don't be.

I_am_LOST wrote: »

oozing out of the part where it meets the fermenting bucket.

The big question you need to ask is: why did this happen? Check the seal before you ferment another batch in this. In general I think you're better off fermenting in a bucket with no tap.

I_am_LOST wrote: »

air will get in and contaminate it?

Air getting in isn't a problem. A couple of days of fermentation will produce enough alcohol to kill most things, and a layer of CO2 on top of the beer will keep air away. Traffic from your leak will be one way.

But... if you've sealed the bucket too tight that could be why beer burst out the tap hole. Make sure the lid is just on loosely, not sealed down tight.

Shiny

I_am_LOST wrote: »

Im very worried! My brew was getting cold so wrapped some towels on it. Checked on it today and part of the towel near the tap was wet and there was a small pool on the ground Its not coming out directly from the tap spout but rather oozing out of the part where it meets the fermenting bucket. It seems to have stopped now and lost hardly any beer but Im worried that since its obviously somehow loosened and its not a tight fit, air will get in and contaminate it?

I find that when I'm re-attaching the tap, after sanitizing, when I think I have it tight I can still get another full turn if I wrap a towel around the tap and tighten further.

I would say that the yeast and sediment that is settling at the bottom has blocked up the leak. Any of this that is exposed to air will go hard which will seal the leak further thus protecting your beer.

What temperature are you at now?

I_am_LOST

Thanks for the replies guys. Couldve sworn i fitted the tap tightly..maybe i didnt even put it together properly! :S Cant tighten it as the washer is on the inside if you get me

Anyway, Beernut has solved my problem. I fitted the lid tightly as this is what i was told to do in directions Im following. Guess i should loosen it now then!

3greenrizla's

thanks for everyones advice. FotoJoe, yeah I'll deffinatly be up for a swap if I manage to make a drinkable batch.

So a couple more questions, My brew is on it's 8th day - is it about time to take a hydrometer reading? I'm off work on Friday i was thinking of bottling then. Is that a good idea or should I do what the hydrometer tells me?

Any opinions on what I should do for my second brew? I would quite like something that I could share with my larger drinking friends, but something with a bit of depth & flavour.

BeerNut

3greenrizla's wrote: »

is it about time to take a hydrometer reading?

Yeah, I'd be taking one every 2-3 days now.

3greenrizla's wrote: »

I'm off work on Friday i was thinking of bottling then.

Day 11? Regardless of the hydrometer I'd give it at least a fortnight.

I_am_LOST

I thought 1 week was usually sufficient for fermentation for kit brewing? Obviously go by the hydrometer readings but I'm on day 8 now and plan to take another hydrometer reading tonight. If it's the same as my one from yesterday, I was going to bottle. Yes, no..?

merc230ce

I_am_LOST wrote: »

I thought 1 week was usually sufficient for fermentation for kit brewing? Obviously go by the hydrometer readings but I'm on day 8 now and plan to take another hydrometer reading tonight. If it's the same as my one from yesterday, I was going to bottle. Yes, no..?

As I understand it (based on what I've read, not on my limited experience!) if you leave it to ferment for another week or two the yeasties get a chance to 'clean up' after themselves, getting rid of compounds that can cause off-flavours, after their main work of making alcohol is done. I left my first brew in primary for 3 weeks.

3greenrizla's

took the hydrometer reading - 1.014 & has a nice colour.

BeerNut wrote: »

Yeah, I'd be taking one every 2-3 days now.

Day 11? Regardless of the hydrometer I'd give it at least a fortnight.

why bother with taking a reading? is it not better to let the brew sit undisturbed?

I_am_LOST wrote: »

I thought 1 week was usually sufficient for fermentation for kit brewing? Obviously go by the hydrometer readings but I'm on day 8 now and plan to take another hydrometer reading tonight. If it's the same as my one from yesterday, I was going to bottle. Yes, no..?

i've read that 7-10 days is enough/when your hydrometer reading is the same 3 day's in a row, but the longer you leave it the better & my kit says wait for a 1.010 reading.

3greenrizla's

3greenrizla's wrote: »

took the hydrometer reading - 1.014

that reading might have been wrong, I have taken 2 since both reading 1.016 - i'm going to take another reading tomorrow and if it's the same i think i'm going to bottle.

3greenrizla's

well i've got 30 bottles of beer sitting in the corner of the room (used 1.5 carb drops in 500ml bottles).

didn't go that well though. I somehow lost the filter that goes on the end of my syphon, so I know my beer will have a lot of sediment & I don't think the last few bottles will be drinkable.

I learned a few things.
Washing mouldy bottles is a pain in the hole. Starting NOW i am going to wash bottles after I use them & not let them build up.
Siphons can be started with a (sterilised) turkey baster.
A siphon clip would have been very handy (along with a filter) & is on my must get list.
there was no issue with the hammer capper, I found it handy enough.
the process took 3 - 4 hours I expect this time to go down with experience though.

calvin_zola

Hi all, I started my Coopers stout brew recently and thought I would share some photos of it considering the invaluable advice I have received of Beernut, Saruman et all.... So here goes -

I started my yeast starter on Tuesday evening. Boiled 1 cup DME with 3.5 cups of Water for 10 mins, reduced this to a heat of 21C and stirred it up, added the yeast, stirred it up. Covered with cling film and a rubber band so as to allow Co2 to escape......


It began to froth at the top and C02 was escaping so I left it over night -
Next day it was still going fine afaik -


So after sanitizing everything the next day i decided to make a hop tea with progress hops so as to add a oatmeal flavour to the stout..



Mixed up all the beer kit ingrediants, added the hop tea/water



Cuppa Tae



Topped it up to the 25 litre mark with Icy water, mixed it up, temperature was bang on 22.... threw in the yeast starter..... And stored in the corner of the bedroom




Took a hydrometer reading after adding and stirring in the yeas.. 1.045 at the start beer category of it...

Airlock is bubbling away since and the temperature is at 21celcius constant....



After an hour or so I had relised I had sealed the fermenter with the laddle still inside it lol :rolleyes: removed it, Hopefully it wont have contaminated it, I had it proper sanitised before hand.....

calvin_zola

Also I'll be photodocumenting my homebrewing at -

http://s212.photobucket.com/albums/cc55/decky_eire/HomeBrewing/My%20first%20ever%20brew/

password - homebrew

If anyone is interested

All the best!

calvin_zola

Hi guys my 3 weeks fermenting for this is up so i thought that Id upload this pic and ask for some advice



I think the sample should be in the yellow 'bottle' section of the hydrometer before I bottle, is it still to early to bottle??

BeerNut

Looks ready for bottling to me. The numbers are the only thing that matter. When the gravity is consistent for a few days, fermentation is finished.

calvin_zola

cool cheers again Beernut, hopefully can get to doing this tonight or Monday , excited now!!

calvin_zola

BeerNut wrote: »

Looks ready for bottling to me. The numbers are the only thing that matter. When the gravity is consistent for a few days, fermentation is finished.

actually the gravity is at 1.160..... is this bad I was under the impression it should have been around 1.080 in order to bottle or else there will be excess sugar

merc230ce

Something's not right about that reading I'd say. Try taking a reading of plain water at 20deg - it should be 1.000 - and that might show you that either your hydrometer is faulty (equipment malfunction) or you're reading it wrong (pilot error ;-)

BeerNut

calvin_zola wrote: »

actually the gravity is at 1.160

If you mean 1.016, that's a little on the high side but well within the finishing zone. It'd be rare to get a beer down to 1.008 unless you used loads of table sugar and not much malt.

calvin_zola

merc230ce wrote: »

Something's not right about that reading I'd say. Try taking a reading of plain water at 20deg - it should be 1.000 - and that might show you that either your hydrometer is faulty (equipment malfunction) or you're reading it wrong (pilot error ;-)

its not quite at 1.000 about 4 millimeters over it...... which would make my beer at 1.011... New hydrometer methinks lol

BeerNut wrote: »

If you mean 1.016, that's a little on the high side but well within the finishing zone. It'd be rare to get a beer down to 1.008 unless you used loads of table sugar and not much malt.

no bothers, I think its actually at 1.011, so i'll leave till monday and get it bottled

thanks lads

calvin_zola

couldnt resist and capped a bottle of this after 10 days. Im so pleased with the outcome, a rich burnt taste which I attribute to the hops and a nice substantial head on it. Hopefully it will be even better tonight after the 3 weeks bottling is over

calvin_zola

Finally finished this, happy with it considering its my first go. I def achieved a nice oatmeal flavour like I wanted to buy using the progress hops