New member! Just ordered my first kit!

scrapsmac · 19-09-2011 3:45pm

Well it's all setup! My first reading is 1.05! is this a little on the high side? I followed a mix of the beoir guide and craig tube (im brewing canadian blonde btw)

Shiny · 19-09-2011 4:44pm

Seems fine to me.

All depends on where it finishes which would be around 1010? Giving you around 5%.

Any Pics? :pac:

scrapsmac · 19-09-2011 5:03pm

Shiny wrote: »

Seems fine to me. All depends on where it finishes which would be around 1010? Giving you around 5%.

Any Pics? :pac:

Took a couple on my phone to remind me of my first brew!

Wouldn't be great at uploading them here. I've to set up a photobucket account or something like that right?

Phew, relieved about the OG. Also, I didn't rehydrate the yeast as beoir suggested. Instead I went with craigs method and sprinkled it on the foam for 10/15mins before stirring. Hope this is ok.

Just wanted to say a big thanks to all those who have helped me so far. I'll keep you all updated with the progress

Cork Boy · 19-09-2011 5:29pm

My first ever batch is just about ready now and I can't get over how nice it is considering how many mistakes I've made!

You can read all you want and watch all the videos you want but until you do it yourself...

Well, enjoy... it's going to be magic!

scrapsmac · 19-09-2011 5:43pm

Another question for you lads!

My kit has been brewing for a few hours now. I'm using the 33l fermenter tub from Home Brew West. I have the lid on tight all the way around and the water has been pushed up to the right hand side of the air-lock (if that makes sense to you?!). Is this normal or should I open the lid up a little on one side to let out some co2?

cheers!

joeKel73 · 19-09-2011 5:52pm

I have the same kit, that's normal. It's a good sign that the fermenter is properly sealed.

It's pushing the water through the air-lock as the air pressure inside is building up from the co2 being generated. Eventually it'll push under the u-bend of the airlock and bubble out. It'll then keep bubbling out fairly steadily then for a few days.

scrapsmac · 19-09-2011 5:57pm

foto joe wrote: »

I have the same kit, that's normal. It's a good sign that the fermenter is properly sealed.

It's pushing the water through the air-lock as the air pressure inside is building up from the co2 being generated. Eventually it'll push under the u-bend of the airlock and bubble out. It'll then keep bubbling out fairly steadily then for a few days.

Yeah it's gone past the U-Bend already and is sitting up near the top of the airlock already. Hope this is ok and my fermenter isn't about to explode :pac:

joeKel73 · 19-09-2011 6:11pm

For my first brew I put too much water in the airlock, once it got going it started spitting out some of the water and was grand after... it regulates itself like that!

Just took a pic of my airlock... the air pushes until it gets to the lower u-bend.. then a bubbles goes up and eases the pressure back a bit... pressure builds again and bubbles again... etc etc

scrapsmac · 19-09-2011 10:50pm

cheers foto joe! Hope it turns out a treat!

scrapsmac · 20-09-2011 12:22pm

Well folks It is day two and I was delighted to come downstairs to see it bubbling away like a mad thing! Plenty of foam on top.

I'm having minor concerns about the stick-on thermometer. 26,24,22 are all lit up and havn't really changed since I started. I have another thermometer in the room and it has been reading 20/21. I'm not overly concerned as it seems to be getting along just fine. It is out in the utility room and the radiator out there is never turned on.

I_am_LOST · 20-09-2011 1:02pm

scrapsmac wrote: »

Well folks It is day two and I was delighted to come downstairs to see it bubbling away like a mad thing! Plenty of foam on top.

I'm having minor concerns about the stick-on thermometer. 26,24,22 are all lit up and havn't really changed since I started. I have another thermometer in the room and it has been reading 20/21. I'm not overly concerned as it seems to be getting along just fine. It is out in the utility room and the radiator out there is never turned on.

I had the same problem. Wasn't sure which temperature to read it as! Right now 18 and 16 is lit up for me (18 more so) so it looks like I'm at 17 degrees, which is a bit too cold for my liking. That said, it's been a week of fermenting now.

scrapsmac · 22-09-2011 10:35am

4 days in so took my next hydrometer reading! Came in at 1.010. Is this about right? it seems very low considering it has only been fermenting for 4 days

3greenrizla's · 22-09-2011 11:27pm

http://www.absolutehomebrew.com.au/?page_id=34

an interesting read.

scrapsmac · 23-09-2011 1:11am

I'll leave it a couple of days so and see what the reading is. If it is 1.010 again should I start thinking about bottling? I only ask because I know from reading here that 2 weeks seems to be the norm..

scrapsmac · 25-09-2011 10:40pm

Ordering stuff for my second brew folks! Thinking of doing a Stout just in time for Christmas

Going to go with the Coopers stout kit. Am I right in saying I should add 500g dextrose and 500g spraymalt? Might also throw in some vanilla essence? What do people think?

joeKel73 · 25-09-2011 11:05pm

Stout was my third brew and it's currently about 10 days in the bottles, I've tried a few and they're tasting really good! I'm going to try hold off another week at least.

I went for this;
3.2 Kg All Malt Coopers Brewmaster Irish Stout Kit
3.2-kg-all-malt-coopers-brewmaster-irish-stout-kit-942-p.gif

3.2-kg-all-malt-coopers-brewmaster-irish-stout-kit-942-p.gif

scrapsmac · 26-09-2011 10:51am

foto joe wrote: »

Stout was my third brew and it's currently about 10 days in the bottles, I've tried a few and they're tasting really good! I'm going to try hold off another week at least.

I went for this;
3.2 Kg All Malt Coopers Brewmaster Irish Stout Kit

Ordered!

should be a good one. Might dabble with a bit of vanilla also. Any other stuff people throw in to give it an edge?

calvin_zola · 27-09-2011 2:34pm

Hi guys, I have a quick question, i have just completed a yeast starter today and Im happy enough with it, will do the beer kit tomorrow. Im just wondering when I have the all the Wort created and am closing the fermenter (snap on lid) do I snap it on fully, ive read instructions that say leave a crack up, Il also have a bubbler airlock on it....

Regards for any help its all appreciated being a Noob

CZ

Linkus · 27-09-2011 3:15pm

calvin_zola wrote: »

Hi guys, I have a quick question, i have just completed a yeast starter today and Im happy enough with it, will do the beer kit tomorrow. Im just wondering when I have the all the Wort created and am closing the fermenter (snap on lid) do I snap it on fully, ive read instructions that say leave a crack up, Il also have a bubbler airlock on it....

Regards for any help its all appreciated being a Noob

CZ

I have an airlock so I shut the lid tight. Mine is also a snap on lid. Infact mine is probably the same as your tub.

As far as I am aware, the airlock with a bit of water in it will be perfectly fine for letting the co2 out when needed

calvin_zola · 28-09-2011 10:07am

Linkus wrote: »

I have an airlock so I shut the lid tight. Mine is also a snap on lid. Infact mine is probably the same as your tub.

As far as I am aware, the airlock with a bit of water in it will be perfectly fine for letting the co2 out when needed

Okey dokey, sound for that.

I_am_LOST · 28-09-2011 9:50pm

If you have a tap fitted to your bucket make sure it's on securely and tight! I thought mine was on tight but beer started leaking out of it. This could have been due to the pressure building up in the fermenter because there was so much CO2 produced. I had an airlock as well but I snapped the lid down firmly on it. I came on here and told everyone of my problem! I was advised to leave the lid on but not fully secured so that more gas can escape. There will be a layer of CO2 on the top of your beer anyway as it's fermenting, so no air will get in and cause contamination.

Just a consideration. That said, you're probably fine fitting the lid tightly on!

Yawns · 29-09-2011 9:48am

I have the bucket with a tap. No leaks with lid snapped fully on thank god

Couldn't bear thinking about wasting precious beer :P

I'm just about ready to bottle. I will be bottle priming with dextrose for 330ml bottles so need to full make sure of how much to use. Gonna try make sense of a few calculators in this regard. I think batch priming will be the way forward for me

Hopefully it will turn out nice. It's been fermenting for 17 days now and giving a reading of 1.014 for last 3 days.

aN.Droid · 29-09-2011 10:42am

foto joe wrote: »

Hey - another newbie here! Myself and my housemates invested in this kit from HBW about a month ago.

It came with 44 Ox-Bar PET bottles and since ordered an additional 44 bottles to allow bottling the next batch without having to drink the previous one first.

We've tried a few batches since;

1. Canadian Blonde Lager + 1kg Dextrose
This came with the kit, it was drinkable but didn't really carbonate for us using 1.5 carbonation drops. As a result it was sweeter than it was meant to be as the carbonation sugar hadn't fermented. We reckon now we were storing it at too low a temperature.

2. Finlandia Traditional Ale + 1kg Dextrose + plus 500g extra light spraymalt
This is nearly two weeks in the bottles now, it wasn't carbonating like the first batch so it's somewhere warmer for the last week. I've one in the fridge to try this evening but will probably give an extra week.

3. 3.2 Kg All Malt Coopers Brewmaster Irish Stout Kit (incl 1.5kg can Light Malt Extract)
Bottled this on Monday. As a Guinness drinker I'm looking forward to this one and it tasted promising when bottling.

4. Muntons Connoisseur's Wheat Beer 1.8 Kg + 1kg Muntons Brew Enhancer
Brewed this on Monday, it's bubbling away in the corner.

Any of you in Galway? We could arrange a meet-up to sample or exchange brews!

I have been thinking about getting into brewing for a long time now. I think I may just order that kit seems the best deal.

For a lager drinker is canadian blonde nice? Also, how much does it cost after that to make a batch?

calvin_zola · 29-09-2011 11:12am

I_am_LOST wrote: »

If you have a tap fitted to your bucket make sure it's on securely and tight! I thought mine was on tight but beer started leaking out of it. This could have been due to the pressure building up in the fermenter because there was so much CO2 produced. I had an airlock as well but I snapped the lid down firmly on it. I came on here and told everyone of my problem! I was advised to leave the lid on but not fully secured so that more gas can escape. There will be a layer of CO2 on the top of your beer anyway as it's fermenting, so no air will get in and cause contamination.

Just a consideration. That said, you're probably fine fitting the lid tightly on!

Yea I had read your original post earlier on which was kind of causing me concern initially but fingers crossed it'll be alright.

calvin_zola · 29-09-2011 11:48am

actually can somebody explain to me the primary and secondary batch..... i only have one fermenter/bucket... do I need two for the stout Im brewing..

BeerNut · 29-09-2011 2:00pm

No, you don't ever need to do a secondary. Sometimes it can help clean up a beer, pale ones especially.

calvin_zola · 29-09-2011 2:11pm

BeerNut wrote: »

No, you don't ever need to do a secondary. Sometimes it can help clean up a beer, pale ones especially.

ah cool, cheers again

joeKel73 · 29-09-2011 7:14pm

Limericks wrote: »

I have been thinking about getting into brewing for a long time now. I think I may just order that kit seems the best deal.

For a lager drinker is canadian blonde nice? Also, how much does it cost after that to make a batch?

No it's not great, but comes free with a lot of starter kits. There's a lot of bad reviews of it... but that may be because 90% are from peoples' first ever brew and they didn't allow it long enough to mature! It's by far the least pleasant we've made yet.

Using the kits it works out at ~50cent/bottle (500ml) once you're up and running.

aN.Droid · 29-09-2011 7:43pm

foto joe wrote: »

No it's not great, but comes free with a lot of starter kits. There's a lot of bad reviews of it... but that may be because 90% are from peoples' first ever brew and they didn't allow it long enough to mature! It's by far the least pleasant we've made yet.

Using the kits it works out at ~50cent/bottle (500ml) once you're up and running.

What would you recommend then? Should I just go for the regular lager with the kit instead of the Canadian blonde upgrade?

joeKel73 · 29-09-2011 7:47pm

I'd let someone more experience recommend one! I'm a noob as well. Currently have a wheat beer bottled and I have good hopes for it. I suspect it's using 1KG of dextrose that gives the tang.

I'd appreciate some suggests of kits and fermentables work out v well for people too...!

New member! Just ordered my first kit!

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