First Extract Batch!

[Kevco5]

Any advice when I should dry hop? Could I use another fermentation bucket for secondary?

What I do is leave in primary for 21days total, dry hop for the last 7 or so.
(10 days is the absolute max for dry hops due to grassiness/veg flavours)
Then batch prime for bottling.

[jackflash]

Ah..this is where I get confused. So far I have only made 2 bog standard kits, and usually peak fermentation only has lasted for about 4-5 days, and nearly all bubbling has stopped after 7 days at which point I have batch primed and bottled.

From my limited understanding, I believed it was a bad thing to let the beer rest on top of dead/dying cells, and thought it was correct to transfer to secondary fermenter. Is this old thinking?

[armedcor]

Yea secondary isnt really necessary though some people still do it. It's good to leave the beer on the yeast for a bit after the fermentation looks finished as it's cleaning up after itself etc I usually give it 2 weeks. You can go ahead and dryhop in primary, lots of people do. 

[jackflash]

Well that's music to my ears! I won't bother buying the carboy or syphon just yet!

[armedcor]

Yea I bought a carboy. Used it to secondary like twice then just put a sour beer in it haha

[jackflash]

So I popped my extract cherry today with a HBC American Pale Ale kit. Many thanks again to bikerbrewer for selling his brew kettle  to me. I'm thinking of dry hopping with Amarillo after two weeks in primary.

[DoubleG]

Looks awesome! What size is the kettle? Where did you get the burner for it? Im using the cooker for my extracts but can only do partial boils.

[jackflash]

Actually bought the kettle on here from bikerbrewer, it's a 36 litre: http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,7987.0.html


I bought the burner here: http://www.gasproducts.ie/acatalog/copy_of_Large_Square_Gas_Boiling_Ring.html

Really happy with both

[DoubleG]

Sweet! How long does it take to boil up a full pot of water?

[jackflash]

Took about 30 mins I think