So I'm going to start my first brew on Friday, having secured the necessary equipment from a friend of mine who doesn't use it anymore as well as a box of The Craft Range IPA. So a couple of questions:
1) The cap for the airlock is missing, is this important, is there any temporary solutions?
2) I'm going to be brewing in the garden shed and i've been monitoring the tempratures over the last couple of nights. At 12am last night the ambient temp. of the shed was at 14C with it reaching highs of 21C during the day. Would wrapping the FV up in a blanket be enough to keep the temp high enough overnight?
3) My mate also lost the muslin bag for the hops, can I still dry hop by just chucking the hops into the FV, or will I have to get a muslin bag or something similar.
Great stuff. Welcome to the world of brewing. :)
1) It's no nessecary at all but if you're worried you can put a loose piece of tin foil over the top. The more important thing is to make sure to put some sanitiser or alcohol (vodka, rum etc) in the airlock.
2) No need for a blanket, the yeast produce their own heat and will probably keep it pretty constant throughout the night anyway. If anything, 21C is a little high. Generally speaking, lower temperatures for an ale yeast just slow things down. Higher temperatures is where you start to get off flavours, esters etc.
3) Pellets or leaf hops? Pellets will break up and sink to the bottom along with yeast and other trub and be easy to siphon away from. Leaf will float about and can cause a little bit of hassle when bottling just.
So you reckon I should be focusing on keeping the FV cool during the day rather than worrying about its temp overnight.
They're Hop Pellets, so you recommend dropping them in loose.
Best of luck with the brew.
Cheapo fridge - aeroboard/kingspan and duct tape.
Lob in a frozen 2l bottle of water to keep temp in check.
Cheers for the info John, eager to get started and get my first brew going. Already have loads of ideas for Kit Hacks and stuff but i wanna do a few simple kit brews first to get a feel for it. My missus loves IPAs so she wants me to try one first, that way she can enjoy it if it turns out nice.
Keep it simple to start.
Concentrate on...
Sanitation.
Temperature control (if possible).
Patience.
Ask here if stuck.
Got the brew done this morning and its currently sitting in the shed. It's been in there for about an hour now but there's no action in the airlock. I pitched at 22.3C and the OG was 1.050. Is this normal that there's no action in the airlock? The temp is currently at 22.9C.
Sit down and I'll explain patience to you...
It can take up to 24 hours to see activity.
If the vessel is not sealed well, you may not see any activity.
Test by pressing gently on the lid - you should see activity in the airlock.
22.3C is a tad high - 18-20 would be much better. at this time of year sheds are typically too warm for fermenting.
Once it kicks in, at higher temp your yeast will go nuts for a short period of time and not clean up after it - Think Frat house party.
A Tortoise is a better brewer than a Hare ;)
Right so, i pressed the lid and there was some action in the air lock so it is sealed okay. I got it down to 19.4 using a bath of cold water, the FV is sitting in the water and i just checked it there and its still 19.4. I'm a very patient person I just didnt know when to expect action in the airlock.
Quote from: DEMPSEY on July 14, 2017, 12:53:52 PM
A Tortoise is a better brewer than a Hare ;)
Take it as a complement, but i am totally going to steal this phrase and claim it as my own....
Okay so, i had the FV around 19c up until about 12 o clock last night and when i woke up this morning it was at 18.2c. Ive kept it between 18 and 20 all day so far but still no activity on the airlock. There is a very thin krausen looking layer on top of the wort. Is my fermentation just taking a long time or did i do something wrong. When i press the lid the air lock still bubbles by the way.
You did nothing wrong,let it work away :)
Quote from: Slev on July 14, 2017, 11:27:46 PM
Quote from: DEMPSEY on July 14, 2017, 12:53:52 PM
A Tortoise is a better brewer than a Hare ;)
Take it as a complement, but i am totally going to steal this phrase and claim it as my own....
ha haa your welcome. Look out for my book on DEMPSEY's wise quotes coming to a book shop near you soon :D
Quick update; There was some steady activity in the airlock this morning, it bubbled about once per minute and the Krausen has expanded and covered the entire top of the wort. So i guess the fermentation has finally started. Quick question though: How long is too long in the primary FV. Lets say if its ready to bottled sometime next week, how long could i leave it in the FV before i have to take it out as i probably wont have time to bottle till the following week.
All good info above..BUT no one mentioned to throw away the instructions... As for how long is too long...not the week the instructions say...leave it at least 2 or even 3 and let the yeast clean up...remember the tortoise above..
What you need to do is get another kit and be ready to start it as soon as this one is ready...
Patience patience patience..and you will enjoy ypur results.
Welcome to the addiction..
Sound for the info Oh Crap, being able to leave it the primary FV for up to 3 weeks suits me right down to the ground. Ya I already have my eye on a couple of different kits, might go for a stout next. Another quick question, would it have any negative effect on the brew if i used the tap to take out a couple litres of beer, once its ready to be bottled of course, and bottle that leaving the rest to clean up in the FV? I've a mates wedding coming up in August and i'd love to have a couple of bottles for him. I wont have time over the next week or so to bottle 40 bottles of beer but i could probably squeeze in 5 or 6. If it was ready to be bottled sometime next week, then it would give the bottles a chance to condition for a further 2-3 weeks. Am i just wasting my time or is this possible without ruining the whole thing.
@DD13, That should not be an issue.
Safest bet is to use carbonation drops.
You could use a table sugar just make sure you use a carbonation calculator.
You could dissolve some sugar in boiling water and use a syringe (Cheap/free in chemist) to deliver appropriate amount.
Make sure you leave them in a warm place for a few weeks to carbonate.
Sound for that john, will definitely by using the carb calculator, dont want any of the infamous bottle bombs or any under carbs. I reckon the closet in the spare room would be the best bet for storing bottles, stays consistently around 20c, give or take a degree or 2.
I decided to take a gravity reading on Tuesday night and last night, just to track progress but also a chance for me to examine the beers appearence, aroma and even taste as the fermentation progresses. Tuesday the gravity was at 1.040, and was really sweet(obviously) and stll smelled like the bag of LME that i opened on brew day. Then last night, the gravity was at 1.030 and there was a much more beer like aroma to it. It smelled like a fairly bland Pale Ale. Even the taste reminded of a Pale ale but still quite a bit sweet. Looking forward to bottling this and getting another kit on but mainly im looking forward to tasting it.
1.050 down to 1.030 is going in the right direction.
Forget about it for at least another week and check again.
In the absence of Temp controlled fermentation that 20C closet sound like a somewhere a fermenting ale would like to hang out. Good for bottle conditioning too .
The other half said no FVs in the house, that closet was my first choice, but the garden shed has worked well so far but the closet is much more consistent, day and night. Maybe if i tell her i can produce nicer beers by using the closet she might come around.
Quote from: dundon13 on July 20, 2017, 07:16:36 PM
The other half said no FVs in the house, that closet was my first choice, but the garden shed has worked well so far but the closet is much more consistent, day and night. Maybe if i tell her i can produce nicer beers by using the closet she might come around.
NO NO NO....TELLL HER NOTHING..yet, save that till she finds all the new gear you hid..🤐🤐😁😂😜
What, you mean to say that you have built up no browny points,how long are you married. A successful marriage works well with a good trade in browny points :D
I've plenty of Brownie points, but we're not long in our new house so she doesnt want me filling up any of the rooms/presses/closets with my brewing gear but the garden shed is grand out at the minute. Once i produce a couple of decent beers, she'll ask how i can improve it. I'll say temp control and that if i left the FV in the spare room closet i could really up the standard. That way i get what i want without having to cash in any brownie points.
You're a wise man Dundon, and you'll have a happy marriage ;D
Finally got round to adding in the hop pellets last night with the intention of bottling next thursday. The smell from the hop packet was unbelieveable. So much so i had to have a Stone Go To IPA from my stash. Current gravity is at 1.011, is this still a little high?
think when i done this it finished at 1.008
Gravity has read at 1.011 now for the last 3 days in a row, i guess it must be ready to bottle. Can get a nice hoppy aroma from the sample and it tastes half decent to boot. Planning to bottle over the weekend, hopefully all goes well.
A quick question lads, a second krausen has appeared to have formed on top of my brew. I wasnt able to bottle over the weekend but was going to do it today and now i'm worried about this new layer, what should i do?
Possible infection, post a pic.
If you leave a beer too long, opening and closing, taking samples etc. you could clear the blanket of CO2 and allow O2 and/or bacteria in.
The above could stimulate yeast towards more fermentation, introduce bacteria, feed aerobioc bacteria or oxidise your beer.
I only opened the lid once during fermentation, that was to add the hops. I took my samples via the tap.
It looks like hop-matter to me, so should not be a problem but a good reason to use a weighted hop-bag.
A Weighted hop bag (Sainitised Muslin + sanitised marbles or piece of sanitised stainless) as this would keep the hop matter in solution and means for less tap-clogging.
I would think you're good to go, don't agitate so as to minimise hop material going through to bottle.
Cheers for the info John. Gonna start bottling now, everthing is washed and sanitised, so hopefully all goes well, wish me luck.
Gonna open a bottle of this tonight to see how its progressing. I decided aswell to purchase some extra equipment and 2 more kits, one is a Brupak Beers of the World Bavarian Hefeweizen and the other was a coopers pale ale which came as part of a bundle with the equipment. I gonna have a double brew day 2moro, guess i need to start gathering up some more bottles.
Sounds good on all fronts - particularly popping one to test.
I bottled a batch last year and popped one after a week - gusher.
Had I left it I could have a batch of bottle bombs.
Down the drain.
So i opened a bottle last night after i set up the other 2 brews. Carbonation was quite good and there was a decent head on it but it quickly disappeared. It had a nice hoppy aroma but it was a weird combination of sweet malty flavours with a strong level of bitterness as i took my first sup. It was actually drinkable, which was a shock but will the taste improve as the beer ages?
Hello,
Yes, very much so! The one you tasted last night hasn't had a weeks conditioning yet, you need to leave it at least two, or three if you can. You'll be surprised at the difference between the one you just tasted and one in three weeks time.
Patience, grasshopper.
Listen to Ceedee, you will find a sweet spot after a couple of weeks.
This could be months later deending on the beer!
I find 8-12 weeks in the bottle is my sweet spot for IPAs
Use the waiting time to brew more beer
I'm normally a patient man, but I find this part of the brewing process the slowest. I don't mind the fermentation as you can see it bubbling and watch the hydrometer readings progress towards that magical FG number, but once it's bottled, it just sits there and stares at you, teasing you to open one "just to see" and I sometimes give in, only to be disappointed.
Now I usually bottle a few into plastic, so at least I can have a squeeze and be reassurred that carbonation is progressing.
And yes, SprocketFuel is spot on. I brewed an IPA back in early June and after three to four weeks it was perfectly acceptable, but I opened one last night and the difference is very noticable. The flavour is more rounded, the hop aroma and flavour is still there but not as "harsh", if thats the right word and the head is creamier with lacing that lasts the whole glass.
I also noticed that the sediment is more compacted the longer the bottle is stored, making for a cleaner pour.
Cheers for the advice lads, I was only opening 1 just to see the progress and understand the different stages of the conditioning process. I've 10 bottles hidden away at the bottom of the cupboard, these are the ones i intend to leave for the longest, and thanks to SprocketFuel, i think i'll give them 10 weeks.
The clear plastic bottle is a great tip too, I just use a lucozade bottle, one for every batch, perfect for tracking progress so your not tempted to "open one and see"
Hi all, I'm a big fan of the forum and just started home brewing so I hope you don't mind me jumping in with a question.
I have a batch of the craft range IPA in primary for 10 days now and the gravity still hasn't hit below 1020 on the hydrometer. The temp was a bit high, 24 degrees Celsius, when I pitched the yeast (US-04 rather than the kit yeast) and so I'm wondering if I have a stuck fermentation? The airlock is still bubbling and it's sitting at 19 degrees.
Would appreciate any feedback as this is my first brew.
That should be US-05 rather than 04
Quote from: kilo_folio on December 13, 2017, 07:38:39 PMI have a batch of the craft range IPA in primary for 10 days now... Would appreciate any feedback as this is my first brew.
Currently I have the same kit in primary for 17 days at 19C and it is still bubbling busily. It was so busy over the first two weeks that I had to fit a blowoff to deal with the foaming. I added the yeast at day 10 but I think I should have waited for it to slow up some more. Smells great in the fermenting fridge. I reckon we have another few days to run before bottling.
@kilo_folio - did you rehydrate before pitching per instruction on the yeast pack?
Recommended for some yeasts (US-05 and S-04) as this gives the yeast the Oxygen they need to get started.
If you did not do this, did you stir the crap out of it before pitching?
Finishing high is more poor yeast management than temporarily hitting a high temp.
Maybe a little patience.
@willk - Yeast at day 10? wtf!
Quote from: johnrm on December 14, 2017, 09:08:32 AM
@willk - Yeast at day 10? wtf!
I'd say he means a dry hop :)
Quote from: molc on December 14, 2017, 09:20:47 AM
Quote from: johnrm on December 14, 2017, 09:08:32 AM
@willk - Yeast at day 10? wtf!
I'd say he means a dry hop :)
ROFL - you're so right - I must remember my own Rule #1 - never post while sampling the product ;)
BTW - it was a s##t loada hops. I used a pressure cooker to sterilise the muslin bag after reading the dire warnings on here!
I never rehydrated the yeast but did aerate the worth before pitching. It was my first attempt at brewing so maybe I wasn't vigorous enough? More than happy to be patient but I was hoping to bottle before I go home for Christmas. Would leaving it in primary for over 4 weeks do any damage to the beer? Also what would be the best time to dry hop?
Consider rehydrating next time - This was one of my take-aways from Brewcon last year.
There are mixed opinions on stirring the shite out of your wort.
There is a thinking that too much stirring (and thereby foaming) kills head retention later on.
You should be ok leaving it for the few weeks - It will give the yeast time to finish and clean up.
I am not expert on dry hopping but I 'believe' the best time it towards the end of fermentation. i.e. the Krausen has died down, so about 5 or so days in.
If you are leaving for 4 weeks, you could end up with grassy notes.
I'll be sure to rehydrate next time. I'm planning a Citra/Simcoe pale ale next month so will try it then.
So if I leave it in the FV until new year's would you recommend dry hopping then for a further 5 days before bottling? Sorry for all the questions!
But I'm hoping that the gravity falls dramatically over the weekend so I can bottle before I head off and avoid all this.
Just taken a SG on mine at 20 days - 1.006, so bottling tomoz. In keeping with Tradition, I drank the sample in the trial jar and I was pleasantly surprised - it actually tasting very promising in a fresh, loads of hops IPA kinda way. Fingers crossed.
I'm beginning to see a pattern now - a friend put me on to Bulldog Brews kits and I've done three, against a St Peter's, a Brewferm double batch and this IPA. All three Bulldog kits had a taste I found off-putting. Hard to describe, but not nice. I put it down to being a rank newbie but the other pair of kits were good and the Oranje Bock looks to be going the same happy way (but holding off judgement until it is 8 weeks in bottle ;) )
Quote from: willk on December 16, 2017, 06:58:29 PM
Just taken a SG on mine at 20 days - 1.006, so bottling tomoz. In keeping with Tradition, I drank the sample in the trial jar and I was pleasantly surprised - it actually tasting very promising in a fresh, loads of hops IPA kinda way. Fingers crossed.
I'm beginning to see a pattern now - a friend put me on to Bulldog Brews kits and I've done three, against a St Peter's, a Brewferm double batch and this IPA. All three Bulldog kits had a taste I found off-putting. Hard to describe, but not nice. I put it down to being a rank newbie but the other pair of kits were good and the Oranje Bock looks to be going the same happy way (but holding off judgement until it is 8 weeks in bottle ;) )
I know it's still early days but have you been tempted to crack one open yet?
I'm bottling this tomorrow after a 4 day dry hop.
Quote from: kilo_folio on January 04, 2018, 04:08:48 PM
I know it's still early days but have you been tempted to crack one open yet?
Four day dry-hop sounds right. I conditioned mine for around 10 days and then tried one - not expecting too much but it was actually very drinkable! I've not wasted any time since ;) Over the past coupla weeks it has lost a bit of the hops but maybe improved some. No homebrew twang in this one. I have to say I'm very impressed. I brewed at a controlled 19.5C and dry hopped at about 11 days. Next time I'll hold the hops until the brew slows up and I'm sure the end is nigh!
I tasted this when I was bottling on Sunday and thought it was very bitter. The smell was also a bit harsh. There was a big temperature swing when I left the beer unsupervised during Christmas and it dropped down to 14c. So I've lost a bit of hope for this batch. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it mellows out in the bottle over the next 4-6 weeks though.
I need to invest in some proper temp control. Are you using a ferm fridge or a homemade setup?
Don't give up on it just yet. Dropping temperature is not as bad as a rise in temperature, the yeast will just slow down at the cooler temps. Give it at least three weeks conditioning at room temperature and I'm certain you'll notice a big difference.
Quote from: kilo_folio on January 10, 2018, 03:02:01 PMI need to invest in some proper temp control. Are you using a ferm fridge or a homemade setup?
In it's most basic form, a box made of insulation, a 25w heat mat and an Inkbird controller. I found a fridge at work going spare, but only use it to keep the heat contained, 3C in the shed tonight and there were icicles in there last week!
The IPA is very bitter at first - but it eases up after a few weeks. Big hops nose too
Quote from: willk on January 10, 2018, 06:48:11 PM
In it's most basic form, a box made of insulation, a 25w heat mat and an Inkbird controller. I found a fridge at work going spare, but only use it to keep the heat contained, 3C in the shed tonight and there were icicles in there last week!
What'll you do in the summer?
Quote from: cruiscinlan on January 23, 2018, 07:52:24 PM
Quote from: willk on January 10, 2018, 06:48:11 PM
In it's most basic form, a box made of insulation, a 25w heat mat and an Inkbird controller. I found a fridge at work going spare, but only use it to keep the heat contained, 3C in the shed tonight and there were icicles in there last week!
What'll you do in the summer?
I believe I'll turn that fridge on and make a Pilsner!
TBH though, I have other fish to fry in the summer - apple husbandry and all that craic.