1st Brew Kit & Equipment

[LordEoin]

i find that with the usual 100ml trial jar you're good to just tap it.
there's pressure in there to make up for it.
It'd probably be better to get a bit of reverse action in the airlock than to open the FV unnecessarily.

[IrishBeerSnob]

Thanks, i'll lift it into place once the bubbling stops
only being lifted a foot.

Thanks for all the help

[LordEoin]

Sorry, i totally misread the previous posts.
yeah, if you're lifting the FV just take out the airlock and refit it once the beer's in its final resting place

[IrishBeerSnob]

Its one of these airlocks


I assume i just yank it out - move the bucket and replace or do i empty out the liquid and refill when on the fv?

Still bubbling away this morning

Once initial fermentation is finished - then i dry hop and leave it for another 5 days or so, will the beer clear up during this time? Should i move it somewhere cooler when dryhopping?

[LordEoin]

yank it out,move the bucket, replace. Yup

The beer will only slightly clear up in the FV, it'll do most of its clearing in the bottle.

You can move it somewhere cooler if you're sure fermentation is finished. but i'd say leave the temperature stable this time just to be sure you don't go stopping the yeast prematurely. You have all the time in the world for best practices, but for this run just get it fermented, dryhopped and bottles without anything going wrong.
You're doing good so far

[IrishBeerSnob]

Grand.
Guessing when conditioning the bottles should they done at the same temp or are they ok in a slightly cooler location?

[Garry]

Ideally keep the bottles at 18-20° for two weeks to carbonate. They will carbonate at lower temps but will take longer. You're new to this game and won't possess such patience 

Once carbonated, leave them some where cold for as long as you can. The longer you leave them, the clearer the beer will get.

I've read that dry hopping works better at fermentation temperatures rather than cool temperatures? I've dry hopped a few beers in the garage where it averages 10°C at the moment.

[IrishBeerSnob]

You guys are a great help.

Yeah it'll be tough to resist the opening of a few bottles but i want it to be good so hopefully they'll be ok by Paddys weekend. That should be 6 weeks or so bottle conditioning.

I've got my hands on some summit or cascade - I think cascade's the winner as i love me some Sierra Pale and Bru Rua which are both made with cascade.

Already looking forward to my next kit, probably the IPA so its all ready for our summer.

[fishjam45 (Colin)]

I found on my first brew, mainly due to a lack of patience, that it can be a good idea to "sample" a brew from your batch each week.  I was told by the very helpful guys on here to wait as long as I could because it will get better with age, but with sampling one each week you will see how the flavour and taste develops from something thats "drinkable" to something that has you mates asking "wow, did you really make that?".  Thats how it was for me anyway.

[IrishBeerSnob]

That's a good point too man, fair play.

[LordEoin]

keep a bottle for 3 months, 6 months and 12 months too

[IrishBeerSnob]

Another great suggestion.
Anyway came home today a lot less activity on the bubbler
So took the opportunity to move and do a reading.

Reading is 1.012. Came down quicker than I expected.

Bubbler back bubbling away now, guess thats just cos the yeasties were moved a bit.

[fishjam45 (Colin)]

keep a bottle for 3 months, 6 months and 12 months too

I really doubt any of mine will last 12 months 

[LordEoin]

Reading is 1.012. Came down quicker than I expected.

That's still in full swing, leave it alone

@fishjam - put one some where inconvenient and forget all about it!

[IrishBeerSnob]

Aye aye captain
The bubbling is non existent now. Im assuming its still working away just not as vigorously.