Homebrew Beer Howto

rubadub

Did they mean leave it sit for 2 days after fermentation has stopped?

This would let it clear a little.

bigron2109

They just set to take a test when you do it, and mine was between 38-40 and they then said to do it again 2 days later and if it is the same reading , it is ready to bottle and store away for 2 weeks .

paddylonglegs

Started my coopers kit on Sunday night. On the instructions it said the airlock should start to bubble every 5-10 seconds after 24 hours. The airlock isn't showing any signs of bubbles yet.

I don't have the rubber bung going through lid, but cut a hole in the lid to house the airlock but it fits tightly into the hole. could this be stopping the bubbles going through?

BeerNut

Rule 1 of kit brewing, guys: never follow the instructions.

bigron2109: give your beer at least two weeks in the fermenter. The important thing is to make sure fermentation has stopped by looking for a gravity reading that's stable over a period of a few days.

paddylonglegs: ignore the bubbler, it doesn't tell you anything useful. As long as it looks like fermentation is happening you don't need to do anything else.

bigron2109

Thanks very Much for the Advice lads. First time doing it, so wanted to make sure it was done correctly. When i have left it for 2 weeks, should i then leave it for another 2-3 weeks in the Bottle too?

Keedowah

Yes - leave it at least 2-3 weeks in the bottle, the longer the better usually.

You can try it after a week, just for research purposes of course!

bigron2109

Thanks very much lads for all the advice . Really appreciate it. It's my first batch so i just want to get it right.

Where would the best place be to get a bottle capper ?

I seen bottles for sale on alpack.com for €12 for 30 500 ml bottles which I think is good value.

BeerNut

bigron2109 wrote: »

Where would the best place be to get a bottle capper ?

Any homebrew supplier sells them.

bigron2109 wrote: »

I seen bottles for sale on alpack.com for €12 for 30 500 ml bottles which I think is good value.

Specialist beer pubs often have swingtops available for free.

bigron2109

Once again thanks lads for the advice .

bigron2109

Question again lads, sorry for all the questions, I am due to bottle my first batch of Coopers Home brew on Monday, but at the top of the beer , there is kinda stuff on top of it. Before i bottle it, should i stir it, or should i just leave it.

BaZmO*

bigron2109 wrote: »

Question again lads, sorry for all the questions, I am due to bottle my first batch of Coopers Home brew on Monday, but at the top of the beer , there is kinda stuff on top of it. Before i bottle it, should i stir it, or should i just leave it.

Leave it.

KAGY

bigron2109 wrote: »

Question again lads, sorry for all the questions, I am due to bottle my first batch of Coopers Home brew on Monday, but at the top of the beer , there is kinda stuff on top of it. Before i bottle it, should i stir it, or should i just leave it.

leave it, but try not to get it into any of your bottles. so watch the level when you're getting close to the tap. you'll need to tip the bucket a bit when you get to that level

bigron2109

Thanks very much lads. Tasted it today, after leaving it ferment for 2 weeks nearly and it was a bit sweet. It was the Coopers Larger. Ill probably bottle it tomorrow.

Whisko

If you're getting a bottlecapper don't buy a hammer capper. Massive pain in the ass compared to the slightly more expensive wing capper.

paddylonglegs

First time bottler today. Seemed to go ok. Glad I made a make shift funnel out of cardboard to put the sugar in the bottles.

I left the brew in the fermenter a few days after the planned bottling date due to not having time. Fingers crossed I got it in time.

ian_m

paddylonglegs wrote: »

First time bottler today. Seemed to go ok. Glad I made a make shift funnel out of cardboard to put the sugar in the bottles.

I left the brew in the fermenter a few days after the planned bottling date due to not having time. Fingers crossed I got it in time.

Two weeks is the duration I often see recommended on the forums. Don't think I have gone any longer than that myself.

BeerNut

paddylonglegs wrote: »

I left the brew in the fermenter a few days after the planned bottling date due to not having time. Fingers crossed I got it in time.

If it was within six or seven weeks, it'll be grand. Too soon is more likely to be a problem than too long.

um7y1h83ge06nx

Hi lads,

What's the best way to add DME to a kit? I'm used to using LME but not DME.

Should I dissolve it in a saucepan of water first or is it okay to add it straight to the fermenting bucket? Looking to avoid awkward clumps.

BeerNut

The most thorough way is probably to boil it in 5L or so of water on the hob. That way it definitely all gets dissolved. But adding it to 5L of boiling water in the fermenter before adding the kit also works, you just need to stir thoroughly.

um7y1h83ge06nx

Thanks Beernut, I have a big 13L pot here so reckon I'll go down that route and of course give the wort a big stirring in the fermenter too.

bigron2109

Folks what size caps fit Large bottles of bulmers. Got 5 empty cases of them from a friend and just need tops for them.

Also could you recommend a capper for a beginner please.

BeerNut

bigron2109 wrote: »

what size caps fit Large bottles of bulmers.

Standard crown caps.

Any twin-lever capper will do. A bench capper will make things easier for you if you can afford to trade up.

bigron2109

Is the standard caps the 22 mm ones ?

Cheers for the advice again.

BeerNut

Yep.

paddylonglegs

So. Tried my first brew of Canadian blonde. Hmm, quite flat and a bit of an apple taste from it. Don't think I'll be giving them out to mates as it's just about drinkable.

Re the flat taste, was there not enough sugar in the bottles when bottling?

BeerNut

That, or a leak in the cap or not enough time conditioning. You bottled two and a half weeks ago, right? You might get a bit more carbonation as time passes.

drumswan

Heres one for you BeerNut. Ive done half a dozen extract brews at this stage - a few 5L and a few full ~20L ones. The small batches were really good, the large fairly mediocre. Naturally I want to recreate the results from the small batches in my bigger ones.

Two obvious differences between the two are the FVs (The small batches were done in 5L glass demijohns, the large in my big non-airtight plastic buckets) and the yeast performance. So I picked up a 6 gallon carboy and knocked up a 3.5L yeast starter using fresh, good quality live yeast, as per the starter calculator on brewersfriend.

First of all the fermentation was so vigorous it bubbled out all over my wardrobe. It settled down after a week or so, but the airlock is still bubbling once a second coming into week three. Im waiting on a new Hydrometer which I ordered online.

I know the airlock means nothing, but have you any idea why its still vigorously bubbling away? Its hardly still fermenting? Target OG was 1.067. My 5L batches never bubbled for more than a day or two.

http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/

BeerNut

I'd say it's still fermenting away. Checking the gravity is the only way to be sure.

drumswan

Ill leave it another week so, seems like the starter has had the desired effect anyway.

irish_goat

A 3.5l starter seems far too much to me. There's a chance you picked up an infection when it bubbled out and all over your wardrobe. That would explain why it could still be bubbling.