Muntons IPA

slippy wicket

Hi, This is my first attempt at brewing, so hopefully all will go well.
Just wondering has anyone else tried this beer and how does it normally turn out. i just used brewing sugar as i did not want to be too adventurous with spraymalts for my first time.

Also, it seems to be very hard to get pubs to part with pint bottles. I bought 30 500 ml bottles, and have 3 used bottles of same. I am supposed to end up with 40 pints, so how many more 500ml would i want so that no beer goes to waste.:eek:

slippy wicket

Also in the instructions in says about bottling from 4-6 days but reading some of the comments here relating to different beers this seems very short.

Lars

you'll need 40 500ml bottles for 40 pints. Also I always leave it for 2 weeks before bottling, this should ensure fermentation is complete(alternatively 2 identical hydrometer readings 2 days apart). Cant comment on the kit, haven't tried it. Good luck, its a very rewarding hobby:-)

L

slippy wicket

Thanks for that, will have to empty a few bottles before the weekend so. Happy days.

Lars

slippy wicket wrote: »

Thanks for that, will have to empty a few bottles before the weekend so. Happy days.

Make sure they're brown . Clear and green can lead to lightstruck beer although it hasn't happened to me yet.

L

slippy wicket

This may be a silly question, but it says nothing on the pack about stirring up the wort every day.
I assume then that i just leave it alone to do its business.

bibibobo

slippy wicket wrote: »

This may be a silly question, but it says nothing on the pack about stirring up the wort every day.
I assume then that i just leave it alone to do its business.

Don't touch it as you will risk infection. Seal the bin and forget about it for 2 or 3 weeks.

Lars

slippy wicket wrote: »

I assume then that i just leave it alone to do its business.

definitely just leave it sit . The less it's touched the better

L

slippy wicket

Thanks for all the advice guys.

Just for interests sake i checked it this evening with the hydrometer, and it a bit above 1030.

I have that sitting in some steri solution, and gave it a quick rinse with pure water before use.

Also, can i sterilize my bottles and rinse them a few days before use so that they will be dry, or does it all have to be done the same day.

slippy wicket

bibibobo wrote: »

Don't touch it as you will risk infection. Seal the bin and forget about it for 2 or 3 weeks.

The can says 4 to 6 days, is this just a rough guide that you adjust to your hydrometer readings.

bibibobo

slippy wicket wrote: »

bibibobo wrote: »

Don't touch it as you will risk infection. Seal the bin and forget about it for 2 or 3 weeks.

The can says 4 to 6 days, is this just a rough guide that you adjust to your hydrometer readings.

They're not related. The can instructions don't ever seem to be worthy of much consideration. Plenty of advice on this forum telling you to leave it all ferment out for 2-3 weeks.

bibibobo

slippy wicket wrote: »

Also, can i sterilize my bottles and rinse them a few days before use so that they will be dry, or does it all have to be done the same day.

sanitise all equipment as close to Use as possible as this minimises the potential build up of bacteria and airborne baddies. Have a listen to this interview as posted here very recently. Listen from about 13mins on. It's an excellent overview of sanitisation, bleach etc. http://hw.libsyn.com/p/3/9/0/390da96899933961/bbr03-29-07.mp3?sid=970f22232826ceffd8ba43c4866ecc35&l_sid=18257&l_eid=&l_mid=1511169

slippy wicket

Thanks again for all the good advice.

slippy wicket

Tipping along nicely, 1028 at midday today.

bibibobo

are you opening the bin to take a sample? (not recommended) or are you sampling from a tap?

slippy wicket

bibibobo wrote: »

are you opening the bin to take a sample? (not recommended) or are you sampling from a tap?

Opening the bin, but everything that i use ( a plastic wine thief and sampling jar) is steeping in the sterilizing solution, is scrubed afterwards and goes straight back into the solution then.

1024 today.

Starting to look like a Pale Ale.

Lars

slippy wicket wrote: »

Opening the bin, but everything that i use ( a plastic wine thief and sampling jar) is steeping in the sterilizing solution, is scrubed afterwards and goes straight back into the solution then.

1024 today.

Starting to look like a Pale Ale.

There's a layer of co2 sitting on the beer that's helping to protect it from airborne bacteria. Every time you interfere with that you're disturbing that protective layer and increasing the chance of infection despite your sanitisation . Try to avoid the urge to check regularly and let it sit for 2 weeks . As fermentation becomes less vigorous there's far less co2 released and the protective layer doesn't replenish itself quite so well after you've been in there.

L

slippy wicket

Lars wrote: »

There's a layer of co2 sitting on the beer that's helping to protect it from airborne bacteria. Every time you interfere with that you're disturbing that protective layer and increasing the chance of infection despite your sanitisation . Try to avoid the urge to check regularly and let it sit for 2 weeks . As fermentation becomes less vigorous there's far less co2 released and the protective layer doesn't replenish itself quite so well after you've been in there.

L

Fair enough, just have to curb my enthusiasm a wee bit so. Every 3-4 days would be often enough then ?

Lars

slippy wicket wrote: »

Lars wrote: »

There's a layer of co2 sitting on the beer that's helping to protect it from airborne bacteria. Every time you interfere with that you're disturbing that protective layer and increasing the chance of infection despite your sanitisation . Try to avoid the urge to check regularly and let it sit for 2 weeks . As fermentation becomes less vigorous there's far less co2 released and the protective layer doesn't replenish itself quite so well after you've been in there.

L

Fair enough, just have to curb my enthusiasm a wee bit so. Every 3-4 days would be often enough then ?

I'd wait 2 weeks and then check maybe 2 days on a row for a steady FG

L

slippy wicket

Lars wrote: »

I'd wait 2 weeks and then check maybe 2 days on a row for a steady FG

L

Thanks, i have high hopes for this, and judging by the taste at this early stage this will be the first of many brews. Very sweet as you would expect, and i am still standing so thats a plus.

slippy wicket

I read a lot here with people using carbonation drops instead of sugar. Does that make much of a difference with an ale or could you use something like demerara sugar or even the extra dark sugar. Would that give a different taste or character to the beer.

sharingan

slippy wicket wrote: »

Also, can i sterilize my bottles and rinse them a few days before use so that they will be dry, or does it all have to be done the same day.

The best trick with sterilisation is to shake the bottles dry after you pull them out of the solution, and seal them straight away. They are good to use at any time in the future.

Sterilising can be a lot of work unless you can mass produce it. Once in a while, I will fill the bath, put in some cheap solution, and fill it with bottles, demijohns, PETS or whatever comes to hand. Empty/rotate as needed and store all the sealed sterilised bottles separately.

Works a charm.

joeKel73

I'm doing a Muntons IPA at the moment too, brewed on Saturday evening after the homebrew west opening sale! Used this 3kg kit though, no additional fermentables required;


Was intending to pick up the Coopers IPA and 1Kg of DME but they were out of stock until today.

slippy wicket wrote: »

Opening the bin, but everything that i use ( a plastic wine thief and sampling jar) is steeping in the sterilizing solution, is scrubed afterwards and goes straight back into the solution then.

Not a good idea to scrub. Especially when it comes to cleaning your fermenter. Scrubbing will scour the surface slightly and give somewhere for bacteria to grow. Use warm water and a smooth cloth.

Do you have a tap? If so I'd get a trial jar and pour a sample into that to take a reading, then discard. You'll not be exposing the beer at all then.

Svetti Arss

Just finished this kit and started drinking the proceeds last week. Nice stuff although the alcohol content turned out much higher than expected. Didn’t add anything to the kit so can’t explain why. OG 1060 / FG 1014 so near 7% acccounting for priming sugar.

Primary 10 Days
Secondary 13 days
Bottle Conditioned 21 days

slippy wicket

Svetti Arss wrote: »

Just finished this kit and started drinking the proceeds last week. Nice stuff although the alcohol content turned out much higher than expected. Didn’t add anything to the kit so can’t explain why. OG 1060 / FG 1014 so near 7% acccounting for priming sugar.

Primary 10 Days
Secondary 13 days
Bottle Conditioned 21 days

The one i used was from the Muntons Connoisseur range, for future reference is there more in the box than the can of wort mix ( sorry if this the wrong term, still a newbie )

Just from tasting the samples i have taken for hygrometer readings it is a strong beer.

Also would it be ok to return that sample to the rest of the beer. Have not done this but i hate wasting it.

Svetti Arss

slippy wicket wrote: »

The one i used was from the Muntons Connoisseur range, for future reference is there more in the box than the can of wort mix ( sorry if this the wrong term, still a newbie )

Just from tasting the samples i have taken for hygrometer readings it is a strong beer.

Also would it be ok to return that sample to the rest of the beer. Have not done this but i hate wasting it.

The kit contains two identical cans of Wort + 1 Sachet of yeast.

Forget how its tastes now. If you brew it correctly and condition it for long enough the finished product is likely to taste different.

I wouldn’t risk infecting your beer by adding back the contents of the sample jar. Besides you don’t need to take samples that often anyway. If you’re really concerned with wastage then get a refractometer.

slippy wicket

Svetti Arss wrote: »

The kit contains two identical cans of Wort + 1 Sachet of yeast.

Forget how its tastes now. If you brew it correctly and condition it for long enough the finished product is likely to taste different.

I wouldn’t risk infecting your beer by adding back the contents of the sample jar. Besides you don’t need to take samples that often anyway. If you’re really concerned with wastage then get a refractometer.

Thanks, last sample was 1020 so not long to go now.

I was wondering about castor or dark sugar for the bottles, could it improve or damage the taste if there is more molasses in the sugar.

Happy drinking with yours, i will have to try some of the beers on the next level up next.

joeKel73

Just checked on my Muntons Gold IPA there, it's down to 1.018, was 1.022 yesterday and started at 1.044 so coming along nicely.

Worryingly though, the consistence looks dodgy. It's not a consistent liquid, there seems to be tiny pics of white blobs throughout. I'm hoping this is the yeast still in solution and will drop out, haven't seen this is any of my previous (4) batches though...

slippy wicket

Bottled up the beer this evening, F.G. 1012, and added half a teaspoon of sugar to each b ottle.

Now just have to wait 2 weeks + to see how it conditions.

Happy days.