Made my first homebrew...

brianblaze

Okay, so I bought the starter kit on Homebrew, followed all the instructions to a tee, but... I forgot to add the brewing sugar, so I chucked it in at the end, after dissolving it in boiling water...

Will this give me a rubbish brew?



That's it after 5 hours, no 'head' as such on top of it or anything... Should I be worried, or will I just use it to strip paint off.

Fart

I think it should be ok.

The yeast just needs to be in contact with the sugars. You should try mixing it around without trying to add too much air to it, and perhaps, after this you can add more yeast to it?

With that said, I've only brewed twice and haven't done so in a couple of months. I must get back on the bandwagon.

adamski8

What you did is fine. Usually takes 24hr-48hr to get fermenting and see some head

brianblaze

Yep, it's starting to look a bit more like beer now! Can't wait to get into actually brewing stuff not from a pack. My brother makes stuff with his own home grown hops etc, so looking forward to making a few weird beers...

sharingan

brianblaze wrote: »

Yep, it's starting to look a bit more like beer now! Can't wait to get into actually brewing stuff not from a pack. My brother makes stuff with his own home grown hops etc, so looking forward to making a few weird beers...

Join him on a brew day and learn how he makes it.

You can learn a lot online, but the the process in its entirety can be a bit overwhelming to the novice. There are a lot of simple tricks and time savers that can make it all easier.

brianblaze

What's a good heating solution? Regular keg heat belt for €30 on eBay, but what's the even cheaper alternative?

BeerNut

brianblaze wrote: »

what's the even cheaper alternative?

Keeping your bucket in the house where it's plenty warm enough already.

Where are you keeping it that requires a heating belt?

brianblaze

BeerNut wrote: »

Keeping your bucket in the house where it's plenty warm enough already.

Where are you keeping it that requires a heating belt?

The house is generally 18/19 degrees. Seems that might not be warm enough for some brews. No hotpress sadly

BeerNut

18-19 is absolutely perfect.

brianblaze

Some of the recipes I'm looking at are 21-25? My Coopers kit says 21 up as well?

BeerNut

I'd strongly advise ignoring what kit instructions tell you.

Any temperature under 24 is fine. 18 is ideal. Under 16 and you just need to allow more time for fermentation to happen.

A brewbelt is more likely to harm your beer than help it, IMO.

brianblaze

BeerNut wrote: »

I'd strongly advise ignoring what kit instructions tell you.

Any temperature under 24 is fine. 18 is ideal. Under 16 and you just need to allow more time for fermentation to happen.

A brewbelt is more likely to harm your beer than help it, IMO.

Cool.
Cheers guys!

sharingan

BeerNut wrote: »

I'd strongly advise ignoring what kit instructions tell you.

Any temperature under 24 is fine. 18 is ideal. Under 16 and you just need to allow more time for fermentation to happen.

A brewbelt is more likely to harm your beer than help it, IMO.

+1 to everything that beernut said.

I only ever use my heating belt to finish off a beer that is in the last few gravity points of fermenting (which means I have to know where it will end up).

adamski8

The yeast produce their own heat so in a house that is 18 will have a temp of 24 or so in the brew which is probably what the kit is referring to

brianblaze

adamski8 wrote: »

The yeast produce their own heat so in a house that is 18 will have a temp of 24 or so in the brew which is probably what the kit is referring to

The thermometer strip read 18 and the 'head' on the wort has dissipated greatly. But since then I've wrapped it in a blanket and some tinfoil... Today is bottle day, so I'll update you guys later!

tteknulp

brianblaze wrote: »

The thermometer strip read 18 and the 'head' on the wort has dissipated greatly. But since then I've wrapped it in a blanket and some tinfoil... Today is bottle day, so I'll update you guys later!

Take a f.g reading ,make sure its finished expect 1008-1012 before bottling

brianblaze

All bottled up and ready to go. Roll on 3 weeks or so!

brianblaze

Also, now I've got my fermenting bucket etc, and a large carboy, what beer should I brew next. I think I want to step outside of the 'beginners kit' and into the 'beginners recipe' with actual hops etc....

Any ideas of a good recipe, with easily gotten ingredients?

BeerNut

Sounds like you're ready to start extract brewing. Do you have a boiler or large stockpot you can use?

brianblaze

I bought an 18litre pot from Heatons the other day especially for brewing!

BeerNut

brianblaze wrote: »

Any ideas of a good recipe, with easily gotten ingredients?

3kg of light DME, 500g of crystal malt, 100g of an American hop and US-05 yeast and you have a pale ale.

3kg of light DME, 500g of chocolate malt, 50g of an English hop and S-04 yeast and you have a porter.

Keep it simple, is main thing, I think.

brianblaze

One thing, filled the bottles, put in the carbonation drops, but the beer seems very flat... I'm assuming the carbonation drops fix thta? (Hopefully)

BeerNut

Yes, the beer will be flat until its conditioned.

How long did you ferment it for?

brianblaze

6 days, as recommended. But the reading was the same for two days in a row and it was spot on in the area marked 'bottle'

tteknulp

BeerNut wrote: »

3kg of light DME, 500g of crystal malt, 100g of an American hop and US-05 yeast and you have a pale ale.

3kg of light DME, 500g of chocolate malt, 50g of an English hop and S-04 yeast and you have a porter.

Keep it simple, is main thing, I think.

This is my next step also ,going to do extract as you have more control over finished beer,already bought grains and some malt

BeerNut

brianblaze wrote: »

6 days, as recommended.

By whom? The instructions? :rolleyes:

brianblaze wrote: »

the reading was the same for two days in a row

You should be OK for avoiding explosive bottles then, but the beer would have better if left for a bit longer. I'd say two weeks minimum to give the yeast time to clean up after itself once fermentation finishes.

brianblaze wrote: »

and it was spot on in the area marked 'bottle'

You should ignore everything on the hydrometer except the numbers.

darlett

Interesting thread! I'm dying to start my first home brew, but I'm just in the last couple of weeks before I hopefully complete on my first house and I understand brews don't appreciate being moved during the fermentation process. One of the main things I'm looking forward to is making and tasting my cold homemade house warming beers.

Got a Coopers lager and kit from Tesco-which is possibly an embarrassing admission but I had tried to go to a brewing shop only to find it no longer has a premises-internet only by now...and at the time I thought I would start the brew that very day. :rolleyes: ...well that never happened!

BTW I understand its worth buying bottled water as opposed to using tap water. Any particular brand?

BeerNut

darlett wrote: »

I understand its worth buying bottled water as opposed to using tap water.

Really? I'd say if your tap water is OK to drink it should be fine for making beer out of.

darlett

BeerNut wrote: »

Really? I'd say if your tap water is OK to drink it should be fine for making beer out of.

Thanks good to know. I've a friend whose based in Clonsilla who swears it makes a far superior brew-that could be partly psychological! It is drinkable-but not very nice at that, and his theory is that you shouldn't skimp on the main ingredient so he has been using cheap bottled water from the likes of Lidl or Aldi.

My gaff will be in Cavan-I guess I'll only know when I get the mains connected and turn on the taps.

matrim

brianblaze wrote: »

All bottled up and ready to go. Roll on 3 weeks or so!

Where did you get the 330ml swing top bottles?

BeerNut

matrim wrote: »

Where did you get the 330ml swing top bottles?

Flensburger Winterbock, at a guess.

brianblaze

BeerNut wrote: »

Flensburger Winterbock, at a guess.

This man knows his beer

adamski8

darlett wrote: »

his theory is that you shouldn't skimp on the main ingredient so he has been using cheap bottled water

ha, shouldnt he buyin the most expensive water so!

darlett

adamski8 wrote: »

ha, shouldnt he buyin the most expensive water so!

Avian? Cos hes worth it

I don't know I feel he has a point. I mean sometimes its quite easy to know if something is tap water is tap water, can taste a bit off, over chlorinated for example-drinkable but not great. I think most people can differentiate between that. Whereas in a taste test (now wouldnt that be exciting) I personally couldnnt tell the difference between volvic, ballygowan or cheap supermarket water.

tteknulp

darlett wrote: »

Thanks good to know. I've a friend whose based in Clonsilla who swears it makes a far superior brew-that could be partly psychological! It is drinkable-but not very nice at that, and his theory is that you shouldn't skimp on the main ingredient so he has been using cheap bottled water from the likes of Lidl or Aldi.

My gaff will be in Cavan-I guess I'll only know when I get the mains connected and turn on the taps.

Camden tablets work wonders on clorine and cloramines ,

Beernuts right if tap water tastes ok its good to go .

Carawaystick

brianblaze wrote: »

Also, now I've got my fermenting bucket etc, and a large carboy, what beer should I brew next. I think I want to step outside of the 'beginners kit' and into the 'beginners recipe' with actual hops etc....

Any ideas of a good recipe, with easily gotten ingredients?

If you've two vessels, you should consider batch priming, figure out how much sugar for the style and boil it in a similar weight water, add sugar solution to the fermenting bucket and rack the beer onto it.
Lots of threads on here about poor carbonation from drops

I'm in the tap water camp. If its alright in tea, it'll be fine.

brianblaze

Tested one of the bottles, tastes great!

Second one tasted great too...

Now how about this third one....

(Also, I have a stout in my fermenting bucket at the minute. Considering secondary fermentation in my new 21L carboy...)

00833827

Congrats on your brew, what kit was it?

tteknulp

brianblaze wrote: »

Tested one of the bottles, tastes great!

(Also, I have a stout in my fermenting bucket at the minute. Considering secondary fermentation in my new 21L carboy...)

With a stout i would not bother with secondary , unless your planing on dry hopping ?

its bitter enough already ,so leave it ,bottle it , enjoy : )

brianblaze

00833827 wrote: »

Congrats on your brew, what kit was it?

Coopers IPA

For the secondary fermentation of the stout I was thinking of adding in something flavourful, like a few cinnamon sticks maybe? Bad idea?

sharingan

brianblaze wrote: »

Coopers IPA

For the secondary fermentation of the stout I was thinking of adding in something flavourful, like a few cinnamon sticks maybe? Bad idea?

I have used cinnamon before in brews. You are going for a christmas beer or something like that?

Use 1 stick. Spicing beer is not the same as spicing food. Your beer can easily be overpowered by the seasoning. 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder added an obvious cinnamon flavour to 30L of very malty ginger beer that I made last year.

brianblaze

Went for secondary with half a Vanilla pod in there. And a few plums, halved... Only leaving it there for a few days, then bottling.

brianblaze

Hey guys... I'm not impressed with the plastic bottles that I got in, they seem to let the beer go flat unless you tighten them with some form of Vice Grip/ Action Man Kung Fu grip....

Where's the cheapest place to bulk order the flip top glass bottles?

tteknulp

brianblaze wrote: »

Where's the cheapest place to bulk order the flip top glass bottles?

Homebrew company or HBW €26 for 20 i think , i collected loads form buying grolsch or Flensbuger etc... another company allpack do them also.

loyatemu

or get yourself a crown capper and just collect 500ml bottles as you drink them. Vratislav lager is 99c in Tesco, perfectly drinkable, comes with a free bottle

can't see the point in buying empty bottles that cost as much as bottles with beer in them...

brianblaze

Bottle capper it is... Will cancel my trip to the recycling tomorrow!

loyatemu

also Lidl have Tyskie at 4 for €5 this weekend, better beer, and the bottles are brown (which I've read is better for beer than green though I've had no issues using the latter).

houbie

Hi All.

Another newbie to the brewing world here.
I have a coopers australian lager in the spare room fermenting nicely for the last 4 daysat 23 degrees.

Used 1kg dme and 200g sugar .. the og came out higher than expected at 1052 but im thinking thats due to the extra sugar i added?

Im in no rush with this beer .. im going to give it all the time it needs.
Im not going to use the supplied plastic bottels.. infact im not planning to use bottles at all.. im planning to buy a few 5liter mini kegs and this dispencer http://www.homebrewwest.ie/beer-king-co2-dispenser-tap-for-5-litre-mini-kegs-1616-p.asp


Do i need to do anything different when kegging the beer? i m planning to put beer straight from fermenter to keg when i reach fg.. keeping it at same temp for a week then storing in cooler room for few months... no priming sugar as im hoping the c02 bottle will carbonate my beer enough?


Looking forward to learning as much as i can about the process.

Thanks everyone

BeerNut

houbie wrote: »

the og came out higher than expected at 1052 but im thinking thats due to the extra sugar i added?

Yep.

houbie wrote: »

i m planning to put beer straight from fermenter to keg when i reach fg

No harm giving it an extra week or so at FG, just to let the yeast clean up a bit.

houbie wrote: »

keeping it at same temp for a week

You'll need longer than that to carbonate it. Two to three weeks, I'd say.

houbie wrote: »

no priming sugar as im hoping the c02 bottle will carbonate my beer enough?

It won't. You will need to prime.

houbie

cheers