I am a Brewer

Buona Fortuna

Well of sorts anyway. Just did my first batch. Coopers Real Ale.

By the time I started I was a nervous wreck. I must have watched the video that came with it about 14 times. Craigtube does the same kit so what could go wrong? First thing the fermenter that comes with the Coopers kit is nothing like the one on YouTube, or anyother I've seen - no airlock, just a collar type of thing and a lid!

Anyway had to wait for Mrs F to go out, couldn't do it with 2 of us faffing. Off she goes and I set me water on the boil and the tin of concentrate heating. I set about cleaning all the kit. That done I look for the thermometer. I've lost the thermometer. Frantic 20 minutes to find it.

Now in all the run throughs I'd done in my head prior to today, I imagined the kitchen like an operating theatre - In reality it was like something out of Selwyn Froggett (you're probably all too young to remember).

Everying is in its at 20 degs C and the OG is 1040. Now I'm shattered and I could do with a beer but thats weeks away.

Thanks for listening.

loyatemu

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

Now I'm shattered and I could do with a beer but thats weeks away.

first rule of homebrewing - make sure you have some beer on hand to drink whilst you are doing it.

drumswan

loyatemu wrote: »

first rule of homebrewing - make sure you have some beer on hand to drink whilst you are doing it.

Snap, was just going to post the same

phelixoflaherty

At least you have started.
My kit is still in the press, taunting me whenever I go to get dog food

MonkstownHoop

phelixoflaherty wrote: »

At least you have started.
My kit is still in the press, taunting me whenever I go to get dog food

Same, for the life of me i can't get the time to get in the water needed, family need to stop getting sick and needy

Buona Fortuna

phelixoflaherty wrote: »

At least you have started.
My kit is still in the press, taunting me whenever I go to get dog food

Give it a go, what's to loose? Looking back on this afternoon I probably made every mistake possible but I could do a great job on the second one, and now its in and frothing up so .... fingers crossed

Buona Fortuna

I found this thread from a few years back quite useful, particularly the krausen kollar, your own sanitiser and not being too fussed about air getting in the top (that you can even brew topless which is just doubly interesting).

boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=72854634
sorry can't post links:(

I think this forum could do with some stickies The "How To" is fine but it's a bit of a mountain to wade all through, and its still growing.

Oh and another noob question. Some brewkits (on Brewwest) are 1.8Kg, some are 3.0Kg, some are 3.3 Kg. They all seem to make 40 pints. Should I care more about this information? Thanks in advance

BeerNut

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

Some brewkits (on Brewwest) are 1.8Kg, some are 3.0Kg, some are 3.3 Kg. They all seem to make 40 pints. Should I care more about this information?

1.8Kg kits require top-up fermentables: a kilo of spraymalt is best.

lee_baby_simms

haha Selwyn Froggett. There's some reference.

You can add dextrose in place of spraymalt, it's roughly a quarter the price, but your finished product will not be as pleasant. Spraymalt or lme (liquid malt extract) is are preferable.

Buona Fortuna

lee_baby_simms wrote: »

haha Selwyn Froggett. There's some reference.

You can add dextrose in place of spraymalt, it's roughly a quarter the price, but your finished product will not be as pleasant. Spraymalt or lme (liquid malt extract) is are preferable.

BeerNut wrote: »

1.8Kg kits require top-up fermentables: a kilo of spraymalt is best.

Thanks everyone. There's a lot of glossary and initials involved in brewing. I sometimes wonder how necessary they all are. Thanks for Liquid Malt Extract

So to add to a lighter/cheaper kit would be:

5 Table Sugar
4 Brown Sugar
3 Dextrose
2 Spraymalt
1 LME

Is that the order of preferance or are LME and Spaymalt the same thing or alternatives?

lee_baby_simms

I'm a relative beginner myself but from my limited experience:

LME usually comes in 1.5 kg cans, sometimes pouches. It's a heavy syrup similar to what was in the coopers can you used.

DME just has all the water removed. You need less DME than LME to achieve the same results. 80% approx (i think).

DME is usually more expensive but it keeps for longer and is not as messy.

LME can be of variable quality and freshness but its cheaper.

Dextrose, table/brown sugar will ferment out 100% whereas malt extracts do not. What they leave behind add pleasant quality to your beer. A malty flavour, nice mouthfeel. Using 100% sugar will give you a thinner more watery feeling beer in comparison.

beepbeeprichie

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

Thanks everyone. There's a lot of glossary and initials involved in brewing. I sometimes wonder how necessary they all are. Thanks for Liquid Malt Extract

Brewing is daunting at first but its really quite simple when you have the hang of it. Malt, hops, water and yeast is all you need do it so it can't be that complicated!
I recommend people try to graduate to all grain brewing quickly.its the closest you will get to drinking brewery made beer.you need more equipment and takesa little longer to make but tastes much better and is cheaper to make.I reckon its only about one euro per litre for all grain brewing.
malt extracts and dextrose etc are just ways of adding more sugar to an extract or kit brew. Its all unnecessary with all grain brewing.
I recommend buying the DK book Home Brew Beer by Greg Hughes, it explains the 3 different ways of brewing in a simple way with plenty of pictures.also lists loads of good recipes. And stay off you tube, learn your own style and methods, everyone brews in a slightly different manner.
At the end of the day all you are trying to do is make a sugary liquid, flavour it with hops and then add in some yeast, easy peasy

dukeellington

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

Thanks for listening.

Haha, really enjoyed reading that, I remember the panic I had doing my first brew without the faintest idea what I was supposed to be doing. I keep all my brewing notes and that first batch has about 10 pages of absolutely pointless worrying! The beer turned out to be terrible by the way. It spurred me on though!

My main panic was there didn't really seem to be a set of instructions that I could follow, but once you get going you'll find the most fun is having to actually do everything to figure out how it works.

My best advice though is buy (or make) a mash tun, after my first batch turned out terrible I was determined to get everything right. I'm sure not everyone will agree with me, but getting away from LME is great for me, you can get real super nerdy about designing your own recipes, controlling mash temp to alter your beer flavour and so on, it takes an hour or two longer on brew day, but it really isn't hard and is very satisfying!