Questions on somewhat vague instructions...

[surista]

Did my first homebrew a couple of months ago - I used Cooper's lager homebrew kit. I was very very pleased with the results, although the beer was a bit sweeter than I prefer. The beer was brewed in late May, and tasted absolutely fantastic in July and August. I was surprised, however, to find that once we got into September the beer does not taste good at all - I probably should have moved the bottles into the fridge or something in August when it tasted great; now it tastes....difficult to describe. Acidy? Very very rough.

Anyway - my question is about my second batch that I'm preparing now. The Cooper's kit adds sugar to the mix - and a friend of mine noted that 'beer made with sugar is what prisoners drink'. So I wanted to move up a bit in the process. I decided to try a pre-packaged recipe from The Brew UK store, specifically, the Golden Lager recipe.

My question is I don't quite understand the destructions:

Bring 6 litres of water to the boil and add the malt extract and 40g of the hops. Boil for 1 hour. Add 15g of hops and boil for a further 2 minutes. Add 8 litres of water to the fermenting bin then strain the boiled liquid into the water. Top up the fermenting bin to 5 gallon mark. Ideally pouring the remaining water through the strainer to extract maximum flavour from the hops.

So add the liquid extract and 40g of the hops to 6 litres of boiling water, got it. After an hour, add 15g of hops, boil two more minutes. Put 8 litres into the fermenting bin, add in the boiled water, then add 8 more litres of water to the bin - but why would I pour the regular water through the strainer?

Add the yeast when the liquid has cooled, if in doubt use a thermometer to check the temperature.

What temperature should the liquid be at before adding the yeast?

Take a hydrometer reading and record starting gravity. Place a clean tea towel over the top of the fermenting bin then place the lid loosley on top. Move to a suitable area in the house and leave until fermentation is complete. This beer will benefit from a secondary fermentation in a closed container for 2/3 weeks at 10C but we have had great results omitting this and bottling after fermentation

The loose lid bit through me - wouldn't that expose the mixture to O2, which I thought was bad? My fermenting bin from the Cooper's kit has an airlock; I assume I can tighten the kit normally and Co2 will escape through the airlock?

The recipe kit comes with 300ml of dried malt extract for bottling - how exactly do I use the dried malt? I also have some Cooper's carbonation drops; could I just add one of the drops instead of the dried malt? Will there be any difference in carbonation or taste?

Thanks in advance - I'm reading everything I can find but am still a bit unsure of everything....

[Mogwyth]

Did my first homebrew a couple of months ago - I used Cooper's lager homebrew kit. I was very very pleased with the results, although the beer was a bit sweeter than I prefer. The beer was brewed in late May, and tasted absolutely fantastic in July and August. I was surprised, however, to find that once we got into September the beer does not taste good at all - I probably should have moved the bottles into the fridge or something in August when it tasted great; now it tastes....difficult to describe. Acidy? Very very rough.

Anyway - my question is about my second batch that I'm preparing now. The Cooper's kit adds sugar to the mix - and a friend of mine noted that 'beer made with sugar is what prisoners drink'. So I wanted to move up a bit in the process. I decided to try a pre-packaged recipe from The Brew UK store, specifically, the Golden Lager recipe.

My question is I don't quite understand the destructions:

Bring 6 litres of water to the boil and add the malt extract and 40g of the hops. Boil for 1 hour. Add 15g of hops and boil for a further 2 minutes. Add 8 litres of water to the fermenting bin then strain the boiled liquid into the water. Top up the fermenting bin to 5 gallon mark. Ideally pouring the remaining water through the strainer to extract maximum flavour from the hops.

So add the liquid extract and 40g of the hops to 6 litres of boiling water, got it. After an hour, add 15g of hops, boil two more minutes. Put 8 litres into the fermenting bin, add in the boiled water, then add 8 more litres of water to the bin - but why would I pour the regular water through the strainer? It's the 6 litres +malt + hops that you are straining. So 8 litres of Water, strain the 6 litres in top up to 5 gallons/23litres

Add the yeast when the liquid has cooled, if in doubt use a thermometer to check the temperature.

What temperature should the liquid be at before adding the yeast?
between 65 and 73 Fahrenheit

Take a hydrometer reading and record starting gravity. Place a clean tea towel over the top of the fermenting bin then place the lid loosley on top. Move to a suitable area in the house and leave until fermentation is complete. This beer will benefit from a secondary fermentation in a closed container for 2/3 weeks at 10C but we have had great results omitting this and bottling after fermentation

The loose lid bit through me - wouldn't that expose the mixture to O2, which I thought was bad? My fermenting bin from the Cooper's kit has an airlock; I assume I can tighten the kit normally and Co2 will escape through the airlock?

Some do use a loose lid I always prefer to use an airlock to be safe.

The recipe kit comes with 300ml of dried malt extract for bottling - how exactly do I use the dried malt? I also have some Cooper's carbonation drops; could I just add one of the drops instead of the dried malt? Will there be any difference in carbonation or taste?

In my opinion it makes little difference, some say that can taste the small amount of sugar you us for priming, others reckon that using malt makes for a softer carbonation, which is plausible as malt ferments less than sugar

Thanks in advance - I'm reading everything I can find but am still a bit unsure of everything....

Hope that helps

Cheers

Bill

[surista]

Put 8 litres into the fermenting bin, add in the boiled water, then add 8 more litres of water to the bin - but why would I pour the regular water through the strainer?
It's the 6 litres +malt + hops that you are straining. So 8 litres of Water, strain the 6 litres in top up to 5 gallons/23litres

What temperature should the liquid be at before adding the yeast?
between 65 and 73 Fahrenheit

The loose lid bit through me - wouldn't that expose the mixture to O2, which I thought was bad? My fermenting bin from the Cooper's kit has an airlock; I assume I can tighten the kit normally and Co2 will escape through the airlock
Some do use a loose lid I always prefer to use an airlock to be safe.

The recipe kit comes with 300ml of dried malt extract for bottling - how exactly do I use the dried malt? I also have some Cooper's carbonation drops; could I just add one of the drops instead of the dried malt? Will there be any difference in carbonation or taste?
In my opinion it makes little difference, some say that can taste the small amount of sugar you us for priming, others reckon that using malt makes for a softer carbonation, which is plausible as malt ferments less than sugar

Bill - many thanks, that makes a lot more sense.

Just realized the pan I was planning on using fits six litres...but won't fit the two litres of liquid malt.... will have to do some shopping tomorrow...

If I could, one more question: As I did last time, I'm planning on fermenting in the plastic fermenting bin for a week or so, then bottling. Any benefit to moving to a second fermenting bin for a few more weeks before bottling?

[Mogwyth]

I don't know about leaving it in a secondary fv for several weeks, not something I do. I will decant to secondary fv to add the priming sugar to the whole rather than the bottles, but then it gets bottled straight away.

[mickhew]

Loose lids are o.k, the beer won't be exposed to oxygen. As fermentation starts the C02 will stay above the beer, as it's heavier than air, and will protect it, like a blanket. All you have to do, is stop things falling into it. Some people use a towel draped over, with no problems. If you have an airlock might as well use it, as this is the best way, but not essential. I've done around 20 kits with a loose lid, no problems so far.

[EoinMag]

I don't know about leaving it in a secondary fv for several weeks, not something I do. I will decant to secondary fv to add the priming sugar to the whole rather than the bottles, but then it gets bottled straight away.

What you are describing is a bottling bucket, not a secondary FV as you are not fermenting in it, just using it to bottle and to mix the priming sugar consistently.

[Jack Hackett]

So add the liquid extract and 40g of the hops to 6 litres of boiling water, got it. After an hour, add 15g of hops, boil two more minutes. Put 8 litres into the fermenting bin, add in the boiled water, then add 8 more litres of water to the bin - but why would I pour the regular water through the strainer?

strain the wort+hops into your FV, leave the strainer in place with the collected hops in it, then strain your remaining water through the hops to extract more hop flavour to the wort/liquor already in your FV

[Mogwyth]

I don't know about leaving it in a secondary fv for several weeks, not something I do. I will decant to secondary fv to add the priming sugar to the whole rather than the bottles, but then it gets bottled straight away.

What you are describing is a bottling bucket, not a secondary FV as you are not fermenting in it, just using it to bottle and to mix the priming sugar consistently.

Just because I use it to bottle with does not stop it being a secondary fermenting vessel, a car doesn't become a bedroom if you sleep in it

[surista]

So add the liquid extract and 40g of the hops to 6 litres of boiling water, got it. After an hour, add 15g of hops, boil two more minutes. Put 8 litres into the fermenting bin, add in the boiled water, then add 8 more litres of water to the bin - but why would I pour the regular water through the strainer?

strain the wort+hops into your FV, leave the strainer in place with the collected hops in it, then strain your remaining water through the hops to extract more hop flavour to the wort/liquor already in your FV

Sound of me doing the homebrewer's salute (hand hitting forehead...).

Was able to pick up a 13-litre stainless steel pot for 30 quid this morning; it was on sale and a great deal, given the other pots on sale of the same size for 75-80 Gbp. They also had a 50-litre (!!) catering-use kettle for 100 pounds that my wife, bless her, said I should get - but that seemed a bit overboard.

Unfortunately I forgot to pick up a thermometer, so I'll have to guestimate a bit on when the mixture hs cooled to 65-73 F.

One final question - how should I take the initial hydrometer reading? Is it just a matter of putting the yeast in, closing everything up, and drawing a small portion out?

Am sterilizing everything now - my kit has sodium metabisulphite, which I guess has to be rinsed off. Will definitely get a no-rinse sterilizer next time....

[Jack Hackett]

Take your first hydrometer reading before adding the yeast.
You really do need a thermometer because adding the yeast to wort that is too warm can kill the yeast.

[surista]

Well, everything went mostly OK. I had a bit of boil over when I was caught offguard at how fast boil over could happen - yikes. It looks like a bit of extract burnt to the bottom of the pot; hadn't expected that, hopefully the beer won't end up with any burnt taste.

Getting a big enough strainer is going to be my next priority. I used a cotton muslin strainer by placing it over the FV and using a rubber band to secure it over the opening. It worked pretty well but took along time. Maybe should not have folded it into two.

I put in the yeast when I thought the mixture was at about 23 C., but it looks like it was probably closer to 26 degrees. That's about 78-79 F, which might be on the high end, but hopefully didn't kill the yeast

It's in the FV now with airlock in place, no bubbly yet but hopefully by the time I wake up tomorrow. The OG (after the yeast was in - I didn't see the reply to take the reading before the yeast...) was about 1054, or 1056 (give or take) after adjusting for temperature.

Lessons learned:
- The hops were -really really- hard to break apart for weighing. I was about to pull out a chainsaw.
- Boil-over happens -fast- right after the hops go in; watch it like a hawk unless you enjoy cleaning your stove.
- Get a proper thermometer
- Need to get a bigger strainer
- no-rinse sterilizer isn't a necessity, but would be a nice-to-have

[surista]

Quick update; the yeasties were doing their thing when I woke up this morning, so looks like things were OK even with the slightly higher temperature.