My First Brew!

[jdt199]

Right I Had a few hours to spare yesterday and got fed up with waiting for my Wherry kit to arrive from EasyBrew so popped down to my local home brew store and bought a Brupacks - Birky Bitter. I notices a few members here have done one and recommended it so here it goes...




1. Sterilized all Kit and put some water in by water cooler botttle to stand for a while (not sure if this is necessary to let the chlorine dissapate but thought I would do it anyway?



2. Warmed up cans of goo



3. Tin Contents In



4. Steeping the hop bag in the cans full of boiling water.


5. After adding the hoppy mixture and topping up with the water from the cooler bottle the SG (1.038) seemed a little low at 30 deg? Needs a stir though.


6. Yeast ready for pitching. Left in jar at 30 deg for half an hour doesn't seems like thier is much action except a small amount of fine bubble hope its OK?


7. Moved Upstairs to leave in resting place in 20 deg room.


8. Took a peep this morning and it appears to be doing fine.


I hope it works out OK think I could get into this home brewing if the final result tastes OK. Im quite a big ale drinker but if I can make a better ale eventually than the ones I normally buy and save a lot of money Im well up for it! Havn't got a keg yet. Think Ill put an order in to Hop ad Grape and hope it arrives in time for kegging. I think Ill give Easybrew a miss from now on!

[Danmet]

Hi, good luck - I've got a week to go before my first brew is ready, so fingers crossed!!

Good photos - wish I'd done the same!

[JayBee]

Great pics, looking good.

[Marts]

The way I understand it is that gravity reading from the hydrometer is accurate at 20 degrees. If it was 1038 at 30degrees then the actual SG will be higher than you read.

[sparky Paul]

At 30°C, you should add a couple of points to the gravity, so your 1038 at 30°C will equate to around 1040 at 20°C.

Everything looks great, good luck!

[jdt199]

Thanks for the hydrometer explaination guys. Ordered my budget keg from Hop and grape yesterday so Im all set. The fermentation seems to have calmed down a bit now but I notied the temp in the room has dropped a bit to around 18-19 deg over night I hope thats OK. After seeing so many posts on stuck fermentations I'm terrified it will happen to me!

[Ditch]

put some water in by water cooler botttle to stand for a while (not sure if this is necessary to let the chlorine dissapate but thought I would do it anyway?

I just bung half a crushed camden tablet in my water. Takes care of the chlorine in a Tommy Cooper.

[jdt199]

put some water in by water cooler botttle to stand for a while (not sure if this is necessary to let the chlorine dissapate but thought I would do it anyway?

I just bung half a crushed camden tablet in my water. Takes care of the chlorine in a Tommy Cooper.

Hmmm I'm a bit worried now as I only left the water for a couple of hours to stand (not really enought time to let the chlorine dissapate) and I read an old post saying that without leaving it to stand or using camden tablets the beers tastes crap. Hope this isn't the case??

[vinceg]

Hi mate, I preprared my first ever kit on Saturday night as well so we are in the same boat. How's yours looking tonight? I had the yeasty head that you showed in pic 8 but that head has now almost disappeared and now just looks like a scum on top of the beer and it's completely sill. Wonder if this is normal for 2 days in.

For the record I've got one of those little heating belt things round mine as the room's not that warm, so hope that's helping.

Any thoughts from any other forum members on this would be helpful.

[Parva]

You'll likely find the beer still tastes good, being a first brew and everything. Yes it'll likely be a bit better if you used the campden tablet but unless you have heavily chlorinated water I wouldn't let it worry you.

[sparky Paul]

Hmmm I'm a bit worried now as I only left the water for a couple of hours to stand (not really enought time to let the chlorine dissapate) and I read an old post saying that without leaving it to stand or using camden tablets the beers tastes crap. Hope this isn't the case??

As Parva says, unless you are unlucky enough to have particularly bad or heavily chlorinated/chloramined water, everything should be fine.

I never add campden tablets to the water, I'm lucky enough to not need to here - Campden shouldn't really be added as a matter of course, only if your water dictates that you actually need to. However, it seems to me that more and more people on the forum are having to take this measure to neutralise the chemicals being added to the water...

[EnglishBob]

got fed up with waiting for my Wherry kit to arrive from EasyBrew!

Well done with the first brew, mate....and welcome to a great hobby!

Also, if you are worried about chlorine in your water you could always use bottled still water like I do. I really noticed a cleaner, fresher taste when I use still water. i get mine from costcustters for £1.39 for 5 litres....and you can use the big plastic bottle as a cider fermentor afterwards! Ha ha!

Anyway, good luck....

EB

[fivetide]

It all looks great. By far the biggest effect you can now have on the quality of the final brew will be leaving it alone in the final barrel for at least four weeks. Hard, I know.

[mctoon]

It all looks great. By far the biggest effect you can now have on the quality of the final brew will be leaving it alone in the final barrel for at least four weeks. Hard, I know.

Thats the hardest part, patience

[jdt199]

Hi mate, I preprared my first ever kit on Saturday night as well so we are in the same boat. How's yours looking tonight? I had the yeasty head that you showed in pic 8 but that head has now almost disappeared and now just looks like a scum on top of the beer and it's completely sill. Wonder if this is normal for 2 days in.

For the record I've got one of those little heating belt things round mine as the room's not that warm, so hope that's helping.

Any thoughts from any other forum members on this would be helpful.

Nice one, Seems everybodys doin it! Yes mine calmed down after about 48 hours also. From what I've read it seems normal so I wouldnt worry. Keep us updated.