Friary's first brew - Coopers English Bitter

[Friary]

Hi all,

Started my first ever brew last Sunday, using a Coopers starter kit with bottles and a Coopers English Bitter Kit. All seems to be going OK; it took a day or so for the airlock to start bubbling and by Wednesday was bubbling ever 12-ish seconds, now on Friday it's about every 30 seconds. Any thoughts if I can use the rate of bubbles as an indication as to when I should start using the hydrometer?

It's been between 22-26 degrees all week, except for the first couple of hours when I pitched the yeast at about 14 degrees before panicking and putting a brew belt on it. Anoyingly I didn't take the first hydrometer reading before fermentation, but reading the instructions it should have been about 1040 I think (using the 1kg of brewing sugar provided).

So, anyway, today I took my first reading using the hydrometer - 1012, so I think a little more time might be needed - I'm guessing something around 1008 might be OK. Will take another reading tomorrow to see what is happening... After taking the reading I couldn't resist drinking the contents of the hydrometer test tube, which tasted kind of like beer! Having said that, it was very gassy and has left a dry taste in my mouth - will this improve with more time, bottling and conditioning?

Looking forward to taking the next reading tomorrow and another sneaky taste...

[mickhew]

I've done loads of these kits, and they've all finished at around 1010. What I do, is drop the hydrometer in the f.v and leave it there, easier to check by lifting the lid every day. Conditioning in the bottle will improve the flavour. What you are tasting now , is nothing like how it will taste after conditioning. Taking a hydro reading at the beginning is not that important, I've never done it, as I've never wanted to calculate ABV.
Cheers

[Friary]

thanks mickhew, it's always good to have someone to reasure that it'll be OK! I might take advice about leaving hydrometer in FV next time, although I thought there would be less chance of infection if I simply drew some out of the tap. Also, I had to let it settle in the test tube before I could read it because it had a decent bit of froth on it.

So hopefully I'll be bottling in the next couple of days. My next worry is keeping the bottles warm enough to prime before conditioning. I'm going to buy a cheap room temperature thermometer today to check, but given the recent weather I recon room temperature when the heating is of hits around 14 degrees and I don't really want to keep it on all day for a week! Guessing the airing cupboard will probably be too warm. Am I right in thinking I need around 21 degrees for priming before conditioning? Any thoughts about how to maintain this for a week?

thanks.

[micromaniac]

thanks mickhew, it's always good to have someone to reasure that it'll be OK! I might take advice about leaving hydrometer in FV next time, although I thought there would be less chance of infection if I simply drew some out of the tap. Also, I had to let it settle in the test tube before I could read it because it had a decent bit of froth on it.

So hopefully I'll be bottling in the next couple of days. My next worry is keeping the bottles warm enough to prime before conditioning. I'm going to buy a cheap room temperature thermometer today to check, but given the recent weather I recon room temperature when the heating is of hits around 14 degrees and I don't really want to keep it on all day for a week! Guessing the airing cupboard will probably be too warm. Am I right in thinking I need around 21 degrees for priming before conditioning? Any thoughts about how to maintain this for a week?

thanks.

if you think the airing cupboard may be a little to warm leave the door open a little.dont know for sure if this will work cus ive never used one or even seen one but ,if you wrap the belt around the bottles then thru a blanket over them could this work ????

[Friary]

Well, I took a second reading with the hydrometer yesterday, which came out at 1012 again. I'll take another one later today to see if anything has changed... So, if it hasn't changed, given that it's been in the FV for 7 days, should I bottle tonight, or should I wait to see if it gets any lower to 1010-1008 (as micromaniac suggests)?

Should the liquid be very gassy still, or is this an indication that it hasn't finished fermenting?

Ahhhhggg, I'm getting really nervous now! First brew, please be OK

[scottmoss]

Hi,

If you have the same reading over 2 days then it sounds like the fermentation has finished. 1010 is not far from 1008 so I would bottle it personally.

The beer will be gassy as the yeast produce CO2 during fermentation so gas is formed, obviously not enough for a beer thats why you carbonate it during secondary.

[Friary]

thanks. I took a reading last night, which came out at 1009/1010, so down a bit. I also tasted again and it tasted much less gassy, which I hope is a good thing!

I think I'll take another reading tonight and probably bottle. Next to find that illusive 21 degrees for 2nd fermentation before it goes out to the garage for a month or so...

[Friary]

OK, beer was bottled on tuesday night and has been in the spare room in 'cool bags' and a sleeping bag, but because of the cold weather the thermometer has been reading around the 15 degree mark. I'm guessing this is not high enought, or would it just take longer for 2nd fermentation?

Anywho, just moved it (stll in cool bags) into the airing cupboard and will monitor the temperature. Am I right in thinking it really needs to be between 21 and 27 degrees for second fermentation in bottles, or are things a bit more flexible?

How do I know when the bottles have finished 2nd fermentation and are ready for conditioning in the garage?

Sorry for all the questions, but hopefully one day I'll be able to pass on some help to others when I've got a few brews under my belt...

[cwrw gwent]

Hi Friary,
I tend to leave my bottles in secondary fermentation at c18 to 21C for four or five days and this always does the trick. I would have thought that 27C is a wee bit high and maybe you should restrict the temperature to no more than 24C to get the best results. It wouldn't be a disaster at 27C but your beer may be thinner, more gassy, a bit overcooked and past its best too early. It's a problem I face whenever we have a really warm summer and there's nowhere cool to store your ale.

[Friary]

Have been checking the temperature over the last few days and it seems to be maintaining bang on 21 degrees in the airing cupboard in cool bags. Bottled one in a clear 500ml coke bottle so I could see what it's doing. Looks nice and clear and the bottle feels much firmer than it did before, so hopefully things are going OK...


Will probably give it until monday or tuesday and then move it to the garage or the spare room (and turn the heating off). Garage would save complaints from the misses, but what sort of temperature range is good for conditioning? I think we're getting more cold weather coming up...

[Friary]

Bottles made it into the garage tonight for priming. Now, can I keep my hands off them for 6 weeks?

...Leave them alone

...Leave them alone

...Leave them alone

...Leave them alone

...Leave them alone

[At. Ailbhe's Brewery]

Leave them alone Friary...

[mickhew]

Stick another brew on ASAP. When this one conditions, and you taste it, and like it, if you're like me, will be gone quickly. Then you'll be gutted if you run out. I HATE paying for expensive supermarket beer, when I run out!

[Friary]

I was planning to put another brew on soon, but I'm going to be away for a week in a couple of weeks when things start to become a little crutial! It would also be kinda cool to taste the first brew before putting another one on. Having said that, I totally agree with not wanting to pay for expensive supermarket beer, so hopefully I'll manage to get into a routine at some point and start storing a few beers.

Have put the misses into full on bulmers pear cider drinking mode so I have more bottles for the next batch - she doesn't appear to mind!

I guess I need to start thinking about which kit to try next...

[Friary]

So, just had the longest day euer at work, back late, no beer in the fridge... What can I say... I was weak. Opened a bottle. Sorry, let everyone down! Beer has little body and no head, tastes Ok, I'd be dissapointed if I bought this in a pub or bottle. Tastes better than my samples during fermentation, still a bit fizzy for my liking, but not as bad. Still leaves a slightly dry taste in my mouth and smells almost like watered down baileys! It's drinkable, but it needs to get better! Please tell me this will get better...