Preparations for 1st extract brew

[clatters69]

I've bitten the bullet and have ordered my new boiler, with other bits and pieces for an extract brew. I have had a good look through all the information I can find, but still have some questions, which hopefully one or more of you chaps and chapesses can help me with.

1) At what point do I add the half a crushed Campden tablet? When kit brewing I add before pitching the yeast, so would it be at the same point?

2) I'm making the Exe Valley Dobs recipe on page 147 of Graham Wheeler's book. I kick off with Fuggle and Golding hops then, for the last 10 minutes of the boil I add 'Some hops'. Is this a variey of hops or is it a reference to a combination of the previous two hops? Needless to say, Google provides millions of irrelevant answers and the people at Art of Brewing had never heard of it. What should I do?

3) I've ordered Brupak premium-grade malt extract - 2 tins thereof, but I would appreciate views on whether dried malt extract is superior, inferior or no different.

4) As for dry hopping, presumably I chuck a few hops into my top tap barrel and leave it there whilst the brew conditions. Will they sink or are they a possible cause of clogging to the float?

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

[WishboneBrewery]

1/ The Halt Crushed campden Tablet is to de-chlorinate your Tap water prior to boiling or using with your boiled wort.

Good Luck with your first brew, I did my second extract brew last Saturday, I'll probably do another in about a week

[OldSpeckledBadger]

1) Add the campden tablet as part of your initial water treatment before using the water for anything. What you've been doing is leaving it too late as the chlorine in the water will have had tome to react with the wort by the time you got round to adding the campden tablet.

2) I'd use a mixture of fuggles and goldings myself.

3) The informed opinion seems to be that totally fresh LME is superior to DME but DME has better keeping qualities so is superior to not-so-fresh LME.

4) Maybe put the hops in a muslin bag so they can't clog anything?

[WishboneBrewery]

4) Maybe put the hops in a muslin bag so they can't clog anything?

Or a Stainless Steel Tea Ball infuser (ebay's good for them)

[clatters69]

Thanks for all your replies. I'm going to fabricate a wort cooler over the weekend and then I'll be ready to go.