First Attempt - more newbie questions

[SquireKnott]

Hello, hope you can help with the following!

I've bought a Festival Endeavour kit yesterday and started it off today and, you've guessed it, I have questions.

The bloke in the shop was fantastic & a hive of information but a few things he said conflict with the instructions on the kit, so hopefully some of you can put my mind at ease (or maybe confuse me even more!).

Firstly, he advised me not to buy a heating belt yet as room temperature will be fine until winter - spend the money then if I'm still into it.
I explained the house isn't the warmest but he said that wouldn't be a problem, even in the night when it can get quite cold, however, the instructions say the fermentation bin should be kept warm constantly at between 20 & 25C.
Will it be ok at temperatures below this?

Instructions say add hops after 5 days then keg, barrel or bottle (I'm intending to bottle) 5 days after that provided SG reading has been stable for 48 hours (may take longer if below 20C which I suppose answers the previous question) so 10 days minimum, then leave bottles in a warm place for 14 days for secondary fermentation.
Again, the man in the shop suggested it could be ready in a week. This wasn't a deal breaker, 3 or 4 weeks + is fine but, could it be ready/drinkable after a week?

Regarding bottles, he advised me to buy cheap plastic sparkling water bottles and use them rather than buy from him which would be dearer - good advice or would it be worth spending the extra on proper glass bottles? Or is a barrel the way forward?
I picked up some flavoured sparkling water yesterday on the basis the kids might drink that rather than me pouring plain sparkling water straight down the sink, however, it then occurred to me that any flavour left behind might transfer to the beer - would it?
Would these be ok to use if I stuck them in the dishwasher and/or sterilised them before bottling?

Hydrometer - I just let this bob in the fermentation bin and the reading was 1042 - does that sound about right and is that the right way to do it or should I take a bit of the beer out to use the hydrometer?

Lastly, it's an hour since I put the lid on and I want to take it off to have a look/sniff - would this be a cardinal sin and spoil the beer?

[SquireKnott]

Also, are there any particular kits that could be ready really quickly? Bitter or lager.

[timbo41]

Hi and welcome to Jim's
18c will be fine, as long as there isn't too much variance.
The normal advice is don't bottle or keg until 3 consecutive hydrometer readings are constant, normally 2 - weeks, but you can't hurry nature!
Plastic bottles are fine, but if opened prior to bottling day will need sanitizing just to be safe. You seem to be spot on on everything else bar one.....leave it alone ....the more you open lid the more chance of an infection. Nothing will likely be visible for a few days anyhow, yeast goes through a lag phase.,reproducing like mad before really getting to work

[Jim]

As Timbo says, a steady temperature is more important than a high one. In fact I personally would never ferment at 25C unless I was deliberately trying to create a very fruity flavour (of course it depends what strain of yeast came with the kit, which you may never know). Lower fermentation temperatures generally favour a more neutral flavour in the finished beer, which is usually better.

[SquireKnott]

Thank you.

Impatience has kicked in already, I might do another tomorrow.

[Monkeybrew]

Thank you.

Impatience has kicked in already, I might do another tomorrow.

That's the idea

Welcome to JBK.

MB

[timbo41]

Another soldier Jim ...global domination beckons..( maniacal laughter)

[timbo41]

Also, are there any particular kits that could be ready really quickly? Bitter or lager.

Read first few pages of sticky in kit forum called Ditch's stout.....its legendary, and quite quick

[Jim]

Another soldier Jim ...global domination beckons..( maniacal laughter)

Yes, another one assimilated into the Borg........

[SquireKnott]

[img]http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu50 ... c1fa70.jpg[/img]

3 days in, the beer is on the left (the other is wine) and both look a but murky - is this how they should look?

[SquireKnott]

And how do I post pics?!

[timbo41]

Cant see pics, you have to post a few times before forum allows you(?).... but if its murky its probably fine....dude an analogy...if the Mrs was pregnant would you keep poking her in the guts....or would you let things take their natural course? Leave alone...you can kill a beer dead easy early on

[SquireKnott]

Cant see pics, you have to post a few times before forum allows you(?).... but if its murky its probably fine....dude an analogy...if the Mrs was pregnant would you keep poking her in the guts....or would you let things take their natural course? Leave alone...you can kill a beer dead easy early on

I've not been touching, just visiting

[Jim]

3 days in, the beer is on the left (the other is wine) and both look a but murky - is this how they should look?

Quoted to make pics appear - you need about 10 posts I think before you can do it.

EDIT: there was also a syntax error in the img tag.

[timbo41]

Cant see pics, you have to post a few times before forum allows you(?).... but if its murky its probably fine....dude an analogy...if the Mrs was pregnant would you keep poking her in the guts....or would you let things take their natural course? Leave alone...you can kill a beer dead easy early on

I've not been touching, just visiting

Pre natal visit?