Pivzavod

Recipes 

so i brewed my first batch of beer using the coopers micro brewery + european lager kit. i read a lot on the site about the brewing process and a lot of posts about how not to use kits instructions. with all the stuff i learned this is what i did:


i sanitized everything using the coopers sanitizer

i boiled 2 gallons of water and added malt extract and lowered the heat a little bit and waited 15 mins

i added brew enhancer 2 (sugar) that came with the kit and let it nearly boil for 15 mins while mixing everything.

i ran out of ice trying to cool down my primary which had 2 gallons of water (long story but i basically learned that if you try to get a few gallons from a fridge, which is filtered, it becomes warm so i had to put my wort into the fridge to cool it down (that took longer then i expected like 30 mins)

at the same time i got a cup of warm water (around 80F) and i added dry yeast into it. i was going to wait for 15 mins before adding wort to the primary with 2 gallons of water and pitching yeast but it was still too warm so i waited around 30 mins.

when the wort was warm to touch i added it primary and mixed temp was 82F and i aded the yeast and mixed it a lot to aerorate.

i took my hydrometer and the reading was 1.028 and i closed it up and added airlock.

the instructions that came with it said their yeast would work from 18-32C (64-90F) with optimum temperature being between 21-27C (70-80F)

my starting temperature was 28C (82F) so i wanted to cool it down to lower it. i used the new technique that i learned from this forum which was to use a few wet tshirts which i also put in the freezer for 10 mins. when i woke up in the morning the temperature is between 22-24C (71-75F) and i guess it will remain at this temperature from now on.

i noticed that the water bubble was pushed out a little bit when i got home tonight (23 hours or so from fermentation).

so what do you guys think?

__________________
Old school or the new, doesnt mean a thing if your heart's not true!

Primary: 04/29 Pomegranate Nectarine Apfelwein, 05/23 Petite Saison
Secondary:
Kegs drinking: AHS Midnight Wheaten Stout 03/18 - 04/14 - 04/28,
Kegs conditioning: 01/29 - 04/29 Cranberry Apfelwein, 04/29-05/23 Petite Saison
RIP: 11/07-11/28-01/29-05/04-11/17 Flanders Brown Ale

Bob

Recipes 

I think you're on track for beer! Well done!



Bob

__________________
http://www.reconstructinghistory.com

tdavisii

Recipes 

+1 to the above

Pivzavod

Recipes 

here is an update, i am home today and decided to move the primary a little bit (maybe a few inches on the counter), i also pushed airlock all the way in (1/2 an inch or so further) and that caused the monster to wakeup

__________________
Old school or the new, doesnt mean a thing if your heart's not true!

Primary: 04/29 Pomegranate Nectarine Apfelwein, 05/23 Petite Saison
Secondary:
Kegs drinking: AHS Midnight Wheaten Stout 03/18 - 04/14 - 04/28,
Kegs conditioning: 01/29 - 04/29 Cranberry Apfelwein, 04/29-05/23 Petite Saison
RIP: 11/07-11/28-01/29-05/04-11/17 Flanders Brown Ale

brewNdrink

Recipes 

Next time... if you can get the primary fermenting under 20C / 68F you'll have a much more tasty beer than a beer brewing at higher temps, especially for a lager.

Not to worry, it should still work out fine for you, but you'll notice a cidery/green apple taste when brewing at higher temps.

Cheers.
Tony.

__________________
FERMENTING: Mexican Cerveza
SECONDARY:
TAP-A-DRAFT: Coopers Stout, Honey Ale

Pivzavod

Recipes 

Its at around 75F now and I moved it upto my fridge. Should I try to keep it a little bit colder using ice tshirts? I can try to lower it to 72F or so, would that make a big difference?

__________________
Old school or the new, doesnt mean a thing if your heart's not true!

Primary: 04/29 Pomegranate Nectarine Apfelwein, 05/23 Petite Saison
Secondary:
Kegs drinking: AHS Midnight Wheaten Stout 03/18 - 04/14 - 04/28,
Kegs conditioning: 01/29 - 04/29 Cranberry Apfelwein, 04/29-05/23 Petite Saison
RIP: 11/07-11/28-01/29-05/04-11/17 Flanders Brown Ale

IFMracin

Recipes 

I was under the impression that you were to take the SG reading prior to pitching.

Bob

Recipes 

You can do either. I always recommend taking the OG reading before pitching, just in case you find you need to do something. Besides, there's usually a bit of wait-around time while the bitter wort is cooling; you can fill that time nicely by taking a reading. Plus it gets wicked Mad Scientist XP for using a scientific instrument! +10 XP if you're wearing a lab coat.



Bob

__________________
http://www.reconstructinghistory.com

michael88n

Recipes 

Great start!

Now wait three weeks. Then bottle!

Wait two weeks. Refrigerate. Drink after a day a so.

Put a couple of those 740ml bottles in a cool closet or basement and forget about them for a year.

Those bottles that you forget will be the best beer you have ever tasted.


Michael

__________________
Thinkin' 'bout makin': A summertime session beer.
Primary: 2x Apfelwien, London Pub Ale, Irish Stout
Bottled: Random Stuff, Barleywine, Blue Moon Clone, EW's Appfelwein.

Pivzavod

Recipes 

What I did overnight was to move the primary from my kitchen to my balcony. It is now at 70F and over the next few days should go down to 66-68F. Hopefully moving the primary did not do anything harmful to the wort. I still able to hear the activity in the airlock. I hope that having first 3 days at 75F and the remainder of 2 weeks at lower temperature will help the lager more.

ps. I took the cardboard box in which the brewery came in and now I am reusing it on my balcony. I cut a whole in it so that I can see a thermometer and the primary fits in it just fine. Talk about recycling

__________________
Old school or the new, doesnt mean a thing if your heart's not true!

Primary: 04/29 Pomegranate Nectarine Apfelwein, 05/23 Petite Saison
Secondary:
Kegs drinking: AHS Midnight Wheaten Stout 03/18 - 04/14 - 04/28,
Kegs conditioning: 01/29 - 04/29 Cranberry Apfelwein, 04/29-05/23 Petite Saison
RIP: 11/07-11/28-01/29-05/04-11/17 Flanders Brown Ale