Well, I had posted some recently about wanting to get a kit. I ended up getting a kit from Midwest, but I got the kit with the bucket primary/better bottle secondary (as opposed to better bottles for both). I also got a turkey fryer from walmart, which was delivered on Friday of last week. I had ordered the items Monday night so saw surprised. Even more surprising was when the Midwest shipment showed up on Saturday. I didn't expect a Saturday delivery, although it was great, so I didn't have all of my supplies ready.
So I had the time on Sunday, but had to wait until the afternoon. I was able to get the remaining items and start about 5:00. The first bit I had to put the fryer together, and then steep the grains, etc. I was trying a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone kit.
The boil went well, no boil overs although the hop pellets were messy when they went in and sort of broke up. The only thing I forgot was to put in a whirlfloc thing, but that is kind of minor.
I used a wort chiller for cooling and it cooled the wort down fast. Boiling to about 75 in under 20 minutes. I am boiling outside, so other methods using ice or frozen stuff wouldn't work so well for me. Siphoned to the bucket, agitated, poured in some White Labs California Ale yeast and tucket it away to ferment.
Monday evening it had begun bubbling through the airlock, and seemed to be done by Wed evening. I took a hydrometer reading tonight and it looks to be at the proper final gravity of 1.010 (started at 1.044), so I guess I will rack tomorrow or Saturday to secondary.
I tried to taste a little of it, but will get a better sample tomorrow, but it tasted nice and hoppy given it's youth. I'm happy that it has gone well so far, and look forward to making a second batch (and trying this first one).
Thanks to those who helped me out when I was asking questions. One thing I had forgotten to get was a good cylinder to hold a small sample for the hydrometer, without having to put it in the wort itself. Maybe not 100% necessary, but it's cheap enough to do if that means one less thing in the wort.
Thanks again, and here's to the next one.
So I had the time on Sunday, but had to wait until the afternoon. I was able to get the remaining items and start about 5:00. The first bit I had to put the fryer together, and then steep the grains, etc. I was trying a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone kit.
The boil went well, no boil overs although the hop pellets were messy when they went in and sort of broke up. The only thing I forgot was to put in a whirlfloc thing, but that is kind of minor.
I used a wort chiller for cooling and it cooled the wort down fast. Boiling to about 75 in under 20 minutes. I am boiling outside, so other methods using ice or frozen stuff wouldn't work so well for me. Siphoned to the bucket, agitated, poured in some White Labs California Ale yeast and tucket it away to ferment.
Monday evening it had begun bubbling through the airlock, and seemed to be done by Wed evening. I took a hydrometer reading tonight and it looks to be at the proper final gravity of 1.010 (started at 1.044), so I guess I will rack tomorrow or Saturday to secondary.
I tried to taste a little of it, but will get a better sample tomorrow, but it tasted nice and hoppy given it's youth. I'm happy that it has gone well so far, and look forward to making a second batch (and trying this first one).
Thanks to those who helped me out when I was asking questions. One thing I had forgotten to get was a good cylinder to hold a small sample for the hydrometer, without having to put it in the wort itself. Maybe not 100% necessary, but it's cheap enough to do if that means one less thing in the wort.
Thanks again, and here's to the next one.
I'd certainly get a tube when you get a chance. It's much easier to read from the tube. And, if you do happen to infect it, you ruined the amount in the tube, not the entire batch. 
