New to brewing, lots of questions (brooklyn brewshop)

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IPAddict

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My girlfriend got me a 1 gallon all grain kit from Brooklyn Brewshop. I've never brewed before, but always wanted to. My old neighbors would do it pretty regularly, and my cousin used to as well. My neighbors would let me watch, and I've seen the Brewmasters series as well as the Good Eats episode on brewing. I've read stuff on here and read the book associated with the kit I have. That's gives you an idea of my knowledge of brewing; not much at all and no actual experience. So I have a lot of questions.

First off, here's what I have.

What was included in the kit:
dsc05531-56690.jpg

This includes a 1 gallon glass carboy, racking cane with cap, thermometer, airlock, cbrite sanitizer, carboy stopper, tubing and clamp, and ingredients for their IPA.

The book:
dsc05532-56691.jpg

It has an intro, goes over the equipment included and what you'll need to get yourself, has a bit on beer styles, a section that goes over the process of making beer, and a bunch of different beer recipes.

What I picked up:
dsc05538-56692.jpg

Hydrometer, io-star sanitizer, wine theif, bottle capper, bottle caps, and a funnel. The rest of the equipment needed I already have in the kitchen.

So I read the book for this kit a bunch of times and I really think I got the basics down pretty well. I've found some threads on here about 1st brews with this kit. Seems to be the general consensus is that these kits are very basic and are a great way to get started brewing. Since they're very basic, people seem to frown upon some of the directions given with the kit. I've looked around here, and compared some things I read here to the directions from the kit. So naturally I have a heap of questions.

Ok, here are the questions:
  1. Book says for the mash, you use 1 qt of water per 1 lb of grain. Is that true?

  2. For the mash, what's the best way to manage the water amount? How do I make sure there's enough, but not too much? The book says to add 2 oz at a time if it starts to look too dry or if the temp gets too high (past 150 deg F). What if adding water to cool it will make the consistency have too much liquid? I don't have a good understanding of this.

  3. When sparging, the book says to pour water through the grains 2 times only. Is this correct?

  4. How would I know how much water to use for sparging based off how much I have from steeping the mash?

  5. If I were to use whole hops, the book says to add about 25% more weight in the recipe, is this true? More? Less?

  6. Side question: do whole (fresh) hops need to be "opened up" or milled? Or would they just get thrown in as is? Is it a good idea to do that with pellets? Should I break those up?

  7. Book says to cool the wort to 70 deg F after the boil. Then it says to replace the ice/water used to cool it, to make it cool faster. Is 70 deg F what we want to start fermentation or keep going down?

  8. I bought a wine thief, but it doesn't fit in the carboy. To get a sample for the hydrometer, can I use a turkey baster or similar item if it's sanitized? How much liquid do I need to get a proper reading? Filled up close to the top?

  9. I've heard of a refractometer. What's better, that or a hydrometer?

  10. Priming sugar. They say to use 3 tbsp of honey. Is 3 tbsp pretty standard? Does the sugar ingredient impact the flavor at all? Is plain granulated sugar better, as to not really give of a flavor? Something else?

  11. What's the amount of bottling sugar per amount of beer? The book says if it's "too sticky" to add more water. Should I be very cautious about adding too much water?

  12. Book says in 1 gal batches, to use 1/2 the yeast bought for a 5 gal batch. Is that true? If so, why wouldn't it be 1/5?

  13. After adding the yeast, it says to cover the top with your hand and shake
    to wake up the yeast and promote activity. Should I be using my hand, or a cap instead? The sanitizer says to avoid contact with skin, so if I use my hand, should I be wearing a glove? Sanitize the glove? Does skin contact not matter after the sanitizer's been diluted (meaning it's now a solution)?

  14. When fermenting, should I use the tubing in a dish of sanitizing solution and then the airlock? Or just the airlock?

  15. When using the airlock, does it matter if it's filled with water instead of sanitizing solution?

  16. How does an airlock release co2 since it has a lid on? Does the lid just pop off? Or does it not release enough co2 at that point to be an issue? This logistically confuses me.

  17. When/after fermenting, the yeast that has settled (the trub), is that yeast dead?

  18. When bottling, should I mark beforehand where 12 oz is (or 22 oz, or whatever volume the bottle is) and fill to there? The book says to stop 1" from the top. Is that ok, even though bottles come in different shapes (long necks vs the short fat ones)?

  19. When setting the filled/capped bottles in a cool, dark place, what temp is ideal? Should I cover them with a blanket or something?

  20. The book says it's ready 2 weeks after bottling. Is this correct? More? Less? Any way to tell?

  21. Determining the life of a bottled beer: how long will it last? How should you store it to last the longest?

  22. I bought another sanitizer (Io-star) from the local hombrew shop (a shopkeep and a customer recommeded this over starsan). What should I do with the c-brite? Use it for the airlock? Get rid of it? Hold on to it?

  23. At what point to you need to sanitize items that come into contact with your "beer"? When it's considered wort (after the sparge)? After it's been boiled? Sometime else?

  24. What's the best way to sanitize? Do I just let it soak, no scrub or anything like that? Directions on the bottle just say to give it 1 minute of contact time, so not long.

  25. What's the best place to do the sanitizing? Fill a sink? Fill a tub? Fill a bucket?

  26. Does a spray bottle of sanitizing solution actually come in handy? Or should I just ignore that?

  27. Side question, do mash paddles need to be sanitized? If so, before and after use, or one or the other?

  28. Should I be wearing gloves at the point where I need to be worrying about sanitation?

  29. Does no-rinse sanitizer have any effect on the taste (even a slight one)? Any other effect? This is assuming there might be just a tad in the bottle, although I highly doubt there will be any at all.

    *Including the question # with your answer would be appreciated, thanks
    *Feel free to include links to any thread you'd consider suggested reading

I got the wiki/faq bookmarked and I'll be using the search bar plenty. I know that my brew will most likely turn out just fine and taste good. I'm not really worried about that. I'm taking this seriously and unless I have some godawful experience when doing this, I'm assuming I will upgrade to a 5 gal system when my situation allows (limited space, time, and money right now). Before I start this, I would like to make sure I have a clear understanding of it. While I should be satisfied with the final result, I'd like to minimize any error. I'd like to start this off right. So, any advice?

Any feedback, advice, and comments are much appreciated, thanks!
 
1 I use 1.5qts water to1 lb of grain

2. I would only add water to adjust temp
3. I batch sparge so I drain first runnings then measure volume. Then sparge with the difference between pre boil volume an what I collects from 1st runnings
4. Some add more hops when using whole but it really depends on alpha acids of hops used and how many ibu you want.
5. No don't break hops up just toss then in
6. Pitch yeast at 70F is general recommendation but ideally you want to ferment in the ideal temp range for type of yeast using. Most yeast companies list the ideal temps on their website.
7. I use the outer tube of my racking cane to collect wort for hydrometer sample
8. I prefer to use a hydrometer as a refractometer is inaccurate with alcohol present
9. Priming sugar I believe is generally 1oz./gallon of beer not positive on that one.
10. I would cap and shake if you can't stir it with a spoon. Sanitizer properly diluted wont harm your skin
11. I use a blowoff tube for the first few days ten swap it out for an airlock.
12. If a 3 piece airlock the floating piece will rise enough to vent co2 out the. Fall back in place to seal fermenter.
13. No the yeast in your trub are mostly alive still.
14. I use a bottling wand fill to top of bottle then when removed it leaves proper headspace.
15. 2 weeks is general accepted but really depends in the style if beer. Heavier beers will take longer.
16 c-brite is a cleaner not a sanitizer.
17. Everything should be "cleaned" first the. Sanitized.
18 yes spray bottle very handy.
19. I don't wear gloves some do some don't your choice.
20. Star San when diluted leaves no taste not sure on other no rinse sanitizer I use star San.
Hope that covers your questions.
Happy brewing
Caution hobby is highly addictive.
 
7.) Like previous poster commented, look at the directions on the yeast package. Pitching the yeast into wort that is TOO hot will kill the yeast, TOO cold and they will not be activated efficiently. (Additonal advice that I learned the hard way, KEEP THE FERMENTING BEER in the correct temperature range!!) Too hot and you get fruity esters and phenols being produced and they can adversely affect the flavor of your beer.

10.) Dextrose (corn sugar) is readily available at your LHBS, table sugar is fine too, as far as honey is concerned, I am not sure of the amount. (1 oz. per gallon for corn sugar)

13.) I would recommend sanitizing the cap, putting it on and swirling the wort mixture around for a minute or so before pitching the yeast. Also make sure when you dump the cooled wort into the jug that you make sure to splash it (into the jug of course!) and aerate it as much as possible. (this is the only time that you want to introduce oxygen into the wort as it helps the yeast get kick started.)

14.) Being that you are doing a one gallon batch, when the fermentation starts it can sometimes produce a lot of krauesen on top that can bubble up and clog your airlock (this can be very messy and disastrous as it can cause an explosion of sorts.) so I would agree to do the blowoff setup (hose into the bucket of sanitizer) until things calm down and then replace with the airlock.

15.) Sanitizer or vodka in the airlock, regular water can get bacteria baddies in it and possibly infect the batch. You want something in the airlock that critters can not grow in.

17.) The yeast sitting in the bottom (trub) is merely dormant. My understanding is that can eventually die.

18.) If that works for you then do it, but the important thing is to leave the 1 inch of headspace at the top of the bottle to minimize the amount of oxygen contact with the beer.

19.) Keep the bottled beer in the same temperature range that you did for the fermentation, and after 2 wks or so, you should bring the temp down (either in the fridge or someplace where it will be cooler, as this cooling will help clear the beer and blend the taste effectively.

20.) More or less, 2 wks is the norm, but only time will tell. Make sure to write everything down though, as this is a learning process. The nice thing about the beer is that you will drink some after 2 wks, write down what it tastes like. Then when you drink some more at 3 wks, write down if it tastes better or worse, etc....

23.) Technically after the wort is boiled, anything that comes into contact with it should be sanitized (I even treat the boiling wort carefully and with sanitized equipment when possible)

25.) I use my 6.5 gallon bottling bucket with 5 gallons of sanitizer in it on brew day and racking days (I do not need the bottling bucket until later anyway)

26.) A portion of the sanitizer in the bucket above is put into a spray bottle (this is your best friend)

29.) The only sanitizer that I use is StarSan and when mixed properly, adds no adverse flavors to the beer ( it actually helps the yeast ). It will foam, and you can mix beer right with the foam (DONT FEAR THE FOAM!!!)
 
Ok. First things first. Sit down, relax, breathe, and have a good beer, or two

IPAddict said:
[*]Book says for the mash, you use 1 qt of water per 1 lb of grain. Is that true?
I average 1.5qt/lb depending on the grains.

[*]For the mash, what's the best way to manage the water amount? How do I make sure there's enough, but not too much? The book says to add 2 oz at a time if it starts to look too dry or if the temp gets too high (past 150 deg F). What if adding water to cool it will make the consistency have too much liquid? I don't have a good understanding of this.
As far as the mash looking too high, with 1.5qt/lb you should be well over the grain bed and shouldn't have to worry about the grain drying. I typically mash higher and shoot for 153.

[*]When sparging, the book says to pour water through the grains 2 times only. Is this correct?
I batch sparge as well as the previous poster. After you collect your first rubbings adjust the second amount you put in accordingly.

[*]How would I know how much water to use for sparging based off how much I have from steeping the mash?
See above.

[*]If I were to use whole hops, the book says to add about 25% more weight in the recipe, is this true? More? Less?
Depends on the alpha acids of the hops. 90% of the time I use whole hops and 25-50% seems reasonable.

[*]Side question: do whole (fresh) hops need to be "opened up" or milled? Or would they just get thrown in as is? Is it a good idea to do that with pellets? Should I break those up?
For both whole and pellet, just toss them in.

[*]Book says to cool the wort to 70 deg F after the boil. Then it says to replace the ice/water used to cool it, to make it cool faster. Is 70 deg F what we want to start fermentation or keep going down?
Depending on the yeast, 70is where most yeasties are happy, especially good ole 'Merican ale yeasts.

[*]I bought a wine thief, but it doesn't fit in the carboy. To get a sample for the hydrometer, can I use a turkey baster or similar item if it's sanitized? How much liquid do I need to get a proper reading? Filled up close to the top?
Sure, a sanitized turkey baster will work just fine. All you need is for the hydrometer to not rest on the bottom of your vessel. If you fill it to the top you'll overflow it. Any beer that spills is wasted beer. That's like wasting air, money, etc. perhaps even worse.

[*]I've heard of a refractometer. What's better, that or a hydrometer?
I like a hydrometer.

[*]Priming sugar. They say to use 3 tbsp of honey. Is 3 tbsp pretty standard? Does the sugar ingredient impact the flavor at all? Is plain granulated sugar better, as to not really give of a flavor? Something else?
3tbsp sounds good.

[*]What's the amount of bottling sugar per amount of beer? The book says if it's "too sticky" to add more water. Should I be very cautious about adding too much water?
Too sticky? I don't understand this logic.

[*]Book says in 1 gal batches, to use 1/2 the yeast bought for a 5 gal batch. Is that true? If so, why wouldn't it be 1/5?
1/2 will work fine. I'd use something like US-05 and dump 1/4 to 1/2 a packet.
[*]After adding the yeast, it says to cover the top with your hand and shake
to wake up the yeast and promote activity. Should I be using my hand, or a cap instead? The sanitizer says to avoid contact with skin, so if I use my hand, should I be wearing a glove? Sanitize the glove? Does skin contact not matter after the sanitizer's been diluted (meaning it's now a solution)?
I've never seen the gloved statement. I often sanitize my hands when handling stuff. Never had a problem. I use Starsan.

[*]When fermenting, should I use the tubing in a dish of sanitizing solution and then the airlock? Or just the airlock?
For the most part I just use an airlock, but have 30% higher volume of vessel than wort.

[*]When using the airlock, does it matter if it's filled with water instead of sanitizing solution?
Use a sanitizing solution. Or vodka.

[*]How does an airlock release co2 since it has a lid on? Does the lid just pop off? Or does it not release enough co2 at that point to be an issue? This logistically confuses me.
The co2 raises up the little cap and let's bubbles out. There are small holes in the outer cap that let the co2 escape.
[*]When/after fermenting, the yeast that has settled (the trub), is that yeast dead?
Still very much alive and ready for your next batch of beer. Search yeast washing for instructions.

[*]When bottling, should I mark beforehand where 12 oz is (or 22 oz, or whatever volume the bottle is) and fill to there? The book says to stop 1" from the top. Is that ok, even though bottles come in different shapes (long necks vs the short fat ones)?
When your bottling wand is in the bottle and you're filling it, the volume of the wand will reduce the volume of the bottle almost perfectly. I fill until the bottle is full and when I remove the wand it is right about an inch below.

[*]When setting the filled/capped bottles in a cool, dark place, what temp is ideal? Should I cover them with a blanket or something?
70 is good. Keep them out of light. I put mine in recycled 12 or 24 packs.

[*]The book says it's ready 2 weeks after bottling. Is this correct? More? Less? Any way to tell?
Open one at two weeks after refrigerating. If its carbonated enough then you're good to go. I recommend at least 3 weeks for all beers.

[*]Determining the life of a bottled beer: how long will it last? How should you store it to last the longest?
1 gallon is about 10 bottles. That wouldn't last me very long. ::ban::

[*]I bought another sanitizer (Io-star) from the local hombrew shop (a shopkeep and a customer recommeded this over starsan). What should I do with the c-brite? Use it for the airlock? Get rid of it? Hold on to it?
See other posters statement above.

[*]At what point to you need to sanitize items that come into contact with your "beer"? When it's considered wort (after the sparge)? After it's been boiled? Sometime else?
After its cooler than 160 degrees generally. For me, after I kill my flame anything touching my wort gets a wholesome helping of starsan. Tip: mix a spray bottle of starsan. That way you can spray stuff down.

[*]What's the best way to sanitize? Do I just let it soak, no scrub or anything like that? Directions on the bottle just say to give it 1 minute of contact time, so not long.
I rarely make it a minute. Usually probably closer to 10 seconds. I put both ends of my auto syphon in a bucket and pump it all around. I fill my thief then empty it. Etc. a bucket o starsan is a brewers best friend.
[*]What's the best place to do the sanitizing? Fill a sink? Fill a tub? Fill a bucket?
See above.

[*]Does a spray bottle of sanitizing solution actually come in handy? Or should I just ignore that?
See above

[*]Side question, do mash paddles need to be sanitized? If so, before and after use, or one or the other?
Nope. Clean yes, which I usually use starsan after, but anything your prior to boiling will die from the temps.

[*]Should I be wearing gloves at the point where I need to be worrying about sanitation?
Nope.

[*]Does no-rinse sanitizer have any effect on the taste (even a slight one)? Any other effect? This is assuming there might be just a tad in the bottle, although I highly doubt there will be any at all.
Nope.

Brewing should be a very enjoyable, RELAXING, experience.

Oh, and I predict you'll be doing 5gal by your next brew.
 
Question 15 (I believe) regarded the airlock. Take a close look. The top has holes in it. It will keep large objects like dust bunnies and spiders, etc. out of the airlock while allowing CO2 to vent.

Take a deep breath. You're going to be fine. Keep things reasonably clean (you don't have to be crazy) and everything will probably be fine. Also, as far as skin contact goes, I wash my hands in a bowl of sanitizer so that my hands are pretty sterile and then feel free to touch anything I want. Not sure if it is good practice, but it has never noticibly affected me or the brew.
 
Something tells me we would be good friends.

The most important thing to remember while doing this is to relax and not worry. If you follow the instructions well enough, you're going to make beer, and it'll probably be pretty good :)
 
oh my god. i have no idea how to even approach replying to that legendary post. please don't wear gloves.
 
You will be fine dont panic. Thats what this forum is for :) throw the book away! And forget everything anyone has told you and start from the groud up. Lots of crummy advice out there but theres a lot of great advice too! Always get second opinion thats how ya learn. I still say recipe book no! Lol they dont know the beer you like. Jump in there make mistakes thats part of it just becareful with glass be a lot of injuries lately. I switched to pet plastic bottles got tired of snapping necks off! Autosiphon also a good gadget. Just keep it simple and breath BREATH! :)
 
Thanks for all the replies.

1 I use 1.5qts water to1 lb of grain

...

3. I batch sparge so I drain first runnings then measure volume. Then sparge with the difference between pre boil volume an what I collects from 1st runnings

4. Some add more hops when using whole but it really depends on alpha acids of hops used and how many ibu you want.

...

6. Pitch yeast at 70F is general recommendation but ideally you want to ferment in the ideal temp range for type of yeast using. Most yeast companies list the ideal temps on their website.

...

16 c-brite is a cleaner not a sanitizer.

...

18 yes spray bottle very handy.

...

Hope that covers your questions.
Happy brewing
Caution hobby is highly addictive.

1. Got it, check.

3. Ok, perfect. That makes sense. Thanks for clearing that up.

4. That makes sense as well, thanks. The book doesn't really give any exact measures on the alpha acids. The recipes don't list that, instead they tell you what kind of hops and how much in weight. Then you refer to a page in the book that lists the different kinds of hops and gives them a bitterness rating. They rate from low, to medium, to high. They use average percents of alpha acids, and associate ranges to each of the bitterness ratings. So low is 0-6%, medium 6-9%, and high is above 9%. So this seems to be a very general way of measuring. They even rate some from "low to medium" and "medium to high".

Thanks for explaining, I'll keep that in mind when I start making my own recipes.

6. Yeah, we'll see if it says on the packet. I didn't look since they throw the packet of yeast, the package of hop pellets, and the milled grains all in one package. I didn't want to make a mess with the grains so I haven't opened it yet. It's hard to even work the packets around the grains to see what they say on them. I can get a little of the hops to show, but not they yeast. I'll try to remember to post whether they say or not.

16. Good to know, thanks. I'll keep it around just in case, but I'll probably never use it.

18. Good to know as well. I'll be making sure I have one.

That definitely helps, thanks! :mug: Yeah, I don't doubt how addictive this can be :).

...

14.) Being that you are doing a one gallon batch, when the fermentation starts it can sometimes produce a lot of krauesen on top that can bubble up and clog your airlock (this can be very messy and disastrous as it can cause an explosion of sorts.) so I would agree to do the blowoff setup (hose into the bucket of sanitizer) until things calm down and then replace with the airlock.

15.) Sanitizer or vodka in the airlock, regular water can get bacteria baddies in it and possibly infect the batch. You want something in the airlock that critters can not grow in.

...

18.) If that works for you then do it, but the important thing is to leave the 1 inch of headspace at the top of the bottle to minimize the amount of oxygen contact with the beer.

...

20.) More or less, 2 wks is the norm, but only time will tell. Make sure to write everything down though, as this is a learning process. The nice thing about the beer is that you will drink some after 2 wks, write down what it tastes like. Then when you drink some more at 3 wks, write down if it tastes better or worse, etc....

23.) Technically after the wort is boiled, anything that comes into contact with it should be sanitized (I even treat the boiling wort carefully and with sanitized equipment when possible)

...

26.) A portion of the sanitizer in the bucket above is put into a spray bottle (this is your best friend)

29.) The only sanitizer that I use is StarSan and when mixed properly, adds no adverse flavors to the beer ( it actually helps the yeast ). It will foam, and you can mix beer right with the foam (DONT FEAR THE FOAM!!!)

14. Thanks for a heads up on that. Definitely gonna use the blow off tube then the airlock.

15. Got it. I had wondered about water since Alton Brown said he filled his with water on the Good Eats episode. It's rare that he'd ever give bad advice, but we're all human.

18. I don't have a bottling wand, and I'm not sure if I'll pick one up until I upgrade to a 5 gal system. So I'll probably fill it, as best I can, to a predetermined mark. If it turns out to really be a pain (as it seems to be for many others) I might get a bottling wand and do it that way. Thanks for the tip on limiting oxygen contact.

20. Great idea on logging everything. I had meant to do that but completely forgot. I'll be adding a notebook to my supplies.

23. Thank you, I wish the book had clearly stated when you should worry about this.

26. Will definitely have a spray bottle of that handy. Adding that to the supplies. Anybody know where you can get them for cheap? Seem to be like $6 for a new one (kinda expensive IMO).

29. I will do my best to not fear the foam! :D

Thanks for the response! :mug: Some of these really cleared things up for me.

Ok. First things first. Sit down, relax, breathe, and have a good beer, or two

...

7. Book says to cool the wort to 70 deg F after the boil. Then it says to replace the ice/water used to cool it, to make it cool faster. Is 70 deg F what we want to start fermentation or keep going down?

Depending on the yeast, 70is where most yeasties are happy, especially good ole 'Merican ale yeasts.


8. I bought a wine thief, but it doesn't fit in the carboy. To get a sample for the hydrometer, can I use a turkey baster or similar item if it's sanitized? How much liquid do I need to get a proper reading? Filled up close to the top?

Sure, a sanitized turkey baster will work just fine. All you need is for the hydrometer to not rest on the bottom of your vessel. If you fill it to the top you'll overflow it. Any beer that spills is wasted beer. That's like wasting air, money, etc. perhaps even worse.

...

11. What's the amount of bottling sugar per amount of beer? The book says if it's "too sticky" to add more water. Should I be very cautious about adding too much water?

Too sticky? I don't understand this logic.


12. Book says in 1 gal batches, to use 1/2 the yeast bought for a 5 gal batch. Is that true? If so, why wouldn't it be 1/5?

1/2 will work fine. I'd use something like US-05 and dump 1/4 to 1/2 a packet.

...

16. How does an airlock release co2 since it has a lid on? Does the lid just pop off? Or does it not release enough co2 at that point to be an issue? This logistically confuses me.

The co2 raises up the little cap and let's bubbles out. There are small holes in the outer cap that let the co2 escape.


17. When/after fermenting, the yeast that has settled (the trub), is that yeast dead?

Still very much alive and ready for your next batch of beer. Search yeast washing for instructions.

...

20. The book says it's ready 2 weeks after bottling. Is this correct? More? Less? Any way to tell?

Open one at two weeks after refrigerating. If its carbonated enough then you're good to go. I recommend at least 3 weeks for all beers.


21. Determining the life of a bottled beer: how long will it last? How should you store it to last the longest?

1 gallon is about 10 bottles. That wouldn't last me very long. ::

...

23. At what point to you need to sanitize items that come into contact with your "beer"? When it's considered wort (after the sparge)? After it's been boiled? Sometime else?

After its cooler than 160 degrees generally. For me, after I kill my flame anything touching my wort gets a wholesome helping of starsan. Tip: mix a spray bottle of starsan. That way you can spray stuff down.


24. What's the best way to sanitize? Do I just let it soak, no scrub or anything like that? Directions on the bottle just say to give it 1 minute of contact time, so not long.

I rarely make it a minute. Usually probably closer to 10 seconds. I put both ends of my auto syphon in a bucket and pump it all around. I fill my thief then empty it. Etc. a bucket o starsan is a brewers best friend.

...

27. Side question, do mash paddles need to be sanitized? If so, before and after use, or one or the other?

Nope. Clean yes, which I usually use starsan after, but anything your prior to boiling will die from the temps.

...

Brewing should be a very enjoyable, RELAXING, experience.

Oh, and I predict you'll be doing 5gal by your next brew.

Don't worry man, it may not seem like it, but I'm very relaxed :D I'd have a few beers, but I'm trying not to drink on weeknights, so I'll have to wait till the weekend. Have a few for me if you can! :mug:

7. 'MURRRICA!!!! lol

8. Sweet, I'll be using that then. Yeah, overflow makes sense. It's something I wouldn't really think about until I'm about to drop in the hydrometer lol. Thanks for the heads up!

11. Yeah, I wasn't really clear on it either. I think they mean that if it's too thick, add water, but I'm not sure so I'm asking.

12. OK, got it. So I get it's fine to add more than needed, but any reason it's not proportionate to how much beer you're making? I just would have thought they'd say 1/5 straight up.

16. WOW, I feel like an idiot. :eek: Don't know how I missed those holes before. I mean they are small, but not that small. Makes complete sense now, thanks!

17. Great, good to know. I'll definitely look that up, thanks!

20. I'll probably just wait till 3 weeks or 4. I'd rather be sure than pop one off, well, without much of a pop.

21. Haha, same here. But I was thinking of saving 1 or 2, and after I've done a dozen or so brews, just having me and a friend drink them in order one night, tasting the evolution of it all so far :) So say I theoretically wanted to save one forever, how would I store it, and how long would it stay good for?

23. Yeah I think I'll go with that rule, once the burner's been turned off. Definitely making the spray bottle too.

24. Sweet, it sound like they work pretty fast then.

27. Great! That makes sense now that I know when you need to worry about sanitation.

Thanks a million for the very thorough response, it's greatly appreciated!

I think I've been coming off as tense and worrysome, but I really am relaxed, and I will be when I'm brewing. It's just like cooking, and I love cooking. I know I'll have a great time doing it.

As for the 5 gal upgrade, well lol, we'll have to wait and see. But I really am a patient person, and it's not feasible right now, so I don't think that's gonna happen. But I might be doing 2 gal next time :).

I have 2 growlers, and I'd just need to get 2 more stoppers, tubes, and airlocks, and I'd be good to go right? The growlers are brown bottles, and carboys are clear, but it should work right? From my understanding carboys are clear so you can see how cloudy the fermenting wort/beer is, and how much trub has accumulated, correct? If all is good, then it'd just take twice as long (2x 1 gal batches) and in that case, well, I'd just have to drink for twice as long :D.

Let me know what you think of that. And anyways, thanks again, cheers! :mug:

Question 15 (I believe) regarded the airlock. Take a close look. The top has holes in it. It will keep large objects like dust bunnies and spiders, etc. out of the airlock while allowing CO2 to vent.

Take a deep breath. You're going to be fine. Keep things reasonably clean (you don't have to be crazy) and everything will probably be fine. Also, as far as skin contact goes, I wash my hands in a bowl of sanitizer so that my hands are pretty sterile and then feel free to touch anything I want. Not sure if it is good practice, but it has never noticibly affected me or the brew.

15. Yeah, I really feel like an idiot lol. For some reason I did not notice the holes. I'm going blind or something.

Yeah, I'm not really worried about it, but I just wanted to cover my bases before I jumped in over my head lol :D. Thanks for the advice!

Something tells me we would be good friends.

The most important thing to remember while doing this is to relax and not worry. If you follow the instructions well enough, you're going to make beer, and it'll probably be pretty good :)

Haha! Glad to hear it :tank:

I'm pretty sure everything's gonna be fine, just wanted to clear up somethings before I started. I know I'll be having plenty of fun. Thanks! :)

oh my god. i have no idea how to even approach replying to that legendary post. please don't wear gloves.

LOL, I like the way you put that :mug:. Glad to hear so many people not advocating the wearing of gloves; I won't be wearing them. :) Thanks!

You will be fine dont panic. Thats what this forum is for :) throw the book away! And forget everything anyone has told you and start from the groud up. Lots of crummy advice out there but theres a lot of great advice too! Always get second opinion thats how ya learn. I still say recipe book no! Lol they dont know the beer you like. Jump in there make mistakes thats part of it just becareful with glass be a lot of injuries lately. I switched to pet plastic bottles got tired of snapping necks off! Autosiphon also a good gadget. Just keep it simple and breath BREATH! :)

Oh yeah, I'm sure everything will be just A O K :D I'll probably keep the book since it does have use besides recipes. IPA's are my favorite type of beers, and it's got a few recipes in there, so I might give some of those a shot early on. I do intend to start tweaking the recipes after I'm pretty comfortable with my set up and process, and then start trying out my own recipes. All in good time though. Down the line, a friend might want to get into brewing. I can always pass the book on to someone who would get a good use out of it.

I'll be careful with the glass though. Don't want to deal with any of that type of problem. Snapping necks as in you went to open a fresh homebrew and the neck snaps off? Wow, hope that doesn't start happening to me. Just like the bottling wand, I might pick up an auto siphon down the line. Oh, and I'll be sure to breathe! Thanks! :D
 
I think you'll find that the cost of a 5 gallon batch is going to be very close to the cost of a 1 gallon batch. They take the same time to brew, and you can ferment in a $10 6.5gallon bucket with little risk of blowoff.
It takes almost the same amount of time to brew one gallon of beer as it does to brew 1000 gallons of beer. Bottling 52 bottles versus 10 definitely takes longer, but that's what your second and third beers are for.
 
I think you'll find that the cost of a 5 gallon batch is going to be very close to the cost of a 1 gallon batch. They take the same time to brew, and you can ferment in a $10 6.5gallon bucket with little risk of blowoff.
It takes almost the same amount of time to brew one gallon of beer as it does to brew 1000 gallons of beer. Bottling 52 bottles versus 10 definitely takes longer, but that's what your second and third beers are for.

What determines the cost, ingredients? How much of a difference is it? You can throw out specifics for the sake of example if you want. I'd be buying ingredients from a local homebrew shop, wouldn't the grains be priced per pound? Are hops sold the same way? I'm assuming yeast is sold by quantity for 5 gallon batches at the smallest. Wouldn't I only use a portion of that for a 1 gallon batch, and have leftovers for some more 1 gal batches? I'm not sure how the cost would be so similar.

As for the time, I do understand that. But, it would take me twice as long for me to do a 2 gallon batch because the pots I would be using wouldn't be able to hold 2 gallons. They're fine for a 1 gal batch, so I'd have to do one batch in the carboy, then with the same pots, do another 1 gal batch to fill the growlers.

The reason I wouldn't want to go to a 5 gal system at this moment is I'd have to purchase something to boil 5 gallons in (I can cheaply find something that size for fermenting), and I'd have to store it. I don't have the space for that, I'm really crammed up right now until I can move out of the place I'm at right now. I'm very patient, and I'm taking it slow. I'd like a 5 gal system, but not right now.
 
Typically hops are sold in 2oz packets. Many times you'd only use one ounce. Over a short period, you acquire a library of hops. I only purchase yeast about three times a year, and I brew roughly 20 gallons a month. Right now I average around $0.23 a beer across the board.
I got my first pot, a 16qt from the nearly new for $4, and kept buckets fermenting in a corner in the dining room. You can do concentrated mashes, and mini mashes and top up with water. You don't have to do a full volume boil.
For me it isn't a matter of patience, it boils down to the disappointment I have when I finish a 5 gallon keg to find that it's really coming into its own. IMO, brewing 1 gallon batches you really won't have time to appreciate the changes your beer goes through. Unless its a huge beer or something weird, I only brew 10 gal batches now just for that reason. I find that 90% of the time I enjoy the second 5 gallons way more than the first.
I can definitely appreciate the space concerns. Until this Friday, I've been living in an 800 sq foot 2 bed with my wife 3 kids and a large dog. It's really crammed for everyone. On Friday we move into our first home. Finally!
Just want to encourage you that 5gal+ brewing isn't too far away.
 
I think you'll find that the cost of a 5 gallon batch is going to be very close to the cost of a 1 gallon batch. They take the same time to brew, and you can ferment in a $10 6.5gallon bucket with little risk of blowoff.
It takes almost the same amount of time to brew one gallon of beer as it does to brew 1000 gallons of beer. Bottling 52 bottles versus 10 definitely takes longer, but that's what your second and third beers are for.

I disagree with this. First off, with one gallon, you are probably using your household pots. Zero cost versus buying a MLT, kettle, immersion chiller, a few carboys, etc. What about a burner? Propane? The cost of 5 gallon is hundreds of dollars more than 1 gallon, easily. Ingredients wise, its easy to figure out how much more expensive it is...its 5 times more expensive!

At best, he will need a strainer that fits his pots to sparge with, he could even get a bag...he doesn't need a false bottom or a copper manifold or any of that.

OP, check out the one gallon unite thread on here...plenty of tips and friendly brewers that won't talk about 5 gallons unless you ask.
 
First off, your girlfriend is awesome.

Second, don't worry about the book, that's for advanced brewers and general knowledge. Go online and get their instructions for the one gallon batch. I started out with this kit and still do to this day. I use multiple one gallon mixes.
 
Calichusetts said:
I disagree with this. First off, with one gallon, you are probably using your household pots. Zero cost versus buying a MLT, kettle, immersion chiller, a few carboys, etc. What about a burner? Propane? The cost of 5 gallon is hundreds of dollars more than 1 gallon, easily. Ingredients wise, its easy to figure out how much more expensive it is...its 5 times more expensive!

At best, he will need a strainer that fits his pots to sparge with, he could even get a bag...he doesn't need a false bottom or a copper manifold or any of that.

OP, check out the one gallon unite thread on here...plenty of tips and friendly brewers that won't talk about 5 gallons unless you ask.

A. He talked about eventually going to 5 gal brews in his first posts
B. I didn't think I came across as unfriendly at all. If I did, I apologize. It was not my intention.
C. My intention was to perhaps convey that fact that 5 gallon brews aren't these super expensive mystical things. With a cheap secondhand pot, a plastic bucket, and BIAB, 5 gallon brews are within reach without spending hundreds right away.
D. Only the grain and hops are 5 times more expensive. He asked and was given advise on washing and harvesting yeast to save money. There's $5-7 a batch right there.

If I came across as knocking 1 gallon brewers I apologize. It was not my intent.


Oh, and I second above, your girlfriend is awesome. My wife says the couple that brews together stays together.
 
A. He talked about eventually going to 5 gal brews in his first posts
B. I didn't think I came across as unfriendly at all. If I did, I apologize. It was not my intention.
C. My intention was to perhaps convey that fact that 5 gallon brews aren't these super expensive mystical things. With a cheap secondhand pot, a plastic bucket, and BIAB, 5 gallon brews are within reach without spending hundreds right away.
D. Only the grain and hops are 5 times more expensive. He asked and was given advise on washing and harvesting yeast to save money. There's $5-7 a batch right there.

If I came across as knocking 1 gallon brewers I apologize. It was not my intent.


Oh, and I second above, your girlfriend is awesome. My wife says the couple that brews together stays together.

Sorry if I came across as rude or anything. Just saying, to make great beer at the 5 gallon level will cost some cash. Better to get your bearings and get a handle on things and take it from there. No worries. Its up to him now
 
Agreed, like I said, I started with these kits and fine tuned my skills, and still have much more room for improvement (who doesn't?) I still use them from time to time, on a larger scale of course. The last one I made of theirs was their chocolate maple porter, all my friends loved it, I personally didn't. I'm personally over critical of my brews.

I agree in no time you'll be wanting to get into the 5 gallon club. I do suggest progressive steps though. I feel as if you might be over thinking what should be a fun and relaxing hobby. Not to say that you had dumb questions, they were far from it. You're thinking graduate level. Most of what you will learn will be trial and error. If any homebrewer tells you he/she has never had a bad batch, they are lying.

Try finding a local homebrew club or buddy. These will be invaluable resources, I assure you.
 
... Over a short period, you acquire a library of hops. I only purchase yeast about three times a year, and I brew roughly 20 gallons a month. Right now I average around $0.23 a beer across the board.

...

I can definitely appreciate the space concerns. Until this Friday, I've been living in an 800 sq foot 2 bed with my wife 3 kids and a large dog. It's really crammed for everyone. On Friday we move into our first home. Finally!
Just want to encourage you that 5gal+ brewing isn't too far away.

That hop library (as you put it) sounds like a great side effect of brewing different batches. That would be nice to just brew with what you mostly have just on a whim. I'll look forward to that day. And $.23/beer is pretty sweet! It's nice to know down the line if you do things right, your hobby isn't very costly.

And right on man, glad to hear you're settling into your own. Can't wait to be there myself. At 800 sqft you all must have been pretty damn cozy. Congrats!

5 gal isn't too far off for me I know, I'm just focusing on what I got going on right now. Thinking next Wednesday will be the date for my brew, so the fun will start then :D.

...

OP, check out the one gallon unite thread on here...plenty of tips and friendly brewers that won't talk about 5 gallons unless you ask.

Yeah, I was definitely figuring there would be a noticeable cost to upgrade. And there's always little things here or there you gotta buy, and it all adds up. Time will come when I can fork it out and upgrade.

I'll definitely check out that thread, thanks for the tip man! :mug:

First off, your girlfriend is awesome.

Second, don't worry about the book, that's for advanced brewers and general knowledge. Go online and get their instructions for the one gallon batch. I started out with this kit and still do to this day. I use multiple one gallon mixes.

Haha! :D Thanks man! I told her someone on the forum said she was awesome and she goes, "Oh that was nice! :)"

Yeah the book has the instructions in it, not sure if you're thinking of the same one. But anyways, I got the basics from the book, and the directions. I'll follow them and see how it turns out. Glad to hear you use the kit! I'm looking forward to it, thanks! :mug:

...

If I came across as knocking 1 gallon brewers I apologize. It was not my intent.

Oh, and I second above, your girlfriend is awesome. My wife says the couple that brews together stays together.

Sorry if I came across as rude or anything. Just saying, to make great beer at the 5 gallon level will cost some cash. Better to get your bearings and get a handle on things and take it from there. No worries. Its up to him now

You know, we're all just typing words. It is hard to tell from words if someone's being just being blunt vs harsh/rude, or sarcastic vs honest, etc. Glad you guys worked it out. I've seen a lot of people just start fights on forums over simple misunderstandings. Cheers to you both! :mug:

Oh and snaps10, thanks on the gf comment too. Check out what I said to joepezHB. She doesn't like beer, but she'd definitely keep me company while I brew. She's a keeper :D. Oh and although I did get her to try a guinness and turns out she likes it. She also likes magners cider, so down the line, we'll have to brew something together she'd like.

Calichusetts, that's what I'm hoping to get out of this kit. I'm hoping by the time I have the space and money to upgrade, that I'll have a good enough understanding of brewing, and have enough firsthand experience.

Agreed, like I said, I started with these kits and fine tuned my skills, and still have much more room for improvement (who doesn't?) I still use them from time to time, on a larger scale of course. The last one I made of theirs was their chocolate maple porter, all my friends loved it, I personally didn't. I'm personally over critical of my brews.

I agree in no time you'll be wanting to get into the 5 gallon club. I do suggest progressive steps though. I feel as if you might be over thinking what should be a fun and relaxing hobby. Not to say that you had dumb questions, they were far from it. You're thinking graduate level. Most of what you will learn will be trial and error. If any homebrewer tells you he/she has never had a bad batch, they are lying.

Try finding a local homebrew club or buddy. These will be invaluable resources, I assure you.

Glad to hear this kits a great way to get started brewing. Like I said above, I'm hoping this will get me comfortable enough with the brewing process and give me enough experience to get me ready for a 5 gal system. Lol, even just talking about it right now I wish I were there, but I know you crawl before you walk. A lot of those questions were to really clear up anything I didn't really understand, and to get a feel from others on how important something is. I'd rather jump in having a certain level of clarity. Experience will be the best teacher I know, but I'm naturally the type of person that likes to prepare very well before starting something.

Believe me, I am relaxed and I will be when I go to brew :). I really love cooking, and it feels to me like this is very similar to that (and very different too of course). And my local homebrew shop says they offer some free classes on a regular basis. I have to check the days/times and see if I can make it, but I'll keep and eye out for things like that. Thanks for the advice! :mug:
 
I had a question, hope this isn't in someone else's thread. What happen s if I can't bottle my beer after two weeks and have to wait an extra week to do the bottling? Will it ruin my brew if it stay in jug for another week?
 
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