Brooklyn Brew Shop Everyday IPA Kit Tips

I still prefer the honey to sugar. You can really add some interesting aromas/flavors with different honey. I even use 4 tablespoons and not three to get it slightly more carbed

Cool I have always been tempted to add honey to tweak the flavor might try it on a barleywine to let it age and see how it affects it long term.

Calichusetts said:

I still prefer the honey to sugar. You can really add some interesting aromas/flavors with different honey. I even use 4 tablespoons and not three to get it slightly more carbed

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I might try this for my second batch. It requires honey near the end of the boil so why not in bottling as well.

Blake, I have my Grapefruit Honey Ale fermenting right now. Hell of a krausen the first day!

kc1123 said:

Blake, I have my Grapefruit Honey Ale fermenting right now. Hell of a krausen the first day!

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Does it use the same yeast as the Everyday IPA kit?

Not sure. I don't think they label the yeast in their kits. In the book they recommend Safale S-05 for the Everyday IPA and Safale S-04 for the Grapefruit Honey Ale. I think the krausen was caused by the added honey and Belgian candi sugar.

Incidentally, I've started a Tumblr page about my one gallon brews: http://onegallon.tumblr.com/

kc1123 said:

Not sure. I don't think they label the yeast in their kits. In the book they recommend Safale S-05 for the Everyday IPA and Safale S-04 for the Grapefruit Honey Ale. I think the krausen was caused by the added honey and Belgian candi sugar.

Incidentally, I've started a Tumblr page about my one gallon brews: http://onegallon.tumblr.com/

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This was the yeast that came in my Everyday IPA Kit.

I like the idea of your Tumblr page and I'll be following it since I plan on doing 1 gallon batches for awhile.

BlakeL said:

This was the yeast that came in my Everyday IPA Kit.

I like the idea of your Tumblr page and I'll be following it since I plan on doing 1 gallon batches for awhile.

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Not a fan of the Munton's.

fwiw, i highly recommend Nottingham Ale Yeast. You can get 4 or 5 1-gallon batches out of a single packet. Just fold it over a couple times and tape it shut, throw it back in the fridge. It'll be fine.

Takes off running in hours, ferments clean, and the trub is like a layer of pudding on the bottom of the fermenter.

TimpanogosSlim said:

Not a fan of the Munton's.

fwiw, i highly recommend Nottingham Ale Yeast. You can get 4 or 5 1-gallon batches out of a single packet. Just fold it over a couple times and tape it shut, throw it back in the fridge. It'll be fine.

Takes off running in hours, ferments clean, and the trub is like a layer of pudding on the bottom of the fermenter.

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+1

I've used 05, 04, muntons. Nothing comes close to Notty...its a beast. Notty will force you to use a blowoff tube and keep an eye on your fill line. Ferment warmer (63-65) for the fruity side of it, cooler (60) for a cleaner taste. I only use notty now

Looks like i'll have to try out nottingham for my next batch. I was inspired by kc1123's blog and I might make some hard cider using that yeast too.

fwiw, on the subject of storing unsealed vaccum packs of instant dry yeast, of which notty is an example.

I have been making bread since i was quite young - my parents consider it a life skill.

I don't make bread very often, though.

I successfully make bread with SAF Instant bread yeast that has been stored in my freezer since 2001.

That expired sitting on a shelf, still sealed, in 1999. It was a large package.

They say to store beer yeasts in a refrigerator so i do, I just don't understand why a dry yeast would care as long as we keep the nasties away and slow down processes that might oxidize it.

I got my start with BBS kits and still do 1 gal batches pretty regularly to test recipes and do comparisons (large batch split up to ferment with different yeast strains, with or without dry-hopping, etc). The only other thing I would recommend that hasn't been recommended is a good digital scale. It allows you to pitch the correct amount of dry yeast (I usually 3g or so, depending on the OG - the Mr Malty pitch calculator can help you). When I used the half packet like the BBS directions recommend, I lost a lot of beer through the blow off tube due to vigorous ferment. When I started weighing out the correct amount of yeast, this problem essentially disappeared - still get good fermentation and good beer, but I don't waste a half-bottle to a whole bottle to a fermentation volcano (I still use a blow-off tube for the first three days, though, just in case).

gyst said:

I got my start with BBS kits and still do 1 gal batches pretty regularly to test recipes and do comparisons (large batch split up to ferment with different yeast strains, with or without dry-hopping, etc). The only other thing I would recommend that hasn't been recommended is a good digital scale. It allows you to pitch the correct amount of dry yeast (I usually 3g or so, depending on the OG - the Mr Malty pitch calculator can help you). When I used the half packet like the BBS directions recommend, I lost a lot of beer through the blow off tube due to vigorous ferment. When I started weighing out the correct amount of yeast, this problem essentially disappeared - still get good fermentation and good beer, but I don't waste a half-bottle to a whole bottle to a fermentation volcano (I still use a blow-off tube for the first three days, though, just in case).

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I defiantly need to buy a more precise scale. I tried to measure out my hops for the Everyday IPA kit but it just wouldn't pick up the small amount that I needed. Any recommendation for a scale and digital thermometer?

BlakeL said:

I defiantly need to buy a more precise scale. I tried to measure out my hops for the Everyday IPA kit but it just wouldn't pick up the small amount that I needed. Any recommendation for a scale and digital thermometer?

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Just look at amazon or ebay for a scale that is accurate to 0.1g. or 0.01g.

The trick is finding one that doesn't look like drug paraphernalia. Which is ironic because they are available looking like phones and computer mice specifically because a digital scale that looks like lab equipment is easily spotted and identified as drug paraphernalia by many law enforcement agencies.

I decided to go whole hog and get one that is obviously lab equipment, but i had money to burn, and i sort of like the idea of narco cops raiding my house in a fruitless search for weed that never existed. It would take a whole team of them an entire day to be sure there is nothing.

Oh, and to be clear: You will not be able to measure your base malt and your hops on the same scale unless you spend many times the cost of just getting a small 0.1g scale and a larger scale rated to single grams (which will be useless under about 100g).

dpeanut7 said:

I think I bottled according to the directions (after a week?) and all of my bottles would gush foam, leaving about 2/3 of a beer. Also, I would recommend getting priming sugar over honey, it costs like 40 cents.

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How much priming sugar for the 1Gallon IPA did you use?

jnalpak said:

How much priming sugar for the 1Gallon IPA did you use?

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I used 25g.

BlakeL said:

I used 25g.

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Thanks for everyone's help through these initial steps. I MADE BEER! :rocking:

I used 16oz bottles so it only made 6, actually works out b/c I have the grapefruit ale ready in the wings so i'll kick that off tomorrow after everything is dry.



re: priming sugar - I did the following using the 25g quote above from BlakeL -

• 25g of priming sugar
  
• 100ML of water
• 11min boil
• Let it cool in the sink with running water around it (don't let water get into it, put a lid on top), should be around 80 degrees.
• I then funneled directly into the 1Gallon container and stirred it up for a few minutes. I tried not to disturb the yeast.
• let it sit for 30minutes and then SIPHON (have partner stir slowly w/ the rack to mix the sugar around again, a little agitation, don't oxygenate it!

This link was helpful throughout the bottling stage. http://www.beertools.com/html/tutorial/phase03/step02.php

re: siphon - i did not invest in auto siphon since I want to move to 5G batches and purchase a nice starter kit (w/ all the fix ins) once I am completed with my next 2x 1G batch. With that said, this video was super helpful in regular siphon skills -

Looks good but I would stay away from clear bottles they can skunk the beer brown is better. I alway bottle atleast one beer in a clear bottle just to be able to see it. Congratulations on making beer.

Ply318ci said:

Looks good but I would stay away from clear bottles they can skunk the beer brown is better. I alway bottle atleast one beer in a clear bottle just to be able to see it. Congratulations on making beer.

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Eh, it's not like he's going to put the beer on display in an open-front refrigerator. He'll be fine. Assuming he does actually keep them out of the light most of the time.

fwiw i disagree with the practice of filling a racking cane with sanitizer solution. Just use hot tap water.

A failed siphon start with sanitizer has a fairly high potential of ruining the beer depending on what you sanitized with. A failed siphon start with hot tap water has a very low potential of ruining the beer.

Better yet, just get an autosiphon. So easy to use.

TimpanogosSlim said:

Eh, it's not like he's going to put the beer on display in an open-front refrigerator. He'll be fine. Assuming he does actually keep them out of the light most of the time.

fwiw i disagree with the practice of filling a racking cane with sanitizer solution. Just use hot tap water.

A failed siphon start with sanitizer has a fairly high potential of ruining the beer depending on what you sanitized with. A failed siphon start with hot tap water has a very low potential of ruining the beer.

Better yet, just get an autosiphon. So easy to use.

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Clear bottles will be fine, they are crated and in a room with no windows.

I emptied out the siphon starter into a separate glass first bf going into the bottles ( w beer flow) so I don't cause any possible taste issues. Also, it was starsan solution.

jnalpak said:

Thanks for everyone's help through these initial steps. I MADE BEER! :rocking:

I used 16oz bottles so it only made 6, actually works out b/c I have the grapefruit ale ready in the wings so i'll kick that off tomorrow after everything is dry.

re: priming sugar - I did the following using the 25g quote above from BlakeL -

[*]25g of priming sugar

[*]100ML of water
[*]11min boil
[*]Let it cool in the sink with running water around it (don't let water get into it, put a lid on top), should be around 80 degrees.
[*]I then funneled directly into the 1Gallon container and stirred it up for a few minutes. I tried not to disturb the yeast.
[*]let it sit for 30minutes and then SIPHON (have partner stir slowly w/ the rack to mix the sugar around again, a little agitation, don't oxygenate it!


This link was helpful throughout the bottling stage. http://www.beertools.com/html/tutorial/phase03/step02.php

re: siphon - i did not invest in auto siphon since I want to move to 5G batches and purchase a nice starter kit (w/ all the fix ins) once I am completed with my next 2x 1G batch. With that said, this video was super helpful in regular siphon skills - Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTHr-Yd49Xc

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Congrats! Let me know how it turns out.

Jnalpak, where are you from? I see you have a captain Lawrence taster glass. They are right up the street from me.

Added some bottle cap labels to my Everyday IPA bottles.

I've been reading this thread daily. Lots of great info here! I started with the BBS Summer Wheat, bleh didn't taste so great but I was so excited about it idgaf. I've done some brushing up and now I've got the everyday IPA working. Brewed last Monday and today I dry hopped it and tossed it in my kegerator (it's empty, I've been busy at school / work so save the razzing) any how I tried some after I racked it to the secondary and woowee! Hydrometer says 6.5% ABV I plan on starting a second batch tomorrow night. This will be my 3rd batch so I'm pretty excited wife didn't know what she got into when she first bought me the BBS kit. Cheers!

beardedbil said:

I see you have a captain Lawrence taster glass. They are right up the street from me.

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in the neighborhood friend!

So, my second time brewing today - the GRAPEFRUIT HONEY ALE. Boy this was fun! Didn't realize belgian candy was included and actually made 2lb's of my own! HA! Also, drying out the GFruit and adding honey at the end was fun.

I must say, it was much much easier the 2nd time, not that messy and not as hectic as the first (i even picked up a bag of ice and bagged up my freezer ice the night bf). Got the temp down in less than 20min...This all makes sense, I also upgraded my "lauter tun" to nice fine mesh that is the size of my 5gallon stock pot.

**Question - my funnel has a very fine filter on it, when I completed the chill to 70deg and start to dump the wort into the primary it starts to backup due to CLOG. I have to "scrape" the mesh-filter with a sterile spoon to get the wort flowing....The BBS uses pellets so i feel there is no easy way around this, I tried using my new "fine-mesh lauter" and the funnel-filter but it didn't work.

Anywho, pics to come in a few days once I switch over the blow-out. Looking forward to some krausen this time with the belgian candy, honey and grapefruit.

jnalpak said:

**Question - my funnel has a very fine filter on it, when I completed the chill to 70deg and start to dump the wort into the primary it starts to backup due to CLOG. I have to "scrape" the mesh-filter with a sterile spoon to get the wort flowing....The BBS uses pellets so i feel there is no easy way around this, I tried using my new "fine-mesh lauter" and the funnel-filter but it didn't work.

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I use a fine mesh strainer with a handle...as it fills up and clogs, I simply stop the transfer and empty it in the trash. No issues. I also use this strainer when I transfer from the boil to the chill pot, so 90% of the hops, fruit, break, etc is out by the time I transfer. Lately, I've been getting such a good cold break that I haven't clogged it at all.

I use a mesh strainer and a (sanitized) teaspoon to stir up the sediment so the wort flows into the jug.

I cracked open one of my IPAs tonight to see how the carbonation was coming along. Another week to age and carbonate will do the beer good but it was still excellent.

Awesome!

EVERYDAY IPA - waited 3 weeks bf opening up.
only issue is it seems to lose body after a few minutes, curious your thoughts if anyone has them. It smells and tastes like an IPA should but then after a few minutes tastes like carbonated water with hoppy flavoring.

my priming recipe
25g of priming sugar
94ML of water
15min boil and let it cool - run water around it like you do when you chill your wort. (i may up the sugar to 30-33g for my next depending on how the rest of the 5 pints workout).

I finished my second batch last night. It was a Vienna/Centennial SMaSH. I decided to try BIAB this time with a 5g paint strainer from Home Depot and it was much easier. I used about 1.8g water initially to account for boil evaporation and grain absorption and ended up with about 1-2 cups more water than needed.

Recipe:

3# Vienna
.4 oz 60m
.2 oz 15m
.2 oz 5m
.2 oz 1m
1/2 packet US-05

This was my first brew over a year and a half ago. I have come up with a pretty good partial mash/extract clone to do a 5Gal batch of this brew without having to do a full mash and buy from Brooklyn directly. If anyone is interested I will post.

My wife bought me this kit for my birthday and we finally started a batch on Sunday. I just replaced the blow-off tube with the airlock yesterday.

Question on sweetener for bottling: I noticed the instruction PDF you can download for this kit from BBS mentions using honey, then a sentence or two later refers to agave. Is using agave nectar an option anyone would recommend? I actually like using that as a sweetener in cocktails, but have no idea what effect using it versus honey would have on beer. Also what about using a real brown sugar (like demarara or sucanat)? I won't touch white sugar or corn syrup.

Thanks!
Jeff

Hi All,

Received the Brooklyn kit as a gift this past weekend and can't wait to begin brewing. Silly question though, are the hops and yeast included in separate packages inside the large "ingredient mix" bag? I can't see them in there, and don't want to open the grain bag until I'm ready to brew. I'm 95% certain I'm an idiot, but just want to be sure

jeffz said:

My wife bought me this kit for my birthday and we finally started a batch on Sunday. I just replaced the blow-off tube with the airlock yesterday.

Question on sweetener for bottling: I noticed the instruction PDF you can download for this kit from BBS mentions using honey, then a sentence or two later refers to agave. Is using agave nectar an option anyone would recommend? I actually like using that as a sweetener in cocktails, but have no idea what effect using it versus honey would have on beer. Also what about using a real brown sugar (like demarara or sucanat)? I won't touch white sugar or corn syrup.

Thanks!
Jeff

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Check out this priming calculator for the amount of sugar to use.

KMC said:

Hi All,

Received the Brooklyn kit as a gift this past weekend and can't wait to begin brewing. Silly question though, are the hops and yeast included in separate packages inside the large "ingredient mix" bag? I can't see them in there, and don't want to open the grain bag until I'm ready to brew. I'm 95% certain I'm an idiot, but just want to be sure

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It's probably hard to see but they should be inside the bag with the grains.

Thanks BlakeL - that's what I figured! Appreciate the quick response.

Hiya all, new to homebrew beer and picked up the BBS Everyday IPA today at a Whole Foods in Manhattan. I'm super excited to get started, reading the directions a few times, happy as heck I found this forum and have gon through it also . As far as equipment (I'm on super tight budget) picked up 2 8qt pots (cheapy aluminum), a metal strainer that fits onto the pots, plastic funnel, large plastic spoon.Couple questions for all of you as I greatly appreciate all the knowledge here!
1.My kit did come with C-Bright cleanser and instructions say rinse is required, how well must I rinse to get that stuff off the equipment?
2. I am currently living in brooklyn nyc, will it be ok to use the tap water right to brew? (I know NYC is known for its amazing water but is there any need to worry in general about minerals or corrosion in my building's old as hell pipes?)
3. Any other tips/advice any one may have to share is greatly appreciated!
Thanks Guys/Gals
- MedBrewer

MedBrewer said:

1.My kit did come with C-Bright cleanser and instructions say rinse is required, how well must I rinse to get that stuff off the equipment?

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You can smell the C-Brite, it has a bit of a chlorine kind of smell to it, so I went with "rinse 'til I can't smell that so much anymore." Worked out well for my run.

I used jug water, so i can't comment on whether tap would be okay. What I've gathered from my own reading is that it's probably fine, but people get picky about it when trying to exactly clone a beer, especially anything light/mild where the the water actually figures into the final flavor. I don't think that'd be so much an issue with this recipe but let more experienced folks offer their answer on that.

My only tip is to have fun with it! I was a tyrant for a few hours in the kitchen when I brewed my batch and my wife got pretty annoyed with me.

Jeff

Thanks for the info! That is really funny ( My only tip is to have fun with it! I was a tyrant for a few hours in the kitchen when I brewed my batch and my wife got pretty annoyed with me. ) I can understand the tyrant thing... I can get pretty picky about stuff too LOL. But I will be soloing this time.

Just finished the brew process and it was a great time! I did end up about 1 quart short after pouring the wort into the 1gal jug, I topped it off to 1gal with additional water. I hope that will not be an issue (it seems from what the manual and the forums say, it should not... I'll keep my fingers crossed). Maybe I boiled the wort a little to high temp, or didnt strain enough out of the mash.. I really dont know. I will upload some pics as soon as possible (I know you have all seen them 1 zillion times... the pics of the 1st brew).
- MedBrewer