First time brewing!!

So my Dad and I have started home brewing. He started a Munton's Canadian last Sunday, and I started a Brewer's Best American Light today. Wish us luck!!

Good luck and have fun. I wish my dad would have got me into the hobby early on.

He's just turned 69, and I've just turned 47. Spending time with him is becoming more of a priority. Home brewing is something we have both been curious about for years. My grandparents were experienced home brewers, but their equipment has been sitting idle in the basement of my brother's house since they passed (over 20 years ago).
Dad is using the old equipment (nothing wrong with that) and trying to replicate the old recipes (hmmm). On his first batch, he started improvising. Convinced Munton's did not include enough yeast to do the job, he substituted a full packet of Red Star (bread yeast). Also, he's using a 5 gallon carboy (see pic) for a primary fermenter on a five gallon batch. I'm told at about 10m of the first night he was swapping out an overflowing airlock for a blowoff line.
After his experience, I decided to pick up one of BB's equipment kits, followed the recipe/brew schedule, and my primary is the 6.5 gal bucket included in the kit. OG was 1.045 and we pitched yeast at 82 degrees. I let Dad hookup a blowoff line (just in case), but after six hours at 70 degrees I'm starting to think the airlock would have been fine.
I think this is going to be a fun way to spend time with my dad. Cheers!

Nice krausen! Good luck with the old recipes- if they work out you can post them. Welcome to the obsession!

My first experience with homebrewing was in the mid 1950's when my dad made "home brew" in a crock behind the wood stove. Someone told him to put a couple raisins in each bottle at bottling time (for some reason). I do recall a bunch of bottles exploding in basement during the following weeks! His beer didn't taste too bad although it was pretty cloudy. It tasted something like Henry Weinard's.

I support your decision to stick to the new products and procedures. They work better and turn out a much better batch of beer.

Oh, and btw, when I told my brother I'd taken up home brewing he sent me Dad's old bottle capper. It works like a charm. Used it today putting up a batch of Amber Light Ale.

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We bottled Dad's Multon Canadian today. Used Granddad's old table top capper. It was difficult. It wouldn't stay adjusted. Finally switched to the two-handled capper that came with the kit. Much easier. My BB American Light was racked into the secondary yesterday. Took a hydrometer reading of 1.010, already within the projected range for FG. We'll check it again this Saturday. If we get another 10, we'll bottle on Sunday.

Dad's Multon Canadian on the left. My BB American Light on the right.

Look good, welcome!

soapy45 said:

We bottled Dad's Multon Canadian today. Used Granddad's old table top capper. It was difficult. It wouldn't stay adjusted. Finally switched to the two-handled capper that came with the kit. Much easier.

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I hope you have a great brew. I'm sure it will be a lot better than anything you can buy at the local bottle shop. Next time you might want to consider allowing at least 3 weeks between brewing and bottling. It gives the beer a little more time to let the flavor develop and for the yeast to clean up after itself.

I'm fairly new at this too, but is it not the case that you're best to shield it from the light coming in the window?

And glad you're having fun. I bottled my first two batches this weekend and brewed a 3rd which has started fermenting nicely. In fact I think I'll go take a peek at it right now.

andy6026 said:

I'm fairly new at this too, but is it not the case that you're best to shield it from the light coming in the window?

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Yes! The light will skunk the hops. Throw an old T-Shirt on those bad boys. Welcome (back) to the obsession!

Definitely best to keep it in a cool, dark place. It is a great hobby though and tasty results (most of the time!)

Better? Lol

Yes, but even a Tee isn't going to block all the light. It would be better out of veiw of a window!

Also, when cooling the wort, its much more sanitary to leave a lid on. Maybe you just took it off for the picture, but lots of wild yeast are floating around. It will most likely come out just fine, but sanitization is huge.

Dad's Multon Canadian has been in the bottle a week now, so we cracked one open to check carbonation, and it has carbed up nicely. It tasted quite sweet, and "cider-y." Into my brother's garage for two more weeks and we'll see how the flavor improves.
Took a hydrometer reading of my BB American Light, another 1.010, so we bottled. BE SURE TO CHECK THE SPIGOT ON THE BOTTLING BUCKET BEFORE RACKING!!!! We won't make that mistake again. Oh well. When the bottling was done, we had a partial bottle, so Dad and I did what everyone else does. Mine was a little cloudy (yes, another week in the secondary next time). It's dry tasting with lots of hop bitterness.
I think I'm going to start an American Pale Ale tomorrow. Cheers!