True Brew Instructions - WTF???

So I'm giving a class on Home Brewing 101. Basically showing 17 people how to brew beer and talk beer and so forth. Nothing REAL technical.

The Liqueur store putting this on sells kits and are donating a kit for me to demo.

A True Brew Nut Brown Ale. Not needed instructions as I've done any brews but I thought I would look at them anyway to see what newbies were being towl.

WHAT THE F*CK??

What horrible instructions in that kit!!!!

Bring water to boil and add grains and steep for 20 minutes!! WHAT???

The 1 oz of hops are added a the 2 min mark - no bittering hops at all.

Pitch yeast when temp gets below 90.

Bottle in 1 week after brewing!

I think these were written by Anheuser Busch to make sure there there are no future home brewers!

Those directions are the bare minimum as they hope that the brewer brews more quickly and buys more kits.

Frightening instructions though, huh?

You can make beer with those instructions. Not the best though. I think they figure telling someone who has never brewed that they need to make a yeast starter, cool thier wort to 70*F, temperature control, steep at 150, and all of the other stuff we know to do, it might scare them off.

The True Brew kits have hopped extract.

I actually helped a client of mine make some wine yesterday and the kit came with instructions from True Brew, needless to say they were terrible. All these miscellaneous packets with numbers on them and the instructions just said something like: if your kit contains additives, add them now. I knew we didn't need to add the potassium sorbate, but she might not have known that! It could have been a disaster if I didn't help, but still- the directions were terrible.

Yea - I see now it's hopped Extract - I've never dealt with this! O'well, it's the process, not the kit that I'm teaching these guys!

I have used True Brew the first two times. To be fair their instructions aren't all that bad. The only main offender is the bottling instruction. Never followed it. For the rest of the instructions I tried to follow to the "T" on my first one (Oktoberfest Ale) and on the second one (Porter) adapted more common practices with boil times and what not.

They say to bring the water to just a boil, turn off, and then steep grains.

Anyway, out of the two I did I love the Porter and tolerate the Oktoberfest ale (though that was my own fault).

First thing you do in your class, while you are in front of everyone and openning the box is that you dramatically tear the instruction sheet in many pieces, like Sinead did to the Pope's picture on Saturday Night Live.

The reason is pretty simple, generally speaking kit manufacturers, especially kit an kilo manufacturers, are concerned with selling more and more kits NOT with the brewer making the best beer possible. They know that if they say in the instructions to wait, they may loose some people to hobbies that have more instant gratification.

They also know that the time that a homebrewer will remain buying kits is relatively short...they know that after a few kits, the brewer will either give up, start brewing extract batches from recipes in books and places like this, formulate their own recipes, or go all grain...so they want to sell as many kits as possible to the new brewer before he moves on to bigger and better things.

SO they know that even their beer will taste better if you leave it longer...but they know that in the time you wait you will be reading and learning and be less likely to buy another kit...They can sell three or four kits to you if you follow their directions in the same time frame that listening to us and waiting a month and bottle conditioning for another 3-4 weeks.

But Even Palmer says you should wait with kits...

How To Brew said:

Leaving an ale beer in the primary fermentor for a total of 2-3 weeks (instead of just the one week most canned kits recommend), will provide time for the conditioning reactions and improve the beer. This extra time will also let more sediment settle out before bottling, resulting in a clearer beer and easier pouring. And, three weeks in the primary fermentor is usually not enough time for off-flavors to occur.

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The thing about it is, at least True Brew adds some flavor/aroma hops to "spice up" the pre-hopped extract.

The two hosts of Australian Craftbrewer Radio (the FIRST beer podcast, with hosts with a combined 60 years of brewing no-how and 10 years on radio or podcast) have a couple of interesting pieces to improve kit beers...

There's this multi-part article (with sublinks in side the article.)

Improving Your Kit

And this...

April 22nd, 2007

The guys get “Down and Dirty” for the Kit and Kilo brewer with the simplist yet method of making a kit beer that tastes great. They also taste the underpitched beer experiment, and follow up on a brewers problem with under-atttenuation. Our beer superhero tries to save the love of his life - and Wonder-Mole, while we look into a beer belly experiment. More on how to say beer words, drink driving, beer laws and a quiz question will fill out the program, with a typical Aussie beer tale sung at the end.

Clicky to listen.
http://radio.craftbrewer.org/shows/April2-07.mp3

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You have the opportunity to show them how to step it up a notch.

Revvy said:

First thing you do in your class, while you are in front of everyone and openning the box is that you dramatically tear the instruction sheet in many pieces, like Sinead did to the Pope's picture on Saturday Night Live.

Click to expand...

thus ends Grinder's homebrew teaching career just like Sinead's singing career!

good luck with the class and let us know how it goes. The local community college teaches homebrewing 101, and I though about taking it just to see how it's taught - but I'd probably be "that guy" that sits in the back and is constantly questioning his process

There's value in True Beer style beer making in terms of making it easy to get into the hobby and then gradually add techniques that improve the quality of the beer. I am a big fan of lowering the barrier to entry into this hobby as low as possible because I firmly believe that once people get a taste of making beer successfully, they get sucked in and want to do it better next time. I, for one, welcome having more brewers to talk to.

I think you might want to consider teaching the instructions as printed, but note in the class (not in too much detail-- one doesn't want to confuse new students with too much detail) how there are ways to improve the quality. However, one thing you could do is work with that liquor store to set up a 2nd class where you teach some more advanced brewing to make better tasting beer.


You could end up with a whole series of classes and maybe start charging a little to cover costs.

Brew 101 - True Brew: Beginner's Guide to Making Beer
Brew 150 - Non Hopped Extract Brewing
Brew 175 - Extract brewing and Steeping Grains
Brew 185 - Additives, preservatives and flavor profiles.

Brew 201 series--- All Grain
Brew 300 series--- Advanced bottling, kegging and storage
Brew 400 series--- Sanitation, troubleshooting and problem identification courses.
Brew 500 series--- Recipies, Clones and Competitive brewing

Maybe you could even have a few certificates people could earn by taking certain classes.

I'm just saying --- with some hard work you could end up with a 'University of Beer'.

For the record: where and when is this class. Columbus isn't THAT far away. I might have the time to stop by.

My local community college advertised my home brewing course for 6 months without a single student signup. I'd consider it pretty lucky to get 17 people.

What were they charging and what was the time commitment?

Kornbob - this is in Sun Prairie at Cannery Wine and Spirits! - A couple of us guys from the Sun Prairie Worthogs are putting it on.

The PROBLEM is it is DURING the Packer game (they switched days on us).

BTW - I'm looking into entering the Madison Homebrew Competition this spring - the Big and Huge Competition.

This weekend? Crap.

Maybe next time.

yea - suppose to be tomorrow but BAM - they moved it to Sunday - WHAT? Sunday? Packers? Hello??

This is a very basic "class". Just good to get people feet wet.

The club is nice - a ton of homebrew drinking - next one is Nov 19th.

Hey Rod, we are doing another one at the end of the month.

Holy 1 year thread bumping, batman.

Lol, just getting on HBT, and found one of my hom(brew)ies. Had to comment.

I'm actually using a true brew kit and the instructions say

"fermentation should continue for 48-72hours, then cease as settling begins" which I think is funny because I trashed their yeast from the kit and used a high grade wheat beer yeast, and two weeks + later its still actively fermenting (aka bubbling). I will say the instructions say to "wait 3-4 days after active fermentation stops". so by following their directions I would still be waiting for the full two weeks plus since its still bubbling out of the air lock. even though its way outside their 48-72 hour range.

Just want to note that I am not following their directions persay, but I have them.

True Brew kits were my second and third beers back in 2007. My LHBS had their own instructions printed out and they gave you their copy when you bought the kit from them.

So, I have one of these kits, and I hope to brew it this weekend, modifying the instructions a bit. So, lets actually make the better ones here. If someone out there looks for help making this particular kit (True Brew Nut Brown Ale) I think they should find a replacement guide, not just tidbits. I know everybody wants to do things their own way, and I'm a pretty new brewer myself, so I'm going to put in what the stock ones are, and then my changes. I'll stick with the brewing and fermenting for now. Any advice/suggestions welcomed. I do have the equipment for a five gallon boil, but some may not, I think many who buy a kit might not, so Im not going to set this up for a full boil yet, might split that off. Next post will have my suggested mods.


Stock Instructions

Brewing:

1) Remove the label from the can of malt extract, wash the can, and place it in a pot of hot water to soften the syrup.

2) Place 1-1 ½ gallons water in the brewpot, and bring to a boil.
bullet Turn the heat off. Place all grains in the steeping bag, and steep in the hot water for 20-30 minutes. Then remove and discard the spent grains, and heat the water again to near boiling.

3) Turn the heat off. While stirring the water with a long-handled spoon, slowly pour the malt extract into the pot. Continue stirring while adding both the dried malt extracts and the dark brown sugar. Stir until materials dissolve, then return to heat and bring to a boil. Note: When it first boils, the mixture will foam. Reduce heat, or remove from burner and foam will subside. Turn heat back on, and repeat process until foaming stops. Boil for 45 minutes, adding the hop pellets for the final 2 minutes of the boil.

4) Place 3 gallons of cold water in your fermenting vessel, and slowly pour the hot mixture into the vessel. Fill with additional cold water up to 5 gallons.

Fermentation:

1) Allow the warm mixture (it’s now unfermented beer, called wort) to cool if necessary, until it’s under 90 degrees F.

2) If you wish to take a hydrometer reading for beginning specific gravity, do so now before introducing yeast. Gravity ranges for this kit are listed on the front of these instructions.

3) Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the mixture. Wait 10 minutes and stir the yeast gently into the wort with 1 or 2 strokes of the spoon.

4) Taking the airlock in one hand, and the lid of the fermenter in the other, gently twist the airlock tip into the hole of the lid. Place the lid on the fermenter, and push down hard until the lid is tight. Finally, fill the airlock half full of water and cap.

5) Over the next 24 hours fermentation should begin, and you’ll see bubbling through the airlock. Fermentation should continue for 48-72 hours, and then cease as settling begins.

6) Allow the beer to settle for 3-4 days after fermentation ceases (no more bubbles in the airlock). Generally, you’ll be ready to bottle a week after beginning fermentation.

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First mod, since you already have the ability, is to do the full 5 gallons or as close to it as you can get.

My suggested changes, and as I said I'm new, so if somethings wackadoo, please let me know.

Brewing:

1) Remove the label from the can of malt extract, wash the can, and place it in a pot of hot water to soften the syrup.

2) Place 1-1 ½ gallons water in the brewpot, and bring to a boil.

3) Adjust heat down until water is about 150-155 degrees. Place all grains in the steeping bag, and steep grains in the hot water for 20-30 minutes. Then remove and discard the spent grains, and heat the water again to near boiling.

3) Turn the heat back up to a boil. While stirring the water with a long-handled spoon, slowly pour the malt extract into the pot. Continue stirring while adding both the dried malt extracts and the dark brown sugar. Stir until materials dissolve, adjusting heat and continuing to stir to prevent boilover boil. Boil for 45 minutes, adding the hop pellets in a grain bag for the final 2 minutes of the boil.

4) Using external ice bath or wort cooler, bring your wort down to below 100 degrees

4) Place 3 gallons of cold water in your fermenting vessel, and slowly pour the hot mixture into the vessel. Fill with additional cold water up to 5 gallons.

Fermentation:

1) Allow the warm mixture (it’s now unfermented beer, called wort) to cool if necessary, until it’s under 80 degrees F.

2) If you wish to take a hydrometer reading for beginning specific gravity, do so now before introducing yeast. Gravity ranges for this kit are listed on the front of these instructions.

3) Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the mixture. Wait 10 minutes and stir the yeast gently into the wort with 1 or 2 strokes of the spoon. (starter required?)

4) Taking the airlock in one hand, and the lid of the fermenter in the other, gently twist the airlock tip into the hole of the lid. Place the lid on the fermenter, and push down hard until the lid is tight. Finally, fill the airlock half full of water (some folks use drinkable alcohol like vodka) and cap.

5) An alternative to an airlock is the blowoff setup, where the airlock is replaced with a bottle filled with sanitizer solution or more vodka

6) Over the next 24 hours fermentation should begin, and you’ll see bubbling through the airlock. Fermentation should continue for 48-72 hours, and then cease as settling begins but might continue longer. I plan to let mine sit in primary at least two weeks.




So, where am I obviously screwing up? Corrections, assistance?

number40fan said:

First mod, since you already have the ability, is to do the full 5 gallons or as close to it as you can get.

Click to expand...

Yep, I think I will. Might write a version that way after getting the basic (small brewpot version more nailed down)

2) Place 1-1 ½ gallons water in the brewpot, and bring to a boil.
bullet Turn the heat off. Place all grains in the steeping bag, and steep in the hot water for 20-30 minutes. Then remove and discard the spent grains, and heat the water again to near boiling.

Click to expand...

Steep grains at 150*F-170*F. Boiling is too hot.

1) Allow the warm mixture (it’s now unfermented beer, called wort) to cool if necessary, until it’s under 90 degrees F.

Click to expand...

Cool it down more than that, below 70*F if possible (ideal temp varies depending on yeast, but 90*F is too hot to pitch).

3) Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the mixture. Wait 10 minutes and stir the yeast gently into the wort with 1 or 2 strokes of the spoon.

Click to expand...

Rehydrate yeast in a sanitary container before adding to wort. Stirring is not necessary.

6) Allow the beer to settle for 3-4 days after fermentation ceases (no more bubbles in the airlock). Generally, you’ll be ready to bottle a week after beginning fermentation

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It's better to judge based on hydrometer readings than airlock bubbles. Once you achieved your FG, it is technically ready to bottle, though allowing it to sit undisturbed a few more days may help produced a clearer beer.

Brewing
3) If the grains are all specialty grains, you can let them steep at around 170. 150 area is good for mashing, but if they are only specialty malts there's no reason to do that since there won't be any conversion anyway.

3.1 p), When I was doing extract constantly I always turned off the heat when I added the extract to prevent the chance of scorching at the bottom of the kettle. Also, are there bittering hops being added? I didn't see those anywhere.

I'd add aeration in there somewhere too. You'll get beer if you don't do it, but it helps promote healthy growth.

4) Cool to around 70F or lower.

Edit: Or you could just ignore me and listen to hunter since he snuck in before me

Guys, you'll note those things are mostly covered in my altered instructions Note the aeration, or the starter, but the temps and I did mention that 3-4 days was probably too short.

Bill837 said:

Guys, you'll note those things are mostly covered in my altered instructions Note the aeration, or the starter, but the temps and I did mention that 3-4 days was probably too short.

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You'll also note the time stamps on the post, where we were all posting the same things around the same time Your post was not there when I began typing my response

:smack:

number40fan said:

First mod, since you already have the ability, is to do the full 5 gallons or as close to it as you can get.

Click to expand...

Okay, so, doing this as a five gallon boil.

1) Remove the label from the can of malt extract, wash the can, and place it in a pot of hot water to soften the syrup.

2) Place 5.5-6 gallons water in the brewpot, and bring to a boil. Amount over 5 gallons will depend on how much you boil off during the hour long boil that takes place after steeping the grains.

3) Adjust heat down until water is about 150-155 degrees. Place all grains in the steeping bag, and steep grains in the hot water for 20-30 minutes. Then remove and discard the spent grains, and heat the water again to near boiling.

3) Turn the heat back up to a boil. While stirring the water with a long-handled spoon, slowly pour the malt extract into the pot. Continue stirring while adding both the dried malt extracts and the dark brown sugar. Stir until materials dissolve, adjusting heat and continuing to stir to prevent boil over. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the hop pellets in a grain bag for the final 2 minutes of the boil.

4) Using external ice bath or wort cooler, bring your wort down to below 100 degrees

4) Slowly pour the hot mixture into the fermenting vessel. If needed, place enough cold water in your fermenting vessel to bring your total back to five gallons.

Grinder12000 said:

So I'm giving a class on Home Brewing 101. Basically showing 17 people how to brew beer and talk beer and so forth. Nothing REAL technical.

The Liqueur store putting this on sells kits and are donating a kit for me to demo.

A True Brew Nut Brown Ale. Not needed instructions as I've done any brews but I thought I would look at them anyway to see what newbies were being towl.

WHAT THE F*CK??

What horrible instructions in that kit!!!!

Bring water to boil and add grains and steep for 20 minutes!! WHAT???

The 1 oz of hops are added a the 2 min mark - no bittering hops at all.

Pitch yeast when temp gets below 90.

Bottle in 1 week after brewing!

I think these were written by Anheuser Busch to make sure there there are no future home brewers!

Click to expand...

could you write up some directions for me to properly make this kit? Im real excited about getting into this as hobby in my off time from work on the north slope. And want to make sure its made correctly. Thanks

Hi Jeffrey, welcome!
You might start a new thread with your question, this one is over five years old, the guy who started it hasn't signed on for a couple of years either. You can also search general directions for extract plus grains batches. I haven't made that recipe, but general instructions would be to steep the crushed grain in 160f degree water for 30 minutes, then stir in the extract until it is thoroughly dissolved and bring to a boil. Watch carefully because when it starts to boil it will foam a lot, stirring helps. I would think that a brown ale would have the hops at the beginning of the boil, but you'll have to ask around. Most ale yeast ferments well in the mid 60s.
Study and practice will produce great beer. Keep us posted.