Help a Newbie out!!

Hey everyone just got my first homebrew kit. Here it is..

http://www.leeners.com/brewery.html

and i got the English brown ale. is there any parting advice, i dont know anyone who has done this and i want my first batch to come out well. Has anyone read the book that comes with, is it trust worthy. Thanks!!

That book came with my first kit, it's VERY old, IIRC. Like, 1991.

Go to www.howtobrew.com - that's John Palmer's book, the first edition, completely free online. Better still, invest the $15 or whatever in his latest addition. There's just so much that has changed over the years.

Welcome to the addiction. My words of advice are as follows.

As you venture your way through your first batch, you'll come to realize what these words mean. You'll worry a million times, "is this ok, is that ok", and you'll post all of your questions here. And 9 times out of 10, the answer will be as follows:

Relax... don't worry... have a homebrew (or in your case, since it's your first batch... a brew)

I'm a newbie myself (batch #1 is barely in the bottle, batch #2 is in the fermenter) but I can't stress enough how valuable keeping a journal is. I'd suggest getting a notebook and keep notes on what you're brewing and how you're doing it. I bought my kit from a LHBS and had a question about bottling. The store owner started asking me questions about what I did during the brewing process, and I just thumbed through my notes and gave him the info. It made it much easier to pinpoint my problems, so in the future when I try to duplicate (or avoid) a result, I'll be able to look it up in my brew book.

"Go to www.howtobrew.com - that's John Palmer's book, the first edition, completely free online. Better still, invest the $15 or whatever in his latest addition. There's just so much that has changed over the years."


If i use the online version will it work with my kit (link above) or will it make it more confusing. Im excited to brew my first batch and want it to turn out well.

RyanJE said:

"Go to www.howtobrew.com - that's John Palmer's book, the first edition, completely free online. Better still, invest the $15 or whatever in his latest addition. There's just so much that has changed over the years."


If i use the online version will it work with my kit (link above) or will it make it more confusing. Im excited to brew my first batch and want it to turn out well.

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The online version is fine for starting out. Just read the first chapter and go ahead and brew!!!

Most of the new info comes later. It's nice to have a paper copy for notes and stuff. Check Amazon, it's at least a couple of bucks cheaper.

OK so i read the whole first chapter and now i am more confused! I have grain in my ingredient kit and that isnt even in the first section. Also the first section makes no mention a a secondary fermenter (glass carboy) that i have as well. here is a link to the instructions that came with the kit. Should i just follow these??

http://www.ldcarlson.com/public catalog/Brewers Best Recipes/1016 English Brown Ale.pdf

Any suggestions??

Steps A through G look very good, and I would go ahead and follow them. For using a secondary fermenter, all you have to do is sanitize the secondary, sanitize the racking cane, and transfer the beer over. Other than that, you can follow the rest of the steps normally. After you brew the beer get it into the fermenter, you should read the How to Brew online book. Everything will make sense soon enough.

Just for clarity - When you transfer to the secondary, try not to disturb the "trub" on the bottom of the primary - all you want to do is transfer the liquid (your beer).

I only mention this because I watched someone stir up the trub before he transfered - I stopped him before he transfered.

Thanks for everything so far guys it is a huge help im glad i signed up here!!

How long should i leave the beer in the primary and then how long in the secondary. i think the how to brew book would suggest 1 week and then 2 weeks. what do you guys think?? Also do you all strain the hops out before transfering the wort to the fermenter?

RyanJE said:

Thanks for everything so far guys it is a huge help im glad i signed up here!!

How long should i leave the beer in the primary and then how long in the secondary. i think the how to brew book would suggest 1 week and then 2 weeks. what do you guys think?? Also do you all strain the hops out before transfering the wort to the fermenter?

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Your kit came with a hydrometer, so I would recommend taking a gravity reading on your wort just before adding yeast, and recording it. Make sure you thoroughly mix the liquid up first though to avoid density layers throwing off your reading. I'd then let it sit for a week after visible fermentation starts, and sneak another reading. You should expect around 70-75% attenuation, which means that if your original gravity was 1.100, it would be down to 1.030 or 1.025. Your OG wouldn't be nearly that high though, more likely around 1.030 or 1.040. If you've reached that level, then check it again the next day and see if it's changed. Keep checking daily or every few days until it stops changing, letting you know that the fermentation has mostly petered out. Then you can transfer to your clearing tank for a few weeks before bottling. You're not going to hurt your beer by leaving it in either tank for too long, unless you leave it in there for months.

I would definitely strain the hops out on the way to the fermenter, if you feel like you can do so without a huge amount of extra effort. I don't know for sure, but you might get some funny flavors if you leave the spent hops in the fermenter and secondary for weeks. If you want some dry hopping flavor, add some fresh hops to the secondary 3-4 days before you plan on bottling.

Most importantly, relax and have fun!!!

You have to remember that the 1-2-3 rule is a guideline. It is not a hard fast rule. Your beer generally will be done fermenting at 7 days but it could still need additional time if the gravity is higher than anticipated. There is usually not a lot of fermenting done in the secondary as it is more of a clearing tank. It is something that you learn. I keep mine in the primary for at least 10 days and then 7-10 in the secondary. I do try to filter out as much trub\hops as possible but its not a problem if you don't. You just need to be careful when transfering to the secondary.

RyanJE said:

Thanks for everything so far guys it is a huge help im glad i signed up here!!

How long should i leave the beer in the primary and then how long in the secondary. i think the how to brew book would suggest 1 week and then 2 weeks. what do you guys think?? Also do you all strain the hops out before transferring the wort to the fermenter?

Click to expand...

Most folks here say 1 week in the primary, two in the secondary and 3 weeks of bottle conditioning. (The 123 method)
You can strain the hops and some of the trub out of the wort as you transfer it to the fermenter. Just pour it through a strainer that has been sanitized. It may clog up a few times so be ready to carefully tap the strainer over the sink to dislodge the hops. Try not to touch the strainer or let it come in contact with anything except your wort.