No boil kit?

Thanks everyone for such timely responses and good information. I really appreciate it!

Hi again,

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I received a $25 gc to Midwest Supplies. Would anyone suggest equipment or ingredients that are very useful or of significant importance, i.e. wort chiller, bottle drying tree, etc? I just don't want to waste the $25 on something that's not really useful. If anyone could provide what they think every homebrewer should have, that would be great. I'm leaning towards a wort chiller such as:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/stainless-steel-immersion-wort-chiller.html

Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

kyle6286 said:

Hi again,

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I received a $25 gc to Midwest Supplies. Would anyone suggest equipment or ingredients that are very useful or of significant importance, i.e. wort chiller, bottle drying tree, etc? I just don't want to waste the $25 on something that's not really useful. If anyone could provide what they think every homebrewer should have, that would be great. I'm leaning towards a wort chiller such as:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/stainless-steel-immersion-wort-chiller.html

Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

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I don't have a bottle tree but I do have a spare bottling bucket, I just lay the bottles in there upside down to dry. Maybe think about buying a second fermenter and airlock if you want to start pipelining.

Wort chiller isn't a bad investment either.

I am interested in getting a second fermenter for secondary fermentation. Not sure if I'd rather get the glass carboy or a better bottle. I am a little nervous with the glass for obvious reasons. I'll probably invest in one of the two and then get a decent wort chiller as I've read they are very handy in minimizing infections.

Does it matter if the temperature wasn't exactly the same? It has been between 64 and 67. In the future, should I aim to keep the temperature the same?

consistent fermentation temps definitely help, but keeping it below a certain point is the most important, this also depends on the yeast strain. They usually list the range on the container. Then you can try and keep it near the lower end if at all possible. If it ferments higher, it can give odd off flavors. These generally tame down over aging and time, but still, the better overall beer happens when you can keep the temps down. I live in Utah, and my fermentation in summer is excellent because I have a temperature controlled freezer outside under my back shaded deck. I can set it and forget it, and it stays at 64 degrees. Winter not so much, I have an area that usually stays below 68 and keeps my ferments okay, but its too cold outside to keep the beer over 40 or so for lagers with outside temps in the 20's . I need to figure that part out myself. So I can't do lagers at all until summer, talk about funny eh?

I want to get a 6.5 gallon glass carboy in addition to my 6.5 gallon plastic fermenter. I know I have to get a stopper and I already have an airlock. Obviously I need to get a few more 3 piece airlocks. Do I need to get a blow off tube if I plan to use the glass carboy as a primary?

Hello everyone just brewed my first batch of American Ale last Saturday. I am debating two things right now.
1. Should I use a secondary fermentor, I have it I bought it and hate to waste it. I've seen varying opinions on this issue.
2. Should I try adding dry hops. I already used the aroma hops at the end of the boiling process but I am a big fan of the hop flavor. I am wondering if I should just follow the recipe without adding my 2 cents to it or take a chance. Any suggestions are welcome, thank you.

I would say your secondary decision depends on your dry hop decision. I prefer to transfer to secondary only if I'm dry hopping, adding something else to the beer like oak or fruit, or bulk aging. Otherwise, just leave in the primary for about 4 weeks so the yeast can clean up any nasties from the fermentation process. Why risk oxidation, contamination, or your time if you don't have to?

I'd still leave it in the primary for 4 weeks even if transferring to your secondary.

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Forgot to answer your actual question...I'd dry hop with an ounce or two of Cascade hops for 7-12 days. It'll enhance the aroma, but you probably won't get much if any flavor from it. In short, boiling hops is what creates the bitterness & flavor.

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Thanks for the advice I think I'll leave it in the primary and skip the extra hops. If this batch turns out well, then my wife will give me permission to buy more equipment.

That's kind of like the kit I just finished. I think you boil a gallon of water while heating up the can in hot water. Once hot, mix the hot water and can ingredients with 2.5 pounds of corn sugar. Mix it really well for about 10 minutes and then fill with another 4 gallons. Siphon in to your carboy. Once at temperature, put in your yeast and let sit for a few weeks. Rack back in to your bucket then bottle. Let that sit for 1 week in a room around 70 degrees. Then in a cooler dark room for another 2 weeks. Refrigerate and enjoy. Try to maintain around 70 degrees in the carboy while fermenting and clean your equipment really well. This is for the guy with that can of malt.

I'd like ot take advantage of AHS free shipping with purchases over a c-note. 3 Gold Seal kits + a 32oz Star San would get me there but what is the shelf life on the kits? Wouldnt want anything to expire on the 3rd kit before I got round to brewing it.

I imagine if you freeze them they should be OK for several months.

I boiled last week and didn't get it all the way up to what must people would call a boil, after adding the extract. I know the temp was up real close, but was never boiling hard. Is this going to make a difference.

There might be a difference in hop utilization. The bittering agents of hops only come out at higher temperatures. How big of a boil were you doing? Might have to do a smaller boil or buy a bigger burner.

GONNA NEED A BIGGER BOAT

I was doing a 5 gallon boil and I probably topped it off a bit anticipating some boil off. However, Between the time it takes to get boiling with that much water and not having much room to the top, I might drop to around 4 gallons and top it off at the end. I have your regular turkey fryer burner.

good to know Sir I thank you for all your help :rockin:

good post my next batch (2nd one) i am going to try this

I had brewed a hundred beers in my head before I ever did my first. I was also lucky to help with an all grain brew before hand as well. I had bought "The Joy of Home Brewing" almost 2 years before I even brewed my first and the corners of the book are rolled from have been through it so many times. I knew the process very well in a book sense long before I brewed. I realize I'm probably the exception, but I have been fine with any of the instructions I get from the kits as I knew the steps. Some are better than others, some just fill in a template, and because of that, they directions are not always the best for the style of beer. But simply researching the style in books and here on HBT will get you moving in the right direction.

I wish I would have read this before I started my last batch. This Red ale had grains in it. I read the instructions in the package and it never said to crush the grains. And it said to steep the grains for a half hour not any specific temp. "Place 1 1/2 galons water in brew pot, bring to a boil turn off heat Place grains in steeping bag, and steep in the hot water 20-30 minutes." I thought I should crush them but that was just a gut feeling and didn't act on it. I did however steep them about an hour I got pulled away and time got away from me. So I hope it will come out good anyway.

"Beer is proof GOD loves us and wants us to be happy.
Benjaman Franklin

If you got the grain from a kit most likely the packaged grains were crushed. You should be fine sir.

northernjerry said:

While steeping grains in a grain bag, the bag generally lies at the bottom of the pot, correct? Isn't there a danger of the bag burning?

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What I will usually do is tie the bag off on the handle of my brew pot so that the bag doesn't ever touch the bottom of the pot. also, its not necessary to keep the burner on. just keep the water temp between 155-160 and "mash" the bag every 5 min for 30 min.

Oh thanks for sharing this step by step guides.

I'm using LMS with a no boil beer kit, and some dextrose from bulk barn. If I use LME from the tap and the brew shop, do I need to boil it? Or is the sugar content so high that it kills off infection anyways?

It would be nice to have a simple no boil kit again.

Cheers.

Husher said:

I'm using LMS with a no boil beer kit, and some dextrose from bulk barn...
Cheers.

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Sorry, meant to start a new thread...Noobie alert!

No worries, and I'd say its always wise to boil the kits to get rid of any chance of infection, also how do you hop it up if you don't boil it?