KIt instructions - HBT advice needed

Hello everyone,

We'll be brewing the True Brew - Nut Brown Ale on Saturday. I was wondering if any of the instruction below should be ignored or otherwise changed. So far, I know to steep the grains at 155-160 for 30 min.....any other siggestions? I will also be using a liquid yeast starter (from 1/2 cup per 1/2 qt water) instead of the dry pack from the box.

Tanks, MT

Recipe:
Hopped Light Malt Extract – 1 can
Light Dried Malt Extract – 1 lb
Amber Dried Malt Extract – 1 lb
Special Dark Brown Sugar – 1 lb
Grains: Chocolate, Dark Crystal & Roasted Barley
Grain Steeping Bag
Hop Pellets – 1 oz

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. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

I say go for it.

Only thing I would change.

What is the liquid yeast you are using?

Cool the wort down as fast as possible. And pitch/ferment at the range that suits the type pf yeast.

I'd suggest shaking or otherwise aerating your cold water before pouring into the fermenter to benefit your yeast. I usually use bottled water, pour about 1/3 of it in then shake the dickens out of the jug before pouring the rest in. It should help it take off and start fermenting quicker.

If your water is cold enough you shouldn't have to worry about the wort temperature. I refrigerate my top-up water for several hours before I'm ready to use it, that way when you combine the hot wort and water it should be at pitching temp (70* or so) almost immediately.

Good luck with your brew!

NHRACER said:

What is the liquid yeast you are using?

Cool the wort down as fast as possible. And pitch/ferment at the range that suits the type pf yeast.

Click to expand...

I have a vial of White Labs - Burton Ale Yeast (WLP023) munching away on the starter. Although, I haven't noticed much in the way of activity in the flask. It sat overnight at ~68F and I've been swirling it as often as I can. We'll see what it looks like this afternoon.

For cooling, I have one of those galvanized beer tubs (~30 in. diameter X 14 in. deep). Plan to fill with ice water for submerging the wort. For top up water, I have a 39gal brute can, that I store RO/DI water for my saltwater tanks. It's in the garage and I haven't turned the heater on in it, so it's around 45F. I am gonna mix it (2gal tap/3gal RO) because our water here is really hard. However, I am not sure if I should boil 3 gallons worth RO/DI so that I know it's sterile...Once it goes through the RO membrane it is clean, but then it sits in the reservoir for a while which may not be sterile. The brute can was sterile when I installed it, but that was 1 year ago....but I have only peaked inside about 5 times since then.....Maybe I am just being overly paranoid?

I'd change instruction #4 to read like this:

4. Turn the heat off. While stirring the water with a long-handled spoon, add 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 10 minutes, adding the hop pellets for the final 2 minutes of the boil. Turn off heat, add tinned extract.

There is no reason to boil pre-hopped extract syrup.

Good luck!

Bob

BobNQ3X said:

Boil for 10 minutes.....Turn off heat, add tinned extract

Click to expand...

So,

1. Steep grains at 160F for 30 min. Is there a specific amount of water for this, or should I follow the 1-1.5 gal from the instructions? (Here' why I ask)

2. Bring to boil, remove from heat.

3. Stir in both DME, and return to boil for 10 min. (watch for foam control).

4. Boil hop pellets in last 2 min. of 10 min. boil.

5. Turn off heat, dissolve in LME (I assume it was boiled, centrifuged and then canned, so it's sanitized).

6. Cool immediately

7. Aerate by dumping into fermenter

8. Ensure proper temp., pitch yeast and agitate by rocking back and forth on knees (from Palmer's steps) to mix yeast and further aerate.

9. Lay back and wait 3 weeks, then commence bottling.


I'll sneak OG/FG readings accordingly. Does that sound like a good plan?

Thanks again,

MT

A:

1. Depends on how much grain, doesn't it? Do you know how much you've got? Personally, I wouldn't worry about it and follow the directions for that.

3. DME & sugar, yeah.

5. You'll achieve sanitation in the time it takes you to chill the bitter wort.

9. Yeah!

Bob

BobNQ3X said:

A:

1. Depends on how much grain, doesn't it? Do you know how much you've got? Personally, I wouldn't worry about it and follow the directions for that.

Bob

Click to expand...

You're right, I am pretty sure there is less than 1 lb, maybe 8 oz total. I plan on steeping the grains in 1 gal, in the oven in the house, because I can control the temp. better. I will only have practice with my new turkey fryer when I season the aluminum pot tonight.

BobNQ3X said:

A:

3. DME & sugar, yeah.

Bob

Click to expand...

Sorry, forgot about the sugar. My wife will kill me tomorrow if I forget to put it in there. She has blood-sugar problems, and craves sugary treats all the time. I told her it won't be sugar anymore, but she will still know it's in there (somewhere) and doesn't care what I say.


Thanks again. I think I have a plan hammered out now. I'll keep you posted....

MT