FerroPlasm
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- Joined
- Dec 12, 2010
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Tomorrow my assistant brewer (SWMBO) and I are brewing our first beer: a Brewers Best Smoked Porter. I can't wait.
I'm wondering what are some key things I can do tonight to make tomorrow go as smoothly as possible. So far, I've done the following:
1. checked kit for all ingredients and read recipe a couple times
2. gathered all required equipment
3. sanitized carboy with star san and covered with saran wrap and foil
4. remaining sanitizer solution placed in 5 gal bucket with carboy cap, 3-piece sanitizer, funnel, hydrometer, thermometer all soaking to sanitize
I also have a couple questions.
The kit comes with 2 lbs of specialty grains and instructs to steep at 150-165 degrees. How much will the grains lower the water temperature? I'm guessing I can safely boil 3 gallons water + 6.6 lbs liquid malt extract, so I'll be steeping in 3 gallons water. Should I heat to the high end, 165 degrees, and assume a couple degree temp drop?
Also, the kit instructs to add "clean water" to the cooled wort in fermenter. Should I (a) use city water straight from the tap, (b) boil water tonight and allow to cool, covered, until tomorrow, or (b) use bottled distilled water?
Finally, the kit comes with 11.5 g Safale s-04 dry ale yeast. The kit instructs to pitch directly into the wort, but I've read it's better to rehydrate in 1 cup previously boiled water 20 minutes prior to pitching. Yay or nay? It's a simple step that I have no problem doing if it's beneficial.
Hopefully I'm not overthinking, but I'd rather be prepared and make sure SWMBO and I have a positive experience and will want to brew again. Oh yeah, recipe below.
Brewers Best Smoked Porter, kit
Fermentables
6.6 lb. Porter liquid malt extract
Specialty Grains
1 lb. smoked
8 oz. chocolate
8 oz. caramel 80L
Hops
1.5 oz. cascade, bittering
0.5 oz. Mt. Hood, aroma
Yeast
11.5 g Safale s-04 dry english ale yeast (best by 10/2012)
OG: 1.058-1.062
FG: 1.014-1.017
IBUs: 30-36
I'm wondering what are some key things I can do tonight to make tomorrow go as smoothly as possible. So far, I've done the following:
1. checked kit for all ingredients and read recipe a couple times
2. gathered all required equipment
3. sanitized carboy with star san and covered with saran wrap and foil
4. remaining sanitizer solution placed in 5 gal bucket with carboy cap, 3-piece sanitizer, funnel, hydrometer, thermometer all soaking to sanitize
I also have a couple questions.
The kit comes with 2 lbs of specialty grains and instructs to steep at 150-165 degrees. How much will the grains lower the water temperature? I'm guessing I can safely boil 3 gallons water + 6.6 lbs liquid malt extract, so I'll be steeping in 3 gallons water. Should I heat to the high end, 165 degrees, and assume a couple degree temp drop?
Also, the kit instructs to add "clean water" to the cooled wort in fermenter. Should I (a) use city water straight from the tap, (b) boil water tonight and allow to cool, covered, until tomorrow, or (b) use bottled distilled water?
Finally, the kit comes with 11.5 g Safale s-04 dry ale yeast. The kit instructs to pitch directly into the wort, but I've read it's better to rehydrate in 1 cup previously boiled water 20 minutes prior to pitching. Yay or nay? It's a simple step that I have no problem doing if it's beneficial.
Hopefully I'm not overthinking, but I'd rather be prepared and make sure SWMBO and I have a positive experience and will want to brew again. Oh yeah, recipe below.
Brewers Best Smoked Porter, kit
Fermentables
6.6 lb. Porter liquid malt extract
Specialty Grains
1 lb. smoked
8 oz. chocolate
8 oz. caramel 80L
Hops
1.5 oz. cascade, bittering
0.5 oz. Mt. Hood, aroma
Yeast
11.5 g Safale s-04 dry english ale yeast (best by 10/2012)
OG: 1.058-1.062
FG: 1.014-1.017
IBUs: 30-36