first brew arrol's 80 shilling ale

Well, not sure if I chose a good one for the first try but I decided that I would go with an AHS arrol's 80 shilling ale clone for my first go. I have ordered the extract kit with the whitelabs yeast. I have a 5 gal. stainless steel pot, 6.5 gal glass carboy with ferment lock and dung, autosiphon, and bottle filler. I know that i will need to get, sanitizer, long spoons, wort chiller or ice bath, thermometer, and some bottle caps and capper.

Will I need a raking cane?? How about a hydrometer for the first attempt?? Also what should I expect from my first batch. Is this going to be an easy variety for my first try? Thanks alot!

Yes, you need a hydrometer. Since you ordered an autosiphon, you won't need the racking cane.
This is not as simple as all-extract, but the steeping is pretty easy -- just remember to never NEVER boil your steeping grains.
Good luck!

LouT said:

Yes, you need a hydrometer. Since you ordered an autosiphon, you won't need the racking cane.
This is not as simple as all-extract, but the steeping is pretty easy -- just remember to never NEVER boil your steeping grains.
Good luck!

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I will get the hydrometer, but is there a specific kind/style to get? I am going to be bottling this first batch and then going to brew a second batch, probably a stout or something nice and dark. Any suggestions for a strong dark second batch? Thinking about arrogant bastard clone or a double chocolate stout.

Also going to try and put together a kegging set up before too long, but want to have a few bottles to give to the guys.

Peace and thanks,

CO

Well she's in the pot and smelling good. Just added the Fuggle hops, they smell like bubble gum, yummy! The kent golding is going in in about a half hour. the color so far matches my odell's 90 shilling, but I hope it will darken once the hops come through. Cant wait she's going into the 6.5 glass carboy tonight.

Ok so I finished up and I checked the OG and it is at 1.070 at 78 degrees fairenheit?? The AHB guide said 1.044????? Is this stuff going to be drinkable? what do I do? I pitched my whitelabs edinburough yeast and put the airlock on for now. I hope it turns out okay this is my first try. Any suggestions?? I followed the Austin Home Brewing directions to the "T" and dont know what is up with this original gravity?? Please help me!

:fro:

Ok so to update, after speaking with Austin Home Brewery they said that the sample that I took probably just wasnt mixed well enough. They also told me to stir the wort once more before the first 24 hours was up, although I already had 2" of head on the wort at the time. The stiring seemed to slow down the bubbling a bit. It started within 8 hours , went for another 24 strong, slowed and bubbles disappeared with airlock still bubbling though, and now after at 60 hours is back going well again, the head is back and is about 1".

The color is a dark amber color and the smell coming out of the airlock is pungent like fresh beer! I dont have a secondary fermenter so I will not be changing over to another before bottling, which I plan to do after 2 or so weeks. I plan to let the bottles sit as long as I can. But I think that plan might not hold up depending on the results at the time.

Currently planning a second and third batch along with the addition of a second glass carboy/airlock as well as possibly getting a kegging setup. I am next going to try and get a Pale Ale and possibly a stout or another dark ale, maybe a rogue or stone clone.

So far I am very pleased with the results from the first attempt to say the very least.

Well its in the bottles now and I did sample some but very little amazingly. How long does it need to stay in the bottle for conditioning purposes? Final gravity was 1.011 with an original gravity of 1.070(but AHB said that I either received to much sugar or the sample wasnt mixed up). It was supposed to be OG 1.044. What does that mean for alcoholic content?