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crh1109

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Oct 26, 2011
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Took my first shot at homebrewing tonight using a Brooklyn brew shop kit(summer ale, I know its almost winter!) I had planned on using a LHBS kit for my first time, but I told my neighbor about wanting to start brewing beer and he told me he had this kit, but didn't have the time, so he gave it to me. Any thoughts on this kit, I followed the instructions mostly, but they are kinda vague in some spots. Hopefully it turns out, I will le you all know in a month!
 
i can't speak to the summer ale kit, but i had a friend who did a few of the brooklyn kits and they always seemed to turn out pretty good.
 
Only concern could be that the yeast is old, depending on how long ago he bought it (and if it was kept in the fridge or not). If you have any questions on the vague spots, please ask here, we can help clear it up!

And welcome to the hobby and the forums!
 
In the little bit of knowledge I have gained from this forum, I have been worried about the yeast as well. If there are no signs of fermentation, will I be able to get some from the LHBS and add it after the fact, or could the last 3 hrs of mashing, spurging, and boiling be wasted?
 
yes. has happened to me before with some liquid yeast not appreciating southern summer weather before. just grabbed a package of dry yeast, rehydrated, pitched and in a few weeks was enjoying delicious cream ale. of course, remember you just poured dead yeast in your wort...not a truckload so it maybe isnt the end of the world, but when it happened to me i figured i at least wasnt going to let it sit and condition for a month in primary on that dead yeast. just a thought.
 
You can just add yeast again as "rescue" posted. Just give it a day or two, if you don't see anything then go ahead and get some new yeast. It won't go bad if no activation occurs initially.
 
Definitely give it a day or two. My friend and I just had some that took 2 days to start showing signs of fermentation.
 
I think it the yeast is ok, the first 12 hrs or so it was visibly bubbly, and there were air bubbles coming out of the blow off tube, but now most of the visible bubbles are gone, but there is still some air bubbling out of the blow off tube. I guess my next question would be is this the standard operating procedure, or should there be more bubbles visible?
 
I think it the yeast is ok, the first 12 hrs or so it was visibly bubbly, and there were air bubbles coming out of the blow off tube, but now most of the visible bubbles are gone, but there is still some air bubbling out of the blow off tube. I guess my next question would be is this the standard operating procedure, or should there be more bubbles visible?

Don't worry about the bubbles, it's only one sign of fermentation, and not a reliable one. Give it a couple weeks and then check the gravity. If you get the same for 3 days in a row, then you're done.

In the meantime - sounds like everything is going great.

edit: Should mention, when I say you're done, I meant the fermentation is definitely done, a stable gravity for 3 days is the only way to tell for sure. You could let it age in primary more, of course. I like to let it sit in primary for a good 3-4 weeks, and assume the yeast has done its job.
 
Bubbling is just an added benefit of fermentation. Sometimes, there's no bubbling at all and there's still fermentation going on. Hydrometer readings are really the most accurate way of determining the status of fermentation.
 
I will have to get a hydrometer, the kit did not come with one, but the instructions say to wait 2 weeks in the fermentor, and 2 weeks in bottles, would this be considered "aging in primary" or should I leave it in the fermentor for 3-4 weeks, THEN 2 weeks in bottles?
 
The latter, so 3-4 weeks on the yeast cake in the primary fermenter. A lot of people say 3 weeks in bottles is better, too. I've been brewing for about a year, and the best ingredient I've found in my homebrew is patience! My first few batches, I bottled right at 2 weeks, and cracked open my first bottle 2 weeks after that. I was very disappointed in the taste. After they aged a bit, they were delicious.

Brew another beer while you're waiting :mug:
 
Well home brewing is going to be rough on me then, because patience is not one of my virtues!!

I think I'm going to have to get another batch going since this kit is only a gallon, and I don't even think I have a full gallon of beer after the boil. All the work, and all the waiting may not seem worth it for only a few bottles of beer!!
 
Whoa, only a gallon?? Yeah, go brew up 5 gallons. If you're going to do all the work, might as well get a couple cases out of it.
 
The Brooklyn Brew Shop kits are good for what they're supposed to be: a way to brew all grain batches with serious space limitations. I started with these and have just moved to 5 gallon AG (last night actually). They are a great way to learn the process and nail down the principles of brewing without feeling overwhelmed from the start. I have no complaints (other than the small amount of brew). If nothing else, you have a 1 gallon jug for a blowoff container and some extra tubing and a spare thermometer when you take the step up. Well worth the money you spent on it (free I assume? Or did your neighbor charge you?). Welcome to the obsession, and good luck on your first brew!!
 
I do 1.25 gallon batches often just to experiment with different brews that I might not want 5 gallons of. As mentioned by another poster, I think the Brooklyn Brewshops kits are great for their designed purpose. I've sent a lot of business their way.

Two weeks in the fermenter is fine for that brew. But give it at least 3 weeks in the bottle before drinking. What I usually suggest is that you try 1 bottle at two weeks but save the rest for at least three weeks, and save a bottle or two to try at 4 and 5 weeks. You will taste a noticeable improvement for each additional week. After 6 weeks, beers like a summer ale probably aren't going to improve much.

If you decide to get a hydrometer, be sure that you sanitize it and the hydrometer tube well so you can still use the beer, since you're only going to get 10 bottle to start with. For this first batch, however, I wouldn't worry about a hydrometer reading, just go ahead and bottle it after 2-3 weeks in the fermenter.
 
yeah, it was free!! I would have passed if he wanted to charge me, but I'm sure he will get a couple bottles of beer out of it as payment! After all of the work, I had the same feeling, "only a gallon?!" If my first batch turns out ok, I'm sure I will be onto a 5 gal system in no time. I also have the thoughts of having spare parts, and a small system to try experiments with. I'm just not sure what will be worse if my first batch doesn't turn out good 1. I will quit or 2. I will get in deeper trying to prove I can make good beer!!! Only time will tell!
 
I also called the kit "summer ale" at the beginning, but I just looked again, and it is actually "summer wheat"
 
crh1109 said:
yeah, it was free!! I would have passed if he wanted to charge me, but I'm sure he will get a couple bottles of beer out of it as payment! After all of the work, I had the same feeling, "only a gallon?!" If my first batch turns out ok, I'm sure I will be onto a 5 gal system in no time. I also have the thoughts of having spare parts, and a small system to try experiments with. I'm just not sure what will be worse if my first batch doesn't turn out good 1. I will quit or 2. I will get in deeper trying to prove I can make good beer!!! Only time will tell!

Even if it does not, you should stick with it! It becomes a lot more fun when you have enough brew to share

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Home Brew Talk
 
Wow, I sure let this thread die. For those of you who care, my first batch was a monumental fail. I over primed my bottles, so...when I opened them, the beer erupted out of the bottle like a foam geyser! So, I gave up, but now I'm back! I have a 5gal batch of a beginner LME on day 4 of fermentation. Hopefully this run will have a desirable outcome!
 
crh... good to see you trying again. How did you prime your beer? Just made another batch of porter. I wanted to start it earlier but, thanks to Sandy, that got pushed back six weeks. The first two days no activity, no change in OG. I was getting ready to add dry yeast in addition to the vial of liquid that came with the kit. I decided to give it a stir and wait another 24 hours. Two days later, I had porter pushing up through the airlock. Pete
 
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