Heya folks, new to the forum, just wanted to pass on my technique to those that share my priorities - good beer, fast turnover, consistent results, minimal gear and fuss. I know several people with relatively advanced gear and processes, and they have nothing but compliments for my beer considering it's done with a kit, especially when I tell them I only started it two weeks ago. I'm sure the puritans will cut gaping holes in my process, but I do know what I'm after, and this gets it done.
So here's the skinny - do the normal kit routine with the following mods:
- use good water, anything well filtered, whatever's cheap and isn't a pain to get, get only 1 gallon going on the stove
- while the water's heating up, use a well sterilized large-ish bowl, put a teaspoon of dextrose in, then pour two cups of water at the right temp off the tap, not quite hot enough to hurt your hand, and sprinkle the yeast on the surface so it sits on top, leave it until later
- bring the stove water to a boil, then drop the heat level to 2/3, and just dissolve the kit contents and any malts or liquid sugars, stirring as you pour
- pour the hot wort into the fermenter nice and easy avoiding splashing, add any dry sugars in your recipe
- add the rest of the water to the appropriate level, end temp should be just right to kick the yeast into high gear fast (that's why only 1 gal in the boil)
- the yeast preparation should now be a frothing murk, give it a stir, then dump it into the fermenter, stir it up
- pop on the water trap, should be bubbling like mad within 18 hours, my record is 8
- once the trap drops to less than a gurgle per 10 seconds prepare the finishing hops (if your recipe doesn't have them, try 1oz of cascade)
- take the same size bowl as the yeast prep, pour in 2 cups of hot water from the tap, drop in the finishing hops, wait 5-10 mins until it becomes a paste, drop it into the fermenter, do not stir
- bottle the next day
The key tricks are the yeast prep which saves at least a day, the 1 gallon boil which saves fuss, and the finishing hops trick which gives the taste of aged dry hops within a few days. My recipe is a Cooper's IPA kit, a kilo of dark malt, 1/4 cup dextrose, and an ounce of cascade finishing hops. Because it's a dark-ish beer it masks the yeast residuals and young carbonation, so it drinks well two days after bottling, ten days after starting it. Another four days and it's pretty much prime.
Yes I know there's tons of ways to improve quality, but I challenge anyone to produce a better tasting beer in two weeks.
So here's the skinny - do the normal kit routine with the following mods:
- use good water, anything well filtered, whatever's cheap and isn't a pain to get, get only 1 gallon going on the stove
- while the water's heating up, use a well sterilized large-ish bowl, put a teaspoon of dextrose in, then pour two cups of water at the right temp off the tap, not quite hot enough to hurt your hand, and sprinkle the yeast on the surface so it sits on top, leave it until later
- bring the stove water to a boil, then drop the heat level to 2/3, and just dissolve the kit contents and any malts or liquid sugars, stirring as you pour
- pour the hot wort into the fermenter nice and easy avoiding splashing, add any dry sugars in your recipe
- add the rest of the water to the appropriate level, end temp should be just right to kick the yeast into high gear fast (that's why only 1 gal in the boil)
- the yeast preparation should now be a frothing murk, give it a stir, then dump it into the fermenter, stir it up
- pop on the water trap, should be bubbling like mad within 18 hours, my record is 8
- once the trap drops to less than a gurgle per 10 seconds prepare the finishing hops (if your recipe doesn't have them, try 1oz of cascade)
- take the same size bowl as the yeast prep, pour in 2 cups of hot water from the tap, drop in the finishing hops, wait 5-10 mins until it becomes a paste, drop it into the fermenter, do not stir
- bottle the next day
The key tricks are the yeast prep which saves at least a day, the 1 gallon boil which saves fuss, and the finishing hops trick which gives the taste of aged dry hops within a few days. My recipe is a Cooper's IPA kit, a kilo of dark malt, 1/4 cup dextrose, and an ounce of cascade finishing hops. Because it's a dark-ish beer it masks the yeast residuals and young carbonation, so it drinks well two days after bottling, ten days after starting it. Another four days and it's pretty much prime.
Yes I know there's tons of ways to improve quality, but I challenge anyone to produce a better tasting beer in two weeks.
