Hi guys (and maybe gals)...complete newbie here...name is Chris, and I live in the sticks north of Baltimore, Ohio.
Im brewing my first batch, West Coast Ale in a Mr. Beer kit. I have decided Sundays will be my "brewing" days....I followed the directions to the letter (except to let it ferment for 2 full weeks instead of 1), and pitched the yeast on June 17th. My schedule is to bottle on July 1st (my birthday!), warm condition until July 15th, and then chill, then sample on July 22nd.
I dont drink much beer, and am a very patient guy, but I am excited at the aspect of drinking beer that I made.
I know the creed is sanitation, sanitation, sanitation, and I have taken every step to ensure Im not getting any bugs. I also plan on sanitizing my bottles right before bottling, but I do have one question...should I be concerned about the sugar? Should I take any special steps to ensure my sugar is "clean"?
Thanks, and what a great site...Ive been reading for a week now, what a wealth of information!
Regards,
-Chris
Most don't worry about the priming suger. It's usually pretty clean, and it's going into a fairly high alcohol content solution, so not much room for growth.