So... First Extract Brew Day.

[rowan57]

Ok, so not strictly true in that I have done 2 tinned kits before but today I did my first extract brew with DME & Hops.

Recipe pack bought here;

http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/beerkits/brewextract/st-austell-proper-job.html

It all went mostly smoothly until it came to get the stuff into the fermenting bin. Lessons learnt for next time;

1) On contact with steam, DME turns to concrete (I did lose a bit through various issues).

2) Need some kind of proper strainer or bag to hold hops in the pot. This was BIG hoppy beer and my straining methods were entirely inadequate meaning I lost more wort than I would have liked.

3) Remember to smack the smack pack a little earlier, it was swelled but not quite.

4) Use block ice to bring the wort down in temp for pitching, cold water isn't enough. I pitched a degree or two hotter than I would have liked.

5) Prepare better and learn how to read a Hydrometer. It makes no sense to me

Overall I'll be happy if I get a drinkable, hoppy (possibly weak) ale out of this I desperately want to try a Porter next, I may try one next weekend.

 

[aggiejason]

I feel confident you'll be pleased with results. This I similar to what I did with my first brew. I screwed several things up along the way. And still ended up with tasty beer.

It may not have been the best beer ever but I've definitely paid for worse...that's pretty much my bar.

Good luck with the porter!

 

[brew_ny]

It may not have been the best beer ever but I've definitely paid for worse...

that is a great way to look at it

 

[ncbrewer]

Welcome to brewing.

 

[E_Marquez]

Ok, so not strictly true in that I have done 2 tinned kits before but today I did my first extract brew with DME & Hops.

Recipe pack bought here;

http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/beerkits/brewextract/st-austell-proper-job.html

It all went mostly smoothly until it came to get the stuff into the fermenting bin. Lessons learnt for next time;

1) On contact with steam, DME turns to concrete (I did lose a bit through various issues).

2) Need some kind of proper strainer or bag to hold hops in the pot. This was BIG hoppy beer and my straining methods were entirely inadequate meaning I lost more wort than I would have liked.

3) Remember to smack the smack pack a little earlier, it was swelled but not quite.

4) Use block ice to bring the wort down in temp for pitching, cold water isn't enough. I pitched a degree or two hotter than I would have liked.

5) Prepare better and learn how to read a Hydrometer. It makes no sense to me

Overall I'll be happy if I get a drinkable, hoppy (possibly weak) ale out of this I desperately want to try a Porter next, I may try one next weekend.

If you use a large glass or Pyrex measuring "cup"

(I use two, 2 liter ones to hold up to 4 lbs of DME) for the DME, you pour from bag to "cup", then cup to pot... yes lots sticks in the cup as steam hits it.., but no worries, dip/ swish the glass cup in the wort and it all washes away...

Using ice,,, is it boiled water in a sanitized container prior to freezing? or just tap water and something?

I've not had an infection yet using refrigerator filter cold water....but it can happen Im told..
Lately I've taken a sealed plastic 1 gal jug of commercial spring water, frozen it, and used it in the wort to cool below what my IC and prechiller in ice bath can get it.

Muslin bags are cheap and work well for hops.. both full flower and pellet. I'm looking to try a hop ball in my next brew day

as they might be easier to clean.. and fetch from the brew pot after the boil.

Overall , sounds like you made beer.. Congrats.... come back in a few weeks and tell us how it tasted.

 

[DanH]

. I'm looking to try a hop ball in my next brew day .

I haven't used them in the boil but for dry hopping in the keg they're awesome.

 

[rowan57]

Thanks for the positive words everyone!

E. Marquez - Thanks for the tip on the pyrex jugs, totally makes sense. I don't think a hop ball would have worked for this brew (I had 1/2 a basin of hops at the end!) but a muslin bag certainly would have done the trick!

I couldn't resist a peek in the fermenter this evening and it is fermenting away beautifully, a good krausen as evidence! I was kind of expecting some airlock activity, but I have 20L liquid in a 33L bin so maybe enough headspace that the gas isn't needing to escape?

I have some professional temperature loggers at work and I plan to borrow one for a few days just to see how the temperatures are in the closet I am fermenting in.

 

[flars]

Hold your wort temperature at about 18°C.

 

[rowan57]

Using ice,,, is it boiled water in a sanitized container prior to freezing? or just tap water and something?

I've not had an infection yet using refrigerator filter cold water....but it can happen Im told..
Lately I've taken a sealed plastic 1 gal jug of commercial spring water, frozen it, and used it in the wort to cool below what my IC and prechiller in ice bath can get it.
.

I plan to sanitise 1L or 2L containers fill with tap water and pre-freeze them. I saw a video where a guy did this and it seems a lot cheaper than a wort chiller.

Hold your wort temperature at about 18°C.

I think I'm about there - House temperature on average is 21C and the cupboard I am fermenting in is slightly cooler, but I will measure and find out Certainly shouldn't be higher than 21C even with heating on.

 

[flars]

I plan to sanitise 1L or 2L containers fill with tap water and pre-freeze them. I saw a video where a guy did this and it seems a lot cheaper than a wort chiller.



I think I'm about there - House temperature on average is 21C and the cupboard I am fermenting in is slightly cooler, but I will measure and find out Certainly shouldn't be higher than 21C even with heating on.

Fermentation produces heat. Wort temperature can rise 4°C to 8°C over the ambient temperature during the first three days.

 

[rowan57]

Fermentation produces heat. Wort temperature can rise 4°C to 8°C over the ambient temperature during the first three days.

Interesting, kind of makes sense when I think about it. I will look at getting a temperature logger for the liquid itself.

Thank you!

 

[flars]

Interesting, kind of makes sense when I think about it. I will look at getting a temperature logger for the liquid itself.

Thank you!

I should have added that fermentation temperatures that are to high will produce off flavors. The nastiest is fusel alcohols. Fusel alcohols can make a brew undrinkable.

 

[rowan57]

Thanks Flars!

Second brew day today, much less painful than the first. Also bottled my first 'tin kit' so a very beery day all round! (Tin kit light and tasty following sample).

I followed a recipe from 'Clone Brews' called RCH Old Slug Porter (Primarily because it had a cool name).

I made the following changes to my process which made life MUCH easier. Thank you to everyone who suggested tips at the beginning of the thread!

• Muslin bags for hop additions - divided up hops while grains were steeping, then just dropped the bags in at the appropriate time. Much less messy all round.
• Ice for Primary - Used a 2kg bag of shop bought ice, and 9.5L chilled water in the primary. Brought the wort down to 18 degrees C instantly.
• Remembered to smack my smack pack this morning in plenty of time - realise not 110% necessary but makes sense to follow the instructions otherwise they wouldn't write them
• Jugs for DME - MY GOD this made a big difference.

I still need to make the following changes for next time;

• Grain steeping - Generally needs work but particularly strike temperature / steeping temperature needs improvement. The pot I chose was only just big enough for steeping grains.
• Timer - need a good kitchen timer.
• Fermenting Temps - still have no good way of controlling this.

Overall very happy with how it went and feel very relaxed at the end of it which is a good sign!

The 'Proper Job" I brewed a week and a half ago still seems to be fermenting gently away, krausen significantly dropped but a way off yet. I don't think it will want bottling until 4 weeks in primary