Stone Cold Lead Pipe Lock'd N00b Advice

olllllo · Feb 8, 2008

Post easy to understand advice to n00bs in bullet points.

Rules.

1) KISS
2) If I disagree or am convinced it can't be summed up in a sentence or 3, I'll delete it.
3) Eventually all discussion posts will be deleted or edited so that only the KISS advice remains.
4) One topic per post. Keep it minimal or it will be MERCILESSLY edited or deleted at my whim.
5) Again. Stuff will be MERCILESSLY deleted at my whim.

N00bs. Do not post questions here because they may be deleted. Start a new thread.

Want to play?

olllllo · Feb 8, 2008

When using Starsan. Do not fear the foam. Rack beer right on to it.

the_bird · Feb 8, 2008

If doing an extract batch and your gravity reading is WAY off from what you expected, you probably didn't stir the wort well enough after adding your top-off water.

Rick_R · Feb 8, 2008

If target is 1.056 OG and wort is 1.054, yeah, that's close enough. Ditto FG

olllllo · Feb 8, 2008

Start with a simple beer. You need to get a feel for the variables you can control and those that you need to work on. Fruit = No.

Revvy · Feb 8, 2008

If your beer tastes funny and it hasn't been in the bottle for AT LEAST three weeks, it ain't infected, it's just green and will taste fine in time.

Yooper · Feb 8, 2008

Airlock activity (or the lack of) is not necessarily indicative of fermentation progress. Check the specific gravity with a hydrometer. Don't even bother counting and timing airlock bubbles.

Bobby_M · Feb 8, 2008

It is highly unlikely that your batch is completely ruined. Never dump potential beer down the drain until you wait it out and taste it in finished condition.

the_bird · Feb 8, 2008

The amount of time that it takes a batch of beer to carbonate can be highly variable. You might get lucky and have some carbonation at a week or two, but don't think twice about it if you don't for at least three weeks.

Revvy · Feb 8, 2008

That white stuff at the bottom of your bottles is called yeast. It is necessary in order for your beer to be carbonated. No you can't really filter it away if you are bottling and want to have "fizz." Learn to pour your beer into a glass, leaving about a quarter of an inch behind.

Bobby_M · Feb 8, 2008

No matter how cool you think it is to modify, augment, or completely screw around with a recipe or kit, resist the urge to do so for your first 10 batches. Prove to yourself that you can make someone else's good beer before you try to make your own from scratch.

Dinbin · Feb 8, 2008

Clean and sanitized are not the same thing. You should clean and then sanitize your equipment.

olllllo · Feb 8, 2008

It is better to have a solid repeatable process than the best equipment.

Alamo_Beer · Feb 8, 2008

Screw top bottles won't work with a wing capper. They will work with a bench capper, which are cheap on ebay.

Alamo_Beer · Feb 8, 2008

Dry yeast is good. Use it.

Alamo_Beer · Feb 8, 2008

Clear and green bottles are fine. As long as they're kept out of the light. It doesn't matter with cider or apfelwein.
UV light skunks Hops.

Alamo_Beer · Feb 8, 2008

Don't boil your specialty grains. Even if Alton did.

Alamo_Beer · Feb 8, 2008

Don't worry about water if you are using extracts. Don't use unmodified distilled water for all grain.

Alamo_Beer · Feb 8, 2008

Invest in a good sanitizer. I don't care what you think about bleach.

Alamo_Beer · Feb 8, 2008

Stainless Steel or Aluminum? It doesn't matter.

Germey · Feb 8, 2008

Brewpots - Aluminum or Stainless... don't matter, but bigger is better.

Alamo_Beer · Feb 8, 2008

Don't suck start a syphon. Get an auto-syphon or build Flyguys $3 syphon starter https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=25774

Alamo_Beer · Feb 8, 2008

5 gallon water bottles=NO!

Revvy · Feb 8, 2008

Those little bags of white powder called "one step" that came in your kit aren't "really" sanitizers. As soon as you run out get a bottle of either Idophor or Star San, and "no rinse" really means no rinse, despite the foam or the smell. It won't hurt your beer.

Alamo_Beer · Feb 8, 2008

Yes, you need a bottling bucket.

c.n.budz · Feb 8, 2008

Read this. Actually, read it a couple times

Alamo_Beer · Feb 8, 2008

No, you don't NEED a secondary. But it's nice. Oh, and Hefes, apfelwein, and Wit's don't need them

Germey · Feb 8, 2008

Boilovers happen, even in big pots.
Watch extra close when you first reach boiling with the extract in, then each time you add hops.
A spray bottle with clean water will knock the foam down, so will a fan or blowing on it.

Desert_Sky · Feb 8, 2008

Relax, don't worry, and have a homebrew!

Revvy · Feb 8, 2008

Anything that will come in contact with your wort/beer AFTER you have boiled it NEEDS to be sanitized.

Yes, that includes your hands.

It is safe to dunk them in diluted starsan or iodophor.

Stone Cold Lead Pipe Lock'd N00b Advice

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