Brooklyn Brew Shop Everyday IPA Kit Tips

[BlakeL]

I finished my second batch last night. It was a Vienna/Centennial SMaSH. I decided to try BIAB this time with a 5g paint strainer from Home Depot and it was much easier. I used about 1.8g water initially to account for boil evaporation and grain absorption and ended up with about 1-2 cups more water than needed.

Recipe:

3# Vienna
.4 oz 60m
.2 oz 15m
.2 oz 5m
.2 oz 1m
1/2 packet US-05

 

[Smooshed_Snoot_Brew]

This was my first brew over a year and a half ago. I have come up with a pretty good partial mash/extract clone to do a 5Gal batch of this brew without having to do a full mash and buy from Brooklyn directly. If anyone is interested I will post.

 

[jeffz]

My wife bought me this kit for my birthday and we finally started a batch on Sunday. I just replaced the blow-off tube with the airlock yesterday.

Question on sweetener for bottling: I noticed the instruction PDF you can download for this kit from BBS mentions using honey, then a sentence or two later refers to agave. Is using agave nectar an option anyone would recommend? I actually like using that as a sweetener in cocktails, but have no idea what effect using it versus honey would have on beer. Also what about using a real brown sugar (like demarara or sucanat)? I won't touch white sugar or corn syrup.

Thanks!
Jeff

 

[KMC]

Hi All,

Received the Brooklyn kit as a gift this past weekend and can't wait to begin brewing. Silly question though, are the hops and yeast included in separate packages inside the large "ingredient mix" bag? I can't see them in there, and don't want to open the grain bag until I'm ready to brew. I'm 95% certain I'm an idiot, but just want to be sure

 

[BlakeL]

My wife bought me this kit for my birthday and we finally started a batch on Sunday. I just replaced the blow-off tube with the airlock yesterday.

Question on sweetener for bottling: I noticed the instruction PDF you can download for this kit from BBS mentions using honey, then a sentence or two later refers to agave. Is using agave nectar an option anyone would recommend? I actually like using that as a sweetener in cocktails, but have no idea what effect using it versus honey would have on beer. Also what about using a real brown sugar (like demarara or sucanat)? I won't touch white sugar or corn syrup.

Thanks!
Jeff

Check out this priming calculator for the amount of sugar to use.

Hi All,

Received the Brooklyn kit as a gift this past weekend and can't wait to begin brewing. Silly question though, are the hops and yeast included in separate packages inside the large "ingredient mix" bag? I can't see them in there, and don't want to open the grain bag until I'm ready to brew. I'm 95% certain I'm an idiot, but just want to be sure

It's probably hard to see but they should be inside the bag with the grains.

 

[KMC]

Thanks BlakeL - that's what I figured! Appreciate the quick response.

 

[MedBrewer]

Hiya all, new to homebrew beer and picked up the BBS Everyday IPA today at a Whole Foods in Manhattan. I'm super excited to get started, reading the directions a few times, happy as heck I found this forum and have gon through it also . As far as equipment (I'm on super tight budget) picked up 2 8qt pots (cheapy aluminum), a metal strainer that fits onto the pots, plastic funnel, large plastic spoon.Couple questions for all of you as I greatly appreciate all the knowledge here!
1.My kit did come with C-Bright cleanser and instructions say rinse is required, how well must I rinse to get that stuff off the equipment?
2. I am currently living in brooklyn nyc, will it be ok to use the tap water right to brew? (I know NYC is known for its amazing water but is there any need to worry in general about minerals or corrosion in my building's old as hell pipes?)
3. Any other tips/advice any one may have to share is greatly appreciated!
Thanks Guys/Gals
- MedBrewer

 

[jeffz]

1.My kit did come with C-Bright cleanser and instructions say rinse is required, how well must I rinse to get that stuff off the equipment?

You can smell the C-Brite, it has a bit of a chlorine kind of smell to it, so I went with "rinse 'til I can't smell that so much anymore." Worked out well for my run.

I used jug water, so i can't comment on whether tap would be okay. What I've gathered from my own reading is that it's probably fine, but people get picky about it when trying to exactly clone a beer, especially anything light/mild where the the water actually figures into the final flavor. I don't think that'd be so much an issue with this recipe but let more experienced folks offer their answer on that.

My only tip is to have fun with it! I was a tyrant for a few hours in the kitchen when I brewed my batch and my wife got pretty annoyed with me.

Jeff

 

[MedBrewer]

Thanks for the info! That is really funny ( My only tip is to have fun with it! I was a tyrant for a few hours in the kitchen when I brewed my batch and my wife got pretty annoyed with me. ) I can understand the tyrant thing... I can get pretty picky about stuff too LOL. But I will be soloing this time.

 

[MedBrewer]

Just finished the brew process and it was a great time! I did end up about 1 quart short after pouring the wort into the 1gal jug, I topped it off to 1gal with additional water. I hope that will not be an issue (it seems from what the manual and the forums say, it should not... I'll keep my fingers crossed). Maybe I boiled the wort a little to high temp, or didnt strain enough out of the mash.. I really dont know. I will upload some pics as soon as possible (I know you have all seen them 1 zillion times... the pics of the 1st brew).
- MedBrewer

 

[MedBrewer]

Fermentation started overnight quite vigorously,to the point the blow off tube got full of foam from the brew and it poured into the jar of sanitizer. I have read that it is ok for that to happen as long as the tube does not get clogged,please let me know if that is correct.

 

[jeffz]

I wouldn't worry about having to top off - same thing happened to me, and yeah I think it was from vaporizing too much water between the mash and boil stages. If you think about it, all the "stuff" you want in your brew is still there if you boil water away, so it makes sense to me that as long as you got the other ingredients right, topping off to 1 gallon will put you back at your target concentration.

As for the blowoff tube, yeah as long as it's not clogged. If you can see bubbles coming up in the sanitizer, you're good. All you're after is providing a sanitary way for air to escape so your carboy doesn't explode.

Jeff

 

[MedBrewer]

Thanks jeffz! That is all good to know. I was wondering if for the next batch if I could use the brew-in-a-bag method? If you just steep your mash in the bag then remove the bag? That would make it much easier!... any one know?

 

[MTate37]

Thanks jeffz! That is all good to know. I was wondering if for the next batch if I could use the brew-in-a-bag method? If you just steep your mash in the bag then remove the bag? That would make it much easier!... any one know?

That's what I did yesterday with the BBS Cranberry Wheat and it went really well. After the mash I just put the bag in my colander and sparged.

 

[basilchef]

That was my first brew too! It created a monster.... Enjoy.

 

[pabrimmer]

Fermentation started overnight quite vigorously,to the point the blow off tube got full of foam from the brew and it poured into the jar of sanitizer. I have read that it is ok for that to happen as long as the tube does not get clogged,please let me know if that is correct.

I'm on my first brew too - also a BBS kit - grapefruit honey ale for me. I had the same thing happen with the blowoff, to the point that I had to drain the bowl of sanitizer twice. I also ended up with a LOT of gunk stuck at the top of the carboy. I'm a bit concerned because I haven't managed to find any pictures that look like it. Here's what it looked like about a week ago:

http://twitter.com/paulbrimmer/status/260301450159206400/photo/1

I'm at two weeks in the fermenter now, so there's not much to be done about it at this point, since I'll be bottling soon, but I wonder if anyone has seen this happen before.

 

[Ply318ci]

That is the krausen and it is completely normal and happens to me on every beer I make. The only problem is when it create a actual plug that you have to push down into the beer. I will usually do that then cold crash for a few days to let the stuff pack down at the bottom.

 

[pabrimmer]

Thanks so much, good to know! I tried hunting all around for information about it, hoping to avoid asking a newb question, but I guess that's what the new brewers forum is for.

 

[MedBrewer]

Hello all again,it's been 2 weeks since I started my batch,nd it's still fermenting,I still see little bubbles rising to the top of my jug,should I wait for all fermentation to stopbefore bottling?

 

[basilchef]

Hello all again,it's been 2 weeks since I started my batch,nd it's still fermenting,I still see little bubbles rising to the top of my jug,should I wait for all fermentation to stopbefore bottling?

You are prob ok to bottle but let it go three weeks and bottle. Wait two weeks then taste. I had problems with over carbing with their directions (bottle bombs). Trust me, use a priming sugar calc online.

 

[MedBrewer]

Any one have a recipe for something like a Left Hand Milk Stout? It would be my second brewing endevor

 

[jeffz]

You are prob ok to bottle but let it go three weeks and bottle. Wait two weeks then taste. I had problems with over carbing with their directions (bottle bombs). Trust me, use a priming sugar calc online.

I didn't have bombs, but I think a combination of a bit too much honey plus bottling too early led to a slight over-carbonation in my beer. It didn't bother me that much (a giant head that took a few minutes to settle down).

Jeff

 

[rookie_brewer]

The pot with sugar method worked for me when I started. Its a small batch.

Can you tell me exactly how you would do the pot with the sugar method? This is my very first shot at brewing with this kit and I am ready to bottle it (honestly ready to drink it).

 

[MedBrewer]

I bottled mine last night using the pot with honeey method. I was quite simple ( I did practice siphoning and ran through the process a couple times using just water)just as described in the instructions. 1)You mix 1/2 cup water with 3 tbs honey,2) then you pour that solution into a clean sanitized pot large anough to hold all your brew. 3)Siphon the beer from the 1gal jug into the large pot with the honey mixture (that is your priming solution for carbonation). 4)Siphon the primed brew from your large pot into your bottles leaving about 1 inch of clearance to the top.

Some notes from my experience last nite: 1)I used starsan to sanitize everything, when rinsing the bottles inside with star san I avoided shaking them so i dont get a lot of foam ( I just poured the starsan in the bottle then rotated the bottle to coat it internally with the solution then poured it out).2)I practiced siphoning water with the provided tubing, racking cane, and hose clip a few times. 3) I the source of the siphon up high, on top of my fridge in the kitchen and used a small folding table in front of the fridge to place all "siphoning to" containers.
Well sorry for the lenghty post, but hope it helps a bit!

 

[stevedore]

New brewer here- brewed with this kit about a week and half ago. My primary is sitting in the closet and the color looks good. Not much activity although I see some small-scale bubbling.

I've seen in this thread that one ought to wait 3 weeks in the primary rather than the 2 in the directions. What's the reason for this- any significant differences in the final product? And then, is 2 weeks enough for bottle conditioning or should I also wait more than that?

Just tryin to figure out a timeline here.

 

[Calichusetts]

New brewer here- brewed with this kit about a week and half ago. My primary is sitting in the closet and the color looks good. Not much activity although I see some small-scale bubbling.

I've seen in this thread that one ought to wait 3 weeks in the primary rather than the 2 in the directions. What's the reason for this- any significant differences in the final product? And then, is 2 weeks enough for bottle conditioning or should I also wait more than that?

Just tryin to figure out a timeline here.

There are a few benefits to waiting an extra week...especially with a 1 gallon kit. First, you want your beer to "finish" and reach its final OG. Since you probably don't have a hydrometer, nor would you want to waste your beer since it is a significant amount, waiting an extra week ensure your beer is done fermenting and you don't get bottle bombs.

Part 2 is that beer will clear and condition over time. Some beers are meant young and others aged. For the most part, a week or two longer in the primary will have no ill effects and only help. When you bottle after two weeks, even if the beer is done, you sometimes will taste a "green" beer which isnt always a good thing.

Hope this helps

 

[stevedore]

I hear ya. Makes me impatient indeed. This coming Monday marks 2 weeks of fermentation and I've planned for 3 weeks. But I kind of want to just get it over with and start bottling!

 

[stevedore]

Odd. It's post-brew day 12 and I'm seeing quite a bit of activity (bubbling) at the surface of the beer. I'm trying to decide if it's the yeast becoming a bit more active because I picked up the jar and moved it to a different closet (one further away from the window as its getting cold) or if its because of something else. I'm not particularly alarmed, but it does suggest I am going to want to take the full 3 weeks to be sure its settled down if not longer.

 

[MedBrewer]

I would wait 3 weeks. Mine was still slightly active at 3 weeks. I primed and bottled at 3 weeks with honey,the beer was a tad over carbed bit still delicious!
I'm trying to decide what to make next,I'd like to make something like abitas purple haze. Any suggestions?

 

[MedBrewer]

I'm seriously considering brewing a SMaSH beer as a second brew. Has any one made any before?