Brooklyn Brew Shop Everyday IPA Kit Tips

[Calichusetts]

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

All the time...I did a smash series for like 20 brews straight to see what each hop tasted and smelled like in a beer and how different base malts tasted. Now, when I get a new hop, I do a semi-smash of pale malt, munich and carapils and only that hop.

I highly recommend it to truly learn what each hop or malt can bring to the table.

 

[stevedore]

I'm going to bottle my Everyday IPA tomorrow morning. It'll have been 24 days post-brew.

I just realized I need to get some priming sugar as it seems honey is too random of a source depending on where/when you buy the honey. This being my first brew, I didn't take an OG. Using the Priming Sugar Calculator (http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/) and a temp of 70 degrees, I get 24g of corn sugar. Is this consistent with what has been used in the past?

I should ask, is it better for a beer to be undercarbonated rather than overcarbonated? I.e. is it better to err on the side of too little priming sugar or too much?

 

[stevedore]

So basically I went ahead and bottled. Doing some math, I ended up using 2 tbsp worth of corn sugar in 100ml of water as recommended earlier in the thread. No problems siphoning with the autosiphon- makes it so easy. And practicing with water is very helpful.

Was able to put together 10 full 12oz bottles. Tasted the leftover (about 1/8 of a full bottle) and its actually pretty delicious if a bit flat. A bit drier than I'm used to but has a good maltiness to it. I'm looking forward to drinking the first bottle in mid-December. Hopefully I didn't over/undercarbonate the beer.

 

[Calichusetts]

@Steve

Honey works fine...I know this is late. I am approaching 100 batches with honey and no issues. I think you are going to be okay...and dont worry about the taste at this moment. It will be much better once they are carbed, chilled and in a glass

 

[MedBrewer]

I bottled my everyday IPA with honey and it was splendid!

 

[saltwaterwop]

Hearts H0me Brewing - our infamous Warehouse style LHBS...

Pretty much everyone says the owner dude working there is a grouch at times.
LOL.

But hey, its all we've got for now.

Sadly, you have to get to know him and his moods when he's swamped with packaging mail orders and not exactly Mr Customer Service... I read this thread and got a chuckle when you mentioned your LHBS sucking.

Either that or order online and pickup so that you have minimal interaction.

 

[stevedore]

Just dropped a bottle of this brew into the fridge to try tonight- it's 2 weeks post-bottling day!

 

[stevedore]

Wow it is a delicious brew. Very well balanced yet the aroma is a sweet hoppiness. Love it and am hoping my 2 cases of IPA that I brewed after that turn out just as well!

 

[BlakeL]

Hearts H0me Brewing - our infamous Warehouse style LHBS...

Pretty much everyone says the owner dude working there is a grouch at times.
LOL.

But hey, its all we've got for now.

Sadly, you have to get to know him and his moods when he's swamped with packaging mail orders and not exactly Mr Customer Service... I read this thread and got a chuckle when you mentioned your LHBS sucking.

Either that or order online and pickup so that you have minimal interaction.

Wow, I didn't realize how much this thread was still being used. I still will only order online and pickup at Hearts. I'm actually placing an order now for some of the 2012 hops (Citra, Simcoe & Amarillo).

 

[Stigy]

Wow it is a delicious brew. Very well balanced yet the aroma is a sweet hoppiness. Love it and am hoping my 2 cases of IPA that I brewed after that turn out just as well!

Really glad to hear you liked it.

My buddy picked up this kit and we are going to give it a shot tomorrow. Thanks for the pictures and reviews / timeline of this batch!

 

[n00b]

Going to be trying this kit for the first time on Sunday. Never used Brooklyn Brew tomorrow. I tried a Mr. Beer kit but the beer was way over-carbed. (I know this is way more involved.) I plan on adding honey during bottling like the instructions lay out. I've also read on some other forums that people thought their IPA from this kit turned out a little over-carbed. Any suggestions you guys can give to make sure its not too carbonated? I'd rather it have less carbonation than too much.

Any advice would be awesome! Thanks!

 

[Calichusetts]

Going to be trying this kit for the first time on Sunday. Never used Brooklyn Brew tomorrow. I tried a Mr. Beer kit but the beer was way over-carbed. (I know this is way more involved.) I plan on adding honey during bottling like the instructions lay out. I've also read on some other forums that people thought their IPA from this kit turned out a little over-carbed. Any suggestions you guys can give to make sure its not too carbonated? I'd rather it have less carbonation than too much.

Any advice would be awesome! Thanks!

Use two FULL tablespoons instead of the three they suggest. I've moved in this direction with honey over the past few months and have really like the results. I think they are implying that you use 3 tablespoons to carb 1 gallon of beer to around 2.5 vols. But you are usually bottling .8-.9 gallons, so you are already getting towards 3 vols which is high for most types of beers

 

[n00b]

Use two FULL tablespoons instead of the three they suggest. I've moved in this direction with honey over the past few months and have really like the results. I think they are implying that you use 3 tablespoons to carb 1 gallon of beer to around 2.5 vols. But you are usually bottling .8-.9 gallons, so you are already getting towards 3 vols which is high for most types of beers

Thanks for the feedback. Makes sense. I purchased an auto-siphon to try to cut down on lost beer in the bottling process. Have also purchased a hydrometer to help determine ABV. Would you recommend 3 weeks for fermentation like others have before bottling instead of the 2 suggested?

For using the hydrometer, I don't have a spigot on my fermenter, so after 2-3 weeks, will it hurt if I unscrew the top and quickly use the auto siphon to get a bit of the beer in the test jar?

 

[Calichusetts]

Thanks for the feedback. Makes sense. I purchased an auto-siphon to try to cut down on lost beer in the bottling process. Have also purchased a hydrometer to help determine ABV. Would you recommend 3 weeks for fermentation like others have before bottling instead of the 2 suggested?

For using the hydrometer, I don't have a spigot on my fermenter, so after 2-3 weeks, will it hurt if I unscrew the top and quickly use the auto siphon to get a bit of the beer in the test jar?

Just wait three weeks and you'll be fine...take a sample as you bottle. Good job on the auto-siphon, wish I had one during my first batch.

Wait three weeks after bottling, keep it at 70 degrees or higher. I usually wait 4 but its a personal preference.

 

[n00b]

Just wait three weeks and you'll be fine...take a sample as you bottle. Good job on the auto-siphon, wish I had one during my first batch.

Wait three weeks after bottling, keep it at 70 degrees or higher. I usually wait 4 but its a personal preference.

Only reason I knew to use the auto-siphon was this thread.

One other question when it comes to the honey. I read a few other reviews of this kit that said using the honey left a lot of unfermented sugar and residual honey taste in the IPA that took away from the taste of an IPA. These posters wished they had used table or corn sugar. Any opinion on that or do you think that was exactly what you explained earlier with potentially too much honey originally called for in the recipe?

 

[dbsmith]

I should ask, is it better for a beer to be undercarbonated rather than overcarbonated? I.e. is it better to err on the side of too little priming sugar or too much?

I would rather have my beers overcarbonated rather than undercarbonated. Undercarbonated is much more difficult to fix if you've bottled your beer already. If it is overcarbonated, you can easily let out a bit of pressure from the bottles and re-crimp them. You can also just swirl your beer a bit in the glass or let it sit for a minute.

 

[matta2k]

I brewed my first batch with this kit yesterday. This morning I checked on the fermenter and found that it had expelled a good portion of air and liquid into the bowl of sanitizer solution, so much so that it overflowed during the night. I cleaned the mess and replaced the bowl, but it's still pumping out a good portion of air--my beer along with it. What started as 1 gallons is now down to 3/4. It shows no signs of slowing down. Should I be concerned? Should I replace the voided liquid with extra water?

Thanks.

EDIT: I think I've solved my own problem. Some further research online produced a solution: the tube is not supposed to touch the liquid. That makes sense now that I think about it, but I was reading the instructions and no where did it say that. It was actually depicted in a diagram, but I ignore diagrams because words > pictures. Oh, well. Live and learn.

 

[n00b]

Just used the kit this morning. Some things that may lead to inconsistencies later:

During sparge, my 7.5" mesh strainer was not big enough for all of the malts. Because of this, I had to do two "groups" of malt, one after another, in the strainer. This caused my beer to sit out a little long before returning everything to a boil.

Cool down took right around half an hour. When pouring through funnel and filter, noticed a lot of sentiment. Is that normal before pitching yeast? I should have been more careful, did notice a little bit of the sentiment made it into the fermenter. Spilled a good bit during this phase (too small of a funnel), so ended up having to add about 1/4 gallon of water at the end.

Biggest issue has been getting the tube to stay in the sanitized water now that it is in the fermenter.

Will keep everyone posted.

Plan on leaving it for 3 weeks in primary.

 

[n00b]

Well, I've been gone for 2 days and the tube that was in the sanitized water dish came out and was sitting on the table instead of in the dish. Is that going to ruin the batch? I've since put the airlock on.

 

[n00b]

I've also noticed that my air lock is not bubbling at all. Does look like any bubbling going on in the fermenter either. Has been about 80 hours since brewing. Should I be concerned?

 

[georgevct]

Hello all,

First off thanks for all the awesome advice as a new and first time brewer this has been great. I brewed my first batch and am now waiting. I may start a second batch but to take all the awesome advice into one post. Here are my questions:

1. Since the strainer was small and before I buy a bigger one. Can BBS kit be used in a BIAB (brew in bag) style If so what or how does it change?

2. I like the idea of honey in water and then adding the bottle. What is the best level for honey and water to use? Or sugar?

3. How would one know if the bear has bacteria and the sterilization went off.

4. What is the best way to clean the bottling bottles?

5. I have seen very little bubbles in the airlock but I do seem them in the bottle although very small

Sorry for all the newbie questions but I appreciate all the great advice.

Thanks
George

 

[Calichusetts]

Hello all,

First off thanks for all the awesome advice as a new and first time brewer this has been great. I brewed my first batch and am now waiting. I may start a second batch but to take all the awesome advice into one post. Here are my questions:

1. Since the strainer was small and before I buy a bigger one. Can BBS kit be used in a BIAB (brew in bag) style If so what or how does it change?

2. I like the idea of honey in water and then adding the bottle. What is the best level for honey and water to use? Or sugar?

3. How would one know if the bear has bacteria and the sterilization went off.

4. What is the best way to clean the bottling bottles?

5. I have seen very little bubbles in the airlock but I do seem them in the bottle although very small

Sorry for all the newbie questions but I appreciate all the great advice.

Thanks
George

1. Yes....I actually got a cheap strainer that matches the diameters of my pots, holds up to 3 pounds of grain but a bag is easy.

2. I add 2 tablespoons of honey now (about 1 oz) and get a nice carb. The kits call for 3 but unless you get a full gallon to bottle with, you will end up with a pretty high carb level, something I used to like but now moved away from

3. There is an infected thread on this board, post pics of anything you think is unusual but its probably not infected

4. There are also several posts, including Revvy's bottling tips thread on how to clean the bottles. Many ways to skin a cat...you can do it by hand, soak them all in a bucket or use a dishwasher

5. You have bubbles in the bottled beer? Sorry, I don't get you last question...hope this all helped

 

[georgevct]

1. Yes....I actually got a cheap strainer that matches the diameters of my pots, holds up to 3 pounds of grain but a bag is easy.

2. I add 2 tablespoons of honey now (about 1 oz) and get a nice carb. The kits call for 3 but unless you get a full gallon to bottle with, you will end up with a pretty high carb level, something I used to like but now moved away from

3. There is an infected thread on this board, post pics of anything you think is unusual but its probably not infected

4. There are also several posts, including Revvy's bottling tips thread on how to clean the bottles. Many ways to skin a cat...you can do it by hand, soak them all in a bucket or use a dishwasher

5. You have bubbles in the bottled beer? Sorry, I don't get you last question...hope this all helped

Hi thanks again

1. So a bag is easier and I will do that on the next brew. Had trouble with the strainer

2. Thanks

3. Found it thanks

4. Thanks

5. Sorry for the confusion. I see bubbles in the 1 gallon glass container but very little in the airlock.

Thanks again

George

 

[masterfool101]

don't worry about lack of bubbles in the airlock. you probably either have a leak (i.e. the gas is escaping elsewhere) or you've already passed the point where you'll see lots of active bubbling. Bubbles in the fermenting vessel are normal.

 

[PsyDanny]

I just opened the first bottle of my Chocolate Maple Porter that came with the kit my family got me last year. Took me a long time to get around to it because I had the idea that the 2 weeks primary ferment/2 weeks bottle conditioning was rigid and I always had things going on. Now I now that more time is actually better, and there really is a lot of flexibility.

I bought the fixin's for an Everyday IPA at our LHBS (Northern Brewer). So I may get that going on Sunday - good way to celebrate/down my sorrows following the Vikings Wild Card game tomorrow night.

Anyhow, I will use the Gift Card I was given to pick up a few items to enhance the process this next time around (like a mini auto siphon and bottle fillers). With that, I am seeking opinions on getting another gallon glass carboy to use for secondary fermentation. I am thinking about using that after the first week or so of primary, with the idea that my final product might have less sediment.

Another obvious benefit of a second carboy is that I can start rotating production. But my first thought is the secondary fermentation.

 

[MedBrewer]

Just out of curiosity,what has everyone who used a BBS kit as a first brew made as a SECOND brew attempt and how did it come out?

 

[svennn]

Just out of curiosity,what has everyone who used a BBS kit as a first brew made as a SECOND brew attempt and how did it come out?

I did the Everyday IPA as first brew. I'm going to brew the Chestnut Brown this weekend.

I first did 5g beer about 25 years ago and never got anything drinkable.

This IPA is fantastic and I love the 1g batch size. I don't drink much, maybe 2 beers a week so this works perfect for me.

Steve

 

[BlakeL]

Just out of curiosity,what has everyone who used a BBS kit as a first brew made as a SECOND brew attempt and how did it come out?

I did the Everyday IPA first and it turned out great even though the ingredients were expired. For my second brew I did the Grapefruit Honey Ale and I had bottle bombs and it had some off flavors. I believe it was because I was not controlling my fermentation temperature. Now that I am, my beer is much better but I'm doing 2.5 gallon batches mostly now.

 

[Calichusetts]

Just out of curiosity,what has everyone who used a BBS kit as a first brew made as a SECOND brew attempt and how did it come out?

I just did single hop IPAs for a while...I had no idea what columbus or cascade or anything really tasted like on its own so I did about 8 IPAs then a pilsner...

I don't have my notes in front of me but the columbus actually did pretty well on its own...cascade was very nice...citra was by far the most potent in terms of flavor, aroma...and centennial was also very nice. Did not enjoy a few though.

 

[PsyDanny]

I am doing the Everyday IPA from the book, not the kit. So I bought ingredients from my lhbs. The book does not mention OG or FG. Would anyone let me know what hydrometer readings they obtained either from the boxed kit or from lbhs ingredients.

Looks like I had a hydrometer reading of 1.076 on the post-boil wort, cooled to just below 70F. But it was only about 3/4 gallon by then. I may have topped it off with a bit too much water (just above the "one gallon" lettering on the gallon glass carboy), and that hydrometer reading was 1.038.

Am I in the ball park here?