Comments on kit recipe of old?

[socialdougal]

I started brewing decades ago using Tom Caxton's kits.

Frankly, the outcome was not that great but, in fairness, that could have been at least partly due to my own inexperience.

This was at a time when home brewing was a relatively new hobby in the UK. The home-brew shops all appeared around that time.

Anyway, I just found the instructions that came with the can of LME (attached). Apparently Munton's took over the brand, and the instructions look pretty much as I remember them.

Two points of concern for me: Only 4-6 days to ferment? Use any old cold water; No need to boil or sterilize?

I'd like to read some comments from enlightened brewers on these points and anything else about the Tom Caxton approach that looks right or wrong.

Cheers!

View attachment Tom_caxton.pdf

 

[RM-MN]

Most ale yeasts are pretty fast. It is not uncommon for a new brewer to comment that his ale fermented to the expected final gravity in 3 days. I've bottled a few ales within a week of pitching yeast. It isn't the best practice but it is possible if you let the beer ferment where it is warm but with the higher temperatures the yeast produces esters that are not as pleasing as we would prefer and it can also produce fusel alcohol. Cooling the wort to a lower temperature reduces the ester production which leads to a cleaner tasting beer but it also slows the fermentation so it will take longer for the yeast to complete the fermentation. With proper temperature control, you can produce good beer in about 10 days. Leaving the beer in the fermenter longer lets more yeast settle out so it doesn't end up in the bottles.

How often do you get sick from drinking water from your tap? Not often I'd guess because tap water is usually pretty clean. There may be some bacteria present but when you pitch your yeast, that yeast propagates so quickly that it overwhelms the bacteria, plus your beer is too acidic for many of the bacteria to survive and as soon as fermentation starts there is a lot of CO2 produced that chokes out the aerobic bacteria.

 

[socialdougal]

Most ale yeasts are pretty fast. It is not uncommon for a new brewer to comment that his ale fermented to the expected final gravity in 3 days. I've bottled a few ales within a week of pitching yeast. It isn't the best practice but it is possible if you let the beer ferment where it is warm but with the higher temperatures the yeast produces esters that are not as pleasing as we would prefer and it can also produce fusel alcohol. Cooling the wort to a lower temperature reduces the ester production which leads to a cleaner tasting beer but it also slows the fermentation so it will take longer for the yeast to complete the fermentation. With proper temperature control, you can produce good beer in about 10 days. Leaving the beer in the fermenter longer lets more yeast settle out so it doesn't end up in the bottles.

How often do you get sick from drinking water from your tap? Not often I'd guess because tap water is usually pretty clean. There may be some bacteria present but when you pitch your yeast, that yeast propagates so quickly that it overwhelms the bacteria, plus your beer is too acidic for many of the bacteria to survive and as soon as fermentation starts there is a lot of CO2 produced that chokes out the aerobic bacteria.

The instructions set the temp at 18-21 C. That's pretty low. How low would you take it to stretch out the fermentation to 10 days? I'm all for being patient to end up with the best possible beer.

It's true that tap water's usually low on bacteria, but the reason is a perceptible chlorine content. I can't drink tea made with tap water because the chlorine makes it taste bad. I leave it to stand for 48 hours so the chlorine will evaporate. You don't think that amount of chlorine would kill yeast in significant numbers? And if tap water's okay for the must, why do experienced brewers tell us to use boiled water or water mixed with sterilant in our airlocks?

 

[Yooper]

The instructions set the temp at 18-21 C. That's pretty low. How low would you take it to stretch out the fermentation to 10 days? I'm all for being patient to end up with the best possible beer.

It's true that tap water's usually low on bacteria, but the reason is a perceptible chlorine content. I can't drink tea made with tap water because the chlorine makes it taste bad. I leave it to stand for 48 hours so the chlorine will evaporate. You don't think that amount of chlorine would kill yeast in significant numbers? And if tap water's okay for the must, why do experienced brewers tell us to use boiled water or water mixed with sterilant in our airlocks?

You should use chlorine-free water. Either by setting the water out, using campden tablets (which instantly reacts and removes the chlorine/chloramine) or by boiling. I use reverse osmosis water, which is chlorine free. It's not that chlorine kills the yeast (it doesn't), but it reacts with the malt sugars and creates a horribly plastic flavor in the beer called chlorophenols.

I use plain water in all my airlocks. You could use vodka or something, but I never have and I've been doing this more than 25 years since I was a winemaker before brewing beer.

 

[dkevinb]

That's very similar to the old Mr. Beer instructions. You can certainly make beer that way. There's nothing unsafe about it, or at least no more unsafe than drinking your tap water.

It would taste better if you removed the chlorine/chloramines from the water. Boiling or letting it stand will remove free chlorine, but not chloramines. To do that you have to filter it or use Campden tablets. You can also use reverse osmosis or spring water from the store. It also helps to let it ferment for maybe two weeks, and to control the fermentation temperature. 18-21 C is a good range for most ale yeasts. After that you're better off getting unhopped malt extract, adding your own hops during the boil, and maybe using some steeping grains.

I usually use sanitizer (Starsan) in my airlocks, mainly because I have a bucket of Starsan in front of me when I'm brewing. I've used tap water from time to time with no ill effects.

 

[socialdougal]

Here's something I don't understand. As campden tablets are sodium/potassium metabisulphite and one of their functions is to inhibit yeast growth, why is it okay to add them to a wort that needs yeast growth to ferment?

The only LME I have easily available to me now is unhopped. I have been adding hops at the boil stage and then dry hopping on the first rack

 

[Yooper]

Here's something I don't understand. As campden tablets are sodium/potassium metabisulphite and one of their functions is to inhibit yeast growth, why is it okay to add them to a wort that needs yeast growth to ferment?

The only LME I have easily available to me now is unhopped. I have been adding hops at the boil stage and then dry hopping on the first rack

First, ale and wine yeast are tolerant of sulfites- that's why winemakers use them in wine. Secondly, you aren't using them in wort- you are using them in water to dissipate the chlorine. You don't need much- 1/4 campden tablet is used for 5 gallons of water. The reaction is instantaneous, so the metabisulfite is gone, but even if it wasn't 1/4 tablet per 5 gallons is much less than a typical "dose" of sulfites for winemakers since the typical amount is 1 campden tablet per gallon for preservative effect.