Confused beginner

[alecwhittle]

My lager has been fermenting for 3 weeks. Tomorrow I am due to transfer to my pressure barrel.


The instructions state "If using a five gallon pressure barrel, put 2.5oz of sugar for a 40 pint kit, dissolved in about a pint of your beer then siphon in the remainder." Does this mean I need to literally take out a pint of the unfinished beer and dissolve the sugar in it? And how do I go about "siphoning" the remaining sugar in? I'm confused.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Also, I am very confused about CO2 - once I've transferred my lager into the barrel is that it? I just lock it airtight and leave it? Or do I need to get a special lid so I can pump in CO2?!

How long should I leave in barrel before drinking?

 

[DannyD]

Just desolve the suger in a 300ml or so, of water boil it and place it into the "pressure Barrel" then siphone the beer into that.......the added sugar supplies the Co2, no need to pump in co2

But wait a bit?....., you can/must leave a lager in the fermenter for at lease another month @ 0'C, Then rack it to the carbing vessel? or are you lagering it after carbing?

 

[alecwhittle]

The instructions just say add the sugar and siphon into keg. Then leave for 3 weeks before drinking.

 

[DannyD]

What was the kit or recipe that you used?, do you know what yeast did you use? Most beer benefit from staying in the fermenter for an extended time (lager beer more so) Like i have seen many times on here before, the "instructions" on these kits hurries things along too quicke. There would be nothing wrong with doing it that way but by leaving it in the fermenter for a nother 4 week at low temp's will result in acleaner beer with a cleaner taste and .

 

[alecwhittle]

The instructions said 7 days in fermenter. I had advice on earlier threads advising me to ferment for three weeks. I'm brewing a "Geordie lager" kit. The yeast was included with the kit so I am unsure of anymore details. The instructions say the following for after fermentation.


The instructions state "If using a five gallon pressure barrel, put 2.5oz of sugar for a 40 pint kit, dissolved in about a pint of your beer then siphon in the remainder."

 

[DannyD]

naa..... just boil it with like 300 ml of water (to prevent possible infection) and then add to barrel, and rack onto it. It will not make a difference in the final product, but could save you from unwanted infection and oxidation of your beer.

 

[TopherM]

Here's a good link to some info on fermenting the Geordie Lager:

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16177


Not to be a downer, but I wouldn't expect too much from this kit if I were you. It sounds like it is a lower quality budget product, and even though it states it is a lager, it sounds like it is in name only, as it seems to come with ale yeast, not lager yeast, and the instructions do not include any of the proper lagering procedures.

I don't want to discourage you, I just want you to know that if this batch doesn't come out good, it probably isn't your fault - there are much much better ways to brew than these Geordie kits.

Good luck!

 

[DPBISME]

All recomendations so far are good but I would say it is not ready....