First ever brew this weekend.

[freakshow10mm]

Been busy with a ton of other stuff in life, both good and bad. Finally getting around to brewing that Brewer's Best kit I got a year ago for a present. Supposed to be the Continental Pilsner. Going to create this thread as a journal for my first brewing.

Here's the equipment I have:

• Two buckets; one with lid and airlock for the fermenter & one for the primer
• Auto-siphon and tube with the bottle filler gizmo attachment (push to bottom of bottle to fill, lift to stop)
• One-step cleaner
• Stainless steel stirring spoon
• Straining bag
• Bottle capper and caps

I need to get a stainless steel boiling pot, thermometer, and hydrometer for sure. The local co-op has brewing stuff there so that's a trip on Friday before work. Also need to get bottles. Unsure what size I'm going to get. The 12oz is a standard, but the pint or magnum would use less caps and less handling. Using pint bottles would reduce the number in a 5 gallon batch by a full dozen bottles. Take up less room too.

The kit comes with lager yeast (dry) that is a couple weeks past "best if used by" date. Luckily one of my co-workers is the brewmaster for Red Jacket Brewing Company (sweet!! :rockin and he gave me some tips today. Said to toss out the yeast and get some lager yeast from the local place that will be fresh. For cooling the wort, just put the pot outside in the snowbank with lid on and thermometer inside. Check the temperature after a while until it gets down to what the recipe says (60º). Said not to worry about a secondary, just lager it in the fermenter and be done with it. Said if I don't want to wait the time needed to lager it, just ferment it at ale temperature and it should be ready to bottle in 2 weeks, and is actually steam beer (never had that before).

It will be hard to wait the 6 weeks per the recipe before priming/bottling, then additional 2 weeks waiting to carbonate and condition. I might find myself buying another set of buckets and a different kit to pass the time brewing that one. Trouble is I like lager beer and not ale, so I'm not real excited about trying to brew an ale. I'm reluctant to brew another batch before I sample the first one so I can learn from my mistakes. However it might be my chance to try and brew an ale in attempt to pass the time with the lager.

I've also got the BrewPal app for my iPhone but it doesn't have a lot of the ingredients in my kit, so I can't use it properly. Bummer.

 

[nebben]

If you're making a steam beer, and are thinking about buying new yeast anyway, you can find "warm lager" yeasts for steamers. White Labs WLP810 is a good one that I've used that ferments around 65F. WLP862 also will ferment warm.

Regarding your brew pot, I wouldn't worry about stainless vs. aluminum. Get whichever one fits your budget and makes you happy. Also, bigger is better for boil kettles, especially if you're comparing a 5G SS pot vs. a 7G aluminum pot!

 

[freakshow10mm]

Thanks for the advice.

The recipe calls for a 2.5 gallon boil, then topped off to 5 gallons (says to add cool water up to 5 gallons by way of hydrometer reading not to exceed the spec). Home Beermaking (by William Moore) states a 5 gallon is minimum and that's what I figured would work with most kits I'll try. My "mentor" said most 5 gallon recipe kits can be boiled at 4 gallons to control boil-over and then top off in the fermenter without issue. If the department store has a 6 or 7 gallon pot, I'll get that instead of a 5 gallon.

As for SS vs Al, I have a chip against aluminum from other experience with it (though it doesn't parallel to brewing) and prefer stainless steel to aluminum.

I have a "cry once" outlook on materials. Cry once, spend the money and get quality from the start. Cheaper in the long run. However, I'm going to get a plain stockpot for the first few batches and then get one with a thermometer and ball valve when I get the hang of things.

 

[Yooper]

One tip about chilling in the snow- it doesn't work that well because the snow around the brewpot melts and then actually "insulates" the pot like an igloo.

You'll have to move it around, from one place in the snowbank to a fresh spot, but then it works pretty well. Use a sanitized spoon to stir the chilling wort, too, which helps avoid "hot spots and cold spots".

I'd suggest using a dry "clean" ale yeast for this brew, and try to ferment at 60-62 degrees, Nottingham dry yeast is good and cheap for something like this. It won't be a real lager, but it won't be anyway unless you can ferment it at 50 degrees for two weeks and then lager for 6-8 weeks at 34 degrees and use lager yeast. I'd use the nottingham, leave it in the fermenter for two-three weeks at 60 degrees and then bottle it. It'll still be very good, and easier and faster.

 

[wolverinebrewer]

+1 to what Yooper said about snow. The best way to use snow is to replace it for the ice in an ice bath. Get yourself a 20-30 gal plastic tote for $5 at a Wal-Mart. Fill it halfway with water then shovel snow in and let it melt. Add your brew kettle. As the temp. in your wort drops and warms the surrounding water, add more snow. And keep stirring the wort. It will be to 65 in 15-20 minutes.
As for bottles, I prefer 12 ounce because I can still use the 6-pack holders I've accumulated and can take them to parties and such. Plus I can store them in holders. They are also easier to obtain. I collect bottles from friends and from my own purchases. I even ask at brew pubs and restaurants for free bottles when I'm patronizing there. I've even had places bring me out a case or so of empties. I've never had to buy any bottles and have accumulated over 400 since July.
However you do it, just make it fun! And listen to all of the experts here. Thats what I did.

 

[freakshow10mm]

One tip about chilling in the snow- it doesn't work that well because the snow around the brewpot melts and then actually "insulates" the pot like an igloo.

Hmm, interesting.

You'll have to move it around, from one place in the snowbank to a fresh spot, but then it works pretty well.

We've got plenty of snow to go around.

Use a sanitized spoon to stir the chilling wort, too, which helps avoid "hot spots and cold spots".

Thanks.

I'd suggest using a dry "clean" ale yeast for this brew, and try to ferment at 60-62 degrees, Nottingham dry yeast is good and cheap for something like this. It won't be a real lager, but it won't be anyway unless you can ferment it at 50 degrees for two weeks and then lager for 6-8 weeks at 34 degrees and use lager yeast. I'd use the nottingham, leave it in the fermenter for two-three weeks at 60 degrees and then bottle it. It'll still be very good, and easier and faster.

Fermenting at 50 degrees is no problem as that's the basement temperature. Lagering below that is probably out of my equipment. Too cold outside and too warm in the basement. I could probably do 60 degrees in the basement if I open the vent up a bit. I think I'll follow your advice and do it that way. This week I'll have time to dial in the basement temperature for this before I brew this weekend.

+1 to what Yooper said about snow. The best way to use snow is to replace it for the ice in an ice bath. Get yourself a 20-30 gal plastic tote for $5 at a Wal-Mart. Fill it halfway with water then shovel snow in and let it melt. Add your brew kettle. As the temp. in your wort drops and warms the surrounding water, add more snow. And keep stirring the wort. It will be to 65 in 15-20 minutes.

We have 55 gallon plastic drums at work I can cut in half with a saws-all for free. I'll pick one up tonight.

As for bottles, I prefer 12 ounce because I can still use the 6-pack holders I've accumulated and can take them to parties and such. Plus I can store them in holders. They are also easier to obtain. I collect bottles from friends and from my own purchases. I even ask at brew pubs and restaurants for free bottles when I'm patronizing there. I've even had places bring me out a case or so of empties. I've never had to buy any bottles and have accumulated over 400 since July.
However you do it, just make it fun! And listen to all of the experts here. Thats what I did.

I only drink at home. Sounds like a good idea though for transferring. Currently I drink either Coors Light or Bud Light Golden Wheat, both of which have twist off caps which I'm told not to use them because of the thinner glass. If this works out and I enjoy it, I'll save up and get a fridge for lagering and for storing my brews, then take them in the house when needed.

Thanks for the help, guys.

 

[wolverinebrewer]

Currently I drink either Coors Light or Bud Light Golden Wheat, both of which have twist off caps which I'm told not to use them because of the thinner glass.

You can't attach caps to these twist-off bottles. You need pry-off bottles from craft brewers such as Sam Adams', Founders, Sierra Nevada.

 

[freakshow10mm]

That's what I figured. I'll get some from the local HBS.

 

[freakshow10mm]

Did some more thinking while at work last night. Called the local HBS to check if they had a Brewer's Best "Weizenbier" kit in stock. Yup, one left. They are going to hold it for me until Friday when I can make it down there.

My plan is to make that kit first, since it's listed as an "easy" brew and has a one week fermentation and two week carbonization estimated timeframe. When the Weizenbier is out of the fermenter and bottled, that will free up the equipment to make the Continental Pilsner kit, since I can drink the Weizenbier while the Continental Pilsner is fermenting and lagering the full age of 5-6 weeks.

The Weizenbier has a warmer ferment temp so it will be easier for a first brew. Going to search and see if they do better on the cooler side of things than warmer. The range given is 64-72 degrees.

I think doing my first brew this way is the better choice since it's about learning the process. I'm fully prepared that both brews will taste like witch piss, but that's part of learning.

Oh, and the Beersmith.com podcasts have been very helpful as well. I listened to #7 last night at work and am listening to the rest of them now.

 

[freakshow10mm]

First brew complete. Right now it's sitting outside cooling. Down to about 110 degrees. Have to get to 70 before I transfer to fermenter and pitch the yeast.

I've got to get some money together to get some 22oz bottles for bottling day in about a week. I'll post some pics later when I'm done transfering to fermenter.