Heck... So I need at least three primaries?

[NZGirl]

When I read the Coopers Micro-Brew Kit instructions and saw you could make 23 litres and have it bottled within 4 to 7 days and then do the secondary fermentation in the bottle for 14 or more days I thought that was perfect.

Now after reading lots of posts on here I see these figures are too rushed.

It seems the primary fermentation needs to be at least two to three weeks or even longer.

I drink 23 litres of beer most weeks so that's going to leave me short if I only intend to drink home brew from now on. I don't have room for three kits... sigh...

How does everybody else get on?

 

[Parker36]

Keep the pipeline full. Once you get it going, it will work itself out.

 

[Revvy]

I have 9 fermenters of various sizes, including a bunch of 3 gallon ones.

You drink 6 gallons of beer a week???

Wow I heard Aussies were prodigious drinkers, but Kiwi's too? And a woman no less?

We're not worthy


*I think I'm in love*

 

[EvilTOJ]

23L a week? That's 9 beers a day! Pace yourself, geez. There's nothing wrong with having 3 primaries. I have around 6 or so. I think. SO yea, as long as you keep the pipeline full, you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[LooyvilleLarry]

You might want to look at some of those 1 bb setups!

 

[NZGirl]

I wish I had read up in here before putting my first batch on.

I would have set it up to ferment at a lower temp... The cupboard the container is in is steadily at 26 degrees Celsius (78.8 F)... the instruction booklet said 21 - 27 degrees was the optimum...

Not to worry, there's always the next batch.

 

[alpo]

23 L a week? lol I tip my hat to you.

 

[Kungpaodog]

Wow...just wow. I figure a five gallon batch every two weeks is about enough for me, and I have just got my third fermenter (after realizing that giving away three batches as Christmas gifts is gonna leave me really dry). Looks like you're gonna have to brew at least once a week!

 

[NZGirl]

You might want to look at some of those 1 bb setups!

What's a 1bb setup?

I think I might try to make my own primary bucket thingy. Where would one get a spiggot from? How do you punch a perfect hole for the spiggot? And where do you get the right size hose from?

I live in a small country town and have limited access to supplies. Can't even get brewing bottles here. I had to buy this kit from a shop 1.5 hrs drive away.

 

[mw20]

I was constantly running out of homebrew due to having only one primary. But, at the December meeting of my homebrew club, I won a carboy and a brew hauler! So I can finally ferment two at once. I do drink alot, but I can't put down 6 gallons a week. Kiwi's girls must be awesome!

 

[Eves]

I wish I had read up in here before putting my first batch on.

I would have set it up to ferment at a lower temp... The cupboard the container is in is steadily at 26 degrees Celsius (78.8 F)... the instruction booklet said 21 - 27 degrees was the optimum...

Not to worry, there's always the next batch.

Coopers ale yeast does ferment at those temps. However, if you dig deep enough the aussie Coopers site does recommend 21C as being best (if I remember correctly). And 21C is just under 70F which isn't far from what most ferment at. In all my attempts using Coopers kits I've found 20C (68F) to be the best temp. The higher temps do produce OK coopers beer. But get it lower and you'll be a happy camper.


Also, 3 fermentors might not be enough once you start aging beer in the primaries or using primaries+secondars for ~3 or more weeks. Add in the 3+ weeks in the bottle and we're talking ~6+ weeks between batches. Plus you need to consider fermentors for apfelwine for when you start making that.

 

[NZGirl]

Hmm, I didn't really think that was a lot. The beer I buy comes in 440ml cans and if you have seven or eight of those a night then that's between 21 and 24 odd litres a week.

Doesn't seem like a lot, lol.

 

[ohill1981]

Just bought a second primary yesterday and brewed up a out of season American Wheat. Been in the fermenter for 4 hours and seeing bubbles in the airlock already hope that means i got some good aeration ... This forum makes me thirsty!

 

[Jaha35]

I have been known to crush a couple cases in the odd week but rarely does 2 or 3 12-packs not last me at least 7-14 days. I tip my hat to that drinking. I dunno if I could put down 8 a night consistently week after week. Maybe I just don't have what it takes...

 

[pen25]

start locating some fermenter buckets. primary for 10 days then move to secondary and start the next batch or primary for a month then move to bottles so 4 primarys is all you need for a 5gal batch a week and as others have said wow.

 

[Jewrican]

I feel bad if i drink one a day.... and really dont.. I just dont think that I need to be drinking beer everyday but damn .. 9 per day... I'd bring my ass to AA not start brewing ha ha

 

[conpewter]

Yes if you have room find some 6 gallon buckets and put airlocks on them and you have instant primaries, you can leave the beer on the yeast cake for 3-4 weeks then bottle and carb. (For most normal gravity beers)

 

[Jaha35]

Wait, is this just you drinking 7-8 per day or are you and family/friends/roommates consuming that amount per day?

I know, like Aussies (sorry for the comparisson), Kiwi's drink more beer per capita than North Americans (and possibly the Irish and Germans too!) but if it is just you how the heck do you get up in the morning?

When I went to Paris and London for almost two weeks my buddy and I probably drank 8-12 pints per day or more and we were wrecked for about a week after that and we are big drinkers! Or so we thought haha.

 

[NZGirl]

Um, it's just me... I'm single. Live alone, but my best friend lives across the road from me and she drinks bourbon, she's single and lives alone too. We drink together most nights.

The secret to no hangovers is water consumption. I drink water all through the night.

Now I'm beginning to feel a little greedy, lol.

 

[skadalajara]

Don't feel too bad. In my heyday, i could put away a half rack every night and still be to work at 0700 with no hangover. I'm a few years older now, and beer got expensive. A half rack is a bit more than it used to cost.

On a dare, I once downed 750ml of rotgut bourbon in one shot. Once.

I'm actually teatotaling right now. Thanksgiving did me in. Tequila, scotch, shochu, IPA, merlot, riesling and shiraz. My liver just needs a rest.

 

[Jaha35]

Yeah I guess we all have our hayday! I was a big funnel/shotgun guy in college. Once drank an entire gallon of beer in 10 minutes (I will spare you the details of how I did it!). I am just trying to wrap my head around how perfect NZgirls sounds haha!

 

[JacktheKnife]

NZGirl,

'Howdy from Texas',
I am an old codger who 'lives alone' too,
but for my hound, horse and my mule.
I am brewing today,
having finally gotten the chainsaw running
and 'cut up' a bunch of wood yesterday.

I have 3 primarys and 3 secondarys.
A week in the primary and a week in the secondary and then to bottles
where 2-3 weeks minimum will make some good 'ale'.
But a month or two is better.
Now, one can re-rack to the secondary when the krousen falls, 4-5 days.
That will speed things up.
And one year I tried to brew 'maximum quantity'
and kept all 3 primarys
full all the time, or from November till the end of April.
6 months.
I managed to 'cook up' 2,000 12 oz bottles of ale.
300 Lbs of DME went into the makings.

But it was a lot of work.
And I spent all winter, {coon hunting season}
slaving over a hot brew pot.

This year I am filling all 3 primarys,
re-racking them and bottling them before I fill the primarys again.
Either way 3,
7 gallon glass primarys and 3,
5 gallon glass secondarys,
is a real good brewery.
My brewery capacity is 60 gallons a month.

The bucket with a valve you spoke of is a 'bottling bucket'.
You can ferment in buckets but I don't,
I use glass.

I am an old '57' 'disabled coma patient'
but I drink about as much as you do 'if I have it'.
9-10 beers is not unusual.
I brew 8 Lbs of DME with speciality grains steeped in.
'Mein Acht Pfund Hammerbier'.

The Homebrew talk forum is a great place to hang out.
Everyone is profoundly helpful and knowledgable.
Good to see someone from 'New Zeeland'
small world ain't it?

'Lets git ignert and go coon hunting'
J. Winters von Knife
jacksknifeshop
Jack the Knife's World Famous Fifth century forge, Knife shop and Skullery

 

[Jewrican]

I am speechless.

 

[dontman]

NZGirl,

'Howdy from Texas',
I am an old codger who 'lives alone' too,
but for my hound, horse and my mule.
I am brewing today,
having finally gotten the chainsaw running
and 'cut up' a bunch of wood yesterday.

(etc, snip)

Is this an example of Frontier Poetry?

I like it.

I keep 6 fermenters going. 2 for cider/mead 4 for beer.

I drink maybe 15 12 oz beers per week. 3 X 5 + 0 X 2. I have a very tough time accounting for all of these calories in my diet. Couldn't imagine working off 8 x 7 pints worth per week.

 

[McKBrew]

Is this an example of Frontier Poetry?

I like it.

Jack is probably the most unique poster here at HBT. After you've been around awhile you start to understand his style and look forward to his posts.

 

[Jester369]

Yep, that's just the way Jack rolls. Awesome

 

[Revvy]

Jack is probably the most unique poster here at HBT. After you've been around awhile you start to understand his style and look forward to his posts.

Yep, that's just the way Jack rolls. Awesome

Yep. If I see a post or thread by jack I usually head right over, whether or not the topic is something I care about.

They are treats.

 

[flyangler18]

Jack the Knife is a very special member of HBT; I always look forward to his posts.
:rockin:

 

[NZGirl]

Well I'm honoured to get such a cool post from Jack, thank you. It's good to see someone else who drinks a similar amount to me.

As for wood chopping, well it's summer here so don't need to get into that for a few months yet... instead, I'm out riding my Honda VTR1000.

As for calorie burning, my friend and I try to work out every day (even during a drinking session, haha)...

Life's fun!

 

[skadalajara]

Hey NZGirl, you don't happen to own a Land Cruiser or a Hilux, do ya?
That'd be my other obsession... err, hobby.