Ok, good to know. While I am at it, I have the the following general directions from the place where I bought my kit;
Once you understand these basic instructions, you may want to try a more advanced method (Partial Mash) of brewing.
Fill a 5 gallon stainless steel or enamel pot 2/3 full of water (3 gallons more or less).
Place specialty grains into cheesecloth grain bag and add this bag to the pot of cold water. Add water treatment if called for. Heat this pot at high temperature. At the point you begin to see steam starting to rise from the surface of the water (145° to 165°) turn off the stove and cover the pot with the lid. Steep grains for 35 minutes (more or less). Remove grains and discard them. You now have a grain tea and the start of your WORT.
Note: WORT is essentially beer before fermentation.
Note: Please do not heat these grains to anywhere near boiling, as this will leach tannins (tannic acid) from the husk of the grains and could give your beer an astringent characteristic.
Heat WORT at high temperature until close to a boil (pot starts making noise).
If using a gas stove turn off fire. If using an electric stove, remove the pot from the burner (very important).
Add all of the malt extract (liquid or dry) and first addition of hops. Stir until well mixed.
Return WORT to burner. Bring to a full boil. Watch pot carefully at this point. A foam develops on the surface of the WORT and it could rise above the surface of the pot and create a mess. Watch pot until foam disappears.
Achieve a good strong ROLLING boil. This is important as the WORT needs to be agitated as much as possible to coagulate undesirable proteins and release desirable oils from the hops.
Boil vigorously for 60 minutes total, adding hops at intervals indicated on the recipe sheet.
At end of boil (after 60 minutes), turn off heat and COVER POT WITH LID.
Place covered pot on ice and water bath (sink) for 45 minutes. This will be added to 2.5 gallons of cool water which will further reduce the temperature.
START YEAST STARTER See below
Visit the Yeast section of our store to find the yeast for your next batch of beer
IMPORTANT - Place 2.5 gallons of cool water in your primary fermenter. Pour 1/3 of cooled WORT into fermenter with water. PITCH (add) yeast.
Vigorously pour other 2/3 of cooled WORT into fermenter over yeast.Note: this step aerates the WORT and mixes the yeast without having to stir or shake.
Is that bold and highlighted part about adding 2.5 gallons to the primary fermentation chamber always followed?? I read a little bit of the Palmer guide and didn't see it. And I am trying to find a simple recipe for my next batch (I really want a partial mash belgium ale) but I dont see that step in any directions. Please help, as this is confusing the hell out of me. I searched, but I think I suck at searching... haha
