Cheap kits can have crap instructions.
They know you want quick beer so are trying to say their kit can give it to you.
Can any of you experience extract brewers supply a generic set of instructions to replace the crap put on most cans? I think it would help.
The point of this thread is if your instructions recommend bottling in 5 - 10 days then:
A. It's likely to be a poor quality kit.
B. It's likely to be poor quality instructions.
C. The beer will very probably be better for leaving it another 1-2 weeks
If you are experienced enough to know its ready to bottle at 5-10 days then go for it. Otherwise ignore the instructions.
They know you want quick beer so are trying to say their kit can give it to you.
Can any of you experience extract brewers supply a generic set of instructions to replace the crap put on most cans? I think it would help.
The point of this thread is if your instructions recommend bottling in 5 - 10 days then:
A. It's likely to be a poor quality kit.
B. It's likely to be poor quality instructions.
C. The beer will very probably be better for leaving it another 1-2 weeks
If you are experienced enough to know its ready to bottle at 5-10 days then go for it. Otherwise ignore the instructions.
pre-hopped canned kits
1. Clean and sanitize all equipment being used the day of brewing. Namely, the primary fermenter (6 gallon carboy or food grade plastic bucket), airlocks and stoppers. Do this by allowing them to soak in a light bleach water solution for 20-30 minutes (do it in the bathtub). Rinse well and sanitize with an Iodophor solution (food grade Iodine…follow directions on bottle). Do not rinse, allow to air dry.
2. Put 2 gallons of clean, cold water in the primary fermenter, cover and set aside.
3. Put 2 gallons of water in the brew kettle and bring to a boil.
4. Remove from the heat and add 3 pounds of unhopped malt extract. Stir well to dissolve.
5. Return to the heat and bring slowly to a boil (watch carefully for a boil over…avoid this mess…keep an eye on it!).
6. Boil for 30 minutes, remove from heat and add the can of hopped maltextract. stir well to dissolve.
7. Shut off heat and begin to cool your wort as soon as possible in a sink or tub of cold water and/or ice.. When wort is about 75 degrees, or when wort is cool enough to mix with water to reach about 75 degrees, pour and strain the wort into your primary fermenter.
8. Pour the wort from the brew kettle into the primary fermenter that has 2 gallons of cold water waiting. Top the fermenter up to 5 gallons with clean cold water and cover immediately. When pouring the wort into the primary, aerate as much as possible. You can accomplish this by dipping a sanitized container such as a measuring cup into the wort
and pouring back into the wort. You can aslo por through a fine strainer. Create as much foam and bubbles as you can for abou ten minutes.
9. At this point, take a Hydrometer reading of the Specific Gravity by pouring a sample of the wort into the hydrometer jar and float the hydrometer in the sample. Take the reading where the level of your wort intersects on the specific gravity scale of the hydrometer. Write this reading down in your brewing notes. Do NOT return the sample of wort to
the fermenter.
10. Rehydrate the dried yeast (located under the lid of the can) in 1 cup of 80-degree, clean water for 15 Double check your temperature to be sure it is not above 80 degrees and take a hydrometer reading. Now pitch the contents of the yeast pack into the primary fermenter, cover, set-up the sanitized air lock and stopper assembly, and place the primary where it will remain around 68 degrees during fermentation.
11. At this point, your work is done for the day. Clean and sanitize your equipment and store it for the next time, sit back and watch the show.
12. Fermentation may take between 8-72 hours to begin…have patience, the yeast is going through it’s respiration cycle. Once fermentation begins, it will take approximately 5-7 days for it to complete. After 5 and 6 days take hydrometer readings. If no perceptible change in gravity occurs, fermentation is complete. If the gravity keeps reducing, wait. If you are unsure wait one more day. If you are doing a two-stage fermentation, now is the time to transfer your beer to a secondary fermenter (normally a 5 gallon glass carboy). When the transfer is complete, place the stopper and airlock in the fermenter and allow your beer to settle for 5-6 days. For better taste, you may also elect to let it sit longer. You can also choose to let your beer
sit in the primary or, if you are in a hurry you may now bottle.
13. Racking help: Insure that your secondary fermenter and “racking” assembly, (cane and tubing) have been cleaned and sanitized. If you are not using an Auto-Siphon: to get your siphon going, fill the tubing and racking cane with water. Place your thumb over the hose end, trapping the water. Insert the racking cane into the primary fermenter, which will be on the countertop and run the water off into a cup or the sink. The beer will follow the water and when it does, place the tubing
all the way to the bottom of the secondary fermenter, which will be on the floor. Avoid splashing the beer.
14. Bottling:
5 gallons of beer is 640 ounces. This requires 54-12 oz. bottles, 40-16 oz. bottles or 29-22 oz. bottles or any desired combination. Use Non-screw bottles only. Clean and sanitize them along with a matching number of caps.
15. Repeat step #9 to attain the Final Gravity reading. Subtract this reading from the Original Gravity reading and multiply by 105, this will give you the Alcohol by weight (ABW) of your beer. Multiply this number by 1.25 to attain the Alcohol of Volume (ABV).
16. In a sauce pan, bring 1 pint of water to a boil and add ¾ cup of corn sugar or 1 1/4 cups of dry malt extract (not table sugar). Boil for 3 minutes. Pour this mixture into your clean, sanitized bottling bucket.
17. Now repeat the siphoning process of your beer, from the secondary fermenter into the bottling bucket. The bottling sugar (syrup) will mix evenly throughout the beer and give you consistent carbonation in each bottle.
18. Bottle and cap immediately using the siphoning method, allowing 1-1 ½” of air space in each bottle. Again, avoid splashing.
19. Store the bottled beer at room temperature, preferably in a dark area, for 10 - 21 (Suggested) days and allow to carbonate. Cool and drink!
Tips and fine-tuning:
- Try to boil and cool the largest possible volume you can manage.
- Varying the fermentation temperature will result in different
flavors. fermentinging warm (up to 72 degrees) will produce fruity,
estery qualities.
-An LCD stick-on thermometer will allow you to monitor fermentation temperatures.
-Always be sure to sanitize every piece of brewing equipment after your brew session.