Ignore the Instructions,. Do not bottle after 5-10 days!!!!!!

[bartbinga]

I must have got a great kit... Mine does want a secondary ferment-er but it does not recommend bottling till day 20...starts off in primary fermenter but by day 3-5 it gets moved asks for S.G reading's ad gives levels they should be at then it sits for what they recommends as 10 to 15 days in secondary fermenter. After that bottle and let sit for 14 days for carbonation. It then recommends that you try one if you don't think it is carbonated enough leave the rest for another week. I am going to take my time and follow the directions on this one. But I have some good direction on how to go about the next brew I start....Tomorrow!!
Thanks to everyone on the great information!!

 

[soccerdude71]

What kit is that?

 

[Napolil]

I couldn't find this information on How To Brew... what's the difference between letting the beer ferment longer in a fermenter versus a bottle? in other words, how does a week in the fermenter compare to a week in the bottle? i don't see how it would be much different...

Definitely don't bottle this weekend!

Take an SG reading about three- four days before you want to bottle. Then, another one on the day before you bottle. If they are the same, you're fine. Opening it to take the samples is fine.
!

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I couldn't find this information on How To Brew... what's the difference between letting the beer ferment longer in a fermenter versus a bottle? in other words, how does a week in the fermenter compare to a week in the bottle? i don't see how it would be much different...

it's very different aging a batch on the yeast is a lot more effective than aging individual bottles. what happens in a few weeks in a fermenter can take months to happen in bottles.

 

[bartbinga]

The kits that I get are called brewhouse they have quite a variaty of beers and they seem to be very good

 

[Ultrazord]

All beer kits should just say...Ferment at LEAST 3 weeks before bottling. I agree.

 

[venquessa]

One thing that occurs to me, as I progress through more custom/higher level brewing techniques is that these kits are made with a kilo of cane or corn sugar, not additional (extract) malts and hops.

Cane/corn sugar is (I'm told) much, much easier to ferment for yeast than malt extracts. The chemical composition has been processed and refined and is far closer to glucose that the yeast can 'eat' directly than the more complex and unrefined sugars in converted malts starches.

I have trust-able, information that pertains modern Belgian lager is brewed with a good part Maize - aka - corn sugar as it gets the job done faster and is cheaper, more efficient (cost effective) way of getting ABV. The same source claims some more bulk commercial European lagers are only largered for 1 week or less, before being filtered, pasterized, processed and bottled/canned.

Granted not many home brewers have the chemical facilities that these breweries have to filter, pasteurize etc. Good knows what chemicals they add to clear the beer and what chemicals and processes they then use to clear out that very chemicals.

Still, popular european lagers can be on the shelf in super markets when literally only 3-4weeks old, with nearly half that spent in the can.

 

[raptorvan]

To me, this takes the the entire allure out of brewing beer. The point is to make better more tuned product yourself, exactly the way you like it. Throwing a couple cans into a plastic container and expecting beer to come out a week later is assinine. The whole process is the point...at least to me. The way these kits are designed, you may as well just go to the party store and pick up some MBC "crafted" beers

 

[venquessa]

I think different people brew for different reasons.

There are those to whom home brew is a cheaper way to get beer in good quantities for parties etc. Where having an alcoholic beverage that's drinkable is far more important than aging over the process to produce nice "craft" beer.

It's like like making your own pasta dish by tipping a can of chicken soup into a sausepan of boiled (dried) pasta and grating some cheese on top. It's not gourmet but it's eatable.

 

[Danarchy]

The kits that I get are called brewhouse they have quite a variaty of beers and they seem to be very good

I'm using Brehouse as well. I did the IPA exactly as the instructions said. Just bottled yesterday, so we will see in a few weeks.

I'm also doing a Wheat ale that I changed to Wyeast 3068 and added fruit to my primary for the wife.

Two questions.....
1. how often should I check my SG?
2. How much dextrose should I actually use instead of just the 190g that comes with every kit?

 

[Peppers16]

Good instructions but I don't get why you would sanitize your equipment after use. Clean it well, definitely! But what good is sanitizing potentially months before its next use?

 

[timcadieux]

Ok, I'll post a question in here too.

My brother in law was given some instructions from someone who had apparently been homebrewing for 30years or so. He used ONLY a primary (still figuring out terminology) and fermented for 2 weeks. He then bottled and left it for 2 weeks. His instructions were that having only a primary and leaving the yeast in the bottles provided a better beer.

I have to admit that I always tried to bottle after 2 weeks and over the course of a year, I may have gone a third week, due to lack of free time on occasion. I was actually worried in each case that I had ruined the beer by waiting too long. I'm seeing now that this would not likely be the case. I have to admit, I don't think I noticed any difference in taste, but its hard to tell after weeks and weeks, I forget what happened with each individual batch.

A few weeks ago, I made an English Bitter kit. After the 2weeks and 2weeks, I opened a few a figured I had ruined a batch. Then I got busy. About 3 weeks later, I realized I hadn't done anything with those bottles and so I tried one. Yummmmmmmm.

Hmm, there's no question here yet. Ok, here goes. I was happy with the single carboy (?) process because it saves space and accessories. I also liked the idea of the yeast staying in the bottle. Firstly, should I stick with 2 weeks or maybe move onto 3 weeks? Second, does it really make a difference, removing the yeast and moving the beer into another carboy (?) for aging/processing/conditioning? I'm starting to look at moving onto another stage of homebrewing which is adding DME instead of sugar, grains, etc. and I don't want to waste my time because i'm shortstepping the process.

 

[akthor]

I do four weeks in primary. Do a search lots of info on why and the benefits. Basically the yeast are so good now the longer you let them do their thing the better.

You still have yeast in your beer even when you do use a secondary the only way to remove them is to filter the beer or kill them by adding something or pasteurizing ect. If you didn't still have yeasties in your beer when you bottled and added more sugar you wouldn't have any carbonation

I don't bottle but I believe you also want them to age like a month in the bottles for optimum taste and carbonation.

 

[mikecshultz]

I am fermenting my first batch right now. It is the chinook IPA extract kit from northern brewers. I started fermenting last Saturday. It started pretty vigorously and has been slowing steadily. I want to start a new batch this weekend. I am using a 6.5 glass carboy. The activity in the airlock has slowed to about one blurp a minute. I am planning on taking readings tomorrow (Friday) and then on Saturday. If they are the same I am going to rack it to a secondary fermenter (5gal glass carboy on Saturday and let it age in there for 1.5-2 weeks and then dry hop for 5-7 days. Bottle and let it condition in the bottles for about two weeks.

The kit tells me to primary for 1-2 weeks, secondary for 2-4 (dry hopping 5-7 days before bottling) and then bottle condition for 2 weeks.

Anyone think I am doing anything horribly wrong? I am going to rack to the secondary carboy no matter what to free up the space, and because I am dry hopping.

 

[BigBlueDog]

Anyone think I am doing anything horribly wrong?

Horribly wrong, no. It's your beer. However, SG reading should be taken 2-3 days apart to be more confident they've reached a stable point.

 

[mikecshultz]

Horribly wrong, no. It's your beer. However, SG reading should be taken 2-3 days apart to be more confident they've reached a stable point.

Ha! So maybe I will take readings tomorrow and Sunday, and then rack on Sunday if they are the same.

 

[BrewerE]

Hi all, first post to clear up a question or two so I can do my first batch.

I have a TrueBrew Amber Ale Kit that has 2lbs of DME and a can of hopped LME it also has some hop pellets.
Per the instructions it says to add EVERYTHING (LME, DME, Hops) at boil and boil for 30min.
If I am reading the steps on this post (Originally Posted by Rezilynt pre-hopped canned kits) correctly I'm to add only the DME and boil it for 30min, then add the hopped LME after the heat is off, then cool the wort?

Where would I add the hop pellets?

The kit instructions are also saying to boil only 1-1/2 gallons of water, but I could do up to 3, should I do 3?

THANKS!

 

[dk21]

Yikes! I read How to Brew, but was fortunate to have a very experienced brewer willing to help me get started. He suggested leaving all ales in the fermenter for four weeks. It's tough to wait, particularly for that first batch, but I can't argue with the results on my brews so far!

 

[ncbrewer]

Hi all, first post to clear up a question or two so I can do my first batch.

I have a TrueBrew Amber Ale Kit that has 2lbs of DME and a can of hopped LME it also has some hop pellets.
Per the instructions it says to add EVERYTHING (LME, DME, Hops) at boil and boil for 30min.
If I am reading the steps on this post (Originally Posted by Rezilynt pre-hopped canned kits) correctly I'm to add only the DME and boil it for 30min, then add the hopped LME after the heat is off, then cool the wort?

Where would I add the hop pellets?

The kit instructions are also saying to boil only 1-1/2 gallons of water, but I could do up to 3, should I do 3?

THANKS!

I hate to complicate things, but I used to buy hopped malt extract that needed to be boiled. Judging from Rezilynt’s post, it looks like most of the hopped extracts these days have already been boiled with the hops. But if the kit instructions direct you to boil the hopped extract, maybe yours actually needs the boil to get the bitterness. Hopefully somebody will chime in here that knows about your particular kit. If not, you could contact the extract manufacturer and ask if your hopped extract needs to be boiled.

 

[mohegan]

Can u skip the corn sugar to carbonate the beer in bottles and instead put into kegs or soda type kegs ? for like draft beer system..? instead of bottling..?

 

[jmh286]

Can u skip the corn sugar to carbonate the beer in bottles and instead put into kegs or soda type kegs ? for like draft beer system..? instead of bottling..?

In a word. Yes

 

[SunkiZt]

Hi guys, noob here.

I see a lot of talk here about ignoring instructions, and letting the beer age in the primary much longer than suggested. I just moved my first brew to the secondary after 1 week. I didn't take a hydrometer reading, so I have no idea what's going on there. (I have a hydrometer on the way though.)

My question is, should I allow for more than the instructed 1-2 weeks in the secondary to make up for this, or is it now too late? Should I go ahead and bottle and see what happens?

 

[andy6026]

That would depend if you are dry-hopping in the secondary. If you've reached FG then you'll want to bottle after the dry-hops have been in secondary for the time called for by the recipe. If no dry hopping is involved then you can bottle as soon as you're confident that you've reached FG. Extra time will allow for the yeasties to 'clean up', but as some others have suggested, it's not necessary.

Leaving dryhops in longer than called for can leave a 'grassy' taste to the beer (so I've heard...).

 

[ProfessorWoland]

I now usually leave for 3 weeks and the bottle.


My last one I left for 5 and I picked up my first infection

Beer isn't ruined, just tastes a bit weird. I lost about a gallon and a just to be safe though.

 

[GPSaxophone]

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.

I've only been reading here for a few days, but haven't found a reason for this tip. Is this to prevent aeration? If there's more to it, then what?

 

[BrewerE]

Sanitation.
and it's only a few oz, not really gonna miss it

 

[Paradigm]

If there isn't at least a month in a secondary I won't brew it

 

[Riggs1]

I think I answered my own question, but. I completed my very first brew using the kit I purchased (carboy, secondary bucket, siphoning, all the needed stuff, etc.). The instructions on the recipe for the bottling portion says the beer can be consumed immediately, however letting it sit bottled for an additional 14 - 21 days will allow the beer to finish. I placed two bottles in the fridge after bottling and after 5 days, opened one to taste. It was flat as a pancake. Is this because it still needs time to finish for it to be carbonated? The other 46 bottles are in a box with little to no light in the room.

Sorry for the dumb question, but I'm sure we've all been there at one time or another.

Thank you.

 

[jpsmithny]

I think I answered my own question, but. I completed my very first brew using the kit I purchased (carboy, secondary bucket, siphoning, all the needed stuff, etc.). The instructions on the recipe for the bottling portion says the beer can be consumed immediately, however letting it sit bottled for an additional 14 - 21 days will allow the beer to finish. I placed two bottles in the fridge after bottling and after 5 days, opened one to taste. It was flat as a pancake. Is this because it still needs time to finish for it to be carbonated? The other 46 bottles are in a box with little to no light in the room.

Sorry for the dumb question, but I'm sure we've all been there at one time or another.

Thank you.

Don't refrigerate them until they are carbed. The cold temps put the yeast in a dormant state. That's why you had no carbonation on those.

 

[Riggs1]

Thank you!