I'm new, but I am really interested in starting to brew. I have not bought any of my kit yet because I have questions before I start, I tried the search function but there is simply too much information to sift through so I figured that I would ask it here and get some straight answers from you all. Sorry if some of this has been covered before, here goes:
My (mental) kit 6.5g Fermenter, airlocks, 6g glass carboy, 5g stainless cookpot, sanitizer, brushes, plastic stir spoon, various hoses for kegging, 2 5g kegs, 5lb CO2 tank with all the appropriate connections. Am I missing anything?
I need a suggestion on what thermometer to use and what hydrometer to use, combo/no combo/digital what?
I want to make black and tans, I anticipate that should not be too difficult but I have no idea what I am talking about. I am an smart guy that can read and follow directions but I don't want to fail my first attempt (that'll piss the wife off) and I don't want to spend 12 hours brewing my first batch. Tell me what you think, and offer some suggestions for what kit to use to get close to a Guinness and Bass styled home brew.
I am going straight to Kegging, mostly because I found a "Double Dual" Kegging system for $200, that's tought to beat even with bottling. Is it recommended to keg right out the gate or should I start by bottling.
I have no capacity to consume 10g of beer very quickly, is it possible to store unconsumed untapped beer in a keg? for how long? do I need to watch temperature closely or will room temerature suffice (55-80 deg)?
I notice that there are a lot of you using High end wort coolers to cool the wort faster, why not pour the mash over ice before adding the yeast to cool it quickly, am I missing something?
My understanding of the fermenting process is as follows: once you get your wort and get it to 70 deg and put it in the fermenter and store it at 65 deg you will leave it be for 1 week to 10 days, then move it without disturbing it too much to a secondary fermenter and leave it be for 2-3 weeks. Then move it to keg to condition and mellow for another 3 weeks to a month, does this sound right?
What is the purpose of the second fermentation if you are kegging? Do I need priming sugar?
Once your keg is empty or close to empty what cleanup can I expect, will it look like a Carboy with all the dead yeast at the bottom or will it be relatively clear and need simple cleanup?
Thanks for all your help and info
My (mental) kit 6.5g Fermenter, airlocks, 6g glass carboy, 5g stainless cookpot, sanitizer, brushes, plastic stir spoon, various hoses for kegging, 2 5g kegs, 5lb CO2 tank with all the appropriate connections. Am I missing anything?
I need a suggestion on what thermometer to use and what hydrometer to use, combo/no combo/digital what?
I want to make black and tans, I anticipate that should not be too difficult but I have no idea what I am talking about. I am an smart guy that can read and follow directions but I don't want to fail my first attempt (that'll piss the wife off) and I don't want to spend 12 hours brewing my first batch. Tell me what you think, and offer some suggestions for what kit to use to get close to a Guinness and Bass styled home brew.
I am going straight to Kegging, mostly because I found a "Double Dual" Kegging system for $200, that's tought to beat even with bottling. Is it recommended to keg right out the gate or should I start by bottling.
I have no capacity to consume 10g of beer very quickly, is it possible to store unconsumed untapped beer in a keg? for how long? do I need to watch temperature closely or will room temerature suffice (55-80 deg)?
I notice that there are a lot of you using High end wort coolers to cool the wort faster, why not pour the mash over ice before adding the yeast to cool it quickly, am I missing something?
My understanding of the fermenting process is as follows: once you get your wort and get it to 70 deg and put it in the fermenter and store it at 65 deg you will leave it be for 1 week to 10 days, then move it without disturbing it too much to a secondary fermenter and leave it be for 2-3 weeks. Then move it to keg to condition and mellow for another 3 weeks to a month, does this sound right?
What is the purpose of the second fermentation if you are kegging? Do I need priming sugar?
Once your keg is empty or close to empty what cleanup can I expect, will it look like a Carboy with all the dead yeast at the bottom or will it be relatively clear and need simple cleanup?
Thanks for all your help and info