Hi All,
I'm new to HBT as a poster but I have been reading you guys for a couple of months. I have learned a lot from the experiences (dos and donts - success and disasters) of all you guys and I thank you.
I had always wanted to brew my own beer since long time ago (15 years ago). At that time I read tons of tutorials about brewing until I realised there were no LHBS at all in my country. What a deception. Nowdays I am living in Ireland and the possibilities of achieving this dreamed goal in life were just down to Just Do it.
So I decided to start with a beer kit to get used to the whole process. Ive got a John Bulls Lager Kit and a 1kg of Light DME Spray Malt. Also a full brew kit equipment from the LHBS. The kit makes 23lts. The instruction suggested 18ltrs only if extra alcohol was desired. I decided to go with 19lts.
Ive cleaned and sterilised everything with chlorine based VWP Steriliser (I plan to start using StarSan once I finish this one which came with the kit). And rinsed well with cold tap water.
Ive followed kits instructions consciously. But Not blindly. Ive learned here that Kits instructions are not the best in practice. Put the kit Can in warm water. Ive used the yeast which came with the kit (I am aware it is an Ale yeast). Ive boiled a bit of water, cooled to pitching temp 22C and put the yeast to hydrate. Then Ive boiled 4 pints of water and mixed well altogether in the FV. The poured cold tab water until reaching 19lts and the desired pitching temp 22C. OG was around 1045 1050 (it was difficult to read due to the krausen). Then pitched the yeast and stirred well.
Put the FV in my room at 22C. After probably 8 hours the fermentation kicked off and bubbles were constant during the following 3 days. Took the first gravity at 7th day just for curiosity. It was 1020 or so. Took second ready at 14th day. 1010. Then started taking readings for the following days. Day 21st FG 1010. Ready to bottle. During the readings I used to taste how the alcohol and flavours developed. So far so good. Great learning experience.
Ive cleaned and sterilised the bottles with chlorine based VWP Steriliser and rinsed with boiling water, and let them to dry whilst I sterilising the Priming Bucket and the rest of equipment.
Racked the beer from FV to PB. Primed with 135gms of brown sugar dissolved in pre-boiled water and started bottling/capping. Then placed the bottles in same room at same temp. Dark place.
Until then, I had managed to overcome all anxieties that comes to a newbies mind during the first batch. All thank to this forum where I've learned by other's experiences that patience is the key to success (or at least the key not to go crazy with false alarms). However, I could not withstand the anxiety to go ahead and open the first bottle at day 5th of carbonation. After all, i am in the learning process and needed to know what is it like during this stage. As advised in the posts.
I was very impressed how well carbonated it was and the taste was excellent already. I enjoyed the first beer as if it was ready.
Guess what?. I could not stop opening another one for the following 2 or 3 days (6th,7th(2x) and 8th). One better after the other. Excellent!. These are my notes on day 7th: Perfect Amber colour with red tones. Good head retention. Lively and long lasting CO2 activity. Excellent body. Smooth mouth feel. Easy to drink. Generous alcohol. Crispy. Peaceful PH. Tastes like glory.
I was the proudest man on earth during those days. I was impressed to taste the type of beer I had always wanted to drink. Happy Times!. So, knowing that the yeast needed some more time to finish the job I was happy enough to let the rest of the bottles to continue improving for another few days until reaching 21 days of conditioning.
At day 12th Ive changed my mind a bit and decided to invite a friend who helped me out during the priming/bottling. I was so proud to show him how good the beer was despite it was a green beer.
Same colour, same CO2, but even so the apple flavour was slightly there before, Ive noticed it was a bit more pronounced. Yes, I know, still young beer. But that is not what surprised me. There was also other smell which also felt in taste. I have read lots of posts about off flavours here in HBT. But I could not link it any of the known smells or tastes to this one. If I am asked Id say all of them at once. My English isnt the best to describe smells/flavours so here is my best attempt: It smells like an ill-Gorillas-fart-after-eating-a-ton-of-Mon-Santos-Radioactive-cross-breed-of-Sparragus/MartianMushroom/Apple-grown-next-to-a-volcanic-lake-and-then-stored-inside-cardboards-in-a-damp-room. Same for taste. As for body and mouth feel I think it was a bit flatter as well. Now I cant take that smell out of my nose and mind. Ever smelt that before.
What was wrong?. I dont know. What could have gone wrong?. Many things.
Actually I am not concerned and I know only thing to do is to wait and see. Still one week til day 21st. And I know it is not exact day science, it is yeast's life cycle pace. My plan was leaving 3 weeks in PV and then 3 weeks in bottle conditioning for safe bet and peace of mind.
I will post the results in a week or so. I have learned a lot with this first batch and I am definitely hooked to brewing more. I've already got a John Bull Pilsner to make tomorrow and a Coopers Real Ale waiting next. As far a money concerns, considering that a normal pint in a Irish Pud costs around 5 euros, and that I tasted 5 pints of good beer out of my brew before the off flavour. That pays off the kit alone. So no lost money.
- Water: Tap water. Although i know other brewers use tap water here in Dublin and had no problems.
- Starting siphoning with mouth. However, Ive used boiling water to rinse the spigot/hose after assuring the flow and before allowing the beer to go to the PB.
- Chlorine based VWP Steriliser: maybe, but Ive rinsed well with cold water.
The guy who helped during priming had no clue about the process and when I asked him to hold the siphon hose for a second, he just stuck it down to the bottom of the PV making some yeast to rise while siphoning. More yeast but not that much - I thought - instead of slapping him. It was my fault not to explain anyways.
- Too much air contact during siphoning/priming/bottling: maybe.
One thing i would like to get your input in is about this: The temperature dropped to 19C/18C during the first days of carbonation and the yeast seemed all lazy laid at the bottom. So i decided to rock&roll (stirred, not shaked) the bottles a bit to make the yeast go up. I did it at day 2nd or 3rd. then i did it again at day 9th. Off flavour came after 2nd rock&roll session (day 12th). Could the flavour be related to this fact. or i've just finally got infeccted in my newbie's mind?
In the mean time, I'll have a Farty-Gorilla-St.-Patrick's day!. Cheers!.
I'm new to HBT as a poster but I have been reading you guys for a couple of months. I have learned a lot from the experiences (dos and donts - success and disasters) of all you guys and I thank you.
I had always wanted to brew my own beer since long time ago (15 years ago). At that time I read tons of tutorials about brewing until I realised there were no LHBS at all in my country. What a deception. Nowdays I am living in Ireland and the possibilities of achieving this dreamed goal in life were just down to Just Do it.
So I decided to start with a beer kit to get used to the whole process. Ive got a John Bulls Lager Kit and a 1kg of Light DME Spray Malt. Also a full brew kit equipment from the LHBS. The kit makes 23lts. The instruction suggested 18ltrs only if extra alcohol was desired. I decided to go with 19lts.
Ive cleaned and sterilised everything with chlorine based VWP Steriliser (I plan to start using StarSan once I finish this one which came with the kit). And rinsed well with cold tap water.
Ive followed kits instructions consciously. But Not blindly. Ive learned here that Kits instructions are not the best in practice. Put the kit Can in warm water. Ive used the yeast which came with the kit (I am aware it is an Ale yeast). Ive boiled a bit of water, cooled to pitching temp 22C and put the yeast to hydrate. Then Ive boiled 4 pints of water and mixed well altogether in the FV. The poured cold tab water until reaching 19lts and the desired pitching temp 22C. OG was around 1045 1050 (it was difficult to read due to the krausen). Then pitched the yeast and stirred well.
Put the FV in my room at 22C. After probably 8 hours the fermentation kicked off and bubbles were constant during the following 3 days. Took the first gravity at 7th day just for curiosity. It was 1020 or so. Took second ready at 14th day. 1010. Then started taking readings for the following days. Day 21st FG 1010. Ready to bottle. During the readings I used to taste how the alcohol and flavours developed. So far so good. Great learning experience.
Ive cleaned and sterilised the bottles with chlorine based VWP Steriliser and rinsed with boiling water, and let them to dry whilst I sterilising the Priming Bucket and the rest of equipment.
Racked the beer from FV to PB. Primed with 135gms of brown sugar dissolved in pre-boiled water and started bottling/capping. Then placed the bottles in same room at same temp. Dark place.
Until then, I had managed to overcome all anxieties that comes to a newbies mind during the first batch. All thank to this forum where I've learned by other's experiences that patience is the key to success (or at least the key not to go crazy with false alarms). However, I could not withstand the anxiety to go ahead and open the first bottle at day 5th of carbonation. After all, i am in the learning process and needed to know what is it like during this stage. As advised in the posts.
I was very impressed how well carbonated it was and the taste was excellent already. I enjoyed the first beer as if it was ready.
Guess what?. I could not stop opening another one for the following 2 or 3 days (6th,7th(2x) and 8th). One better after the other. Excellent!. These are my notes on day 7th: Perfect Amber colour with red tones. Good head retention. Lively and long lasting CO2 activity. Excellent body. Smooth mouth feel. Easy to drink. Generous alcohol. Crispy. Peaceful PH. Tastes like glory.
I was the proudest man on earth during those days. I was impressed to taste the type of beer I had always wanted to drink. Happy Times!. So, knowing that the yeast needed some more time to finish the job I was happy enough to let the rest of the bottles to continue improving for another few days until reaching 21 days of conditioning.
At day 12th Ive changed my mind a bit and decided to invite a friend who helped me out during the priming/bottling. I was so proud to show him how good the beer was despite it was a green beer.
Same colour, same CO2, but even so the apple flavour was slightly there before, Ive noticed it was a bit more pronounced. Yes, I know, still young beer. But that is not what surprised me. There was also other smell which also felt in taste. I have read lots of posts about off flavours here in HBT. But I could not link it any of the known smells or tastes to this one. If I am asked Id say all of them at once. My English isnt the best to describe smells/flavours so here is my best attempt: It smells like an ill-Gorillas-fart-after-eating-a-ton-of-Mon-Santos-Radioactive-cross-breed-of-Sparragus/MartianMushroom/Apple-grown-next-to-a-volcanic-lake-and-then-stored-inside-cardboards-in-a-damp-room. Same for taste. As for body and mouth feel I think it was a bit flatter as well. Now I cant take that smell out of my nose and mind. Ever smelt that before.
What was wrong?. I dont know. What could have gone wrong?. Many things.
Actually I am not concerned and I know only thing to do is to wait and see. Still one week til day 21st. And I know it is not exact day science, it is yeast's life cycle pace. My plan was leaving 3 weeks in PV and then 3 weeks in bottle conditioning for safe bet and peace of mind.
I will post the results in a week or so. I have learned a lot with this first batch and I am definitely hooked to brewing more. I've already got a John Bull Pilsner to make tomorrow and a Coopers Real Ale waiting next. As far a money concerns, considering that a normal pint in a Irish Pud costs around 5 euros, and that I tasted 5 pints of good beer out of my brew before the off flavour. That pays off the kit alone. So no lost money.
- Water: Tap water. Although i know other brewers use tap water here in Dublin and had no problems.
- Starting siphoning with mouth. However, Ive used boiling water to rinse the spigot/hose after assuring the flow and before allowing the beer to go to the PB.
- Chlorine based VWP Steriliser: maybe, but Ive rinsed well with cold water.
The guy who helped during priming had no clue about the process and when I asked him to hold the siphon hose for a second, he just stuck it down to the bottom of the PV making some yeast to rise while siphoning. More yeast but not that much - I thought - instead of slapping him. It was my fault not to explain anyways.
- Too much air contact during siphoning/priming/bottling: maybe.
One thing i would like to get your input in is about this: The temperature dropped to 19C/18C during the first days of carbonation and the yeast seemed all lazy laid at the bottom. So i decided to rock&roll (stirred, not shaked) the bottles a bit to make the yeast go up. I did it at day 2nd or 3rd. then i did it again at day 9th. Off flavour came after 2nd rock&roll session (day 12th). Could the flavour be related to this fact. or i've just finally got infeccted in my newbie's mind?
In the mean time, I'll have a Farty-Gorilla-St.-Patrick's day!. Cheers!.
