ILMSTMF
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- Jan 17, 2014
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TL; DR version - Northern running a sale. 3 extract kits required to get the deal. I won't be buying yeast for each kit, probably just one. Will the other two kits last over 4 months?
Northern is doing a very tempting sale today. 3 kits required to get the deal. I'm looking at SMASH, Irish red, and American wheat. To brew in that order. NB rep says the kits have a shelf life of 3 to 4 months.
Trouble is, 1) I don't have enough bottles to keep up with brewing/bottling and 2) I can't drink the beer quickly enough to create empties.
Questions:
• shelf life quote. I'm thinking (hoping) the rep is saying that just to cover himself. Can anybody speak for their experience with shelf life on these kits past 4 months?
• Not intending to start another redundant thread; I don't typically reuse bottles from breweries. I've been recycling my own purchased empties. Why? I don't have Oxyclean and I can't get the labels off of brewers' bottles. Oxyclean hot soak overnight enough to remove labels/prep the bottle for sanitizing?
• Drinking all batches quickly. Not really an option; I'll need rehab! And I don't really have friends/family to help me drink it all so...
Wild card - I have a barleywine kit that needs to be brewed before any of these. It will be occupying primary for a month, then secondary for 5 months. Which means all above kits will ferment in primary only. And I only have one temperature controlled fermentation chamber.
Northern is doing a very tempting sale today. 3 kits required to get the deal. I'm looking at SMASH, Irish red, and American wheat. To brew in that order. NB rep says the kits have a shelf life of 3 to 4 months.
Trouble is, 1) I don't have enough bottles to keep up with brewing/bottling and 2) I can't drink the beer quickly enough to create empties.
Questions:
• shelf life quote. I'm thinking (hoping) the rep is saying that just to cover himself. Can anybody speak for their experience with shelf life on these kits past 4 months?
• Not intending to start another redundant thread; I don't typically reuse bottles from breweries. I've been recycling my own purchased empties. Why? I don't have Oxyclean and I can't get the labels off of brewers' bottles. Oxyclean hot soak overnight enough to remove labels/prep the bottle for sanitizing?
• Drinking all batches quickly. Not really an option; I'll need rehab! And I don't really have friends/family to help me drink it all so...
Wild card - I have a barleywine kit that needs to be brewed before any of these. It will be occupying primary for a month, then secondary for 5 months. Which means all above kits will ferment in primary only. And I only have one temperature controlled fermentation chamber.