Q's about True Brew Red Ale kit

[termite760]

I'm ready to do another batch (second) and i'm going to do the True Brew Red Ale kit which i've already purchased. In reading the directions i'm just curious about some things.
It says to bring water to boil, turn off and steep grains about 20-30 mins. Does that sound about right??
Then with the hop pellets it says after bringing water back to boil and adding the extract I should add 1/2 the pellets, boil for 30 mins, then add the rest for the last 1-2 mins of the boil.
How about that? sound good?
Then I wanted to do a differant yeast. Rather using the packet that comes with the kit i'm going to pick up a White Lab - Irish Ale yeast. Since i'm using a glass carboy how should I add the yeast? The kit instructions says to stir in gently but the White Lab directions say to shake up the carboy before adding the yeast to areate they wort then shake again after pouring in the yeast. Which sounds right?
I'm hoping this will be ready for St. Patty's

 

[Atonk]

It sounds right - follow White Lab instructions on yeast. Definitely want to aerate before you add it.

 

[twheelz]

My first two batches ever were True Brew kits. I followed the instructions to the letter and they turned out great. As for the yeast, what Atonk said. Aerate it. Good luck!

 

[toxdoc49]

So this thread is old, but I recently purchased the True Brew Red ale kit for the 5 gallon batch. The instructions are a little vague.
Steep grains for 15 minutes (this sounds a little short) at 155 F.
There is no particular schedule for adding the malt extract (I suppose stir it all in at the same time).
There is no specified time for boil. I assume 60 minutes?
No hops addition instructions; sounds like you add the whole pack of 1 oz Mount Hood hops. Can't tell if it is at the beginning of the boil or at 15 minutes into the boil. Or if you split the addition during the boil.

For fermentation, no secondary is listed. Just transfer from the primary to bottling bucket when ready to bottle. Is this normal for a red ale recipe? It is of course an extract brew, so maybe this is ok? Don't know if secondary fermenter is needed.
I suppose I can try and look at the website as well for clarification.

 

[flars]

So this thread is old, but I recently purchased the True Brew Red ale kit for the 5 gallon batch. The instructions are a little vague.
Steep grains for 15 minutes (this sounds a little short) at 155 F.
There is no particular schedule for adding the malt extract (I suppose stir it all in at the same time).
There is no specified time for boil. I assume 60 minutes?
No hops addition instructions; sounds like you add the whole pack of 1 oz Mount Hood hops. Can't tell if it is at the beginning of the boil or at 15 minutes into the boil. Or if you split the addition during the boil.

For fermentation, no secondary is listed. Just transfer from the primary to bottling bucket when ready to bottle. Is this normal for a red ale recipe? It is of course an extract brew, so maybe this is ok? Don't know if secondary fermenter is needed.
I suppose I can try and look at the website as well for clarification.

True Brew is well known for having terrible instructions. Is this same instructions that came with your kit?
https://www.winemakersdepot.com/Red-Ale-Beer-Kit-Instructions-True-Brew-W59.aspx

First never pour hot wort into a glass carboy. This has the potential of causing stress fractures or immediately cracking the carboy where the hot meets the cold.

One of the cans of extract is pre hopped. Usually a pre hopped extract is not boiled. The boiling can bring out a very harsh bitterness. the pre hopped extract can be added at the end of the boil when the kettle is taken off the heat. Pasteurization happens in one minute when the temperature is at 171°F or higher.

You can also use more water at the start than 1.5 gallons. Using this small amount may be for having less wort to cool in a kitchen sink ice bath. I usually start with 2.5 to 3 gallons.

You can add the grains to the kettle with the cold water. Begin heating. 20 to 30 minutes of steeping time up to a temperature of 170° will extract the color and flavor from the grains. Boiling temperature has the potential of extracting tannins from the grains when the pH of the water is over 6.0. Most tap water is over a pH of 6.0.

Don't use tap water from a municipal supply unless it is treated with Campden. All municipal water is treated with chlorine or chloramine. sometimes both. This water will give your beer a band aid taste.

Pitching the at near 90° will give you a quick start to the fermentation. It also has the potential of forcing the yeast to produce fusel alcohols. Pitch the yeast when the wort is in the low 60° range.

Add 1.5 to 2.5 gallons of water to you kettle.

Add the steeping grains in the sack. Stir the sack to saturate and break up dough balls. Steep for 20 to 30 minutes below 170°.
Remove grain bag and drain in a strainer over the kettle. You can squeeze the bag.

Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in unhopped extract.

Return to heat and bring to a boil. Add first hop addition. Begin 30 minute timing. With two minutes left of the 30 add the remaining hops. Turn off heat and stir in hopped extract.

Cool the wort in the sink or a tub with ice and cold water. Cooling can be speeded by just using a sink full of cold water at first. When this water becomes warm in about 5 to 6 minutes, drain and add ice then more cold water. A gentle stir with your sanitary boil spoon to move the wort in the kettle will aid cooling.

As the wort cools add the remaining volume of water to you carboy. If yo boiled 2.5 gallons only add 2 gallons to make sure you don't exceed the 5 gallon recipe volume. You can top off with more cold water after you add the cooled wort to account for kettle boil off.

Aerate the wort and pitch the yeast.

Have you made a starter for the yeast to get the pitch rate required? This is the pitch rate/starter calculator I use.
http://www.brewunited.com/yeast_calculator.php

A secondary vessel is not needed. Your beer will not be ready to bottle in a week.

Let your beer clear in the primary. I usually bottle after three weeks in the primary. Take a SG reading after 10 days, another 3 or 5 days later to confirm FG. By this time the beer should have cleared and careful racking to the bottling bucket will give you clear beer in the bottle.

You can also add Irish moss to the boil kettle to help clear the beer of proteins during the cooling process.

I may have missed a few things. Ask questions if this is confusing.

 

[toxdoc49]

Extremely helpful, thank you! I do have a few clarifying questions:

I can start with the cold water ( I will use 2.5 gallons), add the grains, and heat it to 170 degrees; by then the steep time will be done (20-30 min). I should not exceed that temperature.

Remove grains, bring to boil, add the unhopped extract.

Return to boil. Here I have a question: Add hops, let boil for 30 min, then near end, add remaining hops. Should I just split the 1oz into two 0.5oz for this step?

Then turn off heat, add hopped extract.

I have a wort chiller now, so I will use that to cool the wort. Although an ice bath does work pretty well too.

I need to make a yeast starter, I have been using dry yeast but realize it gets a better start when you do a yeast starter.

Should I make sure I have a 5 gallon volume in the primary at the beginning of fermentation? I would guess so since the recipe calls for that volume.

Three weeks in the primary. Thanks. The one week thing did not sound right to me. You are correct, the instructions are not good. Your reply has been most helpful!

 

[flars]

Extremely helpful, thank you! I do have a few clarifying questions:

I can start with the cold water ( I will use 2.5 gallons), add the grains, and heat it to 170 degrees; by then the steep time will be done (20-30 min). I should not exceed that temperature.

I start with cold water. With my kettle and stove it takes 15 minutes to reach 165°F. I don't go any warmer in case the combination of temperature and my 7.4 pH water may extract tannins from the husks. the amount of steeping grains is usually small so tannins may not be noticeable in some styles if they are present.

Remove grains, bring to boil, add the unhopped extract.

Yes.

Return to boil. Here I have a question: Add hops, let boil for 30 min, then near end, add remaining hops. Should I just split the 1oz into two 0.5oz for this step?

Split the hops by weight or visually in half. The first half would be boiled for 28 minutes to extract bitterness. The second half boil in the last two minutes. The two minute hops will add flavor and little to no bitterness.

Then turn off heat, add hopped extract.

Yes.

I have a wort chiller now, so I will use that to cool the wort. Although an ice bath does work pretty well too.

Some day I might build a wort chiller. They do work well.

I need to make a yeast starter, I have been using dry yeast but realize it gets a better start when you do a yeast starter.

Rehydrating dry yeast will also greatly improve the performance of the yeast.

Should I make sure I have a 5 gallon volume in the primary at the beginning of fermentation? I would guess so since the recipe calls for that volume.

The recipe is for 5 gallons and the estimated OG is for 5 gallons. Less than 5 gallons will increase the OG and perceived body and flavors.

Three weeks in the primary. Thanks. The one week thing did not sound right to me. You are correct, the instructions are not good. Your reply has been most helpful!

Hope this helps. I reduce bottle sediments to just a little pure yeast by using Irish moss in the boil. Even the dark beers. I just like to pour the entire contents of the bottle.

How is your fermentation temperature control? After bad sanitary practices this is the next easiest way to ruin a beer.

 

[toxdoc49]

Thank you. I use a Megapot 10 gallon kettle with built in thermometer and also double check that with a second thermometer mounted on the kettle lip. I just bought a turkey-fryer type burner (Bayou Classic) and need to dry run that for assessing temperature control. I have been using my gas cooktop.

Thanks again for clarifying those directions. I can see this will greatly improve the outcome!

 

[toxdoc49]

Hope this helps. I reduce bottle sediments to just a little pure yeast by using Irish moss in the boil. Even the dark beers. I just like to pour the entire contents of the bottle.

How is your fermentation temperature control? After bad sanitary practices this is the next easiest way to ruin a beer.

I had a question about yeast starter. I saw something on Northern Brewer that uses dry yeast and DME. Is this the best way to prepare a yeast starter? Or can you just hydrate it with water?

 

[flars]

I had a question about yeast starter. I saw something on Northern Brewer that uses dry yeast and DME. Is this the best way to prepare a yeast starter? Or can you just hydrate it with water?

You can make a starter with dry yeast if the yeast is properly rehydrated first. One pack of rehydrated dry yeast is more than enough for the Irish Red Ale so a starter is not necessary.

 

[toxdoc49]

What I ended up doing was a 20 minute steep, then a total 45 minute boil. I added the unhopped extract after the steep, got to the boil, added one-half of the hops at the beginning of the boil, boiled 40 minutes, added the rest of the hops for the last 5 minutes.
Removed from boil, added the hopped malt extract.
Cooled wort to about 75 degrees F.
Took a hydrometer measurement but I need to figure out how the scale on mine works; I can't figure out what the reading means, I know that sounds stupid and I know this reading is some measure of efficiency when taking the FG reading but that is a weakness of mine right now.
Added room temp water back up to volume (ended up with 4.5 gallons instead of 5).

I re-hydrated the dry yeast using the procedure in How to Brew but did not 'proof' it
Added the re-hydrated yeast to the primary fermentor.
In about 12 hours I am seeing fermentation. So seems so far so good

You say I can just leave it there in the primary for 3 weeks? I will monitor fermentation and see what it looks like after 2 weeks.
Thanks for the advice on this recipe.

 

[flars]

What I ended up doing was a 20 minute steep, then a total 45 minute boil. I added the unhopped extract after the steep, got to the boil, added one-half of the hops at the beginning of the boil, boiled 40 minutes, added the rest of the hops for the last 5 minutes.
Removed from boil, added the hopped malt extract.
Cooled wort to about 75 degrees F.
Took a hydrometer measurement but I need to figure out how the scale on mine works; I can't figure out what the reading means, I know that sounds stupid and I know this reading is some measure of efficiency when taking the FG reading but that is a weakness of mine right now.
Added room temp water back up to volume (ended up with 4.5 gallons instead of 5).

I re-hydrated the dry yeast using the procedure in How to Brew but did not 'proof' it
Added the re-hydrated yeast to the primary fermentor.
In about 12 hours I am seeing fermentation. So seems so far so good

You say I can just leave it there in the primary for 3 weeks? I will monitor fermentation and see what it looks like after 2 weeks.
Thanks for the advice on this recipe.

Here is a good primer on hydrometer use.
http://howtobrew.com/book/appendices/appendix-a/using-hydrometers

 

[toxdoc49]

Thank you. I need help there.

 

[toxdoc49]

It is now two weeks in the primary fermenter. I need to take another hydrometer reading , compare it to the reading taken at the beginning, then wait a few days and take another reading to see if fermentation is done? Then I can move to the bottling stage. I think that is correct