Tips for new brewers

[yamifz1]

Alright, I'm brand new to this beer making experience, I've drank lots but never made any. I think that it would be a great idea to post up the very basics for new people like myself as I have so many questions.
I'll get it started off with a few questions that may give you guys the idea, no matter how basic it seems to you us new guys know diddly.
1. is tap water acceptable for making beer?
2. what temperature should the beer be at when fermenting and in the secondary container?
3. recently make a Belgian Moon clone and used a Coopers Preacher's Hefe as a base with other additives, the recipe did not call for sugar which I understand is what the yeast turns into alchol, it did have 3lbs of Wheat DME, is that the substitute or was I suppose to put sugar in it?

These are some basic questions that us newbies would have so share your basic info with others.

 

[hogwash]

1. Yes but at least run it through a filter.
2. Depends on the beer. Most ales are fermented in the mid to upper 60s. Lagers are fermented at lower temps (I’m not a lager brewer so I don’t know specific temps). Secondary is not worth the effort unless you are bulk aging or trying to get a very clear beer. Many brewers do not use a secondary fermenter, myself included.
3. The sugars come from your extract. Some recipes do call for sugar but it’s usually to help dry out a higher gravity beer.
4. Check out John Palmer’s How To Brew. It’s an invaluable resource for new brewers as well as the more seasoned. Www.howtobrew.com

 

[Kickass]

I started with Charlie P.'s complete joy of homebrewing and homebrewing for dummies. You'll gain the most knowledge for the effort by reading a homebrewing book. Then researching specific questions on here, google and YouTube. I solid foundation will pay major dividends.

 

[MaxStout]

I would second the suggestion of getting Palmer's How to Brew. Your questions are good ones, but there are too many variables to give a one-size-fits-all answer. The Palmer book will help you through that initial learning curve. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[tgolanos]

Tap water is generally OK for brewing. I say "generally" because my tap water here in Sydney is great for brewing just about anything, but my parents back home in PA is hard as anything. I wouldn't imagine making a lager or other light beer with it. I'd recommend either finding a water report from your supplier or township or experimenting with different beers.

As far as temperatures go, mid 60s for most ales is what you want. Make sure this is the beer temperature, and not just the ambient temperature of the room. Beer is exothermic - it gives off heat so your inner temperature will be higher than the thermometer strip is showing.

I ferment my lagers at 12°C (about 54°F). If you can't get or maintain your temps this low, I recommend waiting to do a lager. You could always look up the warm-ferment method, though.

Fermentable sugars come from many sources. Malt extract is one, simple sugars are another, as are the grains all-grain brewers use. As mentioned above, simple sugars will only serve to up your ABV% and dry out your beer. Sitck to malts, extract or grain, as much as possible.

I'm going to 3rd the suggestion to read Palmer (or Papazian). I read How to Brew online 3 times before I did my first beer, and kept the extract section open while I did my first just to make sure I was doing it right.

My final advice is to just have fun with it. Read the books, read the forums here, but don't take everything as an absolute - someone, somewhere has done it a different way. Take good notes as you brew and ferment so that you remember what works and what doesn't. Good luck.

 

[eltorrente]

Don't bother with a secondary - waste of time and you expose your beer to oxidation, unless you have a CO2 system and can completely purge the secondary - and even then, it's not worth it the vast majority of the time.

I agree with everyone else to read How to Brew. It's an easy read and very informative.

 

[GRJBowers]

An alternative to filtering the tap water first, you can treat it with a Campden tablet (either sodium metabisulfite or potassium metabisulfite). It will get rid of the chlorine or chloramines that may be in the water.

 

[yamifz1]

1. If you drink it and it tastes good, you can brew with it. Yeah there's a lot more science to it, but for a new brewer, that's good enough.
2. Depends on the yeast strain. Most ales do great around 68F but not all. Pick a style and yeast that meet your fermenting abilities.
3. Dry malt extract (DME) contains starches (sugars) and will be what the sugar ferments.

I hope you find this information useful. I run a blog geared towards new brewers and providing the information they need to be successful and grow as brewers. I hope you'll check it out!

Ryan - NewToBrew.com

Thanks for the info, I will definitely check out your blog.