Water addition and sterilization, Brewferm kit

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JayEff

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Hey guys!
Today I've spent a large (for me =P) amount of money on brewing equipment and a Brewferm beer kit. Now I'm super worried about every little detail because brewing is a big time investment, and if it fails, if my batch gets infected or whatever else could happen, I might just be turned off of this hobby for good, which would be a shame ...
Rather than bore you with the millions of questions I have, which I can probably find answers to by searching long enough, I'd just like to ask you this one thing which I couldn't quite find an answer to yet (might be a poor choice of keywords - if so, sorry!):

The Brewferm manual mentions no boiling. After a bunch of reading, I now know that boiling is also an important step in sanitizing the wort. Now I'm torn: Should I closely follow the manual, or should I boil every bit of water I will be adding later to ensure that it's sterile? If so, is it fine to do so in multiple parts? I don't have a pot that can fit 8 liters of water at a time, which is the amount I'm supposed to add to the fermenter before adding the wort! Do you have any advice on this for me?

Also, I was planning to use tab water. Should I instead find bottled water? I read that as long as the water tastes fine, the beer will taste fine, too ...
 
With out writing a treatise about brewing, let me say, do a boil, so much chemistry is happening during it. If you want instructions on how to do a boil just ask,
 
The Brewferm manual mentions no boiling. After a bunch of reading, I now know that boiling is also an important step in sanitizing the wort. Now I'm torn: Should I closely follow the manual, or should I boil every bit of water I will be adding later to ensure that it's sterile? If so, is it fine to do so in multiple parts? I don't have a pot that can fit 8 liters of water at a time, which is the amount I'm supposed to add to the fermenter before adding the wort! Do you have any advice on this for me?



Also, I was planning to use tap water. Should I instead find bottled water? I read that as long as the water tastes fine, the beer will taste fine, too ...


I just watched instructional video from Beerferm's website.
If any other readers would like a good laugh, here is the link.
https://www.brouwland.com/en/step-by-step-instructions-brewferm
Now... Let's answer your questions one by one in the form of a 15th century treatise. [emoji28]

Chapter 1) Should I closely follow the manual, or should I boil every bit of water I will be adding later to ensure that it's sterile?

Answer: throw that manual out. I've never read such garbage. You need to boil, if for nothing else, to sanitize the water and wort. 15 mins
If you are not adding any hops and you have pre-hopped extract then 15min is fine. If you are adding any bittering hops then you need to follow a normal boil schedule of around 60 mins. Chemical reactions and all...

Main point here... DO NOT just throw in unboiled tap water. That will contaminate your batch. Is there a chance nothing will go wrong? Sure. But is there an even bigger chance that you will get an infection? Yup!


Chapter 2) If so, is it fine to do so in multiple parts?
Answer: Yes. Just make sure that it has all been boiled and sanitized. 15 mins.

Chapter 3) Do you have any advice on this for me?

Answer: 3 words. Sanitization, Sanitization, oh and Sanitization.

Chapter 4) Also, I was planning to use tap water. Should I instead find bottled water? I read that as long as the water tastes fine, the beer will taste fine.

Answer: if your tap water tastes fine you'll be fine. If it tastes like chlorine or some other off flavor Then you may want to go the bottled water route.
With bottled water you may have to do some chemical additions. But that is just getting technical.

Good luck.
And...
RDWHAHB (Relax Don't Worry Have A Home Brew)

Now go yee forth and nail these to the door of the All Saints' Church in Wittenberg
PS: I hear Martin Luther was quite the drinker.

[emoji28][emoji28][emoji28]
 
Use bottled water for your first brew. Municipal water supplies are treated with chlorine or chloramine. It may not taste bad but will add off flavors to your beer. The water could be treated with a Campden tablet but keep your first one as simple as possible. Bottled water will be sanitary. You should only need to bring it up to fermentation temperature.

You can control the fermentation temperature with a swamp cooler. Fermentation temperatures that are too high will produce off flavors.
 
Thank you all for your responses, especially the RDWHAHB part :D

I thought the Brewferm manual was bs because of this! Seems like my suspicions were correct and I was right to ask before doing anything.

Use bottled water for your first brew. Municipal water supplies are treated with chlorine or chloramine. It may not taste bad but will add off flavors to your beer. The water could be treated with a Campden tablet but keep your first one as simple as possible. Bottled water will be sanitary. You should only need to bring it up to fermentation temperature.

I tried to find any info on this, but couldn't find anything. What I can say, is that when I spent some time in america, I certainly noticed a chlorine smell and taste in the tap water, compared to what I was used to from Germany. (I should've added that I live in Germany...)

Bottled water is guaranteed to be sanitary then? I would've thought so as well, considering it needs to stay fresh in the shelves. I will strongly consider using bottled water, and do a boil anyways. The extract brewing guides I've read suggest boiling, but I figured maybe brewferm did something special to their hopped extract.

Still need to figure out how I'm gonna chill the wort, I've read into the whole cold break thing, and the dimethyl sulfide part as well, so I know why it's necessary. Perhaps a tub with plastic bottles of frozen water, since I don't think I can buy a big pack of ice here, like it's common in america.

I've made sure to include a bottle of Star San in my shopping list because of the sanitizing. Things don't have to be submerged in the stuff right, I can just rub it on and make sure it stays wet for a minute, perhaps rub it down more than once to keep it in contact? Don't have a spray bottle for large surfaces...

Argh ... alright, I'll ask the rest of my questions too, I'm too worried D: Here's a more general question: How important is headspace in the primary fermentation? I read somewhere that in the initial phases of the fermentation, the yeast produces so much CO2, it doesn't really matter too much, plus because of the krausen, you need a lot of head space anyways. Thus, I purchased a 17l bucket for a 12l batch, as the online shop advertised this as the optimal size (that's 4.5 gallons and 3.2 gallons respectively). Is this correct? More importantly, if I were to purchase a 9l (2.4 gallons) kit from brewferm (which I totally didn't do by accident!), would that be too much headspace then?

Some suggest Vodka in the airlock, others say water is fine, I was gonna get some high proof alcohol to be sure ... ?

Whirlpool wort after chilling to gather sediment, then use hose to transfer wort to fermenter, or pouring (straining?) is fine? (edit: saw a post on that - not really necessary apparently, some people just pour everything, including the sediment, into the fermenter)

..Sorry for the barrage of questions. Your lovely answers encouraged me. Some forums prefer 1 question per thread, let me know if this is the case here.
 
Thank you all for your responses, especially the RDWHAHB part :D

I thought the Brewferm manual was bs because of this! Seems like my suspicions were correct and I was right to ask before doing anything.



I tried to find any info on this, but couldn't find anything. What I can say, is that when I spent some time in america, I certainly noticed a chlorine smell and taste in the tap water, compared to what I was used to from Germany. (I should've added that I live in Germany...)
The amount of chlorine in municipal water varies. Mostly depends upon the water source and length of distribution lines.

Bottled water is guaranteed to be sanitary then? I would've thought so as well, considering it needs to stay fresh in the shelves. I will strongly consider using bottled water, and do a boil anyways. The extract brewing guides I've read suggest boiling, but I figured maybe brewferm did something special to their hopped extract.
Boiling hopped extract will bring out a lot of bitterness.
Bring the extract to 175°F for pasteurization. This will make it easier to mix into solution.



Still need to figure out how I'm gonna chill the wort, I've read into the whole cold break thing
No need to worry about cold break.
Really won't affect the final beer.
, and the dimethyl sulfideDMS is sometimes produced and reintroduced into the wort when the boil kettle is covered. Uncommon with extracts except maybe all pilsen extracts.
part as well, so I know why it's necessary. Perhaps a tub with plastic bottles of frozen water, since I don't think I can buy a big pack of ice here, like it's common in america.
No chill brewing is common in areas where the ground water is too warm to chill the wort. The wort is sealed in a container until it is cool enough to pitch the yeast. Ice bottles are a good alternative for quicker cooling.


I've made sure to include a bottle of Star San in my shopping list because of the sanitizing. Things don't have to be submerged in the stuff right, I can just rub it on and make sure it stays wet for a minute, perhaps rub it down more than once to keep it in contact? Don't have a spray bottle for large surfaces...My spray bottles only hold a quart.

Argh ... alright, I'll ask the rest of my questions too, I'm too worried D: Here's a more general question: How important is headspace in the primary fermentation? I read somewhere that in the initial phases of the fermentation, the yeast produces so much CO2, it doesn't really matter too much, plus because of the krausen, you need a lot of head space anyways. Thus, I purchased a 17l bucket for a 12l batch, as the online shop advertised this as the optimal size (that's 4.5 gallons and 3.2 gallons respectively). Is this correct?
This size bucket will work just fine. Some yeasts are more vigorous than others. In my experience WY 3068 will form the largest krausen.
More importantly, if I were to purchase a 9l (2.4 gallons) kit from brewferm (which I totally didn't do by accident!), would that be too much headspace then?
The problem with too much head space in a bucket is air infiltration which can oxidize a fermented wort. Just means that you probably should not hold the beer longer than four weeks in a bucket.


Some suggest Vodka in the airlock, others say water is fine, I was gonna get some high proof alcohol to be sure ... ?
I use the Star San solution in the air lock.


Whirlpool wort after chilling to gather sediment, then use hose to transfer wort to fermenter, or pouring (straining?) is fine? (edit: saw a post on that - not really necessary apparently, some people just pour everything, including the sediment, into the fermenter)
I'll just let the boil kettle sit until the hop debris settles then pour. Some hop debris goes into the fermentor but most is left in the kettle. When planning to harvest the yeast I pour through a fine mesh bag to catch the hop debris.

..Sorry for the barrage of questions. Your lovely answers encouraged me. Some forums prefer 1 question per thread, let me know if this is the case here.

Multiple questions means multiple answers. Hope this helps. Ask for clarification where I seem confusing.
 
Thanks you so much for your extensive answer! Already I think I feel more confident and less worried about stuff going wrong. There's some things I'd like to ask for clarification:
Boiling hopped extract will bring out a lot of bitterness.
Bring the extract to 175°F for pasteurization. This will make it easier to mix into solution.
When you say "boiling hopped extract" you mean dissolving it in water to make wort and then bringing it to a boil, right? It sounded like you meant this is a bad thing. So, boiling it will bring out too much bitterness, compared to what the kit's intended flavor was? brandonlovesbeer mentioned I should boil for 15 minutes regardless, if only to sanitize. But technically, both the extract (which is canned) and the bottled water will already be sterile. Are you suggesting I should not boil the wort, unless I want a more bitter beer?

No chill brewing is common in areas where the ground water is too warm to chill the wort. The wort is sealed in a container until it is cool enough to pitch the yeast. Ice bottles are a good alternative for quicker cooling.
If DMS was a problem, then sealing the wort would reintroduce DMS in this case, right, so no chill brewing applies only to extract brewing? Not that I'm planning to get into all grain brewing any time soon but I'm curious :)

When you say, seal the wort, would a lid for a pot be enough? My largest pot is a 6 liter pressure cooker which I was planning to use for the boil, in case I boil. But pressure cookers rely on steam pressure for the gasket to be pressed against the seam and forming a seal, so without that it wouldn't seal better than a normal lid I think.
 
Thanks you so much for your extensive answer! Already I think I feel more confident and less worried about stuff going wrong. There's some things I'd like to ask for clarification:

When you say "boiling hopped extract" you mean dissolving it in water to make wort and then bringing it to a boil, right?Lets just say kettle, not boil kettle. No boiling. Just heating.

It sounded like you meant this is a bad thing. So, boiling it will bring out too much bitterness, compared to what the kit's intended flavor was?
Boiling prehopped extract will bring out a harsh and bad tasting bitterness destroying the pleasant bitterness of the hops.

brandonlovesbeer mentioned I should boil for 15 minutes regardless, if only to sanitize. But technically, both the extract (which is canned) and the bottled water will already be sterile. Are you suggesting I should not boil the wort, unless I want a more bitter beer?
The canned extract and bottled water is sanitary. I would heat the mixed extract and water to pasteurization temperature in case something else accidentally gets into the wort.



If DMS was a problem, then sealing the wort would reintroduce DMS in this case, right, so no chill brewing applies only to extract brewing? Not that I'm planning to get into all grain brewing any time soon but I'm curious :)No chill brewing can be used for both extract brewing and all grain brewing. It just means that cold water or ice is not available to chill the wort. The wort cools in the sealed container given enough time. DMS precursors are developed during a boil.

When you say, seal the wort, would a lid for a pot be enough? My largest pot is a 6 liter pressure cooker which I was planning to use for the boil, in case I boil. But pressure cookers rely on steam pressure for the gasket to be pressed against the seam and forming a seal, so without that it wouldn't seal better than a normal lid I think.

A larger kettle would work the best. You could also heat the volume of water needed in multiple pots and pans. Add the heated water to the fermentor and mix in the extract. Check how much heat your bucket can withstand before pouring hot water into it. Usually a good food grade bucket can handle boiling water. Check to be sure though.
 
It's not the canned sanitize extract you need to boil. It's the water. Add the extract to the unsanitized water and now you have contaminated extract... That needs to be boiled.
 
Alright, it was brewday today, as my thermometer arrived. This is also when I learned that my basement is around 13-14C, that's 55-57F, while the brewferm manual recommends 18-23C, this being 64 - 73F. Should I find a warmer room to place the fermenter in? The yeast will warm up the wort with its metabolism once it kicks off, right? Would that perhaps reach the lower end of the spectrum and be fine, or do you think they really mean the room temperature with those numbers?

When moving the bucket, I've noticed that the slight deformation of the plastic ends up sucking the starsan from the airlock into the bucket. Not a big deal, but I don't have any solution left over, and mixing up such a tiny amount is probably not really possible. I might need to remove the airlock if I move the bucket to a warmer room. What do you guys think of all this?
 
Alright, it was brewday today, as my thermometer arrived. This is also when I learned that my basement is around 13-14C, that's 55-57F, while the brewferm manual recommends 18-23C, this being 64 - 73F.
I'm guessing it is a generic ale yeast and not labeled?
Optimum fermentation temperature may be about 18°C to 20°C. The yeast will raise the fermentation temperature about 2°C if the original gravity is about 1.048 to 1.052. After active fermentation slows the beer should be held at the same temperature or a few degrees higher. A warmer area would be better if you can't build a unit to control the temperature. (I use a STC-1000 to control an aquarium heater with the fermentor in a water bath for warming.)

Should I find a warmer room to place the fermenter in? The yeast will warm up the wort with its metabolism once it kicks off, right? Would that perhaps reach the lower end of the spectrum and be fine, or do you think they really mean the room temperature with those numbers?

When moving the bucket, I've noticed that the slight deformation of the plastic ends up sucking the starsan from the airlock into the bucket. Not a big deal, but I don't have any solution left over, and mixing up such a tiny amount is probably not really possible.
Mix your Star San solution in one gallon jugs. You can reuse the solution. As long as the pH remains at 3.0 or less it is still good.

I might need to remove the airlock if I move the bucket to a warmer room. What do you guys think of all this?

Cover the air lock bung with a paper towel soaked in Star San when pulling the air lock for moving the fermentor.
 
Cover the air lock bung with a paper towel soaked in Star San when pulling the air lock for moving the fermentor.

Oh, excellent suggestion thank you!
I'm aware that the star san stays fresh but I ended up dunking the ladle I used to stir the wort in the star san a couple of times, probably some other wort-contaminated items, so I feel that it was going to go bad eventually. Probably being overly cautious but I have plenty of concentrated star san left, so I dumped it. Next time, I'll try to keep it more fresh. I also don't really have a reasonably sealable container of that size lying around, but I'll figure something out for next time. I still have like ... 108ml out of the 118 left, so more than enough to make many a batch. Seems like an excellent product!
 
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