How to make the most of your beer kit

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Hi All,
I have not posted on here for a long time but the kit brewing still goes on and I think will be with me for life. :cheers:

If you are new to brewing with kits the best advice i can give you is that time in the bucket and time in the bottle solves most problems. Home brew beer got a terrible reputation in the 70's because people used to brew it as cheap as possible and try to drink it as quick as possible.

Obviously you will be eager to sample your produce when its a new hobby but the best results in my expereince come when you are drinking beer that has been bottled for 3 months.

Below are the notes that I sent a friend of mine a couple of years ago and the responses on this forum when I asked for comments I hope it helps.

Making Up Beer Kits:
1. Make sure the bucket is clean, I bleach the bucket overnight to make sure.
2. Put the two tins in warm water for 5 mins to loosen up the contents to make it easier to pour out of the tin.
3. Empty the contents of the two tins into the bucket.
4. Put 3.5 litres about 2 jug kettles full of boiling water in the bucket.
5. Stir well to help dissolve the kit
6. Top the bucket up with cold water to the 5 gallon level
7. Sprinkle the yeast on the liquid
8. Put the lid on.
9. Put a piece of paper on top of the lid showing what kit it is and the date it was put in't bucket
10. Put in a Warm Place and cover with a blanket
11. Leave for a couple of weeks, the instructions say 8-10 days but I find that leaving for longer solves the problem of not fermenting at a controlled temperature.
12. Rinse out 12 x 2 Litre pop bottles.
13. Put 2 teaspoons of sugar in each bottle.
14. Using the tap ( and a funnel ) pour the beer into the bottles. Do not turn the tap full on.I tend to pour about 1 litre into a bottle and then fill it up when the froth has gone down ( You will see what I mean when you try to do this )
15. Label the bottles ( I use computer labels , cheap!), With the type of beer and the date bottled.
16. Place the bottles in a warm , dark place for about two weeks
17. Transfer the bottles into a cool dark place
18. The beer is now ready to drink but will improve substantially the longer you leave it ( But drink it within 18 months, it does not last forever )
19. When pouring the beer always remember to decant into a jug first and then pour into a glass, this helps remove unwanted sediment from your drink.
20. Don't forget to save some for me ;
 
Interested that you leave in extended periods in the bucket, I get a bit twitchy once the head of dead yeast and gung drops no longer providing any protection for the brew. Do you not use a secondary with airlock??
Regards,
Chris
 
I am considering getting a kit on the go to last me until i have an AG set up that works.

I was thinking of dry hopping too.

Basically i have a 30ish ltr (27, 28 or 29 - i only measured it to 26 so i know it holds more) FV which i have used for a few turbo ciders, and a number of 15 litre buckets fitted with airlocks.
Just a few stupid newbie questions really having never done a kit before, and not wanting to buy a starter kit as i have most of the stuff already.

My FV smells a little cidery, and i can't seem to shift the smell, Before i got it it was used to transport Gin to a bottling plant near where i live so it has always had an 'aroma' about it. Even if i sterilise fastidiously would this slight smell affect the kit brew?

Also the FV has quite a thin neck, its probably about 8cm (or 3in) in diameter - i could probably manage a stir but is there anything else that this may present a hurdle to?

As i mentioned dry hopping, would it be possible to separate the brew at secondary fermentation to 2 smaller FVs of 15ltr or whatever the half the brew length works out at so that i can experiment with different dry hopping methods or ingredients in each?

Sorry if these sound a little thick.
Many thanks.
 
cheers for the campden tablet trick ill try that next brew,always wanted to know how to rid that taste caused by chemicals in tap water.cheers mate
 
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