Youngs American IPA

[terrym]

Managed to convince the Mrs to let me have it early:-)
Will be going on tomorrow.

Good to hear.
The AIPA kit is known for sometimes producing a massive krausen which may go through the airlock, if fitted, for the first few days of the primary. To try to avoid this you could brew short - say 21 litres - which gives you a slightly stronger brew but importantly more headroom in the FV. If it does go though your airlock and you get yeasty blockages, then you may need to fit a blow-off tube (look this up on this Forum) or simply dispense with the airlock for a while, and slightly open the lid and cover with a towel to allow the krausen to ooze from the opening. Latter means you will have to be prepared to mop up any mess. But it's all worth it in the end since it's a good kit to brew. :thumb:

 

[Russ146]

probably the best kit i have ever brewed.

Leave at least a month to 6 weeks undisturbed on a heater pad to ferment. DO NOT DISTURB, take samples or do anything just leave it.

Fill to 4 gall mark, wait for initial frothing to reside then top up to 5 gall mark until completely finished.

Pressure barrel is best, transfer and leave on a heater pad for at least a week or more.

Then place barrel somewhere cool to condition. Just check its pressurised ok then leave it for at least 2 months.

Just started drinking mine now after 4 months in the barrel. Absolutely stunning beer better than anything else i have ever made or tried.

The rules for homebrew are quite simple

The less you do the better it is.
Patience is your friend
The longer you wait, the better it gets.

 

[pms67]

I could never wait that long.
Ever........

 

[terrym]

The longer you wait, the better it gets.

Whereas normally I would agree, I beg to differ for this beer.
As soon as it's clear after carbing up it's ready to drink imo, which is about 3/4 weeks after bottling. Quality improves little after then, but you do notice the impact of the dry hop slowly fading with time.

 

[Russ146]

Whereas normally I would agree, I beg to differ for this beer.
As soon as it's clear after carbing up it's ready to drink imo, which is about 3/4 weeks after bottling. Quality improves little after then, but you do notice the impact of the dry hop slowly fading with time.

Yes it is ready almost straight away but the longer you leave it the better, smoother, delicious it gets. Also i put the dry hops in the barrel so the flavour is sealed in, never in the fermenter. works for me.

Also if you brew like i do the next barrel is at least 2 months old before i get to start it.

I have a 4 barrel rotation system, when i start on the next barrel to drink it is already 3 months old so never have to wait for Pub quality conditioned beer.

Just drinking the last of a barrel of Wherry that is stunning after 6 months

 

[Gazaman]

Cheers for the advice chaps. I guess I have a decision to make regarding the foaming issue. I cant wait so I'm going to do it right now :-)
First question and I'm sorry if this is a ridiculous thing to ask, but in the instructions it says to fill up with "boiled" water. Now does this mean boiling hot water or does it mean previously boiled water that's cooled down?

 

[terrym]

Cheers for the advice chaps. I guess I have a decision to make regarding the foaming issue. I cant wait so I'm going to do it right now :-)
First question and I'm sorry if this is a ridiculous thing to ask, but in the instructions it says to fill up with "boiled" water. Now does this mean boiling hot water or does it mean previously boiled water that's cooled down?

I assume your mains water is OK to drink, no nasty off tastes or smells. If its OK then its good enough to brew with. If not OK you should consider cheap bottled water. Mine is OK so I brew with it.
I use about 2-3 litres 'just boiled' water to help dissolve the malt extract which is poured into the FV. When its dissolved I progressively top up with cold mains water, with the option of a bit more boiled water to get the temperature to about 19-20*C. Do not use water from the hot water system of your house it's not sterile unlike mains water straight from the cold tap. Make sure you give the contents of the FV a good thrashing along the way to oxygenate the wort which the yeast needs at the beginning.
Hope that helps

 

[Gazaman]

Right......Its cooking :)
So when am I gonna see bubbles? :lol:
Initial Hydrometer reading was 1.064. Does this sound about right?

 

[BeerisGOD]

Right......Its cooking :)
So when am I gonna see bubbles? :lol:
Initial Hydrometer reading was 1.064. Does this sound about right?

That's a great reading.
Leave the lid on and I'm sure Youl see some life by this afternoon.

 

[Gazaman]

That's a great reading.
Leave the lid on and I'm sure Youl see some life by this afternoon.

Cheers mate.
I checked this morning and the water in the airlock has been pushed through to one side so i'm guessing this is an indication that its on its way.
One thing I am slightly concerned about though... I watched a youtube video last night of somebody doing this kit and when adding the yeast,they just sprinkled it on top then replaced the lid whereas I actually mixed it in to try and reduce the lumpiness. Is this a problem?

 

[terrym]

One thing I am slightly concerned about though... I watched a youtube video last night of somebody doing this kit and when adding the yeast,they just sprinkled it on top then replaced the lid whereas I actually mixed it in to try and reduce the lumpiness. Is this a problem?

'Sprinkling' is often recommended. No problem with that.
I suggest you have a look at this you may find it useful.
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=57526
And another tip...
Its best to wait until the primary fermentation has almost finished before you add the dry hops, in spite of what the instructions may/may not tell you. And if you want to maximise hop hit its better to leave the hops in for 5/6/7 days rather than the 2/3 which is what I think the instructions recommend.

 

[Russ146]

Cheers mate.
I checked this morning and the water in the airlock has been pushed through to one side so i'm guessing this is an indication that its on its way.
One thing I am slightly concerned about though... I watched a youtube video last night of somebody doing this kit and when adding the yeast,they just sprinkled it on top then replaced the lid whereas I actually mixed it in to try and reduce the lumpiness. Is this a problem?

i try to spell this out repeatedly. Why did you stir it in? stop faffing with it or you will ruin it. Dont test it or do anything.

All you've done is stir in a load of air borne bacteria dust and microbes that COULD ruin your brew. Sprinkle the yeast on and get it covered to keep everything OUT.

have you got it on a heater pad or use a heater belt to maintain a constant temperature to provide a stable fermenting environment?

These things are far more important that risking contamination from unnecessary exposure to air

 

[Gazaman]

i try to spell this out repeatedly. Why did you stir it in? stop faffing with it or you will ruin it. Dont test it or do anything.

All you've done is stir in a load of air borne bacteria dust and microbes that COULD ruin your brew. Sprinkle the yeast on and get it covered to keep everything OUT.

have you got it on a heater pad or use a heater belt to maintain a constant temperature to provide a stable fermenting environment?

These things are far more important that risking contamination from unnecessary exposure to air

To be honest the instructions say to stir it in! I only questioned it because I watched a dude on YouTube and he didn't.
Fingers crossed I've not ruined it :-(

 

[Russ146]

You want it to start fermenting asap to push out the air in the FV out and have nothing but co2 in it which will act as a sterile invisible blanket sealing the brew from the outside world with the airlock to stop flys getting into it.

Brewing instructions are vague

Its more important to maintain a stable constant brewing temperature so it ferments properly without stopping and starting due to temp going up and down rather than taking readings and disturbing that layer of co2 and exposing the brew to air.

Leave for at least a month to 6 weeks until it looks completely flat with no froth or bubbles visible.

Only then bottle or barrel is best adding the supplied sugar and hops in a bag. Leave for a week or more on the heater pad. Check the sweetness has gone and its pressurised and then leave somewhere cool for at least a month, 3 is better. It will be fantastic

All the testing, racking to secondary fermenters and general faffing about is totally unnecessary and just exposing the brew to air that can and will ruin it. I know, i make brew after brew of premium pub quality beer simply and so easy.

 

[Russ146]

Another tip, when you bottle or barrel dont let the brew splash and bubble in the bottles or barrel.

Syphon the brew carefully down the side so it dosnt splash to again avoid introducing air into the brew and possibly contaminating it.

Brewing is an exact science and yet very simple to do to get the best beers possible. Nobody wants to ruin a beer kit that costs £20 or more or it starts to get expensive.

Hope this helps

 

[terrym]

Gazaman and Other Possible Newbies
You are possibly getting confused concerning advice brewing the Youngs AIPA kit!
On one hand I have suggested that the AIPA kit needs about three weeks or so to ferment, with a 6 day or so dry hop at the end, followed by up to two weeks carbing, and then conditioning somewhere cold until it clears. I have also said that imo, unlike other home brewed beers, its then ready to drink, won't improve noticeably and if left for a long time will lose it's hop bite from the dry hop.
On the other hand Russ146 is suggesting it needs between four to six weeks in the FV and then possibly up to three months conditioning before it comes really good.
On a more general note Russ appears to be fastidious about excluding O2 from his beer and seems to go to great lengths to ensure that his brews do not get infected. My approach is more relaxed, I avoid getting O2 into my beer if I can, and take sensible precautions to make sure equipment is clean and sanitised and the brew is not unnecessarily left open to outside 'unwanted organisms'; and that has stood me in good stead over many years in that I have never had an infected brew nor noticed a brew has become oxidised, although perhaps I've been lucky.
I also do not agree with Russ with regard to brewing being an 'exact science'. It is a natural process and there are too many variables to make it 100% repeatable, all we can do as home brewers is to develop good practices, like commercial brewers, to take out some of the uncertainty. One such practice is good temperature control during fermentation, on which I and Russ agree.
So what has all this meant?
It demonstrates to me that homebrewers all have their own personal approach to brewing beers governed by personal taste, cash, time, and available space among others. Each homebrewer learns from personal experience and advice from others but in the end develops a technique that suits them. In this case the advice given by Russ and I is what we believe is appropriate, and neither is 'wrong'. However in the end you will decide what's best for you, including how you will brew the AIPA kit which has got to rank as one of the best out there.
Dissertation over :thumb:

 

[Clint]

This is next up...looking forward to it!

Cheers

Clint

 

[pms67]

To be honest the instructions say to stir it in! I only questioned it because I watched a dude on YouTube and he didn't.
Fingers crossed I've not ruined it :-(

Don't panic buddy,it's really quite difficult to ruin your beer regardless of some opinions on here,stir if you like,I have done both and doesn't make an inch of difference IMO .
I have dropped things in my fv,forgot to sterilise it and even transferred to another fv by just opening a tap above it and exposing it to oxidisation and the only brew I have ever ruined was because it was too hot in the summer.
Relax and enjoy your beer when it's ready :thumb:

 

[Toredan]

I don't stir, but I do place my airlock then give the fv a little 'shimmy' to submerge the dried yeast. :) I guess it's each to their own!

 

[Lloydy]

Just finishing off a last few bottles of this now and everyone has been beautiful.
I Should have put on another batch earlier but with working away I never managed to get it done until yesterday.
So the second batch started I,m hoping it will be as good as the first.