Couple of quesitons about Cwtch

[Lawpf2001]

Hi all,
I have got back into home brewing using the Tiny Rebel Cwtch kit, after a few failed attempts with my dad when I was younger.

I have a few questions I was hoping to get answered before transferring to my pressure barrel:

1. When transferring to pressure barrel am I meant to filter or strain the liquid of sediment?
2. Spraymalt or Sugar - this seems to be a question of preference. But which spraymalt colour variety should I be using?
3. Finally, when I came to take my SG, I noticed my Hydrometer doesn't measure in gravity but G/L. My initial reading was between the 100-109 g/l, which I believe is around 1043. However, on my second reading this had gone up to 182-196 g/l (1072ish). I assume my hydrometer is broken or i've done something wrong, but would there be any reason why my reading would increase? Haven't yet taken my final reading so hoping it goes back to normal again.

Cheers.

 

[Graz]

Hi all,
I have got back into home brewing using the Tiny Rebel Cwtch kit, after a few failed attempts with my dad when I was younger.

I have a few questions I was hoping to get answered before transferring to my pressure barrel:

1. When transferring to pressure barrel am I meant to filter or strain the liquid of sediment?
2. Spraymalt or Sugar - this seems to be a question of preference. But which spraymalt colour variety should I be using?
3. Finally, when I came to take my SG, I noticed my Hydrometer doesn't measure in gravity but G/L. My initial reading was between the 100-109 g/l, which I believe is around 1043. However, on my second reading this had gone up to 182-196 g/l (1072ish). I assume my hydrometer is broken or i've done something wrong, but would there be any reason why my reading would increase? Haven't yet taken my final reading so hoping it goes back to normal again.

Cheers.

1. The usual thing to do is use a siphon to move the beer from the fermenter to the barrel. By the time you come to do this most of the yeast sediment will be at the bottom so just lower the siphon in a few inches, get it going, and then as the fermenter gradually empties into the barrel lower it down into the beer but try to avoid putting it into the crud at the bottom or stirring it up. I usually tilt the fermenter as it nears the bottom to try to get as much out as possible. However the added complication with the Cwtch is all the hops that get added. This makes for loads of hop bits floating around that will clog the siphon. They don't supply a filter with this kit but try to get hold of one of these (or similar):

Tie is over the end of the siphon to filter out the hops. Could probably use a bit of muslin cloth instead.

2. I'm assuming you mean for priming as this kit doesn't need any extra sugar. For that purpose either is fine. I'd use light spray malt if I were using malt but really anything would do.

3. Not sure about you hydrometer but 1043 sounds about right for this kit, 1072 is pretty high. The high reading could just be due to bubbles forming on the hydrometer which will cause it to read high. If you gently twirl the hydrometer as you drop it in the wort it helps to stop any bubbles forming. If it was actively fermenting at the time of you second reading then it would almost certainly be CO2 bubbles forming on it.

 

[Lawpf2001]

Perfect, really helpful thanks Graz.