First Brew - Looking for helpful comments

[rifraf58]

My first Brew and I am not really looking for advice as I know what I should be doing, but as I say it is my first brew and I am probably going to be a plonker and helpful comments would be very welcome, name calling is also acceptable.
It's Coopers English Bitter brewed with 500g Light Spray Malt & 500g Dextrose. Started at 1.042 and has now been 1006 for two days which means it is already a bit stronger than I was aiming at. Samples that I have drawn off to check the SP have been drunk rather than wasted and I was well impressed with the flavour.
I know I should prime it and do it properly but I am a typical newbie and can't wait! Tomorrow I will start a new batch to condition properly. Today I want to keg the current batch and Gas it, it will be in a Wilkinson Pressure Barrel within co2 bulbs.

Any comments (or advice) on this proposed process would be very welcome. At my disposal i have a hall cupboard that maintains a constant temperature pretty much year round of 14C I also have an empty fridge that when unplugged maintains a constant temp inside of 22C and obviously down to 1C to 7C when turned on.

 

[bobsbeer]

You are probably fermented at 1.006. Siphon over and prime. Leave for two weeks to carbonate then cool to your 14c. If you can leave it a couple of weeks more the taste will be better. But it's drinkable as soon as it's carbonated. Don't try to carbonate with CO2 bulbs you will be there all day and still not have enough bulbs. :grin:

 

[rifraf58]

Thanks bobsbeer, I was being impatient, but will now follow you advice for the sake of two weeks. I am guessing after I start drawing from the barrel I will then have to fill the void with co2 from the bulbs? Obviously it will take a while to drink so will the remainder continue to improve once I have started drawing?

 

[carl_saint]

Thanks bobsbeer, I was being impatient, but will now follow you advice for the sake of two weeks. I am guessing after I start drawing from the barrel I will then have to fill the void with co2 from the bulbs? Obviously it will take a while to drink so will the remainder continue to improve once I have started drawing?

Yes you do and yes it will is the short answer!

 

[rifraf58]

Cheers, have everything sterilizing now ready to keg it. What's best for the priming, Brewing Sugar or Table Sugar, dissolve it first or just put it in the bottom of the keg?

 

[marengo]

Hi rifraf

I would use medium spray malt (Dried malt extract) if you can get it - about 80 to 100 grams. It should give the brew slightly more body. But if you can't get it then I would use the brewing sugar over table sugar. I normally dissolve the primer in boiling water (about half pint) let it cool and put it in the keg before siphoning.

cheers
john

 

[rifraf58]

Thanks John, am about to siphon it off into the Keg now and used all the malt I had when I started it, so will use brewing sugar and will dissolve in hot water.

Ralph

 

[carl_saint]

As John says, dissolve in boiling water and boil for 10 mins. Wait for it to cool then use it to prime your keg!

 

[jonnymorris]

DME / brewing sugar / table sugar... it makes little difference when priming.

 

[carl_saint]

I always used DME but white sugar will work fine.

 

[rifraf58]

Thanks every one, my brew is now in the barrel in the unplugged fridge. So far I have been very pleased with this Coopers English Bitter, as I said earlier even in it's present state it tastes good so can only get better! Want to get another brew on the go in the next few days, which will probably be bottled in Plastic, are soft drink bottles suitable and do they need a new special cap?

Love the help you can get from this site, if only it had been about 30 years ago when my one and only attempt at brewing ended up with many of the bottles exploding in the airing cupboard, I wasn't popular with her indoors, but hey what's wrong with you clothes smelling of bear? I can think of worst smells!

 

[bobsbeer]

ex soda/pop bottles are fine. Just keep clear ones out of the light while in storage.