First kit all done

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lovelldr

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Well, last night, finally got around to making my first kit...Done a TC and ginger beer last week. TC is just finishing fermenting, and Ginger Beer is currently in bottles condtitioning...

So, get all the kit out. Sanitise it all. SWMBO moans about me using the bath to get the hot water to fill the FV, lol... Anyway, leave that sanitising whilst I get the kit (Youngs lager ... got nothing else at the mo, as waiting for the company to deliver :p). Put that in hot water. Get everything else ready, mix the FV with steriliser in a few times. Go up to bath again, empty it and rinse it with cold water (to more moans from SWMBO)...

Go back downstairs, pour the kit in to the FV. Empty the tin out with the boiling water. Then, get the next kettle full in the tin to mix the sugar in with it, empty that in, and then pour rest of boiling water in. Fully mixed it around giving it loads of air/bubble head. Then, added the bottled water I had (seemed easier at the time to use bottled, but see questions later ;)). Finished mixing it around. Took a sample in to test jar, and left it whilst I add the yeast. Gave that a good stir, and then put lid and air lock on, and carried it out to the garage to put in my water bath. Reading in water bath was 18'c. Had a look this morning before going work, and it currently reads 20.5'c.

Anyway, next part was the clearing up! Went up to ask missus if she wanted a cuppa (try and sweeten her up a bit ;)), and said I'd do it then tidy up. She then picked up, and had to come downstairs! There was hardly any mess! A little bit of the mixture on the floor, where I was a little fast at stirring while was full, a few bits around the kitchen and in sink, and a little water on surfaces, but nothing else. The missus was then completely moaning! "Hope you enjoy that one, as it's the last you'll be making!" When do I tell her that I got about 4 kits on order?! :whistle:

Anyway, I brewed a little short by about 2 litres. Hoping to add a little extra to the abv... SG was 1.040, so hopefully that'll be a good starting...

So, my questions...

  • Should I turn the water down a little, or should that be ok? Kit says to brew between 18-21'c, so I assume should be ok?![/*:m:2wekkebp]
  • Instead of getting bottled water, I was thinking of just using campden tablets to clear out the chlorine in water (0.3mg/l apparantly on average). Water is quite hard, but that shouldn't make a difference from what I read?! Anyway, using these tablets, is it best to fill an FV with the 19l of water (dependant on the kit using), crush the tablet (amount dependant on water using), and mix it around in the 2nd FV. Then, use this water in the first FV... Or, can you crush the tablet directly in the mixture after it's all added together, and then further mix it?[/*:m:2wekkebp]
  • Anyone else who has a missus who moaned at them for doing the kits Altho I suppose that everyone has that :p :drunk: [/*:m:2wekkebp]
 
dps said:
hope it all turns out ok..
brew something she like to drink to keep her happy..
Cheers

I did ... tea! Hehe.

She only drinks the odd spirit, and that's only on rare occasions! lol. Good for when going out and needing a drive though ;)
 
Hi, I am already getting the comments from the wife and I am only on my second kit. I am trying to appease her by doing a TC as she likes cider, particularly the flat kind.

Interested to hear how the brew turns out. My first brew was a Youngs bitter which I wasn't overly impressed with, but then that could have been my poor execution :) Used normal sugar as I couldn't wait to get hold of some brewing sugar.
 
giraffe said:
Hi, I am already getting the comments from the wife and I am only on my second kit. I am trying to appease her by doing a TC as she likes cider, particularly the flat kind.

Interested to hear how the brew turns out. My first brew was a Youngs bitter which I wasn't overly impressed with, but then that could have been my poor execution :) Used normal sugar as I couldn't wait to get hold of some brewing sugar.

lol, will do...

As said, got a TC on the go too ... but not sure how well that will turn out :p She'll hopefully have a try of it, and not dislike it :p

As for execution ... I just used unfermented golden sugar, as I'd read that lager isn't too bad with normal sugar... So, hopefully will be ok. Not expecting it to be great, but got a few brewferms on order where I'll be making candi sugar to use, a porter with dark dme, and a st peters ipa. So, hopefully will be nicer than this :) Assuming I'm still alive without the missus kicking me out :p hehe
 
Well, I just finished racking off in to the secondary fermenter (that sounds weird :p)...

FG ended up at 1.004, so from 1.040 to 1.004 should give me a nice 4.7%ish beer hopefully :)

Had a taste of it as I was transferring, and it tasted OK (as much as I expected to be honest). Not sure if all ok, or just first brew nerves :p As was quite cloudy still... But, I suspect it's just how it is...

Leave it to try and clear out now in secondary, and will probably bottle it next Thursday...

Still so impatient tho! :p hehe
 
Sounds promising,

I just bottled up my Cooper Canadian lager today, tasted ok but hard to tell at this point.

I am very impatient so will probably have a proper glass once it clears :)
 

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