how close do you stick to the beer kit instructions

[kwazulu]

Having wet my appetite ( ) brewing some cider a few weeks back, I have spent my time since then studying John Palmer's 'How to brew' as well as reading a few posts on the forum in preparation for my first beer brew this weekend. After much consideration, I settled on the Milestone: Old Home Wrecker.

I get the impression most deviate from the instructions in the kit. Is this correct?

Personally, the only place I am considering deviating, and this is a result of reading Mr Palmer's book, is in the fermenting stage. The instructions say 4-6 days in the primary FV, then bottle condition for 4 weeks, but am considering leaving it in the FV for closer to 10-14 days, see last paragraph at http://howtobrew.com/section1/chapter8-2-2.html

What are your thoughts on this? How do you brew? Understanding it's probably different for each kit, how much do you deviate on the 'premium' kits?

 

[PD]

Best method is to be guided by hydrometer readings to see when fermentation has finished.
However if you leave the brew in the FV for 10 days you should be ok, then move it to a cooler place for a few days before racking.

 

[calumscott]

PD speaks the truth... :thumb:

 

[boozy_shoes]

You've got it spot on. Leave it alone in the FV for 10-21 days and the yeast will clean up after itself better and make for a better beer. After that bottle and then get another beer in the now empty FV to get a conveyor belt of beer going. Once bottled leave it at least 4 weeks (bar the odd sample bottle obv.) and you'll get good beer. Patience is the single biggest and best ingredient in homebrewing anything.

The kit manufacturers put the low 4-6 days in the FV in the instructions so they can make claims of "beer ready ready to drink in 2 weeks!" on the labels and such when in reality it will be just about beer but not half as drinkable as in 6-8 weeks.

 

[NickW]

Always leave in the FV for a minimum of two weeks, longer if you haven't reached your target gravity.

Also bottle two weeks in the warm and at least 4 in the cool. Kit beers apparently take longer to condition than all grain brews. Unsure of the reasons why :thumb:

 

[graysalchemy]

Yes timings and temps on kit instructions are rather ambitious. Use a hydrometer to determine if it is done or not. If you have 3 days consecutive constant readings around the expected abv then it is done. If it has stuck ie higher than expected FG like 1020 then give it a gentle stir to rouse the yeast. Once it has finished then move it somewhere cool to clear and preferably move it into a clean FV. Then when the beer is clear, and not before, bottle it, again preferably moving it back into a clean sterilised fv of the yeast (unlike HFW's attempt on this weeks river cottage).

Temp wise keep the fermenting wort below 21c preferably 20c. Now measure the wort temp not the air temp there will be a difference. Also remember in the first 36 hrs temps are likely to rise as fermentation is exothermic and it is these first few days which are critical to the development of the wort. :thumb: :thumb:

Finally if the kit requires sugar with the kit then think about using Dry malt extract or liquid malt extract instead you will get a better beer with more body. :thumb:

 

[NickW]

Then when the beer is clear, and not before

GA... I'm a little confused about this.

I always put my brew in a fridge at 9c for a week before bottling to clear it. But I use an opaque youngs bucket so how can I make sure it's clear enough? I ferment for at least two weeks along with consistent FG readings..

 

[Deejie]

After much consideration, I settled on the Milestone: Old Home Wrecker.

This was my last kit. It promised to be rather special, but i suffered leaking barrel syndrome & so it never reached it's full potential.

If i tried it again (And I will) I'd aim to leave it to condition for at least 2 months. Truly.

:
DJA

 

[kwazulu]

thanks all!. Lots of very useful information and pleased to know I was on the right track with my thinking :thumb:

This was my last kit. It promised to be rather special, but i suffered leaking barrel syndrome & so it never reached it's full potential.

If i tried it again (And I will) I'd aim to leave it to condition for at least 2 months. Truly.

2 months!? hmmm, may have to try that next time as this is my Christmas batch. In fact, I'll just set a few bottles aside somewhere for the end of January... yes! thats it

 

[Titch]

i personally wait till readings are steady after about 7 to 10 days
then transfer to a clean sterilised bucket to sit for another week and then bottle
however this time i got four empty cornys that need filling
so will check then secondary then keg

i have the urge to secondary in the corny and get another couple of brews in the fridge ..... mmmm

choice choices

 

[graysalchemy]

Then when the beer is clear, and not before

GA... I'm a little confused about this.

I always put my brew in a fridge at 9c for a week before bottling to clear it. But I use an opaque youngs bucket so how can I make sure it's clear enough? I ferment for at least two weeks along with consistent FG readings..

Take a sample and hold it up to the light. :thumb:

It should be as clear as you want to drink it before bottling.

 

[NickW]

so simple.. cheers GA :lol:

 

[NickW]

This is my EKG smash brew, been at 8c for 6 days after a fermentation at 18c and stable gravity for 5 days.

Protofloc and immersion chiller used. Doesn't seem clear...? :wha:

Was planning on bottling tomorrow

 

[NickW]

I can definitely say it's "bright", nice colour, not murky in any way. Just not "clear"..

 

[micky1882]

My brewing routine is very basic and simple. All I do is boil 1 kettle of water and dissolve normal sugar in the water in the FV, boil the kettle again and mix this in the FV along with the can kit. I leave it for 10-14 days in the kitchen, don't bother with any readings, then I bottle into 2litre PET bottles which I leave in the spare room for a week or 2 then outside for a week then : :drunk:

 

[NickW]

Simple as it gets! If you're getting enjoyable beer then hats off to you :hat:

Left that sample out for a bit and when the temp had raised it's starting to clear nicely... must have been a touch of chill haze which doesn't bother me...

Or perhaps I opened the tap too fast and a bit of sediment got disturbed .. who knows

 

[graysalchemy]

What temp have you got it clearing at?

 

[NickW]

20c at the minute.

 

[NickW]

Seems to be clearing from the top downwards actually... that doesn't suggest chill haze... :wha:

 

[rpt]

I have to admit that my beer is never completely clear when I bottle it. It does eventually drop clear in the bottle. If I waited till it was clear in the FV then I would never be able to get another brew on. I had my first bottle of the GW Timmy Taylor Landlord clone last night. It wasn't clear but it was excellent. So I'm not sure completely clear beer matters and I'm confident it will be clear in a week or two.