Are kit instructions wrong?

[ScottM]

Is the O2 mixed into the wort at the beginning not combined with carbon via the yeast to create the CO2? I always thought that was the case rather than just to help the yeast grow. The yeast grows via consuming sugar & O2 and the byproducts are alcohol and CO2?

Or is that what we're saying... without actually saying it? lol.

Nope...

The dissolved O2 at the start is combined with sugar (C6H12O6) to produce CO2 and H2O in the growth phase - simple respiration like what we do.

Only when that free oxygen runs out does alcohol get produced. At that point the sugar is (without going right into the detail) simply converted into CO2 and Ethanol (C2H6O)

:thumb:

I didn't realise that. I didn't even realise that sort of thing was possible lol.

Does that mean with the right processing that sugar could be a source of oxygen?

Edit:

Good read about it all here http://www.yobrew.co.uk/fermentation.php

 

[pittsy]

If your main concern is getting better beer then the following is my advice , buy a quality kit (a 2 can type probably around the £20 price) buy it as fresh as possible (liquid malt goes past it's best quick ish ) buy some good yeast as kit yeast is often picked for shelf life more than best for the style etc ( make sure you match the style of beer wanted with the yeast you buy) , have a method of keeping your fv at a constant temp , often around 18/20c depending on what your brewing ( an aquarium heater and a larger container like a builders bucket or a storage container (70l) with water in and your fv ) , leave fermenting for around 14 days , and depending on style do some dry hopping . And let beer condition for a good amount of time (min 4 weeks , better around 2 months) . This is about all you should concern you with kit brewing , if you want better beer then extract brewing is the way forward or better still all grain , then you start to concern yourself with all the science stuff , good luck with your brew. :

 

[morethanworts]

If your main concern is getting better beer then the following is my advice , buy a quality kit (a 2 can type probably around the £20 price) buy it as fresh as possible (liquid malt goes past it's best quick ish ) buy some good yeast as kit yeast is often picked for shelf life more than best for the style etc ( make sure you match the style of beer wanted with the yeast you buy) , have a method of keeping your fv at a constant temp , often around 18/20c depending on what your brewing ( an aquarium heater and a larger container like a builders bucket or a storage container (70l) with water in and your fv ) , leave fermenting for around 14 days , and depending on style do some dry hopping . And let beer condition for a good amount of time (min 4 weeks , better around 2 months) . This is about all you should concern you with kit brewing , if you want better beer then extract brewing is the way forward or better still all grain , then you start to concern yourself with all the science stuff , good luck with your brew. :

You know what, I never actually used the most 'basic kit method' (ie. just emptying and pouring over a kettle or two) with a 3Kg/2-can kit. Once I stepped up from the 1 can jobs, I think I also started to boil it all up and steep the hops, which means getting a lot more things right. Yours is an option I will definitely try out, having had such good responses on this thread. Thanks to all - I am certainly going to try it because of how the discussion has gone. I will just boil any aroma hops in a bit of water for 10 mins and add that in too, perhaps.

As for temperature control, I'm right on the money with what you say: a temperature module and probe controlling an aquarium heater, in a trug of water around the FV. I'm currentluy taking advantage of the cool weather [as though we're going to get anything else!] to do a cool lager brew at the moment, around 12-13C. Next one will be a top fermenter though. :