I agree. It saves a step and saves beer.
Best Home Brew Beginners Kit
- Thread starter Flying_Fox
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Flying_Fox
Well-Known Member
I’ve only gone and got the kit! 
I did take all your advice and the only thing I didn’t buy was the Trial Jar.
Just waiting for it all to be delivered to store. So dead excited!
I did take all your advice and the only thing I didn’t buy was the Trial Jar. Just waiting for it all to be delivered to store. So dead excited!
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I'm getting ready to brew my first kit for 20 years....! I too bought the basic stuff but no trial jar! I assume I shouldn't be concerned about introducing potential infection if opening up the FV to use the hydrometer vs drawing some beer off through the tap into a trial jar?
The kit linked in the OP doesnt look like it includes sugar. Assume you'd just use the normal white silver spoon from the supermarket ?
The kit linked in the OP doesnt look like it includes sugar. Assume you'd just use the normal white silver spoon from the supermarket ?
Hi flying fox if you have a hydrometer and no trial jar just use a tall slim glass as long as it floats the hydro no prob
Flying_Fox
Well-Known Member
Well.......I did it all today and I added 125g Brewing Sugar and 125g Spray Malt. I was reading the instructions again and it says leave it to do it’s thing for a week, bottle it (Add Sugar Then!) and leave for another 2 x weeks until it clears.
I haven’t messed it up by putting the Sugar in at the beginning have I?
On the plus side the Cider seems to be doing ok
I haven’t messed it up by putting the Sugar in at the beginning have I?
On the plus side the Cider seems to be doing ok
Ignore the instructions re: timing.
Rely on your hydrometer instead. It’s ready for bottling when the gravity is stable for a couple of days in a row AND is near the expected final gravity. (Don’t assume it’s finished if gravity ‘stalls’ at 1.020!)
Yes, you want the sugar in at the start so the yeast can ferment it. You’ll add a little more sugar when you come to bottle (priming sugar).
Rely on your hydrometer instead. It’s ready for bottling when the gravity is stable for a couple of days in a row AND is near the expected final gravity. (Don’t assume it’s finished if gravity ‘stalls’ at 1.020!)
Yes, you want the sugar in at the start so the yeast can ferment it. You’ll add a little more sugar when you come to bottle (priming sugar).
125g....? Should that be for priming the bottles?
Flying_Fox
Well-Known Member
Well from reading the instructions it doesn’t require a lot of Sugar so I was thinking that I wanted it to have a bit of kick so I added the Sugar and Spray Malt.
How long should I leave it in the FV then?!?
Time to read the stuff in the link I provided you with in Post #20 above.Well from reading the instructions it doesn’t require a lot of Sugar so I was thinking that I wanted it to have a bit of kick so I added the Sugar and Spray Malt.
How long should I leave it in the FV then?!?
You would then find the answer to that and other questions you might have.
Flying_Fox
Well-Known Member
Time to read the stuff in the link I provided you with in Post #20 above.
You would then find the answer to that and other questions you might have.
Last question then and it’s not covered there. I put Sugar in before the Yeast. When I bottle it should I add some more Sugar then? It won’t make it too sweet?
Read the part about Bottling and priming sugar and all will be revealed
Actually no. The simple sugars are very easily converted into ethanol by the yeast, so easily that you need to add more sugar at bottling time to "prime" the beer, so that it comes out fizzy and not flat. You need a half teaspoon of ordinary sugar per 500ml bottle. Some add more to a Lager style kit, but just adding it is the thing to get the hang of at first.
Flying_Fox
Well-Known Member
Read the part about Bottling and priming sugar and all will be revealed
The point I’m trying to make though is Whoodfordes Wherry is an ale so it’s not supposed to be fizzy?!?
At the end of the primary fermentation beer does contain some dissolved CO2 but it is it only roughly equivalent to a very flat pint. And the warmer it is the less CO2 it will contain. Adding priming sugar at bottling time enables CO2 to carbonate the beer to a level in keeping with the style. If you don't add priming sugar the beer will remain 'flat'.
The advice given by me and others concerning this and other stuff is based on experience, but it's entirely up to you whether you follow it or not.
How ‘fizzy’ it is will depend on how much priming sugar you add. Different styles of beer have different levels of carbonation.
Whilst an ale shouldn’t be ‘fizzy’ it also shouldn’t be completely flat.
I think in an ale what you want is what I call the sexy dance were the head starts to form in the beer and you have to wait, it's a bit like a belly dancer (am I allowed to say this) strutting her stuff it's magical to watch, then you take a swig and it's carbonated but not to the point were it bites your tongue and goes down like a rolls Royce
PhilBrew
Landlord.
... gotta love the enthusiasm of a new brewer 
.. and the sage experience of the "patience grasshopper" advice
Hi FF
Keep those questions coming though, just because most of them have been asked and answered lots of times before doesn't mean they're not important for your learning ... and every so often an enthusiastic new brewer will ask a question that isn't already answered in the FAQs, which will give the opportunity to improve the overall knowledge of the whole community :small
Meanwhile, did you follow this step in the advice Terry linked to? ...
Cheers, PhilB
.. and the sage experience of the "patience grasshopper" advice Hi FF
Keep those questions coming though, just because most of them have been asked and answered lots of times before doesn't mean they're not important for your learning ... and every so often an enthusiastic new brewer will ask a question that isn't already answered in the FAQs, which will give the opportunity to improve the overall knowledge of the whole community
:smallMeanwhile, did you follow this step in the advice Terry linked to? ...
... if so, what reading did you get? And any signs of activity in that FV yet?terrym said:
Cheers, PhilB
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Flying_Fox
Well-Known Member
... gotta love the enthusiasm of a new brewer
Hi FF
Keep those questions coming though, just because most of them have been asked and answered lots of times before doesn't mean they're not important for your learning ... and every so often an enthusiastic new brewer will ask a question that isn't already answered in the FAQs, which will give the opportunity to improve the overall knowledge of the whole community
Meanwhile, did you follow this step in the advice Terry linked to? ... ... if so, what reading did you get? And any signs of activity in that FV yet?
Cheers, PhilB
The first reading was 1.040 which told me it was ready to make Beer!
Had a bit of action yesterday but today it has gone down again, I’ve seen that it’s a common occurrence so nothing to worry about Thanks all of you for being so patient. I appreciate the fact you’ve all been there and done that
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